Us Defence

Trump's pick to lead Defence Department accused of sexual assault in 2017

Pete Hegseth, a popular Fox News host who is Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Defence, was accused of sexual assault in 2017 after a speaking appearance at a Republican women's event in Monterey, California, according to a statement released by the city. No charges were filed in the case. Hegseth's attorney, Timothy Parlatore, told The Associated Press the allegations were completely false. This was investigated by the police at the time and they found no evidence, Parlatore said. Monterey City officials declined to release a police report that documented the accusations and instead issued a brief statement Thursday night in response to press inquiries. According to that statement, Monterey Police were contacted in October 2017 to investigate a sexual assault that allegedly took place several days earlier at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Monterey and involved Hegseth. The person who reported the assault - whose name, age and sex were not released - had bruises on the

US defence secy discusses regional de-escalation with Israeli counterpart

Their conversation highlighted the US' support for Israel's security, particularly in the face of threats from Iran and Iranian proxies

China's Hesai to continue lawsuit against US govt over blacklisting

The blacklist stems from the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, which requires the Pentagon to identify 'Chinese Military Companies' operating in the US

EU buying too much defence equipment from abroad, especially US: Report

European Union countries are buying too much of their defence equipment abroad, almost two thirds of it in the US, and failing to invest enough in joint military projects, a landmark report on EU competitiveness warned on Monday. The 27 member states are also failing to make best use of Europe's research and development capacities to modernise their armed forces, with just a fraction the level of US investment, said the report by former Italian prime minister and European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi. The report comes as the EU continue to struggle to find enough weapons and ammunition to help Ukraine survive the full-scale Russian invasion, now in its third year, and to kickstart Europe's defence industry. Europe is wasting its common resources. We have large collective spending power, but we dilute it across multiple different national and EU instruments, said Draghi's report, which has been a year in the making and is likely to fuel an overhaul of the bloc's industrial ...

US takes additional steps to support Israel's defence amid regional tension

On Saturday, the US issued an alert, calling its citizens to book any ticket available to leave Lebanon

US indicts North Korean hacker for major cyberattacks, offers $10mn reward

North Korean hacker Rim Jong Hyok has been accused of orchestrating major cyber attacks on US defense, Nasa, healthcare systems, and Asian companies

US defence secy discusses hostage negotiation with Israeli defence minister

Earlier on June 11, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution vote on the US proposal for a permanent ceasefire and release of the hostages in Gaza

Deliveries of US F-35 jets to resume soon without complete software upgrade

The delays in delivery to the Pentagon were linked to the lingering issue on the TR-3 tech refresh

INDUS-X defence initiative between US, India marks 1st anniversary

The India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem has advanced the commitment of the two strategic partners to building a defence innovation bridge under the Critical and Emerging Technology Initiative, the US has said on the partnership's first anniversary. INDUS-X, which stands for enhanced strategic and defence partnership between India and the US, was launched on June 21 last year by the US Department of Defence and the Indian Ministry of Defence during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to Washington, DC. "In its first year, INDUS-X has advanced both countries' commitment to build a defence innovation bridge under the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET)," the Department of Defence said in a press release on Friday. The iCET was launched by Prime Minister Modi and US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the QUAD summit in Tokyo on May 24, 2022. "INDUS-X has strengthened private sector cooperation between the United States and India by facilitating ...

What is the Tibet-China Dispute Act passed by US Congress last week?

China claims that Tibet has been under central Chinese rule for over 700 years

China sanctions Boeing, 2 other US defence firms for Taiwan arms sales

Lai Ching-te, Taiwan's new president, has vowed to strengthen Taiwan's security through imports of advanced fighters and other technology and strengthening its domestic defence industry

US Defence Secy Austin hospitalised again, transfers powers to deputy

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in December, was hospitalised again on Sunday following symptoms pointing to an "emergent bladder issue", the Pentagon said. In a statement, the Pentagon said Austin was transported by his security detail to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center around 2.20 pm. While Austin initially was set to retain the "functions and duties of his office", at about 5 pm on Sunday he transferred those authorities to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks. As of Sunday evening, he remained hospitalised, said Pentagon Press Secretary Maj Gen Pat Ryder. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was also notified, as well as the White House and Congress. Ryder said Austin had travelled to the hospital with the unclassified and classified communications systems needed to perform his job. Austin was scheduled to depart on Tuesday for Brussels to hold a meeting of the Ukraine contact group, which he established in 2022

What's in $118 bn Senate package that pairs border policies & wartime aid?

