The Philippines&nbsp;has shown interest&nbsp;in studying and implementing a digital identity system inspired by India&rsquo;s Aadhaar and the software stack built around it.

According to sources, the leader from the Philippines&nbsp;have sent queries for details to know about the Aadhaar details.

The Philippines interest towards Aadhaar has come amidst&nbsp;the apex&nbsp;court in India is hearing petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Aadhaar Act as a violation of the right to privacy.

According to a recently released investigative report a major data breach relating to Aadhaar came out where details were sold out for Rs 500.&nbsp;

President of Philippines Rodrigo Duterte arrived in India Wednesday for the two day ASEAN Summit to be held on 25 and 26 January.&nbsp;

The summit will mark the 25 years of the Indo-ASEAN Summit.

The event will be attended by ten leaders of different South Asian countries who will also be the guest for Republic Day celebrations in Delhi.

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According to sources, the leader from the Philippines have sent queries for details to know about the Aadhaar details

The Philippines has shown interest in studying and implementing a digital identity system inspired by India’s Aadhaar and the software stack built around it. According to sources, the leader from the Philippines have sent queries for details to know about the Aadhaar details. The Philippines interest towards Aadhaar has come amidst the apex court in India is hearing petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Aadhaar Act as a violation of the right to privacy. According to a recently released investigative report a major data breach relating to Aadhaar came out where details were sold out for Rs 500. President of Philippines Rodrigo Duterte arrived in India Wednesday for the two day ASEAN Summit to be held on 25 and 26 January. The summit will mark the 25 years of the Indo-ASEAN Summit. The event will be attended by ten leaders of different South Asian countries who will also be the guest for Republic Day celebrations in Delhi.

ASEAN Summit: Philippines shows interest in Aadhaar

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte watched bulldozers flatten dozens of sports cars and other luxury vehicles Tuesday as part of a drive to fight corruption at the country&#39;s customs bureau.

A Jaguar, a Lexus, a Corvette Stingray, and dozens of top-end German sedans and Japanese SUVs were crushed at a customs yard in the capital Manila. The vehicles were seized after they were smuggled in, authorities said.

A total of 30 vehicles worth a combined 61.6 million pesos ($1.2 million) were scrapped in Manila and two other cities on Duterte&#39;s orders

The president has made fighting corruption and illegal drugs the cornerstones of his six-year term.

&quot;Reduce them to scrap metal,&quot; Duterte said in a speech to customs employees after the event.

Normally, seized smuggled vehicles are impounded and then auctioned with the government taking the proceeds.&nbsp;

&quot;I will pay for them, no problem,&quot; Duterte said.

The Bureau of Customs collects duties on imports and is one of the state&#39;s key revenue-generating agencies. It consistently tops independent surveys as one of the country&#39;s most corrupt government agencies.

Customs commissioner Isidro Lapena said in a speech at the ceremony that he has reassigned 691 of his some 7,000 employees since he took office in August last year.

Two other employees were dismissed and 16 others have been suspended over alleged illegal activity, he added.

A total of 30 vehicles worth a combined 61.6 million pesos ($1.2 million) were scrapped in Manila and two other cities

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte watched bulldozers flatten dozens of sports cars and other luxury vehicles Tuesday as part of a drive to fight corruption at the country's customs bureau. A Jaguar, a Lexus, a Corvette Stingray, and dozens of top-end German sedans and Japanese SUVs were crushed at a customs yard in the capital Manila. The vehicles were seized after they were smuggled in, authorities said. A total of 30 vehicles worth a combined 61.6 million pesos ($1.2 million) were scrapped in Manila and two other cities on Duterte's orders The president has made fighting corruption and illegal drugs the cornerstones of his six-year term. "Reduce them to scrap metal," Duterte said in a speech to customs employees after the event. Normally, seized smuggled vehicles are impounded and then auctioned with the government taking the proceeds. "I will pay for them, no problem," Duterte said. The Bureau of Customs collects duties on imports and is one of the state's key revenue-generating agencies. It consistently tops independent surveys as one of the country's most corrupt government agencies. Customs commissioner Isidro Lapena said in a speech at the ceremony that he has reassigned 691 of his some 7,000 employees since he took office in August last year. Two other employees were dismissed and 16 others have been suspended over alleged illegal activity, he added.

With Duterte watching, Philippines crushes sports cars in drive to fight corruption

The Philippines&#39; chief volcanologist warned on Monday of a possible hazardous eruption at Mount Mayon &quot;within weeks or even within days&quot;, as magma continued to pile up at the summit of the Southeast Asian country&#39;s most active volcano.

The 2,462-metre (8,077-foot) high volcano, a tourist attraction in central Albay province because of its near-perfect cone shape, spewed ash and burning mud and rocks over the past two days, forcing more than 3,000 residents to evacuate from nearby villages.

It showed a bright crater glow on Sunday, signifying lava had started to flow from the crater.

Manila&#39;s airport authorities said airline Cebu Pacific had cancelled flights to nearby Legazpi City for a second day on Monday, citing bad weather.

Mayon&#39;s most destructive eruption was in February 1841, when lava buried a town and killed 1,200 people. It last erupted in 2014, spewing lava and forcing thousands of people to evacuate.

Renato Solidum, chief of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), described Mayon&#39;s current activity as a non-explosive magmatic eruption, but he would not rule out a more dangerous volcanic explosion in coming days.

&quot;What we would like to see is if there would be enough pressure, gas pressure for the next magma that would go up,&quot; he told ABS-CBN News Channel.

Phivolcs raised the volcano alert to level 3 late on Sunday after detecting the lava flow.

Solidum said raising the alert to level 4, under which the danger zone would be expanded and a hazardous eruption could happen within a few days, depended on how Mayon behaved in the next few hours.

Level 5 indicates an eruption is in progress.

People have been advised to stay away from a 6-km (4-mile) radius Permanent Danger Zone and a 7-km Expanded Danger Zone on the volcano&#39;s southern flank.

The 2,462-metre (8,077-foot) high volcano, a tourist attraction in central Albay province because of its near-perfect cone shape, spewed ash and burning mud and rocks over the past two days

The Philippines' chief volcanologist warned on Monday of a possible hazardous eruption at Mount Mayon "within weeks or even within days", as magma continued to pile up at the summit of the Southeast Asian country's most active volcano. The 2,462-metre (8,077-foot) high volcano, a tourist attraction in central Albay province because of its near-perfect cone shape, spewed ash and burning mud and rocks over the past two days, forcing more than 3,000 residents to evacuate from nearby villages. It showed a bright crater glow on Sunday, signifying lava had started to flow from the crater. Manila's airport authorities said airline Cebu Pacific had cancelled flights to nearby Legazpi City for a second day on Monday, citing bad weather. Mayon's most destructive eruption was in February 1841, when lava buried a town and killed 1,200 people. It last erupted in 2014, spewing lava and forcing thousands of people to evacuate. Renato Solidum, chief of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), described Mayon's current activity as a non-explosive magmatic eruption, but he would not rule out a more dangerous volcanic explosion in coming days. "What we would like to see is if there would be enough pressure, gas pressure for the next magma that would go up," he told ABS-CBN News Channel. Phivolcs raised the volcano alert to level 3 late on Sunday after detecting the lava flow. Solidum said raising the alert to level 4, under which the danger zone would be expanded and a hazardous eruption could happen within a few days, depended on how Mayon behaved in the next few hours. Level 5 indicates an eruption is in progress. People have been advised to stay away from a 6-km (4-mile) radius Permanent Danger Zone and a 7-km Expanded Danger Zone on the volcano's southern flank.

Philippines says hazardous volcano eruption possible 'within weeks or days'

Floods and mudslides triggered by tropical storm Tembin have killed 30 people and left around 60 others missing in Tugaya Village in Tubod City of Mindanao in the Philippines.

As one of the most remote villages in Tubod, Tugaya Village has been completely destroyed and left buried in mud. Over 120 households in the village were affected by the tropical storm which has left 116 houses damaged beyond repair.

The Philippine army and fire brigades are still searching for the missing villagers, with many of the rescuers clearly affected by the scale of the tragedy.

&quot;It is really sad for us. Even if we are working with people, rescuing them, it is not easy for us to accept the reality. Nature is not easy to explain,&quot; said Albert Chan, chief operator of the Tubod Fire Station.

Many local villagers weren&#39;t evacuated in time, which resulted in the large number of casualties. The Philippines is hit by around 20 typhoons on average each year and tropical storm Tembin didn&#39;t raise major concerns among unsuspecting local residents.

&quot;We get used to [typhoons]. For us, being attacked by a typhoon is very normal. The village was usually hit by typhoons in the past, but not as severe as this one. The floods were not as torrential as this one as well. It is the most severe this time,&quot; said Imelda Diag, a local villager.

Villagers were later moved to a safe place on the opposite side of the mountainous area by crossing a rapid river, with horses carrying their goods.

Tembin battered the southern Philippine island of Mindanao last Friday, triggering floods and mudslides across the region, leaving over 200 people dead, more than 150 others missing and some 70,000 homeless, according to the Philippine government.

Many local villagers weren't evacuated in time, which resulted in the large number of casualties.

Floods and mudslides triggered by tropical storm Tembin have killed 30 people and left around 60 others missing in Tugaya Village in Tubod City of Mindanao in the Philippines. As one of the most remote villages in Tubod, Tugaya Village has been completely destroyed and left buried in mud. Over 120 households in the village were affected by the tropical storm which has left 116 houses damaged beyond repair. The Philippine army and fire brigades are still searching for the missing villagers, with many of the rescuers clearly affected by the scale of the tragedy. "It is really sad for us. Even if we are working with people, rescuing them, it is not easy for us to accept the reality. Nature is not easy to explain," said Albert Chan, chief operator of the Tubod Fire Station. Many local villagers weren't evacuated in time, which resulted in the large number of casualties. The Philippines is hit by around 20 typhoons on average each year and tropical storm Tembin didn't raise major concerns among unsuspecting local residents. "We get used to [typhoons]. For us, being attacked by a typhoon is very normal. The village was usually hit by typhoons in the past, but not as severe as this one. The floods were not as torrential as this one as well. It is the most severe this time," said Imelda Diag, a local villager. Villagers were later moved to a safe place on the opposite side of the mountainous area by crossing a rapid river, with horses carrying their goods. Tembin battered the southern Philippine island of Mindanao last Friday, triggering floods and mudslides across the region, leaving over 200 people dead, more than 150 others missing and some 70,000 homeless, according to the Philippine government.

Tropical storm Tembin kills 30 in Philippine village

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte&#39;s eldest son quit as vice mayor of the southern city of Davao on Monday, citing his being linked to a drug smuggling case by opponents and personal problems from a failed marriage as reasons for the move.

Paolo Duterte announced his resignation during a special session of the Davao City Council. Davao is President Duterte&#39;s hometown and its mayor is Paolo&#39;s younger sister, Sara Duterte-Carpio.

&quot;There are recent unfortunate events in my life that are closely tied to my failed first marriage,&quot; the vice mayor said, in a statement made available to media.

&quot;These, among others, include the maligning of my reputation in the recent name dropping incident in the Bureau of Customs&#39; smuggling case and the very public squabble with my daughter.&quot;

Paolo testified at a senate investigation in September into a seized shipment of around $125 million worth of narcotics from China after opponents of the president, who has instigated a fierce crackdown on the drugs trade, said they believe his son may have helped ease the entry of the shipment at the port in Manila, the Philippine capital. Paolo has denied any involvement.

More recently, he has been involved in an online spat with Isabelle, his 15-year-old daughter from his first wife. Paolo has called her &quot;embarrassing&quot; on Facebook after she complained on Twitter about being treated badly by her father.

The president&#39;s office, the mayor`s office and other members of Paolo`s family did not immediately respond to Reuters` requests for comments.

Paolo testified at a senate investigation in September into a seized shipment of around $125 million worth of narcotics from China.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's eldest son quit as vice mayor of the southern city of Davao on Monday, citing his being linked to a drug smuggling case by opponents and personal problems from a failed marriage as reasons for the move. Paolo Duterte announced his resignation during a special session of the Davao City Council. Davao is President Duterte's hometown and its mayor is Paolo's younger sister, Sara Duterte-Carpio. "There are recent unfortunate events in my life that are closely tied to my failed first marriage," the vice mayor said, in a statement made available to media. "These, among others, include the maligning of my reputation in the recent name dropping incident in the Bureau of Customs' smuggling case and the very public squabble with my daughter." Paolo testified at a senate investigation in September into a seized shipment of around $125 million worth of narcotics from China after opponents of the president, who has instigated a fierce crackdown on the drugs trade, said they believe his son may have helped ease the entry of the shipment at the port in Manila, the Philippine capital. Paolo has denied any involvement. More recently, he has been involved in an online spat with Isabelle, his 15-year-old daughter from his first wife. Paolo has called her "embarrassing" on Facebook after she complained on Twitter about being treated badly by her father. The president's office, the mayor`s office and other members of Paolo`s family did not immediately respond to Reuters` requests for comments.

Duterte's son quits as vice mayor of hometown Davao

Tens of thousands have been forced from their homes by a tropical storm that battered the southern Philippines leaving at least 182 dead, police and aid agencies said Sunday.

Tropical storm Tembin, which triggered flash floods and mudslides as it lashed the nation&#39;s second-largest island of Mindanao, has displaced more than 70,000 people, said the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

&quot;People left everything behind when they fled for their lives,&quot; the IFRC&#39;s Philippines operations and programmes manager Patrick Elliott said in a statement.

The Philippines is pummelled by 20 major storms each year on average, many of them deadly. But Mindanao, home to 20 million people, is rarely hit.

Police said 153 people were still missing and more than 40,000 had fled to evacuation camps as Tembin, which slammed into the island on Friday, continued westwards.

Police, soldiers and volunteers used shovels to dig through mud and debris as they searched for bodies in the village of Dalama on Saturday.

&quot;The river rose and most of the homes were swept away. The village is no longer there,&quot; police officer Gerry Parami told AFP by telephone from nearby Tubod town in Lanao del Norte, one of the provinces hardest hit by Tembin.

Local police said 127 people have been confirmed dead in the province, with 72 missing, as rescuers pulled dozens of bodies from the swollen Salog River near the town of Sapad.

The bodies had been swept downriver from a flooded town upstream called Salvador, Rando Salvacion, the Sapad town police chief, told AFP. Authorities in Salvador said other bodies were retrieved upstream.

&quot;The people received ample warnings. But as we are rarely hit by typhoons, people living near rivers did not take them seriously,&quot; Salvador police chief Wilson Mislores told AFP.

&#39;Unfortunate&#39; so near Christmas 
The death toll for Mindanao&#39;s Zamboanga peninsula also rose to 28, and police said 81 people were missing after mud and rocks swept down coastal communities in Sibuco and other fishing towns.

Landslides had blocked rescue and relief convoys to the impoverished region, officials said Saturday.

One man was killed by a crocodile while he was securing his boat as the storm closed in this week on the western island of Palawan, a police report said Saturday.

The storm hit Balabac, a fishing island of 40,000 people in the western Philippines, on Saturday afternoon with gusts of 145 kilometres (71 miles) an hour, the state weather service said.

Tembin struck less than a week after Tropical Storm Kai-Tak left 54 dead and 24 missing in the central Philippines, straining the disaster-prone nation&#39;s resources.

&quot;It is unfortunate that another tropical cyclone... made its presence felt so near Christmas,&quot; Harry Roque, President Rodrigo Duterte&#39;s spokesman, said in a statement.

Roque vowed continued government aid to the affected communities, but Romina Marasigan, spokeswoman for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, described the situation as &quot;challenging&quot;.

The deadliest typhoon to hit the country was Haiyan, which killed thousands and destroyed entire towns in heavily populated areas of the central Philippines in November 2013.

