Latest news with #CoastGuard
Saudi Gazette
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
US defense secretary warns China poses 'real and imminent' threat to Indo-Pacific stability
SINGAPORE — US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a stark warning at a major international security forum on Saturday, calling China's military threat "real and imminent" while urging Indo-Pacific nations to step up their own defense efforts against mounting pressure from Beijing. Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Hegseth accused China of aggressively preparing to invade Taiwan and using its growing influence in regions as far-flung as Latin America and the South China Sea to challenge global stability. 'China's army is rehearsing for the real deal,' Hegseth said. 'We are not going to sugarcoat it — the threat China poses is real. And it could be imminent.' The remarks drew a sharp rebuke from China's delegation. Rear Adm. Hu Gangfeng dismissed the comments as 'groundless accusations,' claiming they aimed to 'provoke trouble, incite division, and stir up confrontation' in the Asia-Pacific region. Hegseth stressed that the United States remains committed to defending Taiwan, pointing to Beijing's recent military exercises that simulate blockades around the island. He described the Chinese military buildup as 'not just aspirational' but as clear evidence of daily training for invasion. He also flagged China's assertive moves in the South China Sea and warned of its ambitions over the Panama Canal and strategic infrastructure in Latin America. In response, the U.S. will continue strengthening its deterrence in the region — a goal pursued by previous administrations but often undermined by resource shifts to crises in the Middle East and Europe. The Trump administration recently diverted a Patriot missile battalion from the Indo-Pacific to the Middle East and redeployed Coast Guard assets to the U.S.-Mexico border. Pressed on this contradiction, Hegseth defended the decisions as necessary in the face of global threats but reiterated that the Indo-Pacific remains the strategic priority. Hegseth called on regional allies to match European defense spending goals of at least 5% of GDP, arguing that collective action was key to deterring Chinese aggression. 'We must all do our part,' he said. 'A strong, resolute and capable network of allies and partners is our key strategic advantage.' Australia's Defense Minister Richard Marles echoed that sentiment, saying, 'There is no effective balance of power in this region absent the United States, but we cannot leave it to the United States alone.' However, U.S. trade policy under Trump — including steep tariffs on Asia-Pacific nations — drew criticism. Marles noted the 'shock and disruption' of those tariffs, while European Union diplomat Kaja Kallas pushed back on Hegseth's call for Europe to focus solely on its region. Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth, attending the conference, clarified that the U.S. was not forcing nations to choose between Washington and Beijing, a point Hegseth himself blurred by warning that economic dependence on China 'deepens their malign influence.' Beijing sent a lower-level delegation to this year's summit, a symbolic snub linked to rising tensions over U.S. tariffs. In contrast, Hegseth said the U.S. was expanding its diplomatic and defense outreach to both traditional and non-traditional allies. 'We're opening our arms to countries across the spectrum,' he said, emphasizing that U.S. support would not hinge on alignment over cultural or climate issues. — Agencies
Hindustan Times
5 hours ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Indian Coast Guard evacuates heart attack-stricken captain from foreign vessel at sea
Offering humanitarian aid at midnight, an Indian Coast Guard team evacuated a "heart attack-stricken captain" from a Bahamas-flagged vessel at sea, officials on Saturday said. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) shared this information in a post on X and also shared some photos. Also Read: Coast Guard rescues crew as Liberian cargo ship lists sharply off Kochi "In a midnight rescue operation @IndiaCoastGuard Station #Kakinada coordinated a life saving medical evacuation operation. #ICGS 430 swiftly sailed at 0110hrs on 30 May 25 and evacuated a heart attack-stricken captain from MV #SWBLY a #Bahamas Flag vessel," it said. Also Read: Coast Guard in 'highest level of readiness' The ICG further said that the patient has been shifted to a hospital. "Patient safely brought to shore & shifted to #Apollo Hospitals #Kakinada #LifeSavingOps #WeProtect #SafeSeas," it said. Kakinada is a port city in Andhra Pradesh.
