live Ukraine-Russia war: Sweden, Finland scramble jets to intercept Russian aircraft
Finland and Sweden deployed fighter aircraft on Thursday after a group of Russian military planes was detected over the Gulf of Finland, the Finnis...
U.S. President Donald Trump has approved plans to construct a new class of battleships, which he described as larger, faster and significantly more powerful than any previous U.S. warship.
Donald Trump said the project would eventually be expanded to encompass 20 to 25 new vessels.
Speaking in Palm Beach, Florida, he stated that the ships would each displace between 30,000 and 40,000 tons, and be “100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built.”
The President said the new vessels would serve as the flagships of the U.S. Navy and highlighted plans to accelerate their production.
He intends to meet with defence contractors in Florida to discuss speeding up construction schedules and has suggested penalties for companies that fail to meet deadlines. Trump also confirmed that the administration is building three large aircraft carriers.
The planned build-out of warships will ultimately result in "more tonnage and firepower under construction than at any time in history," U.S. Navy Secretary John Phelan said, adding that components would be built in every U.S. state.
He said the battleships would not only feature the "biggest guns" ever carried on a U.S. warship but also would carry nuclear-armed, sea-launched cruise missiles. The first of the new battleships will be christened the USS Defiant.
In addition to the new battleship class, the Golden Fleet envisions an increase in the number of other types of war vessels, including a smaller, more nimble frigate class previously announced by the U.S. Navy, Trump said.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained low on Thursday, as Iran reiterated that it will neither enter into new negotiations with the United States nor re-open the Strait as long as its conditions are not met, despite recent indirect talks in New York mediated by Qatar.
As the Ukraine war is highlighted by some leaders during the United Nations' 81st General Assembly meeting in New York, Russian forces attacked the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early on Thursday with ballistic missiles, killing two people and injuring six, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
The 81st UN General Assembly continues in New York on Wednesday, with another day of high-level speeches and diplomatic meetings. The wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, global security and international cooperation remain at the centre of discussions.
The 81st UN General Assembly has wrapped up its third day in New York on Thursday, with world leaders delivering high-level speeches and holding diplomatic meetings.
Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan will hold an urgent high-level meeting under a joint defence pact to discuss ways to support the kingdom amid attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis. The meeting comes as Tehran seeks to distance itself from the rapid advance of its Houthi allies.
Finland and Sweden deployed fighter aircraft on Thursday after a group of Russian military planes was detected over the Gulf of Finland, the Finnish Air Force reported on Friday (25 September).
The Middle East arrived at the United Nations this week with the consequences of a war that is no longer contained to one front. From Israel and Iran to Syria and Yemen, leaders have used the General Assembly to set out competing positions on the situation in the region.
Here’s your AnewZ Daily Brief for 25 September 2026, with five key developments from the third day of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Xi Jinping touched down at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Wednesday evening to a welcome that was fairly unprecedented. President Donald Trump was there on the tarmac to greet him personally, which is something no sitting U.S. president had done for a visiting foreign leader in six decades.
The U.S. Senate narrowly rejected a resolution on Thursday that would have required President Donald Trump to end the war in Iran or seek congressional authorisation, as Democrats sought to put Republicans on the record over the increasingly unpopular conflict ahead of November's midterm elections.
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