China's defence ministry has launched an investigation into its most senior general, sparking speculation about another purge. General Zhang Youxia was also thought to be a close ally of President Xi Jinping. Eight top generals were expelled from the ruling Communist Party on corruption charges in October last year. The news comes as Sir Keir Starmer prepares to travel to China on a business-building trip this week, in the first visit by a British leader in eight years. | Channel 4 News

Not a Defence Ministry — A Force Multiplier 🛡️🇪🇺 | How the EIB Strengthens Europe’s Security! Europe’s security effort needs coordination, not confusion. Speaking in Brussels, Nadia Calviño explains where the European Investment Bank Group fits into Europe’s defence architecture — alongside the European Defence Agency and NATO. The EIB’s role is financial — and highly specific: long-term financing for large-scale defence infrastructure support for major R&D programmes across Europe nurturing