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FRIDAY | MAR 27, 2026

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US arms purchase on track: Taiwan

UK authorises military to board shadow fleet

TAIPEI: Taiwan Defence Minister Wellington Koo yesterday said the next arms sale package from the United States is on track after the government received a letter of guarantee from Washington, even as the US and Chinese leaders prepare to meet in May. A major US arms package for Taiwan worth about US$14 billion that includes advanced interceptor missiles is ready for US President Donald Trump’s approval and could be signed after his upcoming trip to China, Reuters reported this month, citing sources briefed on the discussion. However, Trump has postponed that trip, originally scheduled for early April, due to the Middle East war, and is now due in Beijing on May 14 to May 15. Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, is sure to be a topic, especially after Chinese President Xi Jinping told Trump in a call last month that the US must “carefully” handle arms sales to the democratically-governed island. When asked by reporters at Taiwan’s parliament whether the Trump-Xi meeting would impact US arms sales, Koo said the government had already received a letter of guarantee indicating the US is willing to authorise the next deal. “We have also been in close communication with the US Department of War’s Defence Security Cooperation Agency regarding its willingness to provide and sell this to us, including guidance concerning the items, amount and the transaction,“ he added, without offering details. He added that the package is still undergoing an internal US review and Taiwan has not received any notification about delays. The US State Department, which generally handles queries about government policy towards Taiwan, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. China has repeatedly demanded Washington end arms sales to Taipei, the last of which in December was worth US$11 billion, the largest ever for Taiwan. Taiwan’s opposition-dominated parliament is continuing to debate President Lai Ching-te’s US$40 billion in extra defence spending, although it has authorised the government to sign US agreements for four arms sales packages worth about US$9 billion before the budget is passed. Koo said the government was talking to the US about possibly deferring payment or reducing the initial payment, given he could not predict when parliament may approve the funds. – Reuters

LONDON: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday said he has given the military permission to board and detain Russian ships his government alleges are part of a network of vessels that enables Moscow to export oil despite Western sanctions. The decision comes as other European nations have stepped up efforts to disrupt Russia’s so-called shadow fleet of tankers used by Moscow to fund its four-year war against Ukraine. Starmer said he approved more aggressive action against the vessels because Russian President Vladimir Putin was likely “rubbing his hands” at the sharp rise in oil prices driven by the U.S.-Israel war against Iran. “That’s why we’re going after his shadow fleet even harder, not just

o Move comes as European nations step up efforts to disrupt Russian oil network

Germany, Australia deepen defence ties SYDNEY: Australia and Germany yesterday agreed to simplify hosting each other’s troops and cooperate on space defence during a visit by German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius to Canberra. Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said the two countries would sign a status of forces agreement making it “much easier for our defence forces to operate from each other’s countries”. Australia will join Germany’s plan to build an “early warning system for space”, which Pistorius said is a response to Russia and China’s growing capability to blind and destroy satellites. He added that Germany intends to deploy an “independent global network of surveillance sensors” to defend its systems. Australia will also add missiles from German company TDW to its expanding domestic manufacture of guided weapons, designed to hedge against shortages in the Indo-Pacific as the Ukraine and Middle East conflicts strain global supply. Pistorius has emphasised shared interests among countries in Europe and the Indo-Pacific to “uphold international rules” and protect trade routes, energy supplies and security, while visiting Japan, Singapore and Australia this week. “Security in Europe and security in the Indo-Pacific are two sides of the same coin.“ He also said the US and Israel’s war with Iran is an example of how international rules have come into question, adding the immediate focus must be how to end the war. “We don’t want to get sucked into that war.” – AFP energy markets roiled by the war in Iran. Starmer made the announcement before he attended the Joint Expeditionary Force Summit in Helsinki yesterday. Britain has placed sanctions on 544 Russian shadow fleet vessels that occasionally travel through the Channel, the water that separates Britain and France. About three-quarters of Russia’s crude oil is transported by these ships, Britain estimates. The shadow fleet vessels typically have opaque ownership structures and have raised concern about environmental risks, with poorly regulated and ageing tankers prone to spills, mechanical failures and leaks, threatening marine ecosystems. – Reuters

sanctions legislation. Russia’s reliance on the shadow fleet has allowed it to keep exporting oil without complying with Western restrictions imposed after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. European efforts to keep up pressure on Russia were undermined this month when US President Donald Trump’s administration gave countries a 30-day waiver to buy sanctioned Russian products currently stranded at sea to stabilise global

keeping Britain safe but starving Putin’s war machine of the dirty profits that fund his barbaric campaign in Ukraine.“ Downing Street said British military and law enforcement officials have been preparing to board Russian vessels that do not surrender, are armed, or use high-tech pervasive surveillance to evade capture. It added that once the ships are boarded, criminal proceedings may be brought against the owners, operators and crew for breaches of

Trump said Figure 03 is the first American-made humanoid guest at the White House. – R EUTE R S PIC

Robot attends White House event WASHINGTON: A humanoid robot walked down a red-carpeted White House hallway on Wednesday, accompanying United States First Lady Melania Trump into an event where she urged greater use of artificial intelligence (AI) in education. technology-focused “Fostering the Future Together” summit. “I am grateful to be part of this historic movement to empower children with technology and education,“ the robot said, greeting guests in 11 languages.

together to use AI for student instruction. “Very soon AI will move from our mobile phones to humanoids that deliver utility,“ she said. Trump also described how in the near future a hypothetical humanoid teacher could access classical studies, mathematics and other subjects to deliver personalised education to students based on their learning speed and “emotional state”. – Reuters

Trump said Figure 03 was the first American-made humanoid guest at the White House, and used its appearance to promote the need for governments and major technology companies to work

The human-shaped robot, which introduced itself as “Figure 03,“ joined Trump in the East Room to welcome dozens of first spouses from around the world to the

Meta, YouTube found liable in social media addiction trial LOS ANGELES: A Los Angeles jury on Wednesday found Meta and YouTube liable for harming a young woman because of an addictive design of their social media platforms, ordering the companies to pay US$6 million in damages, including US$3 million in punitive damages. The verdict hands plaintiffs in more than a thousand similar pending cases significant leverage, and signals to the broader tech industry that juries are prepared to hold social media companies accountable for the mental health toll of their design choices. The jury answered yes to all seven questions on verdict forms for both companies, finding that Meta and YouTube were negligent in the design and operation of their platforms, and that their negligence was a substantial factor in causing harm to the plaintiff. Jurors also found that both companies knew or should have known their services posed a danger

to minors, that they failed to adequately warn users of that danger, and that a reasonable platform operator would have done so. The panel awarded $3 million in compensatory damages, assigning Meta 70% of the responsibility for the plaintiff’s harm( US$2.1 million) and YouTube 30% (US$900,000.) – AFP