Page 10 - Philippines

Japan joins India, Philippines, Malaysia in rejecting Beijing's new map

Japan has joined India, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan to lodge protests against China over its new "standard map" for including the disputed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea as part of its territory. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told the media in Tokyo on Tuesday that Japan has lodged a strong protest to China through diplomatic channels over a new map released by Beijing last month. Tokyo urged Beijing to rescind the map because it has a description based on China's unilateral claims on the Senkaku Islands in southern Japan's Okinawa Prefecture, Matsuno has been quoted by the Japanese media. The map describes the Senkakus as the Diaoyu Islands, the Chinese name for the islands. The Japanese-administered islands in the East China Sea are claimed by Beijing. The islands are "indisputably an inherent part of Japanese territory, both historically and under international law," Matsuno said. Japan "responds in a calm and resolute way, based on i

Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan join India to reject China's new map

Governments in the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan on Thursday joined India in rejecting China's new national map, issuing strongly worded statements accusing Beijing of claiming their territory. China published a new version of its national map on Monday to correct what Beijing has in the past referred to as problematic maps that it claims misrepresent its territorial borders. India on Tuesday lodged a strong protest with China over its so-called "standard map" laying claim over Arunachal Pradesh and the Aksai Chin, and asserted that such steps only complicate the resolution of the boundary question. The External Affairs Ministry also rejected China's claims as having "no basis". "Just making absurd claims does not make other people's territories yours," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said while reacting to the Chinese move. The Philippine government on Thursday slammed China's 2023 edition of its so-called standard map that still shows swaths of Philippine feat

Philippines rejects China's 'standard map' claiming entire South China Sea

The Philippines called on China to act responsibly and abide by its obligations under UNCLOS and the final and binding 2016 Arbitral Award

Chinese coast guard blocks Philippine vessels near disputed shoal

As a US Navy plane circled overhead, two Philippine boats breached a Chinese coast guard blockade in a dangerous confrontation in the disputed South China Sea to deliver food and other supplies to Filipino forces guarding a contested shoal. Two Philippine coast guard vessels escorting the supply boats, however, were blocked by at least four Chinese coast guard ships for about five hours Tuesday in a tense standoff off Second Thomas Shoal. The dangerous encounter is the latest flare-up from the long-seething territorial disputes in the busy sea that involve China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei. It's regarded as an Asian flashpoint and has become a delicate fault line in the US-China rivalry. The Philippine coast guard invited a small group of journalists, including two from The Associated Press, to join its ships that secured the supply boats as part of a new strategy aimed at exposing China's increasingly aggressive actions in the South China Sea, which Beiji

US, Japan, Aus plan navy drills in South China Sea: Philippine official

The United States, Japan and Australia are planning a joint navy drill in the South China Sea off the western Philippines this week to underscore their commitment to the rule of law in the region after a recent show of Chinese aggression in the disputed waters, Filipino security officials said Sunday. On August 5, Chinese coast guard ships used water cannons against Philippine vessels in the contested waterway where disputes have long been regarded as a potential flashpoint and have become a fault line in the rivalry between the US and China in the region. The drill will include three aircraft and helicopter carriers sailing together in a show of force and undertaking joint drills. Their commanders are set to meet with Filipino counterparts in Manila after the offshore drills, two Philippine security officials told The Associated Press. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not allowed to publicly discuss details of the planned drills. The US plans to deploy an ...

Venus Remedies gets market authorisations for cancer drugs from 4 nations

Pharma major Venus Remedies on Monday said it has received market authorisations for its key cancer drugs from Philippines, Paraguay, Georgia and Moldova. With this, the company has secured 506 marketing approvals for its oncology products across 76 countries. While Venus Remedies has secured marketing approval for topotecan from Philippines, it has also reinforced its position as a leading exporter of oncology drugs with product registration for irinotecan in Paraguay, docetaxel in Georgia and topotecan and irinotecan in Moldova, said the company in a statement. "This accomplishment is a decisive move towards achieving our goal of emerging as the top oncology medicine supplier from India in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region and further expanding the reach of our cancer drugs in South America and Eastern Europe. With these marketing authorisations, the company will be able to further extend its operations to new markets offering "advanced cancer treatment ..

Strong typhoon blows closer to northern Philippines, forces evacuation

A powerful typhoon blew closer to the northern Philippines on Tuesday, forcing thousands of evacuations and a halt to sea travel ahead of torrential rains and tidal surges up to 3 meters. The strongest winds at the storm's center are expected to remain offshore as Typhoon Doksuri barrels northwest off Cagayan and Batanes provinces, but they may hit outlying islands in the archipelago. The typhoon's 680-kilometer- (420-mile-) wide rainband could cause flash floods and set off landslides in northern provinces, the country's weather bureau said. Doksuri was last tracked 310 kilometers (193 miles) east of Tuguegarao city in Cagayan province with sustained winds of 185 kilometers (115 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 230 kph (143 mph), government forecasters said. The typhoon would also enhance seasonal monsoon rains in central and northern provinces. It was forecast to continue moving northwest on a track south of Taiwan that would make landfall in China later this week. Cagayan Gov.

