Latest news with #USMarines
CBS News
5 days ago
- General
- CBS News
U.S. ramps up its military footprint in Australia as tensions with China rise
Townsville Field Training Area, Queensland, Australia — The U.S. is expanding its military presence in northern Australia as it looks to project power and provide a deterrence against the increasing threat of China in the Asia-Pacific. China's President Xi Jinping is thought to have ordered his armed forces to be ready to invade the island of Taiwan by 2027, if necessary, raising fears of a conflict that could draw in American forces. In response to Beijing's expanding footprint in the region, the U.S. has seen Australia, a country located around two-and-a-half-thousand miles south of China, as a key strategic partner. U.S. Marines participate in joint military drills in Australia. CBS News In 2012, the first deployment of roughly 200 U.S. Marines rotated through the country's Northern Territory. Now it's close to 2,500 each year. The U.S. military presence is now at its biggest since 1945 at the end of the Second World War. CBS News gained access to a U.S. Marine Corps exercise, including Australian and Japanese allies in the rugged outback, as preparations against Chinese aggression ramps up. The exercise involved Australian troops playing the role of enemy combatants who attack a platoon of U.S. Marines. The drill was conducted by more than 500 U.S. Marines and over 2,000 troops in total, across an area bigger than the state of Maryland. "Knowing how one another works is of the utmost importance and being ready to respond is something critical," Major Nicholas Foust, the officer commanding the exercise with U.S. Marine Rotational Force-Darwin, told CBS News. Military experts say a Chinese invasion of Taiwan is not inevitable and that China may want to avoid war, especially with the U.S. But China's armed forces are going through an unprecedented modernization — from aircraft carriers to hypersonic missiles. While the key goal for the U.S. and its allies in the region is to deter any potential Chinese aggression, Brigadier Ben McLennan, commander of the Australian Defence Force's 3rd Brigade, told CBS News that they are preparing for the worst possible outcome. "Every time you commit to an exercise like this, it is a rehearsal — and you treat it as your last opportunity to do so before war arrives," he said. "A rehearsal for a war the likes of which we haven't seen since the Second World War."
CBS News
27-05-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Teen paralyzed in shooting graduates from Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School: "Just happy, man"
Just five weeks after being paralyzed in a shooting outside his home, the 18-year-old proudly rolled across the graduation stage in his wheelchair Tuesday night during a ceremony at the Ocean Bank Convention Center on the Florida International University campus. Milestone in Johnson's life The moment marked a milestone Nehemiah Johnson and his family feared might not come. What was almost a tragedy became a moment of triumph and testimony. Johnson, who had been hospitalized at Jackson Memorial Hospital after being shot outside his Northwest Miami-Dade home on April 21, accepted his diploma from Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School to cheers and support from the crowd. When asked how he felt about getting his diploma, Johnson said, "That's my goal. Feeling real good for that." Before the shooting, Johnson had been the captain of the varsity basketball team and had enlisted in the U.S. Marines. Reflecting on the past few months, Johnson shared the emotional toll the experience has taken. "For these last couple months, it's been a little up and down, but I'm feeling real blessed and happy to be here," he said. When asked about the future, Johnson shared that while the Marines had been the plan, things have shifted. "Things change. So I'm trying to go to college now. I'm trying to stay offbeat," he said. "I'm just going with the flow and seeing what things take me." Surrounded by friends, family and coaches, Johnson said, "I feel real good. It's a lot of, it's a lot of support everywhere, friends, family, my coaches. I'm just happy, man." A mother's gratitude and hope His mother, Naytalia, expressed her overwhelming gratitude and pride. "I feel good about it. I'm thankful and grateful that he's here for graduation, and we're very thankful that he's here today," she said. "Bright future, we hope still, yes, still bright future. He's planning to go to college. He got some options open, so yeah." She added, "We're just feeling amazed. Uh, we're thankful for them, thinking about him, the heat, thinking about him, the school thinking about him. I'm thankful for my pastor. He's been with us every step of the way. Um, we're just grateful. We're grateful." "We're not at a funeral. We're at a graduation." Pastor Jackson Smith, who's been closely supporting the family, said the night was nothing short of a blessing. "Super proud, super proud, super grateful that we're not at a funeral, we're at a graduation, and day by day, he's getting better. And we know that all his dreams are going to come true, and this is just the start of what God is going to do," Smith said. Case remains unsolved The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office said the shooting occurred at 10:51 p.m. on April 21 near N.W. 28th Avenue and 87th Terrace. Johnson's mother believes it was a case of mistaken identity. She said her son was shot while cleaning out her car. There are still no new leads in the case. When asked about justice, Johnson said, "Yeah, yes, I'm. I'm not too rare about who shot me. I'm just running about hitting that's it." Anyone with information is urged to contact Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (8477).
