News

NBI raids alleged POGO-owned clinic

MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) raided on Saturday a clinic allegedly owned by a Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) firm in San Isidro, Makati. Chinese medicines not registered with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) were found at the clinic, according to NBI Director Jaime Santiago. “We requested a copy from the FDA and the supply of the medicines is on the second floor. Unfortunately, the court only...

Meet the all-women judges of Binibining Pilipinas 2024

Click this link for Binibining Pilipinas 2024 Live Updates!!! Here are the all-women board of judges for this year’s Binibining Pilipinas: Conchitina Sevilla-Bernardo, chairman of board of judges Rhea Tan, beauty and wellness entrepreneur Bea Rose Santiago, Miss International 2013 Fifi Sharma, Alas Pilipinas volleyball player Pia Wurtzbach, Miss Universe 2015 Gloria Diaz, actress and Miss Universe 1969 Andrea Rubio, Miss International 2023...

In Bukele's El Salvador, shrinking space for sexual diversity

Hand in hand, Fiorella Turchkeim and Andrea Ordonez attend a makeshift mass for LGBTQ people in the garage of a house in El Salvador's capital. And the following year, according to Human Rights Watch, El Salvador suspended its membership of a UN body working on protecting LGBTQ people from violence and discrimination.

Marcos admin wants rice self-sufficiency by end of term -Speaker Romualdez

Several months after the Department of Agriculture (DA) said it was aiming to achieve 90% rice self-sufficiency, House of Representatives Speaker Martin Romualdez noted on Sunday that the Marcos administration was targeting to reach rice self-sufficiency by the end of its term in 2028. In a statement, Romualdez — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.'s cousin — said the DA and the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) were working to...

Hungary PM Orban in Beijing on 'Peace mission 3.0'

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday, state media reported, in a visit the European leader has branded as a "Peace mission 3.0" after recent trips to Moscow and Kyiv. Orban was greeted at the airport by Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying, according to a photo the nationalist leader posted on social media platform X. - Major investment - Xi visited Hungary in May this year, for...

22-year-old MP hits back at claims he doesn't have enough 'experience'

Sam Carling has become the youngest member of the Commons after being elected to Parliament to represent North West Cambridgeshire at the age of 22.

Senator urges SEC probe of incorporator identities

MANILA, Philippines — As an outcome of the Senate probe of Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos), Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian on Sunday urged the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to conduct random check on corporations to ensure that their registered incorporators are not fictitious. “The [SEC] should probably conduct random probity check. I know there are a lot of corporations, and I know that because of the ease of doing business...

Universal Credit, PIP, state pension and cost of living plans confirmed by Labour after election win

Labour has promised to "kickstart economic growth" after 14 years of Conservative Government and wants to address the rise in economic inactivity. But what does it mean for the benefits system?

Bubble bursts for France's far-right as voters bar it from power

By Elizabeth Pineau PARIS (Reuters) - The champagne was on ice at the far-right National Rally's (RN) headquarters, but the celebratory mood swiftly turned to disbelief when the first projected results from Sunday's parliamentary election appeared on TV screens. For days, Marine Le Pen had confidently predicted that her party would triumph with an outright majority and her protege Jordan

Speaker pledges House support for food security

MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Sunday assured the House of Representatives’ support to help attain President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s aspiration of rice self-sufficiency for the Philippines, removing the country’s dependence on imports of the staple grain, by 2028. READ: Affordable ‘Rice-for-All’ available soon, says DA Romualdez vowed that the chamber would do everything it can to help in achieving Marcos’...

Starmer sets his sights on Scotland

Labour are already talking about repeating their electoral success at the Holyrood elections, James Cook writes.

DOF's Recto wants POGO ops stopped

Finance Secretary Ralph Recto on Monday said he is keen on recommending to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to stop operations of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), given the issues surrounding the industry. According to Recto, while he is not against POGOs per se, it is the illegal activities being conducted by several POGO companies such as those in Bamban, Tarlac and in Porac, Pampanga that influenced him in the decision....

Binibining Pilipinas 2024 opens with epic reunion of more than 100 queens onstage

Click this link for Binibining Pilipinas 2024 Live Updates!!! Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc. (BPCI) has managed to gather more than 100 of its winners from its 60-year run to open the 2024 competition show Sunday night, July 7, with the most iconic international titleholders from the Philippines sharing the same stage in a massive opening presentation. Queens crowned in the 60s paraded alongside winners spanning decades, all the way to...

