US Department of Defence

Top US commander makes surprise visit to Venezuela

19 Feb 2026 - 10:37AM

US forces board another tanker in Indian Ocean after tracking it from Caribbean

16 Feb 2026 - 8:33AM

3 dead in latest US strike on suspected drug vessel in Caribbean

The attack raises the death toll from the Trump administration’s strikes on ‘narcoterrorists’ in the Caribbean and Pacific to 133.

14 Feb 2026 - 10:26AM

An explosion occurs on a vessel during what the US military says was a strike on a suspected drug trafficking vessel in the Caribbean in this screen grab from a video released on Friday. Photo: US Southern Command/Reuters

Pentagon adds Chinese firms to military list, then withdraws filing

Move weeks before Trump-Xi summit highlights mixed signals from Washington and injects fresh uncertainty into fragile US-China truce.

14 Feb 2026 - 6:11AMvideocam

Germany

German court jails US military contractor in China spy case

The defendant, partially named as Martin D. was sentenced for offering US military secrets to China, highlighting espionage concerns amid global tensions.

11 Feb 2026 - 9:05PM

‘Tracked and hunted’: US forces board tanker in Indian Ocean

US military intercepts the US-sanctioned Aquila II after a transoceanic chase from the Caribbean.

10 Feb 2026 - 3:08PM

The Aquila II tanker, which was boarded by US forces
after it was ‘tracked and hunted’ from the Caribbean. Photo: Pentagon via X

Pentagon ditches Harvard as Hegseth declares university too ‘woke’

The defence secretary says the Ivy League university ‘no longer meets the needs of the War Department or the military services’.

7 Feb 2026 - 4:00PMvideocam

US destroys another alleged drug boat in Pacific, killing 2

Latest strike brings the death toll from the Trump administration’s maritime campaign to at least 128 since September.

6 Feb 2026 - 1:44PM

Trump balks at nuclear limit extension, calls for new US-China-Russia deal

For first time in half a century, the world is without a legally binding agreement to control nuclear weapons, as New Start accord expires.

6 Feb 2026 - 10:18AMvideocam

Russian soldiers load Iskander-M short-range ballistic missile launchers as part of a June 2024 drill to train troops in using tactical nuclear weapons. Photo: Russian Defence Ministry Press Service via AP

US and China defence sectors emerge as key battlegrounds in the race for AI

As both military powers vie to integrate innovative technology first, the race is on to develop and fast-track the latest advancements.

5 Feb 2026 - 1:41AMvideocam

South Korea

Why US defence strategy may hurt leaders in South Korea, Japan

The National Defence Strategy states that the US will provide ‘more limited’ support to its allies in line with the ‘America-first’ policy.

28 Jan 2026 - 9:11PMvideocam

China’s Communist Party

China’s top general ousted in corruption investigation

The seven-seat Central Military Commission now only has two active members after the downfall of vice-chairman Zhang Youxia and fellow general Liu Zhenli.

26 Jan 2026 - 5:18PM

Venezuela frees dozens of political prisoners as leader tells US ‘enough orders’

Rights group says it has verified the identities of 104 of those freed as Venezuela navigates life after Maduro.

26 Jan 2026 - 4:22PM

Foro Penal estimates there are about 800 political prisoners in the South American country. Photo: AFP

Trump says US used secret ‘discombobulator’ weapon in Maduro raid

He said the device made enemy equipment ‘not work’, and the Venezuelan forces were unable to use their ‘Russian and Chinese rockets’.

25 Jan 2026 - 5:03AMvideocam

US President Donald Trump gestures after a signing ceremony for his Board of Peace initiative in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday. Photo: AP

US banks on strength – not confrontation – to deny China in Indo-Pacific

Pentagon says it will focus on the first island chain while urging partners to contribute more to the collective defence.

24 Jan 2026 - 9:07PMvideocam

North Korea

Pentagon shifts North Korean responsibility to ‘capable’ South

US officials have recently been pushing to allow American troops in South Korea more flexibility to operate outside the peninsula.

24 Jan 2026 - 10:20AM

US kills 2 in first known strike on alleged drug boat since Maduro’s capture

The attack left one survivor, and the coastguard has been notified to launch search and rescue operations.

24 Jan 2026 - 7:55AM

Footage posted by US Southern Command on Friday shows a boat moving through the water before exploding in flames. Image: X/Southcom

Can Musk’s Starship upend the strategic order? A Chinese think tank warns it may

Report warns the transporter could help the US military move troops and equipment in space and calls for a ‘proactive’ response.

23 Jan 2026 - 8:01PMvideocam

US forces seize seventh sanctioned oil tanker linked to Venezuela

MV Sagitta is the latest ship linked to Venezuela that the US has captured since early December.

21 Jan 2026 - 1:01PM

Canada

Canada models response to US invasion as Trump posts ‘takeover’ map: report

As Trump hints at making Canada the ‘51st state’, a report reveals a theoretical defence strategy to resist US forces if necessary.

21 Jan 2026 - 1:17AM

Canadian soldiers and Afghan National Army members take positions during a joint operation to seek out Taliban fighters in Kandahar province in 2006. Photo: AP

Pentagon readies 1,500 troops for potential Minnesota deployment

US Army units from Alaska ordered to prepare for Minnesota surge as governor mobilises National Guard.

19 Jan 2026 - 2:17PM

A law enforcement officer uses a battering ram to force entry into a home during an immigration raid in St Paul, Minnesota. Photo: Reuters

China's military weapons

Are Western defence firms aiming at the Chinese navy in their promo videos?

Vessels that look a lot like PLA warships appear in animation of BAE and Lockheed weapons systems.

18 Jan 2026 - 7:30PM

The Philippines

French ‘intimacy’: Philippines, France near deal for Indo-Pacific strength

The visiting forces deal comes on top of similar pacts with other nations and could help the Philippines attain a ‘muscular defence arsenal’.

18 Jan 2026 - 3:15PMvideocam

Japan

Japan, US vow ‘unshaken’ defence ties despite Trump’s pivot from Asia

‘We talk about America first, yes, but it doesn’t mean America alone,’ Pentagon chief Hegseth tells Japanese Defence Minister Koizumi.

16 Jan 2026 - 11:47AMvideocam

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth (right) welcomes Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi at the Pentagon in Virginia on Thursday. Photo: Getty Images/AFP

Trump prevails in US Senate showdown over Venezuela war powers

A 51–50 vote kills war powers resolution after Trump pressure flips two key Republican defectors.

15 Jan 2026 - 9:17AM

US fighter jets parked on the apron at the former Roosevelt Roads naval base in Ceiba, Puerto Rico. Photo: Reuters

FBI raids home of US journalist who reported on Trump firings

The unusual search on Hannah Natanson’s home as part of a Pentagon leak investigation sparked concerns over press freedom in the US.

15 Jan 2026 - 3:07AM