Rescuers were searching for four people Sunday after a boat carrying more than a dozen scuba divers sank at a World Heritage-listed marine sanctuary in the Philippines, authorities said. The Philippine Coast Guard said 28 people were rescued after "Dream Keeper" went down on Sunday morning in the pristine waters at Tubbataha Reef off the western province of Palawan. The owner of the vessel, a dive master and two guests were still missing, coast guard spokesman Rear Admiral Armando Balilo said. A coast guard vessel and about 10 dive boats were searching the waters. Despite its protected status, the marine sanctuary is under constant threat from illegal fishing and poaching, according to authorities.

April 30, 2023 22:01 UTC

"In my opinion, they were actually trying to take care of the babies and keep the babies alive," Capers told ABC's Houston station KTRK. "All the victims were from Honduras," Capers told reporters, adding that 10 people had been in the house at the time. The Honduran foreign minister, Enrique Reina, called on Twitter for the gunman to face "the full weight of the law." Texas authorities said an arrest warrant had been issued for Francisco Oropeza, a 39-year-old Mexican, charging him with five counts of murder. "We've got his Mexican consulate card," Capers said, adding that a security system at the victims' house "captured him coming up to the front door with a weapon."

April 30, 2023 14:07 UTC

Alisah Bonaobra dreams of Broadway, covers Angeline Quinto songMANILA, Philippines — “The X Factor UK” finalist Alisah Bonaobra said she wants to try her luck on Broadway. In an interview with the press, Alisah said she’s looking for auditions in the famed American theater scene. Alisah said that she also tried to audition for “The Voice US,” but the audition season was already closed. WATCH: Alisah Bonaobra sings her version of "Hanggang Kailan"“Sayang. Alisah visited the Philippines recently to promote her song “Hanggang Kailan,” a composer cut of Angeline Quinto’s hit song.

April 30, 2023 09:43 UTC

Before leaving for his four-day official visit to Washington, Marcos said on Sunday he would convey to Biden his determination to forge "an even stronger relationship" with the United States to "address the concerns of our times," including issues related to the economy. The senior U.S. administration official said it was impossible to underestimate the strategic importance of the Philippines, although the relationship was more than just about security. While Marcos was seeking good relations with both China and the United States, Manila was increasingly concerned about "provocative" diplomacy by Beijing and seeking stronger ties with allies, he said. Marcos' Washington visit comes after Philippines on Friday accused China's coast guard of "dangerous maneuvers" and "aggressive tactics" in the South China Sea. The official said the U.S. planned to enhance trilateral dialogue with Japan and the Philippines, and Marcos would have discussions at the Pentagon about joint maritime patrols.

April 30, 2023 07:45 UTC

The veteran Gilas mentor said he expects Indonesia and Thailand to field their respective naturalized players in their bid to reign supreme in the region. Cambodia SEA Games Federation has changed the basketball format this year, doing away with the single-round arrangement where the team with the best record automatically wins the gold. Instead, the host country split the eight-team field to two groups with the top two squads from each bracket advancing to the crossover semis. Winners from the semis then clash for the gold medal. Gilas is scheduled to hold a weeklong closed-door training at Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna beginning Sunday.

April 30, 2023 04:10 UTC





4 more BIFF experts in IED fabrication yieldThe four members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters turned in rifles and explosives before they pledged allegiance to the government. COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Four more members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters trained in fabrication of improvised explosive devices surrendered to the Army Friday. Local officials, among them members of the municipal peace and order council in Sultan sa Barongis, said Saturday the four erstwhile BIFF members, whose names were withheld for their safety, belonged to a group tagged in recent bombings of buses in central Mindanao. Rillera said Col. Andre Santos of the 1st Mechanized Brigade, his subordinate-officers in the 1st Mechanized Battalion and the local government unit of Sultan sa Barongis in Maguindanao del Sur cooperated in securing their surrender via backchannel dialogues. More than 300 members of the BIFF and its allies Dawlah Islamiya and Al-Khobar had surrendered to units of 6th ID since 2021.

April 30, 2023 01:42 UTC

On World Wish Day, Make-A-Wish Hong Kong celebrated its 25th anniversary at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, launching a new series of initiatives, beginning with fulfilling Jarvis’ wish. The Wish child of Make-A-Wish Hong Kong, Jarvis, was diagnosed with a rare form of myelodysplastic syndrome in 2018. I also hope that my songs and drum music instill hope in Wish children and patients. We believe that the experience of making a wish come true fills a child's life with hope, strength and joy. Hong Kong Disneyland is devoted to granting many more wishes in the future, making dreams come true for Wish kids and all who visit.

