author

 
Menu
Search
 
July 12, 2026
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

Meta

Karen Lema
Ships identified by the Philippine Coast Guard as Chinese research vessels are seen at Scarborough Shoal in the disputed South China Sea on June 15.
ASIA PACIFIC / FOCUS
Jul 11, 2026
A decade after historic ruling, Philippine fishermen say little changed at key shoal
Today, local fishermen have become too afraid to venture out to Scarborough Shoal and its prized fishing waters for fear of harassment by Chinese vessels.
A man runs past national flags of ASEAN member states outside a media center in Cebu on Tuesday, ahead of the 48th ASEAN Summit to be held this week.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 7, 2026
Energy crisis front and center as ASEAN leaders prepare for summit
The energy crisis will force Manila leadership to craft a ​regional response while preventing regional conflicts in Myanmar, Thailand and Cambodia from slipping down the agenda.
Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela gestures beside Philippine Senator Risa Hontiveros during a visit to Philippine-occupied Thitu Island in the disputed South China Sea on Saturday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Feb 23, 2026
‘Welcome to CHINA’ greets Philippine officials on trip to disputed South China Sea
As the Philippine Coast Guard plane descended toward the country's most strategically important outpost in the disputed South China Sea, passengers' phones lit up with a roaming alert: “Welcome to CHINA.”
Philippine and Australian troops fire an M777 howitzer during live fire exercises as part of joint military drills in Laur, Nueva Ecija, the Philippines, in August.
ASIA PACIFIC / FOCUS
Nov 2, 2025
A narrow Pacific waterway at heart of U.S. plans to choke China’s vast navy
Batanes province in the Philippines is on the front line of the great power competition between the United States and China.
Association for Philippines-China Understanding (APCU) Chairman Raul Lambino shakes hands with guests during a ceremony for the Award for Promoting Philippines-China Understanding at The Manila Hotel in Manila in June.
ASIA PACIFIC / FOCUS
Oct 6, 2025
How China waged an infowar against U.S. interests in the Philippines
China paid for a cyber campaign to weaken support for Philippine government policy and to sow discord over Manila’s security alliance with the United States.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. waves during a campaign rally ahead of midterm elections, in Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, on May 9.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 22, 2025
Philippines’ Marcos asks Cabinet secretaries to resign in government reset
The sweeping directive comes just over a week after a disappointing midterm election for the administration, widely seen as a referendum on Marcos’ leadership.
A man bikes past a wall of campaign posters on the first day of the campaign period for the May 12 midterm elections, in Manila on Feb. 11.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 11, 2025
China takes center stage in Philippines’ feisty midterm election
The outcome could shape the country’s strategic positioning over the remaining half of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s six-year term.
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is seen on a screen in the courtroom of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, on March 14.
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Mar 31, 2025
After Duterte’s arrest, Philippine drug war victims face abuse and online falsehoods
A surge of false claims has swept social media since the arrest of Rodrigo Duterte, with supporters claiming the ICC had no jurisdiction and calling it a “kidnapping.”
Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte speaks during a news conference at her office in Manila in December.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Feb 6, 2025
Philippine lower house impeaches Vice President Sara Duterte
The impeachment stemmed from a number of allegations, with Duterte having repeatedly denied wrongdoing.
A satellite image appears to show an overview of Thitu Island in the South China Sea on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 29, 2024
Chinese ships near island disputed with Philippines, satellites show
Thitu is a strategically important island from which Manila monitors Chinese vessels and aircraft in the busy waterway.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the House of Representatives in Quezon City, Metro Manila, on July 22. Marcos is bolstering his base by endorsing big local names for the Senate, including three former movie actors, the daughter of the country's richest man and two of his presidential election rivals.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 1, 2024
Marcos-Duterte battle looms as Philippines prepares for midterm election
The May 2025 election will give President Marcos a chance to consolidate power, which the influential Duterte family is determined to stop after a falling-out.
Visitors stand near a transport helicopter during a public viewing by the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy to mark its upcoming 75th founding anniversary, at the port in Qingdao, China, on April 20.
ASIA PACIFIC
Sep 25, 2024
Chinese navy helicopter reportedly shadowed Philippines aircraft
It is the latest in the series of air and sea encounters between China and the Philippines, which have sparred over contested areas of the South China Sea.
The Typhon missile system at Laoag International Airport, in Laoag, Philippines, on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Sep 19, 2024
U.S. keeps missile system in Philippines as China tensions rise
China and Russia condemned the move — the first deployment of the system to the Indo-Pacific — and accused Washington of fueling an arms race.
Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano efforts were underway to de-escalate tensions in the South China Sea where Manila and Beijing have accused each other of aggressive behavior.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 12, 2024
Manila rejects ‘use of force’ to undermine its South China Sea interests
Amid efforts to de-escalate tensions between the Philippines and China, Manila’s national security adviser outlines its commitment to dialogue and diplomacy.
Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his sister Imee, children of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, answer questions during a press briefing at the Supreme Court in Padre Faura, Metro Manila, Philippines, on April 2, 2018.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 4, 2024
Philippine senator makes TikTok claim about China missile plans
Sen. Imee Marcos, the sister of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., made her claim in a video that has had over 900,000 views on TikTok.
Rodrigo Duterte is being investigated by the International Criminal Court over his signature "war on drugs" campaign, where thousands were gunned down in what authorities called vigilante killings during his 2016-22 presidency.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 1, 2024
Duterte’s senate election bid poses threat to former ally Marcos
The political challenges by the Duterte family could upset the Philippine president’s hopes of consolidating power so he can groom a potential successor for 2028.
Philippines Vice President Sara Duterte in Manila on Jan. 28, 2024. Duterte resigned from the Cabinet of President Ferdinand Marcos on Wednesday, the presidential palace said.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 20, 2024
Philippine vice president exits Marcos Cabinet as alliance collapses
Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte resigning from two key posts might give her more power to go against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Philippine Coast Guard personnel prepare rubber fenders after China Coast Guard vessels blocked their way to a resupply mission at the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea on March 5.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Jun 19, 2024
In South China Sea dispute, Philippines’ bolder hand tests Beijing
Publicizing China’s actions, combined with Manila’s deepened military alliance with the U.S., has constrained Beijing’s ability to escalate matters at sea.
A floating barrier at the entrance of Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Feb. 22
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Feb 27, 2024
Satellite images reveal floating barrier at mouth of disputed atoll in South China Sea
China claims the Scarborough Shoal, although it is inside the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was quick to play down the tensions, saying that the coalition was still intact.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Feb 2, 2024
‘Open warfare’: Philippines’ Marcos-Duterte alliance crumbles
The alliance between the two was always expected to collapse, but analysts are surprised by how soon the gloves have come off.
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Sompo looks beyond insurance to focus on well-being
Sompo looks beyond insurance to focus on well-being

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER