Philippines, India hold first joint sail in South China Sea
Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr. speaks to the media during a press briefing at Western Command in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines, August 10, 2023. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez/File Photo
MANILA - The Philippine and Indian navies have sailed together for the first time in the South China Sea, officials said on Monday, as President Ferdinand Marcos left Manila for New Delhi for a state visit.
The Philippines has conducted "maritime cooperative activities" with foreign navies since late 2023 as part of its push to counter China's expansive claims in the waterway, including joint sails with treaty ally the United States, as well as Japan, Australia, France and Canada.
Philippine military chief Romeo Brawner said the idea for the two-day joint sail, which started on Sunday and was inside the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, came about when he met his counterpart in India in March.
"We did not experience any untoward incidents, but there are still those shadowing us - as we had already expected," Brawner told reporters, without naming China.
China's foreign ministry said in a statement that territorial and maritime disputes should be resolved between the countries directly involved and no third party should intervene.
Indian navy ships that took part in the first joint sail of the two countries included guided missile destroyer INS Delhi, tanker INS Shakti and corvette INS Kiltan. The Philippines deployed two frigates, BRP Miguel Malvar and BRP Jose Rizal.
The exercise coincided with Marcos' departure for a five-day trip to India, where he said he will look to deepen maritime ties and seek cooperation on sectors including defence, pharmaceuticals and agriculture.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore Ong Beng Seng to be sentenced on Aug 15, prosecution does not object to fine due to his poor health
Singapore Recap: Ong Beng Seng pleads guilty to abetting obstruction of justice in case linked to Iswaran
Singapore Electric car-sharing firm BlueSG to wind down current operations on Aug 8
Singapore Smooth traffic after Tanjong Katong South Road fully reopens following sinkhole incident
Singapore Car passenger dies after accident involving bus in Yishun
Singapore Man admits punching elderly cabby's eye in road rage incident, causing long-term injuries
Life Char kway teow in India? Meet the Singaporeans bringing local food to Mumbai
Singapore ICA to roll out new group feature in electronic change of address service from Aug 15
China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, overlapping with maritime zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. The waterway is a strategic shipping route where $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce takes place.
A 2016 ruling of an international arbitral tribunal found Beijing's sweeping claims have no basis under international law, a decision China rejects. REUTERS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
9 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Australia lifts foreign student cap to 295,000 and prioritises South-east Asia
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Australia has one of the highest shares of international students globally. SYDNEY - Australia will raise its cap on foreign students by 9 per cent to 295,000 in 2025 and prioritise applicants from South-east Asia, the government said on Aug 4. Limits on places were announced in 2024 as a way to rein in record migration that had contributed to a surge in housing prices, with 270,000 places made available for 2025. An additional 25,000 places were being granted in 2026 as the policy was successfully bringing down 'out of control' international student numbers, the government said. 'This is about making sure international education grows in a way that supports students, universities and the national interest,' Education Minister Jason Clare said in a statement. Australia granted nearly 600,000 student visas in the 2023 financial year, as international students returned to the country in record numbers following Covid-19. Australia's largest cohorts of students come from China and India. As well as introducing the cap on numbers, the government also more than doubled the visa fee for foreign students in 2024 and pledged to close loopholes in rules that allowed them to continuously extend their stay. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Ong Beng Seng to be sentenced on Aug 15, prosecution does not object to fine due to his poor health Singapore Recap: Ong Beng Seng pleads guilty to abetting obstruction of justice in case linked to Iswaran Singapore All recruits at BMTC will be trained to fly drones and counter them: Chan Chun Sing Singapore Pritam Singh had hoped WP would 'tip one or two more constituencies' at GE Singapore Eu Yan Sang warns of counterfeits of its health supplements being sold online Singapore Electric car-sharing firm BlueSG to wind down current operations on Aug 8 Singapore Woman, 26, hit by car after dashing across street near Orchard Road Singapore Car passenger dies after accident involving bus in Yishun The government's measures to curb migration were 'bearing fruit' and allowed for a modest increase in the cap in 2026, International Education Assistant Minister Julian Hill said. 'The numbers were growing out of control,' Mr Hill told national broadcaster ABC. 'The government has taken tough decisions over the last 12 months, not always loved by the sector, to get the numbers down and get them to a more sustainable footing.' Roughly two-thirds of places will be allocated to universities and one-third to the vocational skills training sector. Larger, public universities would need to demonstrate domestic and international students had "access to safe and secure housing" and recruit more students from South-east Asia to increase their individual allocations, the government said. It was important "for Australia's future soft power that we continue to bring the best and brightest from our (South-east Asian) neighbours to have a bit of Australia with them for the rest of their life", Mr Hill said. Relations with South-east Asia have been a focus of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's Labor government as it looks to reduce Australia's economic dependence on China. Universities Australia welcomed the 'sensible' increase in places. 'Universities have called for growth in this critically important sector, and the government has honoured this,' CEO Luke Sheehy said. Australia has one of the highest shares of international students globally. The sector contributed more than A$51 billion (S$42.58 billion) to the economy in 2024, the country's top services export. REUTERS
