MANILA, Philippines — Following his Saturday morning arrest, veteran journalist Philip Lustre Jr. remains in the dark about who is behind the cyberlibel complaint lodged against him and what triggered it, with his lawyer saying he was not given due process. Human rights lawyer Dino de Leon, who is representing Lustre in the case, confirmed

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court is formally extending support to public interest lawyers and organizations to help them in their missions while promoting grassroots lawyering as a viable career path. The Supreme Court on Friday released rules promulgated on Aug. 26 for the formal recognition of organizations and legal practitioners devoted to developmental and

MANILA, Philippines — Fainting, heat rash and kidney injury are among five additional heat-related conditions that may qualify workers for compensation under expanded guidelines issued by the Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC) amid the looming threat of El Niño. “We came out with a resolution that reiterates the coverage of heat-related diseases while also recognizing the

MANILA, Philippines — Four Philippine Air Force (PAF) pilots were killed after two SF-260 aircraft crashed during a training flight in Batangas on Friday, the Air Force confirmed on Saturday. The PAF has described the incident as an “aviation accident” and could not immediately confirm if what had happened was a collision. Both aircraft went

MANILA, Philippines — The chief of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) denied authorizing a P5-million allocation for Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson. “As Tesda Secretary, I did not authorize anyone to offer any allocation or one amounting to P5 million to Senator Ping Lacson,” Tesda Director-General Jose Francisco “Kiko” Benitez said in a

MANILA, Philippines — Two Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel have died following a shooting incident in Cotabato City, the agency confirmed as it mourned their deaths and vowed to pursue justice. In a statement on Saturday, the PCG identified the fatalities as Seaman First Class Reniel Agpalo and Seaman Second Class Louther Jhon Vitor, both

SAN FRANCISCO, AGUSAN DEL SUR, Philippines — For the past four decades, the coffee groves tended by the indigenous Higaonon tribe in Sitio San Jose, Barangay Maasin, in Esperanza town, Agusan del Sur, yielded a steady harvest of cherry beans for tribal communities in the area. However, the steady dose of caffeine these coffee plants

Oct. 26, 1521 The remaining crew of the expedition once led by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan dropped anchor at “Biraham Batulach,” known today as Barangay Batulaki, to take shelter from a violent storm. In the detailed account of the voyage, Antonio Pigafetta, a Venetian scholar and explorer, also wrote that Sebastian el Cano had

Obama frames the November 3 vote as a 'circuit breaker' to 'at least rein in some of the foolishness' of Trump's presidency

Beijing has a formula for tackling African conflicts and hot-button issues, and during a meeting this month with Togolese leader Faure Gnassingbe, Chinese President Xi Jinping outlined it in four principles linking peace to development. The principles entail focusing on African-led security free from outside intervention; upholding sovereignty and UN Charter principles; rejecting force and sanctions and favouring ceasefires through dialogue; and focusing on both immediate security concerns and...

Sherry Shum has embraced a new shopping routine after finding a smart vending machine near her home in Chai Wan. The 37-year-old retail worker uses her phone to scan a QR code, opens the smart machine’s door, picks up a bottle of Coca-Cola, an oolong tea and a pack of potato chips, closes it and walks away with HK$60 (US$7.70) worth of goods. The whole process is so seamless that the only time she spends is deciding what to buy. The moment Shum takes an item from the shelf, the machine detects...

‘His fights were never boring,’ says mixed martial artist Aaron Pico of Manny Pacquiao. ‘That’s what I’m trying to do, too, here in the UFC.’

Singapore expects all parties who have signed commercial contracts for gas supplies to “honour their commitments”, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Sunday after Indonesia cut its exports. Speaking at the People’s Action Party (PAP) convention, Wong added that Singapore’s gas importer will take the necessary steps to protect its rights and interests. Indonesia began reducing natural gas exports to Singapore on Saturday. Indonesia’s upstream oil and gas regulator SKK Migas said the move was to...

COTABATO CITY, BARMM, Philippines — Police arrested on Saturday one of the suspects in the Jan. 25, 2026 rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack targeting Shariff Aguak Mayor Akmad “Mitra” Ampatuan Sr. in Maguindanao del Sur.  Major Joel Lebrilla, chief of the Shariff Aguak Municipal Police Station, identified the suspect as Toraipe Lusod, alias “Aripi Adam,” of

Our letter sender is wondering about desire, life direction, and relationships as she finds someone she's compatible with sexually, but who can't stay in the Philippines and may not be able to commit to her

The Toll Regulatory Board on Sunday said measures are in place to assist motorists as the country will observe All Saints' Day (Undas) and All Souls' Day on November 1 to 2, respectively.

