Tag - defense

 
 

DEFENSE

JAPAN / Politics
Feb 29, 2024
Talks on easing Japan defense export rules pushed back to March
The Liberal Democratic Party and junior coalition partner Komeito failed to reach an agreement on revisions to existing restrictions on Wednesday.
North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un visits the Pyongyang General Control Center of the National Aerospace Technology Administration to inspect operational readiness of reconnaissance satellites and view aerospace photographs, in this picture released by the Korean Central News Agency on Nov. 25, 2023.
ASIA PACIFIC
Feb 29, 2024
North Korea's first spy satellite is 'alive,' expert says
But the spacecraft's capabilities remain unknown despite its maneuvers suggesting Pyongyang's successful control of it.
There is a global trend toward economic bifurcation with the U.S. and China leading the charge — and multinational solutions are needed to address the new challenges.
COMMENTARY
Feb 28, 2024
The inexorable movement toward a divided global economy
Efforts to protect national economies from threats require multinational solutions. Chains are only as strong as their weakest link.
A plan is being considered to transfer residents and tourists from the Sakishima islands via Kagoshima and Fukuoka airports in the event of a Taiwan contingency.
JAPAN
Feb 28, 2024
Japan mulls Taiwan contingency evacuation routes for remote islands
The envisioned evacuation plans will be drawn up by prefectural governments in fiscal 2024.
French President Emmanuel Macron's comments fitted with his reputation as a diplomatic disruptor who likes to break taboos and challenge conventional thinking.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Feb 28, 2024
Macron's Ukraine troop talk shakes up NATO allies
The French president's idea of possibly sending troops to Ukraine was so ambiguous that he sparked confusion and irritation among some allies.
Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson receives information that Hungary's parliament has voted yes to ratify Sweden's NATO accession, at the government headquarters in Stockholm on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 27, 2024
The NATO welcoming Sweden is larger and more determined
The alliance's expansion was a consequence from the invasion of Ukraine that Russian President Vladimir Putin may not have calculated.
French President Emmanuel Macron  invited his European counterparts to the Elysee palace for a hastily arranged meeting to discuss how to ramp up ammunition supplies to Ukraine.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 27, 2024
France's Macron doesn't rule out Europeans sending troops to Ukraine
The French President also cautioned that there was no consensus at this stage as allies agreed to ramp up efforts to deliver more munitions to Kyiv.
Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson speaks during a news conference in Stockholm on Monday after Hungary's parliament voted yes to ratify Sweden's NATO accession.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 27, 2024
Sweden clears final hurdle to join NATO as Hungary approves accession
Hungary's vote ended months of delays to complete Sweden's security policy shift amid concerns over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Japan, Britain and Italy have made headway in their joint next-generation fighter aircraft project, with industry officials saying that the partners are close to completing the aircraft’s conceptual design phase.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Feb 26, 2024
Japan joint fighter program gains steam as firms zero in on conceptual design
The completion of the conceptual design phase will allow Japan, Britain and Italy to move to the next stage of the program next year.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during an event in Kyiv on Sunday.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 26, 2024
Zelenskyy says 31,000 troops killed as Ukraine seeks U.S. aid decision within month
The Ukrainian president said that 2024 will determine how the war will end, and called U.S. elections in November a potential tipping point.
U.K. Royal Air Force planes take off from Cyprus to strike military targets in Yemen on Saturday.
WORLD
Feb 25, 2024
U.S. and U.K. warplanes again strike Houthi-linked targets in Yemen
The strikes were intended to degrade the Iran-backed militants’ ability to attack ships in critical sea lanes.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomes French President Emmanuel Macron at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, in July 2023.
WORLD
Feb 24, 2024
Europe’s east is losing faith in its west over arming Ukraine
The mood in diplomatic circles is that, should Russia ultimately win its war in Ukraine, Western Europe will not be forgiven.
A symbolic illumination called "Ray of Memory" is seen over the graves of Ukrainian soldiers who died in the war with Russia, at Lychakiv Cemetery in Lviv, Ukraine, on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 24, 2024
Ukraine on the defensive as Russia war enters third year
On Friday, more than 50 countries, including Japan and the United States, issued a joint statement blasting Russia for the invasion.
A member of the Ukrainian State Emergency Service attends a transfer ceremony of special vehicles from Japan to Ukraine in Kyiv on Nov. 20, 2023.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Feb 23, 2024
An ominous portent emerges for Japan as Ukraine war enters third year
There are growing indications that the once-durable coalition of partners backing Kyiv’s war effort is crumbling — an ominous sign for Japan.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump holds a campaign rally ahead of the Republican caucus in Las Vegas on Jan. 27.
COMMENTARY / World / Geoeconomic Briefing
Feb 22, 2024
How East Asia should prepare for a possible Trump comeback
Questions over defense funding and military support could potentially return to the fore for U.S. allies.
Iranian ballistic missiles in Tehran. Iran's hard-line clerical rulers have steadily sought to deepen ties with Russia and China, betting that would help Tehran to resist U.S. sanctions and to end its political isolation.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 22, 2024
Iran sends Russia hundreds of ballistic missiles, sources say
An Iranian military official said there had been at least four shipments of missiles and that there would be more in the coming weeks.
A Ukrainian serviceman with the call sign "Skorpion" prepares to fire a multiple launch rocket system toward Russian troops near a front-line, at an undisclosed location in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, on Feb. 4.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 22, 2024
Ukraine outnumbered, outgunned and ground down by Russia
Heavy casualties at the hands of Russian forces have been compounded by dreadful conditions on the eastern front.
With the wars in Ukraine and Gaza claiming America’s attention and the world undergoing a broader geopolitical reconfiguration, China might see a window of opportunity in forcing its claim on Taiwan.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 21, 2024
A Taiwan crisis is coming
Already, Xi Jinping has been stepping up intrusions into Taiwan's air defense zone and encircling the island with warships.
A Houthi military helicopter prepares to land on the Galaxy Leader cargo ship in the Red Sea in November.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 21, 2024
Why Beijing won’t fight the Houthis
Whether they target Chinese vessels directly or not, attacks on Red Sea shipping by Houthi rebels threaten to undermine China’s economic recovery.
The Japan Pavillion is seen at the Singapore Airshow on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / FOCUS
Feb 21, 2024
At top airshow, Japanese firms explore defense export opportunities
They are offering a diverse and sophisticated range of products following a revision of guidelines on defense equipment and technology transfer.

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