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Philippine Tanker Carrying 1.4 Mln Liters of Oil Capsizes off Manila

A handout photo from the Philippine Coast Guard shows part of MT Terra Nova oil tanker after it capsized in Manila Bay. Handout / Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)/AFP
A handout photo from the Philippine Coast Guard shows part of MT Terra Nova oil tanker after it capsized in Manila Bay. Handout / Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)/AFP
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Philippine Tanker Carrying 1.4 Mln Liters of Oil Capsizes off Manila

A handout photo from the Philippine Coast Guard shows part of MT Terra Nova oil tanker after it capsized in Manila Bay. Handout / Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)/AFP
A handout photo from the Philippine Coast Guard shows part of MT Terra Nova oil tanker after it capsized in Manila Bay. Handout / Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)/AFP

A Philippine-flagged tanker carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil capsized and sank off Manila on Thursday, authorities said, as they raced to contain a spill.
The MT Terra Nova was heading for the central city of Iloilo when it capsized in Manila Bay, nearly seven kilometers (4.3 miles) off Limay municipality in Bataan province, near the capital, in the early hours, said Agence France Presse.
The vessel went down as heavy rains fueled by Typhoon Gaemi and the seasonal monsoon have lashed Manila and surrounding regions in recent days.
An oil spill stretching several kilometers has been detected in the busy waterway.
"We are racing against time and we will try to do our best to contain it immediately and stop the fuel from leaking," Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Rear Admiral Armando Balilo said at a briefing.
He warned that if all the oil in the tanker were to leak, it would be the biggest spill in Philippine history.
"There is a big danger that Manila will be affected, even the shoreline of Manila, if the fuel will leak, because it is within Manila Bay," Balilo said.
Thousands of fishermen and tour operators are dependent on the waters for their livelihoods.
Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista said 16 of the 17 crew members had been rescued from the stricken vessel.
A search was underway for the missing crew member, but Bautista said strong winds and high waves were hampering response efforts.
Four of the crew were receiving medical treatment.
A photo released by the coast guard showed the MT Terra Nova almost entirely submerged in rough seas.
Investigation ordered
An oil slick stretching about 3.7 kilometers was being carried by a "strong current" in an easterly, north-easterly direction, the coast guard said in a report.
Coast guard Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gavan said he ordered a probe into the incident.
Marine environmental protection personnel have been mobilized to help contain the slick.
"It will definitely affect the marine environment," Balilo said, describing the amount of oil on the ship as "enormous".
One of the worst oil spills in the Philippines was in February 2023, when a tanker carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil sank off the central island of Mindoro.
Diesel fuel and thick oil from that vessel contaminated the waters and beaches along the coast of Oriental Mindoro province, devastating the fishing and tourism industries.
The oil dispersed over hundreds of kilometers of waters famed for having some of the most diverse marine life in the world.
In 2006, a tanker sank off the central island of Guimaras spilling tens of thousands of gallons of oil that destroyed a marine reserve, ruined local fishing grounds and covered stretches of coastline in black sludge.

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World

China Sanctions Philippine Defense Chief for 'Irresponsible Remarks'

Philippines' Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr speaks at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore, May 31, 2026. REUTERS/Caroline Chia
Philippines' Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr speaks at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore, May 31, 2026. REUTERS/Caroline Chia
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China Sanctions Philippine Defense Chief for 'Irresponsible Remarks'

Philippines' Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr speaks at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore, May 31, 2026. REUTERS/Caroline Chia
Philippines' Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr speaks at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore, May 31, 2026. REUTERS/Caroline Chia

China announced on Thursday sanctions against the Philippines' defence minister over "irresponsible remarks", escalating tensions between Beijing and Manila as they grapple with maritime disputes.

Gilberto Teodoro and his spouse and child will be banned from entering China's mainland, Hong Kong and Macau, an unnamed foreign ministry spokesperson said in an online statement.

It added that "organizations and individuals in China" will not be allowed to "engage in any transaction, cooperation or other activities with him and his spouse and child".

Teodoro's rhetoric "undermines China's legitimate interests and sabotages China-Philippines relations", the statement said, without specifying which remarks it was referring to.

