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☆ Magnitude 6.4 earthquake in Philippine Islands region
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Dec 3 (Reuters) - A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck the Philippine Islands region on Sunday, the German Research Centre for Geosciences said. The quake was 10 km below the Earth's surface, GFZ said. Reporting by Surbhi Misra in Bengaluru Editing by David GoodmanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: GFZ, Surbhi Misra, David Goodman Organizations: German Research Centre, Geosciences, Thomson Locations: Philippine, Bengaluru

☆ Earthquake of 7.5 strikes Philippines, tsunami expected in Philippines and Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 2 (Reuters) - An earthquake of at least magnitude 7.5 struck Mindanao in the southern Philippines late on Saturday, triggering evacuation orders for some areas and southwestern Japanese coasts because of warnings of tsunami waves of a metre (3 feet) or more. The Philippine Seismology Agency Phivolcs said the waves could hit the Philippines by midnight (1600 GMT) and continue for hours. The U.S. Tsunami Warning System said there could be waves of up to 3 metres above the tide level along some Philippine coasts. The Japanese broadcaster NHK said tsunami waves of up to a metre were expected to reach Japan's southwestern coast around 30 minutes later - by 1:30 a.m. on Sunday (1630 GMT on Saturday). The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said a quake of magnitude 7.5 had struck at a depth of 63 km (39 miles).

Persons: Agency Phivolcs, Phivolcs, Mrinmay Dey, Mikhail Flores, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Kevin Liffey, Diane Craft, Alison Williams Organizations: Agency, U.S ., NHK, Seismological, U.S . Geographic Survey, Thomson Locations: Mindanao, Philippines, Philippine, U.S, Surigao Del Sur, Davao Oriental, Japanese, Hinatuan, Earthquakes, Bengaluru, Manila, Tokyo

☆ Three Dead in Blast During Mass in Philippine University Gym - Police
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Dec. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA (Reuters) -Three people were killed and nine wounded when an explosion ripped through a Catholic Mass in a university gymnasium in the southern Philippines on Sunday, police said. The authorities are investigating the explosion at Mindanao State University, the regional police director, Brigadier General Allan Nobleza, told reporters, adding that one angle being pursued was possible revenge by pro-Islamic State militants. The blast occurred Marawi, a city besieged by Islamist militants in for five months in 2017. "I condemn the violent bombing incident that transpired this morning," Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr said in a statement. Mindanao State University is "deeply saddened and appalled by the act of violence that occurred during a religious gathering," it said in a statement on Facebook.

Persons: General Allan Nobleza, Mamintal Adiong Jr, Neil Jerome Morales, Karen Lema, William Mallard Organizations: Sunday, Mindanao State University, Islamic, Facebook Locations: MANILA, Philippines, Philippine, Maguindanao del Sur province, Lanao del Sur, Mindanao

☆ Mindanao blast: Three people killed as explosion hits Sunday mass service in Philippine university gym
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Heather Chen | Alex | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —At least three people were killed and nine injured by an explosion at a Sunday mass service being held in a university gymnasium in the Philippines, according to a regional official. The blast took place in Marawi on the southern island of Mindanao on Sunday morning, according to CNN affiliate CNN Philippines. Governor of the Lanao del Sur province, Mamintal Adiong Jr., condemned what he called a “violent bombing incident” on a gymnasium at the Mindanao State University during a Sunday mass congregation. Mindanao, a province in the far south of the Philippines, sits at the borders of Malaysia and Indonesia and is home to several Islamist insurgent groups including Abu Sayyaf. The island, the second largest in the Philippines, has long been a hotbed of insurgency against the Philippine government.

Persons: Mamintal Adiong, Abu Sayyaf Organizations: CNN, CNN Philippines, Mindanao State University, ISIS Locations: Philippines, Marawi, Mindanao, Lanao del Sur province, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippine

☆ Philippines, France to Level-Up Defence Ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Dec. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

By Mikhail FloresMANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines and France agreed to level-up defence cooperation between the two countries, Philippine defence minister Gilberto Teodoro said on Saturday. Teodoro met his French counterpart Sebastien Lecornu in Manila where he said they are working to get authority from their leaders to begin negotiations for a status of forces agreement. "We intend to take concrete steps to leveling up and making more comprehensive our defense cooperation," Teodoro said in a joint briefingLecornu's Manila visit is the first leg of his trip across the Indo-Pacific which includes stops in Malaysia and the French overseas territory of New Caledonia. France considers itself an Indo-Pacific power, with over 7,000 troops stationed in overseas territories in the Pacific and Indian Ocean. (Reporting by Mikhail Flores; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Edwina Gibbs)

