The navy ships were observed as China's coast guard presence near the Philippines' main island reached the 30-day mark.

The Philippines has, for over a month, been engaged in face-offs with Chinese vessels off the coast of heavily populated Luzon province.

which arrived here to-day from Luzon Island, with a cargo of hemp and sugar, thinks that his vessel had a narrow escape from being boarded by pirates in the Sunday Straits, a stretch of water ...

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 2 was raised over Batanes as Ofel weakened into severe tropical storm over the Luzon Strait on Friday morning, according to state weather bureau PAGASA.

“It will continue to weaken throughout the forecast period due to frictional effects of land, as well as the increasingly unfavorable environment over the Luzon Strait and the sea east of Taiwan.