The Hill
6 hours ago
- General
- The Hill
Titan submersible items that survived the implosion
(NewsNation) — When the Titan submersible imploded, no survivors were found. Now, nearly two years later, the U.S. Coast Guard has revealed that they found items that survived the implosion. Officials found a still-intact ink pen and other items while going through the remains of the Titan submersible. In a TikTok video shared by Discovery, a member of the Coast Guard talked about the recovery process and revealed how the pen was found. The pen allegedly belonged to OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush. Investigators also found business cards, Titanic-themed stickers, remnants of clothing and human remains. All of those items have been cataloged by the Coast Guard's Marine Board of Investigation. The Coast Guard official in the video explained, 'Items that were inside of the Titan at the time now become encased inside of the endcap.' After the submersible was drained of all its water, officials were able to go through its 'sludge-like' remains of carbon fiber, fiberglass and electronic parts. This is where they found part of Rush's suit still intact. 'We were all just kind of getting all-hands-in and separating what needed to be considered as human remains and what was just other wreckage pieces. As we were pulling it apart, that is how we realized it was Mr. Rush's clothing,' the Coast Guard official said. The Titan pilot's clothing was allegedly found caked in sand. This is where they found the ink pen and other items. 'Inside of that sleeve … it was the ink pen, business cards and stickers for the Titanic, and there was nothing else but that,' the official said in the video. In February 2025, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released an audio recording of what it believes was the moment the submersible imploded. According to NOAA, the sound came from a moored passive acoustic recorder around 900 miles from the implosion site. The sound of static can be heard in the 23-second recording, followed by a boom, then more static. The Titan had lost contact after an hour and 45 minutes, with officials spending four days searching for the submersible — that is, until evidence was found on the ocean floor of the implosion. Along with Rush, four other people were killed on the Titan: Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman Dawood. OceanGate stopped operations after the implosion. An investigation by Wired showed that Rush had allegedly overstated the timeline for the project and lied about issues with the hull of the vessel. The OceanGate Titan submersible was made of carbon fiber and titanium. It was supposed to take paying customers down to the wreckage of the Titanic, which is over 12,000 feet underneath the water's surface. The implosion killed all five people on board in June 2023. Rush was one of the driving forces behind creating the OceanGate Titan and using it for tourism purposes. The debris is still being examined by the Marine Board of Investigation.
USA Today
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Love reading about love? Try these new romance books this summer
Love reading about love? Try these new romance books this summer Romance readers have had no shortage of books to devour this year, with new releases from favorite authors and new obsessions. Already, fans have flocked to read 'Great Big Beautiful Life' by Emily Henry, 'Flirting Lessons' by Jasmine Guillory, 'Summer in the City' by Alex Aster, 'Wild and Wrangled' by Lyla Sage and 'Scythe & Sparrow' by Brynne Weaver. The pool of heartwarming (and often steamy) stories is only getting bigger as we dip into summer. Marie Rutkoski's 'Ordinary Love' (June 10) shows love is anything but simple when two high school lovers run into each other as adults. Danica Nava's 'Love is a War Song' (July 22) follows a disgraced pop star and grumpy ranch hand while Brigitte Knightley's romantasy 'The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy' (July 8) introduces a new enemies-to-lovers couple. Then there are new installments in beloved series, including 'Worth Fighting For' by Jesse Q. Sutanto (out now from the Meant To Be series), 'Rewind It Back' by Liz Tomforde (out now from the Windy City series). Jane L. Rosen's 'Songs of Summer' (out now from The Fire Island trilogy) and Simone Soltani's 'Ride with Me' (out now from Lights Out series). Here are 10 more romance novels we're excited to swoon over: 'The Love Haters' by Katherine Center (out now) Video producer Katie is faced with a choice: lose her job, or take a gig profiling Hutch, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer (and the hottest man ever). It seems like an easy choice — only Katie can't swim. She and coworker Cole (Hutch's brother and rival, BTW) head to Key West, where Katie quickly finds herself in uncharted waters in more ways than one. 