News

Relocation, aid readied for displaced families in Zambales

SAN ANTONIO, Zambales — The 52 families displaced by the demolition carried out at Sitio Talisay, Barangay Camiing in Cabangan town in this province will be relocated and given aid by the local government and the owner who claimed back his land. Cabangan Mayor Ronald Apostol said at least a hundred houses and seven resorts would be demolished, and only the 52 affected families would be relocated to a 5,000-square-meter lot within the 11-hectare...

Woman in her 70s dies in Londonderry crash

The collision involving two cars occurred on the Limavady Road on Thursday afternoon.

Dela Rosa hits China’s ‘hyping up’ remark: Buti sana kung mabait sila

MANILA, Philippines— China has no right to dictate to Filipinos, especially those who questioned the influx of Chinese students in Cagayan province, Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa said on Friday. According to the former police chief, it is only normal for Filipinos to cast doubt on China, considering its actions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). “Alam mo, dapat ang ayusin nila muna yung mga actions nila, para hindi magiging kaduda-duda on our...

The West African Sahel is becoming a drug smuggling corridor, UN warns, as seizures skyrocket

NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — Drug seizures soared in the West African Sahel region according to figures released Friday in a new U.N. report, indicating the conflict-ridden region is becoming an influential route for drug trafficking. In 2022, 1,466 kilograms, (3,232 pounds), of cocaine were seized in Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso and Niger compared to an average of 13 kilograms (28.7 pounds) between 2013 and 2020 , said the report from the U.N. Office on...

Kenya mourns defence chief killed in helicopter crash

Kenya began three days of mourning on Friday after its defence chief and nine other senior officers were killed in a helicopter crash, the latest military accident involving a high-profile figure. Ogolla, who was born in 1962, is not the only high-profile victim of an air crash in Kenya, with several dignitaries killed in recent years.

Man jailed for 10 years for rape of two girls

A south Scotland man has been jailed for 10 years after being convicted of raping two young girls.

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...

Death threats reported days before mother stabbed

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

PCG to send 6 ships to ‘Balikatan’ drills with US, allies

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) will send six ships for the upcoming “Balikatan” (shoulder-to-shoulder) exercises with American and other troops in Philippine and international waters starting next week. Rear Adm. Armand Balilo, PCG spokesperson, announced Thursday that the agency will join “joint interoperability exercises” with the Philippine Navy, United States, Australia, and France from April 22 to May 10. READ: Another first: PCG to...

Man accused of 80-year-old's murder appears in court

Jonathan Moore is accused of murdering Henry Mayo at a retirement complex in Cheltenham.

Shipping industry urges UN to protect vessels after Iran seizure

LONDON (Reuters) - Merchant ships and seafarers are increasingly in peril at sea as attacks escalate in the Middle East and the United Nations must do more to protect supply chains, the industry said in a letter released on Friday. Tensions have soared across the Middle East since the start of Israel's campaign in Gaza in October, with Israel or its ally the United States clashing repeatedly with

Tehran signals no retaliation against Israel after drones attack Iran

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

Jim'll Fix It fan guilty of causing home explosion

Haydon told police he was "obsessed with all kinds of weaponry, explosives in particular".

Has Israel attacked Iran’s Isfahan province? What we know so far

Iran deployed air defence batteries to intercept three drones, raising concerns of a confrontation with Israel.

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'

People smugglers jailed for trying to sneak 9 migrants OUT of the UK

Tarik Slimani, 47, and Italian national Driss Hasska, 54, were spotted by officers meeting at a bus stop in Kent on the evening of August 4 last year.

Bridging Borders: Ateneo de Cebu’s First International College and Career Exposure Canada Program with Wise Immigration and Four Seasons Immigration

The Sacred Heart School – Ateneo de Cebu successfully partners with Wise Immigration and Study Services and its Canadian consultant partner, Four Seasons Immigration and Study Services Inc., for its first International College and Career Exposure (IC2E) Canada 2024 Program. The pioneering Canadian Study Tour Program for Filipino Senior High School students aims to provide students with a transformative experience integrating concepts, skills,...

Police arrest man in Paris Iran consulate incident, threatened to blow himself up

French police arrested a man who had threatened to blow himself up at Iran's consulate in Paris, police said on Friday. A police source had told Reuters the man was seen at about 11 am entering the consulate, carrying what appeared to be a grenade and explosive vest. The man exited the consulate and was being searched by special police forces and w...

Alleged murder victim 'knew about husband's affair'

Carol Morgan told her cousin about the affair in a phone call, a trial hears.

Two rescued after yacht runs aground off Sussex

Two people rescued are not thought to be injured following incident on Friday morning.

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

Man pleads not guilty over death of premature baby

Daniel Gunter, 25, and Sophie Staddon, 20, both face a murder charge over the child's death

Ukraine says it shot down Russian strategic bomber after strike kills nine

Russian officials says the plane crashed over the southern Stavropol region due to a technical malfunction.

