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.
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Several North Carolina Democrats who criticized or opposed federal immigration authorities in Charlotte were largely silent when asked about the dozens of criminals arrested during the operation.
U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino – who hails from Watauga County and attended Appalachian State University in Boone – returned to familiar soil and was seen on-the-ground in Charlotte after weeks in Chicago.
By Monday, the Department of Homeland Security recorded 130 arrests of illegal immigrants, including at least 44 with violent criminal records ranging from aggravated assault to known gang activity, in its latest «worst of the worst» cache.
CHARLOTTE PROMISES TO RESIST PENDING FEDERAL IMMIGRATION RAIDS: ‘CAMPAIGN OF TERROR’
DHS Agents in Charlotte, North Carolina on a mission. (Ryan Murphy/Getty Images)
One of the more pointed reactions to the raids came from North Carolina state Rep. Aisha Dew, D-Charlotte, who said Friday that «we do not need to have Border Patrol [here].»
«As I’ve already said, I’m not quite sure what border we’re patrolling here,» Dew said at a press conference, while adding that the surrounding states – South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia – don’t pose any threats to the Old North State.
«[Charlotte] is a safe city. Our crime rates have gone down since the previous year. This is just another something out of the playbook,» Dew said.
Dew did not respond to a request for comment after the «worst of the worst» list came out.
TRUMP IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT FOCUS TO EXPAND TO NEW CITY, MAYOR INDICATES
Rep. Alma Adams, D-N.C., who represents most of Mecklenburg County and Charlotte, also slammed DHS’ operations on Thursday and pledged to stand up to «intimidation» of her district’s immigrant community.
«I am extremely concerned about the deployment of U.S. Border Patrol and ICE agents to Charlotte,» Adams said in a statement.
«Charlotte’s immigrant community is a proud part of the Queen City, and I will not stand by and watch my constituents be intimidated or harassed,» she added, accusing ICE of using excessive force in prior raids in Los Angeles and Chicago, and threatening the well-being of communities they visit.
«Those tactics and values have no place in the City of Charlotte or Mecklenburg County,» Adams said.
An Adams staffer answered the phone at her Washington office, but her office did not respond to an ensuing emailed inquiry.
PROTESTERS SCREAM ‘GET THE F— OUT OF MY CITY!’ AT FEDERAL AGENTS DURING IMMIGRATION RAID
USBP Cmdr. Gregory K. Bovino drives agents around Charlotte. (Ryan Murphy/Getty Images)
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles was also apprehensive of ICE’s arrival, writing in a joint statement with Mecklenburg County Chairman Mark Jerrell and Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board President Stephanie Sneed that they hope not to see the same public violence as Los Angeles and elsewhere.
«The expected [DHS] operations are causing unnecessary fear and uncertainty in our community,» Lyles, Jerrell and Sneed said.
«Diversity makes us stronger. And with that belief, we are unwavering in our commitment to a safe and welcoming community where everyone can grow and thrive,» they added while saying it is important for residents to understand their rights and be aware of various organizations who may be able to help with «legal guidance» on immigration matters.
Jerrell and Sneed did not respond to requests for comment after the «worst of the worst» announcement.
When reached for comment, a representative for Lyles pointed Fox News Digital to a separate Tuesday morning statement.
FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT SWEEPS CHARLOTTE MONTHS AFTER UKRAINIAN REFUGEE KILLING SHOCKED NATION
«First and foremost, the rights and constitutional protections of every person in Charlotte—regardless of immigration status—must be upheld,» Lyles said.
«Our city has a long-standing commitment to fairness, dignity, and justice. I am deeply concerned with many of the videos I’ve seen, and I urge all agencies operating here to conduct their work with respect for those values.»
«To everyone in Charlotte who is feeling anxious or fearful: you are not alone. Your city stands with you. We will continue working with community leaders, legal advocates, and service providers to make sure that resources, information, and support remain available.»
Lyles called on the city to meet the situation with «calm, compassion and a steadfast dedication to the rights and well-being of all who call Charlotte home.»
The state’s top Democrat, Gov. Josh Stein, offered a more balanced response than some in his party, like Dew.
CHARLOTTE RAID TARGETING CRIMINAL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS LEADS TO 130 ARRESTS, INCLUDING MS-13 GANG MEMBER
Stein said he is in regular contact with state and local law enforcement as the raids continue, and encouraged residents to follow the law and peacefully «bear witness to what you have seen.»
