Headline

Top 10 Largest Arms Importing Countries In The World

Published

5 months ago

March 12, 2025

The global arms trade continues to shape international security, with several countries increasing their defense imports to strengthen their military capabilities.

The demand for advanced weaponry is driven by geopolitical tensions, modernization programs, and regional security concerns.

Below is a list of the top 10 countries with the highest imports of arms in the world, based on recent data courtesy Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

10. Kuwait
Kuwait, a small but strategically positioned Gulf nation, has been steadily increasing its defense spending. The country primarily imports fighter jets, missile defense systems, and armored vehicles to enhance its military readiness amid regional tensions. The United States and European nations remain Kuwait’s primary arms suppliers.

9. United States
While the U.S. is the world’s largest arms exporter, it also imports certain military technologies, particularly advanced components and subsystems. The country relies on imports for specific high-tech defense needs, including missile guidance systems and aircraft parts, sourced from allies such as the United Kingdom, Israel, and Germany.

8. Egypt
Egypt has emerged as a major arms importer due to its strategic location and regional security concerns. It sources fighter jets, naval ships, and missile defense systems primarily from France, Russia, and the United States to counter threats in the Middle East and North Africa.

7. Australia
Australia’s defense procurement has surged as it aims to bolster security in the Indo-Pacific region. The country has acquired advanced submarines, fighter jets, and missile systems from the United States and European allies. Its growing military budget reflects concerns over regional stability and global power shifts.

6. Japan
Japan, despite its pacifist constitution, continues to strengthen its self-defense capabilities amid rising tensions in East Asia. It imports high-end fighter jets, missile defense systems, and naval vessels primarily from the United States to counter threats from China and North Korea.

5. Pakistan
Pakistan remains one of the top arms importers due to its long-standing rivalry with India and internal security challenges. China is its primary supplier, providing advanced fighter jets, drones, and missile systems. Pakistan also procures military equipment from Turkey and Russia.

4. Saudi Arabia
As one of the world’s largest military spenders, Saudi Arabia heavily relies on arms imports to maintain its defense strength. The kingdom sources fighter jets, missile systems, and armored vehicles from the U.S., the UK, and France, largely due to ongoing conflicts in the region and its strategic interests.

3. Qatar
Qatar has dramatically increased its arms imports over the past decade, investing in fighter jets, missile defense systems, and naval assets. The country purchases military equipment from the United States, France, and Italy, focusing on securing its regional influence and national defense.

2. India
India remains one of the world’s largest arms importers due to its military modernization efforts and geopolitical concerns, particularly with China and Pakistan. It acquires fighter jets, submarines, and missile defense systems from Russia, France, the U.S., and Israel.

1. Ukraine
Ukraine has become the largest arms importer following the ongoing conflict with Russia. Western nations, including the United States and European allies, have provided extensive military aid, including advanced missile systems, tanks, and air defense equipment to support its defense efforts.

Headline

US Suspends Work Visas For Nigerian, Foreign Truck Drivers

Published

11 hours ago

August 23, 2025

Editor

The United States government has suspended the issuance of work visas for Nigerian and other foreign truck drivers, citing job security concerns and safety risks for American citizens.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the decision on Thursday, saying it takes immediate effect.

According to him, the rising number of foreign truck drivers on U.S. highways is both threatening lives and reducing opportunities for American truckers.

“Effective immediately, we are pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers.

“The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers,” Rubio said.

The move comes under President Donald Trump’s renewed clampdown on immigration since returning to office in January 2025.

As part of new measures, travellers from countries with high visa overstay rates or weak travel databases will be required to pay a bond of $5,000 to $15,000 before obtaining certain categories of visas.

The U.S. Embassy in Nigeria also directed all visa applicants to disclose their social media handles from the past five years, warning that failure to comply could result in denial of applications and possible ineligibility for future visas.

Headline

Judge Orders Closure Of Trump’s Controversial ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Migrant Camp

Published

24 hours ago

August 22, 2025

Editor

A US federal judge on Thursday barred the Trump administration and Florida state government from bringing any new migrants to the detention centre known as “Alligator Alcatraz” and ordered much of the site to be dismantled, effectively shuttering the facility.

Florida’s government swiftly announced it would appeal the decision.

The detention centre was hastily assembled in just eight days in June with bunk beds, wire cages and large white tents at an abandoned airfield in Florida’s Everglades wetlands, home to a large population of alligators.

President Donald Trump, who has vowed to deport millions of undocumented migrants, visited the centre last month, boasting about the harsh conditions and joking that the reptilian predators will serve as guards.

Headline

Japan City Mulls Two-hour Daily Smartphone Limit

Published

1 day ago

August 22, 2025

Editor

A Japanese city will urge all smartphone users to limit screen time to two hours a day outside work or school under a proposed ordinance that includes no penalties.

The limit, which will be recommended for all residents in central Japan’s Toyoake City, will not be binding, and there will be no penalties incurred for higher usage, according to the draft ordinance.

The proposal aims “to prevent excessive use of devices causing physical and mental health issues… including sleep problems,” Mayor Masafumi Koki said in a statement on Friday.

The draft urges elementary school students to avoid smartphones after 9:00 pm, and junior high students and older are advised not to use them after 10:00 pm.

The move prompted an online backlash, with many calling the plan unrealistic.

“I understand their intention, but the two-hour limit is impossible,” one user wrote on social media platform X.

“In two hours, I cannot even read a book or watch a movie (on my smartphone),” wrote another.

Others said smartphone use should be a decision for families to make for themselves.

The angry response prompted the mayor to clarify that the two-hour limit was not mandatory, emphasising that the guidelines “acknowledge smartphones are useful and indispensable in daily life”.

The ordinance will be considered next week, and if passed, it will come into effect in October.

In 2020, the western Kagawa region issued a first-of-its-kind ordinance calling for children to be limited to an hour a day of gaming during the week, and 90 minutes during school holidays.

It also suggested children aged 12 to 15 should not be allowed to use smartphones later than 9:00 pm, with the limit rising to 10:00 pm for children between 15 and 18.

Japanese youth spend slightly over five hours on average a day online on weekdays, according to a survey published in March by the Children and Families Agency.