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Section of Devon Road in New Plymouth closed following serious crash
Emergency services are responding to a serious crash on Devon Road in New Plymouth.The crash was reported to Police at 7.10pm and involved several cars.Devon Road is closed between De Havilland Drive and Corbett Road, including access to Airport Drive/New Plymouth Airport.At this stage there is no information regarding injuries but an update will be provided as soon as that information is available.....»»
P11.5 million shabu found in closed NAIA restaurant
Construction workers found P1.7 kilos of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu valued at P11.5 million as they were demolishing a restaurant at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 (NAIA-1) at past midnight yesterday......»»
P21.6 million shabu found in closed NAIA spa
Construction workers found 3.18 kilos of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu valued at P21.624 million as they were demolishing a spa at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 (NAIA-1) yesterday......»»
Immigration officer convicted
The National Bureau of Investigation yesterday revealed that a Bureau of Immigration officer has been convicted for the falsification of travel records showing that former Wirecard chief operating officer Jan Marsalek was in the Philippines even if he did not arrive and leave the country in 2020. The NBI said BI officer Marcos S. Nicodemus has been found guilty by the Pasay City Regional Trial Court of violations of Republic Act 10175, the Cybercrime Prevention Act, and RA 3019, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. Though the RTC decision was not provided by the NBI, it said that Nicodemus “was sentenced by the court to a maximum imprisonment of nine years for each of the criminal cases with perpetual disqualification to hold public office.” Marsalek, an Austrian national, has been wanted by the German government for his involvement in the $2.2 billion Wirecard fraud. In 2020, the Philippine government joined the hunt for Marsalek due to Wirecard’s links in the country and discovered travel records that showed that the Austrian came to the Philippines in 2020. Then Department of Justice Secretary and now Solicitor General Menardo I. Guevarra ordered the NBI to conduct an investigation. In August 2020, the NBI “recommended to the DoJ the prosecution of subject Marcos Nicodemus for falsifying the travel records of an Austrian national.” “Investigation conducted by NBI-IAID (NBI-International Airport Investigation Division) revealed that based on Marsalek’s travel records, he arrived in the Philippines through NAIA Terminal 1 on 23 June 2020, processed by Immigration Officer Darren Ilagan but with a mysterious ‘canceled by user’ remark and departure on 24 June 2020 at Mactan-Cebu International Airport processed by Immigration Officer Perry Michael Pancho,” the NBI said. “However, NBI-IAID discovered thru CCTV (closed circuit television) footages that Marsalek never entered the Philippines and he did not even depart through MCIA,” the NBI said. The records of Marsalek were found to be spurious due to the following: Existing immigrations protocol as of that date disallowing passengers from entering Philippine territory due to Covid situation; absence of actual scanned data page of the passport; existing protocol that incoming flights of airlines disallowing the boarding of a passenger who will be prevented entry based on the destination country’s protocol as of flight date. The NBI said that Ilagan testified that Nicodemus, who was his supervisor, “ordered him to conduct a derogatory check upon Marsalek despite the fact that he was already not on duty on that date and that Marsalek is not present during checking.” Guevarra in 2020, said that the travel records of the Marsalek were falsified possibly as “diversionary tactics to mislead his pursuers.” The post Immigration officer convicted appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Hundreds dead in Israel-Gaza war as Hezbollah launches attacks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday warned of a "long and difficult" war, as fighting with Hamas left hundreds dead on both sides after a surprise attack on Israel by the Palestinian militant group. The conflict's bloodiest escalation in decades saw Hamas carry out a massive rocket barrage and ground, air and sea offensive Saturday that Israel's army said had killed more than 200 Israelis and wounded 1,000, while soldiers and civilians were taken hostage. Gaza officials said intense Israeli air strikes on the coastal enclave had brought the Palestinian death toll to at least 256, with nearly 1,788 wounded. As fighting raged Sunday, Lebanon's powerful Iran-backed Hezbollah movement said it had fired "large numbers of artillery shells and guided missiles" at Israeli positions in a contested border areas "in solidarity" with Hamas. Israel's army had earlier said it fired artillery on southern Lebanon in response to a shot from the area