Persons: Mikhail Flores MANILA, Gilberto Teodoro, Teodoro, Sebastien Lecornu, Mikhail Flores, Lincoln, Edwina Gibbs Locations: Philippines, France, Manila, Malaysia, New Caledonia, Pacific, Indian

☆ Philippines, France to level-up defence ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Mikhail Flores | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA, Dec 2 (Reuters) - The Philippines and France agreed to level-up defence cooperation between the two countries, Philippine defence minister Gilberto Teodoro said on Saturday. Teodoro met his French counterpart Sebastien Lecornu in Manila where he said they are working to get authority from their leaders to begin negotiations for a status of forces agreement. "We intend to take concrete steps to leveling up and making more comprehensive our defense cooperation," Teodoro said in a joint briefingLecornu's Manila visit is the first leg of his trip across the Indo-Pacific which includes stops in Malaysia and the French overseas territory of New Caledonia. France considers itself an Indo-Pacific power, with over 7,000 troops stationed in overseas territories in the Pacific and Indian Ocean. Reporting by Mikhail Flores; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Edwina GibbsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Gilberto Teodoro, Teodoro, Sebastien Lecornu, Mikhail Flores, Lincoln, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Thomson Locations: MANILA, Philippines, France, Manila, Malaysia, New Caledonia, Pacific, Indian

☆ Strong Quake in Philippines Triggers Tsunami Warnings and Evacuations
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Dec. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

Evacuations were continuing in the Philippines, where there were no initial reports of significant wave damage or casualties despite continuing aftershocks. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Phivolcs, maintained that the risk of a tsunami remained. However, the two provinces are largely rural and not densely populated, unlike other parts of the Philippines. The EMSC said the quake of magnitude 7.5 had struck at a depth of 63 km (39 miles), while the U.S. Geographic Survey put the quake at magnitude 7.6 and a depth of 32 km (20 miles), and said it had struck at 10:37 p.m. (1437 GMT).

Persons: Mikhail Flores MANILA, Phivolcs, Raymark Gentallan, James Soria, Cosme Calejesan, EMSC, Mrinmay Dey, Mikhail Flores, Karen Lema, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Kevin Liffey, Alison Williams, David Holmes, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: U.S ., Philippine Institute of, Japan Meteorological Agency, Seismological, Reuters, Earthquakes, U.S . Geographic Survey Locations: Philippines, Mindanao, Japan, U.S, Tokyo, Surigao Del Sur, Davao Oriental, Hinatuan, Surigao City, Bengaluru, Manila

☆ Explosion at a Catholic Mass in the Philippines Kills at Least 4 and Injures Dozens
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Jason Gutierrez | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

At least four people were killed and around 50 others injured Sunday in an explosion at a Roman Catholic Mass inside a university gymnasium in the southern Philippine city of Marawi, the military and police said, adding that they suspected the involvement of the Islamic State affiliate in the Philippines. The blast, thought to be caused by a grenade or a homemade bomb, ripped through a gymnasium at Mindanao State University. The university, in Lanao del Sur province, had been at the center of fighting in 2017 that displaced more than 100,000 people, after local and foreign Islamic State militants laid siege to Marawi. At least 1,200 militants, government forces and civilians were killed during those battles, which lasted for five months. In a statement, Lanao del Sur province’s top official, Gov.

Persons: Mamintal Adiong Organizations: Islamic State, Mindanao State University, Islamic, Gov Locations: Philippine, Marawi, Philippines, Lanao del Sur province, Lanao del Sur

☆ World's 'saddest' elephant dies after more than 40 years alone in a concrete pen at Manila Zoo
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The "world's saddest elephant" has died in the Philippines after spending her life in captivity. Mali arrived at the zoo in 1981 as a gift from the Sri Lankan government to Imelda Marcos. AdvertisementMali, a beloved elephant at Manila Zoo in the Philippines, has died after spending over four decades alone in a dilapidated pen. For over 40 years, she lived as the sole elephant in the zoo. A PETA Asia statement said Mali died in her "barren concrete pen," denied expert treatment by a vet, because of "indifference and greed," per CBS News.

