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KIDAPAWAN CITY--A 65-year-old man suffered cardiac arrest in Mlang town of Cotabato province on Thursday (Feb. 27) apparently induced by stress amid a 4.3 magnitude quake. Engineer Arnuflo Villaruz, operations chief of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said Romualdo Vicente, of Sultan Kudarat province, was visiting relatives when the quake struck. According to Villaruz, Vicente complained of chest pain after the quake, prompting his relatives to rush him to nearby Mlang District Hospital where he was pronounced dead. John Eric Bercasio, 18, of the village of Poblacion B in Mlang, was wounded in the head when a huge crucifix fell and hit him. "He wa...

Keep on reading: Man dies of cardiac arrest after 4.3 quake in Cotabato town

The British government's contentious plans to build a third runway at London's Heathrow Airport have been blocked by an appeals court on environmental grounds, in a landmark victory for climate campaigners.

The annual Malasimbo Music & Arts Festival, scheduled Feb. 29-March 1 at the La Mesa Eco Park in Quezon City, will present 16 acts, 21 DJs, 20 business conference speakers and five visual artists. This marks the first time that this year's edition of the event, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, will be held in Metro Manila. For eight years, it was held at a mountainside called Malasimbo, a 10-minute drive from Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro. Last year it was held at White Beach in Puerto Galera itself. The decision to hold it this year at La Mesa Eco Park is welcome news to music fans who've been unable to travel to Mindoro to attend the festival, which has gained a...

Keep on reading: 16 acts, 21 DJs and more–a whole lotta shakin’ at Malasimbo Music & Arts Fest, Feb. 29-March 1

COTABATO CITY---Police here on Wednesday (Feb. 26) arrested a ranking Moro rebel leader wanted for the killing of 44 members of the Philippine National Police Special Action Force (SAF) during an operation to capture international terrorist Marwan five years ago. Capt. Rustom Pastolero, Cotabato City police station 2 chief, said Abuhalil Sabpa, alias Commander Abuhalil Dumamba Sabpa, was served an arrest warrant inside the Cotabato Regional and Medical Center where he was confined for an undisclosed illness. Sabpa is commander of a battalion under the 105th base command of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, armed wing of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Pastolero said agents...

Keep on reading: Cops serve 3-year-old arrest warrant on MILF exec for SAF 44 killing

  MANILA, Philippines - Freedom of speech and of the press is not absolute, the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) said in a consolidated reply to the Supreme Court as it insists on the need to issue a gag order against the parties from discussing in public the quo warranto case against television network ABS-CBN. "The exercise of such right is not absolute for it may be so regulated that it shall not be injurious to the equal enjoyment of others having equal rights, nor injurious to the rights of the community or society," the OSG, led by Solicitor General Jose Calida said. Calida said the claim of ABS-CBN that a gag order will impair the people's right to information i...

Keep on reading: SolGen insists SC should forfeit ABS-CBN franchise

A suburban London street has been renamed in honor of late musician Freddie Mercury.

LEGAZPI CITY---The city government on Thursday (Feb. 27) seized at least 20 kilograms of pork given the tag "hot meat" for its questionable source and as a precaution against African swine fever (ASF). Emmanuel Estipona, city veterinarian, said the pork was seized from two vendors at the villages of Arimbay and Buyuan. Meat is declared hot if it came from animals processed in illegal slaughterhouses or have not been inspected for safety. Estipona said the seizure was part of efforts by the city government to fight the spread of ASF. The seized pork would be destroyed immediately, he said. All live pigs should be inspected, before and after slaughter, to make sure these wer...

Keep on reading: Legazpi City execs seize 20kg of ‘hot’ pork to stop ASF

The novel coronavirus has gone global. What had began as an outbreak in China is now threatening to become a worldwide pandemic, having reached every continent except Antarctica.

MANILA, Philippines---It's a trade scenario that has taken far too long for comfort. Poy Erram hasn't been left unsettled since news broke that he'll be dealt to TNT in a three-team trade with his current club NLEX and former franchise Blackwater. The trade that will supposedly ship Erram to MVP Group's flagship team was filed on February 17 but with no resolution yet more than a week after, the big man admitted it's been a struggle. "For me, it's really difficult because the season is about to start and I haven't practice that much because I'm on the trading block but as much as possible I'm still going to NLEX because that'd be unfair for my teammates," said Erram said in ...