'Problematic Summer Romance' by Ali Hazelwood (out now) Not even four months after publishing her last USA TODAY bestseller, "Deep End," Ali Hazelwood is returning with another steamy romance. Maya is 23 and a struggling grad student while Connor is 38 and a successful biotech businessman. He's also Maya's brother's best friend, and the crush Maya can't get out of her head. Their age gap is problematic and they both know it. But when Maya's brother sets his wedding in Italy, Maya and Connor are forced to acknowledge that the attraction between them isn't going away. 'Till Summer Do Us Part' by Meghan Quinn (out now) Scottie Price just started a new job and she's the only woman on the team. In a desperate attempt to impress her boss, she pretends to be married just like everyone else she works with. When she has to manifest a husband, her best friend provides a solution: Her millionaire brother who's obsessed with improv. Wilder Wells teaches Scottie the main rule of improv - always say yes – and agrees to go along on an eight-day trip with Scottie and all her co-workers. What could go wrong? 'It's A Love Story' by Annabel Monaghan (out now) It's a forced proximity romance! Child TV star-turned-Hollywood producer Jane is working hard to be taken seriously in her career. In an attempt to get her first project greenlit, she promises to include an original song by pop icon Jack Quinlan, who just so happens to be the guy she hasn't seen since he gave Jane her first kiss two decades ago. To convince him, she begrudgingly enlists the help of pretentious cinematographer Dan, who has a connection to the musician. But can Jane survive a week staying in close quarters in Dan's hometown? 'My Best Friend's Honeymoon' by Meryl Wilsner (out now) The author of 'Cleat Cute' and 'Mistakes Were Made' returns with a spicy romance about two lifelong best friends who find love when they go on an unexpected trip. After Elsie Hoffman breaks off her engagement to her college boyfriend, she takes her best friend on her nonrefundable honeymoon vacation. Ginny Holtz has been in love with Elsie for almost 15 years, and they take the trip as an opportunity to help Elsie find out what happiness means to her. Only Ginny never expected Elsie's happily ever after involved them. 'One Golden Summer' by Carley Fortune (out now) When Alice was 17, she spent one magical summer at her grandmother's lake cottage. A budding photographer, her teenage self snapped a photo of three teenagers on a speedboat. Fast forward to adulthood, Alice takes photos for a living. But she's been hiding behind the lens and now wants more for herself. She heads back to the cottage with her grandmother, where she meets a familiar face: Charlie, the boy from that photo she shot all those years ago. He's a mega-flirt, and Alice finds herself wishing she could return to the simplicity of her teenhood. 'Winging It With You' by Chip Pons (out June 10) Asher was supposed to be boarding a flight with his boyfriend to go on an "Amazing Race"-esque competition show — too bad said boyfriend just dumped him. Processing his fresh breakup from the airport TGI Fridays bar, Asher has a chance encounter with Theo, a workaholic pilot who's being forced to prove he can have a work-life balance. The two hatch a plot to pretend to date for the sake of the reality show. But could actual feelings be taking flight? 'Sounds Like Love' by Ashley Poston (out June 17) Songwriter Joni Lark heads from the hustle of Los Angeles to her North Carolina beach hometown in search of the answer to the emptiness and writer's block she's been feeling lately. When a musical voice in her head turns out to be a telepathic connection with an arrogant musician, the two plan to finish the song that's running through both of their heads in order to break their link. But what if it does the opposite? 'When Javi Dumped Mari' by Mia Sosa (out June 24) We'll have what she's having in USA TODAY bestseller Mia Sosa's latest romance. This one follows BFFs Javier and Marisol, who vow on the eve of their college graduation to never date someone the other doesn't like. Fast forward nearly a decade, Mari has gone back on that promise: She's engaged without even introducing Javi to the groom-to-be. Even worse? Javi's been secretly in love with her since sophomore year. 'The Re-Write' by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn (out Aug. 12) You've heard of enemies-to-lovers, now get ready for loves-to-enemies-to-lovers. Aspiring author Temi and charming charity worker Wale instantly fall for each other and begin dating — until Wale drops her to go on a "Love Island"-esque reality dating show. As he gains fame as the show's bad boy, Temi focuses on writing her dream rom-com novel starring a plus-size Black woman. But publishers keep passing on her book, and with bills piling up, Temi accepts an opportunity to ghost-write a celebrity memoir. That celebrity? Wale. Up against a tight deadline, can the two re-write their unhappy ending?