Straits Times
9 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Suspended Thai PM Paetongtarn hopes for fair court ruling in ethics case
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Ms Paetongtarn submitted her defence statement on Aug 4, meeting the deadline set by the Constitutional Court. BANGKOK – Suspended Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is seeking a fair hearing from a court probing allegations of ethical misconduct related to her handling of a border dispute with Cambodia, an official said. As the nation's leader, Ms Paetongtarn's phone conversation with Cambodia's former leader Hun Sen was made in good faith with a sincere intention to promote peace between the two countries, Mr Prommin Lertsuridej, secretary-general to the prime minister, told reporters. Ms Paetongtarn submitted her defence statement on Aug 4, meeting the deadline set by the Constitutional Court, he said. 'At this moment, we believe our intentions were right and will be fairly considered,' Mr Prommin said. In the controversial June phone call with Mr Hun Sen , which was subsequently leaked, Paetongtarn blamed the border stand-off between the two neighbours on the Thai army. The remarks, which she apologised for later, sparked protests in Thailand and calls for her to resign. The court suspended Ms Paetongtarn from her prime ministerial duties on July 1 after receiving a complaint from a group of senators accusing her of violating ethical standards. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Ong Beng Seng to be sentenced on Aug 15, prosecution does not object to fine due to his poor health Singapore Recap: Ong Beng Seng pleads guilty to abetting obstruction of justice in case linked to Iswaran Singapore All recruits at BMTC will be trained to fly drones and counter them: Chan Chun Sing Singapore Pritam Singh had hoped WP would 'tip one or two more constituencies' at GE Singapore Eu Yan Sang warns of counterfeits of its health supplements being sold online Singapore Electric car-sharing firm BlueSG to wind down current operations on Aug 8 Singapore Woman, 26, hit by car after dashing across street near Orchard Road Singapore Car passenger dies after accident involving bus in Yishun She could be disqualified and removed from office permanently if the court finds her guilty. A further escalation in the border dispute after Ms Paetongtarn's suspension erupted into the biggest armed conflict between the two countries in decades. The fighting, which killed more than 40 people and displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians on both the sides, stopped following a ceasefire agreement , mediated by Malaysia as the chair of the Association of South-east Asian Nations (Asean) and a push by US President Donald Trump. Ms Paetongtarn, the youngest daughter of billionaire and former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, came to power in August 2024 after her predecessor, Mr Srettha Thavisin, was ousted in a similar ethics-related case over an appointment of a Cabinet minister. She has remained in the Cabinet as the Culture Minister, while one of her deputies Phumtham Wechayachai stepped in as the acting prime minister. Ms Paetongtarn's ruling coalition now has a slim parliamentary majority after the second-largest party in the bloc defected to the opposition following the furore over her phone controversy. BLOOMBERG
Straits Times
9 minutes ago
- Straits Times
SIA flight bound for Seoul returns to Singapore due to technical issues
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The 338 passengers on board were provided with food vouchers while they waited for a replacement aircraft. SINGAPORE - A Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight from Singapore to Seoul returned to Changi Airport after the aircraft experienced a technical issue while in the air. Flight SQ600 had departed from Changi Airport's Terminal 2 at 8.15am on Aug 4, 2025 , according to flight tracking website FlightAware. The flight returned to Singapore at around 9.55am, the data showed . The Boeing 787-10 was originally scheduled to arrive at Incheon International Airport in South Korea at about 3.30pm local time (2.30pm Singapore time) on the same day. Data from FlightAware showed that after the plane departed from Singapore, it turned towards the south-east shortly after entering Malaysian airspace. It then circled over the South China Sea before returning to Changi Airport. In response to queries from The Straits Times, an SIA spokesperson said the Boeing 787-10 turned back to Singapore shortly after take-off due to a technical issue. The plane landed safely in Singapore at 9.54am on Aug 4 . The 338 passengers on board were provided with food vouchers while they waited for a replacement aircraft, the spokesperson said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Ong Beng Seng to be sentenced on Aug 15, prosecution does not object to fine due to his poor health Singapore All recruits at BMTC will be trained to fly drones and counter them: Chan Chun Sing Singapore Pritam Singh had hoped WP would 'tip one or two more constituencies' at GE Singapore Eu Yan Sang warns of counterfeits of its health supplements being sold online Singapore Electric car-sharing firm BlueSG to wind down current operations on Aug 8 Singapore Woman, 26, hit by car after dashing across street near Orchard Road Singapore Car passenger dies after accident involving bus in Yishun At 12.55pm Singapore time on Aug 4, the replacement aircraft departed for Seoul, and is expected to arrive in Seoul at about 7.45pm South Korean time , SIA added. The spokesperson said: 'SIA sincerely apologises to all affected customers for any inconvenience caused. The safety of our customers and crew is always our top priority.'
