Breaking News, Latest Philippines Headlines, World, Entertainment, Politics, Weather & Video News
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States on Tuesday promised to defend the Philippines in the dispute-rife South China Sea as the allies launched their largest-ever joint exercises in the face of Beijing’s growing assertiveness in the region. Nearly 18,000 troops are taking part in the annual exercises dubbed Balikatan, or “shoulder to shoulder” in Filipino, which for the first time will include a live-fire drill in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims […]
MANILA, Philippines (AFP) — The Philippines and the United States launched their largest-ever joint military exercises on Tuesday, as the longstanding allies seek to counter growing Chinese assertiveness in the region. Nearly 18,000 troops are taking part in the annual exercises dubbed Balikatan, or “shoulder to shoulder” in Filipino, which for the first time will include a live-fire drill in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost entirely. The drills follow Monday’s conclusion of […]
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AFP) — Eight Chinese warships were still operating in waters around the island on Tuesday, Taiwan’s defense ministry said, a day after Beijing declared an end to its massive war games. China launched three days of military exercises around self-ruled Taiwan on Saturday that saw it simulate targeted strikes and practice a blockade of the island. The show of force was a response to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen’s meeting with US House Speaker […]
Manila, Philippines | AFP | Monday 4/10/2023 The Philippines will not allow “any offensive actions” from the bases it has opened to US troops, President Ferdinand Marcos said Monday. Manila last week announced the locations of four more military bases it is allowing the US military to use on top of the five agreed on under the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, known as EDCA. The deal allows US troops to rotate through and store […]
Pingtan, China | AFP | Monday 4/10/2023 by Matthew Walsh, with Jack Moore in Matsu, Taiwan China declared it had “successfully completed” three days of war games around Taiwan on Monday, capping a show of force that saw it simulate targeted strikes and practise a blockade of the self-ruled island. Beijing’s exercises were a response to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen’s meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy last week, an encounter it had warned would […]
by Jack MOORE Agence France-Presse TAIPEI, Taiwan (AFP) — Retired lecturer Donald Ho was out for his morning stroll in a busy downtown park Sunday, anxious about what Chinese jets and ships holding war games around Taiwan meant for freedom in the self-ruled island. “I am a little worried, I would be lying to you if I say that I am not,” the 73-year-old told AFP in Taipei. “The problem is sovereignty. I want independence […]
BEIJING, China (AFP) — China is brandishing a wide array of military equipment and weapons as it conducts drills around Taiwan intended to intimidate the self-ruled island. The three-day show of force, which began on Saturday, comes after a visit by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen to the United States sparked China’s ire. Here is a rundown of Beijing’s arsenal: – Aircraft – China has deployed dozens of planes in the airspace around Taiwan over the […]
China warned on Tuesday that Washington was “endangering regional peace” in a new deal with the Philippines that will see four additional bases be used by US troops, including one near the disputed South China Sea and another not far from Taiwan. “Out of self-interest, the US maintains a zero-sum mentality and continues to strengthen its military deployment in the region,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said. “The result will inevitably be increased military tension and […]
by Cecil MORELLA The Philippines announced Monday the location of four additional military bases to be used by US troops, with one site near the hotly disputed South China Sea and another not far from Taiwan. The longtime treaty allies agreed in February to expand cooperation in “strategic areas” of the Philippines as they seek to counter China’s growing assertiveness over self-governed Taiwan and the building of Chinese bases in the South China Sea. The […]
by W.G. Dunlop Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Two US Army helicopters crashed during a nighttime training mission in Kentucky, killing all nine soldiers on board, a general said Thursday. The crash — which involved variants of the Black Hawk designed for medical evacuation — was the deadliest such incident in more than eight years. The aircraft were flying in formation with pilots using night vision goggles during a routine training exercise, and […]
Energodar, Ukraine | AFP | Wednesday 3/29/2023 The chief of the UN atomic watchdog said Wednesday he was working on a security plan for the Moscow-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and warned of increased military activity around it. During a rare visit to Europe’s largest nuclear plant currently controlled by Russian forces, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, said he was working to find a compromise that would suit both Moscow […]
by Ross ADKIN Myanmar’s junta-stacked election commission on Tuesday announced Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party would be dissolved for failing to re-register under a tough new military-drafted electoral law, state media said. The military justified its February 2021 coup with unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud in 2020 elections won by the NLD, ending a 10-year democratic experiment and plunging the country into turmoil. In January, it gave political parties two […]
