National

Zubiri, New Zealand PM discuss agri, security cooperation

Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri on Friday met with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to discuss agricultural and security cooperation. Zubiri hosted a luncheon for Luxon who was accompanied by Simon Watts MP, Minister of Climate Change and Revenue, and Paulo Garcia MP, New Zealand’s first Member of Parliament to come from Filipino descent, and a "sizeable delegation from New Zealand's business sector." “We are especially...

Staff and shoppers return to 'somber' Sydney shopping mall 6 days after mass stabbings

SYDNEY (AP) — Shoppers and workers returned to a “really quiet” Sydney mall Friday, where six days earlier an assailant stabbed six people to death and wounded more than a dozen others in an attack that police believe targeted women. Westfield Bondi Junction mall near world-famous Bondi Beach had opened Thursday, although shops inside were closed, for a “community reflection day.” New South Wales state Premier Chris Minns described it as “the...

DPWH halts P884 million Borongan seawall project

TACLOBAN CITY — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has suspended the construction of a seawall at a coastal village in Borongan City in Eastern Samar in the wake of opposition from its residents and mayor. Edgar Tabacon, DPWH director for Eastern Visayas region, said he already directed the contractor to stop the P884-million project that was criticized by Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda and residents of Barangay Lalawigan, a coastal...

North Korea, Belarus deputy foreign ministers agree to strengthen ties

By Hyunsu Yim SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean officials met with a visiting Belarusian delegation and vowed deeper cooperation, as Pyongyang criticized the United States for trying to increase "lawless" sanctions pressure. Belarus' Deputy Foreign Minister Evgeny Shestakov and his North Korean counterpart Im Chon Il discussed bilateral cooperation in the sectors of economy and culture as well as

Forest fire erupts in Mt. Arayat, Pampanga

Residents near Mt. Arayat in Pampanga were alarmed upon seeing a portion of the mountain ablaze evening on April 17, 2024. Although the fire was visible from Magalang town, the incident occurred in Arayat town, as confirmed by the Magalang Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Office. According to initial reports from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-Magalang, the fire started around 4 p.m. in the upper part of Barangay Baliti, Arayat, and the...

Israel 'strikes Iran' as explosions rock hostile state

Israel has conducted airstrikes on a target in Iran, US officials say.

Ukraine claims it shot down a Russian strategic bomber. Moscow says the plane crashed

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s air force claimed Friday it shot down a Russian strategic bomber, but Moscow officials said the plane crashed in a sparsely populated area due to a malfunction after a combat mission. Neither claim could be independently verified. Previous Ukrainian claims of shooting down Russian warplanes during their more than two-year war have met with silence or denials from Moscow. Meanwhile, Russian missiles struck cities in...

Iran fires air defence batteries as sound of explosions heard near Isfahan

Iran fired air defence batteries early on Friday morning after reports of explosions near the city of Isfahan, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. It remained unclear if the country was under attack. However, tensions remain high in the broader Middle East after Iran's unprecedented missile-and-drone attack on Israel. One government official suggested sites may have been targeted by drones. US officials declined to comment as of early Friday, but American broadcast networks quoting unnamed US officials said Israel carried out the attack. The New York Times quoted anonymous Israeli officials claiming the assault. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

EU Commission President calls on Israel, Iran to refrain from escalation

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on Iran, Israel, and their allies to refrain from escalation in the Middle East after sources said Israel carried out an attack on Iranian soil on Friday. "It is absolutely necessary that the region remains stable and that all sides restrain from further action," von der Leyen said alongside...

Israel attacks Iran, sources say, drones reported over Isfahan

By Humeyra Pamuk, Phil Stewart and Parisa Hafezi WASHINGTON/DUBAI (Reuters) - Israel has attacked Iran, three people familiar with the matter said, as Iranian state media reported early on Friday that its forces had destroyed drones, days after Iran launched a retaliatory drone strike on Israel. One source told Reuters the U.S. was not involved but was notified by Israel before the attack.

Pakistan attack targets van carrying Japanese autoworkers

Police said three people were wounded in port city of Karachi but bomber and accomplice died.

IRONKIDS 2024 Lapu-Lapu fires off on Saturday

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A total of 254 young and aspiring triathletes will test their mettle in the RLC Residences IRONKIDS 2024 Lapu-Lapu on Saturday, April 20, at The Reef Island Resort in Mactan, Cebu. The IRONKIDS serves as one of the highlight events before the centerpiece, IRONMAN 70.3 Lapu-Lapu, and has been a regular event in each of its editions. READ MORE: Road closures on April 21 in Lapu-Lapu, Cordova, SRP, CCLEX Lapu-Lapu City to...

20 Chinese ships spotted moving around WPS territories

MANILA, Philippines: China's maritime militia conducted a major rotation in the West Philippine Sea covered by the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) on Friday morning. Retired United States Air Force Col. Ray Powell, director of SeaLight, a maritime transparency project that monitors and reports activities in the South China Sea, said at least 20 large Qiong Sansha Yu ships moved south. Powell said based on the automatic identification...

