The Philippines
TOPIC
 / location

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.
People add to a floral tribute outside Bondi Pavilion at Bondi Beach in Sydney on Thursday. Photo: AP
Crime

Bondi shooter visited Philippine gun shop before attack: police

Police retrace Sydney shooters’ steps in Davao City as CCTV shows Sajid Akram at a gun shop, but officials deny ample time for extremist training.

videocam
Insurance

‘Medical pork’ row exposes political grip over Philippine health assistance

videocam
Corruption in Asia

Asian Angle | Greed and pork barrel politics fuel the Philippines’ fatal floods

videocam
Asia travel

‘Limits’ to hospitality: 10 times Asia overtourism became a problem in 2025

From Japan to Indonesia, excessive tourism has created issues in some of Asia’s travel hubs this year.

Foreign tourists relax on Kuta Beach on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali in November 2023. Photo: AFP
Australia

Is Philippines being unfairly named in Australia’s Bondi Beach shooting?

Australian police are looking into a trip the two suspects made to Davao City, but Philippine officials say it is not connected to the shooting.

videocam
4
Chinese tourists

Philippines struggles to win back Chinese tourists as regional rivals surge

New data shows Chinese arrivals to the Philippines hit 312,000 last year, only 18 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
South China Sea

Philippines to get up to US$3.5 billion defence aid to counter ‘serious threats’

A US senator says the support for Manila and other allies reflects the threats posed by China and its partners in the ‘axis of aggressors’.

24
US and Filipino soldiers fire a howitzer during the annual joint “Balikatan” military exercises in Aparri, Cagayan province, Philippines in May. Photo: Reuters
Cathay Pacific

Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific investigates wrong taxiway use at Manila airport

Carrier says it is cooperating with local authorities in probe into incident, which led to delays for two incoming planes.

US-China decoupling

Open Questions | Yeo on how Trump wants to avoid Taiwan upending China relations

Former Singapore foreign minister George Yeo says that Donald Trump is prioritising stable relations with China, and that the US is facing decline amid a shift to a multipolar world.

Australia

Philippines rejects ‘outdated’ violent extremism label linked to Bondi attack

National Security Adviser Ano denied the alleged gunmen who killed 15 people in Sydney received military training in Davao.

videocam
Mourners pay tribute to the Bondi Beach shooting victims in Sydney on Wednesday. Photo: EPA
Australia

Why Southeast Asia’s move to protect children online may fuel state surveillance

Measures to rein in tech companies risk opening the door to tighter state oversight of online platforms, analysts say.

videocam
Australia banned social media for children under 16 earlier this month. Photo: dpa
Defence

Why the Philippine Army is turning to locally built remote weapons systems

The roll-out of the new Cobra weapon system is part of Manila’s push to build a self-reliant defence industry.

videocam
India

Indian police reveal Bondi Beach shooting suspect’s background

Police said the Indian family of Sajid Akram, who got a degree in commerce in Hyderabad, was unaware of his ‘radical mindset’.

videocam
Australia

Alleged Bondi shooter Naveed Akram charged with terrorism, murder

Akram, who regained consciousness after being in a coma, also faces multiple charges related to other offences.

videocam
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
Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

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

Country’s top envoy in Hong Kong says Philippine president met Rhodora Alcaraz, praised her for role in saving employer’s baby.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr welcomes Rhodora Alcaraz at Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Photo: Handout
Ferdinand Marcos Jnr

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

The former lawmaker, who is facing charges linked to the Philippines’ flood control scandal, is suspected to have fled to Portugal.

videocam
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.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
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.

Lawyers say Melaka police have overstepped the mark after officers barred two women wearing skirts from entering a police station to report a car accident. Photo: Handout
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’.

videocam
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.

17
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.

A Chinese coastguard ship is seen deploying a water cannon towards a smaller vessel in a video shared on Saturday by the Philippine coastguard. Photo: Handout
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.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr having a casual chat with his son and Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos in a video. Photo: YouTube/Bongbong Marcos
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.

videocam
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’.

19
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.

New Taipei City Christmasland, Taiwan’s largest Christmas celebration, runs until December 28 this year in Banqiao district. Photo: Shutterstock
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.

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius (left) mets his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro Jnr in Manila last year to discuss defence cooperation. Photo: Reuters
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.

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.

videocam
7
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement