Official PH visit of foreign minister of Malaysia

UPON the invitation of Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, Ambassador of Malaysia Dato' Seri Utama Haji Mohamad Haji Hasan embarked on an official visit to the Philippines on July 1, 2024. While in the Philippines, the foreign minister paid a courtesy call to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at Malacañang Palace. During the meeting, Marcos and Hasan affirmed their commitment to strengthen Malaysia-Philippine...

Iran's Pezeshkian brings hopes of moderation after routing hardline rival

By Parisa Hafezi DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran's president-elect, low-profile moderate Masoud Pezeshkian, carries the hopes of millions of Iranians seeking less restrictions on social freedoms and a more pragmatic foreign policy. Pezeshkian, who defeated hardline Saeed Jalili in Friday's second-round presidential vote, is someone world powers are likely to welcome, hoping he might pursue peaceful ways

Nine foreigners murdered, dumped in Pampanga

MANILA, Philippines — Nine foreigners, most of them Chinese nationals, have been killed and their bodies dumped in different areas in Pampanga. The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) is coordinating with the Pampanga police to get more details about the foreigners, three of whom were found in Porac, Pampanga where an illegal Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) hub, Lucky South 99, was raided for alleged human trafficking...

7/7 hero left homeless after not being allocated accommodation to meet his needs

David Warman, 57, was one of the first on the scene on the day of the 7/7 bombings in London - but he has been living in the back of his car for several weeks as he awaits a home

Apayao province named UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Apayao province was internationally recognized as a Biosphere Reserve awardee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for its efforts to conserve its forests and environs. The province received the award during the 36th session of UNESCO’s International Coordinating Council of the Man and Biosphere Program on July 5 in Agadir, Morocco. This made the province a protected area...

Mother speaks of 'anger and relief' as her son's killer dies in prison

Craig Hepburn (right) died after he was stabbed 11 times while walking home from a pub with his friend Conor Paton, 19, in Marsden, West Yorkshire, on 6 July 2012.

Teachers bare ‘to do’ list for new DepEd chief

MANILA, Philippines — Teachers group Teachers Dignity Coalition (TDC) has listed ten “critical areas” in the education sector that outgoing senator Sonny Angara must immediately work on as the new secretary of the Department of Education. Angara is set to replace Vice President Sara Duterte, whose resignation as DepEd secretary will officially take effect on July 19, though the resignation was announced by Malacañang and Duterte herself last...

Remains found in Tarlac confirmed to be of missing pageant bet, Israeli BF

MANILA, Philippines — The remains found in Capas, Tarlac were those of missing Mutya ng Pilipinas Pampanga 2024 candidate Geneva Lopez and her Israeli boyfriend Yitshak Cohen, Pampanga Governor Dennis Pineda said on Saturday. According to Pineda in a Facebook post, police were able to confirm their identities through their clothing and other items. “Malungkot ko po na ibinabalita sa inyo na natagpuan na ang mga bangkay ng kabalen natin na si...

562 BuCor inmates freed in June

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 562 inmates from all the prisons and penal farms in the country were released in June, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) reported. In a statement, BuCor said 121 of those released were acquitted, 321 had served their maximum sentence, 98 were granted parole, 21 were granted probation and one was granted executive clemency. BuCor director Gen. Gregorio Catapang Jr. said the bureau has already released a total of...

Israeli strike kills 16 at Gaza school, military says it targeted gunmen

By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Ramadan Abed CAIRO/GAZA (Reuters) -At least 16 people were killed in an Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced Palestinian families in central Gaza on Saturday, the Palestinian health ministry said, in an attack Israel said had targeted militants. The health ministry said the attack on the school in Al-Nuseirat killed at least 16 people and wounded more than 50.

Starmer: Rwanda deportation scheme is 'dead and buried'

The troubled Rwanda deportation policy introduced by the former Conservative government is "dead and buried", Sir Keir Starmer has said. The Prime Minister said he was "not prepared to continue with gimmicks" as he confirmed the multimillion-pound scheme to send some asylum seekers to Kigali is to be scrapped. Before the general election, Labour had vowed to stop the plan "on day one" if it entered government.