without identifying the attackers. "We are embarking on a long and difficult war that was forced on us by a murderous Hamas attack," Netanyahu said on X, formerly Twitter, early Sunday. "The first stage is ending at this time by the destruction of the vast majority of the enemy forces that infiltrated our territory," he added, pledging no "respite" until victory. Overnight Israel battered the Gaza Strip with air strikes as rockets from the blockaded Palestinians territory rained on Israel. Sunday morning gun still battles raged between Israeli forces and hundreds of Hamas fighters in multiple locations, including at the Sderot police station across the border from Gaza. Police and Israeli army special forces "neutralized 10 armed terrorists" who were holed up inside the station, a police statement said. The bloody air, sea and land attack launched Saturday by Hamas came half a century after the outbreak of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, taking Israel and the world by surprise. As the UN Security Council called an emergency meeting for Sunday, President Joe Biden voiced "rock solid and unwavering" support for the US ally and warned "against any other party hostile to Israel seeking advantage in this situation". - Hostages and 'so many bodies' - The Israeli army said overnight its forces were still engaged in gun battles in a string of Israel locations, in an operation labelled "Swords of Iron", as reservists were being called up. Hamas earlier released images of several Israelis taken captive, and another army spokesman, Daniel Hagari, confirmed that soldiers and civilians had been kidnapped. "I can't give figures about them at the moment," he said late Saturday, adding there was also a "severe hostage situation" in the Negev desert communities of Beeri and Ofakim east of Gaza. According to Ynet Israeli news website "dozens of Israeli captives, including numerous women, children and elders, are believed to have been taken into the Gaza Strip". The fighting prompted Israel to cut off Gaza's electricity, fuel and goods supplies, Netanyahu said. The Islamist group started the multi-pronged attack around 6:30 am (0330 GMT) on Saturday with thousands of rockets aimed as far as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, some bypassing the Iron Dome defense system and hitting buildings. Hamas fighters -- traveling in ground vehicles, motorized paragliders and boats -- breached Gaza's security barrier and attacked nearby Israeli towns and military posts, opening fire on residents and passersby. "Send help, please!" one Israeli woman sheltering with her two-year-old child pleaded as militants outside opened fire and tried to break into their safe room, Israeli media reported. Bodies were strewn on the streets of the Israeli town of Sderot near Gaza and inside cars, the windscreens shattered by a hail of bullets. "I saw many bodies, of terrorists and civilians," one man told AFP, standing beside covered corpses on a road near Gevim Kibbutz in southern Israel. "So many bodies, so many bodies." AFP journalists witnessed Palestinian armed men gather around a burning Israeli tank, and others driving a seized Israeli military Humvee vehicle back into Gaza, where they were met by cheering crowds. - 'Gates of hell' - Israeli army Major General Ghasan Alyan warned Hamas had "opened the gates of hell". An AFP journalist in Gaza saw clouds of dust from the remains of bombed residential towers which Gaza's interior ministry said contained 100 apartments. Israel's military said it had warned residents to evacuate before targeting the multi-story buildings used by Hamas. The escalation follows months of rising violence, mostly in the occupied West Bank, and tensions around Gaza's border and at contested holy sites in Jerusalem. Before Saturday, at least 247 Palestinians, 32 Israelis and two foreigners had been killed this year, including combatants and civilians, according to Israeli and Palestinian officials. Hamas labeled its attack "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood" and called on "resistance fighters in the West Bank" as well as in "Arab and Islamic nations" to join the battle. Its armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, claimed to have fired more than 5,000 rockets, while Hecht said Israel had counted more than 3,000 incoming rockets. Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh said the group was on the "verge of a great victory", vowing to press ahead with "the battle to liberate our land and our prisoners languishing in occupation prisons must be completed". - 'Dangerous precipice' - Air raid sirens wailed across southern and central Israel, as well as in Jerusalem on Saturday, and there were major disruptions at Tel Aviv airport where many carriers canceled flights. Israel said schools would remain closed on Sunday which marks the start of the week. Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007, leading to Israel's crippling blockade of the impoverished enclave of 2.3 million people. Israel and Hamas have since fought several wars. The last major military exchange, in May, killed 34 Palestinians and one Israeli. Violence also erupted across the West Bank, including annexed east Jerusalem, with five Palestinians killed and 120 wounded in clashes with Israeli forces and settlers, Palestinian medical services said. Countries around the world condemned the wave of attacks by Hamas, which Israel, the United States and European Union consider a terrorist group. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the attack "terrorism in its most despicable form". But Hamas drew support from other foes of Israel, with Iran's supreme leader declaring he was "proud". UN Middle East peace envoy Tor Wennesland warned of "a dangerous precipice" and called on all sides to "pull back from the brink". (Rosie Scammell with Adel Zaanoun in Gaza) az-rsc-jd/hkb © Agence France-Presse The post Hundreds dead in Israel-Gaza war as Hezbollah launches attacks appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Former OTS chief lambasts cultural decay at airports
The former Office for Transportation Security chief lambasted the cultural decay in the airport security teams that allows negligent screeners to continue working there, this before he could begin an internal purge. Ma. O Ranada Aplasca, who resigned from his post over the airport screener caught on closed-circuit television swallowing $300 bills taken from an outbound Chinese national, said the problem with airport security is “more than systemic, it is cultural.” “There was the problem with ‘tanim-bala.’ Maybe the problems were not highlighted in the past because no one was caught. Based on our records, for the past several years, no one was dismissed in the OTS for violations of our disciplinary policies,” he said. Aplasca said when he was the director of the PNP Aviation Security Group, his initial task was to clear the country’s airports of the “tanim-bala” scheme, in which airport inspectors hid bullets in travelers’ luggage to extort money. “That tanim-bala was the first marching order to me by former President Duterte, and that’s where I felt his 100-percent support; that’s why, in less than one month, we were able to solve the problem,” he said. Aplasca said that before his resignation Tuesday, the OTS had initiated 68 cases against erring personnel, with at least 11 people dismissed. Found guilty Meanwhile, DoTr Secretary Jaime Bautista said the female Security Screening Officer and three other OTS screeners involved in the cash swallowing incident last 8 September were “found guilty of stealing.” Bautista said the guilty verdict was included in the investigation report handed to him by the OTS group of investigators, which included the CCTV footage that showed the lady scanner stuffing the money into her mouth at Terminal 1’s final security checkpoint at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The four SSO screeners face administrative and criminal cases. “The investigation showed that she was guilty and swallowed the money. However, what she said in an affidavit was that it was chocolates. But the investigators saw that she was guilty,” Bautista said in Filipino in an interview with the media after a Senate hearing on Tuesday. The CCTV footage showed that at around 8:20 p.m. on 8 September, a Chinese passenger, identified only as Mr. Cai, placed his shoulder bag on the inspection tray at the final security checkpoint. After trying to promote the gateway to potential foreign investors who may want to operate the NAIA, Bautista expressed frustration and dismay at the incident. He authorized the imposition of the maximum penalty on those found guilty to demonstrate the Department of Transportation’s determined push to rid the NAIA and attached agencies of scalawags. Aplasca submitted his courtesy resignation last Tuesday, 26 September, to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. through DoTr Secretary Bautista after House Speaker Martin Romualdez told him to resign or the Speaker would personally block the budgets of the DoTr and OTS. Not enough Meanwhile, Senator Grace Poe said Wednesday the resignation of Aplasca would not be enough to stop the criminal activities at the country’s airports. “A resignation at the top does not clean up the ranks,” said Poe, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Services. “More than ever, the Office of Transportation Security needs steady leadership to implement much-needed reforms,” she said. “There should be zero tolerance for criminal acts and unprofessional behavior,” she added. “While a witch hunt might put a syndicate on pause, the OTS urgently needs to review and tighten its security program,” she said. She continued: “Our airports should improve the physical layout of the security screening stations and provide proactive measures to prevent further incidents.” She also noted that the challenge now is to appoint someone with “immense political will to overhaul the agency and stop these incidents once and for all.” The senator stressed that the OTS must improve its hiring system and enforce ethics training. “Employees must undergo extensive background checks,” she said. “In the long-term, we should also look into providing better compensation and benefits to these employees so they would not be enticed to do this nonsense,” she added. The post Former OTS chief lambasts cultural decay at airports appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
