INTERNACIONAL
Hegseth says US to boost ties with Philippines as deterrence against China: ‘Peace through strength’
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Friday that the Trump administration intends to boost military ties with the Philippines to strengthen deterrence against Chinese aggression in the disputed South China Sea.
The assurance came during a meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the Philippines, part of Hegseth’s trip to Asia to reaffirm Washington’s «ironclad» commitment to the region under the administration of President Donald Trump.
«Deterrence is necessary around the world but specifically in this region, in your country, considering the threats from the communist Chinese,» Hegseth told Marcos. «Friends need to stand shoulder to shoulder to deter conflict, to ensure that there is free navigation whether you call it the South China Sea or the West Philippine Sea.»
«Peace through strength is a very real thing,» Hegseth said, praising the Philippines for standing «very firm» to defend its interests in the contested waters.
HEGSETH SAYS NO CLASSIFIED INFORMATION WAS SHARED IN SIGNAL GROUP CHAT: ‘NOBODY’S TEXTING WAR PLANS’
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., left, meets with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Malacanang presidential palace in Manila, Philippines, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Basilio Sepe)
China claims virtually the entire South China Sea, a major security and global trade route. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims to the resource-rich and busy waters, but confrontations have spiked between Chinese and Philippine coast guard and naval forces in the last two years.
US-CANADA BORDER EYED AS VULNERABILITY BY CHINA, RUSSIA, SAYS PATEL: ‘THE ENEMY ADAPTS’
Chinese forces have used powerful water cannons and dangerous maneuvers in the high seas to block what Beijing said were encroachments by Philippine ships into China’s waters. Chinese military aircraft have also approached Philippine patrol planes at alarmingly close distances to drive them away from the Scarborough Shoal, a hotly disputed fishing atoll in the disputed waterway.
Hegseth echoed that pledge by expressing «the ironclad commitment» of Trump and him «to the Mutual Defense Treaty and to the partnership.»
Marcos told the U.S. defense chief that by visiting the Philippines first in Asia, he «sends a very strong message of the commitment of both our countries to continue to work together to maintain peace in the Indo-Pacific region, within the South China Sea.»
«We have always understood the principle that the greatest force for peace in this part of the world would be the United States,» Marcos said.
Two Philippine Coast Guard ships were reportedly surrounded by Chinese vessels in a tense standoff in the South China Sea on Monday, further raising tensions between the two countries, in South China Sea, Off Philippines on March 24, 2025. (Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Hegseth’s visit to the Philippines comes a month before the longtime treaty allies hold their largest annual combat exercises that will include live-fire drills.
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The defense secretary’s visit comes as he faces calls back home for his resignation for texting attack plans to a Signal group that included top-level U.S. security officials and the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
INTERNACIONAL
«¡Hago lío!»: entre la fiesta y la nostalgia, cientos de jóvenes argentinos peregrinan por Roma y rezan ante la tumba de Francisco
Un clima de fiesta y nostalgia
En fila para entrar a Santa María la Mayor. Foto: Victor Sokolowicz
El joven correntino Nahuel Berbere, de 28 años.Foto: Victor Sokolowicz
La sencilla tumba de Francisco. Foto: AP
Un grupo de chaqueños posa frente a Santa Maria la Mayor. Foto: Victor Sokolowicz
Una joven chaqueña frente a Santa María la mayor.Foto: Victor Sokolowicz
En fila para rendir homenaje a Francisco.Foto: Victor Sokolowicz
Jóvenes argentinos visitan la tumba de Francisco. Foto: Victor Sokolowicz
En fila para entrar a Santa María la Mayor.Foto: Victor Sokolowicz
Jóvenes de Mendoza, presentes. Foto: Victor Sokolowicz
Jóvenes aguardan ingresar a Santa María la Mayor. Foto: Victor Sokolowicz
El coordinador Nahuel Berbere frente a la embajada argentina en Plaza del Esquilino. Foto: Victor Sokolowicz
El coordinador Nahuel Berbere. Foto: Victor Sokolowicz
Centenares de jóvenes argentinos presentes para el Jubileo. Foto: Victor Sokolowicz
Foto de grupo argentinos frente a la Iglesia Nacional Argentina en Roma. Foto: Victor Sokolowicz
Clima de fiesta entre centenares de jóvenes argentinos. Foto: Victor SokolowiczINTERNACIONAL
FLASHBACK: Zohran Mamdani pledged to ‘disband’ key police unit that handles mass shootings
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As New York City reels from a deadly mass shooting in midtown Manhattan that killed four, including an NYPD officer, the Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani is getting renewed attention for a recent pledge to eliminate a key police department responsible for riots, civil disorder and shootings.
Mamdani, who is currently in Uganda celebrating his wedding, has previously called to defund the police, though as a mayoral candidate, he has taken a much more subdued tone regarding policing.
However, while already a candidate for mayor, Mamdani pledged on X in December 2024 to «disband» the New York Police Department’s Strategic Response Group (SRG).
The SRG is one of the NYPD’s special operations units, which, according to the force’s official website, specializes in disorder response, crime suppression and crowd control and «responds to citywide mobilizations, civil disorders, and major events with highly trained personnel and specialized equipment.»
MAMDANI’S PAST ‘DEFUND THE POLICE’ STANCE RESURFACES AFTER DEADLY MANHATTAN SHOOTING
As New York City reels from a deadly mass shooting in midtown Manhattan that killed four, the Democratic mayoral nominee, Zohran Mamdani, is getting renewed attention for a recent pledge to eliminate a key police department responsible for riots, civil disorder and shootings. (Jeenah Moon/Reuters; Mary Altaffer/AP Photo)
The website also says that SRG personnel are «also deployed to areas requiring an increased police presence due to increased crime or other conditions» and «mobilizes for shootings, bank robberies, missing persons, demonstrations, or other significant incidents.»
In December, Mamdani claimed that the NYPD had deployed the SRG to «harass + arrest striking @teamsters.»
Mamdani pledged: «As Mayor, I will disband the SRG, which has cost taxpayers millions in lawsuit settlements + brutalized countless New Yorkers exercising their first amendment rights.»
In response to the shooting, Mamdani has said, «I’m heartbroken to learn of the horrific shooting in midtown and I am holding the victims, their families, and the NYPD officer in critical condition in my thoughts.»
HERO COPS AND GOD SAVED LIVES AFTER THE SHOOTER OPENED FIRE, ERIC ADAMS SAYS
New York Police Department (NYPD) officers respond to the scene of a shooting at 345 Park Ave. in New York, US, on Monday, July 28, 2025. An active shooter attacked 345 Park Ave. in Manhattan, the tower housing Blackstone Inc.’s global headquarters and the National Football League among others, killing one police officer and injuring several other people, according to a city official. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
He also noted he is «grateful for all of our first responders on the ground.»
On Monday, a lone gunman, later identified as Shane Tamura, walked into a midtown Manhattan office building and opened fire, killing four people before turning the gun on himself.
The four people killed in the shooting were identified as NYPD Officer Didarul Islam, Blackstone executive Wesley LePatner, security guard Aland Etienne and Julia Hyman, an associate at Rudin Management.
The motive for the shooting remains unclear, but the gunman reportedly had a grievance with the NFL, blaming the sport of football for apparent issues with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a side effect from repeated hits to the head.
PHOTO SHOWS HOW EMPLOYEES BARRICADED DURING NYC SHOOTING
NYPD pays condolences for Police Officer Didarul Islam (Getty Images )
In response to the tragedy, Mayor Eric Adams, who is running for re-election as an independent, announced Tuesday that «as a mark of respect for the memory of NYPD Officer Didarul Islam who died in the line of duty and the multiple victims of the mass shooting in Midtown Manhattan at 345 Park Avenue yesterday, I’ve ordered all flags on all city buildings and stationary flagstaffs throughout the five boroughs to be lowered to half-staff until further notice.»