DMW told: Find new markets for PH seafarers

A HOUSE leader has called on the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and ship manning agencies to look for new markets for Filipino seafarers, amid continuing pirate attacks in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz. Several Filipino seafarers have fallen victims to attacks and abductions perpetrated by pirates, most notably the Houthi rebels in the Gulf of Aden. Last March, two Filipino seafarers died and two others were injured in an attack by...

SPD deploys 821 cops to secure SONA

MANILA, Philippines — The Southern Police District will deploy 821 police officers to ensure peace and order during the third State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Marcos on July 22. In a statement on Friday, the SPD said police personnel underwent a two-day refresher course on civil-disturbance management (CDM) operations, aimed at enhancing their knowledge and skills in handling civil disturbances. Police officers have also been...

Participate in the drug war probe, Kabataan tells Senator Bato

MANILA, Philippines — Kabataan Partylist challenged Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa to participate in the drug war probe, saying that he is accountable to the Filipino people. “Stare your victims in the eye during the hearing, Senator. We dare you. If you truly love your country, you would not turn a blind eye to the clamour of thousands of families victimized seeking justice,” said Kabataan Partylist Executive Vice President Renee Co in a...

Woman dies in fatal A1(M) crash

Hertfordshire Police says the crash took place on Friday night and is appealing for information.

BI vows to deport suspected Chinese ‘spy’

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) vowed to deport a Chinese man previously found with firearms and suspected hacking equipment after finding out he has been overstaying in the Philippines. Personnel of the agency’s intelligence division arrested 32-year-old Liu Yuhang while at the Philippine National Police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) office in Camp Crame, Quezon City last July 4. Liu has become an...

What to expect at the Binibining Pilipinas 2024 grand coronation night

Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc. (BPCI) will throw a grand coronation night to mark the 60th anniversary of the most enduring national pageant in the country on Sunday, July 6. The ceremonies will be held at the Smart Araneta Coliseum at the Araneta City in Quezon City, and more than 100 Bb. Pilipinas queens are expected to grace the occasion, for a grand reunion together on stage. And as in the three previous editions, an all-female hosting...

Gov’t probes possible link between dead foreigners, illegal Pogos

MANILA, Philippines — An investigation is underway to probe the possible link between the discovery of nine dead bodies of foreigners in Pampanga and the illegal operations of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogos) in the country, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) said Saturday. The bodies of six Chinese, one Vietnamese, one Malaysian, and one Japanese were found scattered in different parts of Pampanga as announced...

'Beautiful and caring' teen tragically killed in bus crash in small village

The family of teenager Jonathan Debnam, 14, have paid tribute to the youngster after he was tragically killed in a collision with a bus in the quaint village of Shortstown

PAOCC has leads on alleged leak of Pogo raid plans – spokesperson

MANILA, Philippines — The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) has identified leads regarding the alleged leak of plans to raid illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (Pogo) hubs, according to its spokesperson, Winston Casio. Casio was specifically referring to the raid on Lucky South 99 in Porac, Pampanga, last June 5. “We already have the leads that we got in the last three days, so when our office arrives on Monday, we...

88-year old Amorsolo painting stolen from NegOr museum

CONSOLACION, Cebu – The Hofileña Museum in Silay City, Negros Occidental, has reported the theft of an 88-year-old painting by National Artist Fernando Amorsolo. Silay Heritage and Eileen Hofileña announced the shocking discovery of the missing cherished piece of Philippine art history, the 1936 painting “Mango Harvesters,” in an FB post on Friday, July 5. The Hofileña Museum, renowned for its extensive collection of historical and cultural...

Two arrested over 'unexplained' death

Two people remain in custody, police say, after officers were called to the scene on Friday night.

Cyclist seriously injured in Hastings crash

A local man, aged in his 70s, was airlifted to hospital after the collision on the A21 on Saturday.

Marcos revokes policy granting CES rank to NDCP grads

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos has revoked the policy granting career executive service (CES) rank to graduates of the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP), months after it was suspended to determine if its goals are in line with existing rules. The policy conferring CES eligibility and rank to graduates of the NDCP’s Master in National Security Administration (MNSA) program was scrapped through Executive Order (EO) 63,...

