Philippines: Latest News

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it continues to monitor the progress of the passengers of Sri Lankan origin who were rescued and bought to the Port of Vung Tau in Viet Nam on 08 November 2022.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the Sri Lanka Navy that they had received information about a vessel carrying approximately 303 persons believed to be Sri Lankans which was in distress in the waters between the Philippines and Viet Nam on 07 November 2022.  Sri Lanka Navy having contacted the vessel, informed that the crew had abandoned the vessel with the passengers onboard. On the initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in coordination with the Sri Lanka Navy and the Sri Lanka Missions in the Philippines, Singapore and Viet Nam together with the regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Centers (MRCC) based in Singapore, the rescue efforts were coordinated, said the Foreign Ministry.Subsequently, the Japanese-flagged vessel, “Helios Leader”, having been contacted by the Singapore MRCC, rescued the passengers from the distressed vessel. The passengers were handed over to Viet Nam authorities at Vung Tau Port in South Viet Nam.The screening of the passengers will be done by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in coordination with the Viet Nam authorities and the Sri Lanka Embassy in Viet Nam.

Ricky Hatton is looking back at some of his lowest moments. And as you might expect he doesn't pull his punches.

Bohol province in the central Philippines with 65 passengers and 55 crewmembers, the coast guard said. It added that it deployed two vessels for rescue and to help put out the flames, which raged for more than five hours.READ MORE: Hundreds missing in migrant boat sinking; EU Commissioner says 'worst ever tragedy' in MediterraneanPhotos and video released by the coast guard show flames and black smoke billowing from two decks at one end of the ferry.

Air Canada customer is sharing her travel nightmare with the airline after she says she was charged twice for a round trip.“They don’t even have the heart to listen to me,” said Cristhel Fernandez. “I don’t have the extra money to pay that off.”Back in May, the Surrey resident booked two round-trip flights to the Philippines for her and her husband.

Mount Mayon spews lava during an eruption near Legazpi city in Albay province, south of Manila on June 11, 2023. (Photo by Charism Sayat / AFP) (Photo by CHARISM SAYAT/AFP via Getty Images) DARAGA, Philippines (AP) - The Philippines' most active volcano has begun spewing lava in a gentle eruption, putting thousands of people on heightened alert for the possibility of a violent explosion that would force them to suddenly evacuate from their homes, authorities said Monday.More than 12,000 villagers have left their homes so far in mandatory evacuations from the mostly poor farming communities within a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) radius of Mayon volcano's crater in northeastern Albay province.

Red Velvet member Joy will step back from all scheduled activities due to health concerns.Today (April 26), Joy’s label SM Entertainment announced in a statement that the K-pop idol would not be participating in any planned activities for the time being due to the “poor condition” of her health.“Joy recently visited a hospital due to her poor health condition, and after consultation and examination, the medical staff advised that she needs treatment and rest,” SM Entertainment said per Edaily, as translated by Soompi. However, the label did not give specific about Joy’s condition.“Joy will not participate in any schedules for the time being and will instead take a break to recover her health,” it added, adding that “this decision was made following thorough discussions with Joy, looking out for her health”.Red Velvet are currently on the Asia leg of their ‘R to V’ world tour, and are set to play the Pia Arena MM in Yokohama, Japan on May 3 next.

The Canadian Centre for Child Protection is calling the growing number of sextortion offences being reported an ‘epidemic.”“To be completely frank, the situation is completely out of control. We can barely keep up with the sextortion reports that are coming in to us,” Canadian Centre for Child Protection Associate Executive Director Signy Arnason told Global News.Nigeria, the Ivory Coast and the Philippines are ‘critical jurisdictions’ where alleged perpetrators are successfully victimizing people, often for financial gain, Arnason said.Statistics Canada data reports a nearly 80-per cent increase in cyber-related extortion offences in 2020 from the year before.

