Philippines' Marcos says 'not one person died' as police make huge drug bust, in dig at predecessor

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Tuesday police seized the largest haul of methamphetamine in the country in years without anybody being killed, in a subtle criticism of his predecessor’s notoriously deadly crackdown on illegal drugs. ...

The Philippine president says he won't give US access to more local military bases

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippine president said Monday his administration has no plan to give the United States access to more Philippine military bases and stressed that the American military's presence in several camps and sites so far was sparked by China’s aggressive actions in the...

'HELP' sign on beach points rescuers to men stuck nine days on remote Pacific atoll

Three men stranded on an uninhabited Pacific island survived for more than a week and used palm fronds to spell out HELP on the beach – leading to rescue by Navy and Coast Guard aviators who spotted the sign from several thousand feet in the air. They had embarked March 31 in a...

US and Philippines step up strategic partnership as China threats loom in South China Sea

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration on Friday reassured the Philippines anew that the U.S. commitment to the country's defense is steadfast amid increasing concerns about provocative Chinese actions in disputed areas of the South China Sea. A day after President Joe Biden...

Biden says US support for Philippines, Japan defense 'ironclad' amid growing China provocations

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Thursday that U.S. defense commitment to Pacific allies was “ironclad” as he gathered Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the White House in the midst of growing concern about provocative Chinese...

Biden says US support for Philippines mutual defense treaty is 'ironclad,' as he hosts inaugural trilateral with Japan

US Indo-Pacific Commander 'very, very concerned' about Chinese aggression in South China Sea

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The head of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said on Tuesday that he was “very, very concerned” about China’s aggression toward Philippine forces near disputed islands in the South China Sea. The Chinese coast guard has repeatedly clashed with...

The US Army will hold combat training in the Philippines to hone skills as maritime tensions rise

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The U.S. Army is introducing a joint battlefield training in the Philippines to improve combat readiness including by ensuring adequate supply of ammunition and other needs in difficult conditions in tropical jungles and on scattered islands, a U.S. general said. ...

US, Japan, Australia and the Philippines to stage military drills in disputed South China Sea

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The United States, Japan, Australia and the Philippines will hold their first joint naval exercises, including anti-submarine warfare training, in a show of force Sunday in the South China Sea where Beijing’s aggressive actions to assert its territorial claims have...

Japan's Kishida, ahead of US trip, seeks stronger military ties with Washington and other partners

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Friday he wants to strengthen military and weapons development cooperation with the United States as well as with other countries such as the Philippines, as he prepares for a visit to the U.S. next week to meet with President Joe Biden. ...