Denmark has expanded its military draft to include women, making all 18-year-olds eligible for conscription through a gender-neutral lottery. ⁠
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The change, passed by parliament in early June, comes in response to increased security concerns across Europe following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “In the situation the world is in now, it’s needed,” Katrine told the Associated Press. “I think it’s only fair and right that women participate equally with men.” Women had previously only served voluntarily.⁠
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Denmark’s $7 billion Acceleration Fund will help finance the changes, which are part of a broader plan to raise defense spending above 3% of GDP. ⁠
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Neighboring countries have taken similar steps: Norway introduced a gender-neutral draft in 2013, and Sweden followed in 2017. ⁠
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Global military spending rose to $2.72 trillion in 2024, up 9.4% from the previous year and marking the fastest annual increase since the end of the Cold War, according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The war in Ukraine and broader geopolitical tensions drove growth across all regions, with Europe and the Middle East seeing particularly steep increases.⁠
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Russia spent an estimated $149 billion on its military in 2024, a 38% jump from 2023, while Ukraine spent $64.7 billion—34% of its GDP and the highest military burden globally. SIPRI noted, “Ukraine currently allocates all of its tax revenues to its military,” raising concerns about long-term sustainability.⁠
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The United States accounted for 37% of total global military spending, reaching $997 billion in 2024. That figure represented 66% of all NATO defense expenditures. SIPRI reported that over 100 countries increased military budgets in 2024, often cutting other spending areas in the process.⁠
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Norway’s parliament passed new legislation Friday that redefines rape to include any sexual act without explicit consent, eliminating the previous requirement to prove physical force or threats. The legal shift aligns Norway with several other European countries that have revised their rape statutes in recent years.⁠
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The law now permits prosecutors to bring rape charges in cases where there is no evidence of violence but where consent was not communicated verbally or through clear actions. “Anyone who has sex with someone who has not consented to it by word or deed” can now be prosecuted under the new standard.⁠
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Sweden, which adopted a similar measure in 2018, reported a 75% increase in convictions. Denmark, Finland, and Iceland have also enacted consent-based reforms since then, forming a regional pattern of legislative change around sexual assault definitions.⁠
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President Donald Trump’s newly released budget plan calls for a $163 billion cut to nondefense spending while increasing the defense budget to $1.01 trillion. ⁠
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The Department of Homeland Security would receive $175 billion to fund expanded border security. The proposal targets “woke” and “radical left” programs and seeks to eliminate funding for climate initiatives, DEI efforts, and agencies such as the National Endowment for the Arts and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.⁠
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The Department of Education would lose $12 billion, with funding shifted toward charter schools. Health and Human Services would see a $33.3 billion cut, eliminating grants for mental health, substance abuse, and chronic illness prevention. ⁠
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The EPA faces a $5 billion reduction, with climate programs slashed and limited investment in clean water. Several international aid programs, including disaster relief and peacekeeping, would be eliminated or severely cut.⁠
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Despite widespread cuts, the Department of Defense receives a $113.3 billion boost, with pledges to dismantle DEI and climate programs. The VA would gain $5.4 billion for healthcare and records upgrades, while NASA’s budget would drop by $6 billion, with funding redirected to lunar and Mars exploration. ⁠
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The budget also includes increases for rural development, food inspection, and FAA modernization, while scaling back social programs, housing support, and job training initiatives.⁠
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