NAIA lady scanner, others found ‘guilty of stealing’
According to Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, the female Security Screening Officer and three other members of the Office for Transportation Security who were caught on closed-circuit television were "found guilty of stealing" in the cash-swallowing incident that occurred on 8 September 2023 at Terminal 1's final security checkpoint at Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Bautista said the guilty verdict was included in the investigation report handed to him by the OTS group of investigators, including the CCTV footage showing the lady scanner putting the money into her mouth and three other accomplices. The female SSO is facing administrative and criminal cases, as well as those who were involved in the 8 September incidents. “Ang sinasabi sa imbestigasyon ay guilty na pera ang sinubo. Although ang sinasabi nga ng babae ay chocolate daw, mayroon siyang affidavit. Pero ang nakita ng mga imbestigador na guilty siya,” Bautista said in an interview with the media after a Senate hearing on Tuesday. “Ang result ay, although hindi pa lumalabas officially, parang lumalabas na talagang nakita na mayroon silang pagkakasala. Apat kasi yung nakita natin dito na may talagang ginawa sa CCTV. Siguro pag nagkaroon ng criminal investigation, may lalabas pa kung mayroon pang other people involved,” he added. CCTV footage showed that at around 8:20 p.m. on 8 September, the Chinese passenger, identified only as Mr. Cai, placed his shoulder bag on the inspection tray at the final security checkpoint. As Cai passed through the body scanner, the screener could be seen conducting a manual search of his bag on the inspection table. The screener “suspiciously turned away while apparently holding something in her left hand with her fist tightly closed. She then swiftly placed something in her waist area and went back to the inspection table.” Cai had returned to the screening area and complained after discovering that his wallet was open and some of his money was missing. The passenger confronted the screener, who turned her back on him. In footage taken by another CCTV camera, she was “clearly seen deliberately swallowing the dollar bills, folded into one small piece,” as she used a handkerchief to cover her mouth. The screener was seen having difficulty swallowing the bills despite drinking water from a bottle given to her by a colleague. The screener’s supervisor approached her, “seemingly communicating with her” as she was “almost choking in her effort to swallow the dollar bills” to “apparently ensure that the bills were properly disposed of (no evidence),” according to the report. Cai has refused to file charges against the screener. Former OTS Administrator Ma.O. Aplasca confirmed on Friday, 22 September, that they received the counter affidavit of the accused and even said that, as of today Friday, she continues to deny the allegations that she swallowed the dollar bills. An OTS source said that it is not the normal way to eat chocolate by pushing something into her throat with her finger and drinking bottled water afterward. Secretary Bautista has directed the Office of Transportation Security (OTS) to immediately file the necessary charges against security screening personnel found involved in an 8 September incident of baggage theft at Terminal 1 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Bautista expressed frustration and dismay at the incident at NAIA that the Secretary was recently trying to promote among potential foreign investors who may want to operate and maintain the country's main gateway. He even authorized imposing the maximum penalty on those found guilty to demonstrate the Department's determined push to rid NAIA as well as other attached agencies of scalawags. Former OTS Administrator Ma.O. Aplasca submitted his courtesy resignation last Tuesday, 26 September, to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. through DOTr Secretary Bautista after Speaker of the House of Representatives Martin Romualdez asked him to resign or the speaker would personally block the budget of OTS and DOTr due to the repeated stealing scandal. The post NAIA lady scanner, others found ‘guilty of stealing’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Maximum penalty urged vs NAIA officer who swallowed stolen $300
Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista called for a strong action against a security officer who was caught on closed-circuit television footage swallowing $300 in $100 bills allegedly stolen from a departing Chinese passenger at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport......»»