South Wales Guardian
13 hours ago
- Politics
- South Wales Guardian
Hegseth: US will stand by Indo-Pacific allies against ‘imminent' China threat
He said Washington will bolster its defences overseas to counter what the Pentagon sees as rapidly developing threats by Beijing, particularly in its aggressive stance towards Taiwan. China has conducted numerous exercises to test what a blockade would look like of the self-governing island, which Beijing claims as its own and the US has pledged to defend. China's army 'is rehearsing for the real deal', Mr Hegseth said in a keynote speech at a security conference in Singapore. 'We are not going to sugarcoat it — the threat China poses is real. And it could be imminent.' China has a stated goal of having its military have the capability to take Taiwan by force if necessary by 2027, a deadline that is seen by experts as more of an aspirational goal than a hard war deadline. But China also has built sophisticated man-made islands in the South China Sea to support new military outposts and developed highly advanced hypersonic and space capabilities, which are driving the US to create its own space-based Golden Dome missile defences. Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue, a global security conference hosted by the International Institute for Security Studies, Mr Hegseth said China is no longer just building up its military forces to take Taiwan, it's 'actively training for it, every day'. Mr Hegseth also called out China for its ambitions in Latin America, particularly its efforts to increase its influence over the Panama Canal. He urged countries in the region to increase defence spending to levels similar to the 5% of their gross domestic product European nations are now pressed to contribute. 'We must all do our part,' Mr Hegseth said. He also repeated a pledge made by previous administrations to bolster US military capabilities in the Indo-Pacific to provide a more robust deterrent. While both the Obama and Biden administrations had also committed to pivoting to the Pacific and established new military agreements throughout the region, a full shift has never been realised. Instead, US military resources from the Indo-Pacific have been regularly pulled to support military needs in the Middle East and Europe, especially since the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. In the first few months of president Donald Trump's second term, that has also been the case. In the last few months the Trump administration has taken a Patriot missile defence battalion out of the Indo-Pacific in order to send it to the Middle East, a massive logistical operation that required more than 73 military cargo aircraft flights, and sent Coast Guard ships back to the US to help defend the US-Mexico border. Mr Hegseth was asked why the US pulled those resources if the Indo-Pacific is the priority theatre for the US. He did not directly answer but said the shift of resources was necessary to defend against Houthi missile attacks launched from Yemen, and to bolster protections against illegal immigration into the US. At the same time, he stressed the need for American allies and partners to step up their own defence spending and preparations, saying the US was not interested in going it alone. 'Ultimately a strong, resolute and capable network of allies and partners is our key strategic advantage,' he said. 'China envies what we have together, and it sees what we can collectively bring to bear on defence, but it's up to all of us to ensure that we live up to that potential by investing.' The Indo-Pacific nations caught in between have tried to balance relations with both the US and China over the years. Beijing is the primary trading partner for many, but is also feared as a regional bully, in part due to its increasingly aggressive claims on natural resources such as critical fisheries. Mr Hegseth cautioned that playing both sides, seeking US military support and Chinese economic support, carries risk. 'Economic dependence on China only deepens their malign influence and complicates our defense decision space during times of tension,' Mr Hegseth said. China usually sends its own defence minister to this conference, but Dong Jun did not attend this year in a snub to the US and the erratic tariff war Mr Trump has ignited with Beijing, something the US delegation said it intended to capitalise on. 'We are here this morning. And somebody else isn't,' Mr Hegseth said. Mr Hegseth was asked by a member of the Chinese delegation, made up of lower level officers from the National Defence University, how committed it would be to regional alliances. In some, China has a more dominant influence. Mr Hegseth said the US would be open to engaging with any countries willing to work with it. 'We are not going to look only inside the confines of how previous administrations looked at this region,' he said. 'We're opening our arms to countries across the spectrum — traditional allies, non-traditional allies.' Mr Hegseth said committing US support for Indo-Pacific nations would not require local governments to align with the West on cultural or climate issues. It is not clear if the US can or wants to supplant China as the region's primary economic driver. But Mr Hegseth's push follows Mr Trump's visit to the Middle East, which resulted in billions of dollars in new defence agreements.
