Connect with us

U.K News

Australia Plans Major Overhaul Of Defenses As China Rises

Published

on

australia

australia

CANBERRA, Australia – According to a government-commissioned research issued Monday, Australia has to spend more on defense, manufacture its weapons, and acquire the ability to strike longer-range targets as China’s military growth threatens regional security.

The Defense Strategic Review backs the AUKUS collaboration of Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom, which announced an agreement to build an Australian fleet of eight submarines powered by US nuclear technology in March.

According to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the assessment was commissioned to determine if Australia has the appropriate defense capabilities, posture, and preparedness to defend itself in the current geopolitical environment.

“We support the review’s strategic direction and key findings, which will strengthen our national security and prepare us for future challenges,” Albanese added.

He said that the assessment was Australia’s most important since World War II and was extensive in scope. “It shows that in a world where threats to our national security are constantly evolving, we cannot rely on old assumptions,” Albanese added.

The public version of the classified evaluation proposed that Australia’s government spend more on defense than the existing 2% of GDP, increase the ability of the Australian Defense Force to precisely hit targets at greater ranges, and manufacture weapons locally.

Other proposals include increasing the force’s ability to operate from Australia’s northern bases and strengthening defense partnerships with major Indo-Pacific countries such as India and Japan.

According to the evaluation, China’s military expansion “is now the largest and most ambitious of any country” since World War II’s end. It “occurs without transparency or reassurance of China’s strategic intent to the Indo-Pacific region,” it stated.

According to the report, the strategic circumstances during the present assessment were “radically different” from those in the past. Former Australian Defense Force Chief Angus Houston and former Defense Minister Stephen Smith wrote it.

IT ADDED THAT the US, Australia’s most important military treaty partner, was “no longer the unipolar leader of the Indo-Pacific,” a region where major-power strategic competition had returned.

“As a result, for the first time in 80 years, we must return to fundamentals to manage and seek to avoid the highest level of strategic risk we now face as a nation: the prospect of major conflict in the region that directly threatens our national interest,” the review stated.

australia

The government intends to postpone or cancel 7.8 billion Australian dollars ($5.2 billion) in defense investment to reflect changed priorities.

According to Defense Industry Minister Pat Conroy, an order for infantry fighting vehicles has been lowered from 450 to 129 as part of the revised priorities. The savings from those vehicles and the cancellation of a second regiment of self-propelled howitzers will be used to accelerate the acquisition of HIMARS rocket systems from the United States, which have proven effective in the Ukraine war.

Conroy stated that the army’s maximum range would be increased from 40 kilometers (25 miles) to over 300 kilometers (185 miles) and, with the procurement of precision-strike missiles, to over 500 kilometers (310 miles).

“This is about giving the Australian army the firepower and mobility it needs to face whatever it needs to face in the future,” Conroy explained.

When asked about Australia’s new military strategy, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning stated that Beijing’s military expansion is “defensive in nature.”

“We are committed to preserving peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and worldwide,” she said. “We do not pose a threat to any country.” We hope relevant countries do not exaggerate the so-called China threat narrative.”

During the past five decades, Australia’s military policy has been oriented towards preventing and responding to potential low-level threats from small- or middle-power neighbors. “This approach is no longer fit for purpose,” according to the evaluation.

According to the report, Australia’s army, air force, and navy must focus on “delivering timely and relevant capability” rather than “pursuing the perfect solution or process” in their procurements.

australia

SOURCE – (AP)

World

Deadly Attack On Moscow Concert Hall Shakes Russian Capital And Sows Doubts About Security

Published

on

moscow

Shocked Russians brought flowers and teddy bears to the Crocus City music hall on Moscow’s outskirts on Saturday to pay their condolences to more than 100 victims killed in a gruesome Islamic State attack.

Mourners put flowers on fences and piled them on the ground near the music hall, where gunmen opened fire on a crowd and detonated explosives, causing a massive fire. Despite the anguish, firefighters removed victims from the rubble and fought to extinguish the flames.

Candles and flowers were set in commemoration of the deceased and wounded at landmarks throughout Russia, as well as Russian embassies abroad, according to social media videos.

moscow

Deadly Attack On Moscow Concert Hall Shakes Russian Capital And Sows Doubts About Security

The incident came only days after Russian President Vladimir Putin solidified his hold on power by winning a record-breaking fifth term by ruthlessly repressing opposition voices during a highly orchestrated election. The attack was Russia’s bloodiest in years, leaving the performance venue in ruins.

The incident broke nerves in Moscow and brought back memories of similar strikes during Putin’s first few years in office. Although the Islamic State claimed credit, Putin directed the finger of blame at Ukraine, where Russia is fighting a war that has already entered its third year. He provided no evidence for his statements.

As the death toll rose and Putin ordered increased security across the country, several Russians had questions.

“There are cameras everywhere that can track opposition supporters traveling to rallies and are also stopped in the metro. But basic security did not work in a public event,” Ekaterina remarked in Moscow, referring to the election-related crackdown. Like several other Russians who spoke with The Associated Press, she declined to provide her surname due to security concerns.

