Drones will define future wars: US Army

IANS | May 16, 2026 6:25 AM

Washington, May 16 (IANS) The US Army has told lawmakers that drones, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems are rapidly reshaping modern warfare, as senior military leaders pointed to lessons from the Ukraine conflict and warned that future battlefields will be dominated by low-cost, scalable unmanned technologies.

Trump reveals broad Xi talks on Taiwan, AI

IANS | May 16, 2026 6:20 AM

Washington, May 16 (IANS) US President Donald Trump said he held extensive discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Taiwan, artificial intelligence, Iran, trade, cyber operations and nuclear arms reduction, describing the talks as “very historic” and signalling a possible easing of tensions between the world’s two largest economies.

Xi opposes Taiwan independence: Trump

IANS | May 16, 2026 12:15 AM

Washington, May 16 (IANS) U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that Chinese President Xi Jinping strongly opposes any move toward Taiwan independence, while also claiming the two leaders reached a “very good understanding” on Iran, trade and artificial intelligence during talks in China.

UAE rejects Iran’s allegations at BRICS meet

IANS | May 15, 2026 11:19 PM

Abu Dhabi, May 15 (IANS) The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday refuted the allegations made by Iran and rejected Iran’s “attempts to justify the Iranian terrorist attacks that targeted the United Arab Emirates”.

China’s Tibet policy under scrutiny over broken 1951 autonomy promise: Report

IANS | May 15, 2026 9:32 PM

Beijing, May 15 (IANS) Tibet’s autonomy was not merely an abstract expectation but a commitment explicitly set out in a signed political document - the Seventeen Point Agreement of May 1951, formally titled the 'Agreement of the Central People’s Government and the Local Government of Tibet on Measures for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet'. The rapid breakdown of those guarantees underpins the contemporary arguments that China violated its own commitments and fundamentally reshaped Tibet’s political and cultural identity through "force rather than consent".

West Asia conflict exposes crack in US-led regional framework: Report

IANS | May 15, 2026 9:22 PM

Washington, May 15 (IANS) The West Asia conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran has destabilised the security architecture in the region with far-reaching and unpredictable consequences. For years, the Gulf countries had depended on the US for their security, hosting American bases on their soil and procuring expensive US weaponry. However, Iranian attacks on these bases during the conflict raised questions over the effectiveness of US air defence systems, which have not delivered the level of protection anticipated, a report has mentioned.