Tropical storm Tembin has displaced more than 70,000 people, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said

Tens of thousands have been forced from their homes by a tropical storm that battered the southern Philippines leaving at least 182 dead, police and aid agencies said Sunday. Tropical storm Tembin, which triggered flash floods and mudslides as it lashed the nation's second-largest island of Mindanao, has displaced more than 70,000 people, said the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). "People left everything behind when they fled for their lives," the IFRC's Philippines operations and programmes manager Patrick Elliott said in a statement. The Philippines is pummelled by 20 major storms each year on average, many of them deadly. But Mindanao, home to 20 million people, is rarely hit. Police said 153 people were still missing and more than 40,000 had fled to evacuation camps as Tembin, which slammed into the island on Friday, continued westwards. Police, soldiers and volunteers used shovels to dig through mud and debris as they searched for bodies in the village of Dalama on Saturday. "The river rose and most of the homes were swept away. The village is no longer there," police officer Gerry Parami told AFP by telephone from nearby Tubod town in Lanao del Norte, one of the provinces hardest hit by Tembin. Local police said 127 people have been confirmed dead in the province, with 72 missing, as rescuers pulled dozens of bodies from the swollen Salog River near the town of Sapad. The bodies had been swept downriver from a flooded town upstream called Salvador, Rando Salvacion, the Sapad town police chief, told AFP. Authorities in Salvador said other bodies were retrieved upstream. "The people received ample warnings. But as we are rarely hit by typhoons, people living near rivers did not take them seriously," Salvador police chief Wilson Mislores told AFP. 'Unfortunate' so near Christmas The death toll for Mindanao's Zamboanga peninsula also rose to 28, and police said 81 people were missing after mud and rocks swept down coastal communities in Sibuco and other fishing towns. Landslides had blocked rescue and relief convoys to the impoverished region, officials said Saturday. One man was killed by a crocodile while he was securing his boat as the storm closed in this week on the western island of Palawan, a police report said Saturday. The storm hit Balabac, a fishing island of 40,000 people in the western Philippines, on Saturday afternoon with gusts of 145 kilometres (71 miles) an hour, the state weather service said. Tembin struck less than a week after Tropical Storm Kai-Tak left 54 dead and 24 missing in the central Philippines, straining the disaster-prone nation's resources. "It is unfortunate that another tropical cyclone... made its presence felt so near Christmas," Harry Roque, President Rodrigo Duterte's spokesman, said in a statement. Roque vowed continued government aid to the affected communities, but Romina Marasigan, spokeswoman for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, described the situation as "challenging". The deadliest typhoon to hit the country was Haiyan, which killed thousands and destroyed entire towns in heavily populated areas of the central Philippines in November 2013.

Philippines storm leaves 182 dead, tens of thousands displaced

The death toll from a tropical storm in the southern Philippines climbed swiftly to 133 on Saturday, as rescuers pulled dozens of bodies from a swollen river, police said.

Tropical Storm Tembin has lashed the nation&#39;s second-largest island of Mindanao since Friday, triggering flash floods and mudslides.

The Philippines is pummelled by 20 major storms each year on average, many of them deadly. But Mindanao, home to 20 million people, is rarely hit.

Police, soldiers and volunteers used shovels to dig through mud and debris as they searched for bodies in the village of Dalama on Saturday.

&quot;The river rose and most of the homes were swept away. The village is no longer there,&quot; police officer Gerry Parami told AFP by telephone from nearby Tubod town.

Rescuers meanwhile retrieved 36 bodies from the Salog River in nearby Sapad town on Saturday.

The bodies in Sapad were swept downriver from a flooded town upstream called Salvador, Rando Salvacion, the Sapad town police chief, told AFP. Authorities in Salvador said they had retrieved 17 other bodies upstream.

Tubod, Salvador and Sapad are in Lanao del Norte, which is one of the provinces hardest hit by Tembin.

&quot;The people received ample warnings. But as we are rarely hit by typhoons, people living near rivers did not take them seriously,&quot; Salvador police chief Wilson Mislores told AFP.

The death toll for Mindanao&#39;s Zamboanga peninsula also rose to 28, and police said 81 people were missing after mud and rocks swept down coastal communities in Sibuco and other fishing towns.

Landslides had blocked rescue and relief convoys to the impoverished region, officials said Saturday.

Tembin struck less than a week after Tropical Storm Kai-Tak left 54 dead and 24 missing in the central Philippines, straining the disaster-prone nation&#39;s resources.

&quot;It is unfortunate that another tropical cyclone ... made its presence felt so near Christmas,&quot; Harry Roque, President Rodrigo Duterte&#39;s spokesman, said in a statement.

Roque vowed continued government aid to the affected communities, but Romina Marasigan, spokeswoman for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, described the situation as &quot;challenging&quot;.

The deadliest typhoon to hit the country was Haiyan, which killed thousands and destroyed entire towns in heavily populated areas of the central Philippines in November 2013.

The state weather service said Tembin is expected to hit Balabac, a fishing island of 40,000 people in the western Philippines late Saturday with gusts of 115 kilometres (71 miles) an hour.

Tropical Storm Tembin struck Mindanao on Friday, triggering flash floods and mudslides that have since erased a remote village from the map

The death toll from a tropical storm in the southern Philippines climbed swiftly to 133 on Saturday, as rescuers pulled dozens of bodies from a swollen river, police said. Tropical Storm Tembin has lashed the nation's second-largest island of Mindanao since Friday, triggering flash floods and mudslides. The Philippines is pummelled by 20 major storms each year on average, many of them deadly. But Mindanao, home to 20 million people, is rarely hit. Police, soldiers and volunteers used shovels to dig through mud and debris as they searched for bodies in the village of Dalama on Saturday. "The river rose and most of the homes were swept away. The village is no longer there," police officer Gerry Parami told AFP by telephone from nearby Tubod town. Rescuers meanwhile retrieved 36 bodies from the Salog River in nearby Sapad town on Saturday. The bodies in Sapad were swept downriver from a flooded town upstream called Salvador, Rando Salvacion, the Sapad town police chief, told AFP. Authorities in Salvador said they had retrieved 17 other bodies upstream. Tubod, Salvador and Sapad are in Lanao del Norte, which is one of the provinces hardest hit by Tembin. "The people received ample warnings. But as we are rarely hit by typhoons, people living near rivers did not take them seriously," Salvador police chief Wilson Mislores told AFP. The death toll for Mindanao's Zamboanga peninsula also rose to 28, and police said 81 people were missing after mud and rocks swept down coastal communities in Sibuco and other fishing towns. Landslides had blocked rescue and relief convoys to the impoverished region, officials said Saturday. Tembin struck less than a week after Tropical Storm Kai-Tak left 54 dead and 24 missing in the central Philippines, straining the disaster-prone nation's resources. "It is unfortunate that another tropical cyclone ... made its presence felt so near Christmas," Harry Roque, President Rodrigo Duterte's spokesman, said in a statement. Roque vowed continued government aid to the affected communities, but Romina Marasigan, spokeswoman for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, described the situation as "challenging". The deadliest typhoon to hit the country was Haiyan, which killed thousands and destroyed entire towns in heavily populated areas of the central Philippines in November 2013. The state weather service said Tembin is expected to hit Balabac, a fishing island of 40,000 people in the western Philippines late Saturday with gusts of 115 kilometres (71 miles) an hour.

Philippines storm death toll rises to 133, dozens missing

Four people were killed and 11 others were missing Thursday after a ferry with hundreds on board capsized in stormy weather off the Philippines, rescuers said.

Over 200 passengers and crew were plucked to safety after the Mercraft 3 keeled over in heavy seas en route to a remote island, officials said.

&quot;The wind suddenly picked up and the boat was forced to stop when the bow started taking in water. Passengers ran to the side just before it tipped over,&quot; student Donel Mendiola told DZMM radio.

&quot;Some of us swam, but I saw some old people who were apparently already dead,&quot; Mendiola said.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/casualties-as-ferry-with-251-aboard-capsizes-off-philippines-27355" target="_blank">Casualties feared as ferry with 251 aboard capsizes off </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/casualties-as-ferry-with-251-aboard-capsizes-off-philippines-27355" target="_blank">Philippines</a>

Two men and two women were killed, while the search for those still missing has been suspended for the night, Ron Crisostomo, a civil defence official in Infanta town near Real told AFP.

&quot;It was rainy and the wind was up. It was no longer safe for the rescuers, but they will continue tomorrow,&quot; Crisostomo said.

Janet Balili, a local council member, told ABS-CBN television 11 people remain missing.&nbsp;

The station aired footage of rescuers taking injured survivors to a hospital. Four body bags were also seen being laid out on the floor.

The boat tipped over between the remote island of Polillo and Real town, about 70 kilometres (45 miles) east of Manila, shortly before noon (0400 GMT), the coastguard said.

It said the ferry was carrying 251 passengers and crew when it left the port of Real for Polillo, a 2.5-hour trip.

&quot;We believe the weather was a big factor&quot; in the accident, coastguard spokesman Armand Balilo told a news conference in Manila.

The ferry sailed as Tropical Storm Tembin loomed over the southern Philippines, nearly a thousand kilometres away.

The vessel, which is licensed to carry up to 286 people, was allowed to sail as there were no storm warnings at or around Real or Polillo, Balilo said.

The government had advised Filipinos planning to return to their home provinces for Christmas to do so earlier than usual to avoid heavy weather forecast to hit ahead of the holidays.

Another storm killed more than 40 people in the central Philippines last weekend.

The Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands, is plagued by poor sea transport, with its badly regulated boats and ships prone to overcrowding and accidents.&nbsp;

The latest incident occurred 30 years after another Philippine ferry, the Dona Paz, collided with an oil tanker in a pre-Christmas accident that claimed more than 4,000 lives in the world&#39;s worst peacetime disaster at sea.

More recently, the Kim Nirvana ferry capsized shortly after departure off the city of Ormoc in the central Philippines in 2015, killing 61 people. The accident was thought to have been due to overcrowding.&nbsp;

Over 200 passengers and crew were plucked to safety after the Mercraft 3 keeled over in heavy seas en route to a remote island, officials said

Four people were killed and 11 others were missing Thursday after a ferry with hundreds on board capsized in stormy weather off the Philippines, rescuers said. Over 200 passengers and crew were plucked to safety after the Mercraft 3 keeled over in heavy seas en route to a remote island, officials said. "The wind suddenly picked up and the boat was forced to stop when the bow started taking in water. Passengers ran to the side just before it tipped over," student Donel Mendiola told DZMM radio. "Some of us swam, but I saw some old people who were apparently already dead," Mendiola said. Also read: Casualties feared as ferry with 251 aboard capsizes off Philippines Two men and two women were killed, while the search for those still missing has been suspended for the night, Ron Crisostomo, a civil defence official in Infanta town near Real told AFP. "It was rainy and the wind was up. It was no longer safe for the rescuers, but they will continue tomorrow," Crisostomo said. Janet Balili, a local council member, told ABS-CBN television 11 people remain missing. The station aired footage of rescuers taking injured survivors to a hospital. Four body bags were also seen being laid out on the floor. The boat tipped over between the remote island of Polillo and Real town, about 70 kilometres (45 miles) east of Manila, shortly before noon (0400 GMT), the coastguard said. It said the ferry was carrying 251 passengers and crew when it left the port of Real for Polillo, a 2.5-hour trip. "We believe the weather was a big factor" in the accident, coastguard spokesman Armand Balilo told a news conference in Manila. The ferry sailed as Tropical Storm Tembin loomed over the southern Philippines, nearly a thousand kilometres away. The vessel, which is licensed to carry up to 286 people, was allowed to sail as there were no storm warnings at or around Real or Polillo, Balilo said. The government had advised Filipinos planning to return to their home provinces for Christmas to do so earlier than usual to avoid heavy weather forecast to hit ahead of the holidays. Another storm killed more than 40 people in the central Philippines last weekend. The Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands, is plagued by poor sea transport, with its badly regulated boats and ships prone to overcrowding and accidents. The latest incident occurred 30 years after another Philippine ferry, the Dona Paz, collided with an oil tanker in a pre-Christmas accident that claimed more than 4,000 lives in the world's worst peacetime disaster at sea. More recently, the Kim Nirvana ferry capsized shortly after departure off the city of Ormoc in the central Philippines in 2015, killing 61 people. The accident was thought to have been due to overcrowding.

Four dead, 11 missing as ferry capsizes off Philippines

Landslides triggered by Tropical Storm Kai-Tak have killed 26 people and 23 more are missing in the eastern Philippines, authorities said Sunday.

The deaths were reported in the small island province of Biliran, a day after the storm pounded the east of the archipelago nation.

Kai-Tak tore across the major islands of Samar and Leyte on Saturday, toppling power lines in 39 towns or cities and damaging roads and bridges, the national disaster agency said.&nbsp;

Some 87,700 people were forced from their homes in the region. But the previous death toll had stood at just three.&nbsp;

&quot;There is a total of 26 people dead from landslides in four towns of Biliran. We have recovered the bodies,&quot; Sofronio Dacillo, provincial disaster risk reduction and management officer, told AFP.&nbsp;

Gerardo Espina, governor of the island province just east of Leyte, gave the same figure for deaths in an interview on ABS-CBN television. He said 23 people were missing.&nbsp;

The national disaster risk reduction agency could not immediately confirm if the 26 deaths in Biliran included the initial three fatalities it reported on Saturday.&nbsp;

Kai-Tak weakened on Sunday afternoon, with gusts of up to 80 kilometres (50 miles) an hour, and was reclassified as a tropical depression, state weather forecasters said.&nbsp;

But disaster officials warned that more floods and landslides were possible and said 15,500 passengers were stranded because ferry services remained suspended in parts of the region.&nbsp;

&quot;I&#39;ve been stranded for three days, sleeping in the bus, and I just want to get home to my family for Christmas,&quot; Eliaquin Pilapil, a 55-year-old farmer, told AFP from a port in the town of Matnog in the eastern province of Sorsogon.

The Christmas holidays are a busy travel season in the mainly Catholic Philippines, with people heading home to the provinces.&nbsp;

The nation is battered by about 20 major storms each year.

Samar and Leyte bore the brunt in 2013 of Super Typhoon Haiyan which left more than 7,350 people dead or missing.

In the Leyte city of Tacloban, Saturday&#39;s storm brought flash floods of up to 1.5 metres (five feet) and strong winds that left the city without power and water, according to its disaster office chief.&nbsp;

The deaths were reported in the small island province of Biliran, a day after the storm pounded the east of the archipelago nation

Landslides triggered by Tropical Storm Kai-Tak have killed 26 people and 23 more are missing in the eastern Philippines, authorities said Sunday. The deaths were reported in the small island province of Biliran, a day after the storm pounded the east of the archipelago nation. Kai-Tak tore across the major islands of Samar and Leyte on Saturday, toppling power lines in 39 towns or cities and damaging roads and bridges, the national disaster agency said. Some 87,700 people were forced from their homes in the region. But the previous death toll had stood at just three. "There is a total of 26 people dead from landslides in four towns of Biliran. We have recovered the bodies," Sofronio Dacillo, provincial disaster risk reduction and management officer, told AFP. Gerardo Espina, governor of the island province just east of Leyte, gave the same figure for deaths in an interview on ABS-CBN television. He said 23 people were missing. The national disaster risk reduction agency could not immediately confirm if the 26 deaths in Biliran included the initial three fatalities it reported on Saturday. Kai-Tak weakened on Sunday afternoon, with gusts of up to 80 kilometres (50 miles) an hour, and was reclassified as a tropical depression, state weather forecasters said. But disaster officials warned that more floods and landslides were possible and said 15,500 passengers were stranded because ferry services remained suspended in parts of the region. "I've been stranded for three days, sleeping in the bus, and I just want to get home to my family for Christmas," Eliaquin Pilapil, a 55-year-old farmer, told AFP from a port in the town of Matnog in the eastern province of Sorsogon. The Christmas holidays are a busy travel season in the mainly Catholic Philippines, with people heading home to the provinces. The nation is battered by about 20 major storms each year. Samar and Leyte bore the brunt in 2013 of Super Typhoon Haiyan which left more than 7,350 people dead or missing. In the Leyte city of Tacloban, Saturday's storm brought flash floods of up to 1.5 metres (five feet) and strong winds that left the city without power and water, according to its disaster office chief.

