The Delhi High Court has stayed proceedings in a criminal defamation case filed against Sudarshan TV and its editor Suresh Chavhanke in connection with allegations that his channel made false accusations against a madrasa. The case against Chavhanke was filed by Mohammed Tufail Khan
The Trump Intervention That Got the DOJ Off Live Nation’s Back Antitrust case started out aiming to force the concert giant to sell Ticketmaster. After two White House meetings, a deal kept the company intact. Published on: Aug 24, 2026, 14:02:07 IST WSJ Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link The
China said on Sunday (August 23, 2026) it was postponing its planned ambitious Chang'e-7 lunar mission, which was set to carry out explorations including searching for water ice on the moon. The Chang'e-7 spacecraft was originally set to lift off in the coming days from the Wenchang Space Launch
Canada’s Carney Puts His ‘No Deal Is Better Than a Bad Deal’ Doctrine to the Test The prime minister ’s approach has broad support from the Canadian public and his political opponents, but it isn’t without risks. Published on: Aug 24, 2026, 14:05:27 IST WSJ Prefer HTon Google Share via
An Indian national was killed in a shooting incident in New York on Friday night, said the Indian consulate general in the city. The man, Gurdeep Singh, was killed on Crescent Street in the city’s Brooklyn area, in what police believe may have been a road rage incident, CBS News reported
A group of former cricket captains, including Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar and one of England's longest-serving skippers Sir Alastair Cook, have called on Pakistan to ensure its ex-PM Imran Khan be given proper care while in custody. The cricketer-turned-politician has been in jail since
Fewer than 20 commodity vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz at the weekend, shipping data showed on Monday (August 24, 2026), as Iranian and U.S. blockades restrict traffic through the chokepoint for energy shipments. Four vessels crossed the strait on Sunday (August 23, 2026)
India had asked the United States not to allow reporters to ask questions during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France in June, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said on Saturday
America’s Pacific allies train to face down China together
America’s Pacific allies train to face down China together
America’s Pacific allies train to face down China together
Seven nations deployed a total of 17,000 personnel for an annual exercise in the Philippines that has angered Beijing.
Published on: May 04, 2026 1:55 PM IST WSJ Share via Copy link Seven nations, 17,000 personnel participate in Philippines exercise that has angered Beijing U.S. and Philippine troops take part in a counterlanding drill. PALAWAN, Philippines—U.S. and Philippine Marines shared foxholes covered in palm leaves, machine guns pointing toward the sea off this tropical Pacific island. Australian and New Zealand soldiers were dug into the sand nearby. The troops faced an imagined enemy attempting to land from the South China Sea, the disputed maritime thoroughfare that has become a hotspot in the confrontation between China and America’s allies. To fend off the amphibious assault, U.S. troops launched missiles from the truck-based High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or Himars. Philippines aircraft soared overhead. The troops on the beach shot their weapons. “This was an amazing show of firepower,” U.S. Army Maj. Gen. James Bartholomees told the troops after they were deemed to have repulsed the invaders from the beach. “I’m incredibly impressed with what we saw today.” The counterlanding drill was part of the annual Balikatan exercise, in which the U.S. and Philippine militaries showcase their combined capabilities. The exercise, whose name translates as “shoulder-to-shoulder” from the local Tagalog language, has also become the prime testing ground for expanded cooperation between America’s allies in the Pacific. This year’s iteration of Balikatan, which runs for about two and a half weeks, has seen 17,000 personnel deployed from seven nations. Japanese ground troops are participating for the first time, while Canada and New Zealand joined as new active participants. The U.S. sent about 10,000 service members. France also participated with a small contingent. For Washington, that multilateral show of force is the culmination of a yearslong effort to get its allies in Asia and the Pacific to work more closely together in the face of China’s growing military and territorial ambitions. Chinese and Philippine forces have repeatedly clashed in the South China Sea, where Beijing’s claims overlap with those of the Philippines and other nations. China also aims to absorb the self-governing island of Taiwan and hasn’t ruled out the use of force to do so. The exercise’s military planners said the maneuvers weren’t aimed at any one nation. But the missiles, drone and counterdrone systems and strategic islands involved in Balikatan would be crucial in any conflict with Beijing. Air-defense drills that included the Japanese took place in the Philippines’ main island of Luzon in the north, which would be an important staging ground in any fight over Taiwan. The Trump administration has piled pressure on its allies around the world to take more responsibility for their own defense. However, in contrast to Europe, where