News

Trillanes told to spare PNP from rumors of ouster plot vs Marcos

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) appealed on Tuesday to former senator Antonio Trillanes IV to spare the organization from issues after the latter revealed that active senior police officials have been recruiting members to join the latest ouster plot against President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. Citing PNP chief Gen. Rommel Marbil, the national police spokesperson, Col. Jean Fajardo, said they have not intercepted...

Man charged with murder after woman stabbed to death

A man is charged with the murder of Michelle Hodgkinson as she walked to visit her mother.

Fraudster 'planned killing' of heiress - lawyer

Paula Leeson's family want a judge to rule her husband unlawfully killed her.

Two children among six seriously hurt in car crash

Cambridgeshire Police says a "serious and complex" investigation is under way.

Several solons say linking Marcos to drugs meant to destabilize gov’t

MANILA, Philippines — Several members of the House of Representatives have pointed out that linking President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. to drug use is part of politics and an attempt to destabilize the government. During a briefing on Tuesday at the Batasang Pambansa complex, Zambales 1st District Rep. Jefferson Khonghun said that the public needs to understand that the accusations are only meant to shame the President, which is why...

Zambales solon to Trillanes: Don’t drag PNP, AFP in rumormongering

MANILA, Philippines — Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV should not tag active police and military officials in alleged destabilization plot especially if he does not have any evidence, Zambales 1st District Rep. Jefferson Khonghun said on Tuesday. Khonghun in a press briefing at the Batasang Pambansa complex also said that it is unfair for generals to be dragged in such discussions, noting that Trillanes has been known to be a “gossiper.”...

HRW: PH needs to do more to protect journalists

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the Marcos administration to improve its efforts in protecting journalists in the Philippines. "Rather than resting on the laurels of the pending Jumalon trial and the incomplete Lapid case, the Marcos administration needs to ratchet up its efforts to protect journalists," HRW Asia Division senior researcher Carlos H. Conde said in a statement on Tuesday. "It should immediately end the practice of...

Solon suggests a 2026 barangay polls, avoid shorter terms for incumbent execs

MANILA, Philippines — Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte is suggesting that the next Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) be held in 2026 instead of 2025, so that sitting officials would not be given shorter terms. Villafuerte in a statement on Tuesday said he and other lawmakers have filed House Bill (HB) No. 10344 to move the next elections to October 26, 2026, explaining that incumbent barangay officials can only perform their...

Teacher had schoolboy's baby, court years

Rebecca Joynes denies six counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child.

CVIRAA 2024: Cebu City Niños pull away in medal standings

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Host Cebu City bared its fangs in almost all fronts on Tuesday to seize the lead after three action-packed days of CVIRAA 2024 athletic meet. Struggling in the first two days of competition, the defending champion Cebu City Niños harvested 25 gold medals on the third day of hostilities to boost their chances of retaining the overall championship. From a lukewarm 11 gold-medal harvest on Monday, the Niños added 25 more on...

Fewer Chinese vessels in West PH Sea as ‘Balikatan’ nears end

LAOAG CITY, Philippines — Fewer Chinese vessels were observed in the West Philippine Sea compared to previous weeks as the war games between Manila and Washington near completion. “There was a surge at the beginning, but for this week there is no significant increase in the number of China vessels in the West Philippine Sea,” said Col. Francel Margareth Padilla, Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson. “Compared to the last week, there is a...

Vaughan Gething told colleagues he deleted Whatsapp messages

Vaughan Gething (pictured), who was the health minister during the pandemic, told the inquiry in March that his lost WhatsApp messages were not deleted by him but by the Senedd's IT team.

Israeli forces take control of Gaza side of Rafah crossing with Egypt

Israeli troops seized control of Gaza's vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday in what the White House described as a limited operation, as fears mount of a full-scale invasion of the southern city and ceasefire talks with Hamas remain on a knife's edge. The UN warned of a potential collapse of the flow of aid to Palestinians from the closure of Rafah and the other main crossing into Gaza, Kerem Shalom, at a time when officials say northern Gaza is experiencing "full-blown famine". The move comes after hours of whiplash in the Israel-Hamas war, with the militant group on Monday saying it accepted an Egyptian-Qatari mediated ceasefire proposal.