26 dead in landslides after Philippine storm: Officials

A consortium of the Philippines&#39; Megawide Construction Corp and India&#39;s GMR Infrastructure Ltd has emerged as the front-runner to upgrade an airport north of Philippine capital Manila, bid authorities said on Thursday.

The expansion of Clark International Airport, one of the Philippines&#39; busiest airports, is part of President Rodrigo Duterte&#39;s $180 billion infrastructure spending plan.

The government previously approved five bidders for the project, saying it would favour contractors that could expand the airport at the lowest cost.

The bids were made public on Thursday and showed the lowest-cost offer was from Megawide and GMR. The pair estimated the cost of a new terminal building at 9.36 billion pesos ($185.77 million), 25 percent below the government-set ceiling of 12.5 billion pesos.

The other bidders are China State Construction Engineering Corp Ltd, China Harbour Engineering Co Ltd, Sinohydro Corp Ltd, and a consortium of Tokwing Construction Corp and China Machinery Engineering Corp.

&quot;All the financial bids that were opened today will be subjected to further review, evaluation and verification,&quot; Joshua Bingcang, chairman of the Special Bids and Awards Committee, told reporters.

The expansion will ease congestion at a perennially over-stretched airport from which flights frequently run late. 
Construction is scheduled to begin later this month, with commercial operations starting in 2020.

The Philippines has one of the world&#39;s fastest-growing economies. The government is overhauling the country&#39;s ageing infrastructure to create jobs, boost competitiveness and attract foreign firms.

Duterte has promised to usher in a golden age of infrastructure and is seeking foreign investment to modernise and build airports, roads, railways and ports.

The expansion of Clark International Airport, one of the Philippines' busiest airports, is part of President Rodrigo Duterte's $180 billion infrastructure spending plan.

A consortium of the Philippines' Megawide Construction Corp and India's GMR Infrastructure Ltd has emerged as the front-runner to upgrade an airport north of Philippine capital Manila, bid authorities said on Thursday. The expansion of Clark International Airport, one of the Philippines' busiest airports, is part of President Rodrigo Duterte's $180 billion infrastructure spending plan. The government previously approved five bidders for the project, saying it would favour contractors that could expand the airport at the lowest cost. The bids were made public on Thursday and showed the lowest-cost offer was from Megawide and GMR. The pair estimated the cost of a new terminal building at 9.36 billion pesos ($185.77 million), 25 percent below the government-set ceiling of 12.5 billion pesos. The other bidders are China State Construction Engineering Corp Ltd, China Harbour Engineering Co Ltd, Sinohydro Corp Ltd, and a consortium of Tokwing Construction Corp and China Machinery Engineering Corp. "All the financial bids that were opened today will be subjected to further review, evaluation and verification," Joshua Bingcang, chairman of the Special Bids and Awards Committee, told reporters. The expansion will ease congestion at a perennially over-stretched airport from which flights frequently run late. Construction is scheduled to begin later this month, with commercial operations starting in 2020. The Philippines has one of the world's fastest-growing economies. The government is overhauling the country's ageing infrastructure to create jobs, boost competitiveness and attract foreign firms. Duterte has promised to usher in a golden age of infrastructure and is seeking foreign investment to modernise and build airports, roads, railways and ports.

India's GMR front-runner in Manila airport expansion bid

The Philippines said Friday it had suspended use of a landmark vaccine for the potentially deadly dengue virus after its manufacturer warned it could worsen the disease in some cases. French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi announced Wednesday that its world-first dengue vaccine could lead to more severe symptoms for people who had not previously been infected.

The Philippines has vaccinated more than 700,000 children with Dengvaxia since 2016 when it became the first country to start using it on a mass scale. 
But it said Friday the programme had been suspended.

&quot;In the light of this new analysis, the DOH (Department of Health) will place the dengue vaccination programme on hold while review and consultation is ongoing with experts, key stakeholders, and the WHO (World Health Organization),&quot; a government statement said.

Sanofi had initially said its Dengvaxia vaccine was &quot;critical&quot; in the fight against dengue, the world`s most common mosquito-borne virus. 
It said Wednesday that a new study has confirmed Dengvaxia`s benefits for &quot;those who had prior infection&quot;.

&quot;For those not previously infected by dengue virus, however, the analysis found that in the longer term, more cases of severe disease could occur following vaccination upon a subsequent dengue infection,&quot; Sanofi said.&nbsp;

The Philippine government stressed it had not yet received reports of any problems with Dengvaxia.

&quot;Currently, there is no reported case of severe dengue infection among those who received the vaccine,&quot; its statement said. More than 1,000 people in the Philippines died from dengue last year, out of 211,000 suspected cases, according to the government.

The landmark vaccine for the potentially deadly dengue virus was suspended after its manufacturer warned it could worsen the disease in some cases

The Philippines said Friday it had suspended use of a landmark vaccine for the potentially deadly dengue virus after its manufacturer warned it could worsen the disease in some cases. French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi announced Wednesday that its world-first dengue vaccine could lead to more severe symptoms for people who had not previously been infected. The Philippines has vaccinated more than 700,000 children with Dengvaxia since 2016 when it became the first country to start using it on a mass scale. But it said Friday the programme had been suspended. "In the light of this new analysis, the DOH (Department of Health) will place the dengue vaccination programme on hold while review and consultation is ongoing with experts, key stakeholders, and the WHO (World Health Organization)," a government statement said. Sanofi had initially said its Dengvaxia vaccine was "critical" in the fight against dengue, the world`s most common mosquito-borne virus. It said Wednesday that a new study has confirmed Dengvaxia`s benefits for "those who had prior infection". "For those not previously infected by dengue virus, however, the analysis found that in the longer term, more cases of severe disease could occur following vaccination upon a subsequent dengue infection," Sanofi said. The Philippine government stressed it had not yet received reports of any problems with Dengvaxia. "Currently, there is no reported case of severe dengue infection among those who received the vaccine," its statement said. More than 1,000 people in the Philippines died from dengue last year, out of 211,000 suspected cases, according to the government.

Philippines suspends world's first dengue vaccine

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/philippine-court-begins-hearing-arguments-in-petition-against-drugs-war-24771">Philippine President Duterte Rodrigo</a> has called on police to once again take the lead role in his deadly drug war, having twice demoted them in response to criticism of the crackdown.

The fiery leader, who rights groups say may be orchestrating a crime against humanity with his bloody anti-drugs campaign, said the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) with 2,000 officers was incapable of doing the job.

&quot;Whether I like it or not, I have to return that power to the police,&quot; he said in a speech on Wednesday night.&nbsp;

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<h5>Trump recently hailed his &#39;great relationship&#39; with Duterte and praised him for hosting the ASEAN summit, a move rights groups say may have emboldened Duterte to pursue his campaign</h5>
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Duterte, 72, was elected last year on a promise to eradicate drugs from Philippine society by launching an unprecedented campaign in which up to 100,000 people would die.&nbsp;

He first ordered the police to take a step back in January, describing them as &quot;corrupt to the core&quot; and instructing the PDEA to lead after revelations that officers kidnapped and murdered a South Korean businessman.&nbsp;

But it wasn&#39;t long before Duterte reinstated the 165,000-strong force without any major reforms, re-launching the war under the name &quot;Double Barrel Reloaded&quot; -- so-called for the two-pronged police strategy to wipe out drugs.

In October, he announced the PDEA would again take the helm in the face of mounting public opposition, including rare street protests triggered by the murder of three teenagers -- allegedly by police officers.&nbsp;

His latest decision follows a regional summit in Manila this month where US President Donald Trump and most other world leaders were silent on allegations of extrajudicial killings in the drug war.&nbsp;

Trump instead hailed his &quot;great relationship&quot; with Duterte and praised him for hosting the meeting, a move rights groups say may have emboldened Duterte to pursue his campaign.&nbsp;

Duterte last month admitted that he removed police from the drug war &quot;in deference&quot; to critics including rights campaigners, Catholic bishops and the European Union.

Neither Duterte nor his spokesman Harry Roque said when police would rejoin.

Asked about government reforms this time around, Roque told reporters Thursday: &quot;He (Duterte) has also said that by and large, not everyone in the (police) is corrupt and therefore he still believes in the institution&quot;.

Since Duterte took office, police have reported killing 3,967 people in the crackdown. &nbsp;

Another 2,290 have been murdered in drug-related crimes, while thousands of other deaths remain unsolved, according to government data.

He has twice demoted them in response to criticism of the crackdown

Philippine President Duterte Rodrigo has called on police to once again take the lead role in his deadly drug war, having twice demoted them in response to criticism of the crackdown. The fiery leader, who rights groups say may be orchestrating a crime against humanity with his bloody anti-drugs campaign, said the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) with 2,000 officers was incapable of doing the job. "Whether I like it or not, I have to return that power to the police," he said in a speech on Wednesday night. Trump recently hailed his 'great relationship' with Duterte and praised him for hosting the ASEAN summit, a move rights groups say may have emboldened Duterte to pursue his campaign × Duterte, 72, was elected last year on a promise to eradicate drugs from Philippine society by launching an unprecedented campaign in which up to 100,000 people would die. He first ordered the police to take a step back in January, describing them as "corrupt to the core" and instructing the PDEA to lead after revelations that officers kidnapped and murdered a South Korean businessman. But it wasn't long before Duterte reinstated the 165,000-strong force without any major reforms, re-launching the war under the name "Double Barrel Reloaded" -- so-called for the two-pronged police strategy to wipe out drugs. In October, he announced the PDEA would again take the helm in the face of mounting public opposition, including rare street protests triggered by the murder of three teenagers -- allegedly by police officers. His latest decision follows a regional summit in Manila this month where US President Donald Trump and most other world leaders were silent on allegations of extrajudicial killings in the drug war. Trump instead hailed his "great relationship" with Duterte and praised him for hosting the meeting, a move rights groups say may have emboldened Duterte to pursue his campaign. Duterte last month admitted that he removed police from the drug war "in deference" to critics including rights campaigners, Catholic bishops and the European Union. Neither Duterte nor his spokesman Harry Roque said when police would rejoin. Asked about government reforms this time around, Roque told reporters Thursday: "He (Duterte) has also said that by and large, not everyone in the (police) is corrupt and therefore he still believes in the institution". Since Duterte took office, police have reported killing 3,967 people in the crackdown. Another 2,290 have been murdered in drug-related crimes, while thousands of other deaths remain unsolved, according to government data.

Philippines' Duterte says police must return to drug war

The Philippine Supreme Court on Tuesday began hearing arguments in a petition to declare President Rodrigo Duterte&#39;s deadly war on drugs, denounced by rights groups across the world, as unconstitutional.

More than 3,900 Filipinos have been killed in what the police called self-defense after armed drugs suspects resisted arrest in the 16 month-long campaign. Critics say executions are taking place, with zero accountability, allegations the police reject.

In a petition filed last month, lawyers from the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) argued the anti-drug campaign is unconstitutional because it allows police to kill suspects in the guise of &quot;neutralizing&quot; them during raids and sting operations.

&quot;That could be subject to misinterpretation by the policeman on the ground,&quot; Chel Diokno of FLAG told the court, arguing that the term &quot;neutralize&quot; could mean &quot;kill&quot;.

The government chief lawyer, Jose Calida, has said there was never an instruction to kill drug suspects, seeking to dismiss the petition for being &quot;marred by speculation, unfounded information, and unsubstantiated arguments&quot;.

A day before FLAG lawyers filed the petition, Duterte issued an order removing the police from the anti-drugs campaign, putting the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), a small and undermanned agency, in charge.

Dozens of drug offenders have been arrested in the month since the PDEA took over and there have been fewer deaths reported, but police said there had been a rise in drug-related crimes.

Duterte said over the weekend he would call the police back to the drugs war if drug use and crime rose again.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been criticised at home for neglecting rights issues in dealings abroad, praised Duterte in May for doing an &quot;unbelievable job on the drug problem&quot;.

Lawyers from the Free Legal Assistance Group argued in their petition that the anti-drug campaign is unconstitutional

The Philippine Supreme Court on Tuesday began hearing arguments in a petition to declare President Rodrigo Duterte's deadly war on drugs, denounced by rights groups across the world, as unconstitutional. More than 3,900 Filipinos have been killed in what the police called self-defense after armed drugs suspects resisted arrest in the 16 month-long campaign. Critics say executions are taking place, with zero accountability, allegations the police reject. In a petition filed last month, lawyers from the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) argued the anti-drug campaign is unconstitutional because it allows police to kill suspects in the guise of "neutralizing" them during raids and sting operations. "That could be subject to misinterpretation by the policeman on the ground," Chel Diokno of FLAG told the court, arguing that the term "neutralize" could mean "kill". The government chief lawyer, Jose Calida, has said there was never an instruction to kill drug suspects, seeking to dismiss the petition for being "marred by speculation, unfounded information, and unsubstantiated arguments". A day before FLAG lawyers filed the petition, Duterte issued an order removing the police from the anti-drugs campaign, putting the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), a small and undermanned agency, in charge. Dozens of drug offenders have been arrested in the month since the PDEA took over and there have been fewer deaths reported, but police said there had been a rise in drug-related crimes. Duterte said over the weekend he would call the police back to the drugs war if drug use and crime rose again. U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been criticised at home for neglecting rights issues in dealings abroad, praised Duterte in May for doing an "unbelievable job on the drug problem".

Philippines Supreme Court begins hearing arguments against 'war on drugs'

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-holds-bilateral-talks-with-trump-in-manila-24102">US&nbsp;President Donald Trump</a> left the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/opinion-did-trumps-charm-offensive-work-in-the-philippines-24160"> Philippines</a> on Tuesday without attending an annual East Asia Summit, due to delays in the schedule of the programme of meetings.

Trump told reporters on <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghan-air-force-to-get-58-black-hawk-helicopters-from-us-24044">Air Force One</a> that he delivered his prepared remarks during a lunch with the leaders instead.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson would attend Tuesday&#39;s summit in his place, a senior <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/attorney-general-jeff-sessions-to-face-house-judiciary-panel-on-november-14-24132">White House</a> official said, adding the event was running too late.

The meetings in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/india-asean-summit-world-leaders-arrive-at-manila-6657">Manila</a> were approximately 90 minutes behind schedule.

U.S. President Donald Trump left the Philippines on Tuesday without attending an annual East Asia Summit, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson would attend Tuesday's summit in his place

US President Donald Trump left the Philippines on Tuesday without attending an annual East Asia Summit, due to delays in the schedule of the programme of meetings. Trump told reporters on Air Force One that he delivered his prepared remarks during a lunch with the leaders instead. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson would attend Tuesday's summit in his place, a senior White House official said, adding the event was running too late. The meetings in Manila were approximately 90 minutes behind schedule.

Trump skips East Asia leaders summit, sends Tillerson

UN chief Antonio Guterres urged<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/tillerson-to-deliver-warning-in-myanmar-over-rohingya-crisis-24063"> Myanmar</a> leader Aung San Suu Kyi to allow <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-military-denies-atrocities-against-rohingya-24141">Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh</a> to return, when they met today at a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/asean-summit-modi-meets-several-world-leaders-24151">summit in the Philippines</a>, his office said.

The meeting added to global pressure on Suu Kyi to take action to end the crisis for the Muslim minority, with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson due Tuesday also to hold talks with her in Manila then travel to Myanmar.