the president has questioned the mutual defense provisions of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the administration has taken a less combative approach to its partners in the Asia-Pacific region. In written testimony to Congress last month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth praised Japan and Australia for understanding the need to increase defense spending. He called South Korea a “model ally” for committing to the new global standard for defense spending and taking a more active role in defending against North Korea. Beijing has denounced the multilateral exercises as groundless provocation. “The last thing the region needs is division and confrontation as a result of the introduction of external forces,” a Foreign Ministry spokesman said. Chinese forces recently conducted live-fire drills and held patrols near the Philippines, China’s state-run Global Times reported. Arsenio Andolong, a spokesman for the Philippines Department of National Defense, rejected Beijing’s criticism. “China’s always been saying that we’re the bad guys, we’re the ones causing trouble,” he said. “But if that’s the case, why do so many other nations come to join us when we’re talking about the international rules-based order and deterrence?” If the U.S. were to defend Taiwan against a potential Chinese attack or blockade, it would want access to bases, infrastructure and territory in the Philippines and Japan. Australian facilities could provide logistical support further in the rear. Troops pose with the flags of New Zealand, the Philippines, the U.S. and Australia, as well as a white Balikatan flag. At the same time, there is growing awareness among U.S. allies in the region that it would be difficult to avoid becoming entangled in any conflict over Taiwan or the South China Sea. The war in the Middle East and the economic disruption from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have driven home the importance of international waterways for global trade and the allies’ interest in maintaining freedom of navigation. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi last year warned that Japan could deploy its military with other nations if China were to attack Taiwan. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has said his country would inevitably become drawn in, pointing to the presence of more than 100,000 Filipino workers in Taiwan. Japan sent 1,400 personnel for the Balikatan exercise, its first deployment of combat troops to the Philippines since it invaded in World War II. Lindsey Ford, a former deputy assistant defense secretary for South and Southeast Asia in the Biden administration, said Japan’s growing involvement in particular couldn’t have come at a better time, given America’s current deployments in the Middle East. The U.S. and three key Asia-Pacific allies, the Philippines, Australia and Japan, need “to train and operate together more routinely—and with a focus on real-world, high-end scenarios,” she said. The U.S. has alarmed some Asian allies by pulling assets out of the region for the Middle East in recent years, along with the Trump administration’s renewed focus on the Western Hemisphere, including the capture of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro and strikes on alleged drug boats. “U.S. allies are worried about U.S. military ‘overstretch’ particularly with the Iran conflict,” said Markus Garlauskas, director of the Indo-Pacific Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council. But if allies respond by building up their own military capabilities and relying more on each other, “this is a net gain for deterrence, stability and U.S. interests,” he said. In the Philippines, many officials said they remain confident in the U.S.’s commitment to their mutual defense treaty. The Typhon missile system, an American land-based weapon that puts key Chinese targets within reach from the Philippines, remains deployed in the country and is expected to be part of this year’s exercise, Marines Lt. Gen. Christian Wortman said at Balikatan’s opening ceremony. The counter-landing drill on the island of Palawan also involved artillery, mortars, light armored vehicles and attack drones. Puffs of smoke hung over the ocean and machine-gun fire strafed the water. A U.S. air-defense system fires at a drone during this year's Balikatan. New Zealand Army Capt. Will Hutchinson, whose country is also boosting defense spending, said the scale of the drill and the way the troops were dug in on the beach were new for his soldiers. “We’re obviously a small nation,” he said. “Being able to project force across to other countries and interact with other armies is massive for us.” After the guns fell silent, Philippines Brig. Gen. Willy Manalang said the planners had tried to make the scenario as realistic as possible. The exercise “definitely shows that the Philippines has a lot of friends,” he said. Write to Mike Cherney at mike.cherney@wsj.com Get the latest headlines from US news and global updates from Pakistan, Nepal, UK, Bangladesh, Russia, and get all the latest headlines in one place on Hindustan Times. News/World News/America’s Pacific Allies Train To Face Down China Together See LessPALAWAN, Philippines—U.S. and Philippine Marines shared foxholes covered in palm leaves, machine guns pointing toward the sea off this tropical Pacific island. Australian and New Zealand soldiers were dug into the sand nearby.