Have Kyiv's American-supplied Abrams tanks failed in Ukraine?

Asylum seekers pay thousands to enter Ireland as they are 'much safer'

There were a total of 85 tents lined up between Mount Street Bridge and Huband Bridge yesterday afternoon - a figure that has doubled in less than a week.

US soldier bucked Army rules before arrest in Russia

By Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Before his arrest in Russia, U.S. soldier Gordon Black not only broke Army rules by traveling to the Russian city of Vladivostok without authorization, but he did so after passing through China, the Pentagon said on Tuesday. Details about Black started to emerge on Tuesday of risk-taking behavior that saw the 34-year-old Army staff sergeant's

Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 804

As the war enters its 804th day, these are the main developments.

The popular decimation of India's democracy

BERKELEY, California – India's ongoing parliamentary election, in which nearly a billion people may cast their votes over a six-week period, should represent an extraordinary exercise of democracy. The bleak reality, however, is that the election appears poised to consolidate a decadelong process of democratic decay, which has included the decimation of liberal institutions and practices and the weakening of political competition. After all, the...

Trillanes: ICC expected to issue arrest warrant vs Duterte by June or July

MANILA CITY, Philippines — The International Criminal Court (ICC) is expected to issue an arrest warrant against former President Rodrigo Duterte and others by June or July, former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said Tuesday. Trillanes said the information came from individuals privy to the investigation conducted by the ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor. “Nasa stage na ‘yung ICC investigation na patapos na patapos na at baka magrequest na sila ng...

China's Xi in Serbia for talks to boost economic ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold talks with his Serbian counterpart in Belgrade on Wednesday, as Beijing seeks to deepen its political and economic ties with friendlier countries in Europe. In Belgrade, the Chinese leader will meet President Aleksandar Vucic for talks on Wednesday, before heading to Budapest.

Roque says oust Marcos plot a ‘hallucination’

MANILA, Philippines – The reported plot by the camp of former president Rodrigo Duterte to oust President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos is just a “hallucination,” former Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Tuesday. Roque made the remark after former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV’s allegation that active senior police officials and retired military officials were already recruiting members to join the ouster move. Trillanes said the Duterte...

Filipino priest to become Franciscan general treasurer

MANILA, Philippines — A Filipino priest is set to become one of the top officials of the Order of Friars Minor (OFM), or the Franciscans, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said on Tuesday. According to the CBCP, Fr. Joel Sulse was appointed general oeconomus, or the treasurer of the religious order. READ: Franciscans mark 800th anniversary of historic interreligious meeting Sulse went to Rome on Tuesday, the CBCP added....

Dela Rosa: I’m not being used to destabilize Marcos admin

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa shunned on Tuesday allegations that he is being used by certain people to destabilize the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. “Never akong magpapagamit kahit kanino man. Wala pong makakagamit sa akin, kaya nga sabi ko sa inyo – I have to maintain the objectivity in the conduct of this hearing kasi alam kong dalawang nag-uumpugang pader dito maiipit dito [at] maiipit...

OCTA: Patrols and troops, diplomacy top Filipino priorities on WPS

Expanded naval patrols and troop presence, and diplomacy topped the steps that Filipinos believe the Marcos administration should prioritize in dealing with issues about the West Philippine Sea. According to OCTA Research's Tugon ng Masa survey for the first quarter of 2024, 73% of respondents said military action should be given priority when responding to incursions into the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. Seventy-two percent answered...

Bato dares Trillanes: Arrest me, make my day

ENRAGED Sen. Ronald de la Rosa challenged former senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Tuesday to join in serving the warrant for his and former president Rodrigo Duterte's arrest to be issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC). At a press conference, de la Rosa took a dig at Trillanes' announcement that a warrant of arrest for him and former president Duterte would be released in June or July. "Trillanes keeps on talking about the ICC... come...