«To the CBP — if you know we have violent criminals in Charlotte who are undocumented, we want them out, too,» Stein said.
«Everyone wants to be safe in their homes, but the actions of too many federal agents are doing the opposite,» he claimed.
Stein claimed some ICE agents are targeting residents based on skin color and said in one case a landscaper decorating a resident’s Christmas tree was detained.
He said the federal immigration system is broken and blamed Congress for playing politics.
Stein said he supports «strong borders» but also a pathway to citizenship for DREAMers.
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«Governor Stein believes that government’s top priority must be keeping people safe. He has long supported efforts to hold accountable and deport violent criminals and drug dealers,» a spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
«The governor continues to urge CBP to target people based on the level of threat they pose, not their skin color.»
immigration,democrats,north carolina,governors,state and local,illegal immigrants
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Gunmen kidnapped 25 girls from a boarding school in Nigeria’s Kebbi State and killed at least one staffer, authorities said Monday.
The schoolgirls were taken around 4 a.m., and no group immediately claimed responsibility for the incident.
Police spokesperson Nafi’u Abubakar Kotarkoshi told The Associated Press the gunmen had «sophisticated weapons» and exchanged fire with guards before abducting the girls.
«A combined team is currently combing suspected escape routes and surrounding forests in a coordinated search and rescue operation aimed at recovering the abducted students and arresting the perpetrators,» he said, adding that one person was killed and another was injured.
NIGERIAN FILM RAISES AWARENESS ABOUT DOZENS OF GIRLS ABDUCTED FROM SCHOOL IN 2014
A woman looks on as she walks past a classroom in Shehu Kangiwa Model Primary School in Argungu, Kebbi State, in northern Nigeria on April 12, 2025. (Leslie Fauvel/AFP via Getty Images)
«Our security agencies are treating this as a kidnapping carried out by organized criminal groups that operate for profit. Whether they have any ideological ties is still under investigation, and we do not want to fuel speculation while the facts are being verified,» Nigerian Information Minister Mohamed Idris told Fox News Digital.
«This is not about religion Muslim or Christian. These criminals attack anyone they believe is vulnerable. Our priority is the protection of all Nigerian children, and we remain fully committed to dismantling these networks and holding every perpetrator accountable.»
Abdulkarim Abdullahi Maga, a resident who said his daughter and granddaughter were abducted in the raid, told the AP that the attackers entered the school with motorcycles.
AMERICAN MISSIONARY KIDNAPPED IN NIGER BY SUSPECTED ISLAMIST MILITANTS, SOURCES SAY
«They first went straight to the teacher’s house and killed him before killing the guard,» said Maga.
Idris told Fox News Digital that the government is working to ensure the girls are safely returned home and the perpetrators are brought to justice.
«The Federal Government expresses deep concern and solidarity with the families of the female students abducted from Government Girls Secondary School, Maga, in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State. We share in their pain and are firmly committed to bringing the girls home safely,» he said.
RAPPER NIKKI MINAJ AND UN AMBASSADOR JOIN VOICES AGAINST CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION IN NIGERIA
«President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reiterated that the protection of every Nigerian especially schoolchildren remains a solemn responsibility of the State. The government condemns the reprehensible attack on innocent students and the killing of school officials who were carrying out their noble duty.»
FILE – The name of a student is written on a chair in a deserted classroom at the Government Girls Secondary School, the day after the abduction of over 300 schoolgirls by gunmen in Jangebe, a village in Zamfara State, northwest of Nigeria on Feb. 27, 2021. (Kola Sulaimon/AFP via Getty Images)
The latest abductions come amid a string of mass kidnappings in northern Nigeria in recent years.
In 2024, 280 students were abducted from a school in Kaduna State and at least 200 others, mostly internally displaced women and children, were abducted in Borno State while reportedly searching for firewood, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.
More than 200 schoolgirls were kidnapped from a Chibok secondary school in 2014 by Boko Haram militants, sparking international outrage and a #BringBackOurGirls campaign.
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INTERNACIONAL
Trump recibió al príncipe saudita y lo defendió: “Él no sabía nada sobre el asesinato del periodista del Washington Post”
El presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, defendió este martes al príncipe heredero saudita, Mohamed bin Salmán, frente a las acusaciones de la CIA que lo señalan como el responsable del brutal asesinato en 2018 de Jamal Khashoggi, columnista de The Washington Post.
