INTERNACIONAL
Chinese military activity nearly doubles around key US ally in disputed waters

China nearly doubled the number of military and coast guard ships it sent to a key flashpoint in the South China Sea last month, according to Manila’s military.
It comes as a series of increasingly tense encounters raises the risk of confrontation with a U.S. treaty ally located in the disputed waters. The Armed Forces of the Philippines said it tracked 101 different Chinese navy and coast guard vessels around four disputed areas over the course of September, up from 56 in August and 48 in July.
The sharp increase comes as Chinese and Philippine forces have faced off both at sea and in the air, including an encounter over the weekend in which Manila accused a Chinese fighter jet of repeatedly maneuvering dangerously close to an unarmed Philippine patrol plane.
China claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, including waters that fall within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, and uses coast guard ships, naval vessels and aircraft to assert those claims. Manila has continued patrolling the waters and resupplying Philippine positions, bringing forces from the two countries into repeated close contact.
US, CHINA STRIKE DEAL TO LOWER TARIFFS ON $30B IN GOODS AFTER TRUMP-XI WASHINGTON SUMMIT
The confrontations carry particular stakes for Washington: the Philippines is a U.S. treaty ally, and the U.S. has repeatedly said its Mutual Defense Treaty with Manila applies to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels and aircraft — including in the South China Sea.
The latest Philippine count showed the largest number of Chinese vessels around Scarborough Shoal, where 39 different Chinese coast guard and People’s Liberation Army Navy ships were observed during September.
Another 28 were tracked around Thitu Island, known in the Philippines as Pag-asa; 23 around Second Thomas Shoal; and 11 around Sabina Shoal.
Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, an Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said the figures showed China’s continued «illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive» activities in the region.
But Philippine officials stopped short of concluding that the jump represented a broader shift in China’s strategy. Asked why the number had nearly doubled from August, Trinidad said the military wanted to examine a longer period before drawing conclusions about the trend.
The increase comes as the two sides have repeatedly confronted each other around some of the same contested waters.
On Saturday, a Philippine C-208 maritime patrol aircraft was flying near Scarborough Shoal when it encountered two Chinese military aircraft, according to the Philippine military.
Manila said one of the aircraft, a Chinese J-16 fighter, repeatedly approached the unarmed Philippine plane and maneuvered in front of and behind it at what the military described as an unsafe distance.
«This incident is part of a recurring pattern of unsafe and coercive behavior against Philippine government vessels and aircraft conducting lawful operations,» the Philippine military said.
The Philippine aircraft completed its mission and returned safely to base.
TRUMP ENVOY WARNS CHINA’S POWER MOVE AT SEA IS THREAT ‘WE CANNOT AFFORD TO IGNORE’
Beijing offered a sharply different account, saying the Philippine aircraft had entered airspace over Huangyan Dao, China’s name for Scarborough Shoal, without permission and that Chinese forces took «necessary measures» in response.
Scarborough Shoal sits about 120 miles west of the Philippine island of Luzon and has become one of the most persistent flashpoints between Beijing and Manila. China has effectively controlled access to the shoal since a 2012 standoff, while the Philippines maintains that it falls within its exclusive economic zone.
China claims sovereignty over Scarborough and much of the South China Sea, overlapping claims by the Philippines and several other Southeast Asian nations. An international tribunal ruled in 2016 that China’s sweeping historic-rights claims in the South China Sea had no legal basis, a ruling Beijing rejects.
The encounters have continued despite a recent diplomatic thaw between Washington and Beijing, with President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasizing stability in the relationship during Xi’s state visit to Washington.
Days before the latest air encounter, Chinese coast guard and naval vessels moved to block a Philippine resupply mission to Second Thomas Shoal, another major flashpoint in the dispute.
The Philippines deliberately grounded the aging BRP Sierra Madre at Second Thomas in 1999 and keeps a small contingent of troops aboard the rusting ship to maintain its presence. Chinese vessels have repeatedly tried to block missions carrying food, water and other supplies to those troops.
