News

Marcos: Samar has come a long way in fight vs. insurgency

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. on Thursday said Samar province has come a long way when it comes to fighting insurgency. Marcos made the remark during the distribution of presidential assistance to farmers, fisherfolk and their families in a program at the Northwest Samar State University (NWSSU) in Calbayog City. Without identifying them, Marcos said at least five municipalities in the province have already reached a stable...

Polls open across UK as millions prepare to vote in general election

From 7am until 10pm, millions of Britons will head to polling stations to cast their vote in the first Westminster contest since 2019.

Jay Slater could be alive 'drinking rainwater', says PI

Army reservist and private investigator Juan García, 53, claimed missing teenager Jay Slater could be alive and keeping hydrated and fed by 'drinking rainwater and eating plants'.

PH: US mid-range missile system in 'Balikatan' drills to be pulled out

MANILA, Philippines — A US mid-range missile system deployed in the Philippines for annual joint military exercises -- to the annoyance of China -- will be pulled out of the country, a Philippine Army spokesman said Thursday. The US Army said in April it had deployed the Mid-Range Capability missile system which can fire the Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) and the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile in the northern Philippines. Philippine troops have been...

Marcos to Samar farmers, fisherfolk: We understand your plight

President Marcos assured farmers, fisherfolk, and their families in Calbayog City, Samar that his administration recognizes the challenges they face in the agricultural industry and is ready to help address these problems. READ: https://mb.com.ph/2024/7/4/marcos-to-samar-farmers-fisherfolk-we-understand-your-plight Subscribe to the Manila Bulletin Online channel! - https://www.youtube.com/TheManilaBulletin Visit our website at http://mb.com.ph Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manilabulletin Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/manila_bulletin Instagram: https://instagram.com/manilabulletin Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@manilabulletin #ManilaBulletinOnline #ManilaBulletin #LatestNews

Family forced from home by racist attacks

A family's home and car were attacked weeks after anti-immigration posters were erected nearby.

Britons start voting in election expected to propel Labour to power

By Kate Holton LONDON (Reuters) -Britons began voting on Thursday in a parliamentary election that is expected to bring Keir Starmer's Labour Party to power, sweeping away Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservatives after 14 often turbulent years. Opinion polls put Starmer's centre-left party on course for a landslide victory but also suggest many voters simply want change after a period of

UP Law Achieves Historic Milestone as World Finalists in Criminal Moot Court Tilt

The University of the Philippines College of Law (UP Law) finished as a World Finalist and Top 3 placer at the prestigious 2024 International Bar Association International Criminal Court Moot Court Competition (IBA ICC MCC). This marks the first time a Philippine team has reached the world finals in the competition’s 11th edition held on […] The post UP Law Achieves Historic Milestone as World Finalists in Criminal Moot Court Tilt appeared first...

Ying Yong grants interview to Russian newspaper Izvestia

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia, July 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from chinadaily.com.cn: The photo shows the page of the Russian newspaper Izvestia that features the interview with Ying Yong, Chief Grand Prosecutor and Prosecutor General of the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) of China, on June On June 20, Ying Yong, Chief Grand Prosecutor and Prosecutor General of the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) of China, granted an interview to...

3 arrested, including cop, for illegally selling firearms in Taguig

MANILA, Philippines — Three suspects, including a police officer, were arrested in an entrapment operation for illegally selling firearms, the Southern Police District (SPD) said on Wednesday. The operation was conducted by the SPD Special Operations Unit on Tuesday along Acacia Street, Cembo, Taguig City. READ: Retired cop busted for selling loose firearms It resulted in the apprehension of alias Bobby Lewis, a 28-year-old woman, alias John,...

Pub apologises after wrongly accusing family of 'dine and dash' after ordering £27 steaks

Bar staff at Horse and Jockey in Tideswell accused the family of slipping away after consuming two £27 10oz ribeye steaks and Derbyshireryshire gammon steaks, costing £15.25

Notable People who died in 2024

Dad lived in Australia 43 years deported to country he hardly knows

A WA grandfather who spent 43 years living in Australia has been deported to the UK after a last-minute appeal against his visa cancellation was rejected.