&quot;The Secretary-General highlighted that strengthened efforts to ensure humanitarian access, safe, dignified, voluntary and sustained returns, as well as true reconciliation between communities, would be essential,&quot; a UN statement said, summarising comments to Suu Kyi.

More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled to neighboring Bangladesh in two and a half months.

The crisis erupted after Rohingya rebels attacked police posts in Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state, triggering a military crackdown that saw hundreds of villages reduced to ashes and sparked a massive exodus.

Authorities have blocked independent access to northern Rakhine.

But journalists and UN officials have collected reams of testimony from <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/wion-morning-news-brief-november-13-2017-24142">Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh</a> describing soldiers and Buddhist mobs committing murder, rape and mass arson.

Following its first official investigation into the crisis, the army published a report this week in which it cleared itself of any abuses.

Nobel laureate Suu Kyi, a former democracy activist, has been lambasted by rights groups for failing to speak up for the Rohingya or condemn festering anti-Muslim sentiment in the country.

But she lacks control over the powerful military, which ruled the country for decades until her party came to power following 2015 elections.

The United States has been careful not to place blame on her and has focused instead on the army&#39;s role in the conflict.

Guterres and Suu Kyi met in the early hours of Tuesday morning, according to his office.

In a summit on Monday night with leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which Myanmar is a member, Guterres also voiced concern about the Rohingya.

He said the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya was a &quot;worrying escalation in a protracted tragedy,&quot; according to the UN statement.

He described the situation as a potential source of instability in the region, as well as radicalization.

The meeting added to global pressure on Suu Kyi to take action to end the crisis for the Muslim minority, with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson due Tuesday also to hold talks with her in Manila then travel to Myanmar

UN chief Antonio Guterres urged Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi to allow Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh to return, when they met today at a summit in the Philippines, his office said. The meeting added to global pressure on Suu Kyi to take action to end the crisis for the Muslim minority, with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson due Tuesday also to hold talks with her in Manila then travel to Myanmar. "The Secretary-General highlighted that strengthened efforts to ensure humanitarian access, safe, dignified, voluntary and sustained returns, as well as true reconciliation between communities, would be essential," a UN statement said, summarising comments to Suu Kyi. More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled to neighboring Bangladesh in two and a half months. The crisis erupted after Rohingya rebels attacked police posts in Myanmar's Rakhine state, triggering a military crackdown that saw hundreds of villages reduced to ashes and sparked a massive exodus. Authorities have blocked independent access to northern Rakhine. But journalists and UN officials have collected reams of testimony from Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh describing soldiers and Buddhist mobs committing murder, rape and mass arson. Following its first official investigation into the crisis, the army published a report this week in which it cleared itself of any abuses. Nobel laureate Suu Kyi, a former democracy activist, has been lambasted by rights groups for failing to speak up for the Rohingya or condemn festering anti-Muslim sentiment in the country. But she lacks control over the powerful military, which ruled the country for decades until her party came to power following 2015 elections. The United States has been careful not to place blame on her and has focused instead on the army's role in the conflict. Guterres and Suu Kyi met in the early hours of Tuesday morning, according to his office. In a summit on Monday night with leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which Myanmar is a member, Guterres also voiced concern about the Rohingya. He said the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya was a "worrying escalation in a protracted tragedy," according to the UN statement. He described the situation as a potential source of instability in the region, as well as radicalization.

UN chief meets Myanmar's Suu Kyi on Rohingya crisis

President Donald J. Trump is wrapping up a whirlwind tour of Asia, visiting five countries in 12 days. The trip revealed much about Trump&rsquo;s style of diplomacy &ndash; one that focuses more on his personal relationships with world leaders than diplomatic relations between countries.

Both democratic and authoritarian leaders have been wooed by Trump&rsquo;s charm offensive. He has highlighted his warm feelings toward China&rsquo;s President Xi Jinping and tweeted that he tries &ldquo;so hard to be [North Korean leader Kim Jong Un&rsquo;s] friend.&rdquo;

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Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me &quot;old,&quot; when I would NEVER call him &quot;short and fat?&quot; Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/929511061954297857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Trump&rsquo;s relationship with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, one of the first leaders welcomed to Trump Tower after the election, is &ldquo;extraordinary,&rdquo; according to the president.

This style of diplomacy certainly has its limitations, but could it actually improve the United States&rsquo; relationship with the Philippines &ndash; a key Southeast Asian ally?

Why we need our allies in Asia

On the campaign trail and in office, Trump has often criticised many of America&rsquo;s allies for taking advantage of Washington&rsquo;s generosity and not contributing more to their own national security. However, my research with Queen&rsquo;s University political scientist Stefanie von Hlatky demonstrates that even when allies fail to share as much of the military burden as the United States would hope, they still make meaningful contributions to our military efforts overseas.

Our alliance relationships in Asia are based on a series of mutual defense treaties negotiated in the aftermath of World War II. The U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense treaty signed in 1951 focuses on the countries&rsquo; shared history of resistance against Japan&rsquo;s &ldquo;imperialist aggression&rdquo; in the Pacific. It commits the two nations to mutual aid in defending against an external armed attack as part of a comprehensive system of regional security. Given the possibility of a future confrontation with China over the South China Sea, alliances with countries like the Philippines matter. After all, the Philippines provides access to regional bases and other logistical support.

New leaders, unexpected directions

Since the election of the populist Duterte in May 2016, the U.S.- Philippines alliance has been on rocky ground.

The Obama-Duterte relationship was full of tension stemming from the Obama administration&rsquo;s criticism of Duterte&rsquo;s violent war on drugs, which some claim has now led to approximately 13,000 deaths. Duterte showed no hesitation in calling out the United States for treating the Philippines like a colony, insulting Obama and musing that he might shift his foreign policy toward China and Russia and &ldquo;break up with America.&rdquo;

Trump&rsquo;s election and his overtures to Duterte have helped get the strained relationship back on the right track. The two men bonded over their countries&rsquo; mutual struggle with drugs. They claimed a shared understanding of the importance of protecting one&rsquo;s country. In fact, the administration signaled that Trump&rsquo;s heavily criticised invitation to Duterte to visit the White House was a sign of the &ldquo;very positive direction&rdquo; of the U.S.-Philippines relationship under his leadership.

It is, therefore, no surprise that the two leaders met privately during Trump&rsquo;s Asia visit. Topics on the table included terrorism &ndash; especially the Philippine military&rsquo;s recent success against militants linked to Islamic State in the southern region of Mindanao &ndash; trade and their respective anti-drug campaigns.

Can Trump revive the relationship?

The extent to which the topic of human rights came up in their conversation is unclear. Trump has already been criticised for failing to press harder on this issue. However, it is possible that Trump rightly understands that pushing Duterte on human rights would continue to move Duterte away from the West and toward China.

Trump&rsquo;s comments in China mingled criticism of China&rsquo;s trade practices with praise of President Xi. However, in the Philippines, Trump chose to forgo this more nuanced approach, leaving diplomatic opportunities on the table. In praising Duterte&rsquo;s handling of an Islamist insurgency, Trump could have pushed for an end to martial law in Mindanao. In highlighting how the United States helped in the battle against Islamist militants, Trump could have laid out how much more we can do to improve security and help to rebuild the city of Marawi, which was devastated by the Philippines&rsquo; bombing campaign.

Trump&rsquo;s style of diplomacy and his foreign policy agenda are a radical departure from his predecessor&rsquo;s. In the Philippines, this shift is largely welcome. Sixty-nine percent of Filipinos surveyed by Pew Research Center in late September of this year had confidence that Trump would do the right thing in world affairs.

On his first official visit to the country, Trump praised his treatment in the Philippines as &ldquo;red carpet like nobody, I think, has probably ever received.&rdquo; In turn, he was officially declared &ldquo;a friend of the Duterte administration.&rdquo;

Ultimately, a positive change in the direction of U.S.- Philippines relations may come down to whether Trump and Duterte&rsquo;s mutual admiration is enough to shift the Philippines&rsquo; foreign policy back toward the United States. Doing so will likely require avoiding discussion of human rights, leaving Filipinos to bear the costs.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/did-trumps-charm-offensive-work-in-the-philippines-87235" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.

The Obama-Duterte relationship was full of tension but Trump?s election and his overtures to Duterte have helped to get the strained relationship back on the right track

President Donald J. Trump is wrapping up a whirlwind tour of Asia, visiting five countries in 12 days. The trip revealed much about Trump’s style of diplomacy – one that focuses more on his personal relationships with world leaders than diplomatic relations between countries. Both democratic and authoritarian leaders have been wooed by Trump’s charm offensive. He has highlighted his warm feelings toward China’s President Xi Jinping and tweeted that he tries “so hard to be [North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s] friend.” Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me "old," when I would NEVER call him "short and fat?" Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 12, 2017 × Trump’s relationship with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, one of the first leaders welcomed to Trump Tower after the election, is “extraordinary,” according to the president. This style of diplomacy certainly has its limitations, but could it actually improve the United States’ relationship with the Philippines – a key Southeast Asian ally? Why we need our allies in Asia On the campaign trail and in office, Trump has often criticised many of America’s allies for taking advantage of Washington’s generosity and not contributing more to their own national security. However, my research with Queen’s University political scientist Stefanie von Hlatky demonstrates that even when allies fail to share as much of the military burden as the United States would hope, they still make meaningful contributions to our military efforts overseas. Our alliance relationships in Asia are based on a series of mutual defense treaties negotiated in the aftermath of World War II. The U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense treaty signed in 1951 focuses on the countries’ shared history of resistance against Japan’s “imperialist aggression” in the Pacific. It commits the two nations to mutual aid in defending against an external armed attack as part of a comprehensive system of regional security. Given the possibility of a future confrontation with China over the South China Sea, alliances with countries like the Philippines matter. After all, the Philippines provides access to regional bases and other logistical support. New leaders, unexpected directions Since the election of the populist Duterte in May 2016, the U.S.- Philippines alliance has been on rocky ground. The Obama-Duterte relationship was full of tension stemming from the Obama administration’s criticism of Duterte’s violent war on drugs, which some claim has now led to approximately 13,000 deaths. Duterte showed no hesitation in calling out the United States for treating the Philippines like a colony, insulting Obama and musing that he might shift his foreign policy toward China and Russia and “break up with America.” Trump’s election and his overtures to Duterte have helped get the strained relationship back on the right track. The two men bonded over their countries’ mutual struggle with drugs. They claimed a shared understanding of the importance of protecting one’s country. In fact, the administration signaled that Trump’s heavily criticised invitation to Duterte to visit the White House was a sign of the “very positive direction” of the U.S.-Philippines relationship under his leadership. It is, therefore, no surprise that the two leaders met privately during Trump’s Asia visit. Topics on the table included terrorism – especially the Philippine military’s recent success against militants linked to Islamic State in the southern region of Mindanao – trade and their respective anti-drug campaigns. Can Trump revive the relationship? The extent to which the topic of human rights came up in their conversation is unclear. Trump has already been criticised for failing to press harder on this issue. However, it is possible that Trump rightly understands that pushing Duterte on human rights would continue to move Duterte away from the West and toward China. Trump’s comments in China mingled criticism of China’s trade practices with praise of President Xi. However, in the Philippines, Trump chose to forgo this more nuanced approach, leaving diplomatic opportunities on the table. In praising Duterte’s handling of an Islamist insurgency, Trump could have pushed for an end to martial law in Mindanao. In highlighting how the United States helped in the battle against Islamist militants, Trump could have laid out how much more we can do to improve security and help to rebuild the city of Marawi, which was devastated by the Philippines’ bombing campaign. Trump’s style of diplomacy and his foreign policy agenda are a radical departure from his predecessor’s. In the Philippines, this shift is largely welcome. Sixty-nine percent of Filipinos surveyed by Pew Research Center in late September of this year had confidence that Trump would do the right thing in world affairs. On his first official visit to the country, Trump praised his treatment in the Philippines as “red carpet like nobody, I think, has probably ever received.” In turn, he was officially declared “a friend of the Duterte administration.” Ultimately, a positive change in the direction of U.S.- Philippines relations may come down to whether Trump and Duterte’s mutual admiration is enough to shift the Philippines’ foreign policy back toward the United States. Doing so will likely require avoiding discussion of human rights, leaving Filipinos to bear the costs. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Did Trump's charm work in Duterte's Philippines?

Donald Trump declared on Monday that he had a &quot;great relationship&quot; with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, a self-proclaimed killer who is waging a drugs war that rights groups say involves mass murder, as the leaders joked with each other in Manila.

The US president is in the Philippines with leaders of 18 other nations for two days of summits, the final leg of a headline-grabbing Asian tour dominated by the North Korean nuclear crisis.

Allegations of Russian meddling in last year&#39;s US presidential elections have dogged the second half of his 12-day trip, which has taken him from Japan to South Korea, China and Vietnam.

Rights groups had called on Trump to end his Asian journey with a strong statement against Duterte&#39;s drugs war, which has seen police and suspected vigilantes kill thousands of people.

But in a series of encounters on Sunday and Monday, Trump and Duterte appeared to enjoy each others&#39; company, leading to warm praise from the US president during official talks at lunchtime.

&quot;We&#39;ve had a great relationship. This has been very successful,&quot; Trump told Duterte in brief opening remarks at their meeting.

Trump praised Duterte for his organisation of the summits, saying he handled them &quot;beautifully&quot;. &quot;I&#39;ve really enjoyed being here,&quot; he said.

As the reporters were being escorted out of the room, one asked if Trump would raise the issue of human rights, to which Duterte jokingly called the media &quot;spies&quot;. Both laughed but neither answered.

Duterte&#39;s spokesman later said repeatedly that Trump did not bring up any human rights concerns in the meeting, which lasted about 40 minutes.

He said the US leader nodded as he listened to Duterte speaking about his drugs war.

However, Trump spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said human rights were raised, although &quot;briefly&quot;.

Duterte won elections last year after promising to eradicate illegal drugs with an unprecedented campaign that would see up to 100,000 people killed.

Since he took office, police have reported killing 3,967 people in the crackdown.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Another 2,290 people have been murdered in drug-related crimes, while thousands of other deaths remain unsolved, according to government data.

&nbsp;&#39;I already killed someone&#39;&nbsp;

Many Filipinos back Duterte, believing he is taking necessary measures to fight crime, but rights groups warn he may be orchestrating a crime against humanity.

Amnesty International accuses police of shooting dead defenceless people and paying assassins to murder addicts.

When pressured over allegations of extra-judicial killings carried out by police, Duterte insists he has never told them to break the law.

But rights groups say police are following Duterte&#39;s incitements to kill, including comments made last year when he said he would be &quot;happy to slaughter&quot; three million addicts.

He has also repeatedly boasted about killing people himself, most recently last week while in Vietnam for the Asia-Pacific economic summit.

&quot;At the age of 16, I already killed someone. A real person, a rumble, a stabbing. I was just 16 years old. It was just over a look,&quot; Duterte said.

Former US president Barack Obama was one of many prominent critics of Duterte&#39;s handling of the drugs war. The Philippine leader responded last year by calling him a &quot;son of a whore&quot;.

Ties between the Philippines and the United States, longtime allies bound by a mutual defence treaty, deteriorated sharply as Duterte turned towards China and Russia.

Duterte last year declared the Philippines&#39; &quot;separation&quot; from the United States.

But Trump told Duterte in a telephone call in April that he was doing a &quot;great job&quot;, which helped to begin a diplomatic thaw.

&quot;We are your ally. We are an important ally,&quot; Duterte said on Monday, appearing to confirm relations were back on track, although he has also continued to court China and Russia.

Some Filipinos were not happy though, with hundreds of people staging an anti-Trump rally near the conference venue which led riot police to use water cannon.

Champagne, love song&nbsp;

Duterte and Trump sat next to each other at a pre-summit banquet on Sunday, during which they smiled, chatted and clinked champagne glasses.

