LAOAG, Philippines (AP) — Military force from the United States, Australian and the Philippines launched a barrage of high-precision rockets, artillery fire and airstrikes to sink a ship Wednesday as part of largescale war drills in waters facing the disputed South China Sea that have antagonized Beijing. Military officials and diplomats from several countries, along with journalists, watched the display of firepower from a hilltop along a sandy coast in Laoag City on Wednesday in Ilocos Norte, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s northern home province. More than 16,000 military personnel from the United States and the Philippines, backed by a few hundred Australian troops and military observers from 14 countries were participating in annual combat-readiness drills called Balikatan, Tagalog for shoulder-to-shoulder, which started on April 22 and will end on Friday. |
Tycoon Truong My Lan's death sentence is a turning point for VietnamMaine lawmakers approve shield law for providers of abortion and genderPope will travel to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore in longest trip of papacyA Nigerian transgender celebrity is jailed for throwing money into the air, a rare convictionFirst attempt to catch orphaned orca calf in Canadian lagoon is unsuccessfulNevada governor signs an order to address the shortage of health care workers in the stateBiden administration announces new student loan cancellationsSuburban Detroit police fatally shoot man who pointed gun at themRoberto Cavalli, Italian fashion designer, dies at 83Sexual assaults rise in Central African Republic. Wagner, bandits and even peacekeepers are blamed