The latest incidents put renewed attention on Washington’s defense commitment to Manila. The two countries have been bound by their Mutual Defense Treaty since 1951, and the U.S. has said an armed attack on Philippine armed forces, aircraft or public vessels anywhere in the South China Sea would invoke U.S. obligations under the treaty.
china, national security, coast guard, military, asia
INTERNACIONAL
Mamdani’s $30M plan to fight antisemitism includes increased funding for anti-Israel group

Socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s plan to combat antisemitism indirectly furthers funding to an Arab-American group critical of U.S.–Israel relations.
As part of $30 million in investments to push back persecution of the Jewish community, the strategy includes a $6.4 million grant to the Partners Against Hate (PATH). To carry out its mission to «enhance awareness and reporting of hate crimes,» PATH partners with a group of six other groups — including the Arab American Association of New York (AAANY), which was formerly led by disgraced Women’s March co-founder and notorious anti-Israel activist Linda Sarsour.
The link between New York City and AAANY comes as Mamdani struggles to overcome skepticism among Jewish communities that its first Muslim mayoral administration has done enough to adequately combat rising levels of antisemitism in the Big Apple.
MAMDANI PLEDGES MILLIONS TO COMBAT ANTISEMITISM WHILE LEAVING KEY QUESTION UNRESOLVED
Antisemitic acts make up the greatest slice of the city’s tracking for hate crimes in 2026, accounting for roughly 9% of the picture, according to NYPD reporting. In the first eight months of 2026, the city has recorded a hate crime uptick of 16% over last year’s levels.
Recorded hate crimes in the «homosexual» category, for instance, make up 29 incidents, and those against Muslims make up another 21. Hate crimes against Jews have reached 181.
One hundred thirty-one of those are felony offenses.
The surge prompted Mamdani to unveil his $30 million plan earlier this month, calling it a key step towards combatting hate towards Jewish communities.
«My administration has a responsibility to ensure New York City remains a place where Jewish New Yorkers can live their lives peacefully and safely, where they can walk down the street, enter their houses of worship and build their lives knowing that this city will stand with them,» Mamdani said in a strategy document.
Notably, the indirect partnership between New York City and AAANY, the Arab-American group, is not new.
AAANY’s link to PATH was listed in a 2021 press release from then-Mayor Bill de Blasio. In those remarks, de Blasio listed out the organizations that would partner with PATH to combat racial crimes through a $3 million grant distributed among its partners.
«The anchor organizations will work closely with the [Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes] and other city agencies to ensure a comprehensive, community-based approach to preventing hate crime,» the press release states.
PROMINENT HOLOCAUST MUSEUM CHALLENGES MAMDANI WITH OFFER IN RESPONSE TO CLAIMS ABOUT ‘GENOCIDE’ IN GAZA
«In New York City, we do not tolerate hate, violence, or bigotry in any form. As we drive a recovery for all of us, we must lift up the community leaders standing up against America’s hate epidemic. We are taking action to make sure the hate in our beloved city is eliminated — once and for all,» de Blasio said at the time.
In the years since, however, AAANY has come under scrutiny for its advocacy against the state of Israel, a position that, in the view of some critics, goes outside the scope of its mission to combat racial prejudice. Since 2021, AAANY has reportedly given over $223,000 to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, New York (CAIR-NY). The national CAIR organization has long been the subject of controversy over its alleged ties to Hamas. In 2007, federal prosecutors named the organization an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation terrorism financing case, the largest terrorism financing prosecution in U.S. history.
Alongside recognizing Israel’s war as a form of genocide, AAANY has pushed for the U.S. to distance itself from Israel.
During Mamdani’s time as a state legislator, the group rallied around his «Not On Our Dime» bill. That legislation sought to restrict New York nonprofit donations from going to Israeli settlement activity, citing what it called a «violation of the Geneva Conventions.»
The group’s executive director, Marwa Janini, has similarly pressed for the city to oppose the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, citing humanitarian concerns.
