News

How a police raid on Columbia protest ignited campus movement

The university president's decision to bring in the NYPD lit a wildfire of protest over the Gaza war.

Marcos to Filipinos: Rise vs modern-day oppressors

MANILA, Philippines: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday called on Filipinos to "rise against our modern-day oppressors" and uphold patriotism as he joined the nation in commemorating the valor, bravery and boldness of Lapulapu and his men at the Battle of Mactan. In his message for the 503rd anniversary of the Victory at Mactan, Marcos said that Lapulapu's courage and love for the country only showed how "a force that is rooted in...

‘Legitimate to fight occupiers’: Meeting a ‘terrorist’ fighting the US

Abu Ala al-Walai, leader of Iraqi armed group KSS, tells our correspondent that the Islamic Resistance will prevail.

Support for students after campus fall death

First-year student Matthew Gilbert, 19, died following a fall from a sixth-floor window.

TUV distances itself from migrant drowning remarks

Reform UK's Ben Habib had suggested some travelling in small boats should be left to drown.

DND, NSC: 'Common understanding' on WPS is China propaganda

The Department of National Defense, on Saturday, denied the existence of any agreements with the Chinese Government that compromised Philippine sovereignty and rights in the West Philippine Sea. Furthermore, according to a statement by DND Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr., the department has had no contact with the Chinese government since 2023. “This is all a part of the Chinese propaganda effort to steer the Filipino people's attention away from...

PNP: Crimes down by 63.59% from July 2022 to April 2024

The Philippine National Police on Saturday reported that crimes in the country have decreased by over 60 percent from July 2022 up to April 2024, adding that P32 billion worth of drugs were seized during the period. “There is a 63.59% decrease in terms of our Peace and Order Indicator. And when we speak of Peace and Order Indicator, this includes the index crime where the eight focus crimes are also included,” PNP spokesperson Police Colonel...

Memorial held 80 years after US airmen killed

"We needed to remember them because they died protecting our country," the memorial organiser says.

Cebu topnotcher: How he beat self-doubt to become No. 8 in civil engineer board exams

Sometimes, self-doubt hinders us from achieving the things we want. But that’s not the case for this newly licensed civil engineer. Engineer Michael Lyndon Chua, a civil engineering graduate from the Cebu Institute of Technology-University, used his doubts to push him even harder to successfully place 8th in the recently concluded April 2024 Civil Engineering Licensure Examination. He is just one of the four graduates from Cebu universities who...

Murder charge over fatal stabbing of man, 23

Frankie Burleton has been charged with murder and GBH after one man died and another was injured.

Russian missiles hit Ukrainian energy facilities in three regions

By Olena Harmash KYIV (Reuters) -Russia launched a barrage of missiles at Ukrainian power facilities on Saturday, hitting locations in the centre and west of the country, damaging equipment and injuring at least one energy worker, officials said. Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko said on the Telegram messaging app that the Russian strikes targeted the Dnipropetrovsk region in central

Central Luzon teachers want remote work during extreme heat

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — An accredited union of some 104,000 public school teachers in the Central Luzon region on Friday urged principals to stop requiring teaching and non-teaching personnel to report for work in schools when onsite classes are suspended due to dangerous heat index forecasts. “We hope they consider the welfare of their teachers in the same manner they value the safety of learners,” said Vilma Liyao, secretary general of the...

'I thought just kill me quickly': Gaza hostage's 54 days in captivity

Moran Yanai was threatened with death and moved from place to place during her ordeal.

P2.9 billion earmarked for infra in Lapu-Lapu City in 2024 —Marcos

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday said the government has earmarked P2.9 billion for infrastructure projects in Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu in 2024. "The government, for its part, will also continue to invest in its success, which is why in 2024, the DPWH [Department of Public Works and Highways] is funding about 2.9 billion pesos in infrastructure projects here in Lapu-Lapu City alone," Marcos said in his speech during the capsule laying of...

Our population handicap

The Philippine national hunger problem would not be as hard to manage if there were not as many as 28 million families—the family, not the individual, is the Social Weather Stations hunger unit—to regularly provide with food. Nor would the traffic problem be as difficult if there were not as many as 10 million adults in the National Capital Region. Only 50 years ago, there were less than half as many to provide for. Everyone knows that...

Tough draw for Gilas Women in Fiba World PreQualifiers

Looking to scale new heights, Gilas Pilipinas’ path in trying to do that will begin in Rwanda this August when it battles higher-ranked teams in the Fiba (International Basketball Federation) Women’s World Cup Pre-Qualifying Tournaments (PQT). The Nationals have been bunched with Senegal, Hungary and Brazil in Group C of the showpiece that Mexico City is also set to cohost. “We are really excited to take part in this prequalifying tournament as...

