New Delhi, India | AFP | India has drawn up a shopping list for tens of billions of dollars of foreign fighter jets, armoured vehicles, submarines and helicopters but it will only sign the cheques if they are made in India. The world’s largest defence importer has announced a new policy …
Read More »India clears $650 mn Boeing army chopper deal: defence sources
New Delhi, India | AFP | India approved a $650 million purchase of six attack choppers Thursday from US aviation giant Boeing, officials said, as it boosts its military might amid border tensions with China and Pakistan. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), which approves big-ticket purchases, gave the green light to …
Read More »Qatar announces 5 bn euro order for warships from Italy
Doha, Qatar | AFP | Qatar announced on Wednesday a five-billion-euro order for seven warships from Italy in the midst of a nearly two-month diplomatic crisis with neighbouring Saudi Arabia and its allies. “We have signed a contract on behalf of the Qatari navy to acquire seven warships from Italy for …
Read More »Adama Barrow: how do you solve a problem like The Gambia?
Adama Barrow: how do you solve a problem like The Gambia? Banjul, Gambia | AFP | Six months ago, businessman and political novice Adama Barrow took power in Africa’s smallest mainland country after delivering a stunning defeat against ex-leader Yahya Jammeh, who had ruled brutally for 22 years. When Barrow …
Read More »ECOWAS warns of group of Gambian armymen still loyal to Jammeh
Banjul, Gambia | AFP | The head of a West African force maintaining security in The Gambia told AFP Friday that army officials loyal to veteran former leader Yahya Jammeh were plotting against the new government. West African troops were first sent to The Gambia in January to compel Jammeh to …
Read More »Pentagon is confident it can stop N Korean ICBM
Washington, United States | AFP |The Pentagon is confident it can protect the United States against an incoming North Korean rocket, an official said Wednesday following Pyongyang’s first successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Tuesday’s launch saw North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un fire a new type of missile from …
Read More »Modi, Netanyahu seek to deepen ties on first visit by an Indian PM
Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP | Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with Benjamin Netanyahu Wednesday on the first ever visit by an Indian premier to Israel as they sought to deepen ties beyond high-priced defence deals. The two leaders presented a series of agreements between India and Israel for cooperation on …
Read More »Modi set to become first Indian PM to visit Israel
Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP | Narendra Modi becomes the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel when he arrives on Tuesday, the result of growing ties that have led to billions of dollars in defence deals. Israel, in constant search of allies to vote in its favour at UN bodies as …
Read More »Macron in Mali for diplomatic push on Sahel anti-jihad force
Bamako, Mali | AFP | French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Mali on Sunday to consolidate Western backing for a regional anti-jihadist force, with France urging greater support for the Sahel region amid mounting insecurity. The so-called “G5 Sahel” countries just south of the Sahara — Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, …
Read More »Juncker says Europe can no longer ‘outsource’ protection
Prague, Czech Republic | AFP | Europe has to take care of its defence given the shift in US policy, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said Friday, promoting a hefty defence fund announced by Brussels. “The protection of Europe can no longer be outsourced,” Juncker told a defence conference in …
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