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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.
Dozens of Chinese-made humanoid robots have demonstrated improvements in speed, balance and autonomous navigation after completing a half-marathon in Beijing on Sunday (19 April), in a showcase of the country’s fast-developing robotics sector.
The U.S. Navy has forcibly intercepted and boarded the Iranian cargo ship TOUSKA in the Gulf of Oman after it attempted to breach the ongoing naval blockade. President Trump confirmed that the vessel was neutralised and seized by Marines following a direct strike on its engine room.
Two Indian-flagged ships were shot at in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, India's Foreign Ministry said, as Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz again, less than 24 hours after reopening the 167km long sea passage, which is essential for global trade.
Six people have been killed after a man opened fire in a supermarket in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, on Saturday (18 April). Ukraine's Security Service said it was investigating the incident as a "terrorist act."
Global leaders and diplomats gathered in southern Türkiye on 17 April for the fifth Antalya Diplomacy Forum, focusing on uncertainty, conflict, and the future of global cooperation.
Secretly filmed footage from two UK laboratories has reignited debate over animal testing in drug development, after a former worker alleged that monkeys, dogs and other animals endured prolonged distress during safety trials for new medicines.
Cleanup efforts are underway in Lena, Illinois, after a suspected tornado tore through the village on Friday (17 April), damaging homes, schools and infrastructure, leaving thousands without power. Residents and emergency crews spent Saturday clearing debris, and working around downed power lines.
North Korea fired ballistic missiles towards the sea off its eastern coast on Sunday (19 April), accelerating its weapons tests amid heightened regional tensions linked to the Iran war and renewed diplomatic signals toward the United States and South Korea.
Construction of U.S. President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom project will be allowed to continue after an appeals court granted an administrative stay, temporarily blocking a lower court order that had halted parts of the work.
European countries should expand the role of natural gas in their energy systems to reduce the risk of supply shocks caused by international crises, an energy industry chief has said.
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