ASEAN IN FOCUS

Philippines hit by 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Mindanao, no tsunami threat detected

Eagle News – On Thursday, July, 11, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reported a magnitude 7.1 earthquake in Mindanao, Philippines. The German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) said the quake occurred at a depth of 630 km (391.46 miles). While the deep offshore quake is not anticipated to cause damage, aftershocks are likely. There is no threat of a tsunami. The Philippines is situated in the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’, an area known for […]

Philippines, Japan eye signing key defense pact amid China tensions

By Pam CASTRO MANILA, July 5, 2024 (AFP) – The Philippines’ military chief said Thursday he hoped a key defence pact with Japan allowing for the deployment of troops on each other’s territory will be signed at security talks next week. Japanese Defence Minister Minoru Kihara and Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa are set to meet their Philippine counterparts in Manila on Monday. The Philippines and Japan — longtime allies of the United States — have […]

Philippines says it agrees with China to ‘de-escalate’ South China Sea tensions

By Pam CASTRO MANILA, July 2, 2024 (AFP) – The Philippines and China agreed on Tuesday to “de-escalate tensions” over the South China Sea, Manila said, following a violent clash in the disputed waters last month. Manila and Beijing have a long history of maritime territorial disputes in the hotly contested waterway but last month’s incident was the most serious in a number of escalating confrontations. Chinese coast guard personnel wielding knives, sticks and an […]

Chinese badminton player, 17, dies after collapsing on court

JAKARTA, July 1, 2024 (AFP) – A 17-year-old Chinese player has died after collapsing on court during an international tournament in Indonesia, badminton officials said on Monday. Zhang Zhijie was taken ill during a match late Sunday against Japan’s Kazuma Kawano at the Asian Junior Badminton Mixed Team Championships in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The score was 11-11 in the first game when Zhang suddenly fell to the floor. A doctor and medical team were quickly on […]

Indonesia’s Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano erupts twice in a day

JAKARTA, June 29, 2024 (AFP) – Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki in Eastern Indonesia erupted twice on Saturday, volcanology authorities said, sending thick, dark clouds into the air. The first eruption took place at 11:04 am local time (0304 GMT) and lasted nearly 11 minutes, according to a statement from the Indonesian volcanology agency. The second was at 2:41 pm and lasted a little over 10 minutes, spewing volcanic material 900 metres above the crater. “Residents and […]

Indonesia’s Mount Ibu erupts twice, belches tower of ash

JAKARTA, June 28, 2024 (AFP) – A volcano in eastern Indonesia erupted twice on Friday, sending a hot cloud of ash as high as seven kilometres (4.3 miles) into the sky. The country’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation shared an image of the thick column of grey ash towering among white clouds around Mount Ibu, located on the island of Halmahera in North Maluku province. No damage or casualties were immediately reported from […]

Malaysia beaches hit by Singapore oil spill

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) – An oil spill off Singapore has spread to beaches in southern Malaysia, a government official said Friday, with clean-up operations underway. Around 25 people were involved in the clean-up of two beaches spanning one kilometre (0.6 miles) in southern Johor state, local government official Ling Tian Soon told AFP. “Work began today and we hope to complete the task tomorrow. From our observation, marine life or fishermen activities have not been […]

President Marcos says Philippines won’t be intimidated amid China row

  MANILA, June 23, 2024 (AFP) – President Ferdinand Marcos said Sunday the Philippines “will not be intimidated” by anyone after a violent clash between the Filipino navy and the Chinese coast guard in the South China Sea. The confrontation took place Monday off Second Thomas Shoal as the Chinese sailors foiled an attempt by Philippine forces to resupply marines stationed on a derelict warship that was deliberately grounded atop the disputed shoal in 1999 […]

Myanmar’s Suu Kyi in ‘good health’: junta spokesman

YANGON, June 20, 2024 (AFP) – Detained Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is in “good health”, a junta spokesman told AFP on Thursday, a day after the Nobel laureate turned 79 in military custody. Suu Kyi has been detained by the military since it toppled her government and seized power in 2021, plunging the Southeast Asian nation into turmoil. The Nobel laureate is serving a 27-year sentence imposed by a junta court after […]

Chinese sailors wield sticks, axe in disputed sea clash with Philippines

MANILA, June 20, 2024 (AFP) – Chinese coast guard sailors brandishing weapons including sticks, knives and an axe clashed with Philippine naval vessels near a strategic reef in the South China Sea, dramatic new footage released by Manila showed. The clash took place Monday as Philippine forces attempted to resupply marines stationed on a derelict warship deliberately grounded atop the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, Manila said. Fresh footage of the confrontation released late Wednesday by […]

China’s ‘salami-slicing strategy’ against Philippines in disputed sea

By Matthew WALSH BEIJING, June 19, 2024 (AFP) – Ramming boats, building militarised islands and threatening perceived trespassers — China is escalating confrontations with the Philippines in a bid to push it out of the South China Sea, analysts say. One of the most perilous flashpoints between the two nations is a submerged reef called the Second Thomas Shoal, where in 1999 the Philippine navy intentionally marooned a decrepit World War II ship to assert […]

Philippines says Chinese coast guard boarded navy vessels in South China Sea

MANILA, June 19, 2024 (AFP) – The Philippine military said Wednesday the Chinese coast guard rammed and boarded Filipino navy boats in a violent confrontation in the South China Sea this week in which a Filipino sailor lost a thumb. Monday’s incident was the latest in a series of escalating confrontations between Chinese and Philippine ships in recent months as Beijing steps up efforts to push its claims to the disputed area. Filipino military chief […]