Hanoi (VNA)༒ – About 400 foreigners in the Philippines were arrested on January 8 in a large-scale raid on a suspected online scam farm in Manila.
The country’s Bureau of Immigration announced that authorities raided a building and found workers allegedly involved in online scam operations targeting victims abroad.
According to the agency, many of the arrested were Chinese. They will be temporarily detained while awaiting deportation.
In recent years, the international community has raised concern over increasing scam operations in Asia.
The Washington-based think-tank United States Institute of Peace said in a May 2024 report that online scammers target millions of victims around the world and rake in annual revenues of 64 billion USD.
Notably, staff of the scam operations are usually trafficking victims who were tricked or coerced into promoting bogus cryptocurrency investments and other cons.
It estimates the industry employs half a million workers, including 15,000 in the Philippines, who were recruited mainly via social media and were then forced to carry out scams, facing torture if they fail to meet quotas.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in July 2024 announced a ban on Philippine online gaming operators (POGO) that Manila says have been used as cover by organised crime groups for human trafficking, money laundering, online fraud, kidnappings and even murder./.
Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos on December 12 ordered the police and law enforcement agencies to intensify the crackdown on illegal gaming and cyber cam hubs that continue to operate despite the ban, which will take effect by the end of December, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said.
Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. on December 30 signed into law the national budget worth 6.33 trillion PhP (109.3 billion USD) for 2025, 9.7% higher than the 2024 budget.
The Philippines’ outstanding external debt stood at 139.64 billion USD as of the end of September, up 17.5% against the same period last year, its central bank Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has said.
The article stressed that throughout his revolutionary career, the founder of modern Vietnam consistently regarded the revolutionary press as a vital part of the Vietnamese Party’s and nation’s revolutionary struggle.
Pichai said the trade talks with the US are important and need to move forward professionally, without regard for any political changes in Thailand, believing that Thailand has clear principles, guidelines and procedures in place.
The tax adjustment supports the Malaysian Government’s strategy to reduce reliance on foreign food supply chains and to assist domestic farmers, a finance official has said.
The proposed venue is located in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok, featuring eight public sites, including Krungthep Aphiwat Central Terminal and several nearby parks.
Connectivity is expected to improve further with the completion of the fifth Laos–Thailand Friendship Bridge by the end of 2025, facilitating logistics and agricultural exports to Vietnam, Thailand, and China.
Two naval gunboats intercepted a fishing vessel carrying 1.5 tonnes of methamphetamine hydrochloride off the coast of the main island of Luzon just before dawn, in a joint operation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
In the today context of socio-economic development and growth, the professionalism of Vietnam’s revolutionary journalists continues to rise, guided by exemplary mastery of new information technologies and the modernisation of their founding principles to preserve the enduring values of revolutionary journalism.
Thai Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Vuttikrai Leewiraphan Thailand's formal proposal will be substantial enough for the US to consider further detailed negotiations. He hoped for a tariff rate not exceeding 10% and suggested that the US might extend the negotiation period if an agreement is not reached by the July 8 deadline.
Organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Association of Thai Silk & Culture Promotions, the event honors Her Majesty the Queen on her 47th birthday anniversary and promotes Thai craftsmanship on an international stage.
Prensa Latina's recent article on Vietnam’s assurance of smooth and effective transition to a leaner structure highlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s latest directions on implementing 28 resolutions regarding the decentralisation and delegation of authority.
The lab focuses on four key thematic areas: energy transition and green innovation, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and sustainable cities, and nature-based solutions and biodiversity.
The key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
This follows Telegram’s serious failure to address the content that has been repeatedly reported to them, despite various efforts of negotiation and cooperation made by MCMC, it said.
Efforts to empower women must transcend dialogue and translate into concrete commitments, including corporate pledges and government partnerships, according to the spouse of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
The forum featured two in-depth discussion sessions, engaging representatives from governments, think tanks, and businesses from both ASEAN and China, on how to forge closer ties for a common future.
The new FIFA Hub in Jakarta will not only support football development in Indonesia but also serve as a coordination centre for 21 football associations across Southeast and East Asia.
Minister Counselor Nguyen Hoang Nguyen reaffirmed Vietnam’s principled and consistent stance on the Palestine issue, calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire across the entire Gaza Strip.
PM Anwar Ibrahim affirmed the determination of Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair for 2025, to utilise all viable regional mechanisms of the bloc and work with partners to de-escalate violence and restore a peace process led by Myanmar.
Talking to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Vietnam’s Revolutionary Press Day (June 21, 1925–2025), Nikulina, who is also a veteran journalist of Russia’s Sputnik News, emphasised the vital role of mainstream journalism in defending the truth and maintaining public trust.
