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Philippines, US, Japanese Planes Drill over Bashi Channel

This handout photo taken on February 26, 2026 and released on February 27 by the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Public Affairs Office (AFP-PAO) shows a Philippine air force FA-50 fighter jet (L) flying alongside a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft during a joint military exercise in the disputed South China Sea. Handout / AFP
This handout photo taken on February 26, 2026 and released on February 27 by the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Public Affairs Office (AFP-PAO) shows a Philippine air force FA-50 fighter jet (L) flying alongside a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft during a joint military exercise in the disputed South China Sea. Handout / AFP
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Philippines, US, Japanese Planes Drill over Bashi Channel

This handout photo taken on February 26, 2026 and released on February 27 by the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Public Affairs Office (AFP-PAO) shows a Philippine air force FA-50 fighter jet (L) flying alongside a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft during a joint military exercise in the disputed South China Sea. Handout / AFP
This handout photo taken on February 26, 2026 and released on February 27 by the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Public Affairs Office (AFP-PAO) shows a Philippine air force FA-50 fighter jet (L) flying alongside a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft during a joint military exercise in the disputed South China Sea. Handout / AFP

The Philippine, US and Japanese militaries conducted joint exercises this week over the Bashi Channel that separates the Philippines from Taiwan, officials said Friday.

Aircraft from the three nations patrolled over the Philippines' northernmost Batanes islands in drills aimed at showcasing their "ability to operate seamlessly together in complex maritime environments", the Philippine military said in a statement.

It marks the first time that so-called Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activities (MMCAs) involving the countries have expanded beyond the South China Sea, where the Philippines and China have engaged in repeated clashes over disputed territory.

Little more than 100 kilometers (60 miles) separates the Philippines and self-ruled Taiwan, which China views as its territory and has not ruled out taking by force.

"Air operations were conducted within airspace over Philippine territory and its territorial sea, north of Luzon," the Philippine military said in a statement, adding naval vessels had stayed west of the Batanes island chain.

Armed forces public affairs chief Colonel Xerxes Trinidad told AFP it was the "first time" MMCA operations had been conducted in the "said operational box".

The military's statement said that box extended "up to the northern tip of Luzon, particularly Mavulis Island", which hosts small Philippine navy and marine detachments.

China's military reacted angrily to the drills on Friday.

"The Philippines co-opted countries outside the region to organize the so-called joint patrols, disrupting peace and stability in the region," said Zhai Shichen, spokesperson for the PLA's Southern Theater Command.

He added that China had conducted a "routine patrol" of the South China Sea from February 23 to 26.

In November, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sent relations with Beijing into a tailspin by suggesting that Tokyo could intervene militarily in any attack on Taiwan.

Beijing imposed export restrictions and warned its citizens against visiting Japan, while accusing Tokyo of attempting to "revive militarism".

Japan's defense minister upped the ante by saying on Tuesday that Tokyo planned to deploy surface-to-air missiles on one of its remote western islands located near Taiwan by early 2031.

In August, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos warned that the Philippines would be dragged "kicking and screaming" into any war over Taiwan.

"I hope it doesn't happen... But if it does, we have to plan for it already," he said, citing the large numbers of Filipinos working in Taiwan.

The Philippine-US-Japanese exercise took place over six days and concluded on Thursday. It included a live-fire gunnery exercise conducted by the guided missile frigate BRP Antonio Luna.

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World

Trump Seeks $152 Mn to Revive Alcatraz as Federal Prison

FILE PHOTO: A view of Alcatraz prison complex located on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay near San Francisco, California, US July 17, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A view of Alcatraz prison complex located on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay near San Francisco, California, US July 17, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
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Trump Seeks $152 Mn to Revive Alcatraz as Federal Prison

FILE PHOTO: A view of Alcatraz prison complex located on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay near San Francisco, California, US July 17, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A view of Alcatraz prison complex located on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay near San Francisco, California, US July 17, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo

US President Donald Trump asked Congress on Friday for $152 million to begin rebuilding the notorious Alcatraz prison, pressing ahead with his vision to return the former island lockup to active use.

The funding request, included in the White House's proposed 2027 budget, would cover the first year of converting the San Francisco Bay site into what officials describe as a "state-of-the-art secure prison facility."

Trump has pushed for reopening Alcatraz since last year, portraying it as a symbol of a tougher approach to crime, said AFP.

In a social media post at the time, he called for a "substantially enlarged and rebuilt" facility to house the country's most dangerous offenders.

The proposal comes as part of a broader Justice Department budget that emphasizes prison investment and law enforcement, though such requests are ultimately subject to approval by Congress.

Political news outlet Axios, citing administration officials, reported that any "supermax" prison complex at the site would have to be built from scratch -- putting the total cost at somewhere around $2 billion.

Alcatraz, which opened as a federal penitentiary in 1934, was once considered among the most secure prisons in the United States due to its isolated island location and the strong currents surrounding it.