Young Chinese people enjoy Japanese pop culture such as anime and music, but many draw a firm line at symbols of Japanese militarism. That line was tested recently at Moscow State University, where Chinese students confronted a classmate wearing Japan’s rising sun flag in class and called for his repatriation, state-run newspaper Global Times reported on Sunday. Many countries, including China, view the flag as a symbol of Japanese militarism and aggression. Japan’s Self-Defence Forces still use...

Ayumi lives alone in a spacious suburban house originally bought to raise a family, her two cats now her only full-time companions. Her two daughters have grown up and left home, and her husband of more than two decades moved out nearly a year ago as they finalise a divorce. For the 62-year-old Kawasaki resident, who spoke on condition that her surname be withheld, this was not how she envisioned her later years. “He worked very long hours, including on weekends, and I was always busy taking...

The findings will be used to guide habitat protection and wildlife monitoring while supporting responsible birdwatching and nature-based tourism

COTABATO CITY, BARMM, Philippines – Renewable energy advocates gathered in General Santos City starting on Thursday for the two-day 4th Mindanao Clean Energy Forum (MCEF) to address pressing issues linked to the region’s heavy dependence on imported fossil fuels. The annual gathering is organized by the multistakeholder group Mindanao Renewable Energy Acceleration and Coordination Hub

LEGAZPI CITY, ALBAY, Philippines — Camarines Sur Gov. Luis Raymund Villafuerte Jr. has disputed the labeling of his province as the poorest in Bicol, citing a clarification from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) that the term is not an official statistical designation. In a letter dated Oct. 15, PSA Regional Statistical Services Office V Director

Hong Kong’s civil service has long enjoyed a reputation for efficiency, professionalism and probity. It has also been a pillar of stability, particularly during the transition from British to Chinese rule. Outside the general and administrative grades, many civil servants spend much of their careers in relatively specialised areas of responsibility. This allows them to develop deep expertise and makes them dependable regulators and administrators. However, it can also make it harder to adapt...

Sabi ng ambassador ng Tsina, pasalamat daw ang Pilipinas at may kapit-bansa itong tulad ng Tsina na hindi gumagamit ng dahas. Teka, teka, hindi gumagamit ng dahas?

SAN FERNANDO, BUKIDNON, Philippines — Over 300 indigenous learners in a remote village here now have access to modern education after officials energized the Salumayag Tigwahanon Integrated School under the national government’s Last Mile Schools Electrification Program on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026. National Electrification Administration (NEA) Administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda led the ceremonial switch-on in

The North Korean leader crossed the border on a newly opened bridge for the trip, as the two countries move to deepen ties.

COTABATO CITY, BARMM, Philippines — Five suspected motorcycle thieves were arrested, with one of them sustaining a minor gunshot wound to the arm following an exchange of gunfire with police authorities in Midsayap, Cotabato, on Friday, Oct. 23. Lt. Col. William Facsoy Jr, Midsayap police chief, said police personnel were responding to reports about a

LEGAZPI CITY, ALBAY, Philippines — Two whale sharks were spotted in the waters off Calabanga, Camarines Sur, on Thursday afternoon, drawing the attention of residents as the marine animals swam just meters from the shoreline. Paul Christian Santos, village chief of Barangay Baybay, said in a phone interview that residents noticed the whale sharks when

Hong Kong schools handled an average of 496 bullying cases each academic year from 2022 to 2025 – a 32 per cent jump compared with the previous three years, according to the Education Bureau. A youth group attributed the increase to greater reporting driven by heightened mental health awareness, but also students struggling to distinguish playful jokes from bullying. According to the bureau, public primary and secondary schools recorded an average of 496 bullying cases each year between 2022 and...

Batangas State University’s pioneer medical graduates — who all passed the licensure exam — hope to bring healthcare to the country’s most underserved communities

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchailan and Cabinet Secretary Benhur Abalos on Friday visited the city to oversee distribution of aid to displaced families affected by two major fire incidents that struck last week. “Our President sent us here to ensure that help is truly poured out. If I’m not mistaken, this