A global human rights group accused Israel of using white phosphorus incendiary shells on residential buildings in at least five towns and villages in conflict-hit southern Lebanon, possibly harming civilians and violating international law, in a report published Wednesday. Human Rights Watch said in its report that there was no evidence of burn injuries due to white phosphorus in Lebanon, …
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Australia expands military recruitment to noncitzens to bolster defense against foreign threats
The Australian military will begin recruiting some noncitizens in a bid to boost troop numbers, the government said Tuesday. Only people from other members of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing partnership who hold Australian permanent residency will be eligible. The move is part of a push to build a military that can resist foreign coercion through blocked trade routes in the …
Read More »US Defense Secretary Austin meets Cambodia's top officials in pursuit of stronger ties with China's ally
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin traveled to Cambodia on Tuesday to push for stronger military ties with China’s closest ally in Southeast Asia. Austin met his Cambodian counterpart, Tea Seiha, and Prime Minister Hun Manet during a one-day visit to Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement. It said Austin’s visit would strengthen the ongoing good cooperation between …
Read More »Red Sea sees decline in Houthi attacks due to international naval missions, Greece says
Closer international cooperation between naval missions in the Red Sea has reduced the number of attacks by Yemen’s Houthis over the past week, Greek Shipping Minister Christos Stylianides told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday. Greece is the home of the headquarters of the European Union’s naval operation in the Red Sea, which is dubbed “Aspides” and in Greek means …
Read More »South Korea approves suspension of military deal with North Korea after tensions over trash balloons
South Korea on Tuesday took steps to suspend a contentious military agreement with North Korea and resume frontline military activities, as tensions between the rivals are rising over the North’s recent launch of trash-carrying balloons. North Korea didn’t immediately respond, but South Korea’s resumption of firing exercises or propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts will likely prompt North Korea to take similar or …
Read More »2 pilots confirmed dead after military training plane crashes in central Turkey
A military plane crashed during training on Tuesday, killing its two pilots on board, Turkey’s defense ministry announced. The SF-260D training plane crashed into an agricultural field in central Turkey. The crash occurred after the plane took off from an Air Force base near the city of Kayseri. ‘NO BACKGROUND CHECK’: REPORTS SAY SMUGGLERS USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO LURE TURKISH …
Read More »Extending use of Western weapons would weaken Russian border, Ukraine says
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff said on Tuesday that using Western weapons to strike inside Russia was a vital decision that would impact Moscow’s tactical aviation and its capability to operate in border areas. Following pressure from Ukraine and some of its European allies, the U.S. agreed last week to change its policy and allow Kyiv to strike …
Read More »More than a third of remaining Gaza hostages are believed to be dead, Israel says
Israel believes that more than a third of the remaining Gaza hostages are dead, a government tally showed on Tuesday, as the United States sought to advance their recovery under a proposal to wind down the war with Hamas. Of about 250 people dragged into the Gaza Strip by Hamas-led Palestinian gunmen during the Oct. 7 cross-border rampage that sparked …
Read More »Philippines warns of ‘red line’ with Beijing amid heightened tensions in South China Sea
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has drawn a red line in its standoff with China, warning Beijing that it would consider any Filipino soldier killed by a Beijing water cannon to be an “act of war,” sparking fears that an escalation could drag the U.S. into a conflict in the South China Sea. The Filipino leader was answering a hypothetical …
Read More »Pentagon mistakenly touts Pride Month in PTSD awareness post
The Department of Defense (DoD) made an embarrassing error on social media on Saturday after it appeared the department mixed up Pride Month and PTSD Awareness Month. In an X post published on Saturday afternoon, the Pentagon explained that June marks PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Awareness Month. The commemorative month was first recognized by the U.S. government in June 2014, …
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