Clark Water recognized as one of DENR Central Luzon’s environmental champions

MANILA, Philippines — Clark Water, a subsidiary of Manila Water Philippine Ventures and the sole water and wastewater service provider of the Clark Freeport Zone (CFZ), has been recently recognized as one of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Central Luzon’s environmental champions. Manila Water Philippine Ventures’ Regional Operations Group Director for Luzon May Quinto and Clark Water General Manager Lyn Zamora received the...

6 Bantay Dagat members arrested in Bataan

MANILA, Philippines — A police officer and five members of the sea patrol force Bantay Dagat were arrested for allegedly threatening the Philippine National Police Maritime Group (PNP-MARIG) personnel in Bataan province on Friday. Brig. Gen. Jonathan Cabal, MARIG director, said their personnel were on seaborne patrol operations off Pilar town and Balanga City when the Bantay Dagat group approached them from another boat. One of the Bantay Dagat...

Why Starmer hired key-cutting boss as prisons minister

James Timpson has made a name for himself hiring hundreds of former prisoners.

Cybercrime groups restructuring after major takedowns – experts

PARIS — Cybercrime gangs are looking to rebuild with new tactics after global police operations this year made a huge dent in their activities, experts have told AFP. The gangs have had a bad year so far, with law enforcement operations taking out some of prominent groups, including LockBit, a loose network of largely Russian-speaking cyber criminals. LockBit was one of the major developers of malicious software that allows criminals to lock...

Calling for better ties with West, Iran reformist wins presidency

TEHRAN–Iran’s reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian, who advocates improved ties with the West, on Saturday won a runoff presidential election against ultraconservative Saeed Jalili, the interior ministry said. Pezeshkian received more than 16 million votes, around 54 percent, and Jalili more than 13 million, roughly 44 percent, out of about 30 million votes cast, electoral authority spokesman Mohsen Eslami said. Voter turnout was 49.8 percent,...

UK seeks balanced position on Israel and Gaza, says new foreign minister Lammy

By Andreas Rinke BERLIN (Reuters) - Britain wants a balanced position on the war in the Middle East and will use diplomatic efforts to ensure a ceasefire is reached and hostages held by Palestinian militant group Hamas are released, its new foreign minister David Lammy told Reuters. Lammy is on a visit to Germany, his first international trip following the Labour Party's thumping victory in

Demographic disaster

BIOCAPACITY is the measure that allows us to calculate the date of our "resource overshoot" each year, which I discussed in Thursday's column ("Population and overshoot," July 4, 2024). In conjunction with that, it also allows us to estimate the size of the population of any country, or the world in general, that can be sustainably supported. That figure for the Philippines is exactly 40 percent of the number of people it already has. Far from...

Toledo City police hunt 2 men who attacked ‘arrogant’ neighbor

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Policemen in Toledo City, Cebu are after two men who are believed to be responsible for punching and shooting a neighbor in Sitio Buswang in Brgy. Cambang-ug on Thursday, July 4. The incident happened at around 8 p.m. near a river in Sitio Buswang. In a report, Toledo police said that the suspects who were identified as Johnny Largo, 30, and a certain Jaybe, allegedly told Roy Abarquez Isidro “You are so very arrogant,”...

Marcos congratulates new UK Prime Minister Starmer

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Saturday congratulated the newly-elected prime minister of the United Kingdom as he expressed hopes for strengthened ties between London and Manila. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Marcos sent his congratulations to Keir Starmer who was elected as the UK’s new prime minister on July 5. “On behalf of the Philippines, I extend my warmest congratulations to the Labour Party and...

No Marcos order to revise history, says Angara

MANILA, Philippines — There was no order from President Marcos to revise history in the education curriculum, including the teaching of martial law in schools, according to incoming education secretary Sonny Angara. In a dwIZ radio interview yesterday, Angara said the President’s instruction to him was to make the teaching of history more fun and “conversational.” “The President did not single out any period in our history,” the senator said...

Attempted murder arrest after four men hit by car

Two of the men are taken to hospital with serious injuries, say police.

