News

DOE to public: Reduce power consumption during peak hours

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Energy (DOE) asked the public on Thursday to minimize electric consumption during peak hours amid the scorching dry season. The call was made after the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) raised red and yellow alerts over the Luzon and Visayas grids from April 16 to 18. “The DOE reiterates its call for everyone’s cooperation in minimizing power consumption especially at peak hours during...

Comelec looks set to hit goal of 3M new voters

MANILA, Philippines — Less than three months after it started accepting applications, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Wednesday that more than 2 million people have registered to become voters—more than two-thirds of its targeted 3 million new voters for the 2025 midterm polls. In a Viber message to reporters, Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia said that as of April 16, a total of 2,082,744 registration applications had been...

China told: ‘Peace-loving’ nations won’t take US-PH-Japan meet as threat

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the recent trilateral summit of the Philippines, Japan, and the United States should not be deemed as a threat “by any peace-loving country.” It explained anew that the goal of the historic three-way talks was to promote peace as it responds to the Philippines’ development needs. “It is the sovereign choice and decision of the Philippines to strengthen our alliance with the...

Another clarification from DepEd: No need to buy alternate uniform

MANILA, Philippines — Teachers and nonteaching staff do not need to buy collared shirts that they can wear as alternate uniforms for summer, the Department of Education (DepEd) said on Wednesday. Michael Poa, DepEd spokesperson and undersecretary, told reporters that the agency’s April 11 memorandum on optional “comfortable clothing” amid rising temperatures nationwide said that any collared shirt used in the agency’s previous activities could...

UN says solutions exist to rapidly ease debt burden of poor nations

GENEVA, Switzerland — The heavy debt weighing on developing countries can be alleviated through readily available measures, the UN’s trade and development chief said, pleading for bold international action. Rebeca Grynspan compared the debt burden facing poorer countries to “a reverse blood transfusion”, with money flowing “from the ones that need it to the ones that don’t”. In 2022 — the last year for which there are clear statistics —...

Family homeless after builder abandons extension

A Rochdale family say they cannot return home after a builder abandoned their house part-finished.

PH on China's 'bloc' allegation: 'Tension of region well known to all'

MANILA, Philippines: It is China's excessive maritime claims and aggressive behavior, including its militarization of the South China Sea (SCS), that raise tensions and undermine peace and stability in the region and not any "exclusive grouping." The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) stressed this in response to China's claim that the trilateral summit involving the Philippines, the United States, and Japan last April 11 "introduced bloc...

The Russian Orthodox Church declares ‘holy war’ against Ukraine and the West

Inflation rate in Cebu: Your P1 is now worth 83 centavos

CEBU CITY, Philippines — As the inflation rate in Cebu continues to soar, Cebuanos also continue to struggle with the increasing prices of goods and commodities. During the data dissemination for inflation on Wednesday, April 17, a statistical specialist of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Cebu Province revealed that the purchasing power of the peso (PPP) has plummeted to 83 centavos from January to March 2024. According to the PSA, the...

Women’s bodies being turned into ‘battlegrounds’—UN

GENEVA, Switzerland — Women’s bodies have become political “battlegrounds,” putting at risk 30 years of progress on sexual and reproductive health for women and girls, the United Nations warned on Wednesday. Though maternal mortality rates and unwanted pregnancy rates have been steadily falling, progress is now slowing or even flatlining on key measures, said the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN’s sexual and reproductive health...

Most Americans think Trump really has committed crimes

Philippines says decision to strengthen ties with Japan, US a ‘sovereign choice’

MANILA — The Philippines’ decision to ramp up ties with Japan and the United States at a recent summit was a “sovereign choice” for the country, its foreign ministry said on Thursday in response to China’s comments opposing the trilateral meeting. U.S. President Joe Biden hosted Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Washington last […]

Russian missile barrage on Ukraine city kills 17

CHERNIGIV, Ukraine — Three Russian missiles crashed into Ukraine’s historic city of Chernigiv on Wednesday, killing 17 people as officials pleaded for more air defense systems from allies. Pools of blood gathered on the street at the scene of one strike, where rescuers searched for survivors in the rubble and carried away the wounded on stretchers, official images showed. As President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed for more help from Western...

