Category: Asia

Philippines

DOH Budget Faces Massive Cut in 2027—Now Lawmakers Want Congress to Put Billions Back

MANILA, Philippines — A proposed 21-percent reduction in the Department of Health’s (DOH) 2027 budget is drawing growing concern from lawmakers and health officials, with calls mounting for Congress to restore funding for hospitals, health facilities and the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth). The proposed health-sector allocation currently stands at about ₱353.8 billion, significantly lower than the ₱448.1 billion appropriated for 2026. The reduction comes even as the government co

September 5, 2026

China

5 Chinese Warships Spotted Near Eastern Samar and Ilocos Norte—What Were They Watching?

MANILA, Philippines — The presence of Chinese naval vessels near two strategically important maritime approaches of the Philippines is drawing renewed attention after five People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels were reportedly monitored off Eastern Samar and northern Luzon in recent days. The sightings, first reported by The Manila Times, involved four Chinese warships observed off Hilabaan, Eastern Samar, on August 31, followed the next day by another PLAN vessel monitored near Ilocos No

September 5, 2026

Philippines

BIR Turns Up Heat on Tax Audits—But This Time, the System Decides Who Gets Flagged

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is tightening the way it conducts tax audits, shifting further toward a system-assisted, risk-based approach designed to identify taxpayers who show potential compliance red flags while reducing unnecessary discretion among revenue officers. The latest development comes with the implementation of the BIR's consolidated Audit Program under Revenue Memorandum Order No. 22-2026, issued on August 24. The order brings together earlier audit

September 5, 2026

Philippines

National Artist Resil Mojares Dies at 83—He Had Just Celebrated His Birthday the Day Before

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has lost one of its most influential literary scholars and cultural historians. National Artist for Literature Resil B. Mojares died early Saturday, September 5, 2026, at the age of 83, according to his family. His death came only a day after he celebrated his 83rd birthday on September 4. His daughter, Leigh Go Mojares, announced the news, describing her father as a pillar of their family and expressing gratitude that they were able to celebrate his final

September 5, 2026

Asia

Moscow’s Old Fear of Britain Is Back — But This Time, Ukraine Could Make It Far More Dangerous

Relations between Russia and the United Kingdom are again approaching a dangerous low point, with Moscow increasingly portraying Britain as one of the principal forces behind Ukraine's ability to strike targets deep inside Russian territory. The argument has a striking historical echo. A new analysis by historian Peter Whitewood, published by Asia Times and republished from The Conversation, argues that Moscow's current portrayal of Britain resembles Soviet-era suspicions from the 1920s, when

September 5, 2026

Philippines

Bonoan Walks Free After Flood-Control Case Exit—But the Bigger Battle May Just Be Starting

MANILA, Philippines — Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary Manuel “Manny” Bonoan has been released from police custody after the Sandiganbayan ordered his discharge from detention, marking a major turn in the sprawling investigation into alleged irregularities in government flood-control projects. Bonoan left the Philippine National Police General Hospital in Camp Crame, Quezon City, at around 10:35 a.m. on Friday, September 4, after the Criminal Investigation and Det

September 5, 2026

Asia

Europe Is Making a Major Move Toward Greenland — And Trump’s Arctic Ambitions Are Raising the Stakes

NUUK — The European Union is preparing to deepen its relationship with Greenland as geopolitical competition in the Arctic intensifies and the United States continues to express interest in acquiring the Danish autonomous territory. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is scheduled to visit Greenland on September 6 and 7, accompanied by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen is expected to receive the two leaders in Nuuk, where th

September 5, 2026

Philippines

₱366M Kush Found on Yacht—Now the Coast Guard Wants to Know Where It Came From

OLONGAPO CITY — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is now digging deeper into the movements of a sailing yacht after authorities uncovered an estimated ₱366.65 million worth of suspected high-grade marijuana, or “kush,” hidden aboard the vessel at the Subic Bay Yacht Club. The latest development shifts the investigation beyond the drugs themselves, with the Coast Guard seeking access to the yacht's navigation systems and voyage records to determine where the vessel traveled before reaching Subic

September 5, 2026

Politics

US Strikes 3 Iranian Oil Tankers After Missile Attacks on Navy Ships—Washington Issues New Warning

WASHINGTON — The conflict between the United States and Iran escalated sharply Saturday after the U.S. military said its forces struck three Iranian crude oil tankers following missile attacks directed at American Navy warships in the region. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said an American aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer successfully evaded multiple Iranian attacks and that no U.S. personnel were injured. According to CENTCOM, the three Iranian tankers were connected to a netwo

September 5, 2026

Philippines

Metro Manila’s Air Is Finally ‘Good’—But Another Part of the Philippines Is Now Breathing Dangerous Haze

MANILA, Philippines — Metro Manila residents may finally have some breathing room. After days of haze linked to forest and peat fires in Kalimantan, Indonesia, the air quality across monitored areas of Metro Manila was classified as “good” on Friday, September 5, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB). But the improvement in the capital comes as a warning elsewhere: several areas in the Visayas and Mindanao were still recordi

September 5, 2026