TOKYO - Japan’s space agency intentionally destroyed a new H3 rocket minutes after its launch Tuesday because the ignition failed for the second stage of the country's first new rocket series in more than two decades.Coming three weeks after an aborted launch due to a separate glitch, the H3's failure was a setback for Japan’s space program — and possibly for its missile detection program — and a disappointment for space fans who were rooting for Tuesday's retrial.The H3 rocket with a white head blasted off and soared into the blue sky from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan as fans and local residents cheered. It followed its planned trajectory and the second stage separated as designed, but the ignition for it failed, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said.JAXA officials apologized for the failure, and said it sent a command to destroy the rocket about 14 minutes after liftoff as there was no hope for it to complete its mission.Japan's next-generation H3 rocket failed after liftoff on March 7, 2023, with the space agency issuing a destruct command after concluding the mission could not succeed.

OAKLAND, Calif. - A Missouri family's rental car was broken into outside an East Oakland fast-food restaurant while they in the Bay Area for a memorial."They ran in for three to seven minutes to get three hamburgers and when they came out, the windows were smashed," said Walt Disney, a distant relative of the Mickey Mouse creator.The break-in happened outside the In-N-Out on Oakport Street not far from Oakland International Airport at about 11 a.m. Monday.Cell phone video from a witness shows a young man, in the rain, peeking into the family's rented Chevy Traverse.

A policeman carrying an automatic rifle stands guard with a colleague along a popular market street in Manila, Philippines, on June 1, 2022. (Ted Aljibe / AFP via Getty Images) A New Zealand tourist died in the Philippines while trying to defend his girlfriend from bikers, kicking off a manhunt for his killers. "We regret to report this incident and extend our sympathy to the bereaved family," police Maj.

Gary Friedkin who starred in Happy Days and Star Wars has died at 70 after a lengthy battle with COVID-19.The veteran actor passed away with family at his side at Hospice House in Youngstown, Ohio due to complications from the novel coronavirus.He had previously endured a challenging three-and-a-half weeks battling COVID-19 in the medical intensive care unit (ICU) at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital, according to his obituary in the Tribute Chronicle published earlier this week.

