President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines has asked Congress to extend martial law in the south of the country until the end of the year.

Alvaro Morata pounced with a late equaliser to earn Spain a 2-2 draw in their international friendly against Colombia at Estadio de La Condomina in Murcia.

The president of the Philippines has hit out at ally Barack Obama in his latest tirade against the US over its criticism of his deadly anti-drug campaign.

A welcome and positive development in the best interest of children: that’s the Children’s Rights Alliance response to Ireland’s agreement on inter-country adoption with the Philippines.

China has said it is closing off part of the South China Sea for military exercises this week.

Philippines’ president-elect Rodrigo Duterte has said he aims to bring back death by hanging.

A US Navy warship sailed past one of China’s artificial islands in the South China Sea yesterday, in a challenge to Chinese sovereignty claims that drew an angry protest from Beijing, which said the move damaged US-China relations and regional peace

Indonesia brushed aside last-minute appeals and executed eight people convicted of drug smuggling, although a Philippine woman was granted a stay of execution.

China’s shift away from muscle-flexing and a confluence of interests with a US-led order offer hope it will not continue to engender large-scale regional instability next year, says Yoon Young-kwan

China has again rejected an attempt by the Philippines to challenge its territorial claims over the South China Sea through international arbitration, a week before a deadline for Beijing to respond to the case.

AS 2013 closes, here is my countdown of what were the stories that left the most impression on me during the year.

The United Nations is investigating reports that aid has yet to reach remote parts of the Philippines, a month after a devastating typhoon.

Ireland is doubling its financial aid to the disaster-struck Philippines.

The UK will deploy a Royal Navy warship and donate a total of £10m (€11.9m) to help the millions of people affected by the devastating typhoon in the Philippines, David Cameron has said.

The United Nations is to launch an urgent aid appeal to help the Philippines recover from the ravages of Typhoon Haiyan.

As many as 10,000 people are believed to have died in one Philippine city alone when one of the worst storms on record sent giant sea waves, washing away homes, schools and airport buildings.

China’s government says it is ready to discuss strengthening cyber security at a top-level forum with US officials next week and wants Washington to help settle territorial disputes in east Asia.

The Philippines remains committed to deploying troops in UN peacekeeping hotspots despite the brief hostage-taking of 21 of its soldiers, military officials have said.

South-east Asian diplomats have failed to reach common ground on how to resolve a territorial dispute involving China, as a regional conference ended without a joint statement for the first time in the bloc’s history.

The UN's top human rights body has voted overwhelmingly to condemn Syria over the slaughter of more than 100 civilians last week.

The Philippines foreign secretary says he and the Chinese ambassador have agreed to resolve diplomatically a stand-off involving a Philippine warship and two Chinese surveillance vessels in a disputed area of the South China Sea.

A moderately strong earthquake cracked buildings and knocked televisions and glassware from tables today in a central Philippine province, injuring at least five people and sending others rushing outside in panic, officials said.

GRAEME McDOWELL left Singapore last night bound for the Land of the Rising Sun buoyed by a third and final round 66 for share of 13th place in the rain-affected Barlcays Singapore Open.

The Philippines and China will put their disagreements over overlapping claims to South China Sea islands on the back burner as President Benigno Aquino begins a week-long visit aiming to sharply increase trade with Beijing.

STATE oil group Petrovietnam and its partners may buy $1.5 billion in Vietnamese oil assets in the contentious South China Sea from ConocoPhillips, according to Petrovietnam’s chief executive.

CHINA and Vietnam pledged to resolve a row over the strategic South China Sea, state media said yesterday, to ease tensions that prompted accusations of Chinese bullying in the region.

CHINA sought to reassure Vietnam and the Philippines of its peaceful intentions after they condemned the nation’s actions in the South China Sea where oil and gas deposits are at stake.

Officials in the Philippines have ordered the evacuation of coastal communities along the country’s eastern coast in expectation of a tsunami following an 8.9-magnitude earthquake in Japan.

China is awarding its own peace prize to counter the Nobel that recognised imprisoned democracy campaigner Liu Xiaobo.

China demanded answers from the Philippines today after a 12-hour hostage drama in the heart of the capital Manila ended with eight Hong Kong tourists dead along with their Filipino hostage-taker after a day of botched negotiations.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo approved the lifting today of a week-long period of martial law in a southern Philippine province where 57 people were massacred last month in the country’s worst political violence.

The Philippines called for urgent international aid today as rescuers pulled more bodies from swollen rivers and debris-strewn streets to bring the flooding death toll to 240.

The Philippines appealed for international help today as the death toll from widespread flooding reached 150 with fears for many more victims.

THOUSANDS of mourners paid their last respects to former Philippine president Corazon Aquino yesterday, lining up to file past her coffin in silent tribute to the “People Power” democracy leader.

Military honour guards carried former President Corazon Aquino’s flag-draped casket to a school gym today for public viewing, as Filipinos mourned the democracy icon who swept away a dictator and fought off seven coup attempts.

THE World Health Organisation last night reported a huge leap in the swine flu pandemic toll to more than 52,000 people infected and 231 dead.

The Philippines will not grant political asylum to former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra after his British visa was revoked, preventing him from returning to London where he has been living in exile, an official said today.

A MARKET for Irish beef that was worth in the region of €15.25 million when it was closed eight years ago is to be reopened.

The Philippines has removed a ban on the importation of Irish beef.

The Philippines health secretary has signed a new order aimed at eradicating a thriving black market in kidney sales and shielding from abuse impoverished Filipinos who sell their organs for transplant.

Dutchmen Maarten Lafeber and Robert-Jan Derksen looked to have made their long journey to Malaysia worthwhile after a sparkling better-ball 61 in the third round of the World Cup qualifying tournament.