Marcos Jr welcomes US support as Blinken and Austin arrive in Philippines | South China Sea News

Marcos Jr welcomes US support as Blinken and Austin arrive in Philippines | South China Sea News

Manila and Washington have grown closer amid increasing tension with Beijing in the disputed South China Sea. Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has welcomed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin to Manila, stressing the need for regular and open engagement between Manila and Washington to…

Philippines coastguard says oil leaking from capsized tanker | Environment News

Philippines coastguard says oil leaking from capsized tanker | Environment News

Operation to siphon some of the 1.4 million litres of industrial fuel oil from MT Terra Nova due to start on Sunday. Some industrial fuel oil from a capsized Philippine tanker has started to leak into Manila Bay, the coastguard said, as it races to avoid an environmental catastrophe. The…

Marcos says Philippines ‘cannot yield’ in South China Sea dispute | South China Sea News

Marcos says Philippines ‘cannot yield’ in South China Sea dispute | South China Sea News

Philippine president makes remarks as Beijing and Manila announce a provisional deal to defuse tensions at the Second Thomas Shoal. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr says his country will not yield or waver on its stand on territorial disputes in the South China Sea as he calls for tensions in…

As Philippines’s Marcos addresses nation, economy, Duterte rift loom large | Politics News

As Philippines’s Marcos addresses nation, economy, Duterte rift loom large | Politics News

Manila, Philippines – Over the last decade, the arrival of guests at the annual State of the Nation address in the Philippines has come to resemble a Hollywood premiere. Lawmakers and officials showcase flashy ensembles and gush over their designers as they head inside the halls of Congress to hear…

Philippines will ‘stand our ground’ in dispute with China, official says | News

Philippines will ‘stand our ground’ in dispute with China, official says | News

Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano says Manila will ‘push back’ against coercion in South China Sea. The Philippines will “stand our ground” in its dispute with China in the South China Sea, a top security official has said. Manila and Beijing have been engaged in a series of escalating…

Japan, Philippines sign defence pact with eyes on China | Military News

Japan, Philippines sign defence pact with eyes on China | Military News

Agreement comes as Manila and Tokyo share concerns about Beijing’s growing assertiveness in the region. Japan and the Philippines have signed a defence pact allowing the deployment of troops on each other’s soil amid shared concerns over China’s growing military power. Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Yoko Kamikawa and Philippine…

‘We are not criminals’: Philippines considers making divorce legal | Human Rights News

‘We are not criminals’: Philippines considers making divorce legal | Human Rights News

Manila, Philippines – Michelle Bulang left her abusive husband six years ago. But even after all she had been through, Bulang, who lives with her four children in the province of Rizal just outside Metro Manila, was unable to divorce him. The Philippines is the only country, other than the…

Indonesian band takes stand for Taiwan’s migrant workers | Labour Rights News

Indonesian band takes stand for Taiwan’s migrant workers | Labour Rights News

Kaohsiung, Taiwan – Surrounded by his fellow band members, Rudi takes the stage in Taiwan’s southern port city of Kaohsiung. As he looks out over the crowd, his bandmates begin to play, whipping the audience into a frenzy of excitement. “Silenced by threats, here we stand against this system of…

Philippine court clears Duterte critic Leila de Lima of drugs charges | Drugs News

Philippine court clears Duterte critic Leila de Lima of drugs charges | Drugs News

De Lima was jailed during the Rodrigo Duterte presidency after years of investigating drug-related killings. A Philippine court has dropped the last of three cases against former Senator Leila de Lima, a longtime critic of former President Rodrigo Duterte and his “war on drugs”. De Lima faced various charges in…