HEADLINES: China denies aiming missiles at PH targets | July 6, 2024

Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Saturday, July 6, 2024. Today's episode is brought to you by Wilcon Depot, The Philippines' leading home improvement and construction supplies retailer—your Trusted Building Partner. READ: China denies aiming missiles at PH targets CHINA has said that it does "not pose a threat" to the Philippines as it refuted claims by Sen. Imee Marcos that Chinese missiles were aimed at targets in the...

Octogenarian, son-in-law killed in Maguindanao gun attack

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Gunmen shot dead an 80-year-old woman and her son-in-law in a daytime attack on Thursday in Barangay Poblacion, Ampatuan town in Maguindanao del Sur. Brig. Gen. Prexy Tanggawohn, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region police director, cited an Ampatuan police report yesterday that identified the victims as farmer Kael Nandang and his mother-in-law, Kalmo Butatek, 80. Tanggawohn said Nandang and Butatek were in their front yard...

Calabarzon yields P9.8B illegal drugs; 6,269 captured in 6 months

LUCENA CITY — About P9.8 billion worth of illegal drugs were seized by policemen in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) region in the first six months of 2024. During the 4,866 anti-illegal drug operations conducted from Jan. 1 to July 2, at least 6,269 suspects were arrested and charged for violating the country’s anti-drug law, the Police Regional Office 4A (PRO-4A) Public Information Office (PIO) said in a report on Thursday,...

Letby receives a further whole-life order for baby murder bid

Child serial killer nurse Lucy Letby has been sentenced to another whole-life order for the attempted murder of a baby girl. Earlier this week, Letby, 34, was found guilty at Manchester Crown Court of the attack on the newborn infant during a night shift at the Countess of Chester Hospital's neonatal unit in February 2016.

Marcos: Gov’t pushing to jumpstart P100-million Jolo airport development

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the government is working to immediately commence the implementation of the P100-million Jolo Airport Development Project in Sulu. During the distribution of aid to farmers and fisherfolk in Patikul town, Marcos said: “Kasalukuyan na po nating binabalangkas ang lahat ng kinakailangan para masimulan na ang proyektong ito at may nakahanda po tayong P100 million na para [pagsimulan] nitong...

Two arrested on suspicion of murder after stabbing

Police say a 19-year-old man and a 20-year-old man remain in custody.

Starmer's first and Sunak's last speeches as Prime Minister

Keir Starmer gave his first speech outside Downing Street just hours after Rishi Sunak gave his final speech, ahead of handing in his resignation as Prime Minister.

Protesters should not inconvenience public during SONA – PNP chief

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil urged activists not to inconvenience the public when they hold their rallies during the third State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Marcos, saying city roads are not for anyone’s exclusive use. Marbil vowed police officers will exercise maximum tolerance in dealing with anti-government demonstrators expected to jam the stretch of Commonwealth...

Philippine public diplomacy and China's conduct in the South China Sea

First word TRADITIONALISTS distinguish between a foreign policy based on values and a foreign policy based on interests. They describe as vital those interests that would directly affect national security and thus merit the use of force. National strategic interests are vital because if we fail to protect them, our very survival would be at stake. If there is one area where Manila is outsmarting Beijing in the contest for support and...

Papal arch enemy Archbishop Vigano found guilty of schism and excommunicated

By Alvise Armellini VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Italian Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, a fierce ultra-conservative critic of Pope Francis, has been found guilty of schism and excommunicated, the Vatican's doctrinal office said on Friday. Vigano, the papal envoy in Washington from 2011-2016, went into hiding in 2018 after alleging that the pope knew for years about sexual misconduct by U.S Cardinal

Solicitor General files petition to cancel Alice Guo's birth certificate | INQToday

The Office of the Solicitor General says it filed a petition to cancel the birth certificate ofsuspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo.

Muslims to celebrate Islamic New Year on July 7

THE National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) said that the Amun Jadid, or Islamic New Year, will be observed on Sunday, July 7. Al-Hijra marks the beginning of the Islamic New Year and falls on the first day of the month of Muharram in the Islamic lunar calendar. Since the lunar cycle determines the Islamic New Year, its date varies yearly and does not always align with the Gregorian calendar. Al-Hijra commemorates the Hijra, which...

