Amid growing speculation around China’s invasion of Taiwan, the island nation has held its largest ever military exercises. 

Fresh from reporting on live fire drills off the Taiwanese coast, The Telegraph’s Asia correspondent Allegra Mendelson shares the latest on Indo-Pacific tensions with Roland Oliphant.

Also, Roland speaks to Neal Urwitz, close friend of the US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy - Elbridge A. Colby - to discuss the latter’s push to dramatically refocus America’s military might purely on Taiwan.

Read Allegra's dispatch here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/07/14/taiwan-forgotten-front-line-defensive-drills-may-not-matter/

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Read Allegra's dispatch here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/07/14/taiwan-forgotten-front-line-defensive-drills-may-not-matter/

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Donald Trump—never one to shy away from controversy—has done another dramatic U-turn. After flatly refusing to send any more Patriot missiles to Ukraine, he’s now decided to send them anyway. So what’s changed? And why do these missiles matter so much?

Let’s cut through the noise. Are Patriot missiles genuinely game-changers on the battlefield, or are they just a powerful symbol in modern warfare? To get to the truth, we’re speaking to someone who’s actually been there—Air Marshal Edward Stringer. He spent 39 years in the RAF, flew combat missions over Iraq, and went up against anti-aircraft systems himself. If anyone knows what Patriot missiles can really do, it’s him. 

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General Sir Patrick Sanders has a stark warning: Britain must prepare for war with Russia within five years and start building bunkers and better air defences.

Speaking exclusively to our Defence Editor Danielle Sheridan, the former head of the British army points to the Nordic countries and says we need to start taking a leaf out of their book.

He also discusses why an Iron Dome couldn’t work in the UK, his thoughts on the recent Israel-Iran war, and why he didn’t encourage his son to join the army.

General Sanders stood down as head of the British army last summer. The former rifleman had been tipped to be the next Chief of the Defence Staff but fell out of favour with the Government for being too outspoken about the extent of troop cuts.

Our defence editor Danielle interviewed him in his garden at his home in rural Wiltshire, with his blonde Labrador Fargo by his side.

You can read her write-up and see some pretty extraordinary photos of General Sanders here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/07/11/britain-must-prepare-for-war-with-russia-next-five-years/

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US President Donald Trump has called out Vladimir Putin's "bullshit" and appears to be getting ready to back major US sanctions against Russia. Could this be the end of Trump's soft spot for the Russian dictator? 

Venetia chats to veteran army officer and chemical and nuclear weapons expert Hamish de Bretton-Gordon about what might happen next and why we can't trust either Trump or Putin. 

They also discuss Russia's campaign of chemical weapons in Ukraine, the dangers of not supporting Syria's new Islamist government, and the significance of the new French-British nuclear weapons deal. 

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As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets American President Donald Trump to try to hash out a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal, a new Middle East is emerging from the ashes of years of war. Iran's nuclear programme has been bombed, Syria's new leader is re-establishing diplomatic relations with the West, and the Gulf is considering normalising relations with Israel. 

Roland talks to journalist Adrian Blomfield about how people across the region feel about these tectonic shifts and why Israel is emerging as the winner. 

Plus, veteran interviewer Mick Brown reflects on the significance of the Dalai Lama's recent announcement on his reincarnation and why Beijing is furious. 

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Last week, the Pentagon unveiled a jaw-dropping $47.3 billion plan to supercharge its fleet with 19 brand-new battleships. That’s right—nineteen. Up from a paltry five last year. And let’s not kid ourselves: this isn’t just about flexing maritime muscle, it’s a direct message to China—loud and clear.

Enter Commander Tom Sharpe, a man who’s not only been there and done it, but practically wrote the manual. A retired Royal Navy heavyweight who’s commanded four warships and earned an OBE for saving HMS Endurance from a catastrophic flood, Sharpe joins us to tear into what this seismic shift really means.

Are we gearing up for World War Sea? Has the age of battleship brinkmanship returned? Expect sharp analysis, no-nonsense truth bombs, and a few jaw-dropping tales from the frontlines of naval warfare.

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In this bonus episode, something a bit different: a special dispatch from the Swedish island that has become a Nato bulwark against Russian aggression in the Baltic Sea.

Although all troops were removed in 2005, Gotland Island has since been remilitarised and is now home to the Swedish Armed Forces’ newest outfit: the Gotland Regiment.

The troops are charged with protecting this hugely strategic Baltic outpost from Russia - and they are clear-eyed about the threat Moscow once again poses in northern Europe.

Venetia Rainey takes us inside some of Sweden's trademark CV90s, chats to the regiment's commander about the challenges of defending the island, and embeds with elite British paratroopers practicing recapturing the territory from Moscow.

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For several weeks, two Chinese aircraft carrier battle groups have been conducting unprecedented drills in the Western Pacific, sailing further from Beijing than ever before.

What message is China trying to send to the world and what can we learn about its Navy’s capabilities? Venetia chats to RUSI's Philip Shetler‑Jones, who specialises in Indo-Pacific security.

Plus, a rare journey through Gaza with UNICEF's chief spokesman James Elder and a look at an explosive story accusing Israeli soldiers of firing on unarmed Gazan civilians at aid sites they describe as "killing fields".

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This week in Trumpland: Trump bombed Iran on Saturday, declared its nuclear programme "obliterated" by Sunday, shrugged off Iranian missile strikes on Monday, and by Tuesday had single-handedly forced a ceasefire between Iran and Israel—only for it to nearly collapse hours later. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, he turned up at the NATO summit in The Hague and strong-armed allies into a staggering 5% defence spending target, all while barely mentioning Ukraine.

Was this the art of the deal or the brink of disaster? Venetia Rainey speaks to Brussels correspondent Joe Barnes for the inside track on NATO, and we ask KT McFarland, former Deputy National Security Advisor, the question gripping America: are we safer today, or just one bad call away from another endless war?

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The United States has just pulled off one of the most audacious bombing campaigns of the 21st century — attacking Iran’s nuclear sites in a stunning show of military might. The Pentagon is calling it a surgical strike. Donald Trump? He’s calling it a “obliteration.” Either way, it’s one hell of a moment in global history.

But this didn't come out of nowhere. This is part of a full-blown war that started just ten days ago, when Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran. Since then, it’s been chaos. Missiles flying back and forth, and now — the world’s most powerful military dropping bunker-busting bombs with chilling precision. And while Israeli officials are tight-lipped about regime change, Trump certainly isn’t. Last night on Truth Social he posted: “If the current Iranian regime is unable to make Iran great again, why wouldn’t there be regime change?” Then he added “MIGA” — yes, Make Iran Great Again. Subtle, it is not.

To cut through the spin and propaganda, Venetia speaks with Dr Shany Mor a Senior Research Fellow at the Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre, Darya Dolzikova from RUSI and co-host Roland Oliphant.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/06/20/replace-khamenei-leader-of-iran/

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/06/22/trump-stealth-bombers-mission-obliterate-iran-nuclear/

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