Duterte, 72, also sang a Filipino love song, saying light-heartedly that he did so on the orders of the US president.

Duterte is hosting the world leaders because the Philippines holds the rotating chair of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc.

The events on Monday and Tuesday in Manila are two separate ASEAN-hosted summits, which also include China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, India, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The rising threat of the Islamic State group across Southeast Asia, and further efforts to pressure North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un to abandon his nuclear ambitions were top agenda items in Manila.

&quot;Terrorism and violent extremism endanger the peace, stability, and security of our region because these threats know no boundaries,&quot; Duterte said in an opening ceremony speech on Monday.

The rising threat of the Islamic State group across Southeast Asia, and further efforts to pressure North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un to abandon his nuclear ambitions were top agenda items in Manila

Donald Trump declared on Monday that he had a "great relationship" with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, a self-proclaimed killer who is waging a drugs war that rights groups say involves mass murder, as the leaders joked with each other in Manila. The US president is in the Philippines with leaders of 18 other nations for two days of summits, the final leg of a headline-grabbing Asian tour dominated by the North Korean nuclear crisis. Allegations of Russian meddling in last year's US presidential elections have dogged the second half of his 12-day trip, which has taken him from Japan to South Korea, China and Vietnam. Rights groups had called on Trump to end his Asian journey with a strong statement against Duterte's drugs war, which has seen police and suspected vigilantes kill thousands of people. But in a series of encounters on Sunday and Monday, Trump and Duterte appeared to enjoy each others' company, leading to warm praise from the US president during official talks at lunchtime. "We've had a great relationship. This has been very successful," Trump told Duterte in brief opening remarks at their meeting. Trump praised Duterte for his organisation of the summits, saying he handled them "beautifully". "I've really enjoyed being here," he said. As the reporters were being escorted out of the room, one asked if Trump would raise the issue of human rights, to which Duterte jokingly called the media "spies". Both laughed but neither answered. Duterte's spokesman later said repeatedly that Trump did not bring up any human rights concerns in the meeting, which lasted about 40 minutes. He said the US leader nodded as he listened to Duterte speaking about his drugs war. However, Trump spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said human rights were raised, although "briefly". Duterte won elections last year after promising to eradicate illegal drugs with an unprecedented campaign that would see up to 100,000 people killed. Since he took office, police have reported killing 3,967 people in the crackdown. Another 2,290 people have been murdered in drug-related crimes, while thousands of other deaths remain unsolved, according to government data. 'I already killed someone' Many Filipinos back Duterte, believing he is taking necessary measures to fight crime, but rights groups warn he may be orchestrating a crime against humanity. Amnesty International accuses police of shooting dead defenceless people and paying assassins to murder addicts. When pressured over allegations of extra-judicial killings carried out by police, Duterte insists he has never told them to break the law. But rights groups say police are following Duterte's incitements to kill, including comments made last year when he said he would be "happy to slaughter" three million addicts. He has also repeatedly boasted about killing people himself, most recently last week while in Vietnam for the Asia-Pacific economic summit. "At the age of 16, I already killed someone. A real person, a rumble, a stabbing. I was just 16 years old. It was just over a look," Duterte said. Former US president Barack Obama was one of many prominent critics of Duterte's handling of the drugs war. The Philippine leader responded last year by calling him a "son of a whore". Ties between the Philippines and the United States, longtime allies bound by a mutual defence treaty, deteriorated sharply as Duterte turned towards China and Russia. Duterte last year declared the Philippines' "separation" from the United States. But Trump told Duterte in a telephone call in April that he was doing a "great job", which helped to begin a diplomatic thaw. "We are your ally. We are an important ally," Duterte said on Monday, appearing to confirm relations were back on track, although he has also continued to court China and Russia. Some Filipinos were not happy though, with hundreds of people staging an anti-Trump rally near the conference venue which led riot police to use water cannon. Champagne, love song Duterte and Trump sat next to each other at a pre-summit banquet on Sunday, during which they smiled, chatted and clinked champagne glasses. Duterte, 72, also sang a Filipino love song, saying light-heartedly that he did so on the orders of the US president. Duterte is hosting the world leaders because the Philippines holds the rotating chair of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc. The events on Monday and Tuesday in Manila are two separate ASEAN-hosted summits, which also include China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, India, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The rising threat of the Islamic State group across Southeast Asia, and further efforts to pressure North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un to abandon his nuclear ambitions were top agenda items in Manila. "Terrorism and violent extremism endanger the peace, stability, and security of our region because these threats know no boundaries," Duterte said in an opening ceremony speech on Monday.

Trump hails 'great relationship' with self-proclaimed killer Duterte

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump landed in the Philippines on Sunday for a summit of Southeast and East Asian nations, hours after offering to mediate on competing claims to the South China Sea that have long stoked tensions in the region.

It will be the last leg of a marathon Asia tour that, despite Trump&#39;s &quot;America First&quot; policy, may reassure some that his administration remains committed to a region that Beijing sees as its strategic domain.

In Vietnam earlier on Sunday, Trump said he was prepared to mediate in the dispute over the South China Sea, where four Southeast Asian countries and Taiwan contest China&#39;s sweeping claims to the busy waterway.

But Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, host of two days of summit meetings that will bring together Southeast Asian and East Asian nations, said the thorny issue was better left untouched. All the claimants will be at the summit, except for Taiwan.

&quot;We have to be friends, the other hotheads would like us to confront China and the rest of the world on so many issues,&quot; Duterte said at a pre-summit business conference in Manila.

&quot;The South China Sea is better left untouched, nobody can afford to go to war. It can ill-afford a violent confrontation.&quot;

The United States and its former colony, the Philippines, have been strategic allies since World War Two.

Trump is expected to try during the summit to shore up relations, which have been strained by the mercurial Duterte&#39;s notorious anti-US&nbsp;sentiment and his enthusiasm for better ties with Russia and China.

Police used water canon to prevent hundreds of protesters reaching the US&nbsp;embassy in Manila ahead of Trump&#39;s arrival.

Carrying placards declaring &quot;Dump Trump&quot; and &quot;Down with US&nbsp;Imperialism&quot;, the left-wing protesters were blocked by police in riot gear with shields and batons, and then showered with jets of water from a fire engine.

&quot;Trump is the CEO of the imperialist government of the US, said 18-year-old student Alexis Danday after the protesters were scattered. &quot;We know he is here to push for unfair treaties between the Philippines and the US&quot;

On a tour that has taken him to Japan, South Korea, China and Vietnam, Trump and his team have repeatedly used the term &quot;Indo-Pacific&quot; instead of &quot;Asia-Pacific&quot; for the region, which some see as an effort to depict it as more than China-dominated.

Pacific Rim nation leaders agreed in Vietnam on Saturday to address &quot;unfair trade practices&quot; and &quot;market distorting subsidies&quot;, a statement that bore the imprint of Trump&#39;s efforts to reshape the global trade landscape.

The summit of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries in Vietnam put on show the contrasting vision of the &quot;America First&quot; policy with the traditional consensus favouring multinational deals that China now seeks to champion.

Leaders at the Philippines summit will discuss the South China Sea, but mainly to agree on a procedural step to cool tensions.

In August, foreign ministers of Southeast Asia and China adopted a negotiating framework for a code of conduct in the resource-rich waterway, a move they hailed as progress but one seen by critics as a tactic to buy China time to consolidate its power.

The framework seeks to advance a 2002 Declaration of Conduct (DOC) of Parties in the South China Sea. The DOC has mostly been ignored by claimant states, particularly China, which has built seven man-made islands in disputed waters, three of them equipped with runways, surface-to-air missiles and radars.

The framework will be endorsed by China and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Monday, a diplomat from one of the regional bloc&#39;s countries said.

Others who will be in Manila for the summit meetings include Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and leaders from Japan, Canada, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand.

It will be the last leg of a marathon Asia tour that, despite Trump's "America First" policy, may reassure some that his administration remains committed to a region that Beijing sees as its strategic domain.

US President Donald Trump landed in the Philippines on Sunday for a summit of Southeast and East Asian nations, hours after offering to mediate on competing claims to the South China Sea that have long stoked tensions in the region. It will be the last leg of a marathon Asia tour that, despite Trump's "America First" policy, may reassure some that his administration remains committed to a region that Beijing sees as its strategic domain. In Vietnam earlier on Sunday, Trump said he was prepared to mediate in the dispute over the South China Sea, where four Southeast Asian countries and Taiwan contest China's sweeping claims to the busy waterway. But Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, host of two days of summit meetings that will bring together Southeast Asian and East Asian nations, said the thorny issue was better left untouched. All the claimants will be at the summit, except for Taiwan. "We have to be friends, the other hotheads would like us to confront China and the rest of the world on so many issues," Duterte said at a pre-summit business conference in Manila. "The South China Sea is better left untouched, nobody can afford to go to war. It can ill-afford a violent confrontation." The United States and its former colony, the Philippines, have been strategic allies since World War Two. Trump is expected to try during the summit to shore up relations, which have been strained by the mercurial Duterte's notorious anti-US sentiment and his enthusiasm for better ties with Russia and China. Police used water canon to prevent hundreds of protesters reaching the US embassy in Manila ahead of Trump's arrival. Carrying placards declaring "Dump Trump" and "Down with US Imperialism", the left-wing protesters were blocked by police in riot gear with shields and batons, and then showered with jets of water from a fire engine. "Trump is the CEO of the imperialist government of the US, said 18-year-old student Alexis Danday after the protesters were scattered. "We know he is here to push for unfair treaties between the Philippines and the US" On a tour that has taken him to Japan, South Korea, China and Vietnam, Trump and his team have repeatedly used the term "Indo-Pacific" instead of "Asia-Pacific" for the region, which some see as an effort to depict it as more than China-dominated. Pacific Rim nation leaders agreed in Vietnam on Saturday to address "unfair trade practices" and "market distorting subsidies", a statement that bore the imprint of Trump's efforts to reshape the global trade landscape. The summit of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries in Vietnam put on show the contrasting vision of the "America First" policy with the traditional consensus favouring multinational deals that China now seeks to champion. Leaders at the Philippines summit will discuss the South China Sea, but mainly to agree on a procedural step to cool tensions. In August, foreign ministers of Southeast Asia and China adopted a negotiating framework for a code of conduct in the resource-rich waterway, a move they hailed as progress but one seen by critics as a tactic to buy China time to consolidate its power. The framework seeks to advance a 2002 Declaration of Conduct (DOC) of Parties in the South China Sea. The DOC has mostly been ignored by claimant states, particularly China, which has built seven man-made islands in disputed waters, three of them equipped with runways, surface-to-air missiles and radars. The framework will be endorsed by China and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Monday, a diplomat from one of the regional bloc's countries said. Others who will be in Manila for the summit meetings include Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and leaders from Japan, Canada, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand.

Trump lands in Philippines, offers to mediate on South China Sea

With China&#39;s controversial military buildup likely to be a major issue at the ASEAN summit, Premier Li Keqiang today clearly reiterated Beijing&#39;s long- held position that it wants to bilaterally resolve its disputes with its neighbours over the South China Sea.

In an article published in leading newspapers here, Li admitted that the bilateral relationship between China and the Philippines had &quot;encountered a setback&quot; due to the South China Sea issue but it was back on track due to appropriate handling of the issue by the two sides.

The Chinese premier, who will be here for the ASEAN and East Asia summits, said Beijing will actively explore joint development of the South China sea to make it a &quot;sea of cooperation and friendship&quot; for the benefit of the two countries.

&quot;China will work with the Philippines to continue to properly handle the maritime issues through friendly bilateral consultation by giving full play to such mechanisms as the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea,&quot; Li wrote.

Ahead of the annual summit of the ASEAN, an influential grouping of 10 South East Asian countries, a number of diplomats said the thorny issue of China&#39;s aggressive military buildup in the South China Sea may be one of the focus areas of the deliberations on Tuesday.

China claims sovereignty over all of South China Sea, a huge source of hydrocarbons. However, several ASEAN member countries including Vietnam, the Philippines and Brunei have counter claims. 
India has been supporting freedom of navigation and access to resources in the South China Sea in accordance with principles of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The ASEAN has been pushing for a legally binding code of conduct for all stakeholders in the South China Sea but Beijing has opposed such a framework asserting it will resolve the dispute with respective countries under a bilateral mechanism.

&quot;The two sides returned to the track of appropriately handling the South China Sea issue through dialogue and consultation, thus removing the stumbling block that has held back our bilateral relations for several years,&quot; Li said.

The controversial issue was also understood to have figured in a meeting of officials from India, the US, Japan, and Australia under the proposed Quadrilateral coalition of the four countries.

&quot;The discussions focused on cooperation based on their converging vision and values for promotion of peace, stability and prosperity in an increasingly inter-connected region that they share with each other and with other partners,&quot; the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said.

&quot;They agreed that a free, open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific region serves the long-term interests of all countries in the region and of the world at large,&quot; it said.&nbsp;

The Chinese premier, who will be here for the ASEAN and East Asia summits, said Beijing will actively explore joint development of the South China sea to make it a "sea of cooperation and friendship" for the benefit of the two countries.

With China's controversial military buildup likely to be a major issue at the ASEAN summit, Premier Li Keqiang today clearly reiterated Beijing's long- held position that it wants to bilaterally resolve its disputes with its neighbours over the South China Sea. In an article published in leading newspapers here, Li admitted that the bilateral relationship between China and the Philippines had "encountered a setback" due to the South China Sea issue but it was back on track due to appropriate handling of the issue by the two sides. The Chinese premier, who will be here for the ASEAN and East Asia summits, said Beijing will actively explore joint development of the South China sea to make it a "sea of cooperation and friendship" for the benefit of the two countries. "China will work with the Philippines to continue to properly handle the maritime issues through friendly bilateral consultation by giving full play to such mechanisms as the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea," Li wrote. Ahead of the annual summit of the ASEAN, an influential grouping of 10 South East Asian countries, a number of diplomats said the thorny issue of China's aggressive military buildup in the South China Sea may be one of the focus areas of the deliberations on Tuesday. China claims sovereignty over all of South China Sea, a huge source of hydrocarbons. However, several ASEAN member countries including Vietnam, the Philippines and Brunei have counter claims. India has been supporting freedom of navigation and access to resources in the South China Sea in accordance with principles of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The ASEAN has been pushing for a legally binding code of conduct for all stakeholders in the South China Sea but Beijing has opposed such a framework asserting it will resolve the dispute with respective countries under a bilateral mechanism. "The two sides returned to the track of appropriately handling the South China Sea issue through dialogue and consultation, thus removing the stumbling block that has held back our bilateral relations for several years," Li said. The controversial issue was also understood to have figured in a meeting of officials from India, the US, Japan, and Australia under the proposed Quadrilateral coalition of the four countries. "The discussions focused on cooperation based on their converging vision and values for promotion of peace, stability and prosperity in an increasingly inter-connected region that they share with each other and with other partners," the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said. "They agreed that a free, open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific region serves the long-term interests of all countries in the region and of the world at large," it said.

Thorny South China Sea issue may dominate ASEAN summit

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who is <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/philippines-duterte-says-he-killed-someone-at-age-16-23894">facing international criticism for his bloody war on drugs,</a> said his country was willing to host a &ldquo;world summit&rdquo; to tackle how nations can protect human rights.

The firebrand leader, who spoke in a news conference late on Thursday while in Vietnam for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting, said the summit should focus on human rights violations not just in the Philippines but globally.

Some western countries and human rights groups have strongly criticised Duterte&rsquo;s anti-narcotics campaign that has killed more than 3,900 suspected drug users and peddlers, in what the police called self-defence after armed suspects resisted arrest.

Critics dispute that and say executions are taking place with zero accountability, allegations the police reject.

&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s have a summit of how we can protect human rights for all human race,&rdquo; Duterte said shortly after meeting with the Filipino community in Vietnam, where he also renewed his attacks against United Nations human rights expert Agnes Callamard.

