With acoustic blast, China ups aggression in disputed waters: Philippine Navy. Beijing’s deployment of long-range acoustic device in the South China Sea is among its “gray-zone” tactics in the contested waterway, Manila said.

17 hours ago · Philippine National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) chief Jaime Santiago (front center) speaks alongside Philippine military chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. (front right) and Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez (front left) as they present five arrested Chinese suspected of espionage (back row) during a press conference at the NBI offices in Manila, Jan. 30, 2025.

15 hours ago · Hamas militants have released five Thai farm workers after holding them captive for more than 15 months in Gaza, as part of a recently struck ceasefire and prisoner deal with the Israeli government.. The five were among 31 Thai nationals captured and taken hostage during the Palestinian militant group’s attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. . Twenty-three of those hostages had already ...

1 day ago · Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (second from left) and Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (right) attend the closing ceremony of the 44th and 45th ASEAN summits and for the handing over of chairmanship to Malaysia, at the National Convention Centre in Vientiane, Laos, Oct. 11, 2024.

22 hours ago · Groups helping victims of Myanmar’s turmoil are struggling to provide assistance after the United States placed a 90-day freeze on nearly all foreign aid, an organization said, as the United Nations warned of looming hunger five years after the military ousted an elected government.. More than 3.5 million people have been displaced in Myanmar because of the war between the junta that seized ...

3 days ago · It didn’t come as a surprise to see President Donald Trump sign executive orders to again pull out of the Paris Agreement, or from the World Health Organization, but the immediate suspension of U.S. international aid has compounded …

In bilateral talks, Philippines complains about China’s ‘monster’ ship in EEZ waters. Rival South China Sea claimants also agreed to continue the implementation of Manila’s resupply missions to a disputed shoal.

Philippine NSC chief pushes espionage law amendment after Chinese suspect arrested. The arrest of the Chinese national and two suspected Filipino accomplices comes amid bilateral tensions over South China Sea.

Thailand lets autocratic neighbors hunt down opponents on its soil. Since a 2014 coup, Bangkok has either been complicit or turned a blind eye to the actions of the security forces of other countries.

Mission. BenarNews provides clear and accurate news on security, politics and human rights on the local and regional level for the people of the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh, and island-nations in the Pacific.