China has denied that one of its fishing vessels abandoned 22 Filipinos after their boat sank in the South China Sea.
The incident has resulted in increased pressure on Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte to take a tougher stance.
In a statement, the Chinese embassy in Manila said the crew had initially intended to rescue the Filipino fishermen.
However they aborted the mission when they were “suddenly besieged by seven or eight Filipino fishing boats”.
France working with allies on plan should US move on Greenland
France is working with partners on a plan on how to respond should the US act on its threat to take over Greenland, a minister said on Wednesday, as Europe sought to address US President Donald Trump's ambitions in the region.
South Korea's Lee says he asked Xi to play a mediating role on North Korea
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Wednesday that much progress had been made in restoring trust with Beijing, and that he had asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to play a role in mediating Seoul's efforts to engage North Korea.
Western Europe braces for another wave of snow and ice
Western Europe braced for more snow and ice on Wednesday, with the first named storm of the year hitting the continent's Atlantic coast.
Intense heatwave grips Australia's southern states, fans bushfires
Australia’s south sweltered through a brutal heatwave on Wednesday that delivered temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius in some cities, triggering health warnings, straining power grids and causing bushfires to flare.
6.7-magnitude earthquake strikes near Baculin, Philippines
A 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck off the Philippines' southern islands on Wednesday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said, and there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