It held a relatively small number of prisoners, including high-profile inmates such as Al Capone.

The island fortress entered American cultural lore after a 1962 escape by three inmates, which became an inspiration for the film "Escape from Alcatraz" starring Clint Eastwood.

It was closed in 1963 after officials determined it was too costly to maintain.

According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, operating expenses were nearly three times higher than at other federal facilities, largely because all supplies -- including fresh water -- had to be transported to the island.

Since the early 1970s, Alcatraz has been managed by the National Park Service as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and has become one of San Francisco's most popular tourist attractions, drawing more than a million visitors annually.

The White House argues that rebuilding the site would help modernize the federal prison system and expand capacity for high-risk inmates.

But critics have questioned both the practicality and cost of the plan, noting that the island's infrastructure would likely require extensive reconstruction.

Feasibility studies have already been conducted by federal agencies to assess whether a modern correctional facility could be established on the site, though no final decision has been made.

Any move to proceed could face political resistance given competing budget priorities and the site's current status as a major tourism and historical landmark.

World

French, Japanese Ships Cross Strait of Hormuz in First Since War

A cargo ship in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026. (Reuters)
A cargo ship in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026. (Reuters)
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French, Japanese Ships Cross Strait of Hormuz in First Since War

A cargo ship in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026. (Reuters)
A cargo ship in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026. (Reuters)

One French- and another Japanese-owned vessel are among a handful of vessels to have crossed the war-torn Strait of Hormuz, maritime tracking data showed Friday.

The passage, a vital maritime route for oil and liquified natural gas, has been virtually blocked by Iran since the start of the war, said AFP.

But both ships made the crossing on Thursday, according to ship tracking company Marine Traffic's website.

The Maltese-flagged Kribi belonging to the French maritime transport group CMA CGM crossed the waterway to leave the Gulf on Thursday afternoon, Marine Traffic's data showed.

By early Friday, it was off Muscat, Oman, still broadcasting the message "owner France" on its transponder system in the field usually used to give the destination.

The vessel's navigation data showed it had crossed via an Iranian-approved route through its waters, dubbed the "Tehran Toll Booth" by leading shipping journal Lloyd's List.

- Southern route -

In addition, three tankers -- including one co-owned by a Japanese company -- crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday by taking an alternative, southern route.

They hugged close to the shore of Oman's Musandam Peninsula -- a first in nearly three weeks according to Lloyd's List.

Before the war, which started more than a month ago, about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) passed through the Strait.

All three ships signaled they were an "OMANI SHIP" in the message broadcast by their transponder as they crossed the strait.

The Sohar LNG, which was empty when crossing, is co-owned by Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K.

That makes it the first Japanese vessel to exit the Gulf since the start of the war, according to a company statement quoted by Japanese media.

The Hong-Kong flagged New Vision, which crossed the strait on March 1 right after the war started, is expected in the French port of Le Havre on Saturday evening.

Since the conflict started however, that has dwindled to a trickle as Iran selectively attacks ships and energy facilities throughout the Gulf in retaliation for US and Israeli attacks.

A few commercial ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz recently have passed through the Iranian-approved route in the north of the waterway.

- Down to a trickle -

Just 221 commodities vessels have crossed the Strait of Hormuz since March 1, some more than once, according to Kpler data up to Friday morning.

In peacetime, the same waterway handles around 120 daily transits, according to Lloyd's List.

Of the vessels that made the crossing, 60 percent either came from Iran or were heading there.

It was not clear from the data how many had been cleared to make the crossing by Tehran.

But it did show that, among the 118 crossings by ships carrying cargo, 37 had left the Gulf carrying crude oil.

Most of those oil tankers -- 30 of them -- came from Iran or sailed under the Iranian flag. And most ships carrying Iranian oil did not specify their destination on their transponder.

Of those who did, all but one reported they were heading to China.

In the early days of the war, transponder data showed dozens of ships broadcasting messages such as "Chinese crew" or "Chinese owner" in the field usually used for their destination.

This appeared to be an attempt by the ships to avoid being targeted by Iran.

World

Iran Executes Two Linked to Opposition Group

Executions in Iran have surged in recent years - AFP
Executions in Iran have surged in recent years - AFP
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Iran Executes Two Linked to Opposition Group

Executions in Iran have surged in recent years - AFP
Executions in Iran have surged in recent years - AFP

Iran on Saturday executed two men it said were convicted of links to an opposition group, the People's Mojahedin Organization of ‌Iran, and ‌of carrying out armed ‌attacks, ⁠domestic media reported.

The ⁠executions were the latest in recent days of individuals with PMOI links.

The PMOI confirmed ⁠Saturday's executions, saying ‌in ‌a statement that Iran was "trying ‌to hide its ‌weakness by executing political prisoners, especially PMOI members and supporters." Four PMOI ‌members were executed earlier this week, ⁠it ⁠said.

The group said the two men executed on Saturday were arrested in January 2024 and had their death sentences upheld in December 2025.