US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth will travel to the Philippines this week to meet regional allies, the Pentagon announced on Sunday. The visit comes amid a push by Washington to tighten security ties in the Indo-Pacific ahead of an expected meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in southern China. Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has faced criticism from Democrats and some Republicans over his handling of the war against Iran, as well as concerns that the conflict could divert...