Ombudsman sacks BFAR chief over P2-B transmitter deal

MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Ombudsman has dismissed the head of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) after finding him guilty of grave misconduct in connection with the 2018 purchase of a monitoring system for fishing vessels that proved to be disadvantageous to the government. BFAR National Director Demosthenes Escoto was meted the penalty for his role in what state prosecutors described as an “anomalous scheme” in...

Dubai: Floods submerge roads, affect airport after record rains

Dubai’s giant highways were clogged by flooding and its major airport was in chaos as the Middle East financial centre remained gridlocked on Wednesday, a day after the heaviest rains on record. Tailbacks snaked along waterlogged, six-lane expressways after up to 259.5 millimetres (10.2 inches) of rain, the most since records began 75 years ago, fell on the desert United Arab Emirates on Tuesday. READ MORE: ‘Iron Man’ pilots race in jet suits...

China slams U.S. probe into its shipbuilding industry, says move is a 'mistake on top of a mistake'

China on Wednesday said it "firmly opposes" the U.S. investigation into its maritime, logistics and shipbuilding industries.

Senate comment sought on Quiboloy’s petition to block arrest order

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — The Supreme Court has directed the Senate to comment on the petition for certiorari and temporary restraining order (TRO) being sought by televangelist Apollo Quiboloy in relation to the upper chamber’s inquiry on alleged cases of human trafficking, rape, sexual and child abuse against the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader. At a media forum in Baguio City on Wednesday, Supreme Court spokesperson Camille Ting said...

2 minor temblors felt in Batangas island town

LUCENA CITY — Two successive minor earthquakes hit the island town of Tingloy in Batangas on late Wednesday night, April 17. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported in its bulletin that a magnitude 3.1 tremor with a 5-kilometer depth of focus was recorded in Tingloy at 11:20 p.m. At 10:51 p.m. in the same town, the only island municipality in the province, a magnitude 2.7 tremor with a 3-km depth of focus was...

Residents mock up 'Arctic' fishing spot at sinkhole

Households await news of when a sinkhole will be filled in after it opened up on 13 March.

Another first: PCG to deploy six ships for US, PH war games

MANILA, Philippines — For the first time, the Philippines Coast Guard (PCG) will deploy six vessels for the expanding Balikatan war games in view of the mounting tensions in the West Philippine Sea. PCG spokesperson Rear Admiral Armand Balilo on Wednesday said four 44-meter multi-role response vessels (MRRVs) and two larger patrol vessels will be deployed in the exercise which will commence next week. In another first, there will be trilateral...

Play tells real-life story of one-punch killing

Killer Jacob Dunne hopes Punch will be a legacy to his victim, James Hodgkinson.

3 cities in PH have cleanest air in Southeast Asia

MANILA, Philippines — Three cities in the Philippines ranked among the cleanest in terms of air pollution levels in Southeast Asia, according to a 2023 international report on air quality. The Swiss air-monitoring company IQAir’s 2023 World Air Quality Report provides a global review of air quality, citing PM2.5 air quality data from 7,812 cities spanning 134 countries, regions, and territories for 2023. M2.5 concentration describes the amount...

MCWD water deficit now affects 50,000 households

CEBU CITY, Philippines – As the internal political strife surrounding the Metropolitan Cebu Water District or MCWD continues, the shortage of water faced by residents has also persisted. Currently, the water deficit in the MCWD has now reached 50,000 cubic meters per day. This equates to 50,000 households experiencing water supply issues, with each household facing a shortage of one cubic meter. READ MORE: Water crisis escalates in Cebu City:...

Calls grow to probe Chinese influx as nat’l security issue

MANILA, Philippines — Calls to look deeper into activities, transactions and settlements tied to the influx of Chinese nationals into the country are growing louder in the House of Representatives. Members of the Makabayan minority bloc on Wednesday sought an investigation into reports that Philippine military personnel were being recruited as online analysts by Chinese firms posing as Western companies with American military affiliations. In...

Drivers seriously injured in two-car crash

Two drivers are in hospital after the crash on the A170 between Pickering and Thornton-le-Dale.

Ex-AFP chief urges Asean members to support PH fight vs China’s aggression

MANILA, Philippines — A former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief is urging other Southeast Asian countries to support the Philippines in its fight against China’s aggression in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). Former AFP chief Emmanuel Bautista noted that while several of its western allies supported the Philippines, no other Southeast Asian nation has expressed similar sentiments so far. Bautista said that only 21 countries expressed...

