Author: Ira Austin Richards

Australia has locked in a deal to buy potent long-range weapons from the United States, officials said Monday, as the country looks to counter China’s rising military power. The cache of more than 200 Tomahawk cruise missiles — costing $830 million — would be some of the “most powerful and technologically advanced” weapons in Australia’s arsenal, the country’s defence department said. Australia is embarking on a major military overhaul, pivoting towards long-range strike capabilities in an effort to keep would-be foes such as China at arms length. “We are investing in the capabilities our Defence Force needs to hold our…

The US has approved the first pill for postpartum depression. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said zuranolone, sold under the brand name Zurzuvae, has been approved as a once-daily pill taken for two weeks. Until now, treatment for postpartum depression (PPD) was available only as an intravenous injection, the FDA said. Drug manufacturers Sage Therapeutics and Biogen said the pill is expected to be available later this year. No price has yet been announced. Similar to other forms of depression, symptoms of postpartum depression (PPD) can include sadness, loss of energy, suicidal thoughts, decreased ability to feel pleasure, or…

The United States “is pausing certain foreign assistance programs benefiting the government of Niger” amid the military takeover in the West African country, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Friday. Blinken described it as an “interim measure” and said it does not impact all foreign assistance programs. “Most importantly, the provision of life-saving humanitarian and food assistance will continue,” Blinken said in a statement. “Further, we are continuing U.S. government activities in Niger where feasible to do so, including diplomatic and security operations, for the protection of U.S. personnel.” “This is consistent with steps taken by ECOWAS and the African…

The US has sharply limited Hungary’s participation in a visa waiver system for failing to tackle security issues flagged by Washington. More than a million people have gained Hungarian passports under a fast-track citizenship plan introduced in 2011. The US says the system, introduced after Viktor Orban came to power, is prone to “security breaches”. The rules will severely curtail entry rights under the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (Esta). Those using the system will be allowed one entry, the US embassy in Budapest added. Normally, Esta allows multiple entries for up to 90 days without a visa for tourism…

China-based hackers breached the email account of US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns as part of a recent targeted intelligence-gathering campaign, three US officials familiar with the matter told CNN. The hackers also accessed the email account of Daniel Kritenbrink, the assistant secretary of State for East Asia, who recently traveled with Secretary of State Antony Blinken to China, the people said. The news, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, adds to the fallout for the US of the alleged Chinese hack first revealed last week. The hackers also infiltrated the emails of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, CNN previously reported. US officials…

United States Department of State Counselor Derek Chollet is optimistic that there will be more progress and developments when it comes to the proposed trilateral cooperation between the United States, the Philippines, and Japan in the South China Sea. Chollet, who was in the Philippines for a three-day visit, met with his Philippine counterparts to discuss regional cooperation amid tensions in the South China Sea. The US official said the South China Sea situation was also at the forefront of the discussions during the trilateral meeting of US State Secretary Antony Blinken, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, and Japanese Foreign…

Royal commission found the former head of the Department of Human Services was responsible for department that had established ‘an unlawful program’ Senior Department of Defence official Kathryn Campbell has been suspended without pay in the wake of the royal commission report into robodebt. The Canberra Times reported, and Guardian Australia has independently confirmed, that Campbell was suspended without pay, effective Monday 10 July – three days after the royal commission report was tabled. The royal commission report said Campbell, a former head of the Department of Human Services, had been “responsible for a department that had established, implemented and maintained…

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered F-35 and F-16 fighter jets deployed to the Middle East, as well as the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner, in response to Iranian activities in the Strait of Hormuz. “In response to a number of recent alarming events in the Strait of Hormuz, the Secretary of Defense has ordered the deployment of the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner, F-35 fighters and F-16 fighters to the US Central Command Area of Responsibility to defend US interests and safeguard freedom of navigation in the region,” Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said Monday. The deployments come after…

Australia’s intelligence agencies are working to defend AUKUS security pact secret technology from being stolen by malicious actors. ASIO boss Mike Burgess has spoken of the need to fiercely protect those secrets so key allies such as the US and UK can trust Australia. “People are already coming after those secrets and looking to interfere with this (AUKUS),” he said in a podcast by the ANU’s National Security College. “For me, the security of that is absolutely important. “Nation states will seek to have a crack at us and pick at it and use our open system of justice against…

Canada’s Supreme Court has upheld an asylum pact between Canada and the United States. The pact – the 2004 Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) – designates the US as a “safe” country for migrants. It requires refugee claimants to request asylum in the first of the two countries they reach. Campaigners have long argued that the STCA should be struck down, saying migrants are at a risk of harm in the US. In a unanimous decision released on Friday, the highest court ruled that the STCA does not violate part of Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which outlines the…