Military spending at new high in 2023 amid Ukraine war, China tension

Global military expenditures hit an all-time high at $2.44 trillion in 2023, up 6.8 percent from the previous year, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, crises in the Middle East and China's military buildup, an international security think tank said Monday.The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said total spending rose for the ninth consecutive year, logging the largest amount since comparable data became available in 1988.The top five spending countries were the United States, China, Russia, India and Saudi Arabia, accounting for 61 percent of the global total, while notable i…READ FULL ARTICLE