Keep on reading: Poy Erram admits struggle amid trade dilemma, finds solace in family

MANILA, Philippines---Defense and military officials on Thursday (Feb. 27) welcomed the Senate's passage of the proposed Anti-Terrorism Act which they said would add more teeth to efforts to fight terrorism. The Senate on Wednesday (Feb. 26) voted 19-2 to pass Senate Bill No. 1083, or the proposed Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, sponsored by Sen. Panfilo Lacson. It was envisioned as a "strong legal backbone to support the country's criminal justice response to terrorism." The bill sought to repeal the Human Security Act of 2007, which Lacson said was ineffective in fighting terror. "A stronger legislative measure against terrorism will enhance our defenders' capacity to make our com...

Keep on reading: DND, AFP embrace Senate bill proposing tougher anti-terror measures

MANILA, Philippines -- The absence of a major weather disturbance for 2020 is likely to continue until the first week of March, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said on Thursday afternoon. This was after no cloud bands or low pressure areas (LPA) that may turn into a tropical depression or typhoon in the coming days have been monitored. "Generally magkakaroon pa rin tayo ng maaliwalas na panahon sa malaking bahagi ng ating bansa, at dito nga sa ating satellite imagery, wala rin tayong nakikitang anumang sama ng panahon o low pressure area na maaring mabuo bilang isang bagyo," weather specialist Raymond Ordinario said. (We wil...

Keep on reading: Absence of typhoons likely to continue until March — Pagasa

Some US companies are bracing for the revenue they make in China to be cut in half if the novel coronavirus outbreak extends into the summer.

    MANILA, Philippines --- Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) advised passengers with canceled flights to South Korea that they may request to rebook, reroute or refund their tickets following the recent travel restrictions brought about by the COVID-19 outbreak.   "Pasahero na naapektuhan sa travel restrictions, maaring magrebook, refund, reroute na walang ipapataw na charge," PAL spokeswoman Cielo Villaluna said over dzMM on Thursday.   (Passengers that are affected by the travel ban may rebook, refund and reroute without any additional charge.)   Villaluna said affected passengers may inquire more details through PAL's hotline ...

Keep on reading: PAL clients with flights to S. Korea may opt for refund, reroute, rebooking

India is finally getting its very first Apple Store.

It was Maria Sharapova's mental toughness which set her apart from most of her peers. There may have been others with more talent, players who moved more elegantly on the court, yet few could match her spirit. She was the ultimate competitor.

Los Angeles police are looking for the suspects who took off with a hearse that had a body inside.

The Trump administration is close to signing a "peace" agreement with the Taliban, but let's not kid ourselves; this is really a withdrawal agreement in the middle of a hotly contested presidential election season. Such an agreement with the Taliban will allow Trump to point to a campaign promise kept: getting the United States out of its longest war.

Very big waves are coming to the Great Lakes, with swells that could exceed 14 feet Thursday, according to CNN meteorologist Michael Guy.

MANILA, Philippines---A faint glimmer of light has shone upon the status of Calvin Abueva's indefinite suspension. PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial said the beleaguered forward has to undergo "two more stages" before he can finally get reinstated into the league. Marcial, however, did not go into the specifics of the remaining conditions but he admitted that he been impressed with Abueva's progress into his path back to the PBA. "He is done with the first stage and the second stage, which is cut into two halves, will begin this week," said Marcial in Filipino during the PBA Media Day Thursday at Okada Manila. "Once he's done with the stages then I'll give my reco...

Keep on reading: Calvin Abueva few more steps away from getting ban lifted—PBA chief

GENEVA, Switzerland --A team preparing for UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet's possible visit to the tightly controlled Muslim-majority Chinese region of Xinjiang this year should be given "unfettered access," she said on Thursday. In a speech in Geneva, Bachelet welcomed the invitation from China to tour the region but added: "We will continue to request unfettered access for an advance team in preparation for this proposed visit." "We will seek to analyze in depth the human rights situation in China, including the situation of members of the Uighur minority," she said, addressing the UN Human Rights Council. China has come under international criticism for its treatment of...

Keep on reading: UN demands ‘unfettered access’ for China Uighur region visit