Philippines says U.S. military to upgrade bases, defense deal remains intact
The United States will upgrade and build facilities on Philippine military bases this year, Manila's defense minister said on Thursday, bolstering an alliance strained by President Rodrigo Duterte's opposition to a U.S. troop presence. The Pentagon gave the green light to start the work as ...
Philippine Islamist militants free Korean and Filipino from cargo ship
Islamist militants in the Philippines allied with Islamic State freed on Saturday a South Korean cargo ship captain and a Filipino member of his crew held captive for more than three months on a southern island, an army spokesman said. Park Chulhong, skipper of the ...
Startups using birds of prey, anti-drone guns to take out straying unmanned aerial vehicles
A boom in consumer drone sales has spawned a counter-industry of startups aiming to stop drones flying where they shouldn't, by disabling them or knocking them out of the sky. Dozens of startup firms are developing techniques — from deploying birds of prey to firing ...
Blood and benefits: Duterte imposes his formula on the Philippines
Rodrigo Duterte has kept his word. "Forget the laws on human rights," he declared in May at his final presidential campaign rally in Manila. "If I make it to the presidential palace, I will do just as I did as mayor. You drug pushers, hold-up ...
Afghans angry after qualified female air force pilot applies for asylum in U.S.
There was an angry reaction in Afghanistan to news that the first female fixed-wing pilot in the country's air force is requesting asylum in the United States after completing an 18-month training course. The Defense Ministry in Kabul confirmed Sunday that Capt. Niloofar Rahmani, 25, ...
Sixty years on, Japanese women's group in Britain still a bastion of solidarity, outreach
In the mid-1950s, Britain's relations with Japan were still fragile in the aftermath of the war and Japanese residents of London felt a strong desire to heal the wounds. It was against this backdrop that the then-Japanese ambassador's wife, Fukiko Nishi, set up an organization ...
Myanmar denies Bangladeshi accounts of Muslims trying to flee over border
Myanmar's state media on Saturday denied Bangladesh border guards' accounts of Rohingya Muslims fleeing conflict at home by trying to cross into the northern neighbor. A commanding officer of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) said on Friday his staff provided food and medicines to 82 people, ...
Myanmar to resume humanitarian aid to troubled northern Rakhine: diplomats
Myanmar has agreed to allow aid to resume to the troubled north of Rakhine state and permit international observers to monitor whether help is reaching people displaced by violence, diplomats on a mission to the area told reporters on Thursday. The diplomats, including the ambassadors ...
Russia makes U-turn after evicting Amnesty from Moscow office
Human rights group Amnesty International can return to the Moscow office it was evicted from this week, a Kremlin human rights adviser said on Thursday after discussing the matter with President Vladimir Putin. Amnesty has been a vocal critic of Russia over its bombing campaign ...
Australian police on Thursday arrested a man believed to have fought with Syrian militants and a youth who was stopped at the border allegedly planning to join Islamic State in Syria. The pair were detained in early morning raids in Sydney, underscoring Australia's tough stance ...
Can the ultimate marketing campaign sell peace?
Ex-commander says U.K.'s 'withered' forces could not defend country
Britain's armed forces would be unable to defend the country against a serious military attack because they have been "withered" by cuts, a former senior commander warned before his retirement, the Financial Times reported on Saturday. In a 10-page memo sent to Defence Secretary Michael ...