«I visited Cairo to pack food aid for Gaza and support Palestinian refugees. Despite their resilience in the face of the unimaginable loss and hardships they are facing, it is evident that merely sending aid to Gaza is not enough. The NYC City Council must pass a ceasefire resolution to end this U.S.-funded genocide and bring hope and stability to Gaza,» Janini said in a statement.
Longstanding critics of AAANY have argued that the organization has tried to delegitimize the state of Israel.
In 2017, AAANY received backlash from groups like the Anti-Defamation League, a group that combats antisemitism, when Linda Sarsour, who was one of its executive directors, espoused a similar position.
«We profoundly reject Linda Sarsour’s positions that delegitimize Israel. We have vigorously opposed efforts like the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, which she supports, and we oppose her stance that one cannot be simultaneously a feminist and pro-Israel,» the Anti-Defamation League wrote.
Sarsour was previously pushed out of the Women’s March, alongside a couple of other co-founders, for allegations of antisemitism and their embrace of notorious antisemite Louis Farrakhan.
NETANYAHU ACCUSES MAMDANI OF ‘FOMENTING HATE,’ SAYS RHETORIC IS MAKING NEW YORK JEWS AFRAID
Sarsour is a longtime political ally of Mamdani. In 2020, she endorsed his bid for the New York Assembly, calling him her «favorite guy,» and was a major backer of his mayoral campaign.
The New York Mayor’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Digital on whether it is concerned that ties to AAANY may undermine efforts to combat antisemitism.
Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
politics, zohran mamdani, anti semitism, new york city, hate crime
INTERNACIONAL
Un marino estadounidense fue detenido por el crimen de una mujer en Okinawa y EE.UU. suspendió sus operaciones en la base militar

Un infante de la marina estadounidense de 20 años, destinado en la Base Aérea de Futenma, fue arrestado en Okinawa por el presunto asesinato y robo a una mujer local de 39 años en un hotel de Naha, la capital de la isla.
El crimen ocurrió el sábado a la madrugada y volvió a poner en el centro del debate la fuerte presencia militar de Estados Unidos en la región.
Según informó la policía de la prefectura de Okinawa, el joven militar, Devin Jacob Ballard, es sospechoso de haber estrangulado a la víctima, Anna Yagi, y de haberse llevado su cartera y su mochila.
Las cámaras de seguridad del hotel registraron al hombre entrando junto a la mujer y saliendo solo poco después. El cuerpo fue encontrado en la habitación y, de acuerdo a la agencia Kyodo, la causa de muerte habría sido asfixia.
Un agente detuvo al sospechoso tras verlo caminando solo por el distrito de entretenimiento de Naha, horas después del crimen.
“Perdimos a un miembro de nuestra familia y estamos abrumados por el dolor. Nuestros padres, en particular, están devastados”, dijo el hermano mayor de Yagi en un comunicado, según el diario Mainichi.
En virtud del Acuerdo bilateral sobre el Estatuto de las Fuerzas Armadas, Japón tiene el derecho primordial de ejercer jurisdicción sobre los delitos cometidos por personal militar estadounidense fuera de servicio.
El Cuerpo de Infantería de Marina de Estados Unidos confirmó que el sospechoso está asignado a la III Fuerza Expedicionaria de Marines en Okinawa y aseguró que coopera plenamente con la investigación.
“El Cuerpo de Marines se toma estas acusaciones muy en serio y espera que cada infante de marina se adhiera a los más altos estándares de conducta”, señalaron en un comunicado.
Fuerte repudio de las autoridades locales y nacionales
El caso generó una ola de indignación en Okinawa, donde la convivencia con las bases estadounidenses es un tema sensible desde hace décadas.
El gobernador Genta Koja expresó: “El caso estremeció y llenado de miedo a los okinawenses, que ya están obligados a vivir junto a bases de Estados Unidos. Es absolutamente imperdonable y estamos indignados”.
Koja también cuestionó la efectividad de las medidas disciplinarias y educativas implementadas por el ejército estadounidense tras incidentes previos: “Debo decir que la disciplina y la educación de las tropas no están funcionando en absoluto”.
