Defence and National Security

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has delivered the warning at a major gathering of foreign ministers and top officials from Indian Ocean states such as South Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Africa.

In a high-profile speech laying out Australia's Indian Ocean strategy, the foreign minister warned against political interference and economic coercion, urging China to be more transparent about its military build-up.

A locally designed combat drone will receive a significant funding boost as the Australian Defence Force works to catch up with rapid advances in lethal unmanned technology across the world.

Companies like Boeing, Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin will purchase new military helicopters to bolster service-ready aircraft stocks in the wake of the Taipan fleet grounding.

Andrei Medvedev, who fought in Ukraine as part of the Wagner mercenary group, fled to Norway across its Arctic border with Russia in January 2023.

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis say they have fired missiles at two more vessels in the Red Sea, causing damage to the ships.

Army veterans and engineers who once worked on Australia's now grounded fleet of Taipan helicopters are volunteering to rebuild the aircraft so they can be sent to Ukraine rather than be buried in an expensive disposal process.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says his country and its allies will not hesitate to defend the flow of free commerce through the Red Sea, where the Houthis have been targeting vessels. 

The Pentagon have confirmed US retaliatory strikes have begun in Syria and Iraq, with more than 85 targets struck.

The US military says the US carried out retaliatory air strikes in Iraq and Syria against more than 85 targets linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard and the militias they back.

Fears of regional escalation are growing as the Israel-Gaza war drags on, with data showing political violence has increased across the Middle East. These are the four main hotspots.

A Chinese embassy official confronts Australia's new cyber ambassador after he told a gathering of diplomats in Canberra that Beijing was responsible for a series of devastating online attacks against this country.

The young couple were captured separately by Russians early in war when they were both defending Mariupol.

Approvals to export Australian made military equipment to Israel are being "stalled" by the Albanese government as concerns grow over the rising number of civilian casualties in Gaza.

The Coalition is trying to ramp up pressure on the federal government over new police cooperation negotiations between China and Papua New Guinea, saying it's "essential" that Australia's strategic position in the Pacific nation isn't undermined.

Israel's army identified the main target of the hospital raid as a member of the Islamist militant movement, with the other two being from a local group of gunmen.

The world is waiting to see what the US will do next after vowing to respond to an Iran-backed drone attack that killed three American troops and injured dozens more in Jordan.

Ukraine relied on a huge influx of volunteers from Ukraine and abroad in the first year of the war but now it's facing an array of challenges, writes Mick Ryan. 

Former defence force chief Angus Houston reveals how Tony Abbott considered sending a "large military deployment" to Ukraine after Russia-backed separatists shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, killing 298 people including 38 Australian citizens and residents.

Dan Oakes, ABC weather presenter Jenny Woodward and former ABC cinematographer David Parer are being celebrated in Australia Day honours 2024.

Ukraine has neither confirmed nor denied Russia's accusation that it deliberately shot down a plane carrying 65 prisoners of war. Here's what we know.

Turkish legislators endorse Sweden's membership in NATO, lifting a major hurdle on the previously non-aligned country's entry into the military alliance.

Russian missiles target Ukraine's two biggest cities, damaging apartment buildings and killing at least five people.

Israel's prime minister criticises a Hamas proposal to end the war in Gaza that would have involved the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners and left the militant group in power. 

The grim milestone came as the UN secretary-general condemned Israeli forces for the extent of civilian deaths, and Israel's cabinet approved a plan for tax funds earmarked for the Gaza Strip to be held by Norway.