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.
United Nations agencies have taken over management of vast detention camps in northeastern Syria housing tens of thousands of people associated with I...
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has told his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian that Türkiye opposes any form of foreign intervention in I...
NATO’s new 5% of GDP defence pledge shows renewed unity and focus on collective security, Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska told AnewZ in...
U.S. Vice President JD Vance is due to visit Minneapolis on Thursday to show support for federal immigration agents, as tensions continue to rise foll...
France has intercepted a Russian oil tanker in the western Mediterranean over suspicions it was operating as part of Moscow’s “shadow fleet,” a ...
In a move reinforcing the "Fortress America" doctrine that has rattled global markets, the United States plans to reduce personnel within critical NATO command centres.
U.S. forces have seized another oil tanker linked to Venezuela in the Caribbean, marking the seventh such detention in recent weeks as Washington intensifies enforcement of sanctions on illicit oil shipments.
Global markets are rattled after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened new tariffs on eight European countries over Greenland, sending the euro to a seven-week low and raising concerns about renewed transatlantic trade tensions.
Fears of the end of the West, to paraphrase Mark Twain, may be premature. But they might not be premature for long.
Qarabağ claimed a late 3–2 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night, scoring deep into stoppage time to secure a dramatic home win in Baku.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Moscow could pay $1 billion from Russian assets frozen abroad to secure permanent membership in President Donald Trump’s proposed ‘Board of Peace’.
“I’m seeking immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the U.S.,” US President Donald Trump told the World Economic Forum. During his Wednesday (21 January) address, he once more cited national security concerns as the reason for wanting to own the Arctic island.
A commuter train collided with a construction crane in southeastern Spain on Thursday (22 January), injuring several passengers, days after a high-speed rail disaster in Andalusia killed at least 43 people.
The world has already entered an era of global water bankruptcy, with irreversible damage to rivers, aquifers, lakes and glaciers pushing billions of people into long-term water insecurity, according to a major United Nations report released on Tuesday.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has told his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian that Türkiye opposes any form of foreign intervention in Iran, as protests and economic pressures continue to fuel tensions in the Islamic republic.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance is due to visit Minneapolis on Thursday to show support for federal immigration agents, as tensions continue to rise following weeks of protests, a fatal shooting involving an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer, and claims that children have been detained.
France has intercepted a Russian oil tanker in the western Mediterranean over suspicions it was operating as part of Moscow’s “shadow fleet,” a network of vessels accused of helping Russia evade international sanctions, French authorities said on Thursday.
The United Kingdom has said it will not yet join U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed Board of Peace, citing concerns over the potential involvement of Russia, the country’s foreign secretary said on Thursday.
NATO’s new 5% of GDP defence pledge shows renewed unity and focus on collective security, Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska told AnewZ in an exclusive interview. It came as U.S. President Donald Trump used his WEF address to again claim credit for pushing allies to lift defence spending.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment