4 h. ago Trump recasts US allies as tools to counter China in security playbook: analysts

US President Donald Trump’s new national security strategy frames America’s allies not just as partners, but as instruments to preserve US primacy and counter China’s rise, analysts say. The strategy urges wealthy allies to increase defence spending, align more closely with Washington on measures such as export controls, and take greater responsibility for their regions, a shift that recasts long-standing alliances as tools in great-power competition. The 33-page document declares that the era...

Politics

8 d. ago Taiwan’s William Lai accused of stoking fear with 2027 countdown confusion

Opposition critics have accused Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te of stoking fear on the island with his suggestion that Beijing could be preparing to take Taiwan by force by 2027. They also said that Lai’s attempt to justify a massive increase in defence spending was nudging Taiwan towards a wartime footing without consensus or clarity. The controversy erupted after Lai told a press conference on Wednesday that Beijing was pursuing a goal to “complete unification with Taiwan by force by...

Politics

8 d. ago Italy’s Leonardo unveils ‘Michelangelo Dome’ air defence system

Italy’s defence and aerospace group Leonardo on Thursday presented plans for a new multilayered air defence system, as European countries step up military capabilities to bolster defences against Russia and other threats. The “Michelangelo Dome” is an integrated defence system that uses artificial intelligence to neutralise a range of threats, from hypersonic weapons to drone swarms and naval attacks, in a bid to strengthen its role in European multi-domain security. Named for the Renaissance...

Politics

8 d. ago Macron says France to restore voluntary military service amid Russia threat

French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a new national military service plan on Thursday as France seeks to bolster its armed forces to address growing concerns over Russia’s threat to European nations beyond the war in Ukraine. Macron announced that volunteers aged 18 and 19 will start serving next year in a 10-month new military service programme. “A new national service is set to be gradually established, starting from next summer,” Macron said in a speech at the Varces military base, in...

Events

9 d. ago Taiwanese leader Lai pledges US$40 billion rise in defence spending

Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te has set out plans for an unprecedented rise in defence spending worth US$40 billion over the next eight years, describing it as a historic investment to safeguard the island’s democracy and deter an increasingly assertive Beijing. In an article for The Washington Post published on Wednesday, Lai said his government had committed to “significantly increase” military expenditure to 3.3 per cent of gross domestic product next year, then raise it further to 5...

Economics

9 d. ago Taiwan unveils $40bn budget for defence spending to counter China

Taiwan unveils $40bn budget for defence spending to counter China  Al Jazeera

Economics

9 d. ago Taiwan plans extra $40bn in defence spending to counter China’s ‘intensifying’ threats

Taiwan plans extra $40bn in defence spending to counter China’s ‘intensifying’ threats  The Guardian

Economics

9 d. ago Taiwan plans extra $40 billion in defence spending to counter China

Taiwan plans extra $40 billion in defence spending to counter China  Reuters

Economics

1 week ago Trump accuses Ukraine of ingratitude as officials report progress on peace plan

The United States said it had made significant progress on crafting a plan to end the war in Ukraine during talks on Sunday but no agreement was reached on how to guarantee Kyiv’s security amid concerns about the threat posed by Russia. Earlier, Trump said Ukraine had not been grateful for American efforts over the war, prompting Ukrainian officials to stress their gratitude to the US president for his support. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio led the talks in Geneva with a high-level Ukrainian...

Politics

2 w. ago Australian poll reveals rising concerns over US influence, trade tactics

More than half of Australians are concerned about US interference while support for defence spending has reached a new high, according to a nationwide poll that comes as friction mounts between the allies over issues such as trade. The survey released on Tuesday by the Australia-China Relations Institute at the University of Technology Sydney found that 54 per cent of respondents are worried about US influence on domestic affairs – a jump of nearly 20 percentage points since 2021. The increase...

Politics

2 w. ago As war strains economy, Russia faces hard choices between guns and butter

After two years of robust growth fuelled by military spending on the war in Ukraine, Russia’s economy is slowing. Oil revenues are down, the budget deficit is up and defence spending has levelled off. The Kremlin needs money to keep its finances steady – and it is clear where President Vladimir Putin intends to get it: at the cash register, from ordinary people and small businesses. An increase in value-added tax to 22 per cent from 20 per cent is expected to add as much as 1 trillion roubles...

Events

3 w. ago China’s massive fuelling of Russia’s Ukraine war chest called a threat to Europe, NATO

China’s massive fuelling of Russia’s Ukraine war chest called a threat to Europe, NATO  Tibetan Review

Events

3 w. ago ‘War of tomorrow will begin in space,’ Macron says, singling out Russia

Modern conflicts are already being fought in space and the next wars will begin there, French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday, singling out the threat posed by Russia and announcing a multibillion-euro increase in spending on military activities in space. “The war of today is already being fought in space, and the war of tomorrow will begin in space,” Macron said in Toulouse, France’s space and aviation hub, which is home to its new space military command centre. “Space is no longer a...

Politics

3 w. ago Taiwanese military struggling to find enough volunteers even as spending rises

Taiwan’s military is facing a worsening manpower crisis as the numbers volunteering to serve continue to shrink. The trend has raised concerns that the shortfall could undermine combat readiness even as the government plans record levels of defence spending in response to US lobbying and the growing strength of mainland China’s military. According to a recent report by the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Centre, the overall personnel fill rate – the ratio between authorised and actual troop numbers –...

Events

3 w. ago Russia is threat that forced us to raise defence spending, Estonia minister says

European countries have been forced to boost defence spending because of the “threat” from Russia, Estonia’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said as he wrapped up a visit to China where he called for the country to put more pressure on Moscow to end the war in Ukraine. In an interview with the Post on Thursday, Tsahkna said: “President [Donald] Trump has been very clear that Europe must put skin in the game. Europe must take more responsibility.” Trump had previously threatened to leave Nato...

Politics

4 w. ago Mass graves, blood stains: satellite images point to horrors in seized Sudan city

Satellite images analysed on Wednesday appear to show mass burials being conducted in El-Fasher in Sudan’s Darfur region after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces seized it, further raising concerns about the scale of the violence that descended on the city. The images of El-Fasher come as the two-year war grinds on in Sudan despite growing international outrage, with local media and the United Nations reporting a drone strike targeting a funeral in another city called El-Obeid, killing at...

Events