Rear Admiral Alfonso Torres Jnr will replace Vice-Admiral Alberto Carlos as chief of the Western Command on Palawan island.

The project will see the construction of military barracks and other infrastructure aimed at countering China’s activities in the disputed waters.

US and Taiwanese forces hold rare joint drills in move experts say is sign Washington is trying to assert its support for island’s defence without dealing major blow to relations with mainland China.

Activists and analysts expressed concern the deployment of the Typhon mid-range missile system could provoke retaliation from Beijing.

Analysts say the months-long presence of two Chinese warships at Cambodia’s recently expanded Ream Naval Base points to a new transit point for China’s military ‘to stop, rest, refuel, and resupply’.

Ely Ratner, US Defence Department’s chief for Indo-Pacific security, expresses “serious concern” in video link with Major General Li Bin of China’s Central Military Commission.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to launch a full-scale ground operation in Rafah in a bid to dismantle the remaining battalions of Hamas.

The leader was due to visit Spain and Portugal, but the visits are on hold as Kyiv faces what analysts describe as one of its most perilous moments in the war.

Increased patrols come after discovery of crushed corals near Sabina Shoal, as analyst says the move shows Manila is preparing for potential escalation of tensions.

Nearly 40 officers from the Philippine armed forces took part in a military exchange programme with China that started from 2008.

This is the group’s second attempt at resupplying the fishermen after a failed try in December when Chinese vessels tailed the group’s main ship.

Blinken’s unannounced trip to Kyiv comes just weeks after US Congress finally approved a US$61 billion financial aid package for Ukraine after months of political wrangling.

David McBride’s leaks to the media led to revelations about Australian soldiers’ involvement in the illegal killings of unarmed Afghan men and children.

Japan’s defence minister confirmed the footage was real and said Tokyo was taking the drone intrusion ‘extremely seriously’ – more than six weeks after the video first appeared online.

The Philippines has deployed a patrol ship to deter Chinese activities in an area near the Sabina Shoal after it found crushed reefs.

Pyongyang on Monday warned the UK, Canada, Germany, France, New Zealand and Australia to immediately stop their ‘blatant military intervention’ under the pretext of monitoring UN sanctions violations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin tapped a civilian economist as his surprise new defence minister in an attempt to gird Russia for economic war by trying to better utilise the defence budget and harness greater innovation to win in Ukraine.

Although convicted hacker Su Bin ‘may have had improper connection to (Chinese) agents this was unknown to our client’.

Announcement from the PLA’s Southern Theatre Command comes a day after the end of annual US-Philippine Balikatan drills in the area.

New Delhi isn’t ‘overly concerned’ by the development, analysts say – unless Dhaka decides to grant access to Chinese warships and submarines.

The armed forces’ modernisation, spurred by maritime skirmishes with China, has seen it acquire military assets and revamp its defence strategy.

In a letter to the navy and air force chiefs, 13 Congress members said ‘China can attack all US bases in the region’, demanding the Pentagon boost passive defences.

A survey found over 70 per cent of Okinawans are against the new base, but analysts say the opposition is unlikely to sway Tokyo’s position.

Of the three Aukus aspirants, New Zealand would likely find it easiest to slot into the pact’s security framework – and all would face opposition from China.

However, the US State Department report stops short of saying military aid should be cut off, citing lack of evidence due to the chaos of war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a “fierce battle” was under way after Moscow launched a surprise new offensive on Friday morning.

India pulled out its last remaining soldiers stationed in the Maldives on Friday, meeting a deadline for their withdrawal that had strained ties between the two neighbours.

The wartime destruction of Gaza and killing of thousands has highlighted the role of the United States, Israel’s biggest arms supplier.