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Drone attack caused no damage or casualties in Isfahan, says Iran foreign minister

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said drones that sources say Israel fired at the city of Isfahan on Friday caused no damage or casualties, in comments made to the envoys of Muslim countries in New York and cited by Iranian media. "The Zionist regime's media supporters, in a desperate effort, tried to make victory out of their defeat, while the downed mini-drones

Killer Valdo Calocane's sentence review date set

The 31-year-old is currently sentenced to a hospital order after admitting manslaughter.

Bloody Sunday families criticise PPS Bloody Sunday perjury decision

Regarded as one of the darkest days of the Troubles, 13 people were killed when paratroopers opened fire on a crowd taking part in a civil rights march in Londonderry on January 30, 1972.

Ex-police officer jailed for sharing scene images

While serving as a PC, Wood sent images from investigations to his family and friends via WhatsApp.

'Predator' sexually assaulted woman walking home

Alazar Yohans attempted to kiss the victim in a bar before following her across town, police say.

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.

Columbine school shooters glorified by young followers: Inside the scary online obsession

Twenty-five years after the Columbine shooting, young people who weren't born when it happened are glorifying the killers on social media platforms.

Jury weighs case against Arizona rancher in migrant killing

PHOENIX (AP) — A jury in southern Arizona resumed its deliberations Friday in the trial of a rancher charged with fatally shooting an unarmed migrant on his property near the U.S.-Mexico border. Jurors received the case Thursday afternoon after a nearly one-month trial in a presidential election year that has drawn widespread interest in border security. George Alan Kelly, 75, is charged with second-degree murder in the January 30, 2023,...

Haiti's death toll rises as international support lags, UN report says

By Sarah Morland (Reuters) - More than 2,500 people were killed or injured in gang violence in Haiti from January through March, up 53% from the last three months of 2023, the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) said on Friday. At least 590 were killed during police operations, BINUH said in a report. Several were apparently not involved in gang violence, some had impaired mobility

Aid ready for OFWs affected by UAE floods

THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said that it is extending all necessary assistance to Filipinos affected by the recent floods in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The DFA said that the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai is working closely with local authorities and Filipino community organizations in the country to reach out to those affected. It added that the Department of Migrant Workers was in contact with the families of the three...

Ukraine downs Russian strategic bomber after airstrike kills eight, Kyiv says

By Tom Balmforth and Anastasiia Malenko KYIV/DNIPRO, Ukraine (Reuters) -Ukraine shot down a Russian strategic bomber 300 km (185 miles) from its border on Friday after the warplane took part in an airstrike that killed at least eight people, including two children, in the central Dnipropetrovsk region, Kyiv said. Missiles rained down on the city of Dnipro and the surrounding region in the early

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.

Liza Marcos on avoiding VP Sara: 'I'm not a hypocrite'

First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos said she had been avoiding Vice President Sara Duterte to show her resentment after the latter's father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, called President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. "bangag" or high on drugs. According to Ivan Mayrina's report on "24 Oras," the First Lady said she took offense when she saw the Vice President laughing over the former President's remark at a rally in Davao City in late January....

Three California police officers charged in 2021 death of man in custody

(Reuters) -California prosecutors announced involuntary manslaughter charges against three police officers for the 2021 death of a man in their custody, reversing the outcome of a previous investigation that had cleared the officers. The officers in Alameda, California, pinned Mario Gonzalez, 26, to the ground for about five minutes before he became unresponsive during an arrest on April 19, 2021

Alleged murder victim 'knew about husband's affair'

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

UN warns 800,000 people in Sudan city in 'extreme, immediate danger'

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Some 800,000 people in a Sudanese city are in "extreme and immediate danger" as worsening violence advances and threatens to "unleash bloody intercommunal strife throughout Darfur," top U.N. officials warned the Security Council on Friday. War erupted in Sudan one year ago between the Sudanese army (SAF) and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), creating the world's

Nato pledges more advanced air defences to Ukraine

Kyiv has long been pressing for hi-tech Patriot systems to defend against deadly Russian attacks.

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...

Tributes to police chief who led hunt for Lockerbie bombers

John Boyd was head of the Dumfries and Galloway force at the time of the Lockerbie bombing in 1988.

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...

Croatia’s top court bars President Milanovic from becoming prime minister

Constitutional Court says Zoran Milanovic cannot take up PM post because he did not first step down as president.

West Africa’s Sahel becoming a drug trafficking corridor, UN warns

Drug seizures, mainly of cocaine and cannabis resin, have soared in the region, according to a UN report.

Five Japanese survive Pakistan suicide bomber and gunman attack, two bystanders killed

By Ariba Shahid KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) -Five Japanese nationals in Pakistan escaped when a suicide bomber detonated their device on Friday, and police shot dead a gunman accompanying the bomber, officials said, adding that two bystanders died from injuries sustained in the incident. No militant group has claimed responsibility for the rare attack on Japanese nationals in Karachi, with

Police want to trace man who helped rape victim

The man in the CCTV footage is believed to be the individual who helped the woman get to safety.

Murder arrest after woman found dead

A 60-year-old man remains in police custody, Nottinghamshire Police said.

Celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Servillano Aquino

THE National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), the Province of Tarlac and the Municipality of Concepcion led the nation's commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary of General Servillano Aquino at the Municipal Plaza of Concepcion, Tarlac on April 19, 2024. Tarlac Second District Representative Noel "Bong" Rivera served as the guest of honor, joined by NHCP Chairman Lisa Guerrero Nakpil, Tarlac Governor Susan Yap, Concepcion...