DOTr probes screener who swallowed stolen $300
The Department of Transportation is investigating an Office of Transportation Security screener who was caught on closed-circuit television footage swallowing $300 in $100 bills reportedly stolen from a departing Chinese passenger at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport......»»
OTS on fire anew as passenger loses $300
As a video of two US-TSA screening officers taking things from bags in trays lined up at the x-ray machine went viral over the weekend, another episode of theft at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 has allegedly included the Office for Transportation Security. A press release from the OTS only came out on Monday afternoon, confirming the incident involving one of their Security Screening Officers at NAIA. But the issue began circulating in social media group chats as early as last week. Notably, the press release was also issued after a member of the Airport Press Club confirmed with the OTS public information office that such information was true. The said release did not contain vital details of the incident, referring to when, where, and how the alleged theft happened. Information revealed that the incident happened as early as 8 a.m., at Terminal 1 of NAIA. After going through the final security check, a departing passenger who is a foreign national, reportedly complained of having lost $300 in cash and was creating a commotion about the incident. The alleged theft was reportedly committed by one of the OTS SSO at that time, a female, while the passenger was passing through the final security check on the said terminal. It can be recalled that six months ago (22 February 2023), five personnel of the OTS assigned at the NAIA Terminal 2 were suspended after two videos of them went viral on social media, taking money from a transiting Thai tourist identified as Kitja Thabthim. The amount involved was 40,000 yen. A few days later, another screening officer was caught on CCTV stealing a watch of a Chinese passenger at the NAIA Terminal 1. Passenger Sun Yuhong complained that his watch was missing in his bag after he was screened by Valeriano Ricaplaza Jr., 31. Ricaplaza was later nabbed by members of the Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group. Closed-circuit television footage at NAIA Terminal 1 reveals a female personnel from the OTS swallowing the $300 taken from a departing Chinese passenger in what appears to be an effort to get rid of the evidence after the passenger complained about losing his money shortly after his bag had passed through at the final security checkpoint. Records from the airport authorities, which identified the involved OTS personnel as a female SSO and stated that an x-ray operator and her supervisor also had a part to play in the incident, provided evidence to support this. The post OTS on fire anew as passenger loses $300 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Huthis, Saudis hold peace talk
A delegation of Iran-backed Huthi rebels from Sanaa arrived in Saudi Arabia Thursday for peace talks to end the war in Yemen. It was the first visit of Huthi officials to Riyadh since the neighboring country led a military intervention in Yemen in 2015 to restore the government they ousted the year prior. Saudi state TV Al Ekhbariya said the talks, which come after a Saudi team visited Sanaa in April, were aimed at “finding a comprehensive political solution in Yemen.” Also on the agenda of the talks are finding a comprehensive ceasefire and moving from the stage of conflicts to stability, it said. Huthis’ political chief, Mahdi al-Mashat, said via the rebels’ Saba news agency that the delegation will continue consultations “Peace was and still is our first option and everyone must work to achieve it,” Al-Mashat said. A United Nations-brokered, six-month ceasefire that expired last October is still largely holding but moves towards peace have been slow since the Saudi delegation left Sanaa without an agreement five months ago. The Yemen conflict has left hundreds of thousands dead and forced millions from their homes, causing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises in a country already pummelled by decades of conflict and upheaval. Moves towards peace in Yemen were boosted when heavyweight rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran announced a surprise rapprochement in March, seven years after they broke off ties. The Huthi demands include payment of their civil servants’ salaries by the displaced Yemeni government, and the launch of new destinations from Sanaa airport, which was closed until last year when commercial flights resumed to Jordan and Egypt. WITH AFP The post Huthis, Saudis hold peace talk appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Canada wildfires inflict brutal toll on tourism, other areas of economy
