Congress, Military | featured news

China hijacked 15 per cent of the world's internet traffic for 18 minutes earlier this year, including highly sensitive email exchanges between senior US government and military figures, a report to the US Congress said.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates says he hopes the outgoing Congress will approve legislation ending the military's ban on gays but was unsure of the prospects for success.

Senate Republicans on Tuesday blocked legislation that would have repealed the law banning gays from serving openly in the military.

The Obama administration is set to notify the US Congress of a $60bn (£39bn) sale to Saudi Arabia of advanced military aircraft, reports say.

Her confirmation all but assured, Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan neared the end of a final grueling day of Senate questioning Wednesday, fielding GOP challenges on abortion, gays in the military and other divisive issues while sidestepping Democrats' invitations to blast conservative decisions by the court she's hoping to join.

Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan says she continues to oppose the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy that bans openly gay and lesbian soldiers from military service.

The House on Friday passed a defense bill that paves the way for gays to serve openly in the military for the first time, but advocates on both sides geared up for a fight in the Senate....

Defense Secretary Robert Gates gave lukewarm support Tuesday to a White House-backed plan for a congressional vote as early as this week to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" law against gays serving openly in the military. Gates indicated he'd prefer more time to study the sweeping change before Congress acts....

The Marine Corps' commandant said he won't force his troops to bunk with gays on base and would give them separate rooms if Congress votes to allow openly gay service.

The Pentagon made immediate changes on Thursday to make it harder for the U.S. military to kick out gay personnel, an interim step while Congress debates repealing the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.