Marcos to DepEd chief: Teach PH history

(UPDATE) PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday directed incoming Education Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara to include more Philippine history in the curriculum. "The one thing I asked from him was to: Please teach our children Philippine history. Because I have seen my children's workbooks and there's very little said about the history of the Philippines," Marcos told reporters during aid distribution in Sulu. "And that for me, that is so...

PCG challenges China's 'monster ship' anchored off Escoda Shoal

The Philippine Coast Guard says it challenged China's "monster ship" at Escoda Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.

Police launch search for new chief constable

The new leader will command a salary of about £171,000, after Paul Anderson retired from the role.

Mother throws newborn daughter out of a window

Katarina Jovanovic, 28, was found guilty of manslaughter after her newborn daughter was dropped out of an apartment window.

Kenya's Ruto pledges government changes after nationwide protests

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenyan President William Ruto said on Friday that he would make changes to the government soon, after weeks of nationwide protests that started as online anger over tax hikes and culminated in the violent storming of parliament. The protests prompted Ruto to withdraw the finance bill that contained the proposed tax hikes, leaving a 346 billion shilling ($2.7 billion) hole in

Cebu City ‘not ready for pedestrianization,’ says council’s transport head

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The newly installed chairman of the Committee on Transportation has reservations about the proposed pedestrianization of downtown Cebu. Cebu City Councilor James Cuenco, the chairman of the Transportation, Communication, and Other Utilities Committee, stated that while the city is not currently ready for pedestrianization, he pointed out that for now, it will be particularly challenging due to the climate in Cebu. “I...

Russia claimed its forces built tunnels to attack Ukrainians from behind

30 illegal things nearly every American has done

So you don't steal or murder or light things on fire, but you're not as innocent as you think! Approximately 70% of the US population has done something that could've landed them in jail, according to The Infographics Show. Are you part of that population? Click through this gallery to find out.

DA to start mass trial of ASF vaccine

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture will start the mass trial of the vaccine against African swine fever (ASF), as the DA expects the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve its commercial distribution in the country this month. “This (mass trial) is a big development in our campaign (against ASF)… We hope that within this year (the trials will be completed) so that we will no longer have problems with ASF,” DA Assistant...

Tears and loathing in South Lanarkshire: SNP's independence dream over

Scottish Labour overturned almost a decade of SNP dominance in Scotland's Westminster seats, taking a majority of constituencies.

Amos apologizes for sudden exit

MANILA, Philippines — Mason Amos apparently did not inform the Ateneo Blue Eagles of his departure from their nest. In the aftermath of that decision that shook the Katipunan-based crew and the entire collegiate scene, Amos issued an apology for his actions that could have been “handled better.” “It’s been a tough week with a decision I made due to my reasons. However, my actions were unacceptable and not called for,” posted the 19-year-old...

Beijing on missiles: China not a threat to any country

MANILA, Philippines — China is neither confirming nor denying a claim by Sen. Imee Marcos that it has hypersonic missiles aimed at 25 targets in the Philippines. But while it claims that its position is defensive and not a threat to any country, China warns it is ready to act when threatened. “I’m not sure what the Philippine side’s source was, but I can tell you that China is committed to peaceful development and a national defense policy that...

Quezon busts yield P3.4M worth of shabu from 4 suspects

LUCENA CITY — Four drug traffickers, including a woman who tried to smuggle shabu (crystal meth) into a detention facility in Quezon province, were arrested on Thursday and Friday. The arrested suspects yielded more than P3.4 million worth of shabu, Colonel Ledon Monte, Quezon police chief, said in a report Friday. Monte reported that anti-illegal drug operatives in Calauag town arrested at 1:39 a.m. Friday, one alias “Itlog,” 42, after he sold...

4-year-old boy found dead in river laid to rest in Talisay

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The boy who met his untimely demise after falling into a river in Brgy. Inayawan, Cebu City on Sunday, June 30, has been laid to rest less than a week after his passing. He was only four years old. The boy’s funeral was held at the Cansojong Public Cemetery in Talisay City, Cebu on Friday, July 5. READ MORE: Cebu Daily Newscast: Cebu City accident: Boy’s ‘basketball date’ with pa ends in tragedy Cebu City accident: Boy’s...

