Category World News

China’s military has warned the Philippines against any provocations in the tense South China Sea as it continues to launch patrols and advance plans to solidify its control of the area.

A spokesperson for the Chinese military’s Southern Theater Command issued a statement directed at the Philippines that referenced joint drills with the United States and Japan in the major waterway carrying more than $3 trillion of annual commerce.

“We sternly warn the Philippine side to immediately stop provoking incidents and escalating tensions in the South China Sea, as well as bringing in external forces for backing such efforts that are destined to be futile,” the spokesperson said.

“Any attempt to stir up trouble or disrupt the situation will not succeed.”

Philippine maritime and military authorities have not commented immediately.

The warning comes after the US Asia Pacific Command said in a statement that Japan, the Philippines and the US conducted joint maritime exercises in the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone from Thursday to Saturday to strengthen regional cooperation and support a free and open Asia Pacific region.

“The US, along with our allies and partners, upholds the right to freedom of navigation and overflight and other lawful uses of the sea and international airspace, as well as respect to the maritime rights under international law,” it said.

This comes days after China’s State Council on Wednesday revealed its intention to establish a nature reserve spanning 3,500 hectares (8,650 acres) on the disputed islet of Scarborough Shoal, a contested territory claimed by both China and the Philippines in the South China Sea.

The Philippines strongly protested the move, and was backed by a statement of condemnation issued by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday.

The Israeli army is intensifying its military operations in Gaza City, threatening Palestinians to evacuate southwards as attacks accelerate.

According to an army post on X, more than 250,000 people have reportedly fled the city. The military is urging remaining residents to travel via al-Rashid Street towards al-Mawasi or camps in central Gaza.

However, Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud said, “Despite intense bombardment in Gaza City, many residents have stayed put – or returned after seeking shelter elsewhere – because many of Israel’s designated evacuation zones are desperately overcrowded and under-resourced, including lacking proper water access.”

The United Nations estimates from late August indicated approximately one million Palestinians were living in and around Gaza’s largest urban centre, where famine conditions are taking hold after months of deteriorating circumstances.

The UN and international community have called on Israel to abandon its plans to capture the city, warning that such an assault could worsen the humanitarian crisis.

Israeli army’s Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee claimed on Saturday on X: “More than a quarter of a million residents of Gaza City have moved out of the city for their own safety.” Gaza’s Civil Defence agency contradicted this figure, reporting fewer than 70,000 people had managed to leave.

The Israeli military dropped leaflets Saturday, warning western district residents to evacuate amid continuous air raids. “The Israeli army is operating with very intense force in your area and is determined to dismantle and defeat Hamas,” the leaflets stated. “You have been warned.”

Mohammad Abu Salmiya, head of the al-Shifa Hospital, told the AFP news agency that while displacement continues within Gaza City, “only a small number of people have been able to reach the south”. He added that those who do flee south often find nowhere to stay, as “the al-Mawasi area is completely full and Deir el-Balah is also overcrowded”, causing many to return to Gaza City.

Civil Defence spokesman Mahmoud Basal told AFP, “The actual number of displaced people from Gaza to the south is approximately 68,000 only. Many residents are still holding their ground, and many others cannot find space in the south.”

FBI Director Kash Patel is bracing for United States congressional scrutiny over his leadership of the investigation into the killing of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, following early reported missteps, including his erroneous announcement on social media that “the subject” in the killing was in custody.

Patel is set to appear on Tuesday and Wednesday before the Senate and House judiciary committees, during which he is expected to answer questions not just about how the FBI handled the Kirk case, but also whether he can stabilise an agency fragmented by political fights and internal upheaval since his appointment, as toxic political divisions plague the nation.

US President Donald Trump praised Patel on Saturday for the speed with which the bureau identified and captured Kirk’s alleged assassin, Tyler Robinson.

But that has not stopped criticism even from fellow conservatives, who have started to wonder if Patel is qualified to head the country’s top law enforcement body of 38,000 employees, including 13,000 agents.

In a statement posted on X on Friday, Christopher F Rufo, a fellow at the conservative think tank Manhattan Institute, wrote that it was “time for Republicans to assess whether Kash Patel is the right man to run the FBI”.

“He performed terribly in the last few days, and it’s not clear whether he has the operational expertise to investigate, infiltrate, and disrupt the violent movements — of whatever ideology — that threaten the peace in the United States,” he added.

“I’ve been on the phone the last few days with many conservative leaders, all of whom wholeheartedly support the Trump Administration and none of whom are confident that the current structure of the FBI is up to this task,” Rufo further said.

Conservative commentator Erick Erickson also weighed in, writing on X, “The FBI situation is concerning.”

An earlier report by The Guardian newspaper said Patel was also ridiculed by far-right groups for his “clumsy response” to Kirk’s killing.

The latest questions on Patel’s qualifications arose hours after Kirk’s killing.

While agents investigated, Patel posted on X: “The subject for the horrific shooting today that took the life of Charlie Kirk is now in custody.” It turned out to be wrong. Patel soon after posted that the person in custody had been released.

Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, a Republican, described Patel’s misstep as “amateur hour” and questioned his professionalism.

As the search stretched on, Patel angrily vented to FBI personnel on Thursday about what he perceived as a failure to keep him informed, including that he was not quickly shown a photograph of the suspected shooter, according to The Associated Press news agency.

The day Kirk was killed, Patel also faced a lawsuit from three FBI senior executives fired in an August purge that they characterised as a Trump administration retribution campaign.

Among them was Brian Driscoll, who, as acting FBI director in the early days of the Trump administration, resisted Department of Justice demands for names of agents who investigated the January 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol.

Driscoll alleged in the lawsuit that he was let go after he challenged the leadership’s desire to terminate an FBI pilot who had been wrongly identified on social media as having been part of the agency’s search for classified documents at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.

Patel is also facing other questions, including his pursuit of Trump’s grievances long after the Russia investigation ended, and a realignment of resources that has prioritised the fight against illegal immigration and street crime.

“Because of the scepticism that some members of the Senate have had and still have, it’s extremely important that he perform very well at these oversight hearings,” said Gregory Brower, the FBI’s former top congressional affairs official.