
A Military exercise drawing together 19 nations and 35,000 forces begins in Australia
Chinese surveillance ships have monitored naval exercises off the Australian coast during the last four Talisman Sabre exercises and were expected to surveil the current exercise, Defense Industry Minister Pat Conroy said. The Chinese military have observed these exercises since 2017. 'It'd be very unusual for them not to observe it,' Conroy told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. 'We'll adjust accordingly. We'll obviously observe their activities and monitor their presence around Australia, but we'll also adjust how we conduct those exercises,' Conroy added. Conroy said the Chinese were not yet shadowing ships as of Sunday.
The exercise officially started on Sunday with a ceremony in Sydney attended by Deputy Commanding General of US Army Pacific Lt. Gen. J.B. Vowell and Australia's Chief of Joint Operations Vice-Adm. Justin Jones. The exercise showcasing Australia's defense alliance with the United States started a day after Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese began a six-day visit to China, where he is expected to hold his fourth face-to-face meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Tuesday. Albanese said Chinese surveillance of Talisman Sabre would not be an issue raised with Xi. 'That would be nothing unusual. That has happened in the past, and I'll continue to assert Australia's national interest as I do,' Albanese told reporters in Shanghai Monday. Albanese also noted that while he had visited the United States as prime minister five times, he had only been to China twice.
The Australian leader has been criticized at home for failing to secure a face-to-face meeting with US President Donald Trump. 'I look forward to a constructive engagement with President Trump. We have had three constructive phone conversations,' Albanese said.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Arab News
7 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistan, Kuwait agree to boost high-level exchanges, deepen ties in trade and defense
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Yahya agreed to increase high-level official exchanges to strengthen bilateral relations and bolster cooperation in trade, investment and defense, Pakistan's foreign office said in a statement on Tuesday. The two ministers met on the sidelines of the International Conference on the Two-State Solution at the United Nations in New York. Pakistan has been seeking to enhance economic and strategic partnerships with Gulf nations, including efforts to export more skilled human resources to the region in a bid to boost remittances, which reached a record $38.3 billion in the last fiscal year. 'The two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen Pakistan-Kuwait relations, with a focus on enhancing cooperation in trade, investment, energy, food security and defense,' the foreign office said. 'They also discussed close collaboration at multilateral fora, including at the UN and OIC [Organization of Islamic Cooperation].' 'Both sides agreed to undertake high-level exchanges in the near future to deepen bilateral engagement,' it added. Dar and Al-Yahya also expressed concern over continued Israeli aggression against Palestinians and the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, calling for a just and lasting resolution. They voiced hope that the outcomes of the UN conference would contribute meaningfully toward the realization of the two-state solution. Earlier this year, Pakistan and Kuwait held the fourth round of Bilateral Political Consultations in Kuwait in May, where senior officials reviewed cooperation in trade, labor and consular affairs. Prior to that, in February, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al‑Ahmad Al‑Sabah and pledged to transform bilateral relations into a robust economic partnership, while also coordinating positions on regional issues including the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The two sides are also trying to enhance collaboration in defense training, cybersecurity and military joint exercises.


Al Arabiya
8 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Gaza's civil defense says at least 30 killed in Israeli strikes
Gaza's civil defense said Tuesday that Israeli air strikes killed at least 30 Palestinians, including women and children, in the central Nuseirat district. Civil defense agency spokesman Mahmud Basal said the strikes were carried out overnight and into the morning and 'targeted a number of citizens' homes' in the Nuseirat refugee camp.


Arab News
19 hours ago
- Arab News
Spain to airdrop 12 tonnes of food into Gaza Strip
MADRID: Spain said on Monday it would airdrop 12 tonnes of food into Gaza this week as the threat of famine stalks the Palestinian territory after 21 months of war. The operation is a rare example of a European nation joining Middle Eastern countries in sending aid by air. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, one of the most virulent critics of Israel's military offensive in Gaza, told a news conference the delivery would take place from Jordan on Friday using Spanish air force planes. 'The famine in Gaza is a shame for all of humanity and stopping it, therefore, is a moral imperative,' he said. The Defense Ministry said the 12 tonnes would be delivered in an operation similar to another carried out in March 2024, when Spain delivered 26 tonnes of food. The World Health Organization has warned malnutrition in the occupied territory has reached 'alarming levels' since Israel imposed a total blockade on Gaza.