News

Israel still imposing 'unlawful' restrictions on Gaza aid, UN rights office says

GENEVA (Reuters) - Israel is still imposing "unlawful" restrictions on humanitarian relief for Gaza, the U.N. human rights office said on Tuesday, despite assertions from Israel and others that restrictions have eased. Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip triggered by Hamas' cross-border attacks on Oct. 7 has turned much of the Gaza strip into a wasteland, with hundreds of thousands of people now

China ship stalks PH survey vessel

MANILA, Philippines — A Chinese coast guard vessel has been tailing an ongoing hydrographic survey of Philippine flagged vessels near Bajo de Masinloc (also called Panatag or Scarborough Shoal) in the West Philippine Sea. In a press conference on Monday, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela, said a China Coast Guard (CCG) ship, with tail No. 5303, has been “monitoring and tailing” the BRP Hydrographer Ventura of the...

Israeli forces vow response to Iran's attack despite calls for restraint

By James Mackenzie JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israelis awaited word on how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would respond to Iran's first-ever direct attack as international pressure for restraint grew amid fears of an escalation of conflict in the Middle East. Netanyahu on Monday summoned his war cabinet for the second time in less than 24 hours to weigh a response to Iran's massive weekend missile

Marcos: A ‘Good Machiavelli’?

Niccolò Machiavelli, arguably the greatest (and most controversial) late-Renaissance thinker, counseled: “One must therefore be a fox to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten wolves.” Since their surreptitious return to the Philippines following a few years of luxurious exile in Hawaii, the Marcoses pulled off one of the most successful “counter-revolutions” in contemporary history. Well before TikTok and social media transformed our politics,...

Statue to Tony Blair honours "Tonibler" cult in Kosovo

By Fatos Bytyci FERIZAJ, Kosovo (Reuters) - As sculptor Agon Qosa put some of the finishing touches to a statue of Tony Blair, he thought about what the former British prime minister had done for Kosovo a quarter of a century ago. Qosa and other ethnic Albanians in Kosovo idolise Blair for his leadership role during a NATO bombing campaign in 1999 that halted Serb forces' advances and ultimately

Alvarez says Marcos support withdrawal call is not seditious

MANILA, Philippines — Davao del Norte 1st District Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez said his call for the country’s police and military to withdraw their support from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. cannot be deemed seditious. According to the former speaker of the House of Representatives, his appeal is not the same as advocating a coup-d’état style of withdrawing support from the current administration because “ it was done in a peaceful and orderly...

Slater refused bail on domestic violence charges

Former Australia batter Michael Slater is refused bail and remanded in custody over domestic violence charges.

US military to step in if Filipino is killed in attack in West Philippine Sea​ — Marcos

President Marcos on Monday, April 15, made it clear that if any Filipino serviceman would be killed in an attack in the West Philippine Sea, the United States would step in to defend the Philippines. As gray zone operations—or activities that fall short of being called as war—continue in the waters still contested by China, Marcos finally said what would invoke the Philippines' Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the Philippines. READ MORE: https://mb.com.ph/2024/4/15/us-military-to-step-in-if-filipino-is-killed-in-attack-in-west-philippine-sea-marcos

Cameroon museum honors oldest sub-Saharan kingdom

FOUMBAN, CAMEROON — To enter the Museum of the Bamoun Kings in western Cameroon, you have to pass under the fangs of a gigantic two-headed snake—the highlight of an imposing coat of arms of one of the oldest kingdoms in sub-Saharan Africa. Thousands of Cameroonians gathered in the royal palace square in Foumban on Saturday to celebrate the opening of the Museum of the Bamoun Kings. Sultan King Mouhammad Nabil Mforifoum Mbombo Njoya welcomed...

Rwanda battle ramps up as unelected Lords brace to defy MPs AGAIN

The House of Lords will again debate the Prime Minister's flagship Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill this afternoon.

Remember when Ukraine successfully hit a critical Russian bridge three times?

Stabbing victim found after police appeal

Police appealed for help to find Owen Sharp following an attack in St Paul's Street.

