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China stages drills near Scarborough Shoal in South China Sea area

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 19:39:16 GMT

BEIJING, China: China's military carried out joint air and naval drills near the disputed Scarborough Shoal on August 1, according to a statement from the People's Liberation Army Southern Theater Command.

The exercises took place in the waters and airspace around the shoal, which China calls Huangyan Dao.

The Chinese military said the drills were a response to actions by other countries that it believes

Leylah Fernandez ends top-10 drought with Mirra Andreeva upset in Toronto

Sat, 08 Aug 2026 00:05:08 GMT

(Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images)

Leylah Fernandez secured her first top-10 win in more than a year in front of a friendly home crowd with a resounding 6-1, 6-4 defeat of Russia's Mirra Andreeva at the National Bank Open on Friday in Toronto.

Fernandez, the No. 30 seed who hails from Laval, Quebec, needed just 81 minutes to dispatch the reigning French Open champion. She won nine straight games to c

SBI Chairman rules out asset quality stress in Q1, says seasonality distorts sequential NPAs

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 15:33:09 GMT

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 7(ANI): State Bank of India (SBI) Chairman CS Setty dismissed concerns over sequential asset quality pressure and slowing private capex, clarifying that first-quarter performance is subject to seasonal variations.

Speaking during the bank's Q1FY27 financial results press conference in Mumbai on Friday, Setty answered two questions from ANI News regarding slippages, credit exp

SBI expects deposit growth uptake in Q2 driven by FCNR(B), says Chairman CS Setty

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 12:33:21 GMT

New Delhi [India], August 7 (ANI): State Bank of India Chairman, Challa Sreenivasulu Setty, said that the bank expects its deposit growth to record an uptake in the second quarter of the current financial year on the back of FCNR(B) deposits, while maintaining a full-year deposit growth target of 10-11 per cent.

Speaking at the post-quarterly result press conference on Friday, Setty stated that the country's larg

SBI Q1 net profit rises 10% to Rs 21,121 crore; NII jumps 15%

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 12:29:52 GMT

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 7 (ANI): State Bank of India (SBI) reported a 10.23 per cent year-on-year rise in net profit to Rs 21,121 crore for the first quarter of FY2026-27, supported by strong growth in net interest income and advances, along with improvement in asset quality.

The country's largest lender had reported a net profit of Rs 19,160 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous financi

(SP)CHILE-SAN FELIPE-VOLLEYBALL-GIRLS' U17 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP-PRELIMINARY PHASE-CHINA VS PHILIPPINES

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 06:46:43 GMT

(260807) -- SAN FELIPE, Aug. 7, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Niu Sidi (Top R) of China competes during the preliminary phase match between China and the Philippines at the FIVB Volleyball Girls' U17 World Championship in San Felipe, Chile, Aug. 6, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhou Jiayi)

LIC's Value of New Business jumps 61% in Q1 as margins expand to 22.9%; Profit rises 23%

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 16:00:28 GMT

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 6 (ANI): Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) reported a sharp improvement in the profitability of its new business during the first quarter of FY27, with its Value of New Business (VNB) rising 61.32 per cent year-on-year to Rs 3,136 crore, while the net VNB margin expanded by 750 basis points to 22.9 per cent. The state-owned insurer also posted a 22.81 per cent increase in pr

Mitti Labs Raises $9.5 Million to Build Water Resilience in Asia's Rice Fields

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 17:31:49 GMT

PRNewswire

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India]/ New York [US], August 5: Deep-tech company

"The males, both young and o

SWEATING THROUGH BAKUN

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 05:23:42 GMT

By Maybeline F. Nacis, Ruther Ray C. Ruado, and Sarah Onangey-Garcia

Chasing waterfalls in the Philippine Cordilleras sounds like the ultimate serene getaway, until Bakun Central's vertical trails and screaming quads crash your highland daydream. Reaching Tekip, Pattan, and Mangta Falls in a single day is far from a casual wander through the woods; it is an absolute leg-day challenge con

Celebrate ASEAN Month 2026: Public Invited toExperience Southeast Asia Through Music, Dance, Arts, and Culture

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 00:02:35 GMT

MANILA, Philippines - The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), together with its ASEAN 2026 Philippines partners, invites the public to join the month-long celebration of ASEAN Month 2026, featuring a vi

China slams Philippine defense statement as vicious provocation

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 07:56:07 GMT

A file photo of Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian speaking at a press conference in Beijing, China. /VCG

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Tuesday described recent remarks by the Philippine defense department as a political provocation of an extremely malign nature.

Spokesperson Lin Jian made the remarks in response to a statement issued by the Philippine Department of N

Philippines: Revised Guidelines Threaten Indigenous Rights

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 04:29:32 GMT

(Manila) - The Philippine government's revised national guidelines on free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) threaten the rights of Indigenous communities, Human Rights Watch said today. Philippine authorities should align these guidelines with international human rights standards.