La primera ministra Sanae Takaichi calificó el crimen como “extremadamente lamentable” y aseguró que su gobierno protestó enérgicamente ante las autoridades estadounidenses, exigiendo máxima cooperación en la investigación y medidas más estrictas para evitar nuevos delitos.
Por su parte, el ministro de Exteriores Toshimitsu Motegi convocó al embajador estadounidense George Glass para transmitirle la “indignación” del gobierno japonés. Glass, a través de sus redes sociales, expresó sus condolencias a la familia de la víctima y afirmó que Estados Unidos está colaborando con las autoridades japonesas.
EE.UU. prohibió el alcohol e impuso un toque de queda a sus tropas en Okinawa
El Ejército de Estados Unidos anunció a última hora del martes medidas que incluyen un toque de queda durante un mes a las tropas desplegadas en Okinawa.
El coordinador del área de Okinawa de las Fuerzas Armadas de Estados Unidos en Japón, Benjamin Watson, publicó un comunicado en redes sociales en el que indicaba que el toque de queda estará en vigor desde la medianoche hasta las 05:00 hora local durante 30 días a partir de este viernes.
Además, desde este miércoles el cuerpo castrense aplicará una “pausa operativa” de 48 horas denominada “periodo de capacitación”, durante la cual “no habrá permisos para salir de la base, incluyendo una prohibición total del consumo de alcohol dentro o fuera de la base”.
Watson señaló que “incidentes como este exigen” una “pausa para reflexionar” sobre la disciplina, las normas y la alianza con Japón, subrayando que estar de servicio en Okinawa conlleva responsabilidad y que “cada miembro debe comprender que la conducta individual tiene consecuencias”.
“Vivimos, trabajamos y nos relacionamos con la población de Okinawa; su hogar es también el nuestro. Cada interacción con nuestros vecinos fortalece o socava la confianza que es esencial para nuestro equipo. Cuando esa confianza se daña, afecta a la solidez de nuestra alianza y la seguridad de esta región”, expresó.
Un conflicto histórico por la presencia militar en Okinawa
En Japón hay unos 50.000 soldados estadounidenses, la mitad de ellos en Okinawa, una isla estratégica para la alianza militar entre ambos países en el contexto de las tensiones con China.
Sin embargo, la presencia de las bases fue motivo de quejas constantes por parte de los habitantes locales, que denuncian ruido, contaminación y delitos vinculados a los militares.
La base de Futenma, ubicada en una zona densamente poblada, fue durante años un foco de conflicto. Aunque el gobierno central autorizó su traslado a Henoko, en la costa oriental de la isla, el proyecto enfrenta demoras y resistencia social.
El caso más recordado ocurrió en 1995, cuando la violación de una nena de 12 años por tres militares estadounidenses desató protestas masivas.
En 2008, un militar estadounidense agredió sexualmente a una estudiante de secundaria dentro de un auto.
En 2016, un empleado civil del ejército estadounidense mató a una oficinista de 20 años que estaba dando un paseo.
En 2023, un miembro de las fuerzas armadas estadounidenses secuestró y agredió sexualmente a una niña, recordó The Japan Times.
Según la policía prefectural, el año pasado se registraron más de 100 arrestos relacionados con militares norteamericanos y sus familias. La reiteración de delitos sexuales y la demora en la divulgación de algunos casos profundizaron profundizado el malestar en la población.
Japón, Asesinato, Estados Unidos
INTERNACIONAL
French school riots deepen as experts point to far-left alliance fueling ‘broader confrontation’

Violent student protests erupt across France as left-wing groups seize on chaos
Massive student demonstrations throw France into chaos as left-wing factions exploit ongoing anger over crumbling classrooms. Host Harris Faulkner analyzes the civil unrest with Fox News foreign correspondent Jeff Paul in Paris, where authorities have arrested over 5,000 people and nearly 200 have been injured. Heritage Foundation’s Nile Gardiner discusses how far-left groups are acting on the chaos.
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An unholy alliance is being blamed for instigating the violence seen across France as experts point to a bond between extreme left and radical Islamic groups.