Armenia asks World Court to pursue ethnic cleansing case against Azerbaijan

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Armenia on Tuesday urged the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to hold Azerbaijan responsible for what it said was the ethnic cleansing of Armenians from the Nagorno-Karabakh region. "After threatening to do so for years, Azerbaijan has completed the ethnic cleansing of the region and is now systematically erasing all traces of ethnic Armenians' presence," Armenia's

Afghan man in UK fears for family's deportation

He tells the BBC his family are considered enemies by the Taliban after helping British forces.

Incoming Singapore PM says incumbent Lee to serve as senior minister in next cabinet - media

(Reuters) - Singapore's prime minister-designate, Lawrence Wong, on Tuesday said the city-state's incumbent leader Lee Hsien Loong would serve as a senior minister in his cabinet after he takes power on May 15. Wong, the current finance minister, said he would announce a new cabinet line-up a few days before he is sworn in as Singapore's fourth prime minister, the Straits Times reported. But he

PBBM admin, inaalam na ang detalye sa umano'y 'secret agreement' ni ex-Pres. Durterte sa China

PBBM admin, inaalam na ang detalye sa umano'y 'secret agreement' ni ex-Pres. Durterte sa China; PBBM, tiniyak na hindi apektado ang bansa sa 'secret agreement'

What to know about the prison sentence for a movie armorer in a fatal shooting by Alec Baldwin

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A movie weapons armorer received the maximum sentence of 18 months in jail for involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on a Western movie set, as authorities now turn their focus on prosecution of Baldwin himself. A New Mexico judge on Monday found that Hannah Gutierrez-Reed's recklessness amounted to a serious violent offense, while noting few indications of genuine remorse from...

Iran says any action against its interests will get a severe response

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran will respond to any action against its interests, President Ebrahim Raisi said on Tuesday, according to the Iranian Student News Agency, a day after Israel warned it will respond to Tehran's weekend drone and missile attack. "We categorically declare that the smallest action against Iranian interests will certainly be met with a severe, widespread and painful response

Easter church garden theft 'especially upsetting'

The thief was caught on CCTV taking 12 scaffolding boards from the community garden.

DOTr: Traffic unaffected by strike, plans to ‘move forward’ with PUVMP

The Department of Transportation said the two-day transport strike held by PISTON and MANIBELA did not paralyze the flow of Philippine traffic. In a public briefing on Tuesday, Jonathan Gesmundo, executive assistant to Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, said the concerned government agencies are focusing on the next steps of the PUV Modernization Program (PUVMP). “Hindi kami nakatutok on how to respond. It’s more of moving forward kami,”...

Plebiscite to create 8 towns in BARMM successful—Comelec

COTABATO CITY, BARMM, Philippines — Voters in 63 former villages of Cotabato province that now make up the Special Geographic Area (SGA) of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) ratified on Saturday the creation of eight new SGA towns in a quiet and peaceful electoral process that stood in sharp contrast with the bloody and violent village elections last year. According to the Commission on Elections (Comelec), voters’...

Woman attacked by suspected XL bully dog

Police say the woman needed hospital treatment following the attack in Blackpool on Monday.

PBBM warns drug syndicates after PH's biggest illegal drug haul

PBBM warns drug syndicates after PH's biggest illegal drug haul; Biden meets Iraqi PM Amid escalating mideast tensions; Trump arrives at court for the start of jury selection

Bishop to gov’t: Ensure safety of Pinoy crewmen on ship seized by Iran

A Catholic bishop urged the Philippine government to ensure the safety of Filipino seafarers who were among the crew of a container ship seized by Iranian forces in the Persian Gulf over the weekend. “We trust our government officials for necessary diplomatic assistance and assurance to exhaust all means to bring them safely home,” Bishop […]

Why Mexico will elect a female president despite being a patriarchal country

Muslim student loses school prayer ban challenge

Michaela School in London was challenged over a policy allegedly amounting to a prayer ban.