Joanna Schlosser found refuge from advancing wildfires at a winery where she works, but is now dealing with a tourism downturn and other wide-ranging fallout on the business -- and Canada's economy. An inferno jumped Okanagan Lake and was barreling down hills behind her Kelowna home when a knock on the door woke up the family of five, ordering them to leave immediately. For two weeks, they stayed at a guest house at Quails' Gate winery with other evacuees, some of whom lost their homes. About 200 houses in the valley would be destroyed. "Your home is your biggest investment and with only five minutes to get out you start to reel about things you left behind that you might not ever see again," Schlosser told AFP. She also fretted about the grape harvest now underway. None of the 222 wineries in the region reported any direct fire damage. But they suffered a big drop in revenues as tourists stayed away during the peak month of August. Kelowna's airport and main highway closed temporarily. Tasting tours, weddings, and other events at the wineries were canceled. "We're now facing a pretty devastating season in terms of winery traffic and sales," said Schlosser. Across Canada, more than 15 million hectares (37 million acres) have been scorched, and 200,000 people displaced, spanning from Halifax on the Atlantic coast to parts of the Northwest Territories. Stephen Brown of Capital Economics noted that forest fires do not normally have a measurable impact on the Canadian economy. But this year, he said in a research note, "With the fires so widespread, we are seeing more of an impact than usual." "The worst Canadian wildfires on record appear to be behind much of the recent weakness in GDP and, with more areas now under evacuation orders, the data are likely to remain weak in the coming months," he said. Sun blocked, roads closed Statistics Canada on Friday reported a 0.2 percent contraction in the second quarter and a weak start to the third. It pointed to wildfire disruptions at mines and oil facilities. Lumber mills were also idled. Outfitters saw their livelihoods upended by fishing bans. A road to Tofino, a tourist hotspot on Vancouver Island with ancient forests and sandy beaches, was cut off. In the Okanagan Valley, orchards lamented smoke blocking out the sun delaying the ripening of apples. The toll, however, is "not as bad as it could have been," said Tony Stillo at Oxford Economics. "Even though the wildfires are record-setting, they're happening in more remote areas with less of an implication for large population or economic centers or transportation corridors -- things that would cut off supply lines," he explained. Disruptions have also been relatively short. Oxford Economics in a June report warned that wildfires could slash Canada's economic growth this year by as much as 0.3 to 0.6 percentage points. Firefighting costs rise Ottawa estimates the annual cost of fighting wildfires at Can$1 billion (US$737 million) and noted that, according to the Canadian Climate Institute, climate impacts such as more and bigger fires could halve Canada's projected economic growth in the coming years. By 2030, the average annual losses from disasters are forecast to reach Can$15.4 billion. Insurance losses have already jumped fivefold since 2009 to more than Can$2 billion annually, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada. The bureau's Jason Clark said the number of catastrophic events and insurance payouts will continue to rise. Most worrying, he said, is that Canadians aren't dealing anymore with one localized disaster every few years or decades, but rather "several events stacked on top of each other in a single year" -- including fires, floods, heatwaves, and powerful storms. "Where countries regularly experience large losses it has a significant impact on insurance risk assessments and premiums," he said. "We need to be better prepared." Back at Quails' Gate, Schlosser assessed the smoke's impact on grapes, noting that the industry has developed mitigation techniques. "Sometimes it works quite well and others (the smoke taint) is just not something you can avoid," she said, adding that "sommeliers may talk about it in terms of terroir like it's part of that vintage." Smoke taint can add character to a wine, but also risks producing overpowering burnt or medicinal notes. The post Canada wildfires inflict brutal toll on tourism, other areas of economy appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Kyiv targeted by ‘most powerful’ aerial attack since spring
