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.
U.S. Treasury primary dealers want Congress to scrap the federal debt ceiling, warning in new TBAC minutes that the limit lifts borrowing costs, fuels market turmoil and could weaken the dollar’s reserve-currency standing.
The United States and Mexico have finalized a "historic" agreement to boost water deliveries under the 1944 Water Treaty, aiming to ease critical shortages affecting Texas farmers and communities, the U.S. State Department announced on Monday.
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal Party has won Canada’s federal election, marking a dramatic political turnaround fueled by tensions with U.S. President Donald Trump and his trade war threats.
President Donald Trump is pressuring Apple to move iPhone manufacturing from China to the United States. But supply chain experts say the plan faces massive barriers built over decades.
Russia and the United States have announced significant progress toward resolving the ongoing Ukrainian conflict, with both sides noting the emergence of conditions conducive to initiating negotiations for a lasting peace.
South Africa’s 2024/25 maize harvest is now forecast at 14.66 million tonnes, up 14 % from last season and slightly above March’s estimate, the Crop Estimates Committee said in its latest outlook.
An explosion rocked a residential area in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, northern China, killing at least one person and injuring 21 others, according to state media.
U.S. Treasury primary dealers want Congress to scrap the federal debt ceiling, warning in new TBAC minutes that the limit lifts borrowing costs, fuels market turmoil and could weaken the dollar’s reserve-currency standing.
Russia and North Korea on Wednesday launched construction of a road bridge between the two countries that will span the Tumen river, marking strategic partnership between the two countries, Russia's prime minister said.
Canada’s economy contracted 0.2 % in February, its first monthly decline since November, as slumps in mining, oil and gas extraction, and construction dragged overall output lower, Statistics Canada said.
Russia launched a major missile and drone assault on Kyiv overnight on April 24, killing at least twelve people and injuring 90, including children and a pregnant woman, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
In an expansive interview marking his first 100 days back in office, President Donald Trump sketched out an agenda that touches everything from punitive tariffs and China policy to cease-fire hopes in Ukraine and an overhaul of domestic programmes. Below are the highlights.
A deadly explosion at Iran’s Bandar Abbas port has left at least 40 dead, with more than 1,200 people injured, state media reported on Sunday, halting operations at one of the country’s most vital trade hubs.
For three generations, the Liebigs built railcars in Görlitz. Now, the factory that shaped their lives will produce parts for battle tanks.
North Korea has launched a new 5,000-tonne destroyer as part of Kim Jong Un’s plans to expand the country’s naval power far beyond its coastal waters.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Americans to remain patient following a first-quarter economic contraction, insisting the downturn was not caused by his tariff policies.
China has lifted sanctions on five current and former Members of the European Parliament, signaling a move to ease tensions with the European Union and revive stalled trade negotiations.
Lars Klingbeil, Germany’s incoming finance minister, is set to reshape fiscal policy with a sharp focus on defense spending, marking a shift from austerity as Berlin boosts military investment amid global tensions.
Iran has announced plans to significantly expand its economic relationship with Afghanistan, targeting $10 billion in bilateral trade, as regional powers ramp up efforts to turn Afghanistan into a strategic trade and transit hub.
Germany edged out of recession with 0.2 % growth in the first quarter, but the recovery looked shaky as unemployment climbed to its highest level since the pandemic and looming U.S. tariffs threatened to stall momentum.
South Africa’s 2024/25 maize harvest is now forecast at 14.66 million tonnes, up 14 % from last season and slightly above March’s estimate, the Crop Estimates Committee said in its latest outlook.
An explosion rocked a residential area in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, northern China, killing at least one person and injuring 21 others, according to state media.
U.S. Treasury primary dealers want Congress to scrap the federal debt ceiling, warning in new TBAC minutes that the limit lifts borrowing costs, fuels market turmoil and could weaken the dollar’s reserve-currency standing.
Russia and North Korea on Wednesday launched construction of a road bridge between the two countries that will span the Tumen river, marking strategic partnership between the two countries, Russia's prime minister said.
Canada’s economy contracted 0.2 % in February, its first monthly decline since November, as slumps in mining, oil and gas extraction, and construction dragged overall output lower, Statistics Canada said.
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