Persons: Sir Paul McCartney, Imelda Marcos, —, Critics, Pamela Anderson, Benigno Aquino III, Lady Imelda Marcos, Lacuna Organizations: Sri, Service, Manila Zoo, PETA, CBS, BBC Locations: Philippines, Mali, Manila, PETA Asia, Thailand, Philippine

From the remote speck of land they call home, the residents of Thitu Island have watched China’s presence creep closer, and grow more assertive, over the past decade. Boats belonging to China’s fishing militia regularly swarm the waters near Thitu, which lies in the South China Sea and is controlled by the Philippines. On pitch-dark nights, the Filipino islanders can see lights flicker on the horizon, emanating from a Chinese military base that didn’t exist 10 years ago.

Locations: Thitu, South, Philippines

☆ A US Navy warship held together with coconut logs after a Japanese torpedo strike once sailed hundreds of miles in reverse to reach safe harbor
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Over 80 years ago, a US warship was badly damaged by a Japanese torpedo during the Battle of Tassafaronga. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. The torpedo wrecked the New Orleans' forward magazines and gas tanks and damaged its hull, but the ship didn't fully sink. With limited resources or friendly ports out near Tassafaronga Point on Guadalcanal, the New Orleans crew had to improvise. The New Orleans arrived in Sydney on December 24 and later received a new bow, among other repairs.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, US Navy, US Naval Institute, — U.S . Naval Institute, Imperial Japanese Navy, Naval, Heritage Command, Navy, New Orleans, The, New Locations: Tassafaronga, New Orleans, Sydney, Australia, —, Sound, Orleans, Guadalcanal, The New Orleans, Coral, Midway, Philippine, Japan

☆ Philippines builds new coast guard station on island in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An aerial view shows the Philippine-occupied Thitu Island, locally known as Pag-asa, in the contested Spratly Islands, South China Sea, March 9, 2023. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMANILA, Dec 1 (Reuters) - The Philippines has built a new coast guard station on the contested island of Thitu in the South China Sea, boosting its ability to monitor movements of Chinese vessels and aircraft in the busy disputed waterway. Inaugurated on Friday, the new three-storey facility is equipped with state-of-the art technology such as radar, automatic identification, satellite communication, and coastal cameras, the Philippine coast guard said in a statement. Manila's outpost of Thitu is its biggest and most strategically important in the South China Sea, largely claimed by Beijing, despite conflicting territorial claims by several regional nations. Besides the Philippines, Brunei, China, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam have competing claims of sovereignty in the South China Sea, a conduit for goods in excess of $3 trillion every year.

Persons: Eloisa Lopez, Eduardo Ano, Thitu, Karen Lema, Mikhail Flores, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, People's Liberation Army, PLA ) Navy, Philippine, Thomson Locations: Philippine, Thitu, Pag, Spratly Islands, South China, Rights MANILA, Philippines, Manila, Spratly, Beijing, Palawan, Brunei, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam

☆ China's Xi tells coast guard to enforce maritime law
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

China's President Xi Jinping attends the Leaders Retreat at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in San Francisco, California, U.S. November 17, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Dec 1 (Reuters) - China's President Xi Jinping has said the country's coast guard must enforce maritime law and crack down on "criminal activities" to defend China's territorial sovereignty, state media reported on Friday. Xi made the comments as he inspected the China Coast Guard's command office for the East China Sea area and the performance of the coast guard's ships by video, Xinhua news agency reported. "It is necessary to establish and improve the coordination and cooperation mechanism of maritime law enforcement, severely crack down on illegal and criminal activities at sea," Xi said. The Chinese coast guard has had several confrontations with vessels from the Philippines in disputed territorial waters in the South China Sea.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Carlos Barria, Xi, Ella Cao, Bernard Orr, Christina Fincher, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, Rights, East, Thomson Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California, U.S, Rights BEIJING, East China, Xinhua, Philippines, South China

☆ Please don't: People keep trying to open the exits on South Korean planes in mid-air, and airlines are asking them to stop
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

There have been three incidents with emergency exits on South Korean airlines in the last six months. There will be a pre-flight warning telling passengers not to open the emergency exits mid-flight, per JoongAng Daily. AdvertisementAfter three incidents in the last six months, South Korean airlines will have to warn passengers not to open the emergency exits mid-flight, according to local outlet JoongAng Daily. According to South Korea's Aviation Security Act, tampering with emergency exits is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. AdvertisementIt's not the first measure that South Korea has introduced to try to prevent further incidents.

