Author: Francisco Marshall

MANILA, Philippines — Adm. John C. Aquilino, Commander U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, conducted bilateral meetings April 29 to discuss multiple initiatives pertaining to the U.S.-Philippines Alliance. Adm. Aquilino met with Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, Senior Undersecretary and Officer in Charge of the Department of National Defense of the Republic of the Philippines Carlito Galvez, Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo, and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Gen. Andres Centino. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to and the centrality of the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty and the U.S.-Philippine Alliance. Leaders from each country expressed…

Geography has long been a strong driver of Australia’s national security and economic planning, the oft-noted tyranny of distance a blessing and curse. And while technology and globalisation have made the world much ‘smaller’, geography seems to matter even more in this time of great power competition. The AUKUS announcement illustrates the seriousness of this challenge. The government’s focus on capabilities is essential but given the reduced warning time heralded by the 2020 Defence Strategic Update (DSU), new thinking on preparedness, resilience and sovereignty is still needed to make Australia ready for a range of contingencies. In recent years, Australian policymakers recognised that strategic…

WASHINGTON (AP) — A dozen senators are making a bipartisan appeal to President Joe Biden to reinvigorate the power of US authorities to seize Iranian oil assets under an enforcement program they say has been allowed to languish. Despite existing sanctions, Iranian oil exports jumped 35% last year and proceeds are being used to sponsor attacks on US citizens and service members as well as allies, the senators said in a letter to the president. Brinkmanship at sea was on display Thursday when masked Iranian navy commandos seized a US-bound oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, one of several…

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — A former U.S. national security adviser called for deeper interaction between his country and Taiwan during a visit Saturday to the self-ruled island, which has seen increasing military threats from China. John Bolton, a potential Republican presidential candidate in 2024, said at a pro-Taiwan independence event in Taipei that national security teams from both sides must develop contingency plans on how to respond to actions Beijing might take, warning it would be too late once an attack occurs. “And we have to tell China and Russia what the consequences are if they take actions against Taiwan. Not just…

Ivy Buzinhani Brustello made weightlifting history on the opening day of the 2023 IWF World Youth Championships in Durres, Albania when she won a world title at the age of 12 years 264 days. Nobody under 13 had ever won a medal in international competition before Ivy’s victory in the women’s 40kg today, according to the OlyFanatics database that has results of 34,000 lifters dating back to 1898. “It was an amazing experience – I wasn’t expecting this,” said Ivy, who was born in Canada after her Brazilian parents moved there. “I train five days a week, two hours a day, and…

The US accusations against ByteDance being linked to China are deemed baseless. REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — TikTok CEO Shou Chew told United States (US) lawmakers there are many misconceptions about the app and banning it will damage the country’s economy. He also plans to tell the allegations about parent company ByteDance and its ties to the Chinese government are baseless. “Let me state this unequivocally that ByteDance is not an agent of China or any other country,” Chew said in written remarks released by the House Energy and Commerce Committee ahead of Thursday’s hearing. US officials recently advised that TikTok could…

According to Helga Zepp-LaRouche, Western establishments “are still completely underestimating the reality that there is a powerful renaissance of the non-aligned spirit occurring right now” NEW YORK, March 23. /TASS/. A German political activist urged the United States and its Western allies to pay heed to rapid changes underway in the international arena following Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s Moscow visit. In an interview with TASS on Wednesday, Helga Zepp-LaRouche, the founder of the US-based Schiller Institute, said that China’s peace proposal “is not only endorsed by Russia, but is supported by the entire Global South.” “The initial reaction of [US]…

Bodycam footage of 29-year-old father Tyre Nichols calling for his mother as he is beaten by police in Memphis has been released. Mr Nichols died in hospital three days after being pulled over for alleged reckless driving. He was pepper sprayed, kicked and punched by five officers who have since lost their jobs and been charged with his murder. Video of the arrest, taken from body cameras and a surveillance camera mounted to a pole, was released in four instalments made public on Friday. The BBC has reviewed the footage, which is graphically violent and full of expletives. This article…

When President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Washington on Wednesday, the US announced that it would finally be sending Patriot missiles to Ukraine, 300 days into the war. However, the Biden administration declined to give Ukraine ATACM long-range missiles due to wariness about escalation risks, and declined to send US tanks because of operational concerns. Yet analysts warn against overstating the differences between Kyiv and Washington. The Patriot air defence weaponry was just one of the Christmas gifts Kyiv wants. “We are grateful for [the US’s] support, but it is not enough,” Zelensky told Ukrainian troops near the frontline at the eastern battleground city Bakhmut on Tuesday. “It is a hint – it is…