(COLOMBO, Sri Lanka) – Sri Lanka’s navy said Monday that about 300 suspected migrants have been rescued by Singapore authorities after their boat started sinking.Navy spokesperson Indika de Silva said a Sri Lankan citizen on the boat contacted the navy Monday and said they were in distress, and the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center in Colombo sought help from Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines.Singapore authorities later notified Sri Lanka that the people on board the boat had been rescued and were heading to Vietnam.De Silva said the navy is only officially aware of the presence of one Sri Lankan on board the vessel, and the identities of the others will be ascertained after they land in Vietnam.Sri Lankans in the past sometimes undertook hazardous and illegal boat journeys to escape a long civil war.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Two  ships of the Royal Australian Navy, namely; HMAS Adelaide and HMAS Anzac which are engaged in Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2022 arrived at the Port of Colombo this morning (25th October 2022). On their arrival, the visiting ships were welcomed by the Sri Lanka Navy in accordance with naval tradition.Indo-Pacific Endeavour (IPE) began in 2017 as an activity coordinated by the Australian Defence Force to strengthen Australia’s engagement and partnerships with regional security forces. Thus, this year’s IPE will return to Southeast and South Asia, consolidating partnerships with 14 countries such as Timor-Leste, Vietnam, the Philippines, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Maldives and India.Commodore Mal Wise of Royal Australian Navy is the Commander Joint Task Force for Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2022.The visiting ship HMAS Adelaide which is a 230m-long Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) is commanded by Captain SJ Watters.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Offshore Patrol Vessel P 627 of Sri Lanka Navy, which set sail for her home-bound journey from Seattle, United States on 03rd September 2022, called at the Port of Changi in Singapore on 22nd October 2022. The High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Singapore, Sashikala Premawardhane was also present on this occasion to welcome the ship.After having called at the Port of Manila in the Philippines, P 627 began her home-bound journey from there on 16th October. Having covered a passage of about 1393 nautical miles (2580 km) she arrived in Singapore on 22nd October 2022 for replenishment and services.When the ship arrived at the Port of Changi, the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Singapore, Sashikala Premawardhane was also present to welcome the ship.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Offshore Patrol Vessel P 627 of Sri Lanka Navy, which set sail for her home bound journey from Seattle, United States on 03rd September 2022, called at the Port of Manila in the Philippines on 12th October 2022. After having called at the Port Apra in Guam, United States, P 627 commenced her remaining leg of the voyage from there on 05th October and arrived in the Philippines today for replenishment and services, having covered a passage of about 1800 nautical miles (3333 km).When the ship arrived at the Port of Manila, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Republic of the Philippines, Shobini Gunasekera was also present to welcome the ship. She also exchanged a few ideas with the Commanding Officer of P 627, Captain Lanka Dissanayake.During this long sea voyage, P 627 has thus far sailed about 7700 nautical miles (14260 km) in 41 days in the Pacific Ocean.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Offshore Patrol Vessel P 627 of Sri Lanka Navy, which set sail for her home bound journey from Seattle, United States on 03rd September 2022, called at the Port of Manila in the Philippines on 12th October 2022. After having called at the Port Apra in Guam, United States, P 627 commenced her remaining leg of the voyage from there on 05th October and arrived in the Philippines today for replenishment and services, having covered a passage of about 1800 nautical miles (3333 km).When the ship arrived at the Port of Manila, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Republic of the Philippines, Shobini Gunasekera was also present to welcome the ship. She also exchanged a few ideas with the Commanding Officer of P 627, Captain Lanka Dissanayake.During this long sea voyage, P 627 has thus far sailed about 7700 nautical miles (14260 km) in 41 days in the Pacific Ocean.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka Navy's latest Off Shore Patrol Vessel, orginally used by the US Coast Guard called port in Guam.Sri Lanka Navy officially took delivery of the EX-United States Coast Guard Cutter, USCGC Douglas Munro, provided by the United States, on 26th October 2021.Subsequently, she was designated with the Pennant Number P 627 in SLN Fleet and underwent certain modernization equipped to suit the operational needs of the Sri Lanka Navy. The ship departed for Sri Lanka from the Port of Seattle, United States on 03rd September 2022.Having covered a long sea voyage of about 5898 nautical miles (10923km) in the Pacific Ocean, P 627 called at Port Apra in Guam for replenishment on 02nd October.During the passage she is also expected to make port calls at Manila in the Philippines and Changi in Singapore for replenishment and services. Meanwhile, P 627 is scheduled to arrive at the Port of Colombo in the first week of November 2022.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – President Ranil Wickremesinghe arrived in the island on Saturday (01) morning, concluding his official visit to Japan and the Philippines.President Wickremesinghe attended the funeral of the former Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe during his official visit.Thereafter, President Ranil Wickramasinghe also visited the Philippines to preside over a meeting of the Asian Development Bank Governors.