Kyiv was targeted early Wednesday by the "most powerful" barrage of missiles and drones since the spring, authorities said, with two people reported dead, as Russia claimed it destroyed four Ukrainian boats in the Black Sea carrying up to 50 soldiers. More than 20 missiles and drones were "destroyed by air defense forces" overnight, the Kyiv City Military Administration wrote on Telegram, describing the aerial assault as "the most powerful" to hit the city since the spring. An AFP reporter heard at least three loud explosions in the center of Kyiv around 5:00 am (0200 GMT). Two people had died as a result of falling debris, Sergiy Popko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, wrote on Telegram. Another person was injured and was being given medical assistance, he said. Russian forces had launched groups of Iranian-made Shahed attack drones at the capital from different directions, and launched missiles from aircraft, the Kyiv city military administration said. Earlier, Moscow's defense ministry said a Russian aircraft "destroyed four high-speed military boats" in the Black Sea around midnight Moscow time (2100 GMT Tuesday). The boats had been carrying "landing groups of Ukrainian special operations forces with a total number of up to 50 people," the ministry said on Telegram. It did not give details on exactly where in the Black Sea the incident took place. Early Wednesday, Russian defenses also repelled a "seaborne drone attack near" near Sevastopol Bay in Crimea, the local Moscow-installed governor Mikhail Razvozhayev was cited as saying by the state-run TASS news agency. Sevastopol is the base of Russia's Black Sea fleet. Both Ukraine and Russia have ramped up activity around the strategic waterway after a United Nations-brokered deal to ensure safe navigation for grain ships collapsed last month. In recent weeks, Kyiv has attacked Russian ships in its waters and the Crimean Peninsula, which was annexed by Moscow in 2014. Last week, Ukraine said its forces had flown the country's flag in Crimea during a "special operation" to mark its second wartime Independence Day. Moscow's defense ministry also said last week that one of its jets destroyed a Ukrainian "reconnaissance boat" near Russian gas production facilities in the Black Sea. Drone wave Ukraine launched another wave of overnight drones strikes on Russia, targeting several regions from an airport near the Estonian border to the Crimea peninsula on the Black Sea, Russian authorities said. Air defenses "repelled" a drone attack on an airport at Pskov, roughly 800 kilometers (nearly 500 miles) from Ukraine's border and close to the borders of EU member states Latvia and Estonia, the local governor said. Regional governor Mikhail Vedernikov, who said he was at the scene of the attack, posted a video on Telegram of a massive fire, with the sounds of explosions and sirens in the background. Authorities were assessing the damage but there were no casualties, he said. There was no immediate comment from the defense ministry. The RIA Novosti agency cited the Ministry of Emergency Situations as saying two Ilyushin Il-76 heavy transport planes had caught fire. All Wednesday flights at the airport were cancelled, Vedernikov wrote, "until the nature of the possible damage to the runway is clarified." Citing air traffic services, TASS also reported that Moscow's Domodedovo and Vnukovo airports had been "temporarily closed" to traffic. The Pskov region was previously targeted by drones in May. Authorities in Bryansk region near the Ukraine border, southern Oryol region and Kaluga and Ryazan regions, southwest and southeast of Moscow, all reported drones had been destroyed or downed. Air defenses also destroyed a drone "heading for Moscow," the city's mayor wrote on Telegram, adding there were no casualties or damage caused, according to initial reports. Moscow and other Russian regions have been targeted by almost daily drone strikes since Kyiv vowed this summer to "return" the conflict to Russia. The post Kyiv targeted by ‘most powerful’ aerial attack since spring appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Congress earmarks funds NAIA infra projects