Famous people who were executed

Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, can be defined as the state-sanctioned practice of executing a person as punishment for an actual or supposed crime. Although the death penalty is now illegal in most countries, this was not always the case. Indeed, there are many historical cases, some more recent than others, of prominent figures being executed. Intrigued? Check out this gallery to find out which famous figures from history received the ultimate sentence.

Defeated Rishi Sunak quits with call for kindness, decency and tolerance

By William James LONDON (Reuters) -Rishi Sunak said on Friday he would resign as prime minister and Conservative Party leader after losing heavily to Keir Starmer's Labour Party, leaving with an apology, a tribute to Britain, and a call to protect "kindness, decency and tolerance". His defeat ends 14 years of Conservative government - a period marked by division, political instability and, more

Boy is killed when he is hit by a bus as police make appeal

Emergency services attended the A600 High Road in Shortstown, near Bedford, but the teenager was pronounced dead at the scene.

NATO leaders will vow to pour weapons into Ukraine for another year, but membership is off the table

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO leaders plan to pledge next week to keep pouring arms and ammunition into Ukraine at current levels for at least another year, hoping to reassure the war-ravaged country of their ongoing support and show Russian President Vladimir Putin that they will not walk away. U.S. President Joe Biden and his counterparts meet in Washington for a three-day summit beginning Tuesday to mark the military alliance’s 75th anniversary as...

Russian opposition figure Kara-Murza in prison hospital, wife says

LONDON (Reuters) -Russian opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza, who is serving a 25-year jail sentence for treason, has been transferred to a prison hospital, his wife Evgenia said in a post on X on Friday. The 42-year-old Moscow-born Kara-Murza, who has Russian and British passports, was jailed after repeatedly condemning Russia's war in Ukraine and calling for Western sanctions against

Preparations underway for 2024 POPCEN-CBMS census

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The public is once again urged to cooperate with enumerators who would collect demographic data for census information. Representatives from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA 7) aired this reminder on Wednesday, July 4 in the in the Kapihan sa PIA with Chief Statistical Specialist of the PSA7 Statistical Operations and Coordination Division, Leopoldo Alfanta Jr. and the PSA Cebu Senior Statistical Specialist...

How Burkina Faso's junta is conscripting critics to fight Islamist rebels

(This July 2 story has been corrected to amend sourcing in paragraph 44) By Sofia Christensen DAKAR (Reuters) - Arouna Loure, a vocal critic of Burkina Faso's ruling military junta, received a conscription order on Sept. 7 last year requesting that the anaesthesiologist start a month of military service four days later. The order, seen by Reuters, did not specify a date or location for the

Suspected impaired driver kills three in New York City park

By Brendan O'Brien (Reuters) - A driver suspected of being under the influence of alcohol was in custody on Friday after his pickup truck plowed into a crowd celebrating the Fourth of July in a Lower Manhattan park, killing three and injuring seven others, authorities said. The man, who was driving a Ford F-150, sped through a stop sign at about 9 p.m. on Thursday and on to a sidewalk, striking

Vatican foreign minister warns vs. allowing 'conflicts' escalate to war

The visiting Vatican foreign minister in the Philippines on Friday warned against allowing "ongoing conflicts" to escalate and open the floodgates of a full-scale global war. Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States of the Holy See, delivered the message during his address at the DFA's Foreign Service Institute (FSI) as part of his five-day official visit to Manila. Gallagher shared the positions of Pope Francis and the...

PNP: No info on possible SONA threats

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) said Friday that they had not detected any security threats for the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. President Marcos Jr. is set to deliver his 3rd SONA on July 22. According to PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil, the PNP is still making refinements on traffic management plans to minimize inconvenience to the public. "As for the SONA, we haven't received any threats,...

Woman is found murdered inside flashy Phoenix hotel room

The victim was found injured inside the $350-a-night Renaissance hotel in the early hours of Friday.