UK’s Reeves to Unveil Labour’s Growth Plan in First Major Speech

Rachel Reeves will lay out the new Labour government’s plans to spur private investment in her first major speech as Chancellor of the Exchequer on Monday, as the party tries to ride the momentum of its landslide UK election win last week in a dash for economic growth.

Parts of Caloocan, Bulacan, Cavite to experience power interruptions on July 9-10

Parts of Tala in Caloocan City; Malolos and Plaridel in Bulacan; and Silang in Cavite will experience power service interruptions on July 9 and 10 due to scheduled maintenance activities. In an advisory posted on its website, Manila Electric Company (Meralco) said it will be relocating facilities to serve SMC Mass Rail Transit 7 along Quirino Highway in Tala, Caloocan City. Affected between 11 p.m., Tuesday, July 9, and 6 a.m., Wednesday, July...

Pope Francis deplores state of democracy, warns against ‘populists’

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis decried the state of democracy and warned against “populists” during a short visit to Trieste in Italy’s northeast on Sunday ahead of a 12-day trip to Asia — the longest of his papacy. “Democracy is not in good health in the world today,” Francis said during a speech at the city’s convention center to close a national Catholic event. Without naming any countries, the pope warned against “ideological temptations and...

BIZ BUZZ: Chiong’s revenge

In about two months, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) will be turned over to the San Miguel-led consortium that bagged the P170.6-billion contract to rehabilitate, operate and maintain the country’s primary gateway. And according to insiders in the aviation sector, among those calling the shots at the New Naia Infra Corp. (NNIC)—composed of San Miguel Holdings Corp., RMM Asian Logistics Inc., RLW Aviation Development Inc., and...

Soldier dies in Negros road mishap

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — An Army soldier died in a collision in Ilog, Negros Occidental on Saturday. Pfc. John Leo Saldua of the Army’s 15th Infantry Battalion was declared dead on arrival at the Lorenzo Zayco District Hospital in Kabankalan due to head and leg injuries. Investigation showed Saldua was on a motorcycle when he crashed into a passenger bus in Barangay Manalad. Bus driver Ryan Miraveles was taken to the police station for...

2 dead, more than a dozen others injured in Detroit shooting, Michigan State Police say

DETROIT (AP) — A shooting early Sunday at a Detroit block party left two people dead and 19 others injured, according to authorities. Michigan State Police said no one was in custody and they were assisting Detroit police with the investigation, according to a post on the social media platform X. The agency said their preliminary information showed two people died and 19 others had “various injuries.” Detroit police released few details,...

LTO-7 opens new district office in Alcoy, Cebu

CEBU CITY, Philippines — In less than a month after opening an extension office in the City of Naga in Cebu, the Land Transportation Office here (LTO-7) has inaugurated a new district office in the southern part of the province. On Friday, July 5, the LTO-7 District Office in Alcoy town officially welcomed customers from the southeastern side of Cebu, located in Barangay Atabay. According to LTO-7, the Alcoy District Office now brings the total...

Around 80% of farmers pressurised into new revenues amid tough conditions

Around 80% of farmers pressurised into new revenues amid tough conditions - More than half of farmers, 54%, said their farm’s income increased over the past two years because of other income streams.

Jobless Filipinos increased to 2.11 million in May — PSA

The number of unemployed Filipinos rose to 2.11 million in May this year from 2.04 million in April, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported Monday. At a press conference, PSA chief and National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa said a 4.1% unemployment rate was recorded in May 2024, which was slightly higher than the 4% logged in the previous month. Meanwhile, the country’s employment rate in May stood at 95.9% — an improvement from...

YCIS celebrates remarkable IB results of the 2024 cohort With Two Perfect Scorers

HONG KONG, July 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Yew Chung International School of Hong Kong (YCIS Hong Kong) celebrates the remarkable achievement of 2024 cohort in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP). This year, 2 students obtained a perfect score of 45 points; 2 students and 8 students achieved 44 points and 43 points respectively. Apart from the mentioned, 27 of YCIS students achieved a score of 40 or above among a total of 122...

CNBC Daily Open: French far-right advance blocked

France's left-wing New Popular Front coalition unexpectedly blocked a far-right advance in the parliamentary run-off vote.

