Phillipines

Mystery surrounds Senate shooting as Phillipine president calls emergency meeting after chaos

Gunshots were heard late on Wednesday inside the Senate building, and people inside scrambled for cover, after dela Rosa appealed on social media for supporters to mobilize.

|ByREUTERS
Philippine Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Jonvic Remulla gestures as he arrives at the Senate, which holds Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, the chief enforcer of former President Rodrigo Duterte's drug war, in protective custody amid an International Criminal
Protesters hold placards in front of the International Criminal Court (ICC) ahead of the ruling on the appeal by the former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte in The Hague on April 22, 2026.

Philippine ex-president Duterte must stand trial for murder, ICC rules

Duterte was arrested last March, with prosecutors alleging he created, funded, and armed death squads to target and kill suspected ​narcotics peddlers and ​users.

|ByREUTERS
The Philippines and the United States hold the opening ceremony of their Balikatan joint military exercises at Camp Aguinaldo in Manila on April 20, 2026.

Philippines, US launch drills near Taiwan, test readiness under real-world conditions

Launching the exercises, Philippine armed forces chief Romeo Brawner said their purpose was to reaffirm the strength of their alliance and their responsibility to secure the region.

|ByREUTERS
An El Al Boeing 787 Dreamliner; illustrative.

El Al to launch new Europe, Asia routes in first expansion since October 7

"The new routes will provide an optimal solution for business travelers," according to the company, "and will strengthen economic ties between Israel and Asia.”

|ByESTHER DAVIS

Open doors and open hearts

Philippines Ambassador Petronilla Garcia talks about bearing responsibility for tens of thousands of mainly female Filipino contract workers – and about the challenge of ‘doing diplomacy’ in Israel.

JUNE 5, 2010ByCARL HOFFMAN
Phillipines Ambassador Petronilla Garcia 311