Slovenia Calls on NATO to Expand Its Defense Spending Definition
Slovenia and several NATO member states are seeking ways to expand the definition of defense spending as they attempt to meet US calls to allocate more funds on security, the nation's prime minister said.
Like-minded alliance members aim to establish a unified methodology on defense spending in the coming weeks and present the proposal to Mark Rutte, the alliance's secretary general, Slovenian Premier Robert Golob in an interview on the sidelines of European Political Community summit in Albania on Friday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Rising NATO Ally Builds Its Own Aircraft Carrier
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Turkey's ambitious naval expansion is taking shape as new details emerged about its first homegrown aircraft carrier, Mugem, now under construction in Istanbul. With design and system integration work ongoing, priority will be given to homegrown aircraft, including unmanned combat drones and light jets, according to statements by Captain Hakan Uçar, director of the Turkish Navy's Design Project Office, reported by Jane's OSINT on Friday. Newsweek has reached out to Turkey's Presidency of Defense Industries, overseeing defense projects, for comment. Why It Matters Turkey's defense industrial growth signals Ankara's drive to assert greater strategic autonomy and its importance both within NATO and for the Middle East under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump. Turkey's expanding naval and air defense capabilities—including a fifth-generation fighter jet —could also change global defense industry dynamics. What To Know About 285 meters long and 72 meters wide, Mugem will weigh arounds 60,000 tons and should carry up to 50 aircraft, with two runways for takeoff and one for landing, according to a description on the Turkish government's Directorate of Communications' website. The ship will have a flight deck built for aircraft to take off from a short runway and land safely, known as the STOBAR system, according to Jane's OSINT, a prominent open-source intelligence and defense analysis provider. Turkey, a NATO member since 1952, lacks a full-sized traditional aircraft carrier; its largest ship, the amphibious assault vessel TCG Anadolu, serves mainly as a drone carrier but has limited capabilities compared to a true carrier. The Turkish Ministry of National Defense revealed the warship last year and announced the start of construction in January. Turkey is also building a submarine and the TF-2000-class destroyer. Erdogan has established himself as a key figure across multiple geopolitical arenas, with Trump acknowledging and turning to the leader of a longstanding ally, as he seeks to redefine Washington's Middle East policy. Turkey's expanding defense capabilities come amid an escalating rivalry with Israel, especially in Syria where Turkey maintains bases in the north and has set out to leverage close ties with Syrian opposition factions. Turkey is also an important buttress against Russia and has been a diplomatic player on the Ukraine war. What People Are Saying Turkish Presidency's Directorate of Communications in January 2025: "With this project, Turkey's goal of maritime independence and regional superiority is clearly visible. However, as long as foreign dependency continues in critical areas such as power systems and aircraft technology, more time and investment is needed to achieve these goals." Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in 2024, as quoted by TRT World: "We will not stop or turn back from our path until we achieve the goal of a fully independent Türkiye in the defence industry." What Happens Next Turkey will continue accelerating major defense projects, drawing increasing strategic interest from regional powers.
Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
Police arrest ‘Billboard Chris,' Christian activist in EU capital for denouncing child transgender treatments
Belgian police arrested a prominent conservative activist and an Alliance Defending Freedom International employee in the European Union capital of Brussels on Thursday while they were displaying signs opposing transgender medical treatment for kids. Chris Elston, also known as "Billboard Chris," and ADF International official Lois McLatchie Miller were detained by Brussels police while protesting gender-affirming care for children. They were released after several hours and not charged but were instructed to destroy their signs. "Chris and I were arrested for stating a simple truth in public: no child is born in the wrong body. I called the police because we were being surrounded and felt threatened. But instead of addressing the aggression of the mob, the police arrested us—two people standing peacefully with signs, open to conversation," McLatchie Miller told Fox News Digital. "That this happened in the heart of Europe is deeply troubling. If speaking up for children is now grounds for arrest, then our freedom to speak the truth on any important issue is truly in danger," the ADF International employee added. Elston, well known for wearing billboards decrying transgender medical treatment for children out in public, stood out in the streets of the Belgian capital alongside McLatchie Miller. Both wore billboards, with the ADF employee's sign reading, "Children are never born in the wrong body" and Elston's reading, "Children cannot consent to puberty blockers." According to ADF International's press release, the signs drew a crowd of onlookers, some of whom got aggressive. In a video recorded before their arrest, Elston showed Brussels police forming a ring around him and his colleague to keep onlookers from getting too close. "And we have quite a scene unfolding in Brussels, Belgium," Elston said in the recording. "We have been getting incredibly harassed for about the last hour. We've remained perfectly calm as always, having conversations about what is the greatest child abuse scandal in modern medicine history." Elston continued, saying they were the ones who called the police to protect them from harassment; however, he noted that the officers then ordered them to put away their signs. "We called the police because a man was harassing and following Lois everywhere she went, trying to stop us from filming. The police have now arrived, and they've told me I have to put – and Lois – they've told us we have to put our signs away. I have refused. He said I was violating the law. I said, 'What law?' He can't name it," he said. Elston added that he was told he was going to be arrested, stating, "So I said, 'That's fine. Go ahead.'" ADF International's press release stated the two were eventually arrested and taken to two separate police stations, where they were "ordered to remove their clothes and searched." They were released several hours later. In a statement, ADF International executive director Paul Coleman ripped Brussels' government for the action. "The Belgian authorities not only failed to uphold the fundamental right to speak freely, they turned the power of the state against those who were peacefully exercising their rights at the behest of a mob," he said. "This is the type of authoritarianism we challenge in other parts of the world, and it's deeply disturbing to see it here in the very heart of Europe. While we are grateful our colleague has been safely released, we are deeply concerned by her treatment at the hands of the police in Brussels," Coleman added. Fox News Digital reached out to the Belgian police for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Bloomberg
an hour ago
- Bloomberg
Musk's Empire at Risk After Trump Feud Opens Multi-Front Fight
What began as Elon Musk's embrace of right-wing populism has become a defining — and potentially harmful — chapter in his business career. By endorsing Donald Trump's MAGA movement and far-right parties in Europe, Musk alienated a big portion of his original customer base, eroding Tesla's brand, sales and market share around the globe. Then came this week's rupture: a personal and public breakup with Trump that prompted threats of retaliation from a man with control over the world's most powerful government.
