PH Denies Spying on Qatar

The Philippines denied on May 26 that it spied on Qatar even as a Qatari court sentenced a Filipino to death for allegedly passing on state secrets to the Philippine government, reports Rappler.com.

Filipinos in Singapore Drop PH Independence Day Plans

SINGAPORE - Organizers of a Philippine independence celebration have dropped plans to hold it in a busy Singapore shopping district, police said Monday, after an abusive campaign by online commentators opposed to the event's venue, reports Inquirer.net/AFP.

Union Says HIV-Positive OFWs Increasing in Number

The number of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive overseas Filipino workers (OFW) is expected to top the 3,000-mark this year, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) said. TUCP president and former senator Ernesto Herrera said this is due to the Department of Labor and Employment's lack of initiative to provide information and raise the awareness of OFWs regarding the disease, reports ABS-CBN News.

Filipino Faces Death Penalty in Qatar, Convicted of Espionage

A Qatari court has condemned to death a Filipino national and sentenced two others to life imprisonment for espionage and economic sabotage. The Filipino national was convicted of selling sensitive information that threatened Qatar’s national security and was given the death sentence by a lower court in Qatar on April 30, reports Inquirer.net.

Fil-Australian on Trial for Murder of Stepfather

A young Filipino-Australian man stabbed and beat his stepfather to death following months of arguments over matters such as not using a knife at the dinner table and leaving a towel on the bathroom floor, a Sydney court has heard. Michael Villalon, 29, is on trial in the NSW Supreme Court for the murder of Keith Owen Chaney, 69, reports the Sydney Morning Herald

Fil-Am Named US Asst. Administrator for Airports

Filipino-American Eddie Angeles is flying high after he was appointed as associate administrator for airports by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), reports ABS-CBN News. In his new post, Angeles will oversee the country's airports, its regulations, and $3.5 billion worth of grant money that funds the airports.

Another Filipino Makes It to The Voice Australia

Another contestant with Filipino roots has made it to the blind auditions of The Voice Australia, reports ABS-CBN News. Sydney-based Filipino-Scottish Fely Irvine made two of the show's four judges--Ricky Martin and Joel Madden--turn their chairs when she performed her rendition of Rihanna's "We Found Love" early this month.

Two More OFWs Die of MERS in Saudi Arabia

Two more Filipinos have died due to Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in Saudi Arabia this month, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Thursday. The latest deaths bring to five the total number of Filipinos who died due to the virus, which is prevalent in the Middle East region, particularly in Saudi Arabia, reports GMA News.