Marcos deploys cops after child's letter exposes alleged rape by CamSur officialA Grade 6 student holds up a message calling attention to the alleged sexual assault she is experiencing at Tinambac, Camarines Sur. The president had responded to the child's two-page letter and said her missive brought him "close to tears" and left him "very angry." The councilor, according to the child's letter, had often threatened families, cut and steal electrical wires to leave them without power, and sever connections to their well to deny them water. "Based on the verification, the concerns raised involve alleged harassment, community safety issues, and a previous rape case," Nartatez' statement read. Sexual violence against childrenDelos Santos' letter speaks to a broader problem in the country captured in official data.

Ping Lacson: World should 'pray' to survive TrumpUS President Donald Trump participates in a multilateral lunch with visiting African Leaders in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on July 9, 2025. MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson said the world should "pray" to survive US President Donald Trump, as global tensions push oil prices higher. Pray that the world will survive Trump-26," he said. The war—deemed illegal and unprovoked—continues to disrupt global oil supply, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for crude. Oil supply disruptions have led to higher fuel costs, adding pressure on inflation.

Some halal-processed foods which the country exports to Hong Kong, like nuggets and kebabs, are also accepted by communities other than Muslims, Shaikh said. For now, Hongkongers would have to go to Guangzhou for a non-stop flight to Pakistan, or have a stopover in Thailand or Qatar. The envoy also revealed that at least one Pakistani company is considering a Hong Kong listing. Riaz Ahmed ShaikhLahore-born Pakistani-American artist Shahzia Sikander was commissioned to adorn the M+ facade with 3 to 12 Nautical Miles, a large-scale display about Hong Kong colonial and maritime history. “If you are aware, the Hong Kong national cricket team has three to four players from the Pakistan Association of Hong Kong,” Shaikh said.

Philippines opens Iran energy talks, but Hormuz passage remains unclearA person points at a page on the Marinetraffic website that shows commercial boats traffic on the edge of the Strait of Hormuz near the Iranian coast, in Paris on March 4, 2026. MANILA, Philippines — Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro said Wednesday, April 1, she has discussed "energy cooperation" with Iran, but it remains unclear whether the talks addressed the current top concern for Manila: securing fuel shipments through the volatile Strait of Hormuz. The talks were also joined by Energy Secretary Sharon Garin. "Building on the momentum of our Political Consultations last November 2025, we are committed to deepening our cooperation across all fronts, particularly energy cooperation," Lazaro said in a social media post. DFA / Released Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro (L), Iranian Ambassador Yousef Esmaeilzadeh (C) and Energy Secretary Sharon Garin (R) hold talks April 1, 2026.

Sandiganbayan upholds no-bail ruling vs Zaldy Co's DPWH co-accusedMANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan has denied the motion for reconsideration of the bail plea of former Department of Public Works and Highways officials in MIMAROPA who are co-accused of fugitive former lawmaker Zaldy Co. In a resolution dated March 31, the anti-graft court reaffirmed its decision to withhold the provisional release of Ruben D.S. Santos, Felisardo Casuno, Dennis Abagon, Montrexis Tamayo, Juliet Calvo, Gerald Pacanan, Gene Ryan Altea, Dominic Serrano and Lerma Cayco. The anti-graft court, however, dismissed this reasoning, asserting that evidence from excavations at various project sites established a prima facie case that the deficiency was widespread rather than isolated. The anti-graft court also said it was highly improbable for the measured three-meter piles to be conveniently located only at the inspection points, while the rest of the structure met the 12-meter specification.

Hackers linked to North Korea are suspected of an ambitious attack on an inconspicuous but widely used software package, Google analysts and other cybersecurity experts said Wednesday. A Google Threat Intelligence blog post said the impact of the attack "by North Korea-nexus actors" is "broad and has ripple effects" as other popular packages rely on Axios. A UN panel estimated in 2024 that North Korea had stolen more than $3 billion in cryptocurrency since 2017. In one example, Elastic Security Labs also said it suspected a "DPRK-linked threat cluster", using the initials of North Korea's official name. Computer programmers use Axios to send requests to servers, allowing software to connect to the web, according to Bloomberg.

Jason Momoa debuts as Lobo in new 'Supergirl' trailerMANILA, Philippines — Jason Momoa trades his trident for a chain and hook to become the alien mercenary, bounty hunter, and antihero Lobo in the upcoming comic book film "Supergirl." "Home is wherever you are buddy," Kara tells Krypto as Jimmy Ruffin's "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" kicks in. Kara's bar fight, shown in a previous teaser, finally shows Momoa as Lobo, who takes a shot before tossing the glass away. "Find your place in the universe," reads the text in between action clips, as Kara tells someone offscreen: "Revenge, it won't take your pain away." The trailer ends with the title card confirming a June 24 release date in the Philippines and a humorous exchange between Kara and Lobo.

