Philippine President Marcos to visit US
"We are working with the U.S. State Department to finalize the details of the visit," the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
Jose Manuel Romualdez, the Philippine ambassador to the United States, told AFP Friday that Marcos is set to meet with US President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to discuss "defense and economic ties".
Manila and Washington have deepened their cooperation since Marcos took office in 2022 and began pushing back on Beijing's South China Sea claims.
Bound by a 1951 mutual defence treaty, the two allies conduct frequent maritime exercises in the disputed waterway with Washington warning that it is committed to defend the Philippines if Filipino forces or vessels come under attack.
It will be the first official visit of Marcos to the United States since Trump took office.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Tribune
3 hours ago
- Daily Tribune
Putin holds 'constructive' talks with US envoy Witkoff ahead of sanctions deadline: Kremlin
Russian President Vladimir Putin held "constructive" talks with US envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow yesterday, the Kremlin said, two days ahead of a US deadline for Russia to halt its Ukraine offensive or face fresh sanctions. US President Donald Trump, who had boasted he could end the conflict within 24 hours of taking office, has given Russia until Friday to make progress towards peace or face new penalties. But three rounds of Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul have failed to make headway on a ceasefire, with the two sides far apart in their demands. Russia has escalated drone and missile attacks against its pro-Western neighbour to a record high and accelerated its advance on the ground. "A quite useful and constructive conversation took place," Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov told journalists, including AFP, after the three hour meeting. Putin and Witkoff exchanged "signals" on their positions, Ushakov said, without elaborating. The Kremlin released video of Putin shaking hands with Witkoff at the start of the meeting. Ahead of the talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Washington to increase its pressure on Moscow to agree to a ceasefire.
Daily Tribune
3 hours ago
- Daily Tribune
Israeli airline's Paris offices daubed with red paint, slogans
AFP | Red paint and slogans were daubed at the entry to the offices of national Israeli airline El Al in Paris, with Israel Thursday urging French authorities to take action over the "barbaric act". Anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian slogans and inscriptions, including "Free Palestine" and "El Al Genocide Airline", were written on the entrance which was also daubed with red paint as well as the pavement overnight Wednesday to Thursday. "I condemn the barbaric and violent act against El Al and expect the law enforcement authorities in France to locate the criminals and take strong action against them," Israel's Transport Minister Miri Regev wrote on X. She said the act was the result of announcements by President Emmanuel Macron that "make gifts to" Palestinian militant group Hamas, in apparent reference to his announcement last month that France plans to recognise a Palestinian state. Israel's ambassador to France Joshua Zarka visited the scene, describing the vandalism as an "act of terrorism" that aims to "terrorise El Al employees, terrorise Israeli citizens, scare them and try to make them feel that they are not welcome." According to El Al, quoted by Israeli TV channel N12, "the incident occurred while the building was empty and there was no danger to the company's employees." "El Al proudly displays the Israeli flag on the tail of its aircraft and condemns all forms of violence, particularly those based on anti-Semitism," the national airline added. In early June, several Jewish sites in Paris were sprayed with green paint. Three Serbs were charged and placed under arrest and are suspected by investigators of acting to serve the interests of a foreign power, possibly Russia. The October 2023 by Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the war between Israel and Hamas resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, the majority of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Out of 251 hostages seized during Hamas's attack, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. The Israeli offensive has killed at least 61,158 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to figures from the Gaza health ministry which are considered reliable by the United Nations.
Daily Tribune
a day ago
- Daily Tribune
Expanded Gaza war risks ‘catastrophic consequences'
AFP | United Nations A top UN official warned yesterday that expanding Israeli military operations inside Gaza would risk 'catastrophic consequences,' as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly considered total occupation of the Palestinian territory. A widening of the war 'would risk catastrophic consequences for millions of Palestinians and could further endanger the lives of the remaining hostages in Gaza,' Miroslav Jenca, UN assistant secretary-general for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, told a Security Council meeting. 'There is no military solution to the conflict in Gaza or the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict,' Jenca said. During a visit to an army training facility earlier yesterday, Netanyahu said: 'It is necessary to complete the defeat of the enemy in Gaza, to free all our hostages and to ensure that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel.' Over the 22 months of war, Israeli forces have devastated large parts of the Gaza Strip, where repeated warnings of famine have increased pressure on Netanyahu's government to halt the fighting. The war was sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to a tally based on official figures.
