Weapons

• NATO is currently debating a potential shift in its nuclear posture, focusing on the strategic placement of weapons rather than just the total quantity. • Poland is being considered as a potential new host for nuclear assets, as it already provides conventional support for NATO's nuclear mission. • Poland possesses the necessary financial and military infrastructure to join the Nuclear Planning Group (NPG) framework, similar to current hosts Germany, Belgium, Italy, and the Netherlands.

US defense secretary continues ramp-up of pressure against country including sanctions and devastating oil blockadePete Hegseth has warned Cuba against acquiring weapons that could threaten the United States, during a visit to the US military base at Guantánamo Bay.Washington has ramped up pressure against Cuba with sanctions and a devastating oil blockade, and Donald Trump has repeatedly signaled that the Cuban government could be the next after Venezuela to fall to US pressure. Continue reading...

Consumer group makes ‘super’ complaint to ACCC after investigation found dangerous items on platforms such as eBay, Amazon and AliExpressGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastCigarette lighters that look like toys, gel blasters, flick knives and fake tongue studs are among the “frightening” number of unsafe and potentially banned products being sold to Australians on online marketplaces, a Choice investigation has found.After identifying the products, Choice on Wednesday formally asked the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to take action against the retailers and begin a review of the country’s product safety laws more generally. Continue reading...

• SpaceX and other companies are exploring the use of electromagnetic catapults, known as mass drivers, to facilitate a lunar economy. • A new report warns that these launchers could be repurposed as potent first-strike weapons systems due to their ability to launch projectiles from space. • The security concern stems from the fact that such a platform would be virtually undetectable and unassailable, creating a significant strategic imbalance.

• Stephen Colbert is officially signing off from "The Late Show" tonight, marking the end of his tenure as the host of the storied CBS program. • Colbert succeeds the legacy of former host David Letterman, having served as a central figure in network late-night comedy. • His departure highlights the current instability and fragility of the network comedy industry as it navigates shifting viewership and media trends.

Defense secretary accuses senator of disclosing classified info but Kelly says ‘that’s not classified, it’s a quote from you’Pete Hegseth said he has referred Senator Mark Kelly to Pentagon lawyers for allegedly disclosing classified information about depleted US weapons stockpiles – information Kelly says he heard from the defense secretary, in public, under oath.Speaking on CBS News’s Face the Nation on Sunday, Kelly said American inventories of Tomahawk cruise missiles, Army Tactical Missile Systems, SM-3 interceptors, THAAD rounds and Patriot missiles had been severely drawn down during the Iran conflict, warning that replenishment could take years and leave the US exposed in any future confrontation with China. Continue reading...

• U.S. President Donald Trump arrives in Beijing on Wednesday for two-day talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, marking their first face-to-face meeting in over six months amid strained ties. • Discussions will cover Iran, Taiwan tensions, artificial intelligence, nuclear weapons, and potential extension of a critical minerals deal, according to U.S. officials. • The summit aims to stabilize relations between the world's two largest economies, strained by ongoing U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, trade disputes, and tariff threats from Trump's first term.

Pontiff responds after US president accuses him of ‘endangering a lot of Catholics’ with stance on Iran warMiddle East crisis – live updatesPope Leo has said he has never supported nuclear weapons and that those who criticise him need to speak the truth, in response Donald Trump’s latest tirade accusing him of “endangering a lot of Catholics” with his stance on the Iran war.Speaking to journalists on Tuesday night after leaving the papal retreat in Castel Gandolfo, near Rome, the first US-born pontiff said: “The mission of the church is to preach the gospel, to preach peace.” Continue reading...

Letter from House Democrats to secretary of state calls for end to ambiguity over Israel’s nuclear weapons programsHouse Democrats have asked secretary of state Marco Rubio to publicly announce that Israel possesses nuclear weapons, arguing that Washington must end decades of ambiguity over the issue amid the conflict with Iran.In a letter sent on Monday, 30 Democrats wrote that it was unsustainable for Donald Trump to collaborate with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a military campaign against Iran – with the stated goal of preventing the country from obtaining a nuclear weapon – without publicly acknowledging the US ally’s possession of the bomb. Continue reading...

• The Biden administration announced comprehensive sanctions targeting Russian entities involved in chemical weapons production and deployment, following reports of their use against Ukrainian forces in recent weeks. • The Treasury Department froze assets of 12 Russian companies and individuals, with officials stating the measures aim to deter further violations of the Chemical Weapons Convention. • Security analysts warn that chemical weapons escalation signals Russia's desperation as its conventional military capabilities face sustained Ukrainian resistance.

• The Pentagon is reportedly reaching out to civilian manufacturers including Ford and General Motors to boost weapons production, as years of supplying Ukraine followed by sustained Middle East operations have allegedly drained critical missile stockpiles. • Reports suggest the US military is facing a deepening munitions crisis affecting high-tech systems like THAAD and Tomahawk missiles, raising questions about industrial capacity to meet demand. • The growing focus on weapons production and ceasefire negotiations has sparked debate about whether diplomatic efforts are being driven by strategy or by supply constraints.

Attempt by independent senator set to test Democratic support for longtime US ally amid Trump’s war on IranAn attempt set for Wednesday by senator Bernie Sanders to block sales to Israel of bombs and bulldozers will serve as the latest litmus test of support for the longtime US ally among Democrats.Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Senate Democrats, plans to call up for a vote a resolution halting a $151.8m sale of 12,000 1,000lb bombs to Israel’s military, as well as a second resolution that would prevent the sale of $295m in bulldozers. Continue reading...

Pyongyang making ‘very serious’ progress on producing weapons, with rapid rise in activity at main nuclear complexNorth Korea has made “very serious” progress in its ability to produce more nuclear weapons, the head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog has warned, in another sign that the regime is seeking to use its nuclear arsenal to ensure its survival.North Korea is thought to have assembled about 50 nuclear warheads, although some experts are sceptical of its claims that it is able to miniaturise them so they can be attached to long-range ballistic missiles. Continue reading...

Government must ‘come down very hard’ on online trade in knives and weapons, says policing and crime minister Sarah JonesChildren are setting up online businesses selling knives in the same way they trade clothes, the policing and crime minister Sarah Jones has said.Jones heard how children as young as 12 were buying and selling the weapons on the internet and social media at the opening of the new National Knife Crime Centre in Bloomsbury, central London, on Thursday. Continue reading...

Defence ministry says US failed to request authorisation in time for parliament to give approval as required by international treatyItaly has denied the use of an airbase in Sicily to US military planes carrying weapons for the war in Iran after the US did not follow the required authorisation procedure.A source at the Italian defence ministry confirmed a report in Corriere della Sera that “some US bombers” had been due to land at Sigonella – one of seven US navy bases in Italy – before heading to the Middle East, but that use of the base had been denied because the US sought authorisation to land only while the aircraft were already en route to Sicily. Continue reading...

Having been nominated in the same category 40 years earlier, the actor sets a new record for the longest gap between nominations before a winAmy Madigan has won the best supporting actress Oscar for Weapons at the 98th Academy Awards, currently under way in Los Angeles.Madigan defeated a strong field to take the prize, including Elle Fanning for Sentimental Value, Wunmi Mosaku for Sinners and Teyana Taylor for One Battle After Another. In doing so she set a new record for the longest gap between nominations before a win; she was previously nominated in the same category 40 years ago, in 1986, for Twice in a Lifetime. Continue reading...