Gaza faces famine as Israeli bombings continue
30/07/2025
Australia widens teen social media ban to YouTube, scraps exemption
30/07/2025
New Benin law offers citizenship to descendants of African slaves
30/07/2025
Tunisia's 'barbechas': the invisible workforce behind recycling
30/07/2025
Kenya: Justice sought for victims of protest crackdowns
30/07/2025
Angola: Deadly protests erupt over fuel price hikes
30/07/2025
Palestinian activist Owdeh Hathaleen killed by Israeli settler in West bank
30/07/2025
Portugal battles three large wildfires
30/07/2025
France: Mine d'Or beach, a summer favourite on the Breton coast
30/07/2025
In Gaza, 'the need to catch up to an enormous lack' of food imposed by the Israelis
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France 24
3 days ago
- France 24
Australia to buy 11 advanced warships from Japan
Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force Mogami-class ships are advanced stealth frigates equipped with a potent array of weapons Australia is in the midst of a major military restructuring announced in 2023, turning towards long-range strike capabilities to better respond to China's naval might. It is striving to expand its fleet of major warships from 11 to 26 over the next 10 years. "This is clearly the biggest defence-industry agreement that has ever been struck between Japan and Australia," Marles said, touting the US$6 billion (Aus$10 billion) deal. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries was awarded the tender over Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. "This decision was made based on what was the best capability for Australia," Marles said. "We do have a very close strategic alignment with Japan." Australia is in the midst of a major military restructuring and plans to replace its ageing fleet of Anzac-class vessels © David GRAY / AFP/File Mogami-class warships are advanced stealth frigates equipped with a potent array of weapons. Marles said they would replace Australia's ageing fleet of Anzac-class vessels, with the first Mogami-class ship to be in service by 2030. "The Mogami-class frigate is the best frigate for Australia," said Marles. "It is a next-generation vessel. It is stealthy. It has 32 vertical launch cells capable of launching long-range missiles." Defence industry minister Pat Conroy said the frigates were capable of launching long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. 'More lethal' "The acquisition of these stealth frigates will make our navy a bigger navy, and a more lethal navy," he said. The first three Mogami-class frigates will be built overseas, Conroy said, with shipbuilding yards in Western Australia expected to produce the rest. Nuclear sub deal under the 2021 AUKUS agreement © Nicholas SHEARMAN / AFP Australia announced a deal to acquire US-designed nuclear-powered submarines in 2021, scrapping a years-long plan to develop non-nuclear subs from France. Under the tripartite AUKUS pact with the United States and the United Kingdom, the Australian navy plans to acquire at least three Virginia-class submarines within 15 years. The AUKUS submarine programme alone could cost the country up to US$235 billion over the next 30 years, according to Australian government forecasts, a price tag that has stoked criticism of the strategy. Major defence projects in Australia have long suffered from cost overruns, government U-turns, policy changes and project plans that make more sense for local job creation than defence. Australia plans to gradually increase its defence spending to 2.4 percent of gross domestic product -- above the two percent target set by its NATO allies, but well short of US demands for 3.5 percent. © 2025 AFP
France 24
4 days ago
- France 24
Australian police charge Chinese national with 'foreign interference'
Assistant police commissioner Stephen Nutt said the unnamed woman had been covertly gathering information on the Guan Yin Citta Buddhist association in Australia's capital, Canberra. Nutt said she was working under the command of China's Public Security Bureau, the country's main domestic law enforcement body. "We allege the activity was to support the intelligence objectives of China's Public Security Bureau," said Nutt, from the special investigations division of the Australian Federal Police. "It is a crime carried out by, or on behalf of, a foreign principle involving covert or deceptive conduct." The woman -- who cannot be named for legal reasons -- is an Australian permanent resident. She was arrested and charged with "reckless foreign interference" after police raided a number of houses in Canberra over the weekend. "During the searches, a number of items, including electronic devices, were seized and will undergo forensic examination," police said in a statement. Reckless foreign interference carries a maximum of 15 years in prison. China's sprawling security apparatus has long been accused of infiltrating community organisations as a way to keep tabs on expats and dissidents. But it is rare that a major trading partner such as Australia so bluntly links Beijing to a covert influence plot. "At a time of permanent regional contest, offenders will attempt to spy on individuals, groups and institutions in Australia," said Nutt. 'Appalling assault' Australian police have foiled a series of foreign interference plots in recent years, but these have typically targeted migrant communities. Nutt said this case was unusual in that it also appeared to be targeting Australian citizens. "This is the first time the AFP has charged a person with foreign interference that allegedly involves targeting members of the Australian community," he said. Police started investigating the woman in March 2025 after receiving a tipoff from the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, Australia's top counter-espionage agency. Australia's spy chief Mike Burgess last week warned of the mounting domestic security threat posed by foreign actors such as China. "Foreign interference of the kind alleged is an appalling assault on Australian values, freedoms and sovereignty," Burgess said on Monday.
France 24
5 days ago
- France 24
Assange joins pro-Palestinian protest on Sydney Harbour Bridge
Tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters including WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Sunday, closing the world famous landmark. Assange, who returned to Australia last year after his release from a high-security British prison, was pictured surrounded by family and marching alongside former Australian foreign minister and New South Wales premier Bob Carr. France, Britain and Canada have in recent weeks voiced, in some cases qualified, intentions to diplomatically recognise a Palestinian state as international concern and criticism have grown over malnutrition in Gaza. Australia has called for an end to the war in Gaza but has so far stopped short of a decision to recognise a Palestinian state. But in a joint statement with more than a dozen other nations on Tuesday it expressed the "willingness or the positive consideration... to recognise the state of Palestine as an essential step towards the two-State solution". The pro-Palestinian crowd braved heavy winds and rain to march across the bridge, chanting " ceasefire now" and "free Palestine". New South Wales police said it had deployed hundreds of extra staff across Sydney for the march. Mehreen Faruqi, the New South Wales senator for the left-wing Greens party, told the crowd gathered at central Sydney's Lang Park that the march would "make history". She called for the "harshest sanctions on Israel", accusing its forces of "massacring" Gazans, and criticised New South Wales premier Chris Minns for saying the protest should not go ahead. Dozens of marchers held up banners listing the names of thousands of Palestinian children killed since the Gaza war broke out after an October 2023 attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas. Labor backbench MP Ed Husic attended the march and called for his ruling party, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, to recognise a Palestinian state. Assange did not address the crowd or talk to the media. Israel is under mounting international pressure to end the bloodshed that has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry. Hamas's 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to a tally based on official figures. Of the 251 hostages taken during the attack, 49 are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. The Harbour Bridge is over a kilometre long and was opened in 1932. Since then its twin parabolic arcs have become world famous, a symbol of both Sydney and of Australia.