Britain's most unusual polling stations where voters can vote

From a caravan in Cambridgeshire, to a shipping container in Battersea and even a Hindu temple in Wimbledon, there are a number of surprising polling stations.

UK election: Ten seats to watch as the results come in

LONDON (Reuters) -Opinion polls project Britain's Labour Party is on course to return to government with a large majority in Thursday's national election after 14 years in opposition. Polls close at 10 p.m. (2100 GMT) and results are due to be announced in each of parliament's 650 constituencies throughout the night. Since the last UK general election was held in December 2019, new boundaries

Despite UN order, war victims get little aid

CANDABA, PAMPANGA, Philippines — Except for aid from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the local government, the Philippine government has not complied with a United Nations resolution to assist the “Malaya Lolas” (Free Grandmothers), who are now down from 96 to 18 members, as they struggled for justice from military sexual crimes committed on them during World War II. Sen. Risa Hontiveros heard this from the 18...

Education reform group urges DepEd to focus on marginalized learners

MANILA, Philippines — A network of civil society organizations has called on newly appointed Education Secretary Sen. Sonny Angara to prioritize the marginalized and out-of-school learners to ensure all Filipinos have fair access to education. In a statement on Wednesday, the Civil Society Network for Education Reforms, or E-Net Philippines, said that this can be done by strengthening distance learning initiatives and building community learning...

Bishop hits ‘harassment’ of Palawan islanders over resort dispute

A Catholic bishop has deplored the ‘harassment’ of island villagers in southern Palawan, who risk losing their land to a proposed high-end resort. Bishop Socrates Mesiona of Puerto Princesa, in a statement, expressed concern for the people of Mariahangin, an island settlement in Bugsuk village in Balabac town. Masked men reportedly fired shots over the […]

Countries that still have mandatory military service

As conflicts rage on around the world and new ones begin seemingly every day, it's unsurprising that some countries make defense a priority. Depending on the geopolitical location of a nation, they might want to make sure their population has basic military skills. Whether it's because they are situated next to a bigger, more hostile neighbor, or if the government sees military identity as an important aspect of citizenship, in this gallery we take a look at the countries where serving in the military is still a normal part of life. Curious? Click on to discover the countries that still have mandatory military service.

Air ambulance called to two hoaxes in one day

The charity said the journeys cost about £6,000 which wasted money obtained through donations.

Binay, Cayetano trade barbs at Senate hearing

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Nancy Binay walked out of the Senate inquiry on the construction of the new Senate building in Taguig City after trading barbs with Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday. Cayetano, Senate committee on accounts chair, launched an inquiry after Senate President Francis Escudero decided to suspend the project, citing the surge in the building’s price tag from P8.9 billion to P23.3 billion. Binay, who as former chair of...

Parents of stabbed teen install emergency bleed kit

The parents of a teenage girl who was stabbed to death have installed an emergency bleed kit close to where she died. Holly Newton, 15, was found with stab wounds in Hexham, Northumberland in January last year and died in hospital. Her mother and step-father, Micala and Lee Trussler, have installed the box at Hexham Abbey in the hope it will be use...

Hungary's Viktor Orban urges Ukraine to lay down their arms

Mr Orban - Europe's most pro-Russian leader - made the comments in Kyiv a day after Hungary took over the rotating presidency of the EU, claiming a ceasefire could help end the war.

India, China foreign ministers agree to resolve border issues at earliest

NEW DELHI (Reuters) -India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Thursday in Kazakhstan where the two agreed to step up talks to resolve issues along their border at the earliest, New Delhi said in a statement. India and China share a long Himalayan border, much of it poorly demarcated, and relations between the two countries have been sour since a

Philippines president orders de-escalation in South China Sea, military chief says

By Mikhail Flores and Karen Lema MANILA (Reuters) -Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has ordered his armed forces to defuse tensions in the South China Sea, his military chief said on Thursday, after a flare-up with China over missions to resupply Filipino troops on a contested shoal. Marcos' instructions came after Manila and Beijing agreed on the need to restore trust and confidence to