Notable People who died in 2024

Senate pays tribute to Saguisag; Robin apologizes for ‘Rene’ gaffe

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate unanimously adopted on Tuesday a resolution expressing the chamber’s profound sympathy and sincere condolences to the family of staunch rights defender and late former senator Rene Saguisag. Meantime, Sen. Robinhood Padilla apologized for mistakenly citing and mentioning another late former senator and namesake of Saguisag, Rene Cayetano, in his manifestation. Senate Resolution No. 1009 was introduced by Senate...

Police officer 'deliberately' run over by suspect

The officer has suffered a broken ankle and was described as being "in and out of consciousness".

Taiwan says its military is ready for China moves around new president's inaugural

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan's military is prepared for any moves China may make around the time President-elect Lai Ching-te takes office later this month, the island's deputy defence minister said on Wednesday. China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has a strong dislike of Lai, believing him to be a dangerous separatist, whose repeated offers of talks it has

NYC Mayor Eric Adams donates $5K of own money to catch anti-Israel agitators who defaced World War I memorial

Anti-Israel agitators vandalized a World War I memorial Monday night in NYC as protests carried on near Central Park. New York City Mayor Eric Adams called for the arrest of the vandals, while putting up some his own money as a reward.

Families flee as tension between armed groups brews in Mamasapano

More than 1,000 families have fled their homes for fear of being caught in the crossfire as tension between armed groups continues in Mamasapano, Maguindanao del Sur. Around 960 families have taken shelter temporarily at some schools in the town. According to the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), the conflict between two groups of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) started on April 2, 2024, and has continued...

Marcos hopes for Philippines-EU FTA by 2027

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos is hoping to conclude negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) between the Philippines and the European Union by 2027 that is seen to further boost trade and investments between the country and the EU. “We see the FTA as a crucial step in enhancing the trade partnership between the Philippines and the EU,” President Marcos said in his message delivered by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin during the...

Jobless Filipinos up to 2 million in March 2024

The number of unemployed Filipinos increased in March following the effects of the ongoing El Niño phenomenon and the African swine fever (ASF) on the agriculture sector, data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Wednesday showed. There were 2 million unemployed Filipinos in March, translating to an unemployment rate of 3.9%, based on the labor force of 51.15 million Filipinos aged 15 and above or a labor force participation...

DFA: No Cabinet exec OK’d China proposal

MANILA, Philippines — As Beijing continues to cite Philippine officials who supposedly agreed or were privy to its secret deal with Manila on Ayungin Shoal, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) made it clear yesterday that no Cabinet-level official had approved any Chinese proposal. In a statement, the DFA emphasized that only the Philippine president can approve or authorize agreements entered into by the government with other parties on...

Kim Jong Un mourns death of North Korea's former propaganda chief

North Korea's former propaganda chief, credited with masterminding the personality cult surrounding the ruling Kim dynasty, has died, state media said Wednesday, with leader Kim Jong Un photographed bowing at his funeral bier. He is credited with masterminding the cult of the Kim family dynasty, and Pyongyang's state media on Wednesday described him as "a veteran of our Party and the revolution, a prestigious theoretician and a prominent...

Ex-PDEA agent stands firm on allegations about Marcos drug-use probe

FORMER Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agent Jonathan Morales stood by his claim at Tuesday's Senate committee hearing that he recommended the surveillance of then-senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in 2012 for cocaine use, but his higher-ups ordered him to abort the operation. Morales' orders were in the form of a "pre-operation report" and "authority to operate," dated March 11, 2012, against "Bongbong Marcos @ Bonget and some unidentified...

Police 'lost' girl's evidence of abuse by babysitter

Michaela Allen says she has been "robbed of justice" in her fight to get her case to court.