“Does it mean that cameras are targeted on people who carry a book … but you can carry a bomb or a Kalashnikov, and that will be OK?” She inquired, pointing to social media footage of the assailants in the music hall using automatic rifles.

Russian official television focused on foreign leaders’ condolences and the outpouring of sadness in Russia. It featured photographs of the suspects and officials visiting hospitals and managing the cleanup process.

“I woke up this morning and decided I had to come here,” a man named Mikhail told the Associated Press outside the concert hall. “There is no word for such scum … what they did is a terrible thing.”

“I couldn’t stop crying,” Elvira said, adding that she awakened Saturday feeling “so depressed” about the swiftly mounting death toll.

moscow

Deadly Attack On Moscow Concert Hall Shakes Russian Capital And Sows Doubts About Security

Russian news agencies depicted people lining up to donate blood. They reported that more than 3,000 people had donated to the tragedy victims.

Despite extensive coverage, official television omitted vital information on the attack, prompting some pro-Western Russians to go elsewhere for information.

“It’s ridiculous because it happened in my city, and I was asking friends who live abroad,” she added.

Russia is no stranger to massive strikes with huge casualty rates.

During the early 2000s and 2010s, several suicide bombings and attacks occurred in Moscow, including the 2002 Nord Ost theatre siege, in which 132 hostages and 40 Chechen hostage takers died as a result of a botched Russian rescue operation.

Islamist separatists from the North Caucasus carried out the majority of the attacks, but they have decreased significantly in recent years. The relative lack of such bloodshed has lulled Russians into complacency, even as the country’s army fights in Ukraine.

“I am afraid that we may return to the times of the Chechen wars,” Mikhail Batsyn, a downtown Moscow resident, said, alluding to the apartment bombs that occurred at the time. “I would really want for that to not happen and for this act of terror to remain a rare event.”

The fact that officials were unable to stop the attackers from rampaging into the music hall, which supposedly had security precautions in place, alarmed many Russian citizens.

Russians discussed what preparations they would take in the coming days on a social media chat group for a neighbourhood south of the concert hall and retail mall. Several others suggested that they temporarily avoid shopping malls and other congested areas.

“I don’t want to go anywhere with a lot of people anymore,” Ekaterina explained, adding that she had cancelled her plans to attend the theatre on Saturday.

moscow

Deadly Attack On Moscow Concert Hall Shakes Russian Capital And Sows Doubts About Security

Putin condemned the incident as “a bloody, barbaric terrorist act” and urged “our comrades at the front and all citizens in the country” to band together in its aftermath.

In a countrywide address, Putin said that Ukrainian authorities attempted to open a “window” for the suspects to flee across the border.

“Some of my friends believe in Ukrainian interference, but I can’t imagine that it’s true,” Elvira and several other Russians told AP.

Instead, they questioned why Russian securityet to bees had not stopped the attack.

“Why is it that they say there were warnings from foreign security services, but our services were completely indifferent?” remarked Olga, a woman in Moscow, referring to accusations that Western nations informed Russian officials of an impending attack. “How can this happen in 2024?”

SOURCE – (AP)

Continue Reading

World

Kate, Princess Of Wales, Says She Has Cancer And Is Undergoing Chemotherapy

Published

on

kate

LONDON — Kate, the Princess of Wales, has cancer and is having chemotherapy, she announced Friday, ending weeks of uncertainty about her health and whereabouts.

Her condition was revealed in a video message made on Wednesday and broadcast Friday, following months of speculation on social media since her hospitalization in January for unexplained abdominal surgery.

kate

Kate, Princess Of Wales, Says She Has Cancer And Is Undergoing Chemotherapy

Kate requested “time, space, and privacy” while being treated for an unidentified type of cancer that was discovered following her operation.

“I am fine,” she said. “I am getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal.”

Kate, 42, had not been seen in public since Christmas until this week, when a video emerged of her and her husband, Prince William, the heir to the throne, walking from a farm shop near their Windsor residence.

Kensington Palace has provided little information on Kate’s ailment other than the fact that it was not cancer-related, that the surgery was successful and that she would be out of the public eye until April. Kate explained that her ailment was assumed to be non-cancerous until examinations revealed the diagnosis.

“This of course, came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family,” she said.

The news comes as a surprise to the royal family following the admission last month that King Charles III was being treated for an undisclosed type of cancer detected during a treatment for a benign enlarged prostate.

In a statement, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Kate “has shown tremendous bravery.” He continued, “In recent weeks, she has come under intense scrutiny and has received unfair treatment from some sections of the media around the world and on social media.”

Keir Starmer, the leader of the major opposition Labour Party, also wished the princess well during this “distressing time.”

Charles, 75, has retired from public life while undergoing cancer treatment, but he has been shown in numerous images meeting with government officials and dignitaries and even attending church.

kate

Kate, Princess Of Wales, Says She Has Cancer And Is Undergoing Chemotherapy

On the other hand, Kate had disappeared, resulting in weeks of curiosity and gossip. Attempts to quell concerns by posting a photo of her on Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom accompanied by her three cheerful children failed when The Associated Press and other news organizations retracted the photograph because it had been modified.

