Soldiers from the Philippine Army and the U.S. Army began three weeks of joint military drills on Monday, focused on territorial defense and large-scale force deployments, the Philippine Army announced.
The exercises, part of this year’s Exercise Salaknib, involve around 5,000 soldiers from both nations. The first phase of the drills will concentrate on warfighting and the exchange of military expertise, with a second phase set for later in the year.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to travel to Manila this week to meet with Philippine officials and military leaders, the Pentagon confirmed.
The joint exercises will enhance combined operations, live-fire exercises, large-scale maneuvers, and territorial defense, according to the Philippine Army. The Salaknib exercises, which began in 2016, are part of the broader Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) training series between the two treaty allies.
Security ties between the U.S. and the Philippines have strengthened under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has pivoted closer to the United States. Marcos has prioritized defending the Philippines’ sovereign rights in the South China Sea, where tensions with China have been escalating over Beijing's actions in the disputed region.
Hegseth’s visit is the first by a U.S. Cabinet official since President Donald Trump took office in January. The Philippines also secured an exemption from the 90-day funding freeze imposed by Trump earlier this year, allowing it to receive $336 million for the modernization of its security forces.
The Trump administration is considering a major offer to Iran, including up to $30 billion in investments to support a civilian nuclear energy programme, easing some sanctions, and providing access to frozen Iranian funds.
A key unit at Iran’s South Pars gas field, damaged during Israel’s first strike on the country’s energy infrastructure, has resumed operations just 10 days after the attack.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Congress to shut down the Voice of America, accusing the taxpayer-funded broadcaster of promoting radical leftist views and calling it a "total, leftwing disaster."
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that any future U.S. attack would trigger strikes on American bases in the region, marking his first public remarks since the Iran-Israel ceasefire.
U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial be cancelled, calling the case a “witch hunt” and suggesting Netanyahu should be pardoned.
The Trump administration is considering a major offer to Iran, including up to $30 billion in investments to support a civilian nuclear energy programme, easing some sanctions, and providing access to frozen Iranian funds.
A belt of volcanic rock in northeastern Quebec has been dated to 4.16 billion years ago, making it the oldest known rock on Earth and offering rare insight into the planet’s mysterious infancy.
Russia and Ukraine have carried out a new prisoner exchange, officials from both countries confirmed on Thursday, following talks earlier this month in Türkiye.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel’s recent victory in its conflict with Iran opens a path to expanded peace deals, including the possible addition of Saudi Arabia and Syria to the Abraham Accords.
Iran launched 18 ballistic missiles late Sunday targeting the U.S. military’s Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest American installation in the Middle East.
Iranian missiles struck multiple locations across Israel and neighbouring regions early Friday morning, including a Microsoft office complex, according to emergency responders and local media reports.
A high-speed tram derailment in central Gothenburg, Sweden, has left at least eight people injured late on Thursday (19 June), after the vehicle slammed into a snack bar on Avenyn Avenue.
Wizz Air has suspended all flights to and from Tel Aviv, Israel, and its European services to Amman, Jordan, effective immediately until 15 September due to escalating situation in the Middle East. Also, the air carrier temporarily suspended its flights between Astana, Kazakhstan, and Abu Dhabi.
China has unveiled a mosquito-sized bionic drone designed for covert military operations and battlefield reconnaissance, marking a major advance in micro-robotics and stealth technology as part of the country’s growing focus on next-generation warfare capabilities.
The White House has indicated that President Donald Trump may push back looming tariff deadlines, signalling flexibility in his approach to ongoing trade talks.
China has started granting export licences for rare earth elements and magnets to companies in the European Union, according to a report by the South China Morning Post, citing EU officials.
Senior Iranian diplomat Abbas Araghchi has denied that Tehran has agreed to resume nuclear negotiations with the United States, pushing back against recent claims by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Trump administration is considering a major offer to Iran, including up to $30 billion in investments to support a civilian nuclear energy programme, easing some sanctions, and providing access to frozen Iranian funds.
Russia and Ukraine have carried out a new prisoner exchange, officials from both countries confirmed on Thursday, following talks earlier this month in Türkiye.
The Trump administration is considering a major offer to Iran, including up to $30 billion in investments to support a civilian nuclear energy programme, easing some sanctions, and providing access to frozen Iranian funds.
A belt of volcanic rock in northeastern Quebec has been dated to 4.16 billion years ago, making it the oldest known rock on Earth and offering rare insight into the planet’s mysterious infancy.
Russia and Ukraine have carried out a new prisoner exchange, officials from both countries confirmed on Thursday, following talks earlier this month in Türkiye.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel’s recent victory in its conflict with Iran opens a path to expanded peace deals, including the possible addition of Saudi Arabia and Syria to the Abraham Accords.
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