Ashland man to plead guilty to terrorism charges

Rezwan Ferdaus faces up to 17 years in prison on charges that he plotted to crash remote-controlled planes loaded with plastic explosives into the Pentagon.

(Photo courtesy of WBZ-TV)

Raytheon marks 90 years, with challenges ahead

To survive the coming era of big cuts in military spending, the Waltham defense contractor will have to rely on its legacy of innovation.

(PHOTO BY PAUL POPPER/POPPERFOTO/GETTY IMAGES)

JULIETTE KAYYEM

Suicide is the biggest foe for US troops

While the Pentagon has made serious and sustained efforts to address suicide, the growing number of these cases suggests that the message isn’t taking hold.

(REUTERS)

JULIETTE KAYYEM

The Pentagon is stopped from going green

It is odd that the Senate Armed Services Committee has prohibited the Pentagon, the single biggest consumer of fossil fuels, from spending money on cleaner energy alternatives.

(HEATHER HOPP-BRUCE/THE BOSTON GLOBE)

MIT seeks to invest $450m at Hanscom

- The Department of Defense has quietly approved an MIT proposal to build a $450 million research facility at Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford.

iRobot turns to the nuclear industry

- The Bedford company, which is seeking new markets as cuts loom at the Pentagon, is expected to announce on Monday its first sale to a domestic nuclear power plant operator.

Obama apologizes for burning of Koran

- The president sent a letter of apology to Afghanistan’s president for the recent burning of the Islamic holy book at a US military base.

Brown supports women in combat

- Senator Scott Brown urged the secretary of defense to allow women to serve in combat, saying the nation has an “obligation to provide greater opportunities for female troops.”

US allows more combat-related jobs for women

- The Pentagon will maintain bans on women serving in most ground combat units, defense officials said yesterday, despite pressure from lawmakers and female veterans who called the restrictions outdated after a decade at war.

iRobot shares plunge on predicted losses from defense cuts

- Shares of Bedford robot maker iRobot Corp. plunged more than 30 percent to close at $25.17 yesterday, after the company warned of possible losses.