Taiwan reports Chinese military activity after Blinken leaves Beijing

(Corrects spelling of DEFENCE in media slug, no change to story text) TAIPEI (Reuters) -Taiwan reported renewed Chinese military activity near the island on Saturday with 12 aircraft crossing the sensitive median line of the Taiwan Strait, a day after U.S. Secretary State Antony Blinken ended a visit to China. The United States is Taiwan's most important international supporter and arms supplier

Israeli soldiers kill two Palestinian gunmen in West Bank, military says

RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Israeli soldiers killed two Palestinian gunmen who opened fire at them from a vehicle in the occupied West Bank, the military said on Saturday. The military released a photo of two automatic rifles that it said were used by several gunmen to shoot at the soldiers, at an outpost near the flashpoint Palestinian city of Jenin. The official Palestinian news agency

U.S. intelligence believes Putin probably didn't order Navalny to be killed - WSJ

LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. intelligence agencies have determined that Russian President Vladimir Putin probably didn't order opposition politician Alexei Navalny killed at an Arctic prison camp in February, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday. Navalny, 47 when he died, was Putin's fiercest domestic critic. His allies, branded extremists by the authorities, accused Putin of having him

Gatchalian pushes probe of ‘diplomas for sale’

The reports about Chinese nationals allegedly paying up to P2 million to get college degrees have prompted a call for a Senate inquiry into a possible “diplomas-for-sale” modus involving private universities in Cagayan Valley. “While the state strongly supports the internationalization in education, any practice allowing the proliferation of diploma mills in the country must not be allowed,” Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said in filing Senate...

Ukraine just destroyed a really expensive piece of Russian equipment

Calamity state up in Bohol town as ASF cases spike

TAGBILARAN CITY — The municipal council of Dauis in Bohol declared the town under a state of calamity this week due to the growing cases of hog deaths caused by the African swine fever (ASF). “There is a need for vigilant control measures to avoid transmission of diseases to other hogs in nearby municipalities,” read part of the resolution of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council that the council endorsed on Tuesday. With...

Global activist Greta Thunberg stands with Masungi

“Save Masungi.” Swedish environmental activist and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Greta Thunberg on Friday expressed her support for embattled Masungi Georeserve Foundation Inc. (MGFI) in its effort to remain as the caretaker of 2,700-hectare reserve in Tanay, Rizal. READ: Police to beef up Masungi Georeserve protection, security “I stand with Masungi Georeserve. World leaders should save good biodiversity areas and hold large corporations...

Gaza protest in Paris sees tense standoff with Israel supporters

By Lucien Libert PARIS (Reuters) - Tensions flared in front of Paris' prestigious Sciences Po university over the war in Gaza on Friday as pro-Israeli protesters came to challenge pro-Palestinian students occupying the building. Police moved in to keep the two groups apart. Chanting their support for the Palestinians, some students had been occupying a Sciences Po building since the night,

‘Foreign actor’ seen behind President Marcos audio deepfake

MANILA, Philippines — A “foreign actor” is likely behind the audio deepfake of President Marcos where he supposedly ordered the Armed Forces to intervene if China poses a threat to the Philippines, according to the Presidential Communications Office. PCO Assistant Secretary Patricia Kayle Martin said the Department of Information and Communications Technology suspects a foreign actor is behind the deepfake. She did not elaborate. The government...

Power restored to Sierra Leone as minister quits

Electricity supplies have been restored to Sierra Leone following weeks of power cuts, after it paid off part of the $48m (£38m) bill it owed to a Turkish company. The $18m payment came as the country's energy minister resigned, saying he took full responsibility for the crisis. Most electricity supplies to the capital, Freetown, come from a Turkis...

Russia targets Ukraine railways as Western aid due to arrive

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine warned Friday that Moscow was ramping up attacks on railways in a bid to disrupt military supplies ahead of a fresh Russian offensive while Kyiv waits for new US weapon deliveries. Kyiv fears Russia is seeking to press its advantage on the battlefield ahead of symbolic May 9 Victory Day celebrations, as both sides continued to launch deadly cross-border strikes. A Ukrainian security source told AFP that Russia wanted to...

UK forces may be deployed to help deliver Gaza aid

The US says no American forces will go ashore but an unnamed "third party" will drive aid into Gaza.

Volunteer describes privilege of riding Army horses

Civilian riders volunteer to exercise the Household Cavalry's horses through Hyde Park.

Study finds emperor penguins die as ice melts to new lows

PARIS — A study published on Thursday discovered that colonies of emperor penguin chicks were wiped out last year by global warming, which eroded their icy habitats. Despite the birds’ efforts to adjust to the diminishing landscape, they were unable to withstand the effects. The study by the British Antarctic Survey found that record-low sea ice levels in 2023 contributed to the second-worst year for emperor penguin chick mortality since...

Sandcastles and beanjar in parish Liberation plans

Beanjar, tug-of-war and a sandcastle competition are among Liberation Day plans in one parish.

ECHR must be changed if used to block Rwanda flights, Tories warn

Senior MPs Damian Green and Matt Warman have said the government should be ready to reform the European Convention on Human Rights if it steps in to obstruct deportation flights.

Hole in road repaired after plastic duck protest

A leaking water main has been mended after two months and an unusual demonstration by villagers.