The troops faced an imagined enemy attempting to land from the South China Sea, the disputed maritime thoroughfare that has become a hotspot in the confrontation between China and America’s allies.
To fend off the amphibious assault, U.S. troops launched missiles from the truck-based High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or Himars. Philippines aircraft soared overhead. The troops on the beach shot their weapons.
“This was an amazing show of firepower,” U.S. Army Maj. Gen. James Bartholomees told the troops after they were deemed to have repulsed the invaders from the beach. “I’m incredibly impressed with what we saw today.”
The counterlanding drill was part of the annual Balikatan exercise, in which the U.S. and Philippine militaries showcase their combined capabilities. The exercise, whose name translates as “shoulder-to-shoulder” from the local Tagalog language, has also become the prime testing ground for expanded cooperation between America’s allies in the Pacific.
This year’s iteration of Balikatan, which runs for about two and a half weeks, has seen 17,000 personnel deployed from seven nations. Japanese ground troops are participating for the first time, while Canada and New Zealand joined as new active participants. The U.S. sent about 10,000 service members. France also participated with a small contingent.
For Washington, that multilateral show of force is the culmination of a yearslong effort to get its allies in Asia and the Pacific to work more closely together in the face of China’s growing military and territorial ambitions.
Chinese and Philippine forces have repeatedly clashed in the South China Sea, where Beijing’s claims overlap with those of the Philippines and other nations. China also aims to absorb the self-governing island of Taiwan and hasn’t ruled out the use of force to do so.
The exercise’s military planners said the maneuvers weren’t aimed at any one nation. But the missiles, drone and counterdrone systems and strategic islands involved in Balikatan would be crucial in any conflict with Beijing. Air-defense drills that included the Japanese took place in the Philippines’ main island of Luzon in the north, which would be an important staging ground in any fight over Taiwan.
The Trump administration has piled pressure on its allies around the world to take more responsibility for their own defense. However, in contrast to Europe, where the president has questioned the mutual defense provisions of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the administration has taken a less combative approach to its partners in the Asia-Pacific region.
In written testimony to Congress last month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth praised Japan and Australia for understanding the need to increase defense spending. He called South Korea a “model ally” for committing to the new global standard for defense spending and taking a more active role in defending against North Korea.
Beijing has denounced the multilateral exercises as groundless provocation. “The last thing the region needs is division and confrontation as a result of the introduction of external forces,” a Foreign Ministry spokesman said. Chinese forces recently conducted live-fire drills and held patrols near the Philippines, China’s state-run Global Times reported.
Arsenio Andolong, a spokesman for the Philippines Department of National Defense, rejected Beijing’s criticism. “China’s always been saying that we’re the bad guys, we’re the ones causing trouble,” he said. “But if that’s the case, why do so many other nations come to join us when we’re talking about the international rules-based order and deterrence?”
If the U.S. were to defend Taiwan against a potential Chinese attack or blockade, it would want access to bases, infrastructure and territory in the Philippines and Japan. Australian facilities could provide logistical support further in the rear.
At the same time, there is growing awareness among U.S. allies in the region that it would be difficult to avoid becoming entangled in any conflict over Taiwan or the South China Sea. The war in the Middle East and the economic disruption from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have driven home the importance of international waterways for global trade and the allies’ interest in maintaining freedom of navigation.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi last year warned that Japan could deploy its military with other nations if China were to attack Taiwan. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has said his country would inevitably become drawn in, pointing to the presence of more than 100,000 Filipino workers in Taiwan.
Japan sent 1,400 personnel for the Balikatan exercise, its first deployment of combat troops to the Philippines since it invaded in World War II.
Lindsey Ford, a former deputy assistant defense secretary for South and Southeast Asia in the Biden administration, said Japan’s growing involvement in particular couldn’t have come at a better time, given America’s current deployments in the Middle East.
