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.
Family members react at the coffin of Rabbi Eli Schlanger, a victim in the Bondi Beach shooting, during his funeral at a synagogue in Sydney on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
Australia

Alleged Bondi Beach shooter to face charges as funerals begin for victims

Naveed Akram has regained consciousness after being in a coma and police are expected to question him within hours.

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Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Philippines’ Marcos lauds helper returning home after deadly Hong Kong fire

Ferdinand Marcos Jnr

Can UN anti-corruption pact bring Zaldy Co back to Philippines?

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Australia

‘He was a nice person’: alleged Bondi gunman’s path to violence stuns Australia

Police investigate how Naveed Akram went from a teenager interested in Islam to one of Australia’s worst alleged killers.

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People attend a floral memorial in honour of the Bondi Beach shooting victims in Sydney on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters
SCMP Highlights

Malaysia’s dress code row, South Korea falls out with K-pop: 7 Asia highlights

From ex-NBA player’s cancer treatment to backlash against Malaysia’s ‘moral police’, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

Australia

Isis-inspired Bondi gunmen visited Philippines before shooting: police

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Sajid Akram and his son Naveed had been radicalised by an ‘ideology of hate’.

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US-China relations

US denies Indo-Pacific retreat, says aid is being recalibrated to counter China

Washington argues that targeted assistance and partnerships will deepen regional ties and deliver longer-term economic and security gains.

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A toll booth at the Clark Freeport Zone in the Philippines, a sprawling managed economic zone that has received significant US backing through development initiatives. Photo: Handout
South China Sea

China accuses Philippines of ‘premeditated’ provocations near Sabina Shoal

Meanwhile, Manila says Philippine fishing boats were targeted by Chinese coastguard water cannons near disputed South China Sea reef.

Ferdinand Marcos Jnr

Anti-dynasty bill in Philippines slammed as ‘ridiculous’ and weak

A proposal co-filed by one of President Marcos Jnr’s sons could allow 10 family members to hold office at once, critics warn.

Rodrigo Duterte

Could a plunder probe weaken Philippine VP Sara Duterte’s 2028 prospects?

An insider said the filing is less about getting a conviction than opening the door to financial scrutiny that could damage her politically.

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Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte listens to questions from journalists during an event marking the 90th anniversary of the Office of the Vice President in Makati City, Metro Manila, on November 14. Duterte is facing a plunder complaint linked to her use of confidential funds. Photo: EPA-EFE
US-Asean relations

Southeast Asia barely features in America’s new security strategy

The region appears just twice in the new 32-page US National Security Strategy, raising fears it is being relegated to a ‘bargaining chip’.

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US President Donald Trump is pictured next to Malaysian flags before departing Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Air Force One in October. Photo: AFP
Trip Inspiration

What the festive season looks like across Asia’s most vibrant cities

Christmas markets, fireworks and giant lanterns are all in store if you’re seeing in the season elsewhere in Asia.

South China Sea

Asian Angle | Is the new Philippines-Germany defence pact built to last?

Rising anxieties over Beijing and Moscow have united Berlin and Manila in an axis that must now be institutionalised to ensure it endures.

Hong Kong society

From workers to leaders: Operation Santa Claus empowers Hong Kong’s migrants

Uplifters and EmpowerU join forces to train domestic workers as community leaders who can support their peers.

Filipino domestic worker Ailenemae Ramos (left) has been helping other migrant domestic workers with her newly gained knowledge and skills. Photo: Handout
Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Filipino victim in Hong Kong fire ‘planned to go home for good to be with son’

Maryan Pascual Esteban, who died with her five-year-old ward Hannah in the Tai Po inferno, was excited about heading home, friend says.

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Maryan Pascual Esteban was among the victims of the Tai Po fire. Photo: Facebook/Maribel Bueno
South China Sea

Will Philippines favour Eurofighter Typhoon for its military upgrade?

The Eurofighter, which is estimated to cost US$117 million each, has drawn buying interest from Bangladesh and other countries.

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Japan

‘Didn’t know where to go’: tourists struggle in Japan quake evacuation

Foreign visitors were left scrambling for multilingual information after Monday’s magnitude 7.5 earthquake.

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Malaysia

Southeast Asia’s rich buy sky garages while the middle class lose their homes

As wealthy buyers seek penthouses with living-room supercar parking, struggling families battle banks to keep a roof overhead.

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Illustration: Huy Truong
Rodrigo Duterte

New corruption complaint against Philippine VP Duterte heightens political drama

The filing comes as a corruption crisis grows, setting up a tough legal fight that could threaten Duterte’s potential 2028 presidential bid.

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South China Sea

New South China Sea clashes erupt as Beijing pushes for better Philippine ties

Incidents near the disputed Scarborough and Sabina shoals threaten to undermine recent efforts to put relations on a ‘healthier’ footing.

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South China Sea

Why are South China Sea disputes hard to settle? Expert cites power asymmetry

Chinese analysts say Beijing supports Asean’s ‘quiet diplomacy’ too, so long as sovereignty claims are resolved bilaterally.

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A Chinese warship sails in the West Philippine Sea, part of the larger South China Sea, on April 27. China and several of its Asian neighbours have competing territorial claims across the strategic waters. Photo: Anadolu via Getty Images
Animals

Brutal dog killing in Philippines sparks outrage, calls for tougher protections

Viral footage of Axle the dog’s shocking death has galvanised the country’s animal activists to demand harsh legal repercussions.

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A photo of Axle circulating on social media (left) and a screenshot from the viral video showing the moments before the dog was fatally beaten in Sadanga, Mountain Province. Photos: Handout

Video | Watch woman save dogs before escaping flames herself during fire in Philippines

Viral images show woman tossing animals to safety during fire.

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Crime

Philippines denies ex-mayor Alice Guo has received special treatment in prison

Officials refuted reports that Guo, who recently began serving a life sentence, possessed a phone and had received unauthorised visitors.

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Asean

‘Credible mediation’: Asean urged to help halt deadly Thailand-Cambodia clashes

Analysts urge Asean to take ‘urgent, coordinated action’ if it hopes to mediate an end to the Thailand-Cambodia conflict.

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A Thai villager inspects his house damaged during clashes between Thai and Cambodian troops, at a village in Surin province, Thailand, on Tuesday. Photo: EPA
South China Sea

Beijing seeks ‘fair and just maritime order’ in South China Sea

Vice-minister Sun Weidong says China rejects 2016 arbitration ruling on disputed waters because it breaches fundamentals in international law.

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A Chinese coastguard vessel (right) fires its water cannon at the Philippine’s BRP Datu Pagbuaya in the South China Sea on October 12. Photo: Philippine Coast Guard via AP
Indonesia

‘She loved us so much’: Indonesian family mourns mother killed in Hong Kong fire

Siti Khotimah was working to fund her children’s education when she died in the Tai Po fire. Her husband wants to see that wish fulfilled.

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Ferdinand Marcos Jnr

‘They’ll go to jail’: Philippines to tear down ‘syndicate’ siphoning billions

A cabinet official has pledged to reform the Department of Public Works and Highways by ‘injecting new blood, removing the bad eggs’.

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