News

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...

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...

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:...

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...

Play tells real-life story of one-punch killing

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

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 —...

Philippines, US forces to train retaking island in joint drills

MANILA — Philippine and U.S. forces will simulate retaking enemy-occupied islands during joint military drills starting next week in areas facing Taiwan and the South China Sea as Manila shifts its focus to external defense. The annual “Balikatan” or “shoulder-to-shoulder” drills, which will run from April 22 to May 10, will involve 16,700 soldiers who will train […]

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,...

U.S. oil falls below $83 as war fears ease after Israel refrains from immediate Iran counterattack

Oil has sold off 4% this week as traders unwind the geopolitical risk premium built into prices over the last two weeks.

Palestinian bid for UN membership set for Security Council vote

Palestinian and Israeli representatives have addressed the UNSC ahead of a vote on full membership to the body.

52 houses in Zambales town face demolition

SAN ANTONIO, Zambales — In between sobs, Rosemarie Susi, 23, and her family watched as a demolition team prepared to destroy their home at a fishing village in Barangay Camiing, Cabangan, Zambales on Wednesday, April 17. “There are eight of us in one house. We don’t know where else to go. We just removed our things first because they said that if we don’t, they will destroy them too,” Susi told the Inquirer in Filipino. Susi and her family were...

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...

Sydney shopping mall reopens after stabbings. Police make first arrest in riot after church attack

SYDNEY (AP) — A Sydney shopping mall opened to the public on Thursday for the first time since a mass stabbing i n which six people died, while the Australian prime minister raised giving citizenship to an immigrant security guard who was wounded while confronting the knife-wielding attacker. The deadly rampage through Westfield Bondi Junction on Saturday was the earlier of two knife attacks by lone assailants over three days that have...

Family of Minnesota man shot to death by state trooper in traffic stop files civil rights lawsuit

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The family of a Minnesota man who was killed by a state trooper during a traffic stop filed a federal civil rights lawsuit Wednesday, alleging that the fatal shooting was unjustified and unlawful. The lawsuit names Troopers Ryan Londregan, who shot Ricky Cobb II, and Brett Seide, who made the initial stop. Londregan, a white officer, was already facing murder charges for killing Cobb, a Black man, in what has become a...

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...

A Ukrainian ally is sending Kyiv F-16s for deep strikes into Russia's rear

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...

1,330 pass the April 2024 electronics engineering licensure exams

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 1,330 out of 3,130 passed the 2024 April Electronics Engineering Licensure Exam (ECELE), said the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) on Wednesday. According to the PRC, the board exam was conducted on April 11 to 12, 2024 at testing centers in Metro Manila, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legazpi, Lucena, Pampanga, Rosales and Tuguegarao. Niel Shem Geronimo Bañas of the Technological University...

New Zealand PM arriving in PH for official visit

MANILA, Philippines — New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will be in the Philippines on Thjursday for an official visit, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) announced. During a farewell call with President Ferdinand “Bonbong” Marcos Jr. at Malacañan Palace, outgoing New Zealand Ambassador to the Philippines Peter Kell said that Luxon has been keenly interested in visiting the country. “He (Luxon) has been very clear that he...

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

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 […]

Rapper GloRilla arrested in Georgia for an alleged DUI, failing to do breathalyzer

Memphis rapper GloRilla was arrested in the Atlanta area on Tuesday for a suspected DUI after making an illegal U-Turn.

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...

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...

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...

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°

Concerns raised over future of lido

Ilkley Pool and Lido has been used by swimmers in the area since 1935.

'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.'

Probe surge of Chinese nationals near Edca sites—Rep. Barbers

MANILA, Philippines — Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers is urging concerned government and law enforcement agencies to investigate the surge of Chinese nationals near Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca) sites and other major seaports and airports nationwide. Barbers, who chairs the House committee on dangerous drugs, said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Bureau of Immigration (BI) “should be held responsible and...

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...

Alvarez may be delisted as Marine reservist after Marcos ouster call

MANILA, Philippines — Davao del Norte 1st Dist. Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez may be delisted as a Marine reservist after urging the Armed Forces of the Philippines to withdraw its support for President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., according to AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla. “In terms of the laws of the AFP, in our policy, we have the Articles of War that can handle it, and he can be separated from the service and delisted,”...

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...

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...

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...

PBBM, nanawagan ng whole-of-government approach matapos sabihin ng NGCP na isailalim sa red at yellow alert status ang Luzon power grid

PBBM, nanawagan ng whole-of-government approach matapos sabihin ng NGCP na isailalim sa red at yellow alert status ang Luzon power grid 39/kilo ng bigas, mabibili sa Kadiwa ng Pangulo stores sa Metro Manila

Marcos meets Blair over BARMM peace efforts, food security, climate change

MANILA, Philippines: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier this week met with former United Kingdom prime minister Tony Blair, Malacañang said. Their meeting last Wednesday, April 17, was their third overall, the first two being on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York and in the Palace in Manila, both in 2022. In a social media post, Marcos said he was "looking forward to further collaboration with the Tony Blair...

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...

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...

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...

AFP checking implications of increasing Chinese students in Cagayan

MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is looking into the “national security implications” of the reported surge of Chinese students in Cagayan, its spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said on Wednesday. “We are looking at the national security implications to this,” Padilla said in a public briefing. She added: “We are conducting our internal investigation on the veracity of these reports.” Padilla also said...

No Filipino casualty reported in Dubai floods – DMW

MANILA, Philippines — No Filipino casualty or fatality has so far been reported amid the flooding in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said on Wednesday. “Severe flooding reported, per local media and other sources. No dead or injured Filipinos — hoping this remains so,” DMW told reporters in a Viber message. The Philippine government’s data showed that there are at least 421,686 Filipinos in Dubai as of June...

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

Romualdez wants multilateral military exercises, more military financing

MANILA, Philippines — House Speaker Martin Romualdez is seeking the expansion of joint military exercises in the Philippines, which he said not only improves the country’s defense strategies but also forge strong ties with other allies. Leading the Philippine delegation, Romualdez said they laid his proposals before United States (US) lawmakers such as Sen. William Francis Hagerty of Tennessee, Sen. Christopher Van Hollen of Maryland, and Rep....

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...

EU, nagpataw ng sanctions vs. Iran

EU, nagpataw ng sanctions vs. Iran

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...