MANILA, Philippines — Secretary of State Antony Blinken will underscore Washington’s “ironclad commitment” to its alliance with the Philippines on Tuesday, as clashes between Chinese and Filipino forces in the disputed South China Sea turn more hostile, the U.S. State Department said. Blinken, the latest high-level official to visit the U.S. treaty ally, met his … Read more
ABOARD BRP SINDANGAN (AP) — It was a heart-pounding moment far out in the disputed South China Sea: One of at least five Chinese coast guard ships aggressively approached and sideswiped a Philippine patrol vessel, creating a loud, jarring noise that sent its Filipino crew scrambling to lower rubber fenders to cushion the boat’s hull. … Read more
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Chinese and Philippine coast guard vessels collided in the disputed South China Sea, and four Filipino crew members were injured Tuesday in a series of confrontations as Southeast Asian leaders gathered for an Asian summit where alarm over Beijing’s aggression at sea was expected to be raised. The Chinese coast guard … Read more
By Greg Torode and Karen Lema HONG KONG/MANILA (Reuters) – Satellite images of the hotly disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea show a new floating barrier across its entrance, near where Philippine ships and China coast guard vessels have had frequent run-ins. One of the images taken by Maxar Technologies on Feb. 22 … Read more
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised a test of new surface-to-sea missiles and warned that the country would take a more aggressive military posture in disputed seas, the North’s state media said Thursday. The report by the Korean Central News Agency came a day after South Korea’s military detected the … Read more
SHANGHAI (Reuters) -China said on Saturday a small civilian vessel from the Philippines had “illegally placed itself on the beach” of an atoll in the South China Sea that both countries claim. The vessel, which landed on the Spratly Islands atoll on Friday, was there for supply purposes, the China Coast Guard posted on the … Read more
BELGRADE, Serbia — Opponents of Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic rallied outside the Constitutional Court building on Friday to press their demand that last month’s election be annulled and held again over reported widespread irregularities. The Serbia Against Violence group has accused Vucic’s populist government of orchestrating a fraud in the Dec. 17 parliamentary and local … Read more
KINSHASA, Congo — Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi was sworn in Saturday following a disputed December election, promising to unite the Central African country during his second five-year term and to protect lives in the conflict-hit eastern region. “I am taking back the baton of command that you entrusted to me. We want a more united, … Read more
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran summoned Russia’s charge d’affaires after Moscow and Arab countries released a joint statement earlier this week challenging Iran’s claim to disputed islands in the Persian Gulf, state media reported Sunday. Iran’s official IRNA news agency said the Russian envoy was summoned on Saturday and handed a note to deliver … Read more
NEW DELHI — Four Indian soldiers were killed and three others were wounded in an ambush by militants fighting against New Delhi’s rule in disputed Kashmir, officials said on Thursday. The Indian military said militants fired at two army vehicles in southern Poonch district late afternoon on Thursday. The area is close to the highly … Read more