The U.S. and three key Asia-Pacific allies, the Philippines, Australia and Japan, need “to train and operate together more routinely—and with a focus on real-world, high-end scenarios,” she said.
The U.S. has alarmed some Asian allies by pulling assets out of the region for the Middle East in recent years, along with the Trump administration’s renewed focus on the Western Hemisphere, including the capture of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro and strikes on alleged drug boats.
“U.S. allies are worried about U.S. military ‘overstretch’ particularly with the Iran conflict,” said Markus Garlauskas, director of the Indo-Pacific Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council. But if allies respond by building up their own military capabilities and relying more on each other, “this is a net gain for deterrence, stability and U.S. interests,” he said.
In the Philippines, many officials said they remain confident in the U.S.’s commitment to their mutual defense treaty. The Typhon missile system, an American land-based weapon that puts key Chinese targets within reach from the Philippines, remains deployed in the country and is expected to be part of this year’s exercise, Marines Lt. Gen. Christian Wortman said at Balikatan’s opening ceremony.
The counter-landing drill on the island of Palawan also involved artillery, mortars, light armored vehicles and attack drones. Puffs of smoke hung over the ocean and machine-gun fire strafed the water.
New Zealand Army Capt. Will Hutchinson, whose country is also boosting defense spending, said the scale of the drill and the way the troops were dug in on the beach were new for his soldiers.
“We’re obviously a small nation,” he said. “Being able to project force across to other countries and interact with other armies is massive for us.”
After the guns fell silent, Philippines Brig. Gen. Willy Manalang said the planners had tried to make the scenario as realistic as possible.
The exercise “definitely shows that the Philippines has a lot of friends,” he said.
Write to Mike Cherney at mike.cherney@wsj.com
Source: HindustanTimes
Related Posts: World
Former Australian captain Greg Chappell with the support of 20 other former international skippers appealed to the Pakistan Government led by Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, to provide ‘humane treatment and proper medical care’ for Imran Khan
11 hours ago
The shock resignation of Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran earlier this month has left corporate India's top job vacant. But finding his successor will be no easy task for the country's most revered conglomerate, whose sprawling $300bn empire spans Jaguar Land Rover and Air India as well as
11 hours ago
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian defended a memorandum of understanding with the United States as the best way out of a stalled war. Meanwhile, the new head of the Islamic Republic's top security body warned, in a more forceful tone, of retaliation if neighbouring countries support U.S
11 hours ago
Authorities in China have launched an investigation into reports of formaldehyde being used to preserve the freshness of cabbages for human consumption. Officials in the northeastern Hebei province confirmed that they had verified footage showing individuals dipping cabbages in a solution before
11 hours ago
Three newborns died after a fire that broke out in the neonatal intensive care unit of a government hospital in Maharashtra’s Amravati district in the early hours of Monday, PTI reported. The fire broke out at the Amravati District Women’s Hospital around 3
11 hours ago
Imran's party demands immediate cardiac care for him at Shifa International Hospital Imran's party demands immediate cardiac care for him at Shifa International Hospital Published on: Aug 24, 2026, 11:10:49 IST PTI Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Islamabad
11 hours ago
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s three-day visit to New Delhi in July 2026 for the India-Japan summit appears to have elevated relations between the two Asian countries into a fresh phase of strategic expansion. Ties had already undergone a remarkable transformation over the past decade
11 hours ago
How well do COVID antivirals actually work? Not as well as we thought How well do COVID antivirals actually work? Not as well as we thought Published on: Aug 24, 2026, 11:11:50 IST PTI Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Sydeny, If you're aged over 70
11 hours ago
On Sunday, in a post on X, Wali said the audio contained "explosive evidence" and claimed that Brar admitted his gang had ordered Nijjar's killing, alleging that the assassination was driven by an inter-gang feud. Ottawa: Three years after NIA designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed in
14 hours ago
Until recently, there would have been little to distinguish Vietnam's so-called Justice Tree from the hundreds of others lining the streets of Hanoi. Then the bouquets started piling up. It was here that former politician Nguyen Sy Cuong was driving his BMW in May last year when he veered into the
