Rebels of the Communist Party of the Philippines say the roots of the armed conflict must first be addressed and resolved.

From former Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam’s HK$9 million office budget to Chinese scientists rigging a low-cost AI chip to power a hypersonic weapon, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting.

China rejects Philippine leader Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s claims that its ‘gentleman’s agreement’ with his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte was a ‘secret’ and urges Manila to stick to its commitments on the disputed Second Thomas Shoal.

The first lady’s comments come after the president on Monday said his relationship with his vice-president was ‘complicated’ and ‘hasn’t really changed’.

Mid-range launcher now in the Philippines is a ‘powerful weapon’ capable of retaliatory strikes on mainland China, analysts say.

The virtual cashier service highlights a growing trend among restaurants that are turning to such a method to cut costs and address staff shortages.

Up to 17,000 participants are expected to take part in the exercises, including 16,000 members of the Philippine and US military forces.

Six vessels would participate in the Balikatan exercise that involves a simulation of an armed recapture of an island near the South China Sea.

Washington should offer ‘alternatives to what our competitors are offering’, says Foreign Relations committee chair, referring to Beijing’s advances.

Gauth was the second most-downloaded education app for Apple iOS devices in the US as of Wednesday, behind language-learning platform Duolingo.

Some 4,600 Chinese nationals have been recorded to be living in the Cagayan area and enrolled in private universities in the city of Tuguegarao.

Outrage over the attack has led to renewed calls for the passage of a long stalled anti-discrimination bill and other legal protections.

Firebrand ex-leader Rodrigo Duterte says his successor is a ‘crybaby’, with the two trading jibes over drug-use accusations and their opposing South China Sea stances. Will they ever bury the hatchet? ‘It’s complicated’.

The video call between Secretary Lloyd Austin and Admiral Dong Jun, who was appointed defence minister in December, is the latest sign of a thaw in US-China relations.

The Philippine leader says the US has given its commitment to honour the Mutual Defence Treaty with Manila.

Daniel Kritenbrink and Sarah Beran are meeting Chinese officials to maintain ‘open lines of communication’, State Department says.

Several prominent Filipinos say the deal has effectively handed control of the Second Thomas Shoal to China.

ICC launched an inquiry into Duterte’s drug crackdown in September 2021, but suspended it two months later when Manila said it was re-examining cases of drug operations.

Homemaker, who has had several domestic helpers quit early, says tougher regulations needed to help staff retention.

Zero Co’s Mike Smith and his team of volunteers went viral after they scooped up 147,000kg of garbage from the Taguig-Pateros River.

Philippine chain Hotel101 Global targets 1 million rooms and a presence in more than 100 countries after signing an agreement to merge with a Hong Kong company, which aims to list on Nasdaq in New York.

The Philippine president said the cooperation agreement signed in Washington will change the dynamic in Asean and around the contested waterway.

Joint statement by the three leaders makes it clear the Washington summit was aimed at opposing China’s recent maritime activities.

The Buddhist kingdom plans to take a punt on legalised gambling as it rues the billions of dollars in untapped gaming revenue that’s been left on the table. But will it hit the jackpot?

‘These meetings were not about any one other nation. This was about deepening and revitalising existing alliances and partnerships and strengthening some new ones.’

The ICC has called for translators in Tagalog and Cebuano, languages involved in the crimes against humanity trial against the ex-Philippine leader.