Australia hosts massive military war drills
Australia has launched its largest-ever military exercise, Talisman Sabre, bringing together armed forces from the US, Australia, and other allies for live-fire drills that span large stretches. On July 14, Australia fired missiles from newly acquired, US-made HIMARS systems at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Queensland, signaling a growing strategic partnership between the two nations. Initiated in 2005, Talisman Sabre is a biennial joint exercise that has expanded in both scale and geography. This year, for the first time, operations will also be conducted in Papua New Guinea, marking a shift in Australia’s regional defense posture and highlighting the Indo-Pacific’s growing significance in global military affairs. With tensions simmering in the region, the drills are expected to draw surveillance from Chinese ships, as they have during the last four iterations. “We anticipate Chinese monitoring again this year,” said Defense Industry Minister Pat Conroy. US and Australian officials attended the opening ceremony in Sydney on July 13, reinforcing the exercise’s symbolic weight in today’s geopolitical climate. In fact, these drills reflect a broader evolution in warfare itself. Gaining tactical and strategic advantages has driven armed forces since antiquity—but as modern threats grow more complex, so do the responses. Click through and learn more about the deadly evolution of military tactics.
2025-07-15T08:47:59Z
How Americans died in the 1800s
In the 19th century, diseases that are relatively uncommon today were major causes of death in the United States. Infectious diseases such as cholera, dysentery, and tuberculosis, often referred to as "consumption" in historical records, were rampant and claimed numerous lives. Poor sanitation and limited medical knowledge contributed to the spread of these diseases. Diarrhea, usually resulting from contaminated water or food, was also a significant cause of mortality. These ailments were particularly devastating in crowded urban areas, where living conditions were cramped and unhygienic. In this gallery, we examine the 'Mortality of the United States' 1860 census report, providing intriguing insights into how individuals met their demise during this era. If you are curious, click on and explore the most common ways people died in 1800s America.
2025-04-30T10:43:02Z
Trump backs NATO plan to arm Ukraine via allies
President Donald Trump has voiced support for a plan under which NATO countries would purchase American weapons and transfer them to Ukraine, a plan that could help send urgent aid amid one of Russia’s fiercest offensives since the war began. Rather than having the US directly supply weapons, something Trump has previously criticized, NATO countries would pay for them. “We’re sending weapons to NATO, and NATO is paying for those weapons, 100%,” Trump told NBC News, noting that alliance members would then deliver them to Ukraine. While NATO itself does not buy or supply arms, it coordinates donations from its 32 member countries. The arrangement could allow Trump to claim he’s supporting allies without directly involving the US in the conflict, while still providing Ukraine with urgently needed military support. Defense officials say negotiations over the details are ongoing. The US is hard to beat when it comes to weapons production and development. The world's biggest player in the arms industry, America supplies a number of militaries around the world, but which nations are their biggest clients? In this gallery, we look at the countries that received the most weapons from the US over a period ranging from 2020 to 2024. Click on to get to know them.
2025-06-04T13:04:25Z
Does the BRICS+ group threaten the world order?
In 2009, a summit held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, brought together the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, and China. The outcome of that meeting saw the creation of an intergovernmental organization called "BRICs." More than 15 years later, the BRICS+ group, as it's now referred to, is regarded by some analysts as a threat to the established world order. But what exactly is this organization, how does it function, and just how much of a threat does it pose? Click through this gallery and find out more about the BRICS+ group.
2025-04-29T18:23:52Z