Tokyo, Japan (Kyodo) – Japan is prepared to "do its part" over Sri Lanka's debt issue, but other creditors, such as China and India, should also be involved in efforts to resolve it, Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki said Thursday (29).Suzuki made the remarks after meeting with Ranil Wickremesinghe, president of Sri Lanka, which has reached a preliminary agreement with the International Monetary Fund on a $2.9 billion loan as the Asian nation needs to restructure its massive debt.Suzuki said he urged Sri Lanka during Thursday's meeting to provide the necessary information, make its own efforts to get China, India and other creditors involved and boost transparency."Japan will do its part if such preconditions are met," Suzuki told reporters without elaborating in the Philippine capital Manila, where he attended a meeting of the Asian Development Bank.During his visit to Japan, the Sri Lankan president met Wednesday with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and discussed the debt issue. The leaders recognized the importance of "fair and transparent" debt restructuring that involves all creditor nations, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.Sri Lanka defaulted on its debt earlier this year.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – President Ranil Wickremesinghe said amidst major economic stress, Sri Lanka is undertaking an unprecedented fiscal effort as part of the government’s commitment to restoring the country’s debt sustainability. Therefore, he expressed hope and expectation that Sri Lanka’s creditors, and all stakeholders, will support Sri Lanka in these efforts to restore the country’s debt sustainability and help put the country back on the path of inclusive and sustainable economic growth.President Wickremesinghe presided over the annual meeting of the ADB Board of Governors on Thursday (29) which was held at the ADB headquarters in Manila, Philippines and attended by Governors and official government delegations.President Wickremesinghe noted that the government has already undertaken major macroeconomic policy reform measures and this program is aligned with the commitment of the government to implement an ambitious and comprehensive package of reforms that will help restore the sustainability of the country’s public finances, addressing external imbalances, and restarting the growth engine through structural reforms and improvements in governance.“Amidst major economic stress, Sri Lanka is undertaking an unprecedented fiscal effort as part of our commitment to restoring the country’s debt sustainability.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has met with Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.

₹2,000 crore, it said in a regulatory filing. As part of the deal, Torrent will pay ₹115 crore in cash and cash equivalent upfront for the 100% stake. Curatio will be valued at ₹1,885 crore.

Canadian Armed Forces is sounding the alarm over a severe shortage of recruits to fill thousands of vacant positions, with the shortfall so bad that senior officers are now calling it a crisis.On a cool Tuesday afternoon, Robert Romero walks out of the Canadian Armed Forces’ recruiting office in downtown Ottawa with an envelope full of papers in his hands.Originally from the Philippines, Romero does not have any direct experience with Canada’s military; his interest is largely derived from a sense of adventure and some of what he saw about soldiers in movies as a kid.“I idolized them,” he says. “I got hooked.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – President Ranil Wickremesinghe is scheduled to leave the island early tomorrow morning (26) on an official visit to Japan and the Philippines.During his two-day official visit to Japan, the President will participate in the funeral ceremony of the former Prime Minister of Japan, Mr. Shinzo Abe, and will hold bilateral discussions with the Japanese Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and Finance Minister during this tour.Thereafter, President Ranil Wickremesinghe is scheduled to leave for the Philippines to preside over the meeting of the Governors of the Asian Development Bank.During his visit to the Philippines, President Wickremesinghe will hold discussions with the President of the Philippines Bongbong Marcos and the President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Masatsugu Asakawa.The President is scheduled to return to the island upon completion of his official tour on the 30th of September.Senior Advisor to the President on National Security and Chief of Staff to the President Sagala Ratnayake, Director of International Affairs Dinuk Colomboge, Director of Media Shanuka Karunaratne, Director of Sustainable Development Randula Abeyweera and Private Secretary to the President Sandra Perera will accompany the President on his official tour.

Also Read: Ahead of Noida demolition, Watch how Kerala flats went down "We discussed this together as a party and decided not to accept this. The Kerala government's intervention in the health sector was discussed. Also, they said they considered intervention to prevent covid and Nipah." Shailaja said.

Millions of children in the Philippines returned to school this morning as the academic year started, with many taking their seats in classrooms for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic hit.

GENEVA (AP) - About 25 million children worldwide have missed out on routine immunizations against common diseases like diptheria, largely because the coronavirus pandemic disrupted regular health services or triggered misinformation about vaccines, according to the U.N.In a new report published Friday, the World Health Organization and UNICEF said their figures show 25 million children last year failed to get vaccinated against diptheria, tetanus and pertussis, a marker for childhood immunization coverage, continuing a downward trend that began in 2019."This is a red alert for child health," said Catherine Russell, UNICEF's Executive Director."We are witnessing the largest sustained drop in childhood immunization in a generation," she said, adding that the consequences would be measured in lives lost.Data showed the vast majority of the children who failed to get immunized were living in developing countries, namely Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria and the Philippines. While vaccine coverage fell in every world region, the worst effects were seen in East Asia and the Pacific.Experts said this "historic backsliding" in vaccination coverage was especially disturbing since it was occurring as rates of severe malnutrition were rising.

