U.S. and Philippine forces shot down drones with Stinger missiles during joint military drills in Zambales, aimed at testing readiness amid rising tensions with China over the South China Sea. Over 14,000 troops are participating in the Balikatan exercises, which run until May 9.
The drills are designed to test the readiness of the two defense allies in response to regional security concerns. China has criticized the exercises as provocative.
The drills took place in Zambales, a province in the western Philippines facing the South China Sea, a contentious area between China and Southeast Asian nations. Relations between Beijing and Manila are at a low point, with frequent clashes in the disputed waters raising fears of military conflict.
Chinese media reported maritime operations by the country's coastguard at Sandy Cay, known as Tiexian Reef in China, while the Philippines conducted its own maritime operation, accusing China of illegal activity in the area.
Despite the tensions, the Philippine military stated that this year’s drills were not directed at any specific country, focusing instead on national defense. The exercise included the live-fire testing of the Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS), marking its second test and first deployment to the Philippines.
The Balikatan drills also featured the debut of the U.S. Navy's NMESIS anti-ship missile system, which will be used for security operations in Northern Luzon and near Taiwan.
Afghan and Uzbek business officials have discussed ways to expand trade, ease transit bottlenecks and address customs challenges facing traders, accor...
Armenia is set to receive a support package worth more than €50 million ($58.2 million) from the European Union (EU) after Russia, its largest tradi...
As Armenia heads toward parliamentary elections on 7 June, the country's relationship with Azerbaijan is emerging as one of the defining issues of the...
Twelve people have died following a fire at a care home for elderly residents in Anguruwatota, Sri Lanka, on Thursday. Authorities are investigating t...
Israel's Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, announced plans on Wednesday (4 June) to expand three Jewish settlements in the West Bank by more than 2,...
Russia wants Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to lose the upcoming election due to his increasing engagement with Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said on Wednesday that they had targeted the U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and a U.S. air base in the Persian Gulf with missiles and drones, in retaliation for Tuesday’s air raid on a telecommunications tower on an island in the Strait of Hormuz.
Georgian and American law enforcement agencies have dismantled two criminal groups that charged hundreds of Georgians to build fabricated asylum cases for entry into the United States. The arrests came on the same day Washington signalled it was ready to reset relations with Tbilisi.
More than 1,500 pages of government documents relating to Peter Mandelson's appointment and tenure as UK ambassador to the U.S. have been published, revealing private exchanges with ministers, criticism of Prime Minister Keir Starmer and details of the vetting process that preceded his appointment.
Severe Tropical Storm Jangmi brought heavy rain, power cuts and transport disruption across Japan on Wednesday (3 June) as it tracked towards the greater Tokyo region.
Police officers were pelted with missiles during violent clashes at a protest near the Southampton, UK, home of convicted murderer Vickrum Digwa, as anger continued to grow over the handling of the fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Henry Nowak.
Thousands of people have taken to the streets in Albania in recent days to protest against a luxury tourism project linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, and his wife Ivanka Trump.
An Iranian drone and missile attack struck Kuwait International Airport early Wednesday, injuring several people, damaging Terminal 1 and forcing flight diversions, Kuwaiti authorities said.
Armenia’s parliamentary election comes at a defining moment for the South Caucasus, a region reshaped by the Garabagh conflict and broader shifts in Russia-West relations. The outcome is increasingly seen as a signal of Armenia’s future foreign policy direction and the regional balance of power.
China has criticised planned maritime boundary discussions between Japan and the Philippines, arguing that the waters involved fall within an area where Beijing claims maritime rights and jurisdiction.
U.S. President Donald Trump will attend next month's NATO leaders' summit in Türkiye, ending weeks of uncertainty over whether he would take part in a gathering expected to focus on the future of the alliance.
All 27 European Union (EU) member countries have agreed to begin the first set of talks with Ukraine and Moldova about joining the political and economic bloc.
Germany's foreign minister Johann Wadephul has suggested that Berlin's strong backing of Ukraine and its close ties with Israel may have contributed to its failure to secure a seat on the United Nations Security Council.
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