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«Officer Didarul Islam died as he lived, a hero and protector of New York City. We will never forget you,» Adams wrote in another post on X.
Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s campaign for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
INTERNACIONAL
Tsunami waves arrive on Japan’s coast after earthquake in Russia, triggering tsunami alerts for US West Coast
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Tsunami waves arrived on the eastern coast of Japan on Wednesday following a powerful earthquake off the eastern coast of Russia.
The 8.8 magnitude earthquake triggered fears of a tsunami across much of the Pacific Ocean basin, including the shores of Hawaii, southern Alaska, the entire U.S. West Coast and British Columbia.
Tsunami Warnings are in effect for Hawaii and parts of Alaska and the U.S. West Coast, while British Columbia is under a Tsunami Advisory after the earthquake struck just east of Petropavlovsk, Russia, according to FOX Weather.
Several people were injured in the remote Russian region of the Kamchatka Peninsula, while much of Japan’s eastern seaboard was ordered to evacuate.
TEXAS FLOOD RECOVERY VOLUNTEERS FIND DIGNITY IN HELPING VICTIMS
People watch the coast area from higher ground after Japan issued evacuation alert following major quake in Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula that triggered a tsunami warning, at Yotsukura beach in Iwaki, Fukushima prefecture, Japan July 30, 2025. (Reuters)
«Today’s earthquake was serious and the strongest in decades of tremors,» Kamchatka Gov. Vladimir Solodov said in a video posted on Telegram.
A tsunami with a height of 10-13 feet was recorded in parts of Kamchatka, according to Sergei Lebedev, regional minister for emergency situations.
Several people underwent medical assistance after the earthquake, Oleg Melnikov, regional health minister, told TASS, a Russian-owned news agency.
«Unfortunately, there are some people injured during the seismic event. Some were hurt while running outside, and one patient jumped out of a window. A woman was also injured inside the new airport terminal,» Melnikov said.
«All patients are currently in satisfactory condition, and no serious injuries have been reported so far,» he added.
Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Services said the port in the Sakhalin town of Severo-Kurilsk and a fish processing plant in the area were partially flooded by a tsunami. People in the area have been evacuated.
A kindergarten damaged by the earthquake is seen in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Kamchatka Krai, Russia, July 30, 2025. (Reuters)
A kindergarten was also damaged, but most buildings withstood the earthquake and no fatalities were reported, the ministry said.
Japan’s weather agency said it expected tsunami waves of up to 10 feet to reach large coastal areas.
Tsunami alarms sounded in coastal towns across Japan’s Pacific coast, as authorities urged people to seek higher ground.
Many people on the northern island of Hokkaido were seen on the roof of a building, sheltering under tents from the beating sun, as fishing boats were removed from harbors to avoid potential damage from the waves, according to footage on public broadcaster NHK.
No injuries or damage have been reported so far, Japan Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said.
Waves reaching more than 10 feet were possible along some coasts of Russia and Ecuador, while waves of three to 10 feet were possible in Japan, Hawaii, Chile and the Solomon Islands, the U.S. Tsunami Warning System said. Smaller waves were possible along coastlines across much of the Pacific, including the U.S. West Coast.
YOUR PHONE PREDICTS AN EARTHQUAKE
Locals evacuate to higher ground in their cars after Japan issued evacuation alert following major quake in Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula that triggered a tsunami warning, in Kushiro, Hokkaido, Japan July 30, 2025. (Kyodo/via REUTERS )
«Due to a massive earthquake that occurred in the Pacific Ocean, a Tsunami Warning is in effect for those living in Hawaii,» U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on social media. «A Tsunami Watch is in effect for Alaska and the Pacific Coast of the United States. Japan is also in the way.»
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom later said a tsunami warning was in effect along parts of California’s north coast.
Hawaii ordered evacuations from some coastal areas. Residents of low-lying areas were urged to either move to higher ground or to the fourth floor of a building.
«People need to evacuate, that’s very clear,» Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said in a video posted to X.
«Take Action! Destructive tsunami waves expected,» the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management wrote on X.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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