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Australia to Invest $570m in domestic missiles production

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Australia unveiled a $570 million deal to build missiles domestically Thursday, a bid to beef up military capabilities amid a regional arms race.

Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy announced a deal to develop naval and air-launched Joint Strike Missiles (JSM) at a plant north of Sydney.

The factory will break ground later this year, producing anti-ship cruise missiles and JSMs that can be fitted to state-of-the-art F-35A aircraft.

“This is about investing in our advanced, high-tech manufacturing industry and developing our sovereign defence industrial base,” said Conroy.

A defence official told AFP the factory would begin production in 2027 and would be capable of producing 100 missiles a year.
Both missiles were developed by Norway’s Kongsberg.

Concerns about China’s massive defence spending and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have led many US allies to voice concern about a shortfall in munitions manufacturing capabilities.

Australia is among several Asia-Pacific nations dramatically increasing defence spending.

Asian defence spending reached a record US$510 billion in 2023, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a London-based think tank.

Australia has launched a string of ambitious defence projects, including the development of a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines.

AFP

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International

Five killed as Amazon cargo plane crashes at Miami airport

The flight also hit several vehicles on the ground.

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Video footage from Miami shows an Amazon Air cargo plane overshoot the runway while attempting to land at the city’s international airport, killing five people and seriously injuring five more.

The Boeing 767-300 cargo aircraft crashed just before 14:00 local time (19:00 GMT) after departing from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The flight also hit several vehicles on the ground.

BBC

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Trump sends envoys to Russia, Ukraine with new peace plan

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US President Donald Trump has dispatched special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Moscow and Kyiv this weekend with a new proposal aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war.

Trump announced the mission on Friday, describing Witkoff and Kushner as “two great negotiators” who are carrying “a proposal to end the war.” He said there “may be a good chance” of progress and added that the United States has “an idea for peace,” without confirming whether the plan involves territorial concessions.

According to reports, the envoys were expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday before travelling to Kyiv to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday. A senior Ukrainian official confirmed the Kyiv leg of the trip. Russian state media reported that Witkoff and Kushner arrived in Moscow on Saturday.

The visit marks the first time the two envoys will travel to war-torn Kyiv since Trump returned to office. Previous diplomatic efforts involving the pair had focused more heavily on contacts with Moscow.

Zelensky said Ukrainian forces would refrain from airstrikes on Russia while the envoys were in the country and called on Moscow to reciprocate by pausing attacks on Ukraine. The mission represents Washington’s latest attempt to break the long-running diplomatic stalemate in the conflict that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

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Uber introduces robotaxi services in London after exiting Nigeria

A licensed operator will remain inside the vehicle initially to monitor the journey. Fully driverless operations are expected in the future, subject to regulatory approval.

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Ride-haling company, Uber, in partnership with British Artificial Intelligence company Wayve, has unveiled an autonomous rides in London, marking a new step in the company’s expansion of robotaxi services.

Reuters reported that the move comes few hours after Uber exited Nigeria, where the company had operated its ride-hailing service for over 12 years.

According to Reuters report on Thursday, London is now the second city in Europe where Uber offers autonomous rides, after first it launched it robotaxi service in Zagreb.

At the initial stage, fewer than 20 Wayve-powered Ford Mustang Mach-E vehicles will be available.

Passengers requesting UberX, Uber Comfort or Uber Electric could be matched with one of the autonomous vehicles at no additional cost.

A licensed operator will remain inside the vehicle initially to monitor the journey. Fully driverless operations are expected in the future, subject to regulatory approval.

Uber’s Global Head of Autonomous Mobility, Sarfraz Maredia, said the launch would help build public and government confidence in the technology.

“This will build credibility with consumers as well as with the government,” Maredia said.

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