&ldquo;What makes the death of people in the Philippines more important than the rest of the children in the world that were massacred and killed,&rdquo; he asked. He said all victims of human rights violations are welcome to attend the summit and air their grievances.

Duterte reiterated his threat to slap Callamard if she investigates him for the rising death toll in his war on drugs and would ask her why she has made no comments on the victims of bombings and violence in the Middle East.

&ldquo;What have you been doing all the time? Why are you so fascinated with drugs?&rdquo; Duterte said. Duterte also threatened to ban two American lawmakers from coming to Manila after they criticised U.S. President Donald Trump for inviting him to visit the United States.

&ldquo;If you do not like me, I do not like you. We&rsquo;re even,&rdquo; he said without naming the lawmakers. Democratic Rep. James McGovern and Republican Rep. Randy Hultgren had called on Trump to highlight the human rights situation in the Philippines in his upcoming visit to Manila.

&nbsp;

He said all victims of human rights violations are welcome to attend the summit and air their grievances.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who is facing international criticism for his bloody war on drugs, said his country was willing to host a “world summit” to tackle how nations can protect human rights. The firebrand leader, who spoke in a news conference late on Thursday while in Vietnam for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting, said the summit should focus on human rights violations not just in the Philippines but globally. Some western countries and human rights groups have strongly criticised Duterte’s anti-narcotics campaign that has killed more than 3,900 suspected drug users and peddlers, in what the police called self-defence after armed suspects resisted arrest. Critics dispute that and say executions are taking place with zero accountability, allegations the police reject. “Let’s have a summit of how we can protect human rights for all human race,” Duterte said shortly after meeting with the Filipino community in Vietnam, where he also renewed his attacks against United Nations human rights expert Agnes Callamard. “What makes the death of people in the Philippines more important than the rest of the children in the world that were massacred and killed,” he asked. He said all victims of human rights violations are welcome to attend the summit and air their grievances. Duterte reiterated his threat to slap Callamard if she investigates him for the rising death toll in his war on drugs and would ask her why she has made no comments on the victims of bombings and violence in the Middle East. “What have you been doing all the time? Why are you so fascinated with drugs?” Duterte said. Duterte also threatened to ban two American lawmakers from coming to Manila after they criticised U.S. President Donald Trump for inviting him to visit the United States. “If you do not like me, I do not like you. We’re even,” he said without naming the lawmakers. Democratic Rep. James McGovern and Republican Rep. Randy Hultgren had called on Trump to highlight the human rights situation in the Philippines in his upcoming visit to Manila.

Willing to host world summit on human rights: Duterte

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is&nbsp;in the process of sending a team to Philippines to question ISIS suspect Karen Aisha Hamidon, who was accused of manipulating and radicalizing young Indians to join terrorist organisation using social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram.&nbsp;

Reports say that Hamidon, widow of Philippines-based terrorist leader Mohammad Jafaar Maquid, also tried to lure &#39;foreign fighters&#39; in 2016, from other countries as well.&nbsp;

According to officials, the investigation could throw some light on Indians who had joined ISIS in 2014 as well as track other such recruiters trying to get the Indian youth to become a part of the organisation.&nbsp;

Sources have informed that Mohammad Sirajuddin, an Indian ISIS member from Japiur along with Mohammad Naseer, an engineer from Tamil Nadu, who were arrested and sent to Sudan, had confirmed that Hamidon played a role in luring them to join the terrorist group.&nbsp;

Hamidon was arrested by National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) of the Philippines earlier last month in&nbsp;Manila, according to reports.

The National Investigation Agency has requested Philippines to allow them to question Hamidon, news agency ANI reported.

Karen Aisha Hamidon has been accused of manipulating and radicalising young Indians to join terrorist organisation using social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram.?

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is in the process of sending a team to Philippines to question ISIS suspect Karen Aisha Hamidon, who was accused of manipulating and radicalizing young Indians to join terrorist organisation using social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram. Reports say that Hamidon, widow of Philippines-based terrorist leader Mohammad Jafaar Maquid, also tried to lure 'foreign fighters' in 2016, from other countries as well. According to officials, the investigation could throw some light on Indians who had joined ISIS in 2014 as well as track other such recruiters trying to get the Indian youth to become a part of the organisation. Sources have informed that Mohammad Sirajuddin, an Indian ISIS member from Japiur along with Mohammad Naseer, an engineer from Tamil Nadu, who were arrested and sent to Sudan, had confirmed that Hamidon played a role in luring them to join the terrorist group. Hamidon was arrested by National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) of the Philippines earlier last month in Manila, according to reports. The National Investigation Agency has requested Philippines to allow them to question Hamidon, news agency ANI reported.

NIA to send team to Manila to question ISIS recruiter

Philippines today <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-i-prayed-for-them-says-indian-priest-captured-by-isis-20796">arrested a woman suspected of recruiting</a> foreigners through social media and messaging apps, reports said.

The woman believed to be an <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/isis-challenges-prince-harry-to-a-fight-20665">IS recruiter was arrested in the southern city of&nbsp;Taguig&nbsp;</a>which is dominated by pro-Islamic rebels, Reuters reported.

&quot;Karen Aizha Hamidon, the widow of a former leader of a small extremist group in Mindanao, was arrested by special agents at her home in a Manila suburb a week ago and has been charged with inciting to rebellion,&quot;&nbsp;Philippine&#39;s justice minister told Singapore&#39;s local newspaper The Straits Times.&nbsp;

&quot;Agents found she had made 296 posts in chatrooms on Telegram and WhatsApp &quot;calling on Muslims in the Philippines, India and Singapore to come to Marawi to establish a province of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria&quot;, The&nbsp;Straits Times quoted the minister as saying.

Hamidon is accused of using social media and messaging apps to call on foreigners to join the siege by an alliance of Islamic State loyalists in Marawi city.

Justice minister Aguirre said Hamidon was formerly the wife of Singaporean security guard detained in 2015 for planning to join ISIS and using social media to incite violence.

Hamidon later married a Filipino, &nbsp;Mohammad Jaafar Maguid, who led an IS-linked organization but was killed in January, justice minister added.

Hamidon was also allegedly close to an Australian preacher accused of recruiting IS fighters.

Expanding on Hamidon&#39;s arrest, Aguirre said: &quot;It is very clear that her actions are in a conspiracy, or in sync, with actions of the rebels.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;While her companions are fighting in Marawi, her part is to further recruit fighters to assist in the Marawi siege by the ISIS and Maute groups,&quot; the minister added. 
&nbsp;

Hamidon is accused of using social media and messaging apps to call on foreigners to join the siege by an alliance of Islamic State loyalists in Marawi city.

Philippines today arrested a woman suspected of recruiting foreigners through social media and messaging apps, reports said. The woman believed to be an IS recruiter was arrested in the southern city of Taguig which is dominated by pro-Islamic rebels, Reuters reported. "Karen Aizha Hamidon, the widow of a former leader of a small extremist group in Mindanao, was arrested by special agents at her home in a Manila suburb a week ago and has been charged with inciting to rebellion," Philippine's justice minister told Singapore's local newspaper The Straits Times. "Agents found she had made 296 posts in chatrooms on Telegram and WhatsApp "calling on Muslims in the Philippines, India and Singapore to come to Marawi to establish a province of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria", The Straits Times quoted the minister as saying. Hamidon is accused of using social media and messaging apps to call on foreigners to join the siege by an alliance of Islamic State loyalists in Marawi city. Justice minister Aguirre said Hamidon was formerly the wife of Singaporean security guard detained in 2015 for planning to join ISIS and using social media to incite violence. Hamidon later married a Filipino, Mohammad Jaafar Maguid, who led an IS-linked organization but was killed in January, justice minister added. Hamidon was also allegedly close to an Australian preacher accused of recruiting IS fighters. Expanding on Hamidon's arrest, Aguirre said: "It is very clear that her actions are in a conspiracy, or in sync, with actions of the rebels." "While her companions are fighting in Marawi, her part is to further recruit fighters to assist in the Marawi siege by the ISIS and Maute groups," the minister added.

Woman suspected of recruiting IS fighters in India, Singapore arrested in Philippines: Report

Philippine troops Sunday bombed militants loyal to the Islamic State group who have held out for over four months in a southern city and the military said the conflict would be over &quot;very soon&quot;.

The army previously set a target of Sunday to end the fighting in Marawi, which it said has killed more than 1,000 people. Troops have missed previous deadlines to flush out the militants whom authorities said intended to establish a local IS caliphate.

On Sunday FA-50 fighter jets flew over Marawi as soldiers fought the militants house-to-house in an area which has now shrunk to about five acres (two hectares), a military spokesman said.&nbsp;

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<h5>FA-50 fighter jets flew over Marawi on Sunday as soldiers fought the militants house-to-house in an area which has now shrunk to about five acres, a military spokesman said</h5>
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&quot;We are hoping that we will end this Marawi siege very soon,&quot; Colonel Romeo Brawner, deputy commander of the task force battling the militants, told reporters.&nbsp;

Pro-IS gunmen occupied parts of Marawi, the Islamic capital of the mainly Catholic Philippines, on May 23.

Since then 822 militants, 162 government forces and 47 civilians have been killed, Brawner said.&nbsp;

The insurgents have withstood a relentless US-backed bombing campaign and intense ground battles with troops that have left large parts of Marawi resembling devastated cities in war-torn Syria and Iraq.

Military commanders last week set a target of October 15 to end the fighting and President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday said the battle was &quot;almost over&quot;.&nbsp;

Twenty soldiers were wounded on Saturday in a sign troops were pushing hard to end the battle, Brawner said.&nbsp;

He said 40 militants remained in the conflict area including leaders Isnilon Hapilon, who is on America&#39;s list of most wanted terrorists with a $5 million bounty, and Omarkhayam Maute, whose group had pledged allegiance to IS.&nbsp;

There were also 100 civilians in the zone including hostages and families of the militants, he added.&nbsp;

&quot;Women and children are now forced to fight together with the Maute-ISIS fighters. These are desperate measures the Maute-ISIS are doing. This is their last defensive stand,&quot; Brawner said, using another acronym for IS.&nbsp;

Duterte on Thursday warned against celebrating the eventual liberation of Marawi, citing the deaths and devastation there. &nbsp;

&quot;When we leave Marawi, we go quietly. We do not want to show any kind of celebration or happiness,&quot; he said.

Militants loyal to Islamic State have held out in Marawi for over four months

Philippine troops Sunday bombed militants loyal to the Islamic State group who have held out for over four months in a southern city and the military said the conflict would be over "very soon". The army previously set a target of Sunday to end the fighting in Marawi, which it said has killed more than 1,000 people. Troops have missed previous deadlines to flush out the militants whom authorities said intended to establish a local IS caliphate. On Sunday FA-50 fighter jets flew over Marawi as soldiers fought the militants house-to-house in an area which has now shrunk to about five acres (two hectares), a military spokesman said. FA-50 fighter jets flew over Marawi on Sunday as soldiers fought the militants house-to-house in an area which has now shrunk to about five acres, a military spokesman said × "We are hoping that we will end this Marawi siege very soon," Colonel Romeo Brawner, deputy commander of the task force battling the militants, told reporters. Pro-IS gunmen occupied parts of Marawi, the Islamic capital of the mainly Catholic Philippines, on May 23. Since then 822 militants, 162 government forces and 47 civilians have been killed, Brawner said. The insurgents have withstood a relentless US-backed bombing campaign and intense ground battles with troops that have left large parts of Marawi resembling devastated cities in war-torn Syria and Iraq. Military commanders last week set a target of October 15 to end the fighting and President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday said the battle was "almost over". Twenty soldiers were wounded on Saturday in a sign troops were pushing hard to end the battle, Brawner said. He said 40 militants remained in the conflict area including leaders Isnilon Hapilon, who is on America's list of most wanted terrorists with a $5 million bounty, and Omarkhayam Maute, whose group had pledged allegiance to IS. There were also 100 civilians in the zone including hostages and families of the militants, he added. "Women and children are now forced to fight together with the Maute-ISIS fighters. These are desperate measures the Maute-ISIS are doing. This is their last defensive stand," Brawner said, using another acronym for IS. Duterte on Thursday warned against celebrating the eventual liberation of Marawi, citing the deaths and devastation there. "When we leave Marawi, we go quietly. We do not want to show any kind of celebration or happiness," he said.

Army says battle for Philippine city to end soon, 1,000 dead

President Rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday Russia was giving 5,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles to the Philippines in what is believed to be the first ever shipment of Russian weapons to the US ally.

Duterte, who briefly visited Moscow in May as part of a pivot away from Washington, said the arms would soon arrive by ship.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The United States has traditionally been the main supplier of arms to the former American colony.

But the Philippine armed forces, who have been battling both communist insurgents in rural areas and Muslim extremists in the troubled south, remain among the weakest in the region.

&quot;As part of what I got from Russia when we were there for almost 24 hours, we will have the Kalashnikovs,&quot; Duterte told a gathering of soldiers and police near Manila.

The Russian embassy declined to comment on Duterte&#39;s announcement.

Duterte did not say which types of rifles from the Russian manufacturer are being shipped to Manila.

&quot;As far as I can remember, the Russians have never supplied us with any form of mat&eacute;riel in the past,&quot; defence department spokesman Arsenio Andolong told AFP.

Duterte, who took office last year, has shaken the Philippines&#39; 70-year-old alliance with the US as he moves to strengthen ties with China and Russia.

The firebrand leader has sought out other sources of weapons as he angrily rejected US criticism of his deadly war on drugs that has left thousands dead.

China this year donated about 6,000 rifles and thousands of rounds of ammunition to Manila.

The United States has traditionally been the main supplier of arms to the former American colony

President Rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday Russia was giving 5,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles to the Philippines in what is believed to be the first ever shipment of Russian weapons to the US ally. Duterte, who briefly visited Moscow in May as part of a pivot away from Washington, said the arms would soon arrive by ship. The United States has traditionally been the main supplier of arms to the former American colony. But the Philippine armed forces, who have been battling both communist insurgents in rural areas and Muslim extremists in the troubled south, remain among the weakest in the region. "As part of what I got from Russia when we were there for almost 24 hours, we will have the Kalashnikovs," Duterte told a gathering of soldiers and police near Manila. The Russian embassy declined to comment on Duterte's announcement. Duterte did not say which types of rifles from the Russian manufacturer are being shipped to Manila. "As far as I can remember, the Russians have never supplied us with any form of matériel in the past," defence department spokesman Arsenio Andolong told AFP. Duterte, who took office last year, has shaken the Philippines' 70-year-old alliance with the US as he moves to strengthen ties with China and Russia. The firebrand leader has sought out other sources of weapons as he angrily rejected US criticism of his deadly war on drugs that has left thousands dead. China this year donated about 6,000 rifles and thousands of rounds of ammunition to Manila.

Russia to send 'Kalashnikov' guns to Philippines: Duterte

Hundreds of thousands of people might be evacuated from southern China before a gigantic typhoon (like a hurricane) is expected to make landfall later in the week, according to reports.

 
Typhoon Talim is slated to make landfall in Fujian Province, China, putting cities like Fuzhou and Ningde at risk, according to local officials, as reported by the South China Morning Post.

Evacuation notices might be issued for as many as 500,000 people.

Talim formed in the Philippines over the weekend, and it&rsquo;s now slated to hit southern Japan, Japan&rsquo;s Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan, and Fujian, the Weather Channel reported Monday, Sept. 11.

Talim is moving in a west-northwestern direction over the next few days, and by the time it reaches China, it could be a Category 3-strength storm, according to the channel. The Hong Kong Observatory said that it&rsquo;s expected to move across the western portion of the northern Pacific in the general direction of Taiwan and Luzon Strait, the Hong Kong Standard reported. Hong Kong could be affected, as Talim is forecast to come within 500 miles of the city on Thursday.

