27 h. ago ‘Any time, any place’: Philippine army to be deployed to South China Sea islands

A senior Philippine military official has revealed a soon-to-be-deployed strategy that would involve an army contingent to support law enforcement units on occupied islands in the South China Sea. Observers said the strategy would align with Manila’s policy shift from an internal to external defence posture aimed at protecting the country’s territorial waters. One expert, however, warned that it could lead to more aggressive moves by the Chinese navy and coastguard if Beijing were to view...

Politics

29 h. ago AI Ignites Digital Innovation: SUSE Summit China 2025 Opens in Beijing

AI Ignites Digital Innovation: SUSE Summit China 2025 Opens in Beijing  The Manila Times

Politics

54 h. ago Philippines’ Marcos softens stance amid economic pressures but will China bite?

President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s recent call to Filipino-Chinese businessmen to boost Manila’s bilateral ties with Beijing has raised the possibility that the Philippine leader is softening his stance on China. However, while the president’s sudden pivot could signal a recalibration of his approach, observers say the move is unlikely to yield any results in the near term because of his earlier hardline policy, including a statement earlier this month by his defence chief at a major security...

Economics

58 h. ago Chinese vessel grounding: concern in Philippines over new grey

A recent case of a Chinese militia vessel running aground on a strategic island in the disputed South China Sea has raised concerns from the Philippine side of another wave of so-called grey-zone activities by Beijing, even as Manila’s officials acknowledge the incident could be down to inclement weather. Observers point to the Philippines having adopted the same strategy to stake claim over the Second Thomas Shoal when it permanently grounded the war vessel BRP Sierra Madre in 1999. The recent...

Politics

3 d. ago Rice imports, policy inertia put ‘future of Filipino farming’ at risk: report

The Philippines’ rice industry is in danger of being “drowned out by cheap imports”, according to a new report, with experts also warning that prolonged policy inertia could affect the country’s food security. The report, produced by the Integrated Rural Development Foundation, said policy failures and under-investment had pushed the country’s farming industry into its “most vulnerable position in decades”, according to The Manila Times. The Philippines became the world’s top rice importer in...

Events

3 d. ago Japan’s Osaka Expo water shows suspended as Legionella levels top safety limit

Legionella bacteria 50 times above safe levels have been detected at Japan’s Expo 2025 in Osaka, the latest in a string of problems plaguing the event since its opening in mid-April. On Monday, the expo organisers announced that the popular daily fountain shows and a shallow pool area had been temporarily cancelled for deep cleaning due to bacterial contamination. The aquatic show at the Water Plaza has been suspended since June 4, when Legionella bacteria of up to 20 times the legal limit were...

Politics

4 d. ago Living in China’s shadow has become ‘very dangerous’ for Filipino islanders

Living in China’s shadow has become ‘very dangerous’ for Filipino islanders  South China Morning Post

Politics

5 d. ago Domestic helper gets 14 months’ jail in Hong Kong for jewellery theft

A domestic helper has been jailed for 14 months in Hong Kong after admitting that she stole jewellery from her employer and pawned most of the 47 items for HK$200,000 out of greed. Eastern Court on Monday sentenced Sherelle Lyn Valle Dajay, 41, for the theft of valuables taken from her employer’s home at Black’s Link in Happy Valley over a seven-month span last year. The Filipino national pleaded guilty last month to two counts of theft. She took valuables stored inside an unlocked wardrobe in...

Events

7 d. ago Loitering with intent: Beijing’s new silent South China Sea strategy?

When a Chinese coastguard vessel appeared off the coast of Zambales province in late May, it didn’t fire a shot or issue a threat. Instead, it lingered – uninvited, silent and unmoving. To analysts in Manila, the message was loud and clear: Beijing was testing new tactics in the South China Sea, one quiet incursion at a time. The coastguard vessel was detected roughly 76 nautical miles (140km) off Palauig Point – well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and about 220km southeast of...

Politics

8 d. ago With 50 years of history, Manila and Beijing should do better diplomacy

June 9 marks the 50th anniversary of Philippines-China relations, ties steeped in history but marred by friction in recent years. Sadly, an overemphasis on the intractable sea dispute has polluted broader connections, stunting economic cooperation and stigmatising people-to-people exchanges. This is irrational and unproductive. For Manila to make the sea row front and centre of ties is a tragedy of its foreign policy. For China to see its smaller neighbour as a mere pawn in its great power...