Persons: —, hyperventilation Organizations: Service, JoongAng Daily, South Korea's Aviation Security, Korea Times, Asiana Airlines, Guardian, Korean Locations: Korea, Philippines, South Korea, New York, Incheon

☆ Move aside, China. India will drive Asia's growth in the next few years, S&P Global says
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Charmaine Jacob | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

India's GDP growth is expected to reach 6.4% in 2024, and will hit 7% in 2026, according to S&P Global. India's economy is expected to power ahead in the next three years, leading growth in the region. Similarly, other emerging markets such as Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines are set to see positive GDP growth this year and the next due to strong domestic demand, the report said. S&P lowered India's growth outlook to 6.5% in fiscal 2025 — down from their previous prediction of 6.9%, but expects GDP growth to jump to 7% in fiscal 2026. In comparison, China's growth is predicted to come in at 5.4% in 2023, 0.6% higher than S&P's previous forecast, while growth in 2024 is expected to be 4.6% — higher than the previous forecast of 4.4%.

Organizations: P Locations: Asia, Pacific, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines

Citizens of Thailand, the Philippines and Russia, who were freed through separate talks, also numbered among the hostages Hamas released. The New York Times compared the Israeli data with lists of the Palestinians released each day by the Palestinian Authority’s Commission for Prisoners’ Affairs. The Israeli data shows that three-quarters of the released Palestinians had not been convicted of a crime. More than half of the cases were being prosecuted in Israeli military courts, which try Palestinians in the occupied West Bank but not Israeli settlers who live there. Nearly all Palestinians tried in Israeli military courts are convicted, and those accused of security offenses can be imprisoned indefinitely without charge or trial.

Persons: Israel Organizations: New York Times, Palestinian, Commission, Prisoners ’ Affairs, West Bank Locations: Thailand, Philippines, Russia, Gaza, Israel

☆ Kiss Loves to Say Goodbye. Is Its Rock ’n’ Roll Really Over?
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Rob Tannenbaum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

But Sinatra returned two years later, to much ballyhoo and chart success, with the album “Ol’ Blue Eyes is Back.” Bowie was paying attention. “David was a big Sinatra fan,” his former manager, Tony DeFries, recently told Mojo magazine. Bowie’s retirement was a ruse, DeFries added, to generate publicity and whip up demand for a headlining tour of big venues in the United States. It worked; in 1974, Bowie played arenas across the country, including two shows at Madison Square Garden. After Bowie retired in 1973, then unretired in 1974, he retired a second time in 1975.

Persons: Bowie, It’s, Frank Sinatra, “, Plato, Gene Simmons, Sinatra, ” Bowie, “ David, Tony DeFries, DeFries, Elton John, ”, “ Elton, hasn’t, Lazarus, “ I’ve, ” Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, Mötley Crüe, Cher, Meatloaf, Tina Turner, Barbra Streisand, “ I’d, ” Trent Reznor, Cameron Crowe Organizations: Mojo, Madison, Wembley, Billboard, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Playboy Locations: United States, London

☆ Asia factory activity weakens, uncertainty on China clouds outlook
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

An employee works on a production line manufacturing steel structures at a factory in Huzhou, Zhejiang province, China May 17, 2020. The data shows that factories are producing less and hiring fewer people," Dan Wang, chief economist at Hang Seng Bank China, said of China's PMI readings, which have different samples. Export-reliant Japan, South Korea and Taiwan bore the brunt of sluggish global demand with their manufacturing activity remaining stagnant in November, surveys showed. Japan's final au Jibun Bank manufacturing PMI fell to 48.3 in November from 48.7 in October, shrinking at the fastest pace in nine months. Manufacturing activity also shrank in Taiwan, Vietnam and Malaysia, but expanded in Indonesia and the Philippines, the surveys showed.