When words, actions speak loud: Duterte’s honeymoon with China

MANILA, Philippines—“I would say ‘this is ours and do what you want with me’.” This was the declaration of Rodrigo Duterte in 2016, less than a month before he was elected as president of the Philippines. At that time, he said that should China disregard the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), which was still pending then, he would ride a jet ski to the West Philippine Sea (WPS) to assert what is “ours”. It came on as a strong...

Ukraine: CIA warns it could lose war this year without fresh aid

The CIA chief warned Thursday that Ukraine could lose the war to Russia by the end of this year unless the United States sends more military aid. The grim warning by Bill Burns came as the US House of Representatives is scheduled to vote Saturday on a $61 billion aid package for Ukraine that has been held up for months by Republican lawmakers allied with Donald Trump as he seeks reelection. READ MORE: Russian missile barrage on Ukraine city...

Brian Poe takes oath as PNP-AVSEGROUP SOU advisory council member

MANILA, Philippines – Brian Poe-Llamanzares, Chief of Staff of Senator Grace Poe, was sworn is as a member of the Philippine National Police – Aviation Security Group Special Operations Unit Advisory Council (AVSEGROUP SOU-AC). The council is made up of citizens who contribute their time, expertise, and resources towards the efforts of the SOU and the fulfillment of the vision of the PNP P.A.T.R.O.L. Plan 2030 “to become a highly capable,...

French bulldog stolen in burglary

A search has been launched after the 18-month-old dog was taken in the early hours of Friday morning.

Zubiri, NZ PM agree on need for free Indo-Pacific region to spur economy

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon have agreed that maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region would be key to improving the economies in Southeast Asia and its partners. In a statement, Zubiri said among the things discussed during his meeting with Luxon on Friday were the pursuit of deeper engagement between the two countries in terms of economy and security,...

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.

New prison policies following death of inmate

More guidelines to identify vulnerable Isle of Man prisoners have been introduced, inquest hears.

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.

The US attempts a new military deal with Niger in a last ditch effort to stay

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — The United States is attempting to create a new military agreement with Niger that would allow it to remain in the country, weeks after the junta said its presence was no longer justified, two Western officials told The Associated Press Friday. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, said Washington was actively working on options for a revised deal aimed at retaining its...

‘Non-opposition’ Duterte: If Vice President Sara becomes president…

MANILA, Philippines — After lambasting President Marcos in several Hakbang ng Maisog prayer rallies, former president Rodrigo Duterte has declared that he does not oppose the Marcos administration. “I am not an opposition. I am also not against Marcos,” Duterte said in his speech at the founding anniversary of Brgy. Pandaitan, a former rebel infested barangay in Davao City. Duterte explained that he did not support Marcos during the last...

UN rights chief urges states to act on slavery reparations

By Emma Farge GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations human rights chief called for countries to take concrete steps on reparations for people of African descent at a U.N. meeting on Friday, adding his voice to calls for justice for slavery atrocities. Support is building among Africa and Caribbean nations for the creation of a tribunal to address reparations, which might include financial

Israel's Iran attack carefully calibrated after internal splits, US pressure

By Samia Nakhoul, Parisa Hafezi and James Mackenzie DUBAI/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's apparent strike on Iran after days of vacillation was small and appeared calibrated to dial back risks of a major war, even if the sheer fact it happened at all shattered a taboo of direct attacks that Tehran broke days earlier. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war cabinet had initially approved plans for

Gangsters jailed over dancefloor shooting in Hackney

Gangsters jailed over dancefloor shooting in Hackney - The dead gunman was a ‘core member’ of the 67 gang from Brixton Hill

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...

‘Here we go again’: Women fearful in wake of Sydney attack

The stabbing rampage at a busy Sydney shopping centre has left many - particularly women - uneasy.

Ukraine has created a new unit dedicated to demining the country

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...

Woman loses cellphone to 'punas-tissue' in Batangas City

A woman in Batangas City lost her cellphone to a fellow jeepney passenger who told her she had dirt on her shoulder. According to Raffy Tima's report on "State of the Nation," the victim realized that she already lost her phone when music on her earbuds played at full volume She said she checked her phone in her bag but saw it was no longer there. "Ayun, nakababa na," she was told by the passenger beside her. The suspect had gone down the jeep...

Armenia and Azerbaijan agree on ‘historic’ return of villages

Azerbaijan had demanded the return of the four villages as a condition for a peace deal after decades of conflict.

Chinese 'swarm' forming in WPS

(UPDATE) CHINA'S maritime militia has been repositioning its ships in preparation for "swarming" maneuvers in the West Philippine Sea. Ray Powell, director of SeaLight, a maritime transparency project that monitors and reports activities in the South China Sea, said on Friday at least 20 large militia ships moved south. Powell said based on the automatic identification system (AIS), two groups of eight vessels headed to the Spratly Islands,...

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.

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...

Over 1,500 Chinese secured student visas in Cagayan in 2023 – BI

More than 1500 Chinese are granted student visas in Cagayan, a province in northern Philippines, in 2023. Full story: https://www.rappler.com/philippines/bureau-immigration-report-chinese-secured-student-visas-cagayan-2023/

Mingnilla residents complain of foul odor, smog from Talisay landfill

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Five days after the landfill in Barangay Tapul, Talisay City caught fire, some residents in several barangays in Minglanilla town have been complaining about the foul odor and smog from the area. On Monday, a fire alarm went off at the said landfill, allegedly causing smog in some areas of Minglanilla. Linao-Pata Barangay Councilor Merlyn Nacua, in an interview with DYSS Super Radyo, expressed alarm over the situation,...