CANBERRA: The United Kingdom and Australia inked a new defense agreement in Canberra on Thursday, paving the way for the two longtime allies to host troops and share military intelligence.
The deal includes a “status of forces agreement,” according to ministers from both countries, making it easier for each country’s soldiers to deploy and operate in the other.
UK Defense Minister Grant Shapps signed the agreement with his Australian counterpart Richard Marles during a ceremony in parliament in Canberra.
“As the world becomes more complex and uncertain, we must modernize our most important partnerships,” Marles told reporters after the signing.
“The agreements we reached today will secure this outcome into the future.”
The agreement stops short of a full mutual defense pact, which would bind one side to intervene if the other was attacked or under threat.
Instead, both sides said they had a “commitment to consult” with each other if threats arose.
A status of forces agreement, common between NATO allies, outlines the rules for foreign military personnel based in a host country.
Australia already has a longstanding status of forces agreement with the United States.
Alongside the United States, Australia and the UK are members of the fledgling AUKUS defense alliance — a landmark pact aimed at curbing Chinese military expansion in the Asia-Pacific.
A major pillar of the AUKUS pact is a promise to help Australia build and acquire a fleet of potent nuclear-powered submarines, one of its biggest-ever military upgrades.
Thursday’s agreement would make it easier, for example, for Australian sailors to train on the UK’s nuclear subs, or for British crews to be based in Australia.
Governments in London and Washington have been racing to lay the foundations for the AUKUS deal as they face the prospect of potential political changes.
UK and Australia sign new defense agreement
https://arab.news/65gz7
UK and Australia sign new defense agreement
- A major pillar of the AUKUS pact is a promise to help Australia build and acquire a fleet of potent nuclear-powered submarines, one of its biggest-ever military upgrades
Two high-speed trains derail in Spain, broadcaster reports five people killed
- The accident happened near Adamuz, which is near Cordoba
MADRID: Two high-speed trains derailed on Sunday in southern Spain, the rail network operator said, and state-run television channel RTVE said five people had died, citing police sources.
The accident happened near Adamuz, which is near Cordoba. An unknown number of passengers have been injured, RTVE said, citing Civil Guard sources.
“The Iryo 6189 Málaga — (to Madrid) train has derailed from the track at Adamuz, crashing onto the adjacent track. The (Madrid) to Huelva train which was traveling on the adjacent track has also derailed,” Adif, which runs the rail network, said in a social media post.
Adif said the accident happened about ten minutes after the Iryo train left Malaga heading toward Madrid at 6:40 p.m. (1740 GMT).
Iryo is an Italian-run private rail operator. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Adif has suspended all rail services between Madrid and Andalusia.
Andalusia emergency services said on social media that all rail traffic had been halted and emergency services were on their way, including at least nine ambulances and emergency support vehicles.
Salvador Jimenez, a journalist for RTVE who was on board the train from Cordoba to Madrid, shared images showing the rear carriage of the train lying on its side, with evacuated passengers sitting on the side of the carriage.