Persons: Dan Wang, Toru Nishihama, Leika Kihara, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, PMI, Korea Soft, P Global, Hang Seng Bank, Dai, Research, Jibun Bank, Research Institute, Thomson Locations: Huzhou, Zhejiang province, China, Japan, S, TOKYO, Europe, United States, Hang Seng Bank China, South Korea, Taiwan, Asia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines

THITU ISLAND, South China Sea (AP) — The Philippine coast guard inaugurated a new monitoring base Friday on a remote island occupied by Filipino forces in the disputed South China Sea as Manila ramps up efforts to counter China’s increasingly aggressive actions in the strategic waterway. It’s pure bullying,” Ano told reporters after the ceremony, describing the actions of Chinese ships as flouting international law. Surrounded by white beaches, the tadpole-shaped Thitu Island is called Pag-asa — Tagalog for hope — by about 250 Filipino villagers. It’s one of nine islands, islets and atolls that have been occupied by Philippine forces since the 1970s in the South China Sea’s Spratlys archipelago. Speaking in Honolulu, where he met U.S. military leaders about two weeks ago, Marcos said the situation in the South China Sea “has become more dire” with China showing interest in atolls and shoals that are “closer and closer” to the Philippine coast.

Persons: Thomas Shoal, it’s, Eduardo Ano, ” Ano, Ano, ”, Daisy Cojamco, asa —, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Rodrigo Duterte, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Duterte, Marcos, ” Marcos Organizations: National, Philippine, Associated Press, Washington, South China Locations: THITU, South China, Philippine, China, Manila, United States, Philippines, Asia, Thitu, Pag, Palawan, Vietnam, Australia, Beijing, U.S, Japan, Honolulu, South, asia

☆ Jamie Dimon says he's not afraid of China, which has managed to piss off all its neighbors and has 'terrible demographics'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon says he isn't afraid of China. Dimon said the US has many strengths over China, better relations with it neighbors. AdvertisementOn Wednesday, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon listed out various ways in which he says the US is ahead of China. "I'm not afraid of China," Dimon said at The New York Times DealBook Summit. While JPMorgan has been expanding its footprint in China, Dimon said the bank would exit the market if US authorities him to.

Persons: Jamie Dimon, Dimon, —, I'm, Andrew Ross Sorkin's, We've, Russia —, China's Organizations: JPMorgan, Service, The New York Times DealBook Locations: China, Beijing, Mexico, Canada, Japan, Philippines, India, Russia

LITTLETON, Colorado, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Over 60% of global electricity generated so far in 2023 was produced by fossil fuels, despite the ongoing aggressive roll-out of renewable energy sources in every major economy. Fossil fuels remain the primary source of global electricity despite steep gains in clean power outputBut with the energy systems of so many influential countries still so dependent on fossil fuels, there is little chance that COP28 meetings will yield the kind of bold power sector overhauls that ardent climate activists may hope for. Global electricity generation by sourceCoal's staying power as the main pillar of the global electricity generation system is at odds with widely held assumptions that coal is being phased out of power systems due to plant closures seen in Western economies in recent years. GAS ON THE UPNatural gas has the second largest share of electricity generation globally, accounting for around 22.6% of total generation so far this year. RENEWABLE REPLACEMENTSWorldwide, electricity generation from renewable sources has grown at nearly triple the pace of fossil fuels since 2019, providing a boost to supporters of the energy transition away from fossil fuels.

Persons: Gavin Maguire, Christopher Cushing Organizations: United Nations, Global, Reuters, Thomson Locations: LITTLETON , Colorado, United States, China, India, Japan, Poland, Turkey, Dubai, Europe, North America, Asia, Indonesia, Philippines, Germany, South Korea

“China and the United States’ relations will forever be linked to the name ‘Kissinger,’” Mr. Xi said to Mr. Kissinger as the two men sat side by side in cream-colored armchairs. It was the same building where half a century earlier Mr. Kissinger had met Zhou Enlai, who was then China’s premier: Villa No. When Mr. Xi was on the cusp of power in 2012, he met Mr. Kissinger twice — once in Beijing and then in Washington. In a sign of the high regard in which he was held, Mr. Xi respectfully cited Mr. Kissinger’s views in speeches. “It is understandable that he cared about the interests of the United States,” Professor Lu said.