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cerberus eyes Darwin Port, says Chinese port operator, amid Australia's local ownership push
By Kirsty Needham SYDNEY (Reuters) - U.S. private equity firm Cerberus has shown interest in acquiring the lease for Darwin Port, a senior executive of the port's Chinese operator said on Tuesday, amid a push by the Australian government for the port to be returned to domestic ownership. Terry O'Connor, Australia non-executive director of Chinese company Landbridge, which operates Darwin Port, told Reuters that a Cerberus executive met with the port's Chief Executive Peter Dummett a fortnight ago and expressed interest, but had not yet spoken with Landbridge's board. Cerberus did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. Landbridge has previously said the port is not for sale, and that it had not discussed the matter with the Australian government. China's ambassador to Canberra criticised on Sunday Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's election pledge last month to return the strategically located northern port to local ownership. The Northern Territory government sold the port's 99-year lease to Landbridge for $506 million in 2015, a move criticised by the U.S. president at the time, Barack Obama. Around 2,000 U.S. Marines conduct exercises for six months of the year in the northern city of Darwin, where the U.S. and Australia are expanding air bases to host U.S. bombers. The Australian newspaper first reported on Tuesday that Cerberus Capital Management, founded by billionaire investor Stephen Feinberg who was appointed U.S. deputy secretary of defence in March, was preparing a formal proposal to buy the port. "The Chinese enterprise concerned obtained the lease of Darwin Port through the market, and their legitimate rights and interests should be fully protected," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Tuesday at a regular press conference, replying to a question about Darwin Port. The Australian federal government is running a separate process to identify potential Australian buyers and investors for the port. "There have been numerous meetings with potential proponents for the Port of Darwin," said federal lawmaker Luke Gosling, the special envoy for defence and Northern Australia, in a statement to Reuters. "We'll work through that process methodically," he added. The Northern Territory's treasurer Bill Yan told parliament last week the port must be ready for "heavier defence logistics, the surge in critical mineral exports and the growing LNG cargoes", and operate in "Australian interests". Yan's office did not respond to a request for comment. Australian Strategic Policy Institute director of national security programs, John Coyne, said Landbridge deciding to sell the port for profit would be an easier pathway for the Albanese government than if it were required to intervene to break the lease on national security grounds, which would draw a backlash from China. "Beijing would not be happy with a divestment of an asset like this," he said, adding China could discourage other foreign investment in Australia. Sign in to access your portfolio
Wall Street Journal
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
The U.S. Reinforces Europe's Northern Front, Fearing War With Russia
GOTLAND, Sweden—At the crack of dawn, a dozen U.S. Marines recently took position in a field on this sleepy Swedish island about 200 miles from the Russian city of Kaliningrad and fired their mobile rocket system. The dummy munitions splashed into the Baltic Sea, yet they sent a message to Russia: Even as President Trump has thrown NATO into a historic crisis by questioning its efficacy, in Northern Europe, the U.S. military is doubling down.
NHK
26-05-2025
- NHK
US Marines arrested in Okinawa in traffic incidents
Police in Okinawa arrested a US Marine Monday on suspicion of drunk driving. One day earlier, a US military member was arrested in a hit-and-run case. Police identified the drunk driving suspect as Marine Corporal Adrian Xavier Sanchez, who resides at Camp Schwab. They say officers stopped Sanchez who was driving unstably in Okinawa City. An alcohol test on the corporal showed that his alcohol level was above the legal limit. The 23-year-old Sanchez reportedly told investigators that he thought he had sobered up. A 20-year-old Marine lance corporal was arrested Sunday on suspicion of involvement in a hit-and-run accident. Four people, including a 7-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl, sustained minor injuries. The lance corporal is suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol. Other recent arrests of US Marines in Okinawa include one in relation to a lewd act and one for home intrusion. Okinawa Governor Tamaki Denny told reporters on Monday that criminal cases involving US personnel will keep occurring unless US military leaders act with the understanding that people in Okinawa are constantly living in anxiety. Tamaki also said he told prefectural officials to strongly urge the US military to prevent even minor incidents.
