Philippine

Evacuations underway in Philippines as volcano at Mt Kanlaon erupts

A plume of hot ash and gases up to three kilometres high forced residents to seek shelter after a volcano in the Philippines erupted on Monday. There were no immediate reports of casualties in the latest explosion of Mount Kanlaon, on central Negros island, but authorities shut schools and imposed a nighttime curfew after several villages were hit by ashfalls that clouded the the visibility of motorists and sparked health concerns. It sounded like a cannon, Mayor Jose Chubasco Cardenas of Canlaon city, which lies southeast of the volcano, told The Associated Press by telephone. There have been quiet eruptions before, but this was one very loud. Disaster-response officials raised the danger level around Kanlaon due to a greater risk of hazardous volcanic activity and ordered villagers within a six-kilometre radius of the crater to be evacuated. About 100 people had fled to emergency shelters in Canlaon by nightfall after the mid-afternoon volcanic eruption, Cardenas said. The number

Philippines vice president Duterte threatens to kill President Marcos

Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte said Saturday she has contracted an assassin to kill the president, his wife and the House of Representatives speaker if she herself is killed, in a brazen public threat that she warned was not a joke. Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin referred the active threat against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to an elite presidential guards force for immediate proper action. It was not immediately clear what actions would be taken against the vice president. "Acting on the vice president's clear and unequivocal statement that she had contracted an assassin to kill the president if an alleged plot against her succeeds, the Executive Secretary has referred this active threat to the Presidential Security Command for immediate proper action, a government statement said. "Any threat to the life of the president must always be taken seriously, more so that this threat has been publicly revealed in clear and certain terms, it said. Marcos ran with Duterte as

Philippine officials detain over 160 for suspected cybercrime operation

Philippine authorities raided a suspected illegal online gaming and cyberscam complex in a central province and took into custody more than 160 people mostly Chinese and Indonesians who were committing internet-based crimes, officials said Sunday. The raid on Saturday by more than 100 government agents, backed by military intelligence, on a resort compound in Lapu-Lapu city was part of an ongoing crackdown after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr ordered a ban in July on widespread and mostly Chinese-run online gaming operations that cater mostly to clients in China, where illegal gambling is banned. Marcos said then that the massive illegal gambling operations have ignored Philippine laws with largescale violations of regulations and also committed other crimes, including financial scams, human trafficking, torture, kidnappings and murder. The raid at the Tourist Garden Resort, which has 10 buildings with swimming pools, karaoke bars and restaurants, came after the Indonesian Embass

China, Philippines accuse each other of ramming ships in South China Sea

No injuries were reported as a result of the collisions

Fisheries plane threatened by flares from Chinese base, says Philippines

A Philippine fisheries bureau plane was threatened by flares fired from a Chinese island base while conducting a routine patrol in the South China Sea, Philippine officials said Saturday. It's the latest territorial spat between Beijing and Manila over one of the world's busiest trade routes, with confrontations spreading from the disputed waters to the airspace above. The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources' Cessna 208B Grand Caravan plane was flying near Subi Reef on Thursday when it spotted flares being fired from the fishing atoll, which has been transformed by China into a militarised island base, a Philippine government interagency task force said in a statement. No other details were provided, including the distance of the flares from the Philippine plane and if it proceeded with its patrol to monitor for poachers in the internationally recognised exclusive economic zone of the Philippines. The same Philippine fisheries plane was subjected to harassment on August 19 wh

Mpox reaches Thailand; deadly Clade 1b variant found in 6 nations: Updates

Mpox infection updates: There are two viral strains of mpox: Clade 1b and Clade 2. The Clade 1b variant of the mpox infection is more deadly and is responsible for more than 500 deaths in Congo

Philippines opposes Chinese jets' firing flares in patrol plane's path

The Philippine government said Tuesday it has filed a diplomatic protest against Beijing after Chinese jets flew dangerously close and fired a volley of flares in the path of a Philippine air force patrol plane over a disputed shoal in the South China Sea. The Chinese air force jets' hostile actions against the Philippine military's NC-212i light transport plane Thursday over the Scarborough Shoal was the first such aerial encounter since high-seas hostilities between Beijing and Manila in the busy seaway started to flare last year. Philippine military chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. did not report any injuries or damage but condemned the Chinese actions, which he said could have had tragic consequences. If the flares came into contact with our aircraft, these could have been blown into the propeller or the intake or burned our plane, Brawner told reporters. It was very dangerous. Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Teresita Daza said without elaborating that a diplomatic prote