Global health officials predicted a drop in routine childhood immunization during the worst pandemic period when lockdowns were in effect, but the decline continues — the worst in three decades— the World Health Organization and UNICEF said today.

We were so lucky for over two years! Now we’re all getting sick! And Momma Perez did not handle it well! Dealing with all that and some unexpected drama! Plus, trying to cheer up the sick kid AND we stop by the Instagram-famous Sayulitas for some Mexican–Filipino food. Was it worth the hype? Watch to find out!

The government may not provide any respite to medical students who had return to India following the outbreak of the pandemic and the war between Russia and Ukraine. There are around 60,000 medical aspirants who have returned to India post covid from countries such as Ukraine, China, Russia, the Philippines and Georgia. The government’s view is that if any student wishes to study medicine in other countries and wants to pursue their medical practice in India, they must clear the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) exam.

Even neighbours Pakistan and Bangladesh have fared better at a time the World Health Organization warned that the pandemic ‘is far from over’, with a fresh spike in new covid cases seen in 110 countries India lags far behind its developing-country rivals in the covid-19 booster vaccination race, even as cases have seen a steady uptick in the past fortnight. The poor show comes even as the country started its ‘precaution’ dose inoculation drive around the same time as some of the other countries, shows a Mint analysis. For every 1,000 people, India has managed to administer just 32 boosters, i.e.

MANILA, Philippines (AP) - A U.S. Navy destroyer that engaged a superior Japanese fleet in the largest sea battle of World War II in the Philippines has become the deepest wreck to be discovered, according to explorers.The USS Samuel B. Roberts, popularly known as the "Sammy B," was identified on Wednesday broken into two pieces on a slope at a depth of 6,985 meters (22,916 feet).That puts it 426 meters (1,400 feet) deeper than the USS Johnson, the previous deepest wreck discovered last year in the Philippine Sea also by American explorer Victor Vescovo, founder of Dallas-based Caladan Oceanic Expeditions.

PHILADELPHIA - The mayor of Philadelphia expressed shock and sorrow over the killing of a Filipino lawyer who was shot in the city over the weekend and is offering a $20,000 reward for information that will lead to the arrest of the shooter, a senior Philippine diplomat said Wednesday.John Albert Laylo and his mother were heading to the airport to board a flight early Saturday when someone in a nearby car fired several rounds into their Uber at a red light near the University of Pennsylvania, police said. Laylo was hit in the back of the head and died Sunday in a hospital."I am sorry.

WILMINGTON, Del. - Wilmington Police are investigating a shooting that left three juveniles injured on Monday evening. At around 6:59 p.m., police say they responded to the 300 block of South Jackson street in Wilmington. Police say upon arrival, they located three gunshot victims, an 8-year-old boy, a 16-year-old boy, and a 17-year-old boy. MORE HEADLINESPolice: Woman, 21, killed in Germantown hit-and-runOfficials: Lawyer visiting Philadelphia from the Philippines fatally shot in rideshare carPolice looking for suspect after 2 people shot multiple times in KensingtonThe three victims were transported to a local hospital where they were placed in stable condition. Police are actively investigating this incident, and they are asking anyone with information to contact Detective Derek Haines at 302-576-3656. 

