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The Philippines
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The Philippines

The Philippines
The Philippines
Latest news, in-depth features and opinion on the Philippines, covering politics, economy, society, and Manila’s relationships with China and its Southeast Asian neighbours.
Guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold conducts routine operations in the Philippine Sea in June 2022. Photo: US Navy via AP
United States

No toilets, no water: US Navy destroyer broke down for 4 days in the Pacific

The USS Benfold lost power, leaving its crew without drinking water, meals, functioning toilets and air conditioning.

Ferdinand Marcos Jnr

Marcos slammed over US$3b family estate tax, says ‘very busy’ with government

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WTA (Women's Tennis Association)

Video | Philippine star sparks tennis boom at home

US-Asean relations

US transshipment ‘scam’ claims put Asean exporters in a bind

Analysts say a report accusing nine Southeast Asian nations of helping China skirt tariffs conflates cheating with legitimate trade.

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A container lifter is used to organise goods containers at a port in Jakarta, Indonesia. Photo: AP
Philippine National Police

Filipino student kills schoolmate, then himself, in live-streamed shooting

The suspect apparently wore a body camera to live-stream the attack at the high school on the Ateneo de Zamboanga University campus.

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Wealth: Alternative Investments

AI-driven asset demand is reshaping Asia-Pacific’s investment landscape

Vast demand for infrastructure, fuelled by digitalisation and the energy transition, offers solid opportunities for private capital across the region.

Supported by
Standard Chartered Global Private Bank
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Defence

Is Philippines’ aim to become an arms exporter like India overly ambitious?

The timeline for the Philippines to develop self-reliance in defence is long, while the political will may be lacking, analysts say.

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The Indian Army’s BrahMos missile launcher on display during the Republic Day parade in New Delhi on January 26. Photo: Reuters
South China Sea

Beijing and Manila clash over arrests of ‘illegal’ workers as tensions worsen

Manila rejects criticism of defence chief – who accused China of ‘squid tactics’ – just as president indicated he wanted to ‘reset’ ties.

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US-China relations

Will US Indo-Pacific allied deterrence strategy trigger deeper division and rivalry?

Washington may be ‘toning down’ its China rhetoric and seeking deterrence via allied capacity, but observers warn of deeper polarisation.

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South China Sea

Beijing issues ecological report to solidify South China Sea claims amid US row

In new assessment, China blames Philippines for environmental harm and coral loss at disputed Sandy Cay and Second Thomas Shoal.

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Live coral coverage at Sandy Cay in the South China Sea has plummeted by nearly 70 per cent compared with 2016 levels, according to a Chinese ecological report. Photo: Handout
US-China relations

From TikTok to war weariness, a new generation of Americans’ view of China

On US college campuses, a generation shaped by China’s rise is challenging the assumptions behind Washington’s approach to Beijing.

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Students on US university campuses are increasingly questioning the long-held assumptions behind Washington’s China policy, according to their professors. Photo: TNS
South China Sea

Philippines’ Marcos sees progress on China oil deal despite maritime row

The president also confirms for the first time a ‘provisional understanding’ with China over the resupply of WWII warship Sierra Madre.

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Myanmar

UN atrocity report adds friction to Myanmar junta’s push for legitimacy

The report says abuses escalated around the time Myanmar was conducting junta-led elections that saw Min Aung Hlaing elected as president.

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China-New Zealand relations

China claims New Zealand’s spy report is product of foreign interference

Chinese embassy hits back at espionage claims, alleges Wellington is serving as a ‘pawn for anti-China forces’.

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The Chinese embassy’s rebuke to the New Zealand security service's report marks the latest escalation of tensions between the two countries. Photo: Shutterstock
WTA (Women's Tennis Association)

‘I want to be Eala’: star sparks tennis boom in Philippines, but at what cost?

Alexandra Eala’s success has parents rushing their children to courts across the country, and a National Tennis Centre in the works.

A child takes part in a training session at Alabang Tennis Academy in Muntinlupa, Metro Manila. Photo: AFP
Asean

AI threatens nearly a quarter of Southeast Asia’s workforce but not all is lost

Being most exposed to AI does not mean that jobs would be replaced – just that some could move up the value chain or evolve, analysts say.

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China-Asean relations

PLA holds first joint naval drill with Indonesia in waters east of Taiwan

As Washington and its allies tighten cooperation in the region, Beijing steps up defence ties with Southeast Asia’s biggest economy.

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United States

Will Philippines win race to secure Pax Silica hub before neighbours do?

Top diplomat warns Manila risks losing out on the opportunity if it ‘drops the ball’, even as environmental and sovereignty concerns grow.

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A protester holds a sign during a rally on a road leading to the US embassy in Manila on July 13, expressing opposition to Philippines-US defence agreements and the US-led Pax Silica initiative. Photo: EPA

Video | Days of heavy rain clogs Manila’s waterways

Some areas in the northern Philippines saw a month’s worth of rain in only nine days.

Video | At least 12 dead in Philippine floods and landslides

More than 500,000 people are affected across 33 provinces as monsoon rains hit Luzon.

Ferdinand Marcos Jnr

Philippine VP Sara Duterte faces criminal charge over Marcos death threat

She was hit with a ‘grave threats’ charge in an ongoing Senate impeachment trial over an alleged assassination plot against the president.

Sara Duterte-Carpio, Philippine vice-president and daughter of former leader Rodrigo Duterte, speaks during a protest outside the International Criminal Court in The Hague in July. Photo: AP
SCMP Highlights

Malaysia’s Liow released; Lee Kuan Yew’s pen up for auction: 7 Asia highlights

From North Korea’s dog meat advice to Prabowo at odds with Indonesia’s rich, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

Malaysian fugitive businessman Nicky Liow is brought to court in 2021. Photo: Weibo
Asean

US swaps ideology for ‘flexible realism’ and deterrence in Southeast Asia

Pentagon’s Colby urges allies to invest more in defence as Washington prioritises pragmatic Indo-Pacific partnerships over moral values.

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2026 Xi-Trump summits

Why did US defence official Colby avoid mentioning China in Manila speech?

Some analysts attribute the restraint to a desire to avoid antagonising Beijing ahead of next month’s expected Xi-Trump summit.

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South China Sea

Powerful anti-drone laser spotted on PLA amphibious ship in South China Sea

Analysts say deploying the LY-1-equipped vessel during Scarborough Shoal drill was meant to send a message to Manila and Washington.

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The LY-1, seen here during the Victory Day military parade in Beijing in September 2025, is tasked with close-range interception of incoming missiles and drones. Photo: Xinhua
South China Sea

As US marks 75 years of defence pact with Philippines, can it stay the course?

Despite increased drills between the two allies, there are concerns that Washington’s aversion to conflict could weaken its commitment.

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Philippine marines conduct a military operation as part of the Rim of the Pacific exercises held at Bellows Air Force Station in Waimanalo, Hawaii, in June. Photo: Reuters
United States

US ‘digging in’ to Asia but seeks partners ‘not dependency’: Pentagon

Senior official Elbridge Colby tells Manila audience the US is committed to the Indo-Pacific but expects allies to invest in defence.

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Ferdinand Marcos Jnr

Philippines floods, landslides, kill at least 12, 8 missing

Over 500,000 people are affected across 33 provinces as monsoon rains batter the main island, Luzon, including the nation’s capital, Manila.

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