Two dead, one injured as rally car crashes into spectators in central France
Two spectators were killed and another seriously injured on Saturday when a rally car veered off the road during a race near Ambert in France’s Puy-...
South Korea on Friday pushed back against U.S. demands to sharply increase its defense budget, saying its current spending is already among the highest relative to GDP for U.S. allies.
“Among key U.S. allies, South Korea is one of the countries that has a high defense spending ratio compared to its GDP,” the Defense Ministry said, according to Yonhap News.
The remarks followed comments from U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who said all U.S. allies should aim to spend 5% of GDP on defense. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Thursday this figure now represents the “global standard.”
South Korea currently spends 2.32% of GDP on defense, totaling 61.2 trillion won ($44.8 billion) for 2025 — up 3.1% from the previous year. Reaching 5% would mean doubling that figure to 132 trillion won.
Seoul stressed that it has steadily increased its defense spending in response to ongoing threats from North Korea. “We continue to strengthen our defense capabilities amid a stern security environment,” a Foreign Ministry official said.
Roughly 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea. While there have been reports of possible troop withdrawals, Washington has denied any such plans.
President Donald Trump, speaking during his campaign last year, said South Korea would be paying “$10 billion a year” for the U.S. military presence. “We have 40,000 troops in harm’s way, very serious, because you have North Korea’s very serious power. They have tremendous nuclear power,” Trump said.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
Australian researchers have created a groundbreaking “biological AI” platform that could revolutionise drug discovery by rapidly evolving molecules within mammalian cells.
Australian researchers have pioneered a low-cost and scalable plasma-based method to produce ammonia gas directly from air, offering a green alternative to the traditional fossil fuel-dependent Haber-Bosch process.
A series of earthquakes have struck Guatemala on Tuesday afternoon, leading authorities to advise residents to evacuate from buildings as a precaution against possible aftershocks.
The U.S. economy faces a 40% risk of recession in the second half of 2025, JP Morgan analysts said on Wednesday, citing rising tariffs and stagflation concerns.
Two spectators were killed and another seriously injured on Saturday when a rally car veered off the road during a race near Ambert in France’s Puy-de-Dome region, local authorities said.
China announced on Saturday its intention to establish a global organisation aimed at fostering international cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI), positioning itself as a counterbalance to the United States in the global AI race.
Beijing has issued a geological disaster alert for most of the city after intense rainfall triggered fears of landslides and flash floods. Nearby Baoding saw more than a year's worth of rain fall in just eight hours, displacing thousands and breaking historical records.
Australia has signed a long-term defence treaty with Britain to deepen cooperation on the AUKUS nuclear submarine initiative over the next 50 years, the government announced on Saturday.
Pakistani FM Ishaq Dar said that Pakistan and the United States are 'very close' to finalising a trade agreement, suggesting the deal could be reached within days. However, U.S. officials made no mention of a specific timeline following Dar’s meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
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