Military spending around the world has increased for the first time since 2011, according to new data by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Total world military spending was $1.7 trillion for 2015, an increase of 1 percent over 2014.
The Asia-Pacific region was largely responsible for the rise, with countries averaging a 5.4 percent increase in military expenditures. Heightening tensions between China and others in the region sparked “substantial” spending increases by Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam, SIPRI reported. The situation also caused Japan to reverse its long-term downward trend in military spending.
Central European nations Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and …read more
Source: Voice of America