 
Officials in Taiwan, which is hit by typhoons on a yearly basis, said people are taking the warnings seriously.

 
&ldquo;For Taiwan, the most serious chance of a disaster is heavy rain causing a sudden mudslide. Before Morakot, people were taking chances, sort of like gambling,&rdquo; Li Wei-sen, Taiwan&rsquo;s secretary-general with the government&rsquo;s National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction, told The Associated Press.

 
The Central Weather Bureau told Focus Taiwan on Monday that Talim could potentially impact the country on Thursday.

 
Currently, the storm is located some 1,100 miles east-southeast of southern Taiwan.

 
Meanwhile, Irma was downgraded to a tropical storm on Monday and it is currently located near Jacksonville, Florida, according to U.S. weather officials. Some 6 million homes and businesses were left without power, Florida Power &amp; Light said. 
&nbsp;

Article by THE EPOCH TIMES

Typhoon Talim is slated to make landfall in Fujian Province, China, putting cities like Fuzhou and Ningde at risk, according to local officials, as reported by the South China Morning Post.

Hundreds of thousands of people might be evacuated from southern China before a gigantic typhoon (like a hurricane) is expected to make landfall later in the week, according to reports. Typhoon Talim is slated to make landfall in Fujian Province, China, putting cities like Fuzhou and Ningde at risk, according to local officials, as reported by the South China Morning Post. Evacuation notices might be issued for as many as 500,000 people. Talim formed in the Philippines over the weekend, and it’s now slated to hit southern Japan, Japan’s Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan, and Fujian, the Weather Channel reported Monday, Sept. 11. Talim is moving in a west-northwestern direction over the next few days, and by the time it reaches China, it could be a Category 3-strength storm, according to the channel. The Hong Kong Observatory said that it’s expected to move across the western portion of the northern Pacific in the general direction of Taiwan and Luzon Strait, the Hong Kong Standard reported. Hong Kong could be affected, as Talim is forecast to come within 500 miles of the city on Thursday. Officials in Taiwan, which is hit by typhoons on a yearly basis, said people are taking the warnings seriously. “For Taiwan, the most serious chance of a disaster is heavy rain causing a sudden mudslide. Before Morakot, people were taking chances, sort of like gambling,” Li Wei-sen, Taiwan’s secretary-general with the government’s National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction, told The Associated Press. The Central Weather Bureau told Focus Taiwan on Monday that Talim could potentially impact the country on Thursday. Currently, the storm is located some 1,100 miles east-southeast of southern Taiwan. Meanwhile, Irma was downgraded to a tropical storm on Monday and it is currently located near Jacksonville, Florida, according to U.S. weather officials. Some 6 million homes and businesses were left without power, Florida Power & Light said. Article by THE EPOCH TIMES

Typhoon Talim Forms, Could Hit Southern China and Taiwan

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/bloodiest-day-in-philippines-war-on-drugs-police-kill-32-19072">Philippines</a>&#39; largest Muslim rebel group said on Wednesday it had lost 10 fighters in battles to stop a &quot;growing force&quot; of radical militants who support the Islamic State group.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front is seeking to prevent the militants from gaining a foothold in an area of Mindanao island that the MILF calls its own, senior rebel leader Mohagher Iqbal told AFP.

Iqbal said 50 or so militants had pledged allegiance to IS and had ties to gunmen waging a deadly three-month-old battle with government forces in the southern city of Marawi.

&quot;The radical elements are growing as a force,&quot; Iqbal told AFP by telephone.

An AFP video journalist who joined the MILF soldiers on Tuesday said the fighting was centred on vast marshy forests and farmlands near the town of Datu Salibo.

MILF men were filmed firing automatic weapons from a house, crossing streams and marshes with their machine guns, automatic rifles and rations raised above their heads, and inspecting the ruins of burnt houses.

Datu Salibo is about 100 kilometres (60 miles) south of Marawi and about 800 kilometres south of Manila.

Iqbal put the MILF death toll from the fighting, which began early this month, at 10.

He said the militants had also sustained fatalities, although he could not give confirmed numbers.

The 10,000-strong MILF has been leading a decades-long rebellion to establish an independent or autonomous homeland in Mindanao for the mainly Catholic Philippines&#39; Muslim minority.

The conflict has claimed more than 100,000 lives.

The MILF signed a peace agreement with the previous administration in 2014 that envisages an autonomous Muslim homeland in Mindanao, and is hoping President Rodrigo Duterte can shepherd a final deal through a reluctant Congress.

However a range of more hardline militants, including former MILF members, oppose any form of peace with the government and some have in recent years pledged allegiance to IS.

The MILF has repeatedly warned that, if the peace process collapses, it will lose many of its younger members to IS-aligned groups.

Hundreds of IS-supporters occupied parts of Marawi in late May.&nbsp;

Government forces have been unable to dislodge the militants in Marawi despite a massive, US-backed military campaign.&nbsp;

The conflict has claimed more than 700 lives.

Iqbal said the MILF&#39;s current battles against another group near Datu Salibo showed IS was becoming a threat in other parts of the south.

&quot;They&#39;re an affiliate of ISIS and they plant the black (IS) flag wherever they go,&quot; Iqbal said, using an alternate acronym meaning Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

&quot;They cause trouble everywhere. We are against their way of life. We are against terrorism.&quot;

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front is seeking to prevent the militants from gaining a foothold in an area of Mindanao island that the MILF calls its own, senior rebel leader Mohagher Iqbal told AFP

The Philippines' largest Muslim rebel group said on Wednesday it had lost 10 fighters in battles to stop a "growing force" of radical militants who support the Islamic State group. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front is seeking to prevent the militants from gaining a foothold in an area of Mindanao island that the MILF calls its own, senior rebel leader Mohagher Iqbal told AFP. Iqbal said 50 or so militants had pledged allegiance to IS and had ties to gunmen waging a deadly three-month-old battle with government forces in the southern city of Marawi. "The radical elements are growing as a force," Iqbal told AFP by telephone. An AFP video journalist who joined the MILF soldiers on Tuesday said the fighting was centred on vast marshy forests and farmlands near the town of Datu Salibo. MILF men were filmed firing automatic weapons from a house, crossing streams and marshes with their machine guns, automatic rifles and rations raised above their heads, and inspecting the ruins of burnt houses. Datu Salibo is about 100 kilometres (60 miles) south of Marawi and about 800 kilometres south of Manila. Iqbal put the MILF death toll from the fighting, which began early this month, at 10. He said the militants had also sustained fatalities, although he could not give confirmed numbers. The 10,000-strong MILF has been leading a decades-long rebellion to establish an independent or autonomous homeland in Mindanao for the mainly Catholic Philippines' Muslim minority. The conflict has claimed more than 100,000 lives. The MILF signed a peace agreement with the previous administration in 2014 that envisages an autonomous Muslim homeland in Mindanao, and is hoping President Rodrigo Duterte can shepherd a final deal through a reluctant Congress. However a range of more hardline militants, including former MILF members, oppose any form of peace with the government and some have in recent years pledged allegiance to IS. The MILF has repeatedly warned that, if the peace process collapses, it will lose many of its younger members to IS-aligned groups. Hundreds of IS-supporters occupied parts of Marawi in late May. Government forces have been unable to dislodge the militants in Marawi despite a massive, US-backed military campaign. The conflict has claimed more than 700 lives. Iqbal said the MILF's current battles against another group near Datu Salibo showed IS was becoming a threat in other parts of the south. "They're an affiliate of ISIS and they plant the black (IS) flag wherever they go," Iqbal said, using an alternate acronym meaning Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. "They cause trouble everywhere. We are against their way of life. We are against terrorism."

Philippines' biggest Muslim rebel group sounds IS alarm

Mourners at the funeral of a Philippine man who police shot dead protested his innocence on Sunday, the latest sign of rising anger over President Rodrigo Duterte&#39;s bloody campaign to stamp out drugs.

More than 12,500 people, many small-time drug users and dealers, have been killed since Duterte took office in June 2016. Police say about 3,500 of those killed were shot by officers in self-defence.

Human rights monitors believe many of the remaining two thirds were killed by assassins operating with police backing or by police disguised as vigilantes, a charge the police deny.

On Sunday, dozens of mourners wearing white T-shirts with the slogan &quot;Kill drugs, not people&quot;, bore the coffin of Leover Miranda to his grave in a Manila cemetery.

Miranda was killed this month in what police said was a drug sting operation but relatives say he was innocent.

&quot;I want justice for my son,&quot; Elvira Miranda, 69, told Reuters.

&quot;I have no powerful friends, I do not know what to do, but I want the people behind this senseless killing punished.&quot;

Most people in the Philippines support the anti-drug campaign and Duterte remains a popular leader but questions have begun to be asked about the slaughter, with more than 90 people killed in a new surge of shootings in recent days.

The country&#39;s two most influential Catholic bishops on Sunday spoke against the latest deaths, asking the faithful to pray for the victims.

&quot;We knock on the consciences of those who kill even the helpless, especially those who cover their faces ... to stop wasting human lives,&quot; said Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, archbishop of Manila.

Another senior cleric, Archbishop Socrates Villegas, called for churches to ring their bells every evening at 8 pm, to stir the consciences of the authorities.

&quot;You shall not kill. That is a sin. That is against the law,&quot; he said in a statement.

Public anger rose last week when police killed a 17 year-old high-school student.

Television channels aired CCTV footage that showed Kian Loyd Delos Santos being carried by two men to a place where his body was later found, raising doubt about an official report that said he was shot because he fired at police.

Some civil society groups and left-wing activists have called for protests increasing anger with the police was evident in social media posts.

Metro Manila police chief Oscar Albayalde said he has suspended the police chief in Caloocan City, where the boy was killed, pending an investigation. Three officers involved in the operation were earlier relieved of duties.

The justice department has also begun an investigation while senators will also summon police this week to explain the sudden rise in killings.

More than 12,500 people, many small-time drug users and dealers, have been killed since Duterte took office in June 2016. Police say about 3,500 of those killed were shot by officers in self-defence

Mourners at the funeral of a Philippine man who police shot dead protested his innocence on Sunday, the latest sign of rising anger over President Rodrigo Duterte's bloody campaign to stamp out drugs. More than 12,500 people, many small-time drug users and dealers, have been killed since Duterte took office in June 2016. Police say about 3,500 of those killed were shot by officers in self-defence. Human rights monitors believe many of the remaining two thirds were killed by assassins operating with police backing or by police disguised as vigilantes, a charge the police deny. On Sunday, dozens of mourners wearing white T-shirts with the slogan "Kill drugs, not people", bore the coffin of Leover Miranda to his grave in a Manila cemetery. Miranda was killed this month in what police said was a drug sting operation but relatives say he was innocent. "I want justice for my son," Elvira Miranda, 69, told Reuters. "I have no powerful friends, I do not know what to do, but I want the people behind this senseless killing punished." Most people in the Philippines support the anti-drug campaign and Duterte remains a popular leader but questions have begun to be asked about the slaughter, with more than 90 people killed in a new surge of shootings in recent days. The country's two most influential Catholic bishops on Sunday spoke against the latest deaths, asking the faithful to pray for the victims. "We knock on the consciences of those who kill even the helpless, especially those who cover their faces ... to stop wasting human lives," said Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, archbishop of Manila. Another senior cleric, Archbishop Socrates Villegas, called for churches to ring their bells every evening at 8 pm, to stir the consciences of the authorities. "You shall not kill. That is a sin. That is against the law," he said in a statement. Public anger rose last week when police killed a 17 year-old high-school student. Television channels aired CCTV footage that showed Kian Loyd Delos Santos being carried by two men to a place where his body was later found, raising doubt about an official report that said he was shot because he fired at police. Some civil society groups and left-wing activists have called for protests increasing anger with the police was evident in social media posts. Metro Manila police chief Oscar Albayalde said he has suspended the police chief in Caloocan City, where the boy was killed, pending an investigation. Three officers involved in the operation were earlier relieved of duties. The justice department has also begun an investigation while senators will also summon police this week to explain the sudden rise in killings.

Anger simmers in Philippines over Duterte's drug war

The Philippines police came under pressure on Friday to explain the killing of a high-school student after the 17-year-old became one of at least 80 people shot dead this week in an escalation of President Rodrigo Duterte&#39;s ruthless war on drugs.

Television channels aired CCTV footage that showed Kian Loyd Delos Santos being carried by two men to the place where his body was later found, raising doubt about an official report that said he was shot because he fired at police officers first.

Witnesses told the ABS-CBN channel that the teenager did not have a firearm and police officers at the scene handed him a gun, asked him to fire the weapon and run.

National police chief Ronald dela Rosa said that if the Grade 11 student did not pose a threat, the officers who shot him on Thursday night would be held accountable.

&quot;Just think about it, he is just a kid. If that happened to your sibling?&quot; he said on GMA TV. &quot;We will investigate it, I assure you.&quot;

Metro Manila police chief Oscar Albayalde said the three policemen involved had been relieved of their duties and an investigation would be launched into the incident, which took place in the Caloocan district in the northwest of the capital.

Police killed at least 13 people in Manila on the third night of a new push in Duterte&#39;s war on drugs and crime, taking the toll for one of the bloodiest weeks so far to 80, Reuters witnesses and media reported.

Earlier this week, 67 people were gunned down and more than 200 arrested in Manila and provinces adjoining the Philippines capital, in what police described as a &quot;One-Time, Big-Time&quot; push to curb drugs and street crimes.

The term has been used by police to describe a coordinated drive in crime-prone districts, usually slums or low-income neighbourhoods, often with additional officers.

The spike in killings drew condemnation from Vice President Leni Robredo, who belongs to a party opposed to Duterte.

Branding it &quot;something to be outraged about&quot;, she has been a constant critic of the crackdown that has killed thousands of Filipinos and caused international alarm since Duterte took office over a year ago.

Several senators raised concerns on Friday over the rise in the number of deaths, calling for an impartial investigation.

&quot;Killing the poor and powerless is not the solution to the drug problem when tons of methamphetamine are smuggled in,&quot; Senator Francis Pangilinan said in a statement.

An ally of the president, Senator Jose Victor Ejercito, said he was &quot;worried that these intensified killings are being used by some rogue police officers, knowing that the president will protect them&quot;.

Police say there has been no instruction from higher authorities to step up their anti-drug operations and they are only doing their job.

Duterte indicated this week that the escalation had his blessing, saying it was good that 32 criminals had been killed in a province north of Manila and adding: &quot;Let&#39;s kill another 32 every day. Maybe we can reduce what ails this country.&quot;

On Thursday, he said he would not just pardon police officers who killed drug offenders during the anti-narcotics campaign, but also promote them.

&quot;I don&#39;t think they are simply acting based on the president&rsquo;s endorsements,&quot; Duterte&#39;s spokesman, Ernesto Abella, told reporters. &quot;It just so happens they are taking active steps in addressing the drug situation in Philippines.&quot;

Critics maintain that members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) are executing suspects and say it is likely they have a hand in thousands of unsolved murders of drug users by mysterious vigilantes. The PNP and government reject that.

Although the violence has been criticised by much of the international community, Filipinos largely support the campaign and domestic opposition to it has been muted.

&quot;Again and again we hear people say it is safer ... they appreciate the fact that the Philippines is being made safe again,&quot; Abella said.

National police chief Ronald dela Rosa said that if the Grade 11 student did not pose a threat, the officers who shot him on Thursday night would be held accountable.

