People are heading to the polls to pick the next president of Gabon, where for the first time in decades a Bongo family member is not on the ballot. Former President Ali Bongo was forced from power 19 months ago by coup mastermind Gen Brice Oligui Nguema, who in turn has changed the constitution to…
Jonathan Beale Defence correspondent Reuters European defence ministers pledged air defences, missiles and other gear Ukraine’s European allies have pledged €21bn ($24bn; £18bn) in a new tranche of military support for Kyiv in what they described as “a critical year” for the war. More than half of this – €11bn in aid over four years…
The commander of the US military base in Greenland has been fired after she reportedly sent an email distancing herself from Vice-President JD Vance’s criticism of Denmark. The US military’s Space Operations Command said Colonel Susannah Meyers had been removed from her duties at Pituffik Space Base due to a “loss of confidence in her…
The government has announced a further £450m of military support to Kyiv, as the UK and Germany prepare to host a meeting of 50 nations in Brussels. Defence officials are convening to “pile pressure” on Russian President Vladimir Putin and force him to end his invasion of Ukraine, UK Defence Secretary John Healey said. “We…
President Vladimir Putin has called up 160,000 men aged 18-30, Russia’s highest number of conscripts since 2011, as the country moves to expand the size of its military. The spring call-up for a year’s military service came several months after Putin said Russia should increase the overall size of its military to almost 2.39 million…
Taiwanese Coast Guard personnel work on a vessel off the coast of Nangan Township, in the Matsu Islands on Oct. 15, 2024, a day after China conducted the “Joint Sword-2024B” military drills around Taiwan. Daniel Ceng | AFP | Getty Images China’s military said Tuesday its army, navy and rocket forces launched a joint exercise…
EPA Trump and his top aides have consistently raised concerns about footing the bill for European defence Washington DC is still digesting an apparent security breach at the heart of the Trump administration. It’s the story of how a journalist – the Atlantic magazine’s Jeffrey Goldberg – was added to a Signal platform messaging group…
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said military planning to protect a potential Ukraine ceasefire is moving to an “operational phase” after a virtual meeting with 29 other world leaders. Military leaders will gather on Thursday in the UK “to put strong and robust plans in place to swing in behind a peace deal and…
Work is underway to make all men in Poland undergo military training, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said. In a speech to the Polish parliament, Tusk said the government aimed to give full details in the coming months. Efforts are being made to “prepare large-scale military training for every adult male in Poland,” he told the…
The precise significance of US intelligence to Ukraine’s war effort has, for obvious reasons, never been spelled out in detail. But most analysts agree that it performs two important functions: helping Ukraine to plan offensive operations against Russian forces, and giving Kyiv vital advance warning of threats posed by incoming Russian drones and missiles. Satellite…