Teamsters Local 830, a Local beverage industry union authorized a strike against the Delaware Valley Importers Distribution Association, demanding a fair workers' contract.  PHILADELPHIA - Teamsters Local 830, a union that represents workers in the regional beverage industry, went on strike against the Delaware Valley Importers Distribution Association on Sunday at 12:01 a.m. On Saturday, June 18th, members of Teamsters Local 830 rejected the Del-Val Association’s latest contract proposal and unanimously voted to strike. Picket lines went up on Sunday at three big beer distributors in the Philadelphia region: Penn, Origlio and Muller locations. Picket lines will remain up until the dispute over the rejected contract is settled. MORE HEADLINESFuneral arrangements announced for Philadelphia firefighter killed in collapseOfficials: Lawyer visiting Philadelphia from the Philippines fatally shot in rideshare in University CityOfficials: Wharton State Forest wildfire could be 'largest in N.J. in 15 years,' natural causes ruled outSecretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 830, Daniel H.

Filipino attorney John Laylo shot and killed while in a rideshare vehicle at 38th and Spruce. UNIVERSITY CITY - Philadelphia Police are investigating a shooting that led to the death of a Filipino attorney.The attorney was said to be in town visiting relatives when the shooting occurred.Officials say the attorney, identified as John Laylo, got into a rideshare vehicle, along with his mother, at 38th and Spruce Saturday morning, a little after 4 a.m.Police say when the vehicle stopped at Spruce Street, a car pulled up behind them and fired shots into the back window.

Housekeeper prepares room at hotel. (Photo by Marcus Brandt/picture alliance via Getty Images) HONOLULU - After guests checked out of a corner room at the Hilton Hawaiian Village resort on Waikiki beach, housekeeper Luz Espejo collected enough trash, some strewn under beds, to stuff seven large garbage bags.She stripped the linens from the beds, wiped built-up dust off furniture and scrubbed away layers of grime on the toilet and bathtub.

An extremely rare moth species was recently encountered at Detroit Metropolitan Airport and is considered to be the first sign of the species since 1912. (Credit: (U.S.

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Hong Kong government said in a statement.

China has locked down a coronavirus-hit northeastern province and has also deployed military reservists on Monday as the rapidly spreading “stealth omicron" variant fuels the country's biggest outbreak since the start of the pandemic two years ago.

Indonesia is considering a quarantine waiver for foreign visitors to its holiday island of Bali from next week, officials said on Saturday, while neighbour Malaysia announced the removal of curbs on travellers from Thailand and Cambodia.

Cases of COVID-19 continue to drop significantly across the country, as the most recent surge caused by the Omicron variant is declining at a rapid pace.

Nicola Sturgeon yesterday confirmed that a sub-variant of Omicron has been found to be in circulation in Scotland.

omicron variant that has been found in more than 50 countries, including the United States.This version of the coronavirus, which scientists call BA.2, is widely considered stealthier than the original version of omicron because particular genetic traits make it somewhat harder to detect. Danish scientists reported this week that preliminary information suggests it may be 1½ times more contagious than the original variant.But scientists say there’s a lot they still don’t know about it, including whether it causes more severe disease.More than 18,000 genetic sequences of BA.2 have been uploaded to GISAID, a global platform for sharing coronavirus data, according to data collected by Scripps Research labs.

@michaelblackson for ya prayers and from all ya wonderful amazing friends."Floods of supportive messages have flocked in on social media to pay tribute to the star.His family members said the comic “had such a beautiful heart and soul and only wanted to bring laughter and joy to those around him”.They also added: "Our hearts are completely broken, we did not prepare for his sudden passing.”Fellow comedian Michael Blackson penned: “@Chinesebestfrnd taught me what a true friendship is and I’ll never call anyone else my best friend.“He was selfless and cared about everyone more than himself. Thanks for coming to my life Christian, I love u homie.”In a separate post, he also wrote: “This is absolutely the worst day of my life.”Another person typed: "Omg noooooo I’m so so sorry! He was the coolest and humble Filipino brother man.

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More than 400 cases of a new Covid-19 sub-variant have been identified in the UK, as health chiefs describe it as a 'variant under investigation'.