On eve of a trilateral summit between the United States, #Japan and the #Philippines , two prominent U.S. senators introduced a bipartisan bill to provide Manila with $2.5 billion to boost its defenses against Chinese pressure. #china reuters.com/world/us/bipar…

An #earthquake offshore #Taiwan with a magnitude of 7.2 rocked Taipei, the capital, on Wednesday morning, knocking out power in several parts of the city and sparking a tsunami warning for the islands of southern #Japan and the #Philippines . reuters.com/world/asia-pac…

Japan issued an evacuation advisory for the coastal areas of the southern prefecture of Okinawa after a powerful earthquake triggered a tsunami warning.

NEW: Famine is both a risk and 'quite possibly' present in at least some areas in northern Gaza, a senior State Dept official told me on Friday. He added while daily aid trucks are now close to 200, more is needed & infant mortality is a growing risk. reuters.com/world/middle-e…

Such a veto, at a vote expected on Friday afternoon, would mean dissolution of the Panel of Experts monitoring enforcement of long-standing UN sanctions against #NorthKorea over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, the diplomat said reuters.com/world/strong-p…

The #UN Security Council on Friday failed to pass a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in #Gaza as part of a hostage deal after Russia and China vetoed the measure proposed by the United States. w/ David Brunnstrom reuters.com/world/middle-e…

US cautions after Hawaii neighbor Kiribati gets Chinese police reuters.com/world/us-cauti…

Revelations that a North Korean missile fired by #Russia in #Ukraine contained components linked to U.S.-based firms underline the difficulty of enforcing sanctions, but could help uncover illicit procurement networks, experts say #northkorea reuters.com/world/debris-n…

Japan's Nikkei Stock Average surpasses all-time high recorded in 1989 asia.nikkei.com/Business/Marke… via Nikkei Asia

Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Mike McCaul says he supports funding for U.S.-allied #Pacific Island nations as a way to counter the influence of China, and would push to include them in any supplemental security aid bill reuters.com/world/eyeing-c…

Leaders of strategic US-allied #Pacific Island nations have become increasingly anxious about the US congressional budget impasse that has delayed approval of vital new funding packages and warned that #China is actively seeking to shift their allegiances, including over #Taiwan

In a wide-ranging interview with Reuters, Taiwan's representative Alexander Yui cast doubt on reports that China's chipmakers are on the cusp of making next-generation smartphone processors and rejected charges by Donald Trump that #Taiwan was taking American semiconductor jobs

My Pentagon colleagues Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart write that the US is increasingly worried that China could try to seize #Taiwan in coming years and is taking a hard look at its own military readiness ... reuters.com/world/china/lo…

SCOOP: The United States has created a channel w/ Israel to specifically discuss concerns & seek explanations over incidents in Gaza in which civilians have been killed or injured by the Israeli military and civilian facilities have been targeted, two U.S. officials tell me

A fire hydrant in the middle of the Canal Rd sidewalk heading up to Foxhall Rd NW was bad enough.
With the top now somehow missing it has become a potentially lethal hazard for cyclists who use the sidewalk to avoid the unsafe road. DC Mayor's Office #311 says looking into it…

In threatening shift, North Korea moves to redefine relations with South reuters.com/world/asia-pac…

Footage aired by NHK showed a building collapsing in a plume of dust in the coastal city of Suzu and residents in Kanazawa city cowering under tables. The #earthquake also jolted buildings in the capital Tokyo on the opposite coast. #japan #tsunami

reuters.com/world/japan/ma…

Japan issues #tsunami warning and tells residents to evacuate after massive #earthquake hits centre of country – live | #Japan | The Guardian theguardian.com/world/live/202…