What began as protests over school conditions and funding is entering its third week, and the factors behind the widespread, more violent protests are being debated.
«The protests started in an apparently spontaneous way in the disadvantaged, immigrant suburbs of Paris,» Nathalie Szerman, researcher in radicalization and extremism in France at MEMRI, told Fox News Digital, but «it quickly became clear that the violence demonstrated in these protests conveyed a huge amount of hate towards the ‘system’ and not much concern for better material conditions in schools, as dozens of schools across France have suffered vandalism and blockades, and many were even set on fire.»
FRANCE ROCKED BY STUDENT RIOTS AS HUNDREDS ARRESTED, VIOLENCE SPREADS NATIONWIDE
Protesters hold Palestinian and Antifa flags as French high school and university students attend a demonstration in Strasbourg, France, on Thursday, Oct. 6, 2026. (Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters)
Szerman said that while demonstrations over school conditions at the beginning of an academic year in France «is not a new phenomenon,» the «scope of these demonstrations and their character should raise concerns.» She points to protestors taking to the streets carrying Palestinian flags. «Pro-Palestinian organizations, such as Urgence Palestine, have declared the month of October to be a month of revolt, and these groups are supporting and fueling these demonstrations.»
«I think at the very heart of this, is the far-left and the Islamists combining forces to undermine France itself,» Nile Gardiner said.
«The French are notorious for strikes, labor shortages and street demonstrations,» former U.S. Assistant Attorney General Theo Wold told Fox News Digital, but these protests are «a consequence of mass immigration. The rioters are not of French culture, and they don’t respect the rule of law… France is learning that importing an underclass of foreigners causes broader societal damage.»
ISRAELI AMBASSADOR COMPARES FRANCE’S FAR-LEFT LEADER’S RHETORIC TO HITLER AS ANTISEMITISM SURGES

Protesters hold a Palestinian flag on the day French high school and university students attend a demonstration in Strasbourg as part of a nationwide day of protests and blockades, voicing anger over overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages and dilapidated school buildings, which students blame on years of underinvestment, France, October 6, 2026. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach ( )
Nile Gardiner, director of The Heritage Foundation’s Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, told Fox News’ Outnumbered on Tuesday, «I think at the very heart of this, is the far-left and the Islamists combining forces to undermine France itself… This is a form of uprising, frankly, by far left wing forces together with second, third generation migrants. And also, at the same time, France is in real economic trouble.»
Simone Rodan-Benzaquen, senior envoy to Europe at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies told Fox News Digital that, «Students have reason to be angry about overcrowded classrooms and absent teachers.» She added but «What does Gaza have to do with a shortage of teachers in France? I’ll tell you what: [the far-left La France Insoumise party] has spent years making hostility to Israel a central part of its appeal to young voters. Bringing that cause into the school protests helps fuel the racial dynamics and turn a demand for better classrooms into a much broader confrontation with the government,» she said.
EUROPE’S LEFT COURTS MUSLIM VOTERS AS ANTI-ISRAEL POLITICS RESHAPE CONTINENT

Students march with a large red banner reading «Police officers, enemy of the people» during a protest against under-resourced schools in Rennes, western France, on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026. (Jeremias Gonzalez/AP)
«LFI is the perfect embodiment of the Red-Green alliance – the alliance between leftists and Islamists,» adds Szerman. «LFI rallies Islamist and pro-Palestinian groups on the one hand, and other French anti-system leftists who accuse the elite of enriching itself at the expense of the poor on the other. It is a revolutionary party using Islam as an inner drive. Politicized Muslims are aware of this and are also using LFI to promote their own agenda.
«They are fueling and empowering each other, the common ground being the claim that they are the people,» Szerman continues. «The people are seen as the enemy of the ‘elite’ running the country, which therefore has to be overthrown.»
Rodan-Benzaquen said, «French students need their teachers to show up to class, and their parents need to know they will be safe at school. But [LFI leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon] is not interested in these goals.» She says he is «encouraging the citizens to see their schools as a front in a larger political battle, one whose real prize is the presidency.»