Romualdez calls on broadcasters to continue fight vs misinformation

MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Martin Romualdez called on broadcasters to continue their fight against misinformation and disinformation. Romualdez made the pronouncement after a video, dismissed by the Presidential Communications Office as a “deepfake” video, of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. supposedly ordering an attack on China surfaced online. “We recognize its indispensable role in our democracy – as a reliable source of truth and a...

Tyrone town 'shocked' school not allowed to expand

Dean Maguirc College, in Carrickmore, is told adding pupils may hurt a new education campus in Omagh.

US to provide Patriot missiles to Ukraine as part of $6bn defence aid

New weapons seen as crucial as Kyiv faces dire battlefield conditions, ammunition shortage amid Russian military gains.

DILG allows PNP, BJMP, BFP personnel to wear light uniforms amid extreme heat

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has allowed personnel of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) to wear light uniforms while on duty amid the heat index reaching dangerous levels in many parts of the country. At a Saturday news forum, Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos read a DILG urgent memorandum directing the chiefs...

Marcos launches Port of Batangas expansion project

BATANGAS CITY — Highlighting its role as a port of national significance that handles large volumes of trade and passengers, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday pushed for the continued expansion of the Port of Batangas as a crucial phase in the country’s economic transformation. The President cited the “multiple strategic roles” of the Batangas port in agriculture, tourism and trade not just for the Calabarzon region (Cavite, Laguna,...

Russia renews attacks on the Ukrainian energy sector as Kyiv launches drones at southern Russia

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia launched a barrage of missiles against Ukraine overnight, in attacks that appeared to target the country’s energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, Russia said its air defense systems had intercepted more than 60 Ukrainian drones over the southern Krasnodar region. Ukraine’s air force said Saturday that Russia had launched 34 missiles against Ukraine overnight, of which 21 had been shot down by Ukrainian air defenses. In a...

Rejection of hanged woman's pardon to be reviewed

Edith Thompson was executed for the murder of her husband, who was stabbed by her young lover.

Student anti-war protesters dig in as faculties condemn university leadership over calling police

NEW YORK (AP) — Students protesting the Israel-Hamas war at at universities across U.S., some of whom have clashed with police in riot gear, dug in Saturday and vowed to keep their demonstrations going, while several school faculties condemned university presidents who have called in law enforcement to remove protesters. As Columbia University continues negotiations with those at a pro-Palestinian student encampment on the New York school's...

France quarantines ‘poisonous’ books

PARIS — France’s national library said Thursday it had removed four 19th-century books from its shelves whose emerald green covers were likely laced with highly poisonous arsenic. The library said handling the books—which were printed in Britain—would probably cause only minor harm, but it was taking them away for further analysis. READ: A day in the National Library “We have put these works in quarantine and an external laboratory will analyze...

PH, France to start VFA talks in May

The Philippines and France might start talking formally next month about a Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). This agreement would let their militaries do joint exercises in the Philippines. Ambassador Marie Fontanel, the top French diplomat in Manila, said at a briefing on Thursday that they’re currently drafting the agreement and getting ready for negotiations, possibly in May. READ: PH, France eye VFA, deeper defense ties France explores...

Nationalization eyed to solve power crisis

The specter of nationalization reemerged in the House of Representatives on Friday as ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro suggested that the government reassume the management of the power sector in response to the ongoing energy crisis. Castro, also House deputy minority leader, said the government must step in to stabilize the power industry after the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), the sole operator of the country’s power...

Bin fire in Cornwall after batteries not recycled

The fire service says it has seen an "increase" in bin fires in the past five years.

Philippines denies deal with China over disputed South China Sea shoal

tpMANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines on Saturday denied a Chinese claim that the two countries had reached an agreement over an escalating maritime dispute in the South China Sea, calling the claim propaganda. A spokesperson at China's embassy in Manila said on April 18 that the two had agreed early this year to a "new model" in managing tensions at the Second Thomas Shoal, without elaborating.

Nelson Mandela mural to be unveiled at freedom celebration

The mural will be unveiled as part of a day of celebrations marking 30 years of South African democracy.

Almost one million books not left back on time

With fines no longer applied, the head of Libraries NI is appealing for people to bring books back.

Manila Water, Maynilad announce service interruptions in Metro Manila

Water concessionaires Maynilad and Manila Water have issued separate advisories of service interruptions in Metro Manila starting this weekend and until next week. West Zone operator Maynilad said maintenance activities have been scheduled in the cities of Caloocan, Malabon, Parañaque, Pasay, and Quezon. Maynilad advised affected customers to store ample water ahead of the activities, which would be conducted during off-peak hours to minimize...

PH to get next week new radar system

The Philippine Air Force will receive its second mobile air surveillance radar system from Japan next week, which has a modern detection system for any aerial or naval threat. Col. Maria Consuelo Castillo, PAF spokesperson, told reporters this week that the Japanese-built air surveillance radar system would be turned over to the government on April 29 at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. READ: Japan makes first delivery of radar unit to PH Defense...