“Él no sabía nada al respecto y podemos dejarlo así. No tienes que avergonzar a nuestro invitado con estas preguntas”, respondió Trump a la prensa al iniciar una reunión en el Despacho Oval con Bin Salmán.
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“Mencionas a alguien que fue extremadamente polémico. A mucha gente no le caía bien ese señor del que hablas; te cayera bien o mal, son cosas que pasan”, añadió Trump sobre Khashoggi, quien fue descuartizado en el consulado saudita de Estambul el 2 de octubre de 2018.
En la reunión, el príncipe heredero saudita anunció su intención de ampliar hasta 1 billón de dólares las inversiones del país, rico en petróleo, en suelo estadounidense. “Vamos a aumentar esos 600.000 millones a casi 1 billón de dólares para inversión”, dijo.
“Fue un gran error”
Bin Salman, hombre fuerte de su país, calificó el asesinato de Khashoggi como un “gran error”, si bien dijo que el crimen fue investigado adecuadamente y prometió que algo así no volverá a ocurrir.
“Es doloroso, es un gran error, y estamos haciendo todo lo posible para que no vuelva a ocurrir”, declaró. Donald Trump recibió al príncipe saudita Mohammed bin Salman en la Casa Blanca (Foto: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)
Minutos antes, Trump aseguró que Bin Salmán y él están muy orgullosos el uno del otro por la labor que realizan en materia de derechos humanos.
“Tenemos a un hombre muy respetado en el Despacho Oval hoy, amigo mío desde hace mucho tiempo, muy buen amigo mío. Estamos muy orgullosos el uno del otro en lo que respecta a los derechos humanos y todo lo demás”, dijo.
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“Hemos sido muy buenos amigos durante mucho tiempo. Siempre hemos estado del mismo lado en todos los temas”, agregó Trump.
Numerosas organizaciones de derechos humanos como Amnistía Internacional denunciaron que en los últimos tiempos la situación se deterioró en Arabia Saudita, con un aumento de las ejecuciones y la represión a la libertad de expresión.
Máximos honores
Bin Salmán fue recibido en la Casa Blanca por Trump con los máximos honores reservados a las visitas de Estado, siete años después del asesinato de Khashoggi.
La CIA determinó que Bin Salmán aprobó el asesinato dada su omnipotencia sobre todos los aparatos de seguridad del reino, pero el príncipe negó desde el principio su implicación.
Tras el crimen, Trump, en su primer mandato, minimizó la responsabilidad de Arabia Saudita, priorizando la alianza estratégica con Riad, mientras que su sucesor, Joe Biden, prometió tratar a Bin Salmán como un “paria”, aunque cambió de postura y se reunió con el príncipe en Arabia Saudí en 2023.
¿Qué pasará con la relación entre Arabia Saudita e Israel?
El príncipe heredero saudita aseguró que le gustaría unirse a los Acuerdos de Abraham, impulsados por Estados Unidos para normalizar las relaciones entre Israel y varios países árabes, pero lo condicionó a que exista un camino claro que garantice la creación de un Estado palestino.
“Es algo positivo y queremos formar parte de la iniciativa, pero también queremos asegurarnos de que no se oscurezca el camino claro hacia la solución de los dos Estados”, señaló.
El líder estadounidense, por su parte, afirmó que ambos habían mantenido varias conversaciones y que en concreto la de estos acuerdos fue “muy buena”.
“Creo que no quiere usar la palabra compromiso, pero hemos tenido una conversación muy buena sobre los Acuerdos de Abraham. Hemos hablado de un Estado, de dos Estados. Ya sabe, hemos hablado de muchas cosas”, apuntó Trump.
“Queremos la paz para los israelíes. Queremos la paz para los palestinos. Queremos que coexistan pacíficamente en la región y haremos todo lo posible para alcanzar el acuerdo de defensa”, añadió Bin Salmán.
Insistir en la adhesión de Arabia Saudí a los acuerdos, impulsados por Trump durante su primer mandato, es una de las prioridades del estadounidense para esta reunión. La incorporación supondría una reestructuración clave de las alianzas en la región, dada la importancia de Riad.
(Con información de EFE y AFP)
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