On May 1, 2026, the Philippine National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (

Lost Autonomy, No Divorce: The Burden on Single Filipino Mothers

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 06:56:12 GMT

Those people go naked, wearing but one piece of palm-tree cloth about their private parts. Wrote Antonio Pigafetta (1491 1534), the Venetian who, in 1519, joined the expedition led by Ferdinand Magellan to the Moluccas Spice Islands. By March 1521, they landed in the Visayan Islands of todays Philippines. In his diary, Pigafetta described the men and women they encountered there.

The males, both young and old, ha

SWEATING THROUGH BAKUN

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 10:53:42 GMT

The One-Day Trio Falls Survival

By Maybeline F. Nacis, Ruther Ray C. Ruado, and Sarah OnangeyGarcia

Chasing waterfalls in the Philippine Cordilleras sounds like the ultimate serene getaway, until Bakun Centrals vertical trails and screaming quads crash your highland daydream. Reaching Tekip, Pattan, and Mangta Falls in a single day is far from a casual wander through the woods; it

IPSU Indo-Pacific Strategic Unity

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 01:52:30 GMT

A proposal to recognize the Indo-Pacific as an integrated strategic system and move toward a future architecture of regional cooperation.

The Indo-Pacific Strategic Unity, IPSU, will not be born as a formal organization or as an imaginary political alliance. It will have no secretariat, flag, founding treaty, or permanent headquarters. It will be born as a framework for interpretation. Its purpose will be to orga

Philippine foreign reserves decline in July

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 14:15:40 GMT

MANILA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines' gross international reserves (GIR) declined to 103.4 billion U.S. dollars at the end of July from 104.8 billion dollars in June, the Philippine central bank said on Friday.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the central bank of the Philippines, attributed the decline to its net foreign exchange operations, the national government's drawdowns on its foreign currency

Philippine peso weakens on economic slowdown concerns

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 14:15:28 GMT

MANILA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine peso weakened to 60.9 against the U.S. dollar on Friday from 60.81 in the previous session, local media reported on Friday.

The local currency opened at 60.9, weaker than Thursday's start of 60.68, and traded between 60.88 and 61.06, with an average of 60.96. Trading volume reached 1.8 billion U.S. dollars, down from 2.04 billion dollars a day earlier.

The peso's

China says military exercises in South China Sea respond to Philippine provocations

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 09:46:02 GMT

BEIJING, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese defense spokesperson said on Friday that Chinese military exercises and law enforcement training around Huangyan Dao and its surrounding waters stand as a serious warning against violations and provocations by the Philippines.

Chen Xi, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks in response to a media query about Chinese military exercises and law

Magnitude 5.8 earthquake strikes off western Philippines

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 05:23:57 GMT

MANILA, 7th August, 2026 (WAM) -- A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck off Occidental Mindoro province in the western Philippines on Friday, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), and was felt in the capital Manila.

The quake, recorded at 10:38 am local time, was located about 21 km southwest of Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro, at a depth of 10 km, PHIVOLCS said in an initial ad

Philippine inflation slows down to 6.2 pct in July

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 15:15:31 GMT

MANILA, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- Philippine inflation slowed to 6.2 percent in July from 6.4 percent in June, according to the latest data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority on Wednesday.

The slowdown was mainly attributed to a lower transport inflation rate, which eased to 11.9 percent from 12.8 percent in June, as gasoline inflation slowed to 34.1 percent from 39.2 percent.

The Department of Econ

5.9-magnitude earthquake strikes off Philippines coast

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 05:19:42 GMT

MANILA, 6th August, 2026 (WAM) -- An earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale struck an area about 32 kilometres southwest of Sarangani in the Philippines.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometres.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

6.3-magnitude offshore earthquake strikes S. Philippines

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 01:45:13 GMT

MANILA, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said a 6.3-magnitude offshore earthquake struck Davao Occidental province in the southern Philippines early Thursday morning.

The institute said the tectonic earthquake occurred at 5:41 a.m. local time at a depth of 10 km, with the epicenter 99 km southwest of the coast of Balut Island.

The Philippines, an archipelagic natio

5.7-magnitude quake hits Mindanao, Philippines -- GFZ

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 22:15:24 GMT

BEIJING, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.7 jolted Mindanao, Philippines at 2141 GMT on Wednesday, the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences said.

The epicenter, with a depth of 10 km, was initially determined to be at 5.15 degrees north latitude and 125.48 degrees east longitude.

2 killed in rockslide in N. Philippines

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 15:15:22 GMT

MANILA, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- At least two people were killed after a rockslide struck Rizal province in the northern Philippines on Wednesday, according to local media reports.

The incident happened when a large rock fell in a residential area, and residents in the area had been told to leave the danger zone, according to local authorities.

Due to continuous rains, several regions across the country have ex

Former NBA center Daniel Theis joins Maccabi Tel Aviv

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 13:18:21 GMT

JERUSALEM, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Israeli EuroLeague basketball club Maccabi Tel Aviv announced on Wednesday the signing of Daniel Theis on a two-year contract.

