CEBU (Philippines), Dec 8: The Philippines on Friday abruptly called off a high-profile summit of Asian leaders, blaming a looming tropical storm even as foreign ministry sources said terror threats were the reason.

The cancellation came a day after six nations including the United States issued a warning for Cebu, the resort island hosting the summit, due to threats of a terrorist strike. Australia said attack plans were in the “final stages”.

Foreign ministers from across Asia and other top diplomats were racing late Friday to sign a series of planned agreements before leaving Cebu on Saturday, a day before the annual ASEAN summit was even set to begin.

The government had insisted a building tropical storm in the Pacific was the reason for the cancellation, the first in the history of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The summit was postponed until January.

But foreign ministry sources confirmed a local media report that fears of an imminent terror strike on Cebu, an island studded with deluxe resorts favoured by Western tourists, had led to the decision.-—AFP