China announced its largest defense budget yet Thursday as it presses forward with its goal of becoming the dominant military force in the West Pacific. The draft budget was released by China‘s Ministry of Finance as the Communist Party leadership’s top legislative body, the National People’s Congress, began its annual meeting to approve the country’s priorities for the coming year.
Iranian warplanes were just two minutes away from bombing an American base holding 10,000 troops before Qatari jets struck them down, a new report has claimed. According to sources from CNN , Iran sent two Soviet-era Su-24 tactical bombers toward al-Udeid Air Base on Monday morning, as well as Ras Laffan, a key natural gas processing facility. The al-Udeid base is the largest American base in the Middle East. It ordinarily hosts up to 10,000 soldiers, and is home to the US Central Command, the US Air Force's Central Command and the RAF 's 83rd Expeditionary Air Group. A source told CNN that the Iranian planes were seen 'carrying bombs and guided munitions'. They are said to have been flying at an altitude of just 80ft to avoid radar detection. After the Qataris radioed the planes and received no response, they scrambled an F-15 fighter jet that downed the two planes.