At least 26 people were killed while 23 remain missing in an island province in central Philippines after tropical storm Kai-Tak brought heavy rains that triggered landslides on Sunday.The deaths were reported in the small island province of Biliran, a day after the storm pulverised the east of the archipelago nation.Kai-Tak split 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 sai

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte won martial law powers across the southern third of the country for one more year on Wednesday to combat Islamic militants and leftist rebels, as Congress brushed aside fears of a looming dictatorship.Duterte's request to extend martial law in the Mindanao region until December 31 next year and detain rebellion suspects there without charge was approved by 240 votes to 27 at a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives.Asked by reporters

A small economy that’s constantly battling risks beyond its control like typhoons and oil prices has been one of the most successful in managing inflation in Asia.The Philippine central bank, which has an annual inflation target that’s currently set at two percent to four percent, met its goal six times in the past eight years and the two times it failed were because prices were too low.

French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi on Monday urged the Philippines to lift the suspension of its anti-dengue vaccine, insisting it was safe, but the government accused the firm of "dishonesty".Sales of Dengvaxia and a landmark public immunisation programme using the vaccine were suspended by the Philippines this month after Sanofi warned it could lead to "severe" symptoms for people who had not previously been infected with dengue.But the company's regional head said

Fitch Ratings raised the Philippines sovereign rating in a boost for President Rodrigo Duterte’s economic plans, which include a tax reform that’s set to strengthen the fiscal outlook.The rating on the nation’s long-term foreign currency-denominated debt was raised one level to BBB with a stable outlook, Fitch said in a statement on Monday.

The Philippines intends to sue Sanofi after authorities suspended the pharmaceutical giant's anti-dengue vaccine in response to the company warning the drug could lead to severe infections in some cases, the health secretary said Thursday.Regulators froze the Philippines' world-first public dengue immunisation programme last week and suspended all sales of the vaccine on Monday after Sanofi said Dengvaxia could worsen symptoms for vaccinated people who contracted the disease for the

With at least $323 billion in infrastructure spending in the pipeline in Southeast Asia and potentially more expected over the next few years, 2018 could well shape up as the year of builders’ stocks from Indonesia to the Philippines that have been the laggards in a broader market rally this year.Governments are boosting spending on everything from airports to high-speed rails and ports to increase connectivity and boost economic growth in what promises to be a boon for the region’s construct

Despite the enormous progress, both politically and economically, freedom of press continues to be a point of contention in Southeast Asia.

Environmental activists are being killed in record numbers around the world, with the corruption-plagued Philippines one of the most dangerous countries, according to watchdog Global Witness.At least 200 community activists, NGO workers and other civilians on the frontlines of protecting the environment were reported murdered worldwide last year, the highest on record, the group said.In the Philippines, an environmental activist was recorded to have been killed at a rate of every 12 days in 2

Southeast Asia has its problems with drug-related crime mostly with trafficking and substance abuse, and each country in the region has been tackling this issue differently. There was a visualisation of a Drug-Free ASEAN in 2015.