Road closures on April 21 in Lapu-Lapu, Cordova, SRP, CCLEX

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Expect major roads in Mactan Island, South Road Properties (SRP), and the Cebu–Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) to be closed to traffic as the Ironman 70.3 Lapu-Lapu will unfold on Sunday, April 21, at the Mactan Newtown grounds. The Lapu-Lapu City Traffic Management System (CTMS) and the IronMan 70.3 Lapu-Lapu organizers already issued a traffic advisory for the race on Sunday. READ MORE: Lapu-Lapu City to close roads...

Manila Water service cutoff set in Taguig, Marikina this April

MANILA, Philippines — Manila Water customers in some areas of Taguig City and Marikina City will experience temporary water supply interruption from April 18 to 19 and April 24 to 25 due to scheduled maintenance activities. The water company on Thursday advised affected residents to reserve water for their use as maintenance works will be carried out on the following: Taguig City – April 18, 10 p.m., to April 19, 4 a.m. Parts of Barangay New...

Deadly heat in West Africa warns of climate change-driven scorchers to come, says report

By Boureima Balima and Abdel-Kader Mazou NIAMEY (Reuters) - On a hospital bed in Niger, a 96-year-old woman lay motionless attached to a drip - one of thousands of possible victims of West Africa's worst heatwave in living memory, which a report said on Thursday was linked to fossil fuel-driven climate change. In late March and early April, days and nights of extreme heat above 40° Celsius (104°

Malampaya gas deliveries rise as Luzon grid placed on alert status

MANILA, Philippines—The Malampaya offshore field was able to deliver more than its target gas volume to key power plants as the Luzon grid was placed on red and yellow alert status by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP). Prime Energy Resources Development B.V. (Prime Energy), operator of Service Contract (SC) No. 38 which governs the Malampaya project, said gas supply to customers peaked at 290 million standard cubic feet per...

Toledo-Xignex Trojans beat Cagayan, Rizal in PCAP All-Filipino Conference

CEBU CITY, Philippines —The Toledo-Xignex Trojans scored big wins in the ongoing Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) All-Filipino Conference last Thursday evening, April 17. The Trojans beat the Rizal Batch Towers and the Cagayan Kings to improve their win-loss record to 10 wins with two losses. READ MORE: Toledo Trojans move down to second place in PCAP Toledo Xignex Trojans take on north division teams in PCAP All-Filipino...

Gatchalian asks CHEd: Probe ‘sale’ of degrees to foreign students

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Thursday asked the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) to investigate and sanction people involved in the alleged sale of diplomas or degrees to foreign students in the country. He made the call following reports that some Chinese students in Cagayan are paying P2 million to obtain their degrees. “CHEd must impose appropriate penalties or sanctions on HEIs (higher education institutions) and...

'Turd that can't be polished': SNP MP's blistering Commons rant about Rwanda bill

'I will vote against it at every opportunity because it is despicable.'

Khor Al-Mukalla Waterway sa Yemen, umapaw dahil malakas na pag-ulan

Khor Al-Mukalla Waterway sa Yemen, umapaw dahil malakas na pag-ulan; 20-k indibidwal sa Georgia, nagprotesta vs. “Foreign Influence” bill; Painting ng Austrian Painter na si Gustav Klimt, nakatakdang ipa-auction

Moment 6.4 magnitude earthquake jolts southern Japan

This follows the 7.6 magnitude Noto earthquake which struck Japan on January 1 and killed 245 people.

US 911 emergency call line outage resolved in some areas

By Abinaya V (Reuters) -Emergency services on the 911 telephone call line were restored late on Wednesday in parts of the United States, officials said, following a widespread outage across all of South Dakota and in parts of Nebraska, Nevada and Texas. Officials in South Dakota, Nevada and Las Vegas said 911 services had been restored, but without identifying the cause of the failure. The

Japan 'two-faced' for seeking closer ties while warning of China threat, Chinese state media says

BEIJING (Reuters) - An editorial in a Chinese state-controlled newspaper on Thursday admonished "two-faced" Japan for inaccurately portraying it as a regional security threat while chasing more stable bilateral ties, warning of Chinese measures if Tokyo acted recklessly. In his address to the U.S. Congress last week, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called China's military actions "an

Catholic bishops back Senate probe on mining, quarrying

MANILA, Philippines — Caritas Philippines, the social action arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), is supporting Sen. Risa Hontiveros’ call for a Senate investigation on the environmental and social impact of mining and quarrying activities nationwide ahead of the observance of Earth Day on April 22. San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, vice president of Caritas Philippines, pointed to the critical need to address the...

