#defense-spending

#defense-spending

WASHINGTON - Congressional defense hawks in the Senate are once again pushing to boost the topline of the defense budget in fiscal 2026, but as lawmakers return to Capitol Hill in September, they will have to face an even more pressing question: Will they be able to pass a full-year spending bill at all? Congress failed at passing FY25 appropriations after talks between Republicans and Democrats broke down, resulting in the approval of a full year continuing resolution in March. The bill marked the first time the Defense Department will have been funded under a CR for an entire year.

Hall warned that Vladimir Putin is completely invested in conquest and will attempt to take as much territory as possible unless there is strong pressure on him.

"This damage, in turn, affects the rate of military innovation and R&D. More importantly, it determines how the Kremlin will wage war in the future."

Australia is making significant financial contributions to the US shipbuilding industry, totaling $1.6bn thus far, as part of the Aukus agreement for future submarine production.

Housing remains far and away the biggest concern in every opinion poll. The Government is under pressure to allocate funds to alleviate the housing crisis, alongside health.

"Since 1945, freedom has never been so threatened, and never so seriously."

A US intelligence assessment indicates that President Trump's bombing campaign in Iran may have delayed its nuclear program temporarily, although doubts linger about long-term effectiveness.

After the Second World War, the United States approved funding - which would eventually rise to more than $12 billion - for the rebuilding of western Europe. Known as the Marshall Plan, it was not merely an act of generosity. It was a calculated effort to rebuild economies, stabilize democracies and contain the spread of extremism. Building resilient societies abroad will similarly make people safer in their own nations today.

The review emphasizes the necessity for active preparation against the direct threat to the UK homeland, highlighting potential wartime scenarios amid rising global tensions.