The 34-year-old German center spent eight seasons in the NBA and was part of the German national teams that won the 2023 FIBA World Cup and 2025 EuroBasket titles.

The club did not disclose financial details, but Israeli media reported that Theis will

Xinhua Headlines: China's botanical garden bridges borders for biodiversity conservation

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 12:15:58 GMT

KUNMING, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- At the height of summer, tourists flock to the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) in southwest China's Yunnan Province, posing for photos atop giant water lilies or joining hands around the massive trunks of towering rainforest trees.

Behind the visitor-friendly spectacle, the botanical garden in Yunnan's Xishuangbanna region is also advancing international efforts to prot

DPRK says to set up additional military options due to Japan's moves

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 08:45:15 GMT

PYONGYANG, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- A senior official of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said the country will set up additional military options due to Japan's latest military developments, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Wednesday.

In a statement carried by KCNA, Kim Yo Jong, department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, denounced Japan's latest

1st LD Writethru: 6.4-magnitude offshore earthquake strikes S. Philippines

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 07:15:15 GMT

MANILA, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said a 6.4-magnitude offshore earthquake struck Davao Occidental province in the southern Philippines around noon on Wednesday.

The institute said the tectonic earthquake occurred at 12:14 p.m. local time at a depth of 13 km. It said there is no tsunami threat to the Philippines from the earthquake.

The Philippines, an archi

Update: China slams Philippine defense department's statement as extremely vicious political provocation

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 13:47:18 GMT

BEIJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Tuesday slammed a Philippine defense department statement issued on July 31 as a political provocation of an extremely malign nature.

This so-called statement is full of disinformation and smears designed to interfere in China's internal affairs, said spokesperson Lin Jian, adding China firmly opposes it.

Lin said that a small handful of

Dengue outbreak declared in southern Philippine city after 12 deaths

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 13:45:13 GMT

MANILA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Local authorities declared a dengue outbreak in Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines following 12 confirmed deaths and 1,241 reported cases, according to local media reports on Tuesday.

The city health office said mosquito density had exceeded safety thresholds by up to 12 times, creating conditions for intensified dengue transmission. Authorities said cases have continued to ris

1st LD-Writethru: China slams Philippine defense department's statement as extremely vicious political provocation

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 13:18:35 GMT

This so-called statement is full of disinformation and smears designed to interfere in China's internal affairs, said spokesperson Lin Jian, adding China firmly opposes it.

Lin said that a small handful

China slams Philippine defense department's statement as extremely vicious political provocation

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 11:45:51 GMT

BEIJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Tuesday slammed a Philippine defense department statement issued on July 31 as an extremely vicious political provocation.

The statement is full of lies and malicious attacks, and interferes in China's internal affairs, said spokesperson Lin Jian, adding that China firmly opposes it.

3 militants killed in N. Philippines clash with gov't troops

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 10:45:27 GMT

MANILA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Three alleged members of the rebel New People's Army (NPA) were killed during an encounter with government troops in Abra province in the northern Philippines on Tuesday, according to local media reports.

The Philippine authorities said troops encountered about 10 suspected NPA members while conducting pursuit operations in the area. Soldiers later recovered the bodies of the three sus

Xinhua Commentary: Philippines' expansionist moves on China's Huangyan Dao futile, destabilizing

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 08:15:29 GMT

BEIJING, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- In another reckless expansionist provocation, the Philippine government has delimited the so-called "baselines of the territorial sea" of China's Huangyan Dao, a move that flagrantly violates China's sovereignty and international law and is doomed to fail.

China firmly rejects this action as illegal, and null and void. The latest infringement represents a deliberate attempt by the Phi

Philippine sovereign wealth fund has no plans for AI direct investment: CEO

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 01:45:16 GMT

MANILA, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- The top manager of Maharlika Investment Corp. (MIC) said the company is not keen on directly investing in artificial intelligence (AI) companies, according to local media reports on Monday.

MIC is not planning to invest in AI ventures given the difficulty of determining what part of the rapidly developing AI ecosystem would deliver the best returns, Rafael Consing Jr., president and CE

Tropical depression to bring Philippines heavy rains

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 01:45:12 GMT

MANILA, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- A tropical depression will bring rains to most parts of the country, the Philippine weather bureau forecast, local media reported on Monday.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), a new tropical depression is located 130 km east off the coast of Aurora province on Luzon Island as of 4 a.m. Monday and is almost stationary.

US asks Philippines to extradite Filipino church leader accused of sex crimes and fraud

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 12:41:09 GMT

MANILA, Philippines (AP) - The United States has asked the Philippine government to extradite a Filipino church leader, who was once an influential adviser to former President Rodrigo Duterte, to face trial on charges including child sex trafficking and fraud that landed him on the FBI's most wanted list, two Philippine officials said Thursday.

The Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila said it has received