The two countries have in recent years often dealt with flare-ups in ongoing confrontations in the disputed South China Sea.

Beijing claims the strategic waterway nearly in its entirety, despite an international ruling that said its assertions are baseless.

China regularly deploys navy and coast guard vessels to bar the Philippines from important reefs and islands in the area.

At a summit in Singapore last month, Teodoro criticised Beijing's activities in the disputed waters, saying Manila "will not sacrifice our territorial integrity and sovereignty".

Asked last week about Teodoro's remarks at the summit, Beijing's foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that he "is known to vilify China".

"All he cares is selfish personal gains to the point that he would perform political theatrics even when people's well-being is at stake," Mao said.

World

UK Defense Minister John Healey Announces Shock Resignation

FILE PHOTO: Britain's Defense Secretary John Healey walks outside 10 Downing Street, on the day of a cabinet meeting, in London, Britain, June 2, 2026. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Britain's Defense Secretary John Healey walks outside 10 Downing Street, on the day of a cabinet meeting, in London, Britain, June 2, 2026. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo
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UK Defense Minister John Healey Announces Shock Resignation

FILE PHOTO: Britain's Defense Secretary John Healey walks outside 10 Downing Street, on the day of a cabinet meeting, in London, Britain, June 2, 2026. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Britain's Defense Secretary John Healey walks outside 10 Downing Street, on the day of a cabinet meeting, in London, Britain, June 2, 2026. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo

British Defense Secretary John Healey resigned on Thursday, in a shock move which he blamed on Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the finance ministry failing to commit sufficient resources to defense investment.

His announcement is a fresh blow to Starmer and comes at a politically charged moment for the embattled Labor leader, a week before a by-election which could prompt a bid to topple and replace him.

Healey's sudden departure comes after months of delays to a long-awaited Defense Investment Plan (DIP) for funding over the next decade, which he has said would fall far short of what had been requested.

Starmer has pledged to raise defense spending to 2.5 percent of gross domestic product from next year, increasing to three percent in the next parliament.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly urged NATO countries to spend more and become less reliant on Washington for security.

"You have been unable, and the Treasury has been unwilling, to commit the resources that the nation needs to defend the country at this time of rising threats," Healey wrote in a resignation letter to Starmer posted on his X account.

"After explaining to you that I would not be able to accept a DIP settlement that does not give our Forces the resources they need, I am now left with no other option than to submit my resignation."

Starmer is facing political peril in next Thursday's contest when Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham is standing for the Makerfield parliamentary seat and has said that he would participate in any Labour leadership race, although none has yet been triggered.

Healey has been previously talked about as another potential contender, but there has been no suggestion his resignation is linked to the leadership speculation.

British media has for weeks been reporting on behind-the-scenes battles within the government over the DIP settlement.

Starmer's centre-left government, elected in July 2024 following 14 years of Conservative rule, has kickstarted its pledge to ramp up defense spending, with priority given to NATO commitments.

But the publication of its defense investment plan to plug a longer-term shortfall in investment was first expected back in late 2025 and has been pushed back -- to the frustration of industry and others.

It was expected to be announced next week, according to reports earlier Thursday.

In his letter, Healey said he was first given full sight of the DIP on Monday, revealing that it "falls well short of what is required for defense and the country at this dangerous time".

"Without a DIP that meets the moment in this way, I am being forced to make decisions that would reduce the readiness of our forces and increase the risk to personnel on operations, and could make the country less safe."

World

Iran Maritime Body Says Hormuz Completely Closed 'Until Further Notice'

Vessels are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 10, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
Vessels are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 10, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
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Iran Maritime Body Says Hormuz Completely Closed 'Until Further Notice'

Vessels are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 10, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
Vessels are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 10, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer

Iran's new body overseeing the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday confirmed a complete closure order for the strategic waterway until further notice, after the Revolutionary Guards announced the move overnight.

"Due to the tensions caused by the aggression of the American forces in the region and the announcement made last night by the Iranian armed forces, the Strait of Hormuz will be closed until further notice," PGSA said in a post on X .

"Applicants who have been granted a transit permit are asked to be patient and wait for instructions from the PGSA."