Persons: ”, Henry A . Kissinger, Mr, Kissinger, Nixon’s, Xie Feng, Biden, Xi Jinping, “, ‘ Kissinger, ’, Xi, Zhou Enlai, Li Shangfu, John F, Kirby, Kissinger “, Wu Xinbo, —, President Trump, Wu, Trump, Kissinger’s, Charles T, Munger, Lu Yeh, Lu Organizations: Global Times, Communist Party, Beijing, United, Mr, U.S . National Security Council, Institute of International Studies, Fudan University, National Chengchi University Locations: China, United States, Washington, Communist, Beijing, U.S, ” China, “ China, Diaoyutai, Shanghai, Philippines, Australia, Weibo, Taiwan, Taipei, “

☆ French ministers head to Indo-Pacific, Australia in diplomatic push
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( John Irish | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] French Foreign Affairs Minister Catherine Colonna and French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu leave following the weekly cabinet meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, November 22, 2023. France, with overseas territories in the Pacific and Indian Ocean and 7,000 troops stationed there, considers itself an Indo-Pacific power. The loss of a major submarine deal with Australia in 2021 forced it rethink its strategy amid ongoing regional tensions with China in the disputed South China Sea. Underscoring those efforts, Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu will host in the French overseas territory of New Caledonia between Dec. 4-8 the South Pacific Defence Ministers Meeting, the first time it has hosted the format since it was created in 2013. While it has diversified its ties across the Pacific, France has also worked on rebuilding its partnership with Australia.

Persons: Catherine Colonna, Sebastien Lecornu, Sarah Meyssonnier, Ferdinand Marcos, Karen Lerna, Sandra Maler Organizations: Foreign, French Defence, REUTERS, South Pacific, South Pacific Defence Ministers, South, Australia, Canberra, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Philippines, Malaysia, Australia, PARIS, Pacific, Ocean, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, New Caledonia, Britain, United States, South Korea, Spain, Manila, South China, Kuala Lumpur

☆ Satellite photos show how the US Air Force is reclaiming a WWII-era airfield from the jungle to prepare to dodge Chinese missiles
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

The US Air Force is developing more dispersed bases to counter the threat posed by China's missiles. US engineers quickly began building what became the biggest and busiest air base of the war. "Air Force engineers are scheduled to remove the vegetation that have penetrated through the cracks and joints of the old pavement surfaces," Peden added. Money is allotted for work at Tindal air base — including $93 million to build a parking apron for six B-52 bombers — and Darwin air base, both of which are in Australia's Northern Territory. The Air Force is working with the rest of the military to address those challenges, Thomas Lawhead, acting deputy chief of staff for Air Force Futures, said at an event this month.

Persons: —, Gen, Kenneth Wilsbach, Wilsbach, Lance Cpl, J, Gage, Capt, Gerald Peden, Peden, Jason Robertson, Cesar Basa, Michael S, Murphy, Frank Kendall, Kendall, Sgt, JT May III, Thomas Lawhead, Joseph P, Lawhead Organizations: US Air Force, China's, Service, Airport, US Pacific Air Forces, an Air and Space Forces Association, Field, International Airport, Commonwealth of, Marines, Air Force, Google, Air, Tinian's, US Marine Corps, KC, Pacific Air Forces, Tech, Northwest Field, Tindal, Pentagon, Air Force Futures, Army Locations: Tinian, SkyFi, Japan, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, West, Commonwealth, Northern Mariana Islands, Pacific, —, Guam, Northern Territory, Philippines, Manila, Philippine, China, North Korea, Northern Mariana

☆ Live updates: Israel-Hamas war, truce extended by two days
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Tara Subramaniam | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

All Philippine nationals impacted by the Israel-Hamas war have been accounted for following the release of a second hostage, according to the country’s president. “With this positive development, I am pleased to inform the nation that all Filipinos affected by the war have been accounted for,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr wrote in a post on X Wednesday. “Just days after expressing concern for Noralyn Babadilla's whereabouts, I am very happy to announce that Noralyn is safely back in Israel, becoming the second Filipino released from Gaza,” he wrote. The Embassy of the Philippines will “attend to her needs in coordination with Israeli authorities," the president added. Pacheco was released on Friday.

Persons: “, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, ”, Jimmy ” Pacheco, Pacheco Organizations: ” Locations: Philippine, Israel, Gaza, Philippines, Egypt, State, Qatar

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