The US has urged Australia to boost its defense spending as Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles confirmed that nuclear submarine development is progressing well.
At the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Marles to discuss ongoing cooperation. Hegseth described the US-Australia relationship as “long-standing” and vital.
Australia, part of the Quad alliance with the US, Japan, and India, aims to strengthen its military in response to China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific.
Marles told Australian media that while no specific spending figure was discussed, Hegseth encouraged higher defense investment. The 2021 AUKUS pact, involving the US, UK, and Australia, is advancing as planned, focusing on building nuclear-powered submarines for the Royal Australian Navy.
Key milestones include setting up the Submarine Rotation Force – West at HMAS Stirling near Perth, which will host rotating US Virginia-class submarines within the coming years.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese recently announced an extra $10 billion in defense funding after a report warned that Australia’s military risked becoming underfunded.
Hegseth also met defense leaders from Southeast Asia, raising concerns about China’s aggressive actions in the South China Sea and calling on regional countries to share responsibility for security.
In discussions with Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, the US defense chief stressed the importance of transparency and partnership in deterring China’s influence.
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Leaders of countries from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) have agreed to hold coordinated population censuses around 2030. They took the decision at the CIS Council of Heads of State meeting in Awaza, Turkmenistan on Friday, media reported.
Britain and Israel have reached a temporary compromise over the future of the British Consulate General in East Jerusalem, easing a diplomatic dispute that had threatened to further strain relations between the two countries.
South African judge Navanethem “Navi” Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday “for her efforts to promote peace and international law,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee said.
The U.S. has imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday (9 October) escalating tensions with European allies and potentially targeting companies that provide services to the tribunal. The move came hours after former ICC judge Navi Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize.
A powerful explosion has been reported at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, raising fresh concerns over aviation security in Saudi Arabia as tensions across the region continue to escalate.
Indian police detained more than 2,000 protesters in Delhi on Saturday as authorities blocked a planned demonstration calling for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over disputed changes to voter lists.
At least 12 people, including three children, have been killed in a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a deal to ease sanctions on Russian diesel.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has criticised U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to ease sanctions on Russian diesel exports, questioning why Moscow was granted an economic benefit without an apparent concession towards ending the war in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed surprise after Donald Trump mediated the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement in 2025, the U.S. President said at a rally in New York state on Friday.
The United Nations has condemned a sharp rise in attacks on civilians in Ukraine, reporting that more than 100 people were killed and at least 429 injured in a single week as Russian strikes hit residential areas, passenger buses and critical infrastructure.
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