China has accused Britain and the United States of breaching nuclear non-proliferation rules by supplying Australia with highly enriched uranium for its future submarine fleet. The claim was rejected by the British government at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, where a British diplomat described Beijing’s allegations as “politically motivated” and “false”. The dispute centres on the Aukus security agreement, under which Australia will acquire conventionally armed nuclear-powered submarines using British and American technology. Chinese officials have repeatedly placed the issue before the IAEA’s board of governors and argue that supplying weapons-grade nuclear material to Australia, a non-nuclear-weapon state,…

By Ben Farmer Seven armed Ethiopian groups have formed an alliance to topple the government, amid fears the country is sliding towards a resumption of one of the bloodiest wars in recent years. The new alliance brings together ethnic groups fighting on several fronts across the country in what they call an Alliance for Survival to overthrow Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government. The new grouping includes the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Amhara Fano National Movement, as well as groups from the Oromia, Afar and Benishangul-Gumuz regions. “We, the peoples’ forces concerned with the survival of Ethiopia’s ‌peoples,…

Turkey has offered to meet Saudi Arabia’s military needs under a new three-way defence pact with Pakistan following Houthi attacks on the kingdom. The Houthis said they had targeted “sensitive sites” in Riyadh on Saturday. Saudi-led coalition forces said a ballistic missile fired at the capital was intercepted and destroyed. The group also attempted to strike targets in Bisha, Taif, Farasan and Yanbu, according to the coalition. Turkey said it was prepared to provide military assistance under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement signed by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan last month. The pact treats an armed attack against one of…

Ukraine has launched its biggest drone attack of the war on Moscow, striking a major oil refinery and killing three people. The attack came as Russians voted in parliamentary elections presented by Vladimir Putin as a test of support for the war. Hundreds of drones swept towards the Russian capital in an unprecedented overnight bombardment, overwhelming air defences and setting part of the Moscow Oil Refinery ablaze. Sergei Sobyanin, the mayor of Moscow, said Russian forces had destroyed more than 1,600 drones since Saturday, including 450 heading towards the capital. Several nevertheless broke through, hitting the refinery and a residential…

Saudi Arabia has proposed a two-week ceasefire with Yemen’s Houthis and direct talks with the group’s leadership after the United States refused requests for military support against the Iran-backed group. The proposal, delivered through Oman, would halt fighting for two weeks while Saudi and Houthi representatives discuss humanitarian measures before attempting to reach a broader settlement. Lebanon’s Al-Akhbar newspaper reports that the initiative follows Saudi contacts with the United States, Egypt, Pakistan and Oman as Riyadh seeks international assistance in responding to the renewed Houthi offensive. According to the report, Saudi Arabia wants the ceasefire to allow the two sides…

King Charles has warned about the dangers posed by artificial intelligence as technology executives and researchers call for greater safeguards around increasingly advanced AI systems. The King said: “Those who have created these technologies are now increasingly warning that AI risks developing darker capacities – perhaps even to take life.” He said there was an “urgency” in “adequately considering the existential dangers of such technologies falling into the wrong hands, and being used in potentially catastrophic ways”. He added: “The task before you is not merely to advance technology, but to ensure that it remains firmly in the service of…

The United States has blocked Iran’s nuclear chief from attending a major UN atomic energy conference in Vienna as the Trump administration prepares a $2.8 billion weapons package for Israel containing more than 40,000 heavy bombs. The developments come as a Pentagon report reveals that US military operations against Iran had already cost an estimated $33.4 billion by the end of June, including more than $22 billion in munitions. Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, had been due to attend the International Atomic Energy Agency’s General Conference in the Austrian capital this week. Eslami is subject…

Japan is building two giant missile cruisers to defend the country against a growing arsenal of ballistic and hypersonic weapons being amassed by China, Russia and North Korea. The 12,000-tonne warships will be among the largest and most heavily armed surface combatants in the world, each equipped with 128 missile launch cells and a powerful radar designed to detect and track ballistic missiles hundreds of miles away. At 190 metres long and 25 metres wide, the Aegis System Equipped Vessels, known as ASEVs, will dwarf most Western destroyers and be comparable in size to China’s formidable Type 055 cruiser. The…

Saudi Arabia has turned to Israel for intelligence assistance as Houthi missile and drone attacks put cities across the kingdom on alert and the Iran-backed group tightens its grip on the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Saudi and Israeli officials have held talks mediated by US Central Command (CENTCOM) aimed at helping Riyadh defend itself against the Houthis, according to diplomatic sources in the Middle East. The talks come as Saudi Arabia warns it will respond “firmly” to a wave of attacks that has struck cities, military bases and energy infrastructure across the kingdom. Saudi authorities issued alerts over possible attacks in…

The United States has confirmed for the first time that it has deployed weapons in space. The announcement has led to China accusing Washington of “preparing for war” beyond Earth. Troy Meink, the US Air Force Secretary, revealed that the Space Force has weapons operating in orbit which the Pentagon says can be used to protect American forces against hostile action. China responded on Tuesday by calling on Washington to halt its military expansion in space. Guo Jiakun, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, said: “We urge the US side to stop expanding its military capabilities and preparing for war in…

Russia has dramatically increased its use of jet-powered attack drones against Ukraine, deploying thousands of high-speed weapons capable of overwhelming air defences and striking targets hundreds of miles behind the front line. The new generation of Russian Geran drones can travel at up to 600km/h, carry warheads weighing as much as 90kg and, in some variants, fly almost 1,000km, giving Moscow a weapon that combines some of the capabilities of a cruise missile with the lower cost and mass production of a drone. Their emergence in large numbers is regarded as a significant development because their speed means many can…

Russia has attacked a passenger train travelling from Kyiv to Warsaw in a drone strike just two miles from the Polish border. The drone strike has prompted warnings that Moscow is deliberately escalating the war towards Nato territory. The train was struck near the Yahodyn-Dorohusk border crossing on Sunday after passengers had been evacuated. A nearby petrol station was also hit and caught fire. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said European politicians and security officials had been travelling through the border area after attending the Yalta European Strategy conference in Ukraine. Passengers included Boris Johnson, the former…