House in final stages of preparations for Sona, says Velasco

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives is in the final stages of its preparations for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s third State of the Nation Address (Sona), House Secretary General Reginald Velasco said on Wednesday. In a statement, Velasco said the House is ready to host the Sona, with the Batasang Pambansa renovations nearly complete. “We are ready to adjust to accommodate our partners from the Office of the President (OP) and...

Angara says pay hike for public school teachers possible

MANILA, Philippines — Incoming Department of Education (DepEd) chief Sonny Angara expressed confidence that the salaries of public school teachers will increase in the next few years. But he also admitted that the process will not be easy, noting that not only about a million public school educators are asking for a pay raise but also millions of other employees in government. “I’m confident in the next few years, hindi ko lang alam kung this...

West Philippine Sea: Navy's June 17 encounter with CCG incurs P60M damage | INQToday

WATCH: The damage resulting from China Coast Guard's violent encounter with personnel of the Philippine Navy on a resupply mission in the West Philippine Sea on June 17 amounts to P60 million.

Imee Marcos Uncovers Alleged Chinese 'Hypersonic Missiles' Plan

The senator caused quite a stir on social media as she claimed that there was a Chinese plan in place to target the Philippines using hypersonic missiles.

Just Stop Oil activists get conditional bail

Two private jets were sprayed with orange paint in the attack at Stansted Airport on 5 June.

China committed to peaceful development, defensive policy, says Chinese foreign ministry

BEIJING— China is committed to peaceful development and a defensive policy, and does not pose a threat, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry said on Thursday. A prominent Philippine senator said on social media that she has knowledge of a Chinese plan to target her country with hypersonic missiles, though the national security council said it was […]

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...

AFP demands P60-M damage from China over June 17 'illegal' acts at Ayungin Shoal

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is demanding P60 million in damage from the Chinese government in connection with the June 17 confrontation near the Ayungin Shoal involving Filipino soldiers and Chinese Coast Guard personnel. READ: https://mb.com.ph/2024/7/4/afp-demands-p60-m-damage-from-china-over-june-17-illegal-acts-at-ayungin-shoal 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

The Kremlin says India's Modi will visit Russia on July 8-9, hold talks with Putin

MOSCOW (AP) — The Kremlin on Thursday said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Russia on July 8-9 and hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The visit was first announced by Russian officials last month, but the dates have not been previously disclosed. Russia has had strong ties with India since the Cold War, and New Delhi’s importance as a key trading partner for Moscow has grown since the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine...

17 ex-GOCC, NGO execs found guilty in pork scam

MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan has convicted for graft and malversation of public funds 15 former officials of now dissolved government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs) that acted as implementing agencies, as well as two members of nongovernment organizations (NGOs) tapped as project partners, in bogus livelihood projects supposedly funded by the pork barrel of a former Misamis Occidental lawmaker, who remains in hiding. Found...

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...

As explosions rattle our Gaza field hospital, we brace for the wounded

A Red Cross surgeon takes us inside a hospital’s operations as staff work to save patients following an attack.

Artist murdered her parents and lived in house where she hid bodies

Virginia McCullough, 36, killed John, 74, and Lois, 75, (pictured together) at their home in Chelmsford, Essex, between June 17 and June 20, 2019.

India preacher denies blame for crush deaths

Bhole Baba, who led the festival where some 120 people died, will co-operate with investigations.

Man targeted in Qatar Grindr 'sting' lodges appeal

Manuel Guerrero Aviña says he was convicted of drug offences "because I am gay".

Marcos wants improved e-visa processing for Indian tourists

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. has directed concerned agencies to review the process in streamlining the e-visa system for Indian nationals. During the 6th meeting with the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) Tourism Sector Group at the Malacañang Palace on Wednesday, Marcos said faster e-visa processing for Indian nationals would help improve tourism in the country. "We don’t have any such issues [with India]. So, I’m sure we...

