At least 16 people were killed in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon on Saturday, according to local authorities. The violence, which includes attacks on residential buildings, occurred despite reports of a renewed ceasefire aimed at ending persistent conflict that threatens a new US-Iran agreement.
Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed at least 16 people on Saturday, according to local authorities. The strikes hit residential areas, including one that killed a family of four. This escalation follows renewed fighting between Hezbollah and Israel, threatening a fragile US-Iran interim agreement aimed at de-escalating regional tensions.
Taiwan's first civil defence drone training programme, inspired by Ukraine's use of drones in warfare, aims to equip citizens with skills for surveillance and information sharing in potential conflict scenarios with China. The course, run by Kuma Academy, focuses on manual piloting of Taiwanese-made drones.
A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the Philippines, killing 46 and leaving 38 missing. Officials credit years of disaster-preparedness drills for preventing a higher death toll, noting that timely evacuations and education on earthquake response played a crucial role. The quake also injured 688 and displaced over 45,000, damaging thousands of homes.
Germany plans to inject €10 billion into civil defence by 2029, enhancing preparedness for emergencies and attacks. The investment will upgrade medical infrastructure, vehicles, shelters, and alerting systems, responding to threats from Russia and hybrid warfare.
Former White House adviser Fiona Hill has warned that Britain is becoming a 'soft target' for Russian and state propaganda due to a lack of education on information warfare. Speaking to parliament's joint committee on national security strategy, Hill said the UK was 'extraordinarily vulnerable' to online manipulation feeding into elections, contrasting the UK with Sweden which established a psychological defence agency in 2022 to help people recognise when they are being manipulated. Former Nato secretary general George Robertson said there was urgency to communicate threats to the public but the government had not started.
Taiwan must urgently overhaul its civil defence and rethink its energy strategy to withstand a potential blockade, experts warned at a tabletop exercise, describing existing preparedness as “too romantic” for a real-world crisis. The two-day 2026 Political, Economic, Military and Societal Tabletop Exercise, held at National Chengchi University in Taipei last week, simulated a 2030 scenario in which shifting global alliances and regional conflicts left Taiwan’s energy and social systems acutely...