The problem with Duterte’s ‘What I remember…’

He should have written it down on a table napkin and shoved it into his pocket or undershirt. But former president Rodrigo Duterte, perhaps awed by China’s lavish reception accorded him, did not. So he does not have a written record of the “gentleman’s agreement” between him and China’s President Xi Jinping as regards the Philippines’ decrepit BRP Sierra Madre, the military outpost in the Philippines’ territorial waters in the West Philippine...

PBBM, attends 45th PNPA graduation exercises

PBBM, attends 45th PNPA graduation exercise; Indonesia evacuating thousands after volcano erupts, causing tsunami threat; U.S. President Biden looking to triple Chinese steel tariffs

Meet the dangerous new long-range missile Russia is firing at Ukraine

Ukraine has created a new unit dedicated to demining the country

Scotland's papers: Former SNP chief charged by police

Former SNP chief Peter Murrell being charged over embezzlement of party funds dominates Scotland's papers.

China embassy: Issue vs Sino students reeks of ‘McCaRthyism’

The Chinese Embassy in Manila has accused Filipino politicians who are linking the influx of Chinese students in Cagayan province to the West Philippine Sea dispute of “inciting suspicion and hatred of China.” Without elaborating, it attributed the presence of the Chinese students in the country to “education exchanges and cooperation” between Manila and Beijing that had been “growing fast” in recent years. READ: Some Chinese students in Cagayan...

UK PM Sunak: Not right for me to speculate on reports of attack in Iran

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he would not speculate on reports Israel had carried out an attack on Iranian soil on Friday. "It's a developing situation, it wouldn't be right for me to speculate until the facts become clearer and we're working to confirm the details together with allies," Sunak said. Sunak made the comments following a speech in central London. "

Eye on China: First batch of BrahMos missiles lands in Philippines from India

India has been looking at further expanding defence ties with the Philippines against the backdrop of growing global concerns over China's increasing military assertiveness in the South China Sea

Bureau of Immigration, nilinaw na 1,000 lang ang mga Chinese national na binigyan ng student visa sa Cagayan

Bureau of Immigration, nilinaw na 1,000 lang ang mga Chinese national na binigyan ng student visa sa Cagayan

Tehran plays down reported Israeli attacks, signals no further retaliation

By Parisa Hafezi and James Mackenzie DUBAI/JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Explosions echoed over an Iranian city on Friday in what sources described as an Israeli attack, but Tehran played down the incident and indicated it had no plans for retaliation - a response that appeared gauged towards averting region-wide war. The limited scale of the attack and Iran's muted response both appeared to signal a

UK MPs eroding public trust with 'carousel' of misbehavior

LONDON: From watching pornography in parliament to numerous sexual assault allegations, British lawmakers in the current parliament have engaged in a range of bad behaviour that experts say is eroding trust in politics. A MP suspended himself from the Conservative parliamentary party this week over claims he misused campaign funds, becoming the latest in a long list of Tories accused of misconduct recently. The scandals are leading to calls for...

P3.4-M suspected shabu seized in Cotabato City

Police seized suspected shabu worth around P3.4 million and arrested four drug suspects in a sting operation on Almonte Street, Poblacion 2, Cotabato City. One of the arrested suspects was identified as alias “Sampulna.” His alleged illegal drug activities covered the adjacent provinces, including the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Cotabato City, and Davao City. He was detained in 2013 for drug-related offense in...

Why an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities is a bad idea

A direct Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear sites would yield little while risking too much.

The Opium Wars that devastated China

The Opium Wars of the mid-19th century were fought between the Western powers and the Qing dynasty, which ruled China from 1644 to 1912. Two wars took place, both fought essentially over the illegal trade of opium and the expansion of territory claimed by the British in the region. In the eyes of many scholars, the conflict marked the end of China's isolation and the beginning of modern Chinese history. But the price paid was heavy. So, what exactly were the Opium Wars? Click through for an explanation and timeline of events.

China says Marcos gov’t broke ‘new’ Ayungin pact

China insisted it had reached an “internal understanding” and a “new model” to deescalate tension at Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea with the Philippines, but said that the Marcos administration “abandoned” it seven months later. The statement, made by the Chinese Embassy in Manila on Thursday, came a week after Beijing and former President Rodrigo Duterte confirmed they had a “gentleman’s agreement” to keep the “status...

Kenya investigates crash that killed military chief

Gen Francis Ogolla was in the west of the country when his helicopter went down killing 10.

Bato wants whole-of-gov't probe on Chinese influx in Cagayan

Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa called for a whole-of-government investigation into the reported influx of Chinese students in Cagayan province to check for possible "underlying motives." "Kung totoo man 'yan, dapat hindi nagpatulog-tulog 'yung ating mga otoridad. Dapat maimbestigahan 'yan para malaman natin at handa tayo kung anuman ang mayroon man yang mga underlying motives sa kanilang presensya d'yan. Dapat malaman natin," Dela Rosa told...