UAE and Costa Rica sign trade deal, UAE president says

DUBAI (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates and Costa Rica have signed an agreement that will help improve bilateral trade and investment ties, UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said on Thursday. The Middle Eastern and Central American countries had signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), the president said in a post on social media platform X. CEPAs signed

Indonesian volcano eruption forces evacuations, airport closure

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia shut a provincial airport and evacuated hundreds of people from the vicinity of the Ruang volcano after it belched explosive plumes of lava, rocks and ash for days, officials said on Thursday, declaring the highest alert on the situation. Wednesday's dramatic eruption of the volcano on a remote island in the province of North Sulawesi threw a fiery-red column of lava

Marcos orders MMDA to give grace period before e-trikes ban

MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to give e-bikes and e-trikes, as well as tricycles, a grace period before imposing the rule banning them on national roads. “Ngayong araw na ito, iniutos ko sa MMDA at sa lahat ng lokal na pamahaalan sa Metro Manila na bigyan ng palugit ang mga e-bikes, e-trikes at iba pang apektadong sasakyan na dumadaan sa ilang tukoy na daan sa...

Tsunami alert after devastating volcanic eruption rocks nation

Indonesian stratovolcano Mount Ruang, in North Sulawesi Province, has erupted spectaularly five times in 24 hours.

China's Wang meets Jokowi, Indonesian president-elect Prabowo

China's top diplomat met Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his successor Prabowo Subianto on Thursday as Beijing seeks to boost its regional influence. Wang also met Indonesian foreign minister Retno Marsudi earlier on Thursday before visiting Widodo, more popularly known as Jokowi, at the presidential palace and then Prabowo at the defence ministry.

Olongapo starts water rationing due to lack of supply

OLONGAPO CITY —The local government has started rationing free water to residents of a village in this city who have been affected by the low water supply. The Olongapo City Information Center said Mayor Rolen Paulino Jr. facilitated the water ration in Barangay New Cabalan on Wednesday, April 17, with the help of the local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO). Paulino said the free water ration would be available every other...

Meat plant throws away 1.8 tonnes of food

More than 1.8 tonnes of meat was thrown away earlier this month, a government minister confirms.

Solon wants clarity in Bukidnon clash

MANILA, Philippines — Gabriela party list Rep. Arlene Brosas on Wednesday slammed the Armed Forces of the Philippines over the circumstances surrounding the death of a New People’s Army (NPA) leader in Bukidnon province, calling it an extrajudicial killing in violation of international humanitarian law. In a statement, Brosas pointed out that the body of Kaliska “Kal” Peralta, 33, bore signs of torture and abuse, which were concealed because...

Luzon, Visayas grids still on red and yellow alerts on Thursday

MANILA, Philippines — National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) raised red and yellow alerts in Luzon and Visayas for the third straight day today, April 18, due to the unavailability of several power plants. In an advisory, NGCP said a red alert status will be up in the Luzon grid from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Before that, the Luzon grid will be placed under yellow alert from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and from 10...

United Arab Emirates struggles to recover after heaviest recorded rainfall ever hits desert nation

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United Arab Emirates struggled Thursday to recover from the heaviest recorded rainfall ever to hit the desert nation, as its main airport worked to restore normal operations even as floodwater still covered portions of major highways and roads. Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest for international travel, allowed global carriers on Thursday morning to again fly into Terminal 1 at the airfield....

EU, nagpataw ng sanctions vs. Iran

EU, nagpataw ng sanctions vs. Iran

Heat index at ‘danger’ levels seen to strike 18 areas on April 18

MANILA, Philippines — Heat index at “danger” levels of 42 to 45 degrees Celsius were forecast to hit 18 areas of the country on Thursday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said. The state weather agency said in an advisory that these areas are: Aborlan, Palawan – 45 degrees Celsius Dagupan City, Pangasinan – 44 degrees Celsius Puerto Princesa City, Palawan – 44 degrees Celsius Catarman,...