Indian Prime Minister Modi makes first visit to ally Russia since the start of its war on Ukraine

India’s prime minister begins a two-day visit to Russia on Monday, his first since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine, a war that has complicated the relationship between the longtime allies and pushed Russia closer to India’s rival China. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit will include a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, whom he last saw in Russia in 2019, in the far eastern port of Vladivostok. The two leaders also met in person in...

New test kit detects high-risk leptospirosis cases

MANILA, Philippines — Researchers at the University of the Philippines Manila (UPM) have developed a test kit which accurately predicts who among patients contracting leptospirosis are at risk of developing serious complications, allowing doctors to put them under strict monitoring to prevent kidney and lung problems. A product of the UPM’s National Institutes of Health-Institute of Human Genetics (NIH-IHG), the new molecular test measures and...

Left leads French election in blow to Le Pen's far right and Macron

By Juliette Jabkhiro, Layli Foroudi and Zhifan Liu PARIS (Reuters) -French political parties faced a daunting task to put together a government on Sunday after the second round of elections threw up a hung parliament, with a leftist alliance unexpectedly taking the top spot ahead of the far right. The results, based on pollsters' projections, were a setback for Marine Le Pen's nationalist,

Herd of 45 cows go on the rampage in quiet residential street

Hilarious footage shows the moment a herd of cows broke loose in Ripon, North Yorkshire, after pushing through a kissing gate.

Even in death, dolphins still boost human understanding

MANILA, Philippines — As marine mammal strandings increase in the Philippines, scientists and veterinarians are turning dolphin deaths into opportunities for critical research and conservation efforts. At a recent workshop held at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, experts emphasized that while the death of a stranded dolphin is “disheartening,” it provides valuable data to understand cetacean diseases and the impact of human...

2 POGO bodyguards nabbed for stealing guns, licenses of fellow guards

Two bodyguards of a Chinese national involved in Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) were nabbed for allegedly stealing the guns and the guns' licenses from their fellow bodyguards. According to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Southern District Field Unit, the two bodyguards claimed that their Chinese boss had told them to retrieve the weapons so these could be passed on to other people. However, the two...

Duterte, Go to face more complaints, says Trillanes

MANILA, Philippines — More complaints will be filed against former President Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Christopher “Bong” Go. This is what former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said that he planned to do. And he said this on Sunday, July 7, in an interview at the Kapihan sa QC. “We are preparing other complaints, so they should wait, and it seems like others will also file complaints against them,” Trillanes said in Filipino in the interview....

Euphoria and rage in Bordeaux over shock poll result

There are mixed emotions in the southwestern French city after the far right's surprise defeat.

'Takbo para sa West Philippine Sea' fun run in

Participants enjoy getting doused with water from a fire truck during the “Takbo para sa West Philippine Sea” along Magdalena Jalandoni St., Pasay City, on Sunday, July 7. The fun run, organized by RUNRIO Inc. along with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), National Task Force-West Philippine Sea, Philippine Information Agency (PIA), and the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), aims to create awareness among Filipinos about the relevance of the fight for the West Philippine Sea. READ MORE: https://mb.com.ph/2024/7/7/thousands-join-fun-run-for-west-philippine-sea 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

Call for investigation after 'huge' road closure delays

A Cumbria road which was due to be closed for seven weeks is still shut a year on.

Gov’t seeks arbitration with Chinese train supplier

Arbitration may be the solution to the seven-year-old case of unsuitable trains from China left idle at the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT 3) depot, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said. Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista told reporters on Friday that while the government had yet to solve the issue of the incompatible trains delivered by Dalian Co. Ltd. in 2017, intervention may be needed. “It’s possible for the case to undergo...

Fix NHS gaps or face more attacks - ex cyber chief

Experts warn outdated NHS IT systems remain vulnerable after the cyber attack on hospitals.

French PM Attal votes in parliamentary run-off election

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal cast his vote on Sunday, July 7, in the second round of the country's parliamentary elections. At 35, Gabriel Attal became France's youngest post-war prime minister when Macron appointed him in January.

Woman from Mandaue City nabbed over ‘rentangay’ modus

CEBU CITY, Philippines – A woman from Mandaue City is now in trouble for her alleged involvement in “rentangay” modus. Police Lieutenant Colonel Wilbert Parilla, chief of the Highway Patrol Group in Central Visayas (HPG-7), said that the suspect would allegedly rent vehicles from small rental service providers that she would find at the online market place and pawn these using falsified documents. The suspect, Czarmen Consad Patalinghug, is from...