No jails will be built in Masungi Georeserve — BuCor

Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. on Tuesday assured that no prison will be constructed within the Masungi Georeserve in Baras, Rizal. Catapang, however, said a facility for a detachment of forest rangers would have to be built in the area to secure the agency’s jurisdiction. He said there are 20 to 30 hectares of “vacant spaces” within the area that may be used. “The bureau with proper coordination with the...

Marcos optimistic ‘ironclad’ US-PH defense pact is beyond politics

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday expressed optimism that the “ironclad” commitment of the United States to its defense treaty with the Philippines will remain constant and is “beyond politics.” Marcos made the remark when asked if he is concerned that, former US President Donald Trump, should he get reelected, would not offer the same “ironclad commitment” to the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) between Manila and...

'Bollard Man' who saved kids during Sydney stabbing offered Australian citizenship

Aussie PM Anthony Albanese said French construction worker Damien Guerot, who showed 'extraordinary bravery' in confronting the Bondi Junction attacker with a bollard, is welcome to stay in the country 'as long as he likes'.

Public school teachers, employees may wear alternative uniforms — DepEd

MANILA, Philippines — Amid high temperatures across the country, public school teachers are allowed to wear collared Department of Education (DepEd) polo shirts. This is according to DepEd on Monday. “Dulot ng mainit na panahon sa buong bansa, pinahihintulutan ang lahat ng DepEd teaching at non-teaching personnel [na magsuot ng alternate uniform],” DepEd said in an advisory. (Due to the high heat nationwide, all DepEd teaching and non-teaching...

Not my duty to apologize for martial law atrocities — PBBM

MANILA, Philippines — For President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., it is not his duty to apologize to the victims of martial law under his father. “I don’t think it’s a duty for a president to be involved, that is a personal matter for the Marcos family,” Marcos said during the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines forum held in Manila Hotel when asked if he’s going to issue an apology on behalf of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. When...

Malaya Lolas slam gov’t ‘failure’ to meet UN ruling

ANGELES CITY, PAMPANGA, Philippines — The financial aid given by the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to survivors of wartime sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army is “not in compliance” with the decision of the United Nations to help them, the women’s group Kaisa-Ka said. Lawyer Virginia Lacsa Suarez, chair of Kaisa-Ka, pointed this out in a forum held before the launch of the exhibit “Behind the Battle of the Malaya...

Police search for suspected robber 'carrying axe'

Officers say the suspect "acted aggressively to the staff" at a Post Office in Tilbury.

Man charged with 2013 murder of widow, 86

Police say they have charged David Newton, 69, from Wisbech.

Civil servant reveals 40,000 migrants have been left in limbo

Civil servant reveals the government have left 40,000+ migrants in limbo.

Senate urged: Investigate quarrying, mining impact

MANILA, Philippines — A resolution seeking to investigate the environmental and social impact of mining and quarrying activities in the country has been filed in the Senate. In particular, Sen. Risa Hontiveros’ proposed Senate Resolution No. 989 asks the appropriate committee to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, into recent incidents linked to mining and quarrying operations that adversely affected communities and ecosystems. “The...

Driver arrested three times over drink-drive limit

Police are urging people not to drink-drive after three arrests are made in one weekend.

British lawmakers to vote on smoking ban for younger generations

By Sarah Young LONDON (Reuters) - British lawmakers will vote on Tuesday on moves by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to ban anyone aged 15 and under from ever buying cigarettes. Though expected to be approved, Sunak's plan to impose some of the world's strictest anti-smoking rules has angered some members of his governing Conservative Party including former prime ministers Liz Truss and Boris Johnson

Negros execs slam local Church try to veto NIR revival

BACOLOD CITY — Local government officials of Negros have defended plans to revive the Negros Island Region (NIR) amid the request of the Diocese of Dumaguete for President Marcos to veto it. Rep. Manuel Sagarbarria of Negros Oriental’s 2nd district said consultations about the NIR had been done for the past decade contrary to what the local church claims. “Are 10 years of consultations not enough time? This (NIR push) has been going on for the...

Moscow pledges fighter jets and air defenses to Iran amid conflict

A strategic alliance between the two hostile nations has experts fearing Iran is growing in capabilities as it barrels towards war and the crisis in the Middle East deepens.