14 hours ago
Fast-fashion giant Shein says it plans to raise up to HK13.86bn (£1.3bn; $1.77bn) when its shares start trading on the Hong Kong stock market on 1 September. In a filing on Monday, Shein said it will offer nearly 280 million shares for between HK$47.60 and HK$49.50
14 hours ago
A fast-moving, wind-driven wildfire near Reno, Nevada, has forced about 42,000 people to evacuate, while another 45,000 have been urged to prepare to leave. The Hawk Fire has burned 15,040 acres, destroyed some homes and injured six people. Officials declared a state of emergency as the blaze
14 hours ago
Former Indian diplomat Navdeep Suri has raised concerns about the verification process under the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Suri, a retired Indian Foreign Services officer, went through the process in Punjab. It is among the 16 states where the voter roll revision is being
14 hours ago
A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 rattled eastern Japan, including the Tokyo area, early Sunday (August 23, 2026), injuring more than 20 people, most of them slightly, officials said. There was no danger of a tsunami. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency
1 days ago
Chinese humanoid robots broke records set by humans, including beating Usain Bolt’s 100-meter sprint world record, on the opening day of the Olympics-like World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing on Saturday (August 22, 2026). More than 2,000 humanoid robots were participating in the event
1 days ago
One afternoon in 1907, a young accountant named Chandrasekhar Venkata Raman walked into the laboratory of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science at 210 Bowbazar Street in Calcutta. Though he had a passion for the sciences, colonial India offered no stable careers in the field
1 days ago
Three first information reports were filed against 14 identified and more than 200 unidentified persons on Saturday in connection with clashes between the police and student protesters a day earlier, PTI quoted Ranchi Superintendent of Police Paras Rana as saying
1 days ago
Did an Amazon delivery guy assault a 71-year-old man in California? What we know about the attack and lawsuit A California lawsuit alleged that an Amazon delivery driver assaulted a 71-year-old man at an Elk Grove gas station. Updated on: Aug 23, 2026
1 days ago
‘Pure evil’: Videos of mothers splashing water at their kids spark outrage amid Lindsay Clancy trial Social media videos of mothers throwing water at their children have sparked concerns amid Lindsay Clancy's trial. Published on: Aug 23, 2026
1 days ago
The sister of jailed former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday (August 22, 2026) filed a petition in the Supreme Court, accusing the government and senior officials of violating the top court’s order to shift him to a private hospital for medical examination and treatment
1 days ago
The United States and Canada have entered into uncharted territory. The longtime allies and economic partners, who have enjoyed free trade for decades, are now in an escalating trade war with no clear off ramp. And for Prime Minister Mark Carney
1 days ago
Harrisburg weather update: Special Weather Statement issued for central Pennsylvania as thunderstorms bring 40mph wind NWS has issued a Special Weather Statement for Harrisburg and surrounding parts of central Pennsylvania. Published on: Aug 23, 2026
1 days ago
The police in Maharashtra’s Latur have registered a first information report against Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the Cockroach Janta Party political campaign, for allegedly entering a government school without permission, threatening teachers and defaming the institution
1 days ago
The United States and Iran exchanged defiant messages ahead of Monday’s (August 24, 2026) scheduled announcement of new U.S. economic sanctions that could impact the Islamic Republic and Tehran’s most important trading partners including China
1 days ago
Fourteen people were killed in military air strikes at a monastery in Myanmar early on Friday, opposition fighters and a local rescue worker have said. All of those killed were elderly and a number of monks were also injured, the rescue worker told BBC Burmese, adding that the site was struck twice
1 days ago
Deadly airstrikes in Gaza killed at least ten people on Wednesday. These attacks occurred just days after U.S. negotiators asked Israel to reduce its actions. Israeli troops also crossed the Gaza ceasefire line and detained a Hamas official. The ongoing conflict has killed over seventy-three
1 days ago
The Armed Forces Tribunal on Thursday upheld an administrative censure for a brigadier who was commanding a sector of the Rashtriya Rifles in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district in December 2023 when three civilians died during an interrogation following a militant attack
1 days ago