Xi and Putin set out ambitions for Eurasian security club

ASTANA (Reuters) -Chinese President Xi Jinping urged members of a regional security club on Thursday to resist external meddling, while President Vladimir Putin was due to speak about creating a new Eurasian security system at the group's annual meeting. Putin and Xi have expanded the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a club founded in 2001 with Russia, China and Central Asian nations, to

Woman found dead in Cavite hotel room

MANILA, Philippines — A woman was found dead inside a hotel room in Bacoor, Cavite on Wednesday morning, according to police. In a report on Thursday, the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batngas, Rizal, Quezon) police said a roomboy found the bloody remains of the woman, around 40 to 50 years old, at around 7 a.m. She reportedly checked into a hotel in Barangay Zapote 1 at around 1:45 a.m. with a male suspect, identified as a certain “Rommel.” The...

Makabayan says talks with other opposition groups 'ongoing'

The Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives is currently talking with other opposition groups to forge a genuine opposition ticket for the 2025 midterm elections, a member said Thursday. "The talks with other opposition groups are ongoing, and we are studying it carefully," said House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro in a press briefing. Castro, who has expressed her intention to run for...

‘Cebu 8’ protesters cleared: Court junks 2 remaining charges

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The Municipal Trial Court in Cities has dismissed the remaining charges against the eight individuals, collectively known as “Cebu 8”, who were arrested during a protest at the University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu campus on June 5, 2020. The court found the evidence insufficient, which now puts the four-year legal ordeal for the accused to rest. On June 27, Presiding Judge Amy Rose A. Soler-Rellin of MTCC Branch 9...

Ex-cop among 7 persons of interest in missing beauty pageant bet, Israeli BF case

A former police officer is among the seven persons of interest in the disappearance of a beauty pageant contestant and her Israeli boyfriend in Central Luzon, the Philippine National Police's (PNP) Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said on Thursday. Interviewed on Super Radyo dzBB, CIDG chief Police Major General Leo Francisco said authorities have yet to communicate with all of the persons of interest. "Pito ang POIs natin...

Where have 14 years of Conservative rule left Britain?

Man suspected of pushing Fil-Am into BART train charged with murder

SAN FRANCISCO – The man who allegedly pushed an elderly Filipino American woman into the BART train on Monday, killing her, has been charged with murder. Trevor Belmont, 49, also known as Hoak Taing, has been charged with one count of murder, according to San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. Daly City resident Corazon Dandan, 74, was standing on the platform at the Powell Street station when she was allegedly pushed into the path of a...

Aussie dad learns his fate after he was caught with meth in Bali

Troy Andrew Smith, 49, appeared in Denpasar District Court on Thursday, where a panel of judges sentenced him.

Ukrainian forces pull back from part of strategic eastern town

By Anastasiia Malenko KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine's military said on Thursday its troops had pulled back from part of Chasiv Yar in the eastern Donetsk region, a day after Russia said its forces had taken control of a district in the strategic town. Chasiv Yar stands on high ground. If they establish full control over the town, Russian forces could potentially use it as a staging post to advance

Israel weighs Hamas response to Gaza ceasefire proposal

By Nidal al-Mughrabi, Mohammad Salem and Maayan Lubell CAIRO/GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene his security cabinet on Thursday evening to discuss new Hamas positions on a ceasefire deal in Gaza, a source in Netanyahu's office said, as fighting in the enclave raged. Before the cabinet meets, Netanyahu will have consultations with his ceasefire

Who would YOU snog, marry, avoid out of Rishi, Starmer and Farage?

Members of the public recoiled as they reluctantly picked between Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Reform UK's Nigel Farage.

What needs to happen for Gilas to advance

Following the stunning win by the 37th ranked Philippines over world No. 6 Latvia, the Olympic hopes are very much alive for the Filipinos as Gilas Pilipinas heads to its final game in Group A against Georgia on Thursday, 8:30 p.m. (Manila time) in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament. The Filipinos relied on their resolute defense and solid shooting to bring down the Latvians, 89-80, early Thursday morning in Riga, Latvia. The historic...

