French defence minister praises ‘strategic intimacy’ with Indonesia

Indonesian Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto (2nd L) and his French counterpart Sebastien Lecornu (3rd L) inspect the honorary guard in Jakarta, on November 25, 2022. | Photo Credit: AFP France’s defence minister met his Indonesian counterpart in Jakarta on November 25, lauding the close ties between the two countries following an $8 billion fighter jet … Read more

U.S., China defence chiefs meet in Cambodia

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, second from left, and China’s Defense Minister Wei Fenghe, second from right, meet in Siem Reap, Cambodia, on November 22, 2022. | Photo Credit: AP U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe in Cambodia on Tuesday, with both sides describing the talks as productive without backing … Read more

Imran Khan ‘sold’ gold medal he received from India: Pakistan Defence Minister

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif took a dig at Imran Khan and said the former prime minister has “gone mad for power”. File | Photo Credit: AP Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan “sold” a gold medal he received from India during his cricketing years, the country’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has claimed. The 70-year-old … Read more

China, U.S. officials to attend Southeast Asia defence meeting

China’s State Councilor and Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe. File | Photo Credit: Reuters The defence chiefs of rival powers China and the U.S. will both attend next week’s expanded meeting of Southeast Asian security ministers in Cambodia, opening up the possibility the two will hold face-to-face discussions. China’s Defence Ministry said Gen. Wei Fenghe … Read more

Explained | Why is Japan increasing its defence budget?

The Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force Kawasaki P-1 patrol aircraft fires flares during an International Fleet Review commemorating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force at Sagami Bay on November 6, 2022 off Yokosuka, Japan. | Photo Credit: Getty Images The story so far: For decades, Japan has maintained a low … Read more

Rishi Sunak visits Kyiv, announces new air defence package for Ukraine

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, right, shakes hands with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, on November 19, 2022. Photo: Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP Britain’s new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made his first visit to Kyiv on November … Read more

Betfair Chase preview: A Plus Tard looking ‘as good as last year’ ahead of Haydock defence under Rachael Blackmore | Racing News

Rachael Blackmore is relishing the opportunity to be reunited with A Plus Tard in their bid for back-to-back victories in the Betfair Chase at Haydock on Saturday. The Cheveley Park Stud-owned eight-year-old has already provided Blackmore with some of her biggest days in the saddle, kicking off with her first Cheltenham Festival success three years … Read more

Australia’s defence dilemma: projecting force or provoking China?

The shipyard in Osborne, a suburb 20km north of Adelaide in the St Vincent’s Gulf of South Australia, feels far removed from the simmering geopolitical conflict between the US and China. The freshly built, modern facility has the air of a Hollywood set with enormous sheds connected via narrow roads. Golf cart-like vehicles ferry equipment … Read more

Russia says missile strike in Poland caused by Ukrainian air defence

Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Wednesday that an explosion in Polish territory on Tuesday had been caused by a Ukrainian air defence missile, and that Russian strikes in Ukraine had been no closer than 35 km (22 miles) from the Polish border. “The photos published in the evening of Nov. 15 in Poland of the … Read more

Sunak quiet on defence budget as he signs off on £4.2bn frigate contract

Rishi Sunak signalled his reluctance to commit to a significant increase in UK defence spending on Monday despite heightened tensions with Russia, even as the prime minister signed off on a £4.2bn contract for five more warships for the Royal Navy. Speaking en route to Indonesia for the G20 summit, Sunak defended the UK’s commitment … Read more