The Philippines police came under pressure on Friday to explain the killing of a high-school student after the 17-year-old became one of at least 80 people shot dead this week in an escalation of President Rodrigo Duterte's ruthless war on drugs. Television channels aired CCTV footage that showed Kian Loyd Delos Santos being carried by two men to the place where his body was later found, raising doubt about an official report that said he was shot because he fired at police officers first. Witnesses told the ABS-CBN channel that the teenager did not have a firearm and police officers at the scene handed him a gun, asked him to fire the weapon and run. National police chief Ronald dela Rosa said that if the Grade 11 student did not pose a threat, the officers who shot him on Thursday night would be held accountable. "Just think about it, he is just a kid. If that happened to your sibling?" he said on GMA TV. "We will investigate it, I assure you." Metro Manila police chief Oscar Albayalde said the three policemen involved had been relieved of their duties and an investigation would be launched into the incident, which took place in the Caloocan district in the northwest of the capital. Police killed at least 13 people in Manila on the third night of a new push in Duterte's war on drugs and crime, taking the toll for one of the bloodiest weeks so far to 80, Reuters witnesses and media reported. Earlier this week, 67 people were gunned down and more than 200 arrested in Manila and provinces adjoining the Philippines capital, in what police described as a "One-Time, Big-Time" push to curb drugs and street crimes. The term has been used by police to describe a coordinated drive in crime-prone districts, usually slums or low-income neighbourhoods, often with additional officers. The spike in killings drew condemnation from Vice President Leni Robredo, who belongs to a party opposed to Duterte. Branding it "something to be outraged about", she has been a constant critic of the crackdown that has killed thousands of Filipinos and caused international alarm since Duterte took office over a year ago. Several senators raised concerns on Friday over the rise in the number of deaths, calling for an impartial investigation. "Killing the poor and powerless is not the solution to the drug problem when tons of methamphetamine are smuggled in," Senator Francis Pangilinan said in a statement. An ally of the president, Senator Jose Victor Ejercito, said he was "worried that these intensified killings are being used by some rogue police officers, knowing that the president will protect them". Police say there has been no instruction from higher authorities to step up their anti-drug operations and they are only doing their job. Duterte indicated this week that the escalation had his blessing, saying it was good that 32 criminals had been killed in a province north of Manila and adding: "Let's kill another 32 every day. Maybe we can reduce what ails this country." On Thursday, he said he would not just pardon police officers who killed drug offenders during the anti-narcotics campaign, but also promote them. "I don't think they are simply acting based on the president’s endorsements," Duterte's spokesman, Ernesto Abella, told reporters. "It just so happens they are taking active steps in addressing the drug situation in Philippines." Critics maintain that members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) are executing suspects and say it is likely they have a hand in thousands of unsolved murders of drug users by mysterious vigilantes. The PNP and government reject that. Although the violence has been criticised by much of the international community, Filipinos largely support the campaign and domestic opposition to it has been muted. "Again and again we hear people say it is safer ... they appreciate the fact that the Philippines is being made safe again," Abella said.

Philippines drugs war escalates, teenager killed

At least 26 people died overnight in police operations in the Philippines capital Manila, authorities said on Thursday, the second night of heavy bloodshed this week in an intensification of President Rodrigo Duterte&#39;s fierce war on drugs and crime.

The killings across Manila followed 32 deaths in police raids on Monday night in Bulacan province, which borders the capital. Together, they mark the deadliest period of a drugs-focused crackdown that has killed thousands of Filipinos, and caused international alarm, since Duterte took office over a year ago.

Colonel Erwin Margarejo, spokesman for Manila police, described the raids that started late Wednesday in Manila as &quot;one-time, big-time&quot; operations, the same term used by police in Bulacan, who said the victims died because they chose to put up a fight.

The term has been used by Philippines police to describe a coordinated anti-crime drive in crime-prone districts, usually slums or low-income neighbourhoods, often with additional police deployed.

It was however not immediately clear what was behind the step-up in the number of coordinated police operations this week.

According to police reports, a total of 179 people were arrested in Manila and Bulacan. The reports said police launched 84 operations in the two regions, the majority of which were &quot;buy-bust&quot; stings, in which plain-clothes officers attempt to trap drug peddlers.

&quot;This is &#39;one-time, big-time&#39; operations, so it is not focused only on drugs, we are operating also against other street crimes, like robbery, but these people could also be under the influence of drugs,&quot; Margarejo said.

&quot;If they resisted violently, our police have to defend themselves.&quot;

Duterte unleashed his crackdown the day he took office on June 30 last year after a convincing win in an election in which he campaigned heavily on a promise to use deadly force to wipe out crime and drugs.

On Wednesday, he indicated the latest operations had his blessing.

Duterte said it was good that 32 criminals had been killed in Bulacan, then added: &quot;Let&#39;s kill another 32 every day. Maybe we can reduce what ails this country.&quot;

Manila police chief Oscar Albayalde said there had been no instruction to change or increase the scale and scope of the anti-drugs campaign.

&quot;This is just part of our &#39;one-time, big-time&#39; operations against illegal drugs,&quot; he told Reuters.

&#39;Grave Danger&#39;

Duterte also chided human rights groups on Wednesday for getting in the way of his anti-drugs campaign and said police should shoot them if they obstructed justice, a remark the New York-based Human Rights Watch said puts activists &quot;in grave danger&quot;.

Its deputy Asia director, Phelim Kine, described the comments as &quot;like painting a target on the backs of courageous people working to protect the rights and upholding the dignity of all Filipinos.&quot;

The exact number of people killed during the war on drugs is difficult to quantify, with no independent statistics available and police providing comprehensive data only for deaths during anti-drugs operations, where official accounts typically say suspects resisted arrest.

From the start of the drugs war to the end of July, police said over 3,400 people were killed in their operations. Police said about 2,100 deaths among some 13,500 murders over the same period were drugs-related, attributed to turf wars, informants being silenced, or vigilantes killing drug users.

A total of 65 policemen have been killed on the job during this time.

Critics maintain that members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) are executing suspects and say it is likely they have a hand in thousands of unsolved murders of drug users by mysterious vigilantes. The PNP and government reject that.

Although the violence has been criticised by much of the international community, Filipinos largely support the campaign and domestic opposition to it has been muted.

Several Senate hearings into allegations that Duterte operated a death squad when he was a city mayor and was now using the same approach on a national scale have been inconclusive, while an impeachment complaint filed earlier this year was dismissed by Congress.

National police chief Ronald dela Rosa told reporters there would be no let-up in the war on drugs.

&quot;This is unrelenting, we will continue to operate until the end,&quot; he said.

Duterte unleashed his crackdown the day he took office on June 30 last year after a convincing win in an election in which he campaigned heavily on a promise to use deadly force to wipe out crime and drugs

At least 26 people died overnight in police operations in the Philippines capital Manila, authorities said on Thursday, the second night of heavy bloodshed this week in an intensification of President Rodrigo Duterte's fierce war on drugs and crime. The killings across Manila followed 32 deaths in police raids on Monday night in Bulacan province, which borders the capital. Together, they mark the deadliest period of a drugs-focused crackdown that has killed thousands of Filipinos, and caused international alarm, since Duterte took office over a year ago. Colonel Erwin Margarejo, spokesman for Manila police, described the raids that started late Wednesday in Manila as "one-time, big-time" operations, the same term used by police in Bulacan, who said the victims died because they chose to put up a fight. The term has been used by Philippines police to describe a coordinated anti-crime drive in crime-prone districts, usually slums or low-income neighbourhoods, often with additional police deployed. It was however not immediately clear what was behind the step-up in the number of coordinated police operations this week. According to police reports, a total of 179 people were arrested in Manila and Bulacan. The reports said police launched 84 operations in the two regions, the majority of which were "buy-bust" stings, in which plain-clothes officers attempt to trap drug peddlers. "This is 'one-time, big-time' operations, so it is not focused only on drugs, we are operating also against other street crimes, like robbery, but these people could also be under the influence of drugs," Margarejo said. "If they resisted violently, our police have to defend themselves." Duterte unleashed his crackdown the day he took office on June 30 last year after a convincing win in an election in which he campaigned heavily on a promise to use deadly force to wipe out crime and drugs. On Wednesday, he indicated the latest operations had his blessing. Duterte said it was good that 32 criminals had been killed in Bulacan, then added: "Let's kill another 32 every day. Maybe we can reduce what ails this country." Manila police chief Oscar Albayalde said there had been no instruction to change or increase the scale and scope of the anti-drugs campaign. "This is just part of our 'one-time, big-time' operations against illegal drugs," he told Reuters. 'Grave Danger' Duterte also chided human rights groups on Wednesday for getting in the way of his anti-drugs campaign and said police should shoot them if they obstructed justice, a remark the New York-based Human Rights Watch said puts activists "in grave danger". Its deputy Asia director, Phelim Kine, described the comments as "like painting a target on the backs of courageous people working to protect the rights and upholding the dignity of all Filipinos." The exact number of people killed during the war on drugs is difficult to quantify, with no independent statistics available and police providing comprehensive data only for deaths during anti-drugs operations, where official accounts typically say suspects resisted arrest. From the start of the drugs war to the end of July, police said over 3,400 people were killed in their operations. Police said about 2,100 deaths among some 13,500 murders over the same period were drugs-related, attributed to turf wars, informants being silenced, or vigilantes killing drug users. A total of 65 policemen have been killed on the job during this time. Critics maintain that members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) are executing suspects and say it is likely they have a hand in thousands of unsolved murders of drug users by mysterious vigilantes. The PNP and government reject that. Although the violence has been criticised by much of the international community, Filipinos largely support the campaign and domestic opposition to it has been muted. Several Senate hearings into allegations that Duterte operated a death squad when he was a city mayor and was now using the same approach on a national scale have been inconclusive, while an impeachment complaint filed earlier this year was dismissed by Congress. National police chief Ronald dela Rosa told reporters there would be no let-up in the war on drugs. "This is unrelenting, we will continue to operate until the end," he said.

Philippines death toll rises to 58, war on drugs and crime intensifies

A strong 6.2-magnitude earthquake rocked the region south of the Philippine capital on Friday, causing buildings in Manila and nearby areas to sway, seismologists and witnesses said.

The quake struck just off the coast of Lian town at 1:28 pm (0528 GMT), at a relatively deep 173 kilometres, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reported.

The US Geological Survey measured it at 6.2 magnitude.

&quot;Due to its depth we do not expect any damage,&quot; the institute&#39;s director Renato Solidum said on government television.

A rescue official at the town closest to the epicentre also reported no damage or casualties.

But buildings in Manila and other nearby areas swayed, with employees of Malacanang presidential palace and other government buildings in central Manila and the nearby town of Bacoor evacuated, witnesses said.

&quot;City hall employees as well as those transacting business there were ordered to leave the building as a precaution,&quot; government lawyer Bugsy del Rosario from Bacoor reported.

&quot;It wasn&#39;t really that strong. We did not see anyone running out of buildings here,&quot; said fire officer John Christopher Carandang from Lian, a town of 46,000 people about 70 kilometres&nbsp;south of Manila.

The Philippines lies on the so-called Ring of Fire, a vast Pacific Ocean region where many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.

Last month a 6.5-magnitude quake killed two people and heavily damaged power generation plants on the central island of Leyte, leaving large areas of the central Philippines without power for weeks.

Eight people also died and more than 250 were injured following a 6.5-magnitude quake outside the southern city of Surigao in February.

The latest major quake to hit the Philippines was in 2013 when a 7.1-magnitude quake left more than 220 people dead and destroyed historic churches in the central islands.

A rescue official at the town closest to the epicentre reported no damage or casualties.

A strong 6.2-magnitude earthquake rocked the region south of the Philippine capital on Friday, causing buildings in Manila and nearby areas to sway, seismologists and witnesses said. The quake struck just off the coast of Lian town at 1:28 pm (0528 GMT), at a relatively deep 173 kilometres, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reported. The US Geological Survey measured it at 6.2 magnitude. "Due to its depth we do not expect any damage," the institute's director Renato Solidum said on government television. A rescue official at the town closest to the epicentre also reported no damage or casualties. But buildings in Manila and other nearby areas swayed, with employees of Malacanang presidential palace and other government buildings in central Manila and the nearby town of Bacoor evacuated, witnesses said. "City hall employees as well as those transacting business there were ordered to leave the building as a precaution," government lawyer Bugsy del Rosario from Bacoor reported. "It wasn't really that strong. We did not see anyone running out of buildings here," said fire officer John Christopher Carandang from Lian, a town of 46,000 people about 70 kilometres south of Manila. The Philippines lies on the so-called Ring of Fire, a vast Pacific Ocean region where many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur. Last month a 6.5-magnitude quake killed two people and heavily damaged power generation plants on the central island of Leyte, leaving large areas of the central Philippines without power for weeks. Eight people also died and more than 250 were injured following a 6.5-magnitude quake outside the southern city of Surigao in February. The latest major quake to hit the Philippines was in 2013 when a 7.1-magnitude quake left more than 220 people dead and destroyed historic churches in the central islands.

Strong 6.2 quake rocks Philippines

Reports of summary executions, including of children, are multiplying in the Philippines, three United Nations experts said on Monday, urging the government to investigate and curb &quot;spiralling rights violations&quot;.&nbsp;

The condemnation is the latest by human rights advocates against Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, whose 13-month-old administration has triggered widespread alarm, notably over his deadly drug war.&nbsp;

&quot;The Government of the Philippines must urgently address growing reports of human rights violations, including murder, threats against indigenous peoples and the summary execution of children,&quot; the panel of three experts said in a statement.&nbsp;

One of the experts cited is the UN&#39;s special rapporteur on extra-judicial killings, Agnes Callamard, who has previously faced harsh criticism from Duterte loyalists over an unofficial visit she made to the Philippines in May that the government claims was not authorised. &nbsp;&nbsp;

&quot;We are shocked by the increasing levels of violence&quot;, the group added, specifically highlighting threats against human rights defenders, trade union leaders along with those fighting to protect land rights against business interests. &nbsp;

&quot;All these cases must be investigated thoroughly and perpetrators should be brought to justice&quot;, added the statement, co-signed by Michel Forst, the UN expert on human rights defenders and Ms Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, the special rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children.&nbsp;

While the statement did not specifically cite Duterte&#39;s drug war, that campaign has been a key element of what the experts called &quot;a climate of prevailing violence&quot; in the Philippines.

The president last week vowed no let up in his battle against illegal drugs, during which police have reported killing nearly 3,200 people.&nbsp;

More than 2,000 other people have been killed in drug-related crimes, according to police data.

Rights groups say many of those victims have been killed by vigilante death squads linked to the government, and that Duterte may be overseeing a crime against humanity.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, whose 13-month-old administration has triggered widespread alarm, notably over his deadly drug war

Reports of summary executions, including of children, are multiplying in the Philippines, three United Nations experts said on Monday, urging the government to investigate and curb "spiralling rights violations". The condemnation is the latest by human rights advocates against Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, whose 13-month-old administration has triggered widespread alarm, notably over his deadly drug war. "The Government of the Philippines must urgently address growing reports of human rights violations, including murder, threats against indigenous peoples and the summary execution of children," the panel of three experts said in a statement. One of the experts cited is the UN's special rapporteur on extra-judicial killings, Agnes Callamard, who has previously faced harsh criticism from Duterte loyalists over an unofficial visit she made to the Philippines in May that the government claims was not authorised. "We are shocked by the increasing levels of violence", the group added, specifically highlighting threats against human rights defenders, trade union leaders along with those fighting to protect land rights against business interests. "All these cases must be investigated thoroughly and perpetrators should be brought to justice", added the statement, co-signed by Michel Forst, the UN expert on human rights defenders and Ms Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, the special rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children. While the statement did not specifically cite Duterte's drug war, that campaign has been a key element of what the experts called "a climate of prevailing violence" in the Philippines. The president last week vowed no let up in his battle against illegal drugs, during which police have reported killing nearly 3,200 people. More than 2,000 other people have been killed in drug-related crimes, according to police data. Rights groups say many of those victims have been killed by vigilante death squads linked to the government, and that Duterte may be overseeing a crime against humanity.

Executions increasing in Philippines: UN experts

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