Arrests after nine injured in fight outside pub

Five people were taken to hospital following the brawl and two men were arrested, police say.

Notable People who died in 2024

Crime commissioners 'now part of the landscape'

The retiring PCC for Hertfordshire insists he's made a difference during his 11 years in office.

Death threats reported days before mother stabbed

The IOPC says officers received reports of threats against Kulsuma Akter before she was killed.

'We were shot at with BB guns' - roadworker

Construction workers in Salisbury report rising levels of abuse.

Award for Manx civilians killed in public service

Families of those killed while serving the public are encourage to apply for the Elizabeth Emblem.

Ukraine 'could lose on battlefield by end of 2024', warns CIA Director

CIA Director William Burns admitted yesterday that without Western support Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin may be 'in a position where he could essentially dictate the terms of a political settlement'

World urges ‘de-escalation’ after drones shot down over Iran

Escalation more than six months into Israel’s war on Gaza has raised fears of spiralling violence across region.

Caritas Philippines renews calls to defend Manila Bay vs reclamation

The Catholic Church’s social advocacy arm rallied people to help defend Manila Bay from the ongoing reclamation projects. Caritas Philippines has warned of “far-reaching consequences” if the destruction of Manila Bay continues. Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo said its negative effects will impact everyone “from rising food costs and inflation to job losses and beyond”. “A […]

Ukraine says Russian strikes on Dnipropetrovsk region kill at least 8

(Reuters) - A major Russian missile attack on the central Dnipropetrovsk region killed at least eight people, injured 21 and damaged infrastructure facilities, local officials reported on Friday morning. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the attack damaged multiple storeys of a residential building and a train station in the regional capital, Dnipro, as he called for additional air

Cagayan schools: ‘Baseless’ to say Chinese students threaten PH security

MANILA, Philippines — Universities and colleges in Tuguegarao City branded as “baseless” and considered “deeply offensive” insinuations that the presence of Chinese students in the city poses a threat to national security. The Medical Colleges of the Northern Philippines (MCNP), University of Cagayan Valley (UCV), University of Saint Louis Tuguegarao (USLT), and Saint Paul University Philippines (SPUP) even called the innuendos as a “blatant...

Marcos among Time’s ‘100 Most Influential’

Citing his quest to “repair” his family’s image, as well as his post pandemic recovery efforts and stance against Chinese aggression in the South China Sea, Time Magazine has named President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. one of the “100 Most Influential People of 2024.” He was the third Philippine leader to make it to the list, after Benigno Aquino III (2013) and Rodrigo Duterte (2017). Aquino’s mother, the late former President Cory Aquino, was honored...

Philippine Coast Guard to send 6 vessels to ‘Balikatan’ drills

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) will deploy six vessels, composed of four multi-role response vessels and two larger patrol vessels, when it joins this year’s “Balikatan” (shoulder-to-shoulder) exercises with American and other troops in Philippine and international waters starting next week. Rear Adm. Armand Balilo, PCG spokesperson, said on Thursday that the quasi-private agency would participate in “joint interoperability exercises” with the...

Murder arrest after Waltham Forest stabbing

A man in his 30s died at the scene and police are trying to find and notify his family, the Met says.

Anthony Albanese flags huge changes to HECS debt

On Thursday Mr Albanese promised to make HECS 'simpler and fairer'. The Prime Minister admitted that the average student debt has skyrocketed in the past three years.

Nearly half of China’s major cities are sinking, researchers say

SINGAPORE — Nearly half of China’s major cities are suffering “moderate to severe” levels of subsidence, putting millions of people at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise, according to a study of nationwide satellite data released on Friday. The authors of the paper, published by the journal Science, found 45% of China’s urban land was […]

Key ally of Pakistan's prime minister demands end to ban on social media platform X

ISLAMABAD (AP) — An important ally of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif demanded the government lift a two-month-old ban on the social media platform X, saying on Friday that it violates citizens' right to speech and expression. The ban on X has been in place since February, when the party of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan announced a nationwide protest against alleged election rigging ahead of the Feb. 8 vote that allowed...

Marcos urges new PNPA grads: Use technology to fight crimes, serve Filipinos

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Friday urged the 223 new uniformed personnel under the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) "Layag-Diwa" Class of 2024 to maximize technology in fighting crimes and serving the Filipino people. "Most of you were born when the internet was no longer in its infancy, and you were shaped to be tech savvy, digital natives. I challenge you to leverage that technology that you are familiar with as aids...

Children among eight dead in Russia strike on Ukraine

Russia strikes two cities in Ukraine's central Dnipropetrovsk region, hitting the station in Dnipro.

At the world's end, Humza will pipe up: 'It's worse in Wales'

If you're wondering what went wrong with the Hate Crime Act, just know that everyone except Humza Yousaf is to blame.