‘Nakakatawa naman’: Padilla laughs off PNP’s move to hold Duterte liable for hiding Quiboloy’s location

Senator Robinhood “Robin” Padilla on Thursday, July 4 laughed off the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) move to hold former president Rodrigo Duterte for hiding televangelist Apollo Quiboloy’s location, saying the latter is possibly just teasing them. READ: https://mb.com.ph/2024/7/4/nakakatawa-naman-padilla-laughs-off-pnp-s-move-to-hold-duterte-liable-for-hiding-quiboloy-s-location Subscribe to the Manila Bulletin Online channel! - https://www.youtube.com/TheManilaBulletin Visit our website at http://mb.com.phFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/manilabulletin Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/manila_bulletinInstagram: https://instagram.com/manilabulletinTiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@manilabulletin #ManilaBulletinOnline#ManilaBulletin#LatestNews

Lasting tribute to man who fed roundabout's chickens

An information board is installed to remember a man who fed chickens on a village's roundabout.

Moscow is bombing and looting its own cities in Russia

According to the Washington Post, relying on internal Ukrainian intelligence documents, Russia has accidentally dropped unguided bombs on its own territory. The independent Russian medium Astra estimates that Russia has inadvertently dropped more than 100 bombs on its own territory and in occupied territories in eastern Ukraine over the past four months, this at a time when the use of slide bombs has increased sharply. Military expert Ruslan...

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...

Boy drowns in Cebu City; scammer siphons off e-wallet donations

A four-year-old boy drowned after he tumbled onto a paved section by the riverside in Sitio Tal-ot, Barangay Inayawan, Cebu City before plunging into the water. To make the situation even worse, the donation sent through an electronic wallet application was lost reportedly to a scammer. The grandparent of the child disclosed that Mark Louie slipped past their attention. He went out of the house unnoticed. It was too late when they learned of his...

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...

Find out who Vladimir Putin really is

As the world reacts in horror and disbelief to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the man who ordered the military attack, President Vladimir Putin, is being widely condemned for what's been described as a dangerous and unprovoked act of aggression. But who is this man from Leningrad who grew up to become one of the most powerful men in recent history? Click through and find out more about Vladimir Putin's life and career.

A few Ukrainian brigades just got some help from an interesting source

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 Russian forces establish full control over the town, they could potentially use it as a staging post to advance

Vietnamese nabbed for making scene at Naia

MANILA, Philippines — Authorities arrested a Vietnamese woman at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) on Monday for unruly behavior. In a statement on Wednesday, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) identified the woman as Ban Thi Van, a 19-year-old Vietnamese who initially presented herself for immigration clearance to board a Cebu Pacific Air flight to Hanoi. Upon inspection, however, the BI said Ban “aggressively snatched” her passport...

What became of the advanced tanks Russia sent to Ukraine?

Putin offers Kim Jong-un a poisoned gift

Two weeks ago, the Russian president visited North Korea. And he did not visit Kim Jong-un empty-handed. Vladimir Putin handed his North Korean counterpart a luxurious limousine: according to Reuters news agency, it was an Aurus Senat by Sollers, a "Russian Rolls Royce." The price of an entry-level Sollers model is around 500,000 euros. Imagine the two state leaders at the wheel of an imposing limousine, both with twinkling eyes. It was a...

Army spox: US missile system to be removed from PH by Sept | INQToday

WATCH: The powerful US midrange missile system, which saw action in recent large-scale military exercises between Filipino and American troops, remains in the Philippines but will be "shipped out of the country" this September, according to a Philippine military official.

China 'monster ship' kept watch over PCG vessel in Escoda Shoal - monitor | INQToday

WATCH: West Philippine Sea monitor Ray Powell says the China Coast Guard's biggest vessel "kept watch" over the Philippine Coast Guard's BRP Teresa Magbanua in Escoda Shoal.

Australian arrested for cracking bomb joke at Dipolog Airport

An Australian national was arrested for cracking a bomb joke at the Dipolog Airport in Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte. The incident happened when the 69-year-old man was checking in for his flight on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. When he was asked by a Passenger Service Agent (PSA) if his bag contained electronic devices, he allegedly said, “No, just an atomic bomb.” While he took his statement back, saying “it was a joke,” upon seeing the agent’s...

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

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'.

6 arrested in separate anti-gambling ops in Angeles City

Authorities nabbed six individuals in separate anti-gambling operations in Angeles City, Pampanga, the Angeles City Police Office reported Thursday. Two of the suspects were arrested in Barangay Sto. Rosario, Angeles City on early Thursday morning. The police also seized two P1 coins used as toss coins and the bet money amounting to P1,072 in different denominations. In another operation on Wednesday evening, the police arrested four suspects in...