Wall Street ended sharply higher on Tuesday, lifted by speculation about a potential de-escalation in the Middle East conflict that has sent oil prices soaring and fueled fears of global inflation in recent weeks. Volume on U.S. exchanges was heavy, with 22.4 billion shares traded, compared with an average of 20.3 billion shares over the previous 20 sessions. Constellation Energy CEG.O dropped 6.5% after forecasting 2026 profit below Wall Street expectations. Advancing issues outnumbered falling ones within the S&P 500 .AD.SPX by a 5.2-to-one ratio. The S&P 500 posted 6 new highs and 8 new lows; the Nasdaq recorded 37 new highs and 154 new lows.

Philippines to rename over 100 Kalayaan Island Group featuresThe construction of a sheltered port in Thithu (Pag-Asa) Island in the municipality of Kalayaan that started in 2018. MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines will adopt local names for more than 100 features in the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) following an order issued by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.Executive Order No. 111, signed on March 26, covers 131 maritime features in Kalayaan, Palawan, within the disputed South China Sea. Malacañang said the measure would strengthen the administration and governance of the area, as well as support the country’s assertion of sovereign rights. All government agencies, including state-run corporations and financial institutions, are required to use the standardized names in official communications and documents.

Immigration personnel on full force during Holy WeekPassengers flock to Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 on April 14, 2025 as the Holy Week begins. MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration has deployed its full force of personnel across the country's major airports as the Holy Week travel rush peaks, with international departures expected to hit 45,000 passengers. In a statement on Wednesday, April 1, the BI said that aside from Immigration officers, additional frontline personnel and support units are also deployed. "We are expecting heavy passenger volume throughout the Holy Week period, with a possibility of daily departures reaching up to 45,000. "The eTravel registration process is absolutely free.

GSIS offers 3-month loan moratoriumMANILA, Philippines — The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) is now offering government employees a three?month loan moratorium through a refund scheme, as households reel from higher living costs due to the escalating war in the Middle East. The GSIS said loan amortizations covering December 2025 to February 2026 will be returned to members through direct crediting to their accounts. Once approved, the loan term will be extended by three months without additional interest or penalties, GSIS said. GSIS also urges members to use the GSIS Touch app to apply and to check official announcements for further details. The fund said this was unlike a traditional loan moratorium, where members temporarily stop paying and receive the benefit gradually over several months.

Bacojo continues pursuit of Grandmaster titleMANILA, Philippines — The road to Grandmaster status resumes for Mark Jay Bacojo as he sees action in two strong tournaments in the Battle of the GMs later this month and the Asian Individual Chess Championships in Mongolia a month after. The 19-year-old Far Eastern University standout claimed his first GM result in an ultra-strong meet in Moscow, Russia where he wound up tied for second and eventually third after tiebreakers were applied. Bacojo has improved by leaps and bounds in a span of a year as he also clinched an outright International Master title by finishing a solid third in the 6th ASEAN Individual Championships in Ozamiz City late last year. He followed it up with a scintillating performance in the Russian capital, a super power in the sport. Bacojo hopes to become the country’s 19th GM, which could come two years after Daniel Quizon ended the country’s GM drought in the Budapest Olympiad two years back.

Bangsamoro religious authority rules against forced marriage for rape survivorsMANILA, Philippines — The Bangsamoro Darul Ifta (BDI) has officially declared that forcing a rape survivor to marry her perpetrator is strictly prohibited under Shari'ah law. "Rape has established rulings in Islamic Shari'ah that vary according to the nature of the act and how it occurred. With the recently issued fatwa, it will now differ from what the Revised Penal Code says about marrying one's abuser. It should be noted that a fatwa is an authoritative legal opinion by a religious authority in Bangsamoro. Crimes against chastity under Article 344 of the Revised Penal Code refer to crimes of "adultery, concubinage, seduction, abduction, rape and acts of lasciviousness."

"We'll be leaving very soon," Trump told reporters on Tuesday, saying that could be "within two weeks, maybe two weeks, maybe three." The White House said Trump would address the nation "to provide an important update on Iran" at 9 p.m. EDT on Wednesday (0100 GMT on Thursday). Explosions were heard in multiple areas of Tehran after U.S.-Israeli air attacks, according to Iranian state media. HOUTHIS LAUNCH COORDINATED ATTACKMissile debris struck several areas in central Israel following an early morning rocket volley from Iran. The war has also revived conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

Beijing expressed "gratitude" on Tuesday as it said three Chinese ships had transited the crucial Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has all but closed during the war in the Middle East. The CSCL Indian Ocean crossed the strait at around 0914 GMT on Monday, followed by the CSCL Arctic Ocean 27 minutes later, according to data from MarineTraffic. "Following coordination with relevant parties, three Chinese vessels recently transited the Strait of Hormuz; we express our gratitude to the relevant parties for the assistance provided," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular press conference. Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz is open to ships of "friendly countries". Cosco said on Wednesday it was resuming bookings for shipments from Asia to several Gulf countries, though without using routes that transit Hormuz.