History's greatest watercolor artists

Watercolor is often overlooked as a medium of merit when discussing art history. And yet some of the greatest and most respected artists the world has ever known at some point applied this method of painting during their careers. And there are those whose names are in fact synonymous with this technique, in which the paints are made of pigments suspended in a water-based solution. So, who are the watercolor artists who continue to influence painting today? Click through for a portfolio of artists credited with establishing watercolor as an independent, mature, and respected painting medium.

Shelter-in-place order briefly issued at North Dakota derailment site, officials say

Officials at the remote site of a derailed train carrying hazardous materials that sparked a fire in North Dakota briefly issued a shelter-in-place notice Sunday for area residents during cleanup. The notice was issued as a precaution early Sunday after air monitors detected low levels of anhydrous ammonia after a railcar began venting during its removal from the site, said Andrew Kirking, emergency management coordinator for Stutsman and Foster...

Firefighters tackle swimming pool fire in Devon

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said the fire was in the boiler room of a swimming pool.

NEU produces 1,883 graduates for AY 2023-2024

THE New Era University (NEU) produced 1,883 graduates for the Academic Year 2023-2024 during its 49th Commencement Exercises held at the Philippine Arena on June 28, 2024. Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, the commencement guest of honor and speaker, delivered his message to the graduates related to the theme "Empowering Graduates with Excellence, Discipline, and Selfless Service to Humanity." He highlighted the values of competence, discipline...

Greece, Spain, Brazil, Puerto Rico qualify in Olympics

Piraeus, Greece — Giannis Antetokounmpo steered Greece to an Olympic berth on Sunday (Monday in Manila) as he overcame a slow start to score 23 points in an 80-69 qualifying tournament victory over Croatia in Piraeus. The game was one of four finals on Sunday to determine the last qualifiers for the Paris men's basketball tournament. In Riga, Brazil beat hosts Latvia 94-69. In Valencia, Spain edged the Bahamas 86-78. In the Olympic tournament in...

Comelec sets rules for SK special polls

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has set the rules for the conduct of the Sangguniang Kabataan special elections (SKSE) to fill hundreds of vacancies in community councils nationwide. Comelec Chairman George Garcia said having a complete membership in the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) is mandated under the law. “It’s not a matter of discretion. It’s a mandatory provision of the law,” Garcia said on why the poll body came...

Tributes paid after cyclist dies in road collision

The man in his 70s, named by his running and cycling clubs as Arthur Whiston, died at the scene.

P3.74 million shabu seized in Las Piñas, Quezon City

MANILA, Philippines — Anti-narcotics police operatives seized methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu worth P3.74 million in two sting operations in Las Piñas and Quezon City on Saturday. In Las Piñas, three suspected drug pushers were arrested and 450 grams of shabu valued at P3.06 million were confiscated in Barangay Pulang Lupa Uno at 3 a.m. Ariel Temporal, 48, and Jennifer Francisco, 58, both high-value suspects, as well as Joan Angue, 47,...

In Iloilo, delay hits repair work on ‘sinking’ flyover

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — The completion of the P295-million repair work on the controversial Ungka flyover in Iloilo may have to wait for some time. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has announced that the full reopening of the flyover, initially scheduled for August, has been reset to November this year. Sanny Boy Oropel, regional director of the DPWH in Western Visayas, reasoned that the rectification techniques, including...

Cebu City now 100% ready to host Palarong Pambansa – Raymond

CEBU CITY, Philippines – With two days left before the official kickoff of Palarong Pambansa 2024, acting Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia said that everything is now in place. “We’re very much prepared akong gi tan-aw nga murag naa jud tas one hundred percent ani obviously, kay tungod gyud sa atong mga preparations nga gipangbuhat,” he said. Still, Garcia said that they will continue to look into the needs of the visiting student-athletes...

June PH dollar reserves dip as BSP defends peso

The Philippines’ dollar reserves inched down in June, partly due to foreign exchange interventions of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to soothe the peso’s volatility. Data released by the BSP showed that the country’s gross international reserves (GIR) stood at $104.70 billion in June, slightly lower than the $105.02 billion recorded in May. Similarly, the net international reserves—or the difference between the GIR and liabilities like...

Yale professor sounds the alarm: World War III could be closer than we think