Junta-led Sahel states rule out return to West African economic bloc

By Boureima Balima NIAMEY (Reuters) - Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, three West African states led by the military, signed a confederation treaty on Saturday, underscoring their determination to chart a joint course outside a regional economic bloc that has been urging them to return to democratic rule. The signing took place at the first summit of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and signals a

NBI raids illegal clinic that caters to Chinese POGO workers

An illegal clinic in Makati City that caters to Chinese citizens, mostly workers at Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO), was raided by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). According to Jonathan Andal’s report in “24 Oras Weekend” on Saturday, the clinic located in Barangay San Isidro is allegedly connected to an illegal POGO hub in the Calabarzon region that is also being monitored by the NBI. The raid caught four Chinese patients...

PNP begins distribution of performance-based bonus for 2022

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) said that it will begin the distribution of its performance-based bonus for fiscal year 2022 on Saturday. According to the PNP, the bonus will be given to around 214,320 police personnel. READ: PNP warns public: Con artists pose as cops to solicit money The PNP said that the bonus that the personnel will receive is equal to 52 percent of their monthly salary as of December 31, 2022....

Major update after woman's body found inside a bin by staff at a tip

Detectives believe the woman's remains were put inside a bin that was picked up from a Coolaroo property, in Melbourne 's north, by a garbage truck on Tuesday.

NPTA: K to 12 ineffective, does not solve employability issues

National Parents-Teachers Association President Willy Rodriguez, on Saturday, criticized the effectiveness of the K to 12 curriculum and should be done away with. In a Super Radyo dzBB interview, Rodriguez commended President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. for ordering the simplification of the current education curriculum. “Napakagandang desisyon po 'yan... Hindi effective ang ating K to 12... Naka-design ito na pang-OFW... Ibalik ang K to 10,...

Thousands attend Orange Order parade in Donegal

Thousands of people are attending the annual Orange Order parade in Rossnowlagh, County Donegal.

Who could replace Rishi Sunak as party leader?

The Conservatives will need to choose a new leader when the former PM stands down.

Starmer says he has 'clear mandate to govern for all four corners of UK'

Sir Keir Starmer said the landslide victory in the General Election has given Labour "a clear mandate to govern for all four corners of the United Kingdom". Facing his first media grilling as Prime Minister on his first full day in Downing Street, he said he was "restless for change" but warned that changing the country "is not an overnight exercise". After sweeping to a historic victory at the polls, Sir Keir said his party had received "a mandate to do politics differently".

Royal Navy crew return home after six months fighting Houthi rebels

HMS Diamond docked at Portsmouth on Saturday after helping to protect shipping lanes in the Gulf of Aden and shooting down the most enemy missiles in one day on record.

Canadian archdiocese to pay $104M to child sex abuse victims

MONTREAL — The Catholic Church is to pay 104 million Canadian dollars ($76 million) to hundreds of victims of sexual abuse from eastern Canada, according to a statement released Friday. In 2020 the Archdiocese of St. John was found liable for one of Canada’s largest child sex abuse scandals, at Mount Cashel Orphanage, a now-defunct boy’s orphanage in Newfoundland and Labrador province. The court found sexual abuse was perpetrated by priests and...

This is how to distinguish the real Putin from his doppelgangers

Vladimir Putin's travels cast doubt on the Russian president. Does he systematically use doubles to make state visits on his behalf? Even though the use of lookalikes and stand-ins has never been proven in the case of the current Russian president, this practice has long been commonplace in the USSR. Every time the Kremlin boss moves around, this theory resurfaces. For some, Vladimir Putin does not have just one double; he has several who are...

Lapu-Lapu City fire: 4 families displaced

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu — A total of four families, consisting of 12 individuals, were left homeless in a fire that broke out in a residential area in Sitio San Roque, Upper Kagudoy in Brgy. Basak in Lapu-Lapu City on Saturday morning. The first alarm fire that burned three homes was reported shortly before 9:30 a.m. It was placed under control at 9:46 a.m. before it was finally put out at 9:54 a.m. Damage to properties caused by the Saturday...

What can we learn from Starmer's first day as PM?

BBC's Political Editor Chris Mason decodes the early signs of the new Labour government.

Why do police officers touch your trunk during a traffic stop? Here's what you should know

Calls for more safety measures where boy went missing

A petition calls for more lifeguards at Crosby Beach where a teenager went missing during a swim.