Politics

8 d. ago Opinion | With 50 years of history, Manila and Beijing should do better diplomacy

Opinion | With 50 years of history, Manila and Beijing should do better diplomacy  South China Morning Post

Politics

9 d. ago Banned substance found in water supply of 2 Hong Kong housing estates

Black particles found in the freshwater supply at two public housing estates are mainly bitumen, authorities have said, while stressing that the water is safe to drink. The government said on Thursday that its tests showed the bitumen, which is banned from use in pipes, was mixed with resin. Residents at two public rental and subsidised estates, Queens Hill Estate and Shan Lai Court in Fanling, first reported the presence of black particles in their drinking water on Friday last week. Director...

Events

1 week ago Biotech firm touts new AI drug discovery amid third Hong Kong IPO attempt

Biotechnology firm Insilico Medicine said its new drug for lung disease, designed with the help of artificial intelligence (AI), showed positive results in the latest clinical trials, as the company pushes for a public listing in Hong Kong. Insilico found that its new small-molecule drug candidate, rentosertib, designed with its AI platform Chemistry42, was “generally safe and potentially effective” for treating idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), according to its phase 2A clinical trial...

Economics

1 week ago ‘Treated like a criminal’: fury over Hong Kong student’s Australian deportation

The mother of a 16-year-old Hong Kong girl studying in Australia is considering legal action after her daughter was deported from the country less than eight hours after a quarrel with her homestay family led to the teen’s eviction from her accommodation. The mother told the Post in late May about her follow-up action regarding the incident in March, even as Australian authorities said the welfare of international students was their top priority after concerns were raised over the lack of...

Events

1 week ago US sanctions Philippine tech firm over ‘pig butchering’ romance scams

A Philippine tech company has been sanctioned by the United States for allegedly enabling online romance scams known as “pig butchering”, which US authorities say led to more than US$200 million in losses reported by victims linked to the company’s infrastructure. Funnull Technology Inc, a content delivery network provider based in Metro Manila’s upscale Bonifacio Global City (BGC) district, was sanctioned last week by the US Treasury Department, along with Chinese national Liu Lizhi, described...

Politics

1 week ago Manila says may sign agreements with Beijing to reduce tensions in South China Sea

Manila says may sign agreements with Beijing to reduce tensions in South China Sea  thestar.com.my

Events

1 week ago China ‘has a lot of trust building to do’ in South China Sea, Philippines says

The Philippines’ defence chief has called on Beijing to engage in good-faith negotiations over the South China Sea, stressing that China still has a long way to go to earn Manila’s trust. Observers warn that trust goes both ways, however, pointing to factors such as growing cooperation between Manila and Washington, and the reduced Chinese presence at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore over the weekend. At the security summit, Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr rebuked a Chinese...

Politics

1 week ago Japan and Singapore show even property safe havens are not problem

Two findings stood out in CBRE’s survey on Asia’s commercial property investment market published last month. The first was that Japan alone accounted for 36 per cent of transaction volumes in the first quarter of this year. The second was that it was easily the most popular market among cross-border investors, with 86 per cent of respondents describing their level of interest in Japan as very strong or fairly strong. These findings underscore the strong appeal of a market that has long been...

Politics

1 week ago Source of black particles in Hong Kong estate’s water supply remains mystery

Authorities are still investigating the source of black particles detected in the freshwater supply at a Hong Kong public housing estate, while reassuring residents that the water is safe to drink. Tenants of Queens Hill Estate in Fanling had earlier complained about the black particles found in their drinking water and what they called a delayed ­official response to their reports, first filed on Friday last week. Director of Water Supplies Roger Wong Yan-lok said on Monday that samples taken...

Politics

1 week ago US deportations: how safe are Filipinos – and what can Manila do?

The release of a Philippines-born green card holder as ordered by a US judge after she was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has spurred calls for stronger support from Manila amid fears of the roll-out of the largest deportation programme in American history. Lewelyn Dixon spent three months at an ICE detention centre in Tacoma, Washington state, after being apprehended on February 28 while returning to her home in Seattle following a trip to the Philippines. Dixon’s lawyer,...

Politics