QUB students want Hillary Clinton removed as chancellor

In a statement, the QUB Palestine Assembly said they want to see a democratic election process for the next chancellor.

Macron and French First Lady take Chinese counterparts to the Alps

Macron, joined initially by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen , urged Xi not to allow the export of any technology that could be used by Russia in its invasion of Ukraine.

Tolentino wants PH to acquire submarines, Pintados fleet

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Francis Tolentino wants the Philippine government to upgrade its maritime fleet by acquiring more submarines. “China is bullying us because we are lacking resources, especially naval resources. What we need are submarines,” said Tolentino, chairperson of the Senate’s special panel on maritime and admiralty zones, in a statement on Tuesday. READ: Submarines in next phase of PH military upgrade “The importance of...

Kim family's master propagandist dies at 94

Kim Ki Nam built the personality cult of North Korea's ruling dynasty.

The North Korean official whose propaganda helped build the Kim dynasty dies at 94

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Kim Ki Nam, a North Korean propaganda chief who helped build personality cults around the country’s three dynastic leaders, has died at 94, the North’s state media said. North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said the country’s current leader, Kim Jong Un, visited the body of Kim Ki Nam at a funeral hall in the capital, Pyongyang, early Wednesday and expressed condolences to family members. The agency said...

Marcos: P59.8-B health emergency allowance distributed to medical frontliners

At least P59.8 billion has been distributed to medical frontline workers for their health emergency allowance during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. In a Facebook post, Marcos said the amount was 78.92% of the COVID-19 health emergency allowance allotted by the government to health workers. The President announced this following the celebration of Health Workers' Day on Tuesday as he acknowledged the...

PNP to sustain ramped up drive vs illegal drugs

MANILA, Philippines —The police need to double efforts in the fight against illegal drugs, especially as those involved continuously improve their nefarious methods, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rommel Marbil said on Tuesday. According to Marbil, the government is also aiming for a 100 percent drug-free community. “‘Pag ka sinasabi mong giyera mayroong katapusan eh, ito walang katapusan po ‘to. Dapat every time talagang...

Mega Millions winning numbers for May 7 drawing: Jackpot rises to $306 million

Mega Millions players, are you feeling lucky? The winning numbers are in for the May 7 drawing with the $306 million jackpot at stake.

Gun and motorbike seized after man shot dead

A firearm and an electric motorbike have been seized by officers investigating a fatal shooting in Dublin.

DOLE warns public against fake Facebook post

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said on Tuesday that a Facebook page which alleged to give a scholarship under its Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/ Displaced Workers (TUPAD) is fake. According to the Dole, the TUPAD program was not a scholarship program, but was instead an employment program. READ: Dole to employers: Implement measures to protect workers vs heat “The TUPAD Program is not a cash or...

NSC: Marcos wants PH to make certain adjustments in resupply missions

MANILA, Philippines — Upon President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive, the government will make “certain adjustments” to the Philippine Navy and Coast Guard’s conduct of resupply missions following China’s latest water cannon attack on April 30, according to National Security Council (NSC) Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya. Although he opted not to disclose more details, Malaya said this adjustment will help them keep the troops at the...

House bill seeks to postpone BSKE anew

MANILA, Philippines — A bill seeking to postpone the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) scheduled on Dec. 1 next year has been filed before the House of Representatives. Camarines Sur third district Rep. LRay Villafuerte filed House Bill 10344, which proposes the holding of the BSKE polls on Oct. 26, 2026. Under the bill, the BSKE should be held every three years thereafter ”in compliance with the provisions of the Constitution...

AFP denies Wescom involvement in Ayungin’s ‘new model’

LAOAG CITY, ILOCOS NORTE, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday categorically denied China’s linking of its Western Command (Wescom) to the purported “new model” of management for the Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal situation. An unidentified Chinese embassy spokesperson on Saturday said that the AFP-Wescom and Chinese authorities agreed with a “new model” to manage the tensions in the shoal where a Philippine navy...