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PLA Air Force armament formations were on show in China’s September 3 military parade. Now, China’s military is calling for tips about procurement corruption within the air force. Photo: Xinhua
China’s air force

China’s military calls for tip-offs as it targets corruption in air force

Notice urges public to come forward with information about ‘irregular’ activities, the first such request for a specific military branch.

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United States

Opinion | For Trump, the only communists to really dislike are those at home

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Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign

Newcomers in charge at PLA’s corruption-hit command overseeing Taiwan

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The Philippines

Why the Philippine Army is turning to locally built remote weapons systems

The roll-out of the new Cobra weapon system is part of Manila’s push to build a self-reliant defence industry.

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Soldiers from the Armour Division operate the Cobra system during a demonstration in Camp O’Donnell, Capas, Tarlac on Thursday. Photo: Philippine Army
US-China relations

Senior US and Chinese defence officials continue ‘military-to-military’ dialogue

Talks follow Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s meeting with China’s Minister of National Defence, Admiral Dong Jun, to help stabilise ties.

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European Union

Opinion | As Doha Forum made clear, Europe is losing its seat at the table

Consumed by Ukraine, the EU has effectively retreated from global engagement. An urgent foreign policy recalibration is needed.

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Pakistan

India wary as US backs Pakistan with F-16 upgrades and mineral projects

Analysts say New Delhi faces an ‘uncomfortable truth’ as Washington and Beijing find rare common ground on stability in Pakistan.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (left) and army chief Syed Asim Munir (right) meet US President Donald Trump in Washington in September. Photo: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Office/AFP
US-China relations

US denies Indo-Pacific retreat, says aid is being recalibrated to counter China

Washington argues that targeted assistance and partnerships will deepen regional ties and deliver longer-term economic and security gains.

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Britain

UK spy and military chiefs give threat assessment in ‘age of uncertainty’

Head of MI6 says ‘we are now operating in a space between peace and war’, as defence chief urges ‘whole nation’ prepare for evolving threats.

China's military weapons

China’s latest stealth endurance drone, CH-7, completes maiden flight

Designer says UAV can quickly penetrate target areas for reconnaissance and rely on stealth to send information from battle front lines.

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The CH-7 has completed its maiden flight, although China’s state media says it will undergo further tests. Photo: Handout
Science

Why China’s growing demand for rare-earth steel is bad news for America’s F-35

Advanced product is used in huge infrastructure projects but that has further reduced supply for overseas buyers like the US defence sector.

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The vast mining district of Bayan Obo in Inner Mongolia holds 36 per cent of the world’s light rare-earth reserves. Photo: VCG via Getty Images
South Korea

Martial law plot was Yoon’s plan all along, South Korean prosecutors say

Announcing the results of a massive 180-day inquiry on Monday, special prosecutors said Yoon Suk-yeol aimed to form a military junta.

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Ukraine war

Zelensky suggests Ukraine could drop Nato goal for security guarantees

The shift, which includes a call for ‘Article 5-like’ guarantees, comes as Washington presses for an end to the four-year Ukraine war.

US-Asean relations

Southeast Asia barely features in America’s new security strategy

The region appears just twice in the new 32-page US National Security Strategy, raising fears it is being relegated to a ‘bargaining chip’.

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US President Donald Trump is pictured next to Malaysian flags before departing Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Air Force One in October. Photo: AFP
The Philippines

Asian Angle | Is the new Philippines-Germany defence pact built to last?

Rising anxieties over Beijing and Moscow have united Berlin and Manila in an axis that must now be institutionalised to ensure it endures.

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius (left) mets his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro Jnr in Manila last year to discuss defence cooperation. Photo: Reuters
European Union

Belarus agrees to stop balloon flights into Lithuania amid hybrid attack fears

The incidents have caused over a dozen closures of Vilnius airport in recent months, prompting Lithuania to declare a state of emergency.

The Philippines

Will Philippines favour Eurofighter Typhoon for its military upgrade?

The Eurofighter, which is estimated to cost US$117 million each, has drawn buying interest from Bangladesh and other countries.

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North Korea

North Korea’s Kim reveals soldiers cleared mines for Russia

The North Korean leader hailed returning troops for displaying ‘mass heroism’ during demining operations in the Kursk region.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un hugs a soldier from the Korean People’s Army’s 528th Regiment of Engineers in a photo released on Saturday. Photo: KCNA/AFP
China's economic recovery

Beijing digs in for trade ‘struggles’, eyes strategy of growth and resilience

Analysts see leadership’s language after central economic work conference as an admission that trade tensions are expected to endure.

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Ukraine war

Ukraine retakes Kharkiv areas as Russian troops ‘completely cut off’ in Kupiansk

Disputing Moscow’s claim of controlling Kupiansk, Ukraine retakes villages and isolates Russian troops amid fierce eastern battles.

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Indonesia

Indonesia weighs costs of closer Russia engagement after Prabowo’s Moscow visit

Analysts said Putin’s offers may align with Jakarta’s ambitions but would carry diplomatic costs and the risk of sanctions from Washington.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto ahead of their meeting at the Kremlin on Wednesday. Photo: dpa
Australia

Why US review of Aukus submarine deal for Australia is kept secret

One reason is to maintain public support for the alliance by preventing any shortfalls of the deal from being made known, analysts say.

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(Left to right) US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles and UK Defence Secretary John Healey speaking to the media following their meeting to discuss Aukus in Washington on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
US-China relations

Senior Democrat urges Rubio to fill Arctic post and halt rise of China, Russia

In a letter, Raja Krishnamoorthi asks US Secretary of State to restore key US role in ‘one of the world’s most strategically vital regions’.

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Ukraine war

Zelensky floats referendum on territory, as US pressure mounts to end war

Ukraine’s president says Russia wants ‘the whole of Donbas’ in return for peace, but Ukrainians must have their say.

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China-Japan relations

Donald Trump left facing ‘dilemma’ as China-Japan spat worsens: analyst

White House navigates backing long-time ally Japan while preserving trade truce with China amid fraying ties between the Asian neighbours.

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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi gestures as US President Donald Trump delivers a speech during their visit to the aircraft carrier USS George Washington in Yokosuka, Japan, on October 28. Photo: AP
China's military weapons

China’s drone carrier Jiu Tian takes flight to signal PLA swarm capacity boost

Xinhua hails ‘breakthrough in China’s large drone technology’, says Jiu Tian could also be deployed in wide range of civilian applications.

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China says its Jiu Tian aerial “drone carrier” has completed its maiden flight in the western province of Shaanxi, described as a “breakthrough” by state media. Photo: Weibo/人民日报
Mainland China

Video | China reveals radio comms with Japan over aerial encounter

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said radar activation is ‘standard practice’ for flight safety.

South Korea

Shaman rumours resurface as South Korea returns to Blue House

After Yoon Suk-yeol wasted millions on a move critics linked to fortune-tellers, the presidential office is returning to its historic home.

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