Binay mulls filing ethics complaint vs Cayetano

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Nancy Binay said she would consult her lawyers to whether she would file a complaint against Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano before the Senate Committee on Ethics for his "ungentlemanly conduct" toward her during a public hearing. The two senators had a heated argument on Wednesday during the Senate inquiry, led by Cayetano, on the increased cost in the construction of the new Senate building (NSB) in Taguig City. Binay said...

Labour is hopeful and Conservatives morose as voters deliver their verdict on UK's election day

LONDON (AP) — British voters are picking a new government Thursday in a parliamentary election that is widely expected to bring the Labour Party to power against a gloomy backdrop of economic malaise, mounting distrust in institutions and a fraying social fabric. A jaded electorate is delivering its verdict on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party, which has been in power since 2010. Polls opened at 7 a.m. Sunak made the short journey...

SC: Bigamous marriages don’t count in inheritance law

MANILA, Philippines — Only the legal spouse and legitimate or illegitimate children of a deceased seafarer are entitled to benefits under his Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) contract, the Supreme Court has ruled. In an April 3 decision made public only on Tuesday, the high court’s Third Division ordered the release of P4.5 million in death benefits due to deceased seafarer Pedrito Macalinao’s heirs, including his...

Surveillance footage shows girl walking down street before vanishing

A 17-year-old girl's final moments before she went missing have been revealed in haunting surveillance footage.

World champion high jumper Jacques Freitag found dead in suspected murder

Angeles Mayor offers P100,000 for info on missing couple

ANGELES CITY, PAMPANGA, Philippines — Mayor Carmelo Lazatin Jr. on Tuesday offered a P100,000 reward for any information that would help authorities find beauty pageant candidate Geneva Lopez and her boyfriend, who have been missing for almost two weeks. Lopez, a former Mutya ng Pilipinas 2024 candidate who represented Sto. Tomas, Pampanga, has been missing since June 21 with Israeli boyfriend Yitshak Cohen. They were reportedly on their way to...

Ukraine might have just destroyed a very expensive air defense system

Philippines hopes to sign key defence pact with Japan

The Philippines' military chief said Thursday he hoped a key defence pact with Japan allowing for the deployment of troops on each other's territory will be signed at security talks next week. "We are hoping that during that meeting, the RAA, or the reciprocal access agreement, will be signed," military chief General Romeo Brawner told reporters.

Locals hit out at 'disgusting' rubbish-laden roads

Viktorija Janusanyte in Benwell, Newcastle, says she is embarrassed about where she lives.

BI nabs Chinese, American fugitives in Metro Manila

The Bureau of Immigration on Thursday said it arrested two fugitive foreigners in separate operations in southern Metro Manila. According to a statement by the BI on Thursday, 32-year old Deng Hongfu, who is wanted for economic crimes in China, was arrested in Barangay Tambo, Parañaque City. Hongfu has a warrant from Chibi City in China after he allegedly ran an illegal business by selling stocks without proper permits since 2018. He has been...

UN says Israel evacuation order 'wiped out' bid to improve Gaza aid

By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - An Israeli military evacuation order covering a third of the Gaza Strip has "wiped out" the United Nations' attempts to improve humanitarian aid deliveries via the Kerem Shalom crossing, a senior U.N. aid official said on Wednesday. Israel has been critical of U.N.-led aid operations in the enclave of 2.3 million people, where the U.N. says

Rwanda and its incredible mountain gorillas

Gorillas are intelligent creatures who share about 98% of their genes with humans. An endangered species, mountain gorillas are the largest primate in the world and live in the forests of three African countries. Ever wanted to take an adventure through the middle of the African jungle to see mountain gorillas? This is a journey we'll take you on in this gallery with these fascinating facts and photos of Rwanda, an African country that is home to the largest primates in the world. These endangered species are incredible to see up close, so what are you waiting for? Let's go!

Italy court trims sentences for US tourists over police officer's murder, again

By Marco Carta ROME (Reuters) -An Italian appeals court on Wednesday again reduced the prison terms imposed on two American tourists, who were originally given life sentences for the 2019 murder of a police officer in a case that shook Italy. The court ruled that Finnegan Lee Elder, 19 at the time of the incident, should now serve 15 years and two months in jail for stabbing officer Mario