FRANCE’S TEEN RIOTS TAKE EXPLOSIVE NEW TURN AS GOVERNMENT POINTS FINGER AT HARD LEFT

A protesting student feeds a burnt barrier during a blockading action outside the secondary school Le Corbusier, in Aubervilliers, northern Paris on October 1, 2026. Since late September, students have staged protests outside schools over grievances ranging from timetables, class sizes and a shortage of teachers to overheated classrooms during this year’s heatwaves. The protests started in the Ile-de-France region around Paris but have now spread to other cities nationwide. (Photo by LOU BENOIST / AFP via Getty Images) ( )
French President Emmanuel Macron is term-limited and cannot run for a third consecutive term in elections this coming Spring. Many observers believe a runoff match-up between the far-left Mélenchon and right-wing populist Marine Le Pen of the National Rally party could be on the horizon.
«No matter how the protests play out, Mélenchon will likely benefit,» said Rodan-Benzaquen. «If the unrest drives voters toward the far right, he can hope to emerge as the leader of the opposition. If he succeeds in mobilizing enough voters himself, he could reach the presidency. Either prospect gives him a reason to keep the confrontation going. Neither gives him much incentive to lower the temperature.»

Leader of French left-wing La France Insoumise (LFI) party Jean-Luc Melenchon delivers a speech during an electoral campaign meeting of the local LFI candidate for French municipal elections in Marseille, southern France, on March 7, 2026. (Miguel Medina / AFP via Getty Images)
«I do not think that the LFI leadership made a conscious decision to trigger destructive demonstrations all over France,» adds Szerman, «but once the movement was launched, LFI did provide a backbone for the violence, as it will never blame any of its followers.»
FRANCE EXPLODES AGAIN AS STUDENTS RIOT OVER EDUCATION

TOPSHOT – Anti-riot police officers face protesting students carrying out blockading action outside the secondary school Le Corbusier, in Aubervilliers, northern Paris on October 1, 2026. Since late September, students have staged protests outside schools over grievances ranging from timetables, class sizes and a shortage of teachers to overheated classrooms during this year’s heatwaves. The protests started in the Ile-de-France region around Paris but have now spread to other cities nationwide. ( )
So far, the protests have not spread across the continent even as spending on education seems close between countries.
According to the latest available figures from Eurostat, the European Union’s official statistical office, in 2024 France spent over 5% of its GDP on education, more than it spent on defense. In that same year, neighboring Germany spent only 4.5% of its GDP on education.
In Macron’s latest proposed budget, about $74 billion is earmarked for French schools, more than proposed for defense, but both are cuts from the last official budget narrowly approved by Parliament over the winter. Germany’s Federal Statistical Office reports spending on education was up to 7% of GDP at over $340 billion when including federal, state and local government spending. Meanwhile, in the U.K., Department for Education spending for the 2025/26 school year was estimated at around $142 billion.

Students clash with police during ongoing student protest action, in Lyon, central eastern France, on Oct. 1, 2026. Since late September, students have staged protests outside schools over grievances ranging from timetables, class sizes and a shortage of teachers to overheated classrooms during this year’s heatwaves. The protests started in the Ile-de-France region around Paris but have now spread to other cities nationwide. (Alex Martin AFP via Getty Images)
When comparing the latest figures for expenditures per student, France’s ministry of education says in the 2024/25 school year, it spent $9,950 per student, Germany’s Federal Statistical Office says $12,000 was spent per student in 2025, and the U.K. spent about $10,100 per student in 2024/25. Meanwhile, the Organization for European Economic Co-operation says the Europe-wide average is around $12,000 per student per year.
Some 500 high schools are closed in France on Wednesday, down from 891 on Tuesday. The schools have been ordered by the ministry of education to replace normal lessons through Friday with structured dialogue and staff crisis management meetings in an effort to calm tensions, to avoid confrontations at school gates and to give staff time to reorganize.
The Associated Press reports more than 6,100 people have been arrested since the protests began, with the Interior Ministry saying 715 police officers have been injured.
france, world protests, emmanuel macron, europe, controversies education
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