- Madrid's Carvajal to miss several months after serious knee injury
- Two elephants die in flash flooding in northern Thailand
- Sabalenka targets world number one and Wuhan hat-trick
- Tunisia votes with Saied set for re-election
- Bagnaia sets 'example' with Japan MotoGP win to cut gap on Martin
- Intense Israeli bombing rocks Beirut ahead of war anniversary
- Mozambique vote: no suspense but some disillusion
- Austrian rapper channels anti-racist rage in Romani hip-hop songs
- Ohtani magic powers Dodgers over Padres in MLB playoff thriller
- Five of the best: Pakistan-England Test thrillers
- Man sets arm on fire as marches across US mark Gaza war anniversary
- Vietnam's young coffee entrepreneurs brew up a revolution
- Trump rallies at site of failed assassination: 'Never quit'
- Too hot by day, Dubai's floodlit beaches are packed at night
- Is music finally reckoning with #MeToo?
- Fans hail Trump's 'guts' as he returns to site of rally shooting
- Lebanon state media says Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Miami on track for MLS record points after win in Toronto
- Monaco take top spot in Ligue 1 with win at Rennes
- Madrid beat Villarreal to level Liga leaders Barca
- Thuram treble fires Inter past Torino and up to second
- 'Fight': defiant Trump jets in to site of rally shooting
- Mexico City's new mayor sworn in with pledges on water, housing
- Israel on alert ahead of Hamas attack anniversary
- Guardians maul Tigers in MLB playoff series opener
- Macron criticises Israel on Gaza, Lebanon operations
- French rugby player whistled but 'serene' on return amid ongoing rape case
- Retegui hat-trick fires five-star Atalanta to hammering of Genoa
- Heavyweights Australia, England off to World Cup winning starts
- Visiting UN refugee agency chief decries 'terrible crisis' in Lebanon
- Spinners come to party as England defeat Bangladesh at T20 World Cup
- Search continues for missing in deadly Bosnia floods
- Man City sink Fulham to get title bid back on track
- France's Auradou whistled on Pau return in Perpignan loss amid ongoing rape case
- A 'forgotten' valley in storm-hit North Carolina, desperate for help
- Arsenal hit back in style after Southampton scare
- Hezbollah heir apparent Safieddine out of contact after strikes
- Liverpool stay top of Premier League as Arsenal, Man City win
- In dank Tour of Emilia, Pogacar shines in rainbow jersey
- DR Congo launches mpox vaccination drive, hoping to curb outbreak
- Trump returns to site of failed assassination
- Careless Leverkusen held to Bundesliga draw
- O'Brien's 'superstar' Kyprios posts landmark win on Arc weekend
- Liverpool suffer Alisson injury blow
- Habosi helps Racing beat Vannes before Auradou's playing return
- Thousands march in London in support of Palestinians, 1 year after Oct 7
- Israel readying response to Iran missile attack
- Schutt, Mooney help Australia beat Sri Lanka in Women's T20 World Cup
- Liverpool extend Premier League lead with win at Palace
- Djokovic 'shakes rust off' to make third round of Shanghai Masters
Taiwan scraps deal to buy US anti-submarine helicopters
Taiwan has opted out of purchasing anti-submarine helicopters from the United States because they are too expensive, its defence minister said Thursday.
The island was planning to buy up to 12 Seahawk choppers but the deal has been scrapped as Taipei prioritises lower cost, more mobile weaponry to counter any threat from China.
Local media reported earlier this year that the sale could fall through after Washington concluded the helicopters were not the best bet for Taiwan's "asymmetric warfare" needs.
Taiwan has shifted to a "porcupine" strategy that seeks to equip the island to repel an attack from a far larger Chinese military.
On Thursday defence minister Chiu Kuo-cheng confirmed the chopper deal was dead.
"We feel the price is too high and it's above what we can afford," he told lawmakers.
Taiwan's 23 million people live under the constant threat of invasion from China, which views the democratic island as its territory.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has heightened fears that Beijing might one day follow through on threats to annex its smaller neighbour.
Taiwan's defence ministry earlier this week revealed that key deliveries of other weapons from the United States had hit roadblocks.
The Russia-Ukraine war has led to a shortage of Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, while production line issues were delaying a delivery of M109A6 Paladin self-propelled howitzers.
Chiu indicated Taiwan is now looking for suitable replacements.
"We have other alternatives and we definitely will have responsive measures. We will not throw our hands up because (these weapons) are not available. The military will do our job of preparing for combat," Chiu told lawmakers.
Stingers are highly portable shoulder-launched missiles that have been invaluable to Ukrainian forces fighting off Russian air power.
M109A6 Paladins are massive artillery guns on a tank chassis that can be easily moved, making them harder to spot and take out.
Western countries have been sending Ukraine thousands of the surface-to-air missiles and shoulder-mounted launchers, which are effective against helicopters and low-flying planes. Washington has promised 1,400.
Raytheon Technologies, which makes Stingers, said last month it would not be able to accelerate production of the missiles before 2023 due to a lack of parts.
The United States agreed to sell Taiwan 250 Stinger missiles as part of a 2019 deal worth more than $2.2 billion that sparked a protest by China.
Washington has remained a key ally and leading arms supplier to Taipei despite switching diplomatic ties to Beijing in 1979.
L.Torres--PC