Indonesia has denied reports that Russia requested to base military aircraft in Papua, dismissing claims that raised alarm in Australia. Officials reaffirm no such deal exists, as both Indonesia and Australia stress their close defence relationship.
Indonesia has firmly denied reports that Russia requested permission to base military aircraft in its easternmost province of Papua, following concerns raised by Australian officials. The claim, initially published by defence outlet Janes, suggested Moscow had approached Jakarta to station Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) aircraft in the region — a report Indonesia's defence ministry labelled as “incorrect.”
Frega Wenas, spokesperson for Indonesia’s defence ministry, dismissed the report outright. Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles echoed this, stating that his Indonesian counterpart had assured him “in the clearest possible terms” that no such arrangement exists.
The claim sparked debate during Australia’s ongoing election campaign, particularly as Papua lies just 1,200 km north of Darwin, a key Australian military hub hosting a U.S. Marines rotational force. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed that his government had sought clarification, stressing a desire to limit Russian influence in the region.
Meanwhile, Indonesia’s foreign ministry said it had no knowledge of the reported request. Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov met with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta on Tuesday, though no public statement linked the visit to military cooperation.
Both nations reaffirmed their strong bilateral ties, with Australia calling Indonesia “critical” to its national security.
The 81st UN General Assembly returns for its third day in New York on Thursday, with world leaders delivering high-level speeches and holding diplo...
As the Ukraine war is highlighted by some leaders during the United Nations' 81st General Assembly meetin...
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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.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New York on Wednesday, as Washington pushes for an end to the war in Ukraine and Kyiv and Moscow continue to strike energy infrastructure.
U.S. President Donald Trump is addressing the UN General Assembly as world leaders gather in New York for the 81st session. Conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, global security and diplomacy set to dominate the event.
U.S. President Donald Trump said his team held a three-hour meeting with an Iranian delegation in New York that he described as “very good” and “productive”, with another round of talks scheduled soon.
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.
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 returns for its third day in New York on Thursday, with world leaders delivering high-level speeches and holding diplomatic meetings. Restoring trust, managing global transformation, peace and security, and international cooperation remain at the centre of discussions.
Australia says an OpenAI AI agent gained unauthorised access to a government Medicare statistics portal in June, in what officials say could be an unprecedented case of an AI system breaching a government network.
Pakistan says it carried out air strikes on 10 locations in Afghanistan on Thursday, targeting sites it said were used to store and launch drones, as tensions between the two neighbouring countries continued to escalate.
Here’s your AnewZ Daily Brief for 24 September 2026, with five key developments from the second day of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
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