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Japan’s Okinawa drops opposition to hosting crash-prone US Osprey aircraft
Okinawa Governor Genta Koja said on Friday he accepts the deployment of US military MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft at the Futenma air station, reversing the southern Japan prefecture’s long-standing opposition to their presence. Previous prefectural governments, under governors critical of US bases, had opposed the deployment of the tilt-rotor aircraft since before they were first stationed at the base in 2012, citing safety concerns. Koja assumed the post of Okinawa governor late last...
Japan’s Okinawa drops opposition to hosting crash-prone US Osprey aircraft
Okinawa Governor Genta Koja said on Friday he accepts the deployment of US military MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft at the Futenma air station, reversing the southern Japan prefecture’s long-standing opposition to their presence. Previous prefectural governments, under governors critical of US bases, had opposed the deployment of the tilt-rotor aircraft since before they were first stationed at the base in 2012, citing safety concerns. Koja assumed the post of Okinawa governor late last...
Pioneering heart stem cell expert Li Renke dies at 65 during a Chinese conference
Li Renke, a visionary cardiovascular scientist who applied engineering principles to the human heart and developed conductive biomaterials to repair tissue damaged by heart attacks, died while attending an academic conference in the Chinese city of Xian earlier this month. He was 65. His death on October 10 was announced by The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen), where he was presidential chair professor and associate dean of research and translation at the school of...
Ombudsman probes Cagayan’s Jojo Lara for potential plunder over construction ties
The investigation comes a year after Rappler first reported about Lara's ties to JLL Pulsar, which has bagged P3.7 billion in contracts from the DPWH since 2020, coinciding with Lara's congressional career
'Fuel costs, falling revenue behind fare hike bids'
Bus operators said a sharp rise in fuel costs has created a huge financial burden and other revenue streams were also falling, as the four firms seek fare increases with Citybus applying for the highest rise of 17.7 per cent. Appearing before the Legislative Council's transport panel on Friday, representatives from the bus operators said fuel prices had risen sharply, causing significant financial pressure. "We're incurring approximately an additional HK$60 million a month in fuel compared to what we were at the beginning of this year. And for Long Win Bus Company it's approximately HK$6 million extra each month which is overall more than double what we were paying last year," Martin Cadman, operations director of the Kowloon Motor Bus, told lawmakers. "Post-war oil prices... just an increase of one or two dollars a litre can succeed in eliminating all of our modest profits which is quite something. It shows how sensitive we are to such events," Mark Savelli, operations director of New Lantao Bus said. He noted that the worst he saw was a rise of US$7 per litre. Bus company representatives also cited other factors, including changing travel patterns leading to falling revenue. They stressed that they had already made efforts to boost non-fare income. Citybus Managing Director William Chung said the opening of MTR's South Island Line and the Sha Tin to Central Link had taken away many bus passengers. He said the company returned to profitability after its last fare increase, but was still under severe pressure from rising oil prices. Deputy Secretary for Transport and Logistics Kirk Yip said the government would handle the fare applications with prudence, taking into account factors including public acceptability and operators' financial sustainability. "We will not accept bus companies' applications outright; we will carefully review various factors and also consider the overall affordability for the public," he told lawmakers. A final proposal would be submitted to the Chief Executive and the Executive Council after consulting the Transport Advisory Board. Several lawmakers criticised the scale of the proposed increases, which they said exceeded the rate of inflation and pay rises for employees. New Territories West lawmaker Scott Leung described the hikes as "jaw-dropping" and asked whether the government would subsidise fuel costs. Transport sector lawmaker Lothair Lam suggested adopting a fare adjustment mechanism similar to the MTR's annual review formula for bus fares. In response, Ip said different public transport modes and bus companies operate under different franchises and service areas, making a simple formula unsuitable. He acknowledged that oil prices are a significant component of operating costs, and said there is a standing mechanism to review their financial and service impact. Edited by Aaron Tam
Driver dies as car falls off ravine in Mountain Province
TUGUEGARAO CITY – A man drowned inside his car after it fell down a 70-meter-deep ravine and onto the river in the Mountain Province town of Sabangan on October 15. The remains of Noel Padsing Tukiad, a resident of Sagada town, also in Mountain Province, was retrieved hours later on Thursday by rescue teams deployed to
All Pax SIlica issues to be 'properly addressed', says envoy
Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manual “Babe” Romualdez said that all of the issues concerning the controversial Pax Silica initiative will be addressed.
Exercise Tarang Shakti: A Mirror to India’s Multipronged Engagements
The exercise reflects two trends: the Indian military’s deepening interoperability with key partner nations, and India’s multi-vector foreign policy.
Ombudsman files flood control graft case vs Dong Gonzales
The lawsuit comes more than a year after Rappler first reported about Gonzales' ties to A.D. Gonzales Jr. Construction, which won hundreds of millions of pesos in DPWH contracts
Coast Guard, MDRRMO rescue 4 passengers from grounded boat in Palawan
CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro — Four people, including a pregnant woman, were rescued after their motorized boat ran aground near Somaco Island in the Palawan town of Cuilon on Wednesday (Oct. 15), the Philippine Coast Guard said. The Coast Guard Sub-Station in Culion, coordinated with the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) and