The next day, Kate said she enjoyed “experimenting with editing” and apologizing for “any confusion” caused by the photo. But this did little to dampen the conjecture.

Even the footage published by The Sun and TMZ that claimed to show Kate and William shopping triggered a new round of rumours, with some armchair sleuths reluctant to believe Kate was even in the video.

Earlier this week, a British privacy authority said it was looking into allegations that personnel at the luxury London hospital where she was treated attempted to snoop on her medical records while she was undergoing stomach surgery.

The former Kate Middleton, who married William in a fairy-tale wedding in 2011, has increased the popularity and attraction of the British monarchy globally more than any other royal since Princess Diana.

kate

Kate, Princess Of Wales, Says She Has Cancer And Is Undergoing Chemotherapy

The princess is the oldest of three children raised in a wealthy area in Berkshire, west of London. The Middletons had no aristocratic heritage, and the British press frequently referred to Kate as a “commoner” marrying into royalty.

The Princess attended the prestigious girls’ school Marlborough College before enrolling at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, where she met William about 2001. Their relationship began as friends and housemates, but it became public after they were seen together on a skiing holiday in Switzerland in 2004.

The Princess graduated in 2005 with a degree in art history and a blossoming romance with the prince.

SOURCE – (AP)

Continue Reading

World

Russia Fires 31 Missiles At Kyiv In The First Attack In Weeks But Ukraine Intercepts Them All

Published

on

Russia Fires 31 Missiles At Kyiv

Kyiv, Ukraine — Russia launched 31 ballistic and cruise missiles at Kyiv before dawn Thursday, marking the first attack on the Ukrainian capital in six weeks, according to officials. All approaching missiles were shot down by air defences, but falling wreckage injured 13 persons, including a child, according to reports.

Loud explosions as missiles arrived from various directions at roughly the same time at 5 a.m. in Kyiv, according to Serhii Popko, head of the city administration.

Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched two ballistic missiles and 29 cruise missiles at the city.

Kyiv’s air defences outperform those of the majority of the country. The missile interception rate is typically high, making Russian attacks on the city substantially less successful than in the early stages of the war. Nonetheless, Ukrainian authorities warn that they will require significantly more Western armaments to triumph against Russia’s invasion.

russia

Russia Fires 31 Missiles At Kyiv In The First Attack In Weeks But Ukraine Intercepts Them All

Russian President Vladimir Putin promised on Wednesday to “respond in kind” to recent Ukrainian aerial attacks on Russia’s Belgorod region near the Ukrainian border.

At a Kremlin event, Putin stated that Russia “can respond in the same way regarding civilian infrastructure and all other such objects that the enemy attacks.” We have our own opinions and ideas on this topic. We shall adhere to the guidelines we have established.”

An 11-year-old kid and a 38-year-old man were hospitalized in Kyiv, according to city officials. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said eight other persons received minor injuries.

The Ukrainian Emergency Service reported that approximately 80 individuals had been evacuated from their homes.

Falling wreckage from intercepted missiles destroyed at least one apartment complex burned parked automobiles and left craters in streets and a small park. Some streets were covered with debris, including glass from broken windows.

Survivors, some in tears and visibly terrified as emergency personnel treated them on the street, described tight escapes.

russia

Russia fires 31 missiles at Kyiv in the first attack in weeks but Ukraine intercepts them all

Russia Fires 31 Missiles At Kyiv In The First Attack In Weeks But Ukraine Intercepts Them All

Raisa Kozenko, 71, whose apartment’s doors and windows were destroyed in the blast, claimed her son ran out of bed just in time.

“He was covered in blood, in the rubble,” she continued, quivering with terror. “And all I can say is … the apartment is completely destroyed.”

Mariia Margulis, 31, said her decision to remain in the corridor during the attack saved her family.

“The blast wave blew out all the windows on the side where everything happened,” she said. “My mom was supposed to sleep in that room, but I asked her to move to the corridor in time, which saved us.”

President Joe Biden’s top foreign policy adviser, Jake Sullivan, visited Kyiv just hours before the attack.

Five people were injured in the latest attack on Belgorod, which destroyed homes and the local sports arena, according to Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. The Russian Ministry of Defense announced it had intercepted ten rockets over the region.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has requested the country’s Western partners to deliver more air defence systems so that they can be distributed around the country, where missile strikes have become more prevalent.

“Every day, every night, such… terror happens,” he wrote on Telegram following Thursday’s attack on Kyiv. “World unity is capable to stop it by helping us with more air defense systems.”

According to Zelenskyy, Russia lacks missiles capable of evading Patriot and other modern air defence weaponry manufactured in the United States.

russia

Russia Fires 31 Missiles At Kyiv In The First Attack In Weeks But Ukraine Intercepts Them All

At a summit in Brussels on Thursday, European Union leaders discussed new methods to enhance Ukraine’s armaments and ammunition manufacturing.

Russia has mostly focused its attention on other Ukrainian cities, hitting them with drones and ballistic missiles.

On Wednesday, Russian ballistic missiles killed five people and injured nine in the eastern Kharkiv region, while an attack on southern Odesa last week killed 21.

SOURCE – (AP)

Continue Reading

Trending