Beyond Barbie: Hollywood's blurred boundaries & confused ethnic identities

Misrepresentation of borders and whitewashing of characters continues, with 87% American directors being white

India, Philippines decide to commence negotiations on bilateral trade pact

India and the Philippines on Thursday agreed to commence negotiations on a bilateral preferential trade pact and vowed to step up defence cooperation, especially in the maritime security domain, amid China's increasing muscle-flexing in the South China Sea. In the extensive talks between Secretary for Foreign Affairs of the Philippines Enrique A Manalo and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, the two sides also underlined the need for implementing the South China Sea verdict that was pronounced by a UN arbitration court in 2016. The defence and security ties between India and the Philippines are on an upswing. In January last year, the Philippines concluded a USD 375 million deal with India for the procurement of three batteries of the BrahMos cruise missile. A joint statement said both sides underlined that India and the Philippines have a shared interest in a free and open Indo-Pacific and emphasised the need for peaceful settlement of disputes and for adherence to internationa

Jaishankar, Manalo co-chair 5th India-Philippines co-operation commission

The two leaders discussed a number of key areas of cooperation including cooperation in trade and investment, defence, health, medicine, agriculture, and others

India, Philippines underline commitment to strengthen bilateral relations

The Philippines Secretary for Foreign Affairs on Wednesday said India and the Philippines are working together to amplify their voices for the developing world in the global discourse

We want 'robust' defence partnership with India: Filipino foreign secretary

The Philippines wants to develop a "very robust" defence partnership with India and is looking forward to procuring military hardware from it, Filipino Foreign Secretary Enrique A Manalo said on Wednesday amid concerns in Manila over China's increasing military muscle-flexing in the South China Sea. Delivering a lecture at a leading think tank here a day ahead of his talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Manalo said his country has "repeatedly" challenged Chinese presence in the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of the Philippines in the South China sea and will continue to do so. The Filipino foreign secretary, on a four-day visit to India, said the 10 ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries and China have been engaged to formulate a code of conduct (CoC) for the South China Sea, but he appeared unsure about a positive outcome. The code is envisioned to prevent any military conflict in the South China Sea, a region that has overlapping territorial claims

Lava pours from Mayon volcano, thousands warned to be ready to flee

Lava poured from the crater of the Philippines' most active volcano Monday, prompting officials to warn tens of thousands of villagers to be prepared to flee if the gentle eruption turns into a violent and life-threatening explosion. More than 13,000 people have left the mostly poor farming communities within a 6-kilometre radius of Mayon volcano's crater in mandatory evacuations since volcanic activity increased last week. But an unspecified number of residents remain within the permanent danger zone below Mayon, an area long declared off-limits to people but where generations have lived and farmed because they have nowhere else to go. With the volcano beginning to expel lava Sunday night, the high-risk zone around Mayon may be expanded should the eruption turn violent, said Teresito Bacolcol, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. Bacolcol said if that happens, people in any expanded danger zone should be prepared to evacuate to emergency shelters. "Wh

TVS Motor announces launch of NTORQ 125 race edition in Philipppines

Two and three-wheeler maker TVS Motors on Monday announced the launch of the TVS NTORQ 125 Race Edition at the Makina Auto Show in Philippines. The vehicle comes with TVS SmartXonnect TM that lets the rider connect their smartphone to the scooter, unlocking a host of smart connected features. These can be accessed through an advanced, fully digital instrument cluster that is loaded with 60 plus features, a company release said. "Since the launch, TVS NTORQ 125 has been a favourite among Gen Z customers in the Philippines due to its striking appearance and connected features with TVS SmartXonnect TM," J Thangarajan, President Director, PT TVS Motor Company, Indonesia,was quoted as saying. He added, the launch of TVS NTORQ 125 has been received very well in Philippines. "The scooter has become an immediate favourite and we are sure the new Race Edition will further find acceptance from the customers seeking an element of thrill and performance," he added.

Philippines to partner with US, India to construct digital public infra

The House of Representatives passed on third reading an e-governance bill on March 6. A counterpart bill in the Senate is currently at the committee level

Earthquake of 4.5 magnitude hits Litayan in Philippines, says USGS

The earthquake occurred at 02:43:27 (UTC+05:30) and hit Litayan, Philippines on Tuesday, at a depth of 592.5 km, the USGS informed

RBI rejects Bajaj Fin's plan for Philippines operations over FATF concerns

Philippines has been increasingly coming under the lens of the Financial Action Task Force, and has already been designated as an FATF grey list country

Earthquake of magnitude 6 hits Philippines, no damage or casualty reported

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6 rocked the Philippines on Thursday morning, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said

Digital lending firm Lentra enters Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam

Company aims to reach $100 mn in annual recurring revenue by March 2024 in South East Asia nations

Piaggio Vehicles announces entry of Ape Electrik 3-wheeler in Philippines

Piaggio Vehicles Pvt Ltd (PVPL), the Indian subsidiary of Italian auto major Piaggio Group, on Tuesday announced the entry of its electric three-wheeler Ape Electrik in the Philippines for last-mile mobility. The electric three-wheeler will be manufactured at PVPL's Baramati manufacturing facility in Maharashtra. "For Piaggio Vehicles, entry into the Philippines is a stepping-stone towards accelerating the adoption of EVs across the world and towards a sustainable planet. "We see huge export potential to the market and also aim to meaningfully contribute to their EV ambitions," said Diego Graffi, Chairman and Managing Director, Piaggio Vehicles Pvt Ltd. These vehicles will be powered by the SUN Mobility's advanced battery-swapping technology. To be available in the Philippines through a subsidiary of Rusco Motors Inc, the vehicle will be the country's first electric three-wheeler for last-mile mobility, it said. SUN Mobility has further strengthened its association with Piaggio a