Those powers would not restrict the entry of US citizens or others with a legal basis to enter the country

Latest LIVE: Uttarakhand Cabinet approves Uniform Civil Code draft

Catch all the latest updates from across the globe here

US, Britain begin new strikes on Houthis in retaliation to previous attacks

The United States and Britain struck at least 30 Houthi targets in Yemen on Saturday in a second wave of assaults meant to further disable Iran-backed groups that have relentlessly attacked American and international interests in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war, US officials told The Associated Press. The latest strikes against the Houthis were launched by ships and fighter jets. The strikes follow an air assault in Iraq and Syria on Friday that targeted other Iranian-backed militias and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in retaliation for the drone strike that killed three US troops in Jordan last weekend. The Houthi targets were in 10 different locations and were struck by U.S. F/A-18 fighter jets from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier and by American warships firing Tomahawk missiles from the Red Sea, the US officials said. They were not authorised to publicly discuss the military operation and spoke on condition of anonymity.

US strikes around 10 unmanned drones in Yemen on verge of launch: Official

The Houthis, earlier on Wednesday, said their naval forces carried out an operation targeting an "American merchant ship" in the Gulf of Aden hours after firing missiles at US Navy destroyer Gravely

US F-16 fighter jet crashes in South Korean sea, pilot ejects safety

A US Air Force pilot safely ejected from an F-16 fighter jet that crashed into waters off South Korea's southwestern coast on Wednesday, in the second crash of the aircraft in less than two months. The unidentified pilot was conscious and was transported to a medical facility for assessment, the US 8th Fighter Wing said in a statement. It said it closely worked with US and South Korean mission partners to recover the pilot, who experienced an unspecified in-flight emergency and ejected before the plane crashed into sea near the port city of Gunsan. The cause of the crash was being investigated. "We are very thankful to the Republic of Korea rescue forces and all of our teammates who made the swift recovery of our pilot possible," said Col. Matthew C. Gaetke, the commander's wing, referring to South Korea's formal name. "Now we will shift our focus to search and recovery of the aircraft." The 8th Fighter Wing, which is composed of two F-16 squadrons, previously experienced an F-16 ..

Iran-backed militants launch attack on US airbase in Iraq, several injured

Earlier on Saturday, the US conducted airstrikes against a Houthi anti-ship missile that was aimed into the Gulf of Aden and was prepared to launch, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said

Blinken to visit Africa as crises continue to vex US foreign policy

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is planning to visit four African countries as the Biden administration tries to keep its eyes on all corners of the world while being consumed by crises in Ukraine, the Mideast and the Red Sea. The State Department announced on Thursday that Blinken will go to Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Angola starting Sunday for talks focused on regional security, conflict prevention, democracy promotion and trade. Nigeria is West Africa's regional heavyweight and plays a major role in security issues, especially those involving Islamic extremist violence in the Sahel, the vast arid expanse south of the Sahara Desert. The trip will be his third overseas mission in the new year. He returned from a Gaza-focused, weeklong 10-nation trip to the Middle East last Thursday and a three-day trip to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland on Wednesday. Blinken's Africa trip comes as the United States is increasingly nervous about its relationships on the continent

Strikes against Houthis to continue as ship attacks see no respite: Biden

US forces on Thursday conducted a fifth strike against Iranian-backed Houthi rebel military sites in Yemen as President Joe Biden acknowledged that the American and British bombardment had yet to stop the militants' attacks on vessels in the Red Sea that have disrupted global shipping. The latest strikes destroyed two Houthi anti-ship missiles that were aimed into the southern Red Sea and prepared to launch, US Central Command said in a statement posted to X, formerly known as Twitter. They were conducted by Navy fighter aircraft, the Pentagon said. Biden said the US would continue the strikes, even though so far they have not stopped the Houthis from continuing to harass commercial and military vessels. When you say working, are they stopping the Houthis, no. Are they going to continue, yes," Biden said in an exchange with reporters before departing the White House for a domestic policy speech in North Carolina. Biden's comments followed another significant round of strikes Wednes