Woman in hospital after birthday holiday snake bite

Sam West was left in intensive care after being bitten by a viper in Cyprus.

PH, US eyeing inclusion of Japan in ‘Balikatan’

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and the United States are considering the expansion of their annual “Balikatan” (shoulder-to-shoulder) military exercises to include Japan following the historic trilateral meeting of the leaders of the three countries in Washington last week, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Monday. Marcos welcomed the idea of having Japanese troops participate in the Balikatan war games, carried out under the Mutual...

Panayam kay DFA Usec. Eduardo de Vega kaugnay sa lagay ng mga seafarears na sakay ng MSC Aries na sinalakay ng grupo ng Iran, gayundin ang contingency plan ng pamahaalan

Panayam kay DFA Usec. Eduardo de Vega kaugnay sa lagay ng mga seafarears na sakay ng MSC Aries na sinalakay ng grupo ng Iran, gayundin ang contingency plan ng pamahaalan

This is not a successful transport strike–DOTr

MANILA, Philippines — Government officials have downplayed the first of the two-day strike by two transport groups on Monday, saying that no part of the country, particularly Metro Manila, was paralyzed by their protest. But officials of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) also conceded that the government and the two most vocal critics of the public utility vehicle modernization program (PUVMP) have already reached a deadlock, two weeks...

Ex-ES Vic Rodriguez urges Marcos to undergo 'credible' drug test

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr's former executive secretary, Atty. Vic Rodriguez, on Tuesday urged him to undergo a "credible hair follicle drug test" in order to put an end to allegations that he is an illegal drug user. Rodriguez made the statement when asked about Marcos' remark in January that he would not dignify inquiries on his alleged illegal drug use. "That's not dignifying, it's heeding the call and the clamor of the Filipino...

Magna Carta of Seafarers pushed amid maritime threats

MANILA, Philippines — Two House lawmakers called for the urgent enactment of the sidelined Magna Carta of Seafarers bill to give mariners greater protection from piracy and other threats at sea, following Iran’s seizure on Sunday of a Portuguese cargo ship with four Filipinos on board in a Middle Eastern waterway. Kabayan Rep. Ron Salo, chair of the House committee on overseas workers affairs, and OFW Rep. Marissa Magsino emphasized the...

Tensions rise in Australia after a bishop and priest are wounded in a knife attack in a church

SYDNEY (AP) — A teenager has been accused of wounding a Christian bishop and priest during a church service in a second high-profile knife attack to rock Sydney in recent days, leaving communities on edge, leaders calling for calm and a besieged church urging against retaliation. The 16-year-old was overpowered by the shocked congregation at Christ the Good Shepherd Church after he allegedly stabbed Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and Fr. Isaac Royel...

Lost kingdom of the Kalaga-Putuan Crescent

For over 13 centuries, a sophisticated maritime kingdom flourished in the southeastern Philippine archipelago. Centered in Butuan (Caraga region), this kingdom, the “Kalaga-Putuan Crescent” (KPC), formed a vital maritime trade triangle with the Srivijaya in Palembang (now Indonesia) and Vijaya in Champa (now Vietnam). This remarkable history is revealed by Baldomero M. Olivera et al. (2024) in their study, “Reconstructing Philippine history...

Koko Pimentel: ‘Insulate’ armed forces from politics

MANILA, Philippines — Let people speak out, but insulate the country’s armed forces from politics. This was according to Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel, who was reacting to statements made following Davao Del Norte 1st District Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez’s controversial remarks about the West Philippine Sea (WPS) issue. Speaking at a political rally in Tagum City on Sunday, Alvarez urged the armed forces to withdraw their support...

Australia says Assyrian church stabbing was terrorist act

By Renju Jose and Lewis Jackson SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australian police on Tuesday said a knife attack on an Assyrian church bishop and some followers in Sydney was a terrorist act motivated by suspected religious extremism, as the country reeled from a second stabbing incident in three days. At least four people were wounded in the attack, including Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel of the Assyrian Christ