No peace for Ukraine: Zelensky faces a new internal threat

India, China foreign ministers agree to work on border issues

NEW DELHI/BEIJING (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, 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 military

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 […]

DRC tribunal sentences 25 soldiers to death for ‘fleeing the enemy’

Military court in Butembo set up as part of crackdown on soldiers fleeing M23 rebels as fighting rages in the east.

‘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...

NSC: No ‘imminent attack from China despite Sen. Marcos’ warning

MANILA, Philippines — The National Security Council (NSC) assures on Wednesday that the Philippines does not face an “imminent attack” from China. The NSC made the assurance after Senator Imee Marcos’ warning that 25 areas in the country could be possible targets of a Chinese hypersonic missile attack. Marcos warned on Monday that Beijing might use its hypersonic missiles in areas including the Ilocos region, Subic, and Batanes due to Manila’s...

Is humanity ready? Unmasking the horrors of chemical warfare

The use of gas in warfare can be traced back to Antiquity. Though crude in their make up, these ancient chemical weapons proved very effective and provided new and deadly ways in which to dispatch an enemy. The widescale development of chemical weaponry began in earnest during the early years of the 20th century. In 1915, the first full-scale use of gas in war took place on the battlefields at Ypres in Belgium. By the Armistice, all sides involved in the First World War had used chemical weapons. The Chemical Weapons Convention of 1997 prohibits the large-scale use, development, production, stockpiling, and transfer of chemical weapons. And yet as recently as 2013 in Syria, chemical weapons have been deployed to devastating effect. Click through and follow this timeline of the development and use of chemical weapons.

Cops probe new theory in mystery death of dad found with bite marks in Magaluf

Father-of-four Michael Grant was on holiday with his family when he was found collapsed in the early hours of Monday morning close to the popular Punta Ballena strip

Xi and Putin set out ambitions for Eurasian security club

ASTANA (Reuters) -China's President Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin pressed their case on Thursday for closer security, political and economic cooperation between countries of the vast Eurasian region as a counterweight to Western alliances. They were speaking on the second and final day of a summit in the Kazakh capital Astana of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a club

LOOK: Marcos leads a command conference with AFP officials

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday met with officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in a mid-year command conference at the AFP Headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City. Marcos, who serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the AFP, reviewed the progress of the military campaigns and programs. He also provided further directives for the rest of the year. According to the AFP, in a statement, ground...

Journalists find feared and devilish hitwoman thanks to selfies

In September 2019, American Aimee Betro tried to shoot store owner Sikander Ali to death in Acocks Green, a suburb of the British city of Birmingham. She had her face hidden behind a hidjab and pointed her firearm at Skiander Ali and pulled the trigger. But the gun jammed. The following night, three more bullets were fired at his residence. Two days after the attempted assassination, Aimee Betro traveled back to the US. Since then, police had...

Exclusive-Firms weigh removing Taiwan staff from China after death penalty threat

By Laurie Chen BEIJING (Reuters) - Some foreign companies are considering moving Taiwanese employees out of China after Beijing said it could impose the death penalty on "diehard" Taiwan independence separatists, said four people familiar with the matter. The new guidelines have caused some Taiwanese expatriates and foreign multinationals operating in China to scramble to assess their legal

Florida woman arrested after allegedly leaving grandchild in hot car while she grocery shopped

A Florida grandmother was charged with neglect of a child causing great bodily harm after allegedly leaving her 2-year-old grandchild in a hot car while she went into Publix.

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...

Taiwan says China's seizure of trawler may be act of psychological warfare

TAIPEI (Reuters) -China's seizure of a Taiwanese trawler operating close to the Chinese coast might be an act of psychological warfare by Beijing designed to further pressure Taipei, and Taiwan is working to get the boat released, officials said on Thursday. Chinese officials boarded and then took the boat to a port in China late on Tuesday. It was fishing for squid in Chinese waters near the

P2.6-M smuggled cigarettes seized in Maguindanao del Norte town

COTABATO CITY — Police in Maguindanao del Norte announced the arrest on Tuesday of two men in possession of some P2.6 million worth of smuggled cigarettes in Barangay Awang, Datu Odin Sinsuat town. Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Roy Subsuban, police chief of Datu Odin Sinsuat, said the arrest came two days after they seized P14.8 million worth of imported cigarettes in Parang town of the province. Subsuban said they immediately put up a chokepoint...