Philippine appeals court sides with news outlet against 2018 shutdown order

A Philippine appeals court side with a news agency in its fight against a 2018 shutdown order in a decision made public Friday, marking a legal victory for journalists who angered former President Rodrigo Duterte by reporting critically on his deadly crackdown on illegal drugs and alarming human rights record. The Court of Appeals ordered the Securities and Exchange Commission to restore the certificates of incorporation of Rappler, an online news outfit founded by 2021 Nobel peace prize co-winner Maria Ressa, in a decision issued July 23. It wasn't immediately clear if the SEC will appeal the ruling. Rappler has continued to operate during its legal fight, despite the closure order. Rappler was accused of violating a constitutional ban on foreign investments in local media agencies when it received funds through financial papers called Philippine depository receipts in 2015 from the Omidyar Network, a philanthropic organisation backed by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar. The government

Philippine's ex-Prez Duterte, aide accused of awarding contracts to cronies

A former Philippine opposition senator accused ex-President Rodrigo Duterte of plundering state coffers in a criminal complaint filed Friday, alleging that he conspired with an aide to award government infrastructure contracts worth millions of dollars to cronies. Filed with the Department of Justice in Manila, the accusation adds to the former president's legal worries, which include an investigation by the International Criminal Court into allegations of crimes against humanity over the widespread killings of suspects during Duterte's drugs crackdowns. Former Sen. Antonio Trillares IV said two construction companies, owned by the father and brother of longtime Duterte aide and now senator Christopher Lawrence Go, bagged more than 100 government construction contracts worth at least 6.6 billion pesos ($114 million) from 2007 to 2018 in the southern city of Davao, while Duterte was mayor. Neither company had the resources or manpower to handle large-scale infrastructure construction,

India delivers BrahMos missiles to Philippines as part of $375 mn deal

The export of ground systems for the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system along with the missiles started last month itself

US willing to fight China on behalf of Philippines, after collision: Prez

"The United States defence agreement with the Philippines is ironclad. Any attack on the Filipino aircraft, vessels or armed forces will invoke our mutual defence treaty with the Philippines."

Bullhorns and water cannons: China ships wall off South China Sea

The mounting Chinese military presence in waters that were long dominated by the US fleet is sharpening the possibility of a showdown between superpowers

Philippines rushes to import onions as prices touch nearly Rs 1,000 per kg

The Philippines' agriculture department is planning to import 22,000 tons of onions to boost domestic supply as surging prices of the cooking ingredient push inflation to a 14-year high

Marcos to Rajapaksa: A short guide to leaders fleeing their nations

Gotabaya Rajapaksa is not the first leader to have fled their country in the face of popular unrest. Here is a brief list mentioning some of them

Philippine CPI eases to 3.0% in Jan, central bank to meet on Feb 17

The central bank, which has kept its policy rate unchanged at 2.0% since Nov. 2020, will meet on Feb. 17

Google to ban political advertising ahead of Philippine election

The move comes amid pressure on social media platforms over their handling of political advertising during the US presidential election in 2020

Chinese coast guard blocks two Philippine supply boats in disputed sea

Chinese coast guard ships blocked and used water cannons on two Philippine supply boats heading to a disputed shoal occupied by Filipino marines in the South China Sea.

Philippine democracy scion, former president Benigno Aquino dies

Former Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, son of pro-democracy icons who helped topple dictator Ferdinand Marcos and had troublesome ties China, died Tuesday, a cousin and public officials said

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte declares state of emergency

Duterte cites reason of lawlessness in the country to enforce emergency

15 Philippine soldiers killed in clash between the army and Abu Sayyaf militants

The clash took place on Monday afternoon in Patikut in Sulu province when a military patrol was attacked