Countermeasures against Chinese 'aggression' in WPS

Last of two parts THIS article presents the second half of proposed countermeasures against Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). The Philippines has exhausted the utility of filing diplomatic protests against China, which have proven largely ineffective in deterring further incursions. The previously discussed countermeasures form part of the "porcupine" strategy, a military and geopolitical approach typically employed by smaller...

These areas hold possible Chinese spy bases in Cuba

Brave female wartime agents

The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was established in July 1940 during the early days of the Second World War. A secret British organization the purpose of which was to conduct espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance in occupied Europe, the SOE numbered among its recruits dozens of women, many of whom were dropped into Nazi-occupied France to conduct dangerous covert operations. To be captured by German forces meant certain death. Yet rather than being deterred by the threat of torture and interrogation, these agents demonstrated courage and bravery beyond what was expected in the field. Indeed, all are remembered for their gallantry and determination against a terrifying and merciless enemy. Click through and commemorate the fearless exploits of the women who served with the wartime SOE.

Chinese nabbed for kidnap of compatriot

Over casino debt MANILA, Philippines — A Chinese man was nabbed after detaining a fellow Chinese who could not pay his debt incurred in a Manila casino. Song Peng Ren, 35, also known as Luo Jie, was allegedly behind a group that kidnapped another Chinese man named Jun Cheng. A Chinese witness who knew the victim sought help from the Manila Police District and reported that Jun was “detained and forcibly taken” from a casino operated by Song at...

Duterte faces plunder, graft suits over Davao contracts to Bong Go kin

Former president Rodrigo Duterte faces his second criminal suit post-presidency. Former senator Sonny Trillanes files criminal complaints of graft and plunder against Duterte and Senator Bong Go, Friday, July 5. Full story: https://www.rappler.com/philippines/trillanes-plunder-graft-complaint-duterte-go-davao-contracts/

Meralco: Make Batangas hit its historic great

FOLKLORE has it that the peopling of the Philippines began with the migration of the 10 datus that fled oppression in their homeland of Borneo. They sailed the South China Sea aboard vessels called balangay and found themselves settling on Panay Island in communities named barangay. Later, some of the barangays sailed northward to start the migration that encompassed the whole of Luzon, beginning from the province called Batangan — what else but...

MARINA to shipping firms: Avoid sailing through conflict zones

MANILA, Philippines — To prevent more Filipino seafarers from being endangered, the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) will appeal to shipping firms to prevent their ships from sailing in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The agency would “appeal to the international community in urging shipping lines to avoid passing through conflict zones such as the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, following several attacks by Houthi rebels,” MARINA said in a...

Police arrest five men after woman's body discovered in bungalow

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene after officers were called to an address in Radiant Road in Thurncourt, Leicestershire, at 6am yesterday.

Kin of Geneva Lopez, boyfriend seek NBI assistance in search

The relatives of missing beauty pageant contestant Geneva Lopez and fiancé Yitshak Cohen approached the National Bureau of Investigation for assistance in searching for the missing couple two weeks after their disappearance. According to a 24 Oras report by Oscar Oida on Friday, Cohen’s brother, Yaniv, and Lopez’s sister visited the NBI headquarters. Yanic said that his brother did not mention any sort of threat or danger to his life during...

Trillanes files P6.6 billion plunder complaint vs Duterte, Go?

MANILA, Philippines — Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV filed a plunder complaint against former president Rodrigo Duterte and Sen. Bong Go before the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday.? “This is about the government projects, totaling P6.6 billion, which were awarded to the father and sibling of Bong Go. All the elements of a plunder charge are present in this case,” Trillanes said in an interview.? Citing Commission on Audit records,...

Body found in search for missing 85-year-old man

Missing George Fewtrell from Cheshire walked 27 miles and was last seen in North Wales.

China blames PH after demand for P60 M damages from Ayungin incident

MANILA, Philippines — “The Philippine side should face the consequences of its own action.” These were the words of Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning after she was asked whether or not China would pay P60 million to the Philippines following the June 17 incident at Ayungin Shoal, where Chinese personnel wounded a Filipino sailor and damaged the Philippines’ naval equipment. Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen....

Impact of junior doctor strike revealed as medics await call from Labour

Impact of junior doctor strike revealed as medics await call from Labour - Sir Keir Starmer said discussions would start on the first day of a Labour Government.