April 29, 2023 23:07 UTC

The Stars defeated the Wild 4-1 in regulation, with goals from forwards Roope Hintz, Wyatt Johnston, Mason Marchment, and Max Domi. Goaltender Jake Oettinger allowed one goal (from Minnesota's Frederick Gaudreau) and had a.958 save percentage for the game. He, defenseman Miro Heiskanen, and Hintz are the three stars of the game. He has 2 goals and 5 assists, totaling 7 points in 6 playoff games, so far. Veteran Filipino Canadian defenseman Matt Dumba had two assists in six playoff games for the Wild.

April 29, 2023 18:38 UTC

The PCG said the two ships were identified as the MT Petite Soeur, a Marshall-flagged chemical/oil product tanker, and the MV Hong Hai 189, a Sierra Leone-flagged dredger, which capsized following the collision. Speaking in Filipino, Cornelio said the Hong Hai 189 was about to dock "when the Petite Soeur changed berth, hitting the starboard stern of the dredger and causing a hole that caused it to capsize." A rescue vessel in the area of the accident rescued 16 crew of the MV Hong Hai 189. Meanwhile, those from the MT Petite Soeur were safe. He said they have contacted a salvage vessel that will tow the Hong Hai 189, "which is currently stuck at the Traffic Separation Scheme," adding they will try to remove the ship and prevent it from sinking.

April 29, 2023 17:51 UTC

A 34-year-old driver was arrested for drunk driving as he fell unconscious behind the wheel after his Honda seven-seater hit another vehicle when parking at Tsui Ping North car park in the early hours of Saturday. A pedestrian found out about the crash and reported it to a security guard at the car park, who later found the driver of the seven-seater, named Ng, slumped behind the wheel. The guard attempted to shatter the window to the driver seat to wake Ng up but failed. The 42-year-old driver of the Benz named Wong came to the scene to learn what happened as well. He revealed he was going to sell his car, but now that the vehicle was damaged, he would need to put the sale on hold.

April 29, 2023 16:37 UTC

Seven people were arrested for their connection to at least 25 phishing scams in which the victims were swindled out of about HK$500,000. Separately, four men were also arrested for cheating about HK$900,000 from online sellers by using invalid cheques. The first phishing case was handled by the East Kowloon regional crime squad. Officers also seized two modem pools and a significant number of SIM cards to be used to send victims phishing messages containing fraudulent links. As for the second case, the seven scams involving invalid cheques took place between March and April.

April 29, 2023 15:59 UTC

INQUIRER.net is warning the public about fraudulent messages requesting payment supposedly for ads placed on the website. ADVERTISEMENTThe company emphasizes that these messages are not legitimate and that advertising transactions, including payments, are done only through official channels by the company’s authorized representatives. It urges the public to exercise caution and report any suspicious messages to the company’s official channels. INQUIRER.net reaffirms its commitment to providing accurate and reliable news and information to the public and warns against any bogus activities misrepresenting the company. This warning reminds the public to remain vigilant against scams.

April 29, 2023 08:26 UTC

"I think in that fourth quarter, four minutes left, we made winning plays," Tatum told broadcaster TNT. The lead changed hands seven times in the fourth quarter alone. Marcus Smart scored 22 points, Malcolm Brogdon added 17 off the bench and Horford chipped in 10 for the Celtics. "I thought Smart was tremendous, especially late in the fourth quarter," Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. In the end, Hawks coach Quin Snyder said, the Celtics were just too much.

April 29, 2023 04:25 UTC

Cops form team to hunt down security guardsMissing manila arena sabungeros:MANILA, Philippines — Police have formed a tracker team to locate the suspects behind the disappearance of six cockfight aficionados at the Manila Arena last year. They face kidnapping and serious illegal detention charges filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutors before the Manila Regional Trial Court. Their disappearance, which was the subject of a Senate investigation last year, prompted a nationwide suspension of the online cockfighting games. The law should never forget people who may have disappeared under mysterious circumstances, as victims of criminal activity,” Remulla said. There is a need to form tracker teams to serve the warrants against the suspects and put them under the jurisdiction of the court, Remulla said.

April 29, 2023 01:17 UTC

KYIV – Russia attacked cities in a wide arc across Ukraine early on Friday, from the capital, Kyiv, through central and southern regions and at least five people were killed, according to media and officials. Interfax said explosions were also reported after midnight in Dnipro, Kremenchuk and Poltava in central Ukraine and inMykolaiv in the south. Russia sees Bakhmut as a key stepping stone to other cities in eastern Ukraine, now its major military objective. It was the first time the leaders had spoken since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year. Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, saying it was necessary to protect Russia.

April 28, 2023 21:50 UTC