BI: 1,516 Chinese nat’ls given student visas in Cagayan in 2023

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 1,516 Chinese nationals, all endorsed by a major Philippine university, were issued student visas in Cagayan in 2023, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Friday. “However, reports received only show more than 400 Chinese nationals are on-site, as the school is said to be implementing distance learning,” the BI noted in a statement. The bureau issued this pronouncement following reports that there is an alleged...

Mother of murdered Anthony Walker made MBE

Gee Walker pays tribute to the people of Liverpool as she is made MBE at Buckingham Palace.

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.

Father and son nabbed for illegal sale of firearms in Antipolo

A man and his son were nabbed in Antipolo City for the alleged illegal sale of firearms and ammunition in their car repair shop. According to Emil Sumangil’s exclusive “24 Oras” report on Friday, the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) raided the establishment after receiving information the suspects were selling firearms for P5,000. Recovered from the shop were 13 firearms and around 220 live rounds...

Attack sends message to Iran but Israelis divided over response

Some in Israel had been calling for a stronger move than this apparently limited strike, writes James Landale.

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.

Lidl worker seriously injured in store accident

An investigation is ongoing after a woman suffered what police said were "life-changing injuries".

Rhian Ramos is finally flying home after '2 days of sleeping on airport floors'

Rhian Ramos was among the stranded passengers in Dubai International Airport after heavy rains disrupted its operations. On X (formerly Twitter) Friday, Rhian first posted a photo of what appeared to be her makeshift bed — blankets spread on the floor, towels as pillows — as well as a photo of a long lines at the connections desk, and asked if there was "anyone from Emirates Dubai" who could help. "We need to rebook," she said. Three hours...

Marcos, VP Sara maintain cordial ties at PNPA event

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte showed friendly behavior toward each other on Friday, despite First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos' admission that her relationship with the country's second-highest leader has soured. At the graduation ceremony of the Philippine National Police Academy in Silang, Cavite, the two leaders were spotted exchanging smiles before Marcos bussed Duterte on the cheek. Marcos and...

2 children found dead hugging each other in Cavite fire

Two children tragically lost their lives after they were trapped inside their burning house in Silang, Cavite on Thursday. The victims, aged 3 and 4, were found hugging each other when their remains were recovered in Barangay Biluso, according to a report on “24 Oras” on Friday. An investigation showed the mother briefly left the siblings to gather wood but when she returned, their house was already engulfed in flames. The fire also gutted a...

'Train station closure huge loss for me'

Great Victoria Street station will close on 10 May ahead of the move to the new Grand Central Station.

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...

Police looking at BBC's council leader abuse claims

The BBC heard accounts from women who had relationships with Jonathan Nunn between 1990 and 2013.

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 […]

Teacher admits manslaughter of man found in garden

Fiona Beal goes on trial, accused of murdering her partner "in cold blood".

Ukraine has created a new unit dedicated to demining the country

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...

No perjury charges against Bloody Sunday soldiers

The Public Prosecution Service has been investigating fifteen former soldiers and an alleged former member of the IRA.

Western states sought to send de-escalation messages to Iran via Turkey, Western diplomat says

ANKARA (Reuters) - Western states have sought to send Iran messages via Turkey in recent days to reiterate appeals for de-escalation, a Western diplomat said on Friday. The messages were conveyed before reported Israeli attacks on Iran early on Friday, after which Tehran indicated it had no plans for further retaliation. After Iran's retaliatory attack on Israel over the weekend, Turkey's

Day centre which was closed 'unlawfully' reopens

Campaigners are welcoming the service's return in Hawick more than four years after it was closed.

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...

China: Marcos gov’t abandons ‘new approach’ to ease WPS tensions

China claimed they had an “internal understanding” and a “new approach” to ease tension at Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea with the Philippines. However, they said the Marcos administration later “abandoned” it after seven months. The Chinese Embassy in Manila made this statement on Thursday, a week after Beijing and former President Rodrigo Duterte confirmed a “gentleman’s agreement” to maintain the “status quo” in the...

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.

Rishi Sunak vows Rwanda Bill WILL be passed on Monday

Rishi Sunak warned peers he is ready to make Parliament sit through the night if they continue efforts to hamper the crucial legislation.

Pro-China PM retains his seat in Solomon Islands election

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare was set to retain his seat in elections Saturday, local media reported, paving the way for the pro-China leader to try to form a government. Sogavare fended off four challengers to retain a parliamentary seat he has held for more than 20 years, according to provisional results reported by the nation's public broadcaster.

Russia doesn’t have capability to knock Ukraine out of war: Ex-US commander

Ben Hodges, who led US forces in Europe, says Western powers should overcome their fears of supporting Ukraine.

Arrests after nine injured in fight outside pub

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