House Committee on Appropriations Vice-chairperson and Makati City Representative Luis Jose Angel Campos Jr. on Sunday announced that the Ninoy Aquino International Airport is set to receive some P2.8 billion for infrastructure projects. Campos disclosed that also included is the P1.2-billion budget for the acquisition of a new traffic management system following the New Year’s Day breakdown that disrupted hundreds of flights. He said that the P1.2 billion in the proposed 2024 budget was allocated for the communications, navigation, and surveillance-air traffic management system which seeks to improve the efficiency of the country’s main gateway. “We are counting on the new CNS-ATM system to optimize airspace and airport efficiency, reduce flight delays, and improve travel experience,” said Campos in a statement. “Our hopes are high that the new system, once installed and fully functional, could potentially increase airport capacity to accommodate more flights in the years ahead,” he added. The move comes as Department of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista in January cited the need for a backup system, as the current system in use estimated to be worth P13 billion — is already in its midlife. Last month, the National Economic and Development Authority Board chaired by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., opted to push through with plans to privatize NAIA through a solicited bid with the upfront payment cost now being studied and initially estimated at P30 billion. In June this year, the DoTr and the Manila International Airport Authority submitted a joint proposal to the NEDA Board seeking a private concession to invest and improve the NAIA for 15 years. The NEDA Board approved the 15-year concession period, with the option to renew for another 10 years based on a performance review, and should the two new airports — the New Manila International Airport in Bulacan and the Sangley International Airport in Cavite — be delayed. Before this, the Manila International Airport Consortium in April submitted an unsolicited proposal to take over NAIA, but this was deemed “de facto closed” when the government opted for a solicited bid. At present, NAIA’s terminals service over 40 million passengers versus its 32-million annual capacity, with 38 to 40 landings and takeoffs made per hour. The post Congress earmarks funds NAIA infra projects appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Russia fends off attack drones
Another wave of bomb drones has been unleashed by Ukraine targeting the Moscow region and two Russian naval ships in the Black Sea, but the Kremlin said Tuesday it foiled the attacks. “Two Ukrainian (unmanned aerial vehicles) were destroyed by air defense systems over the territory of the Odintsovo and Narofominsk districts of Moscow region,” the Russian defense ministry said. “Another drone was suppressed by electronic warfare and, having lost control, crashed on the territory of the Moscow City,” the capital’s main commercial district, the ministry said. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Tuesday on Telegram that one of the drones flew into the same tower in Moscow City that was damaged by debris from a destroyed Ukrainian drone on Sunday. Shortly after the drone attack, Moscow’s Vnukovo international airport was briefly closed, TASS state news agency reported. “Vnukovo was temporarily closed for arrivals and departures, the planes are redirected to other airports,” emergency services said, according to TASS, which later reported that it had resumed normal operations. The same airport, to the southwest of Moscow, was briefly closed after Sunday’s attack and earlier this month, a volley of drone attacks disrupted air traffic at Vnukovo. Meanwhile, three drones attacked the “Sergei Kotov” and “Vasily Bykov” patrol boats of the Russian fleet, 340 kilometers southwest of Sevastopol, the base of Russia’s Black Sea fleet on the annexed Crimea peninsula, the defense ministry said in a statement. Ukraine’s drone attacks on Moscow and the Black Sea followed Russia’s missile strikes on a residential building Kryvyi Rig, hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The strikes killed six people and wounded dozens others. WITH AFP The post Russia fends off attack drones appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Egay’ onslaught affects families, travel
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan — Hundreds of families here and some towns in the province were forced to evacuate due to the continuous heavy rainfall and strong winds brought about by the combined impact of typhoon “Egay” and the southwest monsoon. As of Wednesday morning, the number of families seeking shelter in evacuation centers in Puerto Princesa City has risen from 89 on 25 July to 593 on 26 July, accommodating a total of 1,802 individuals. City Information Officer Richard Ligad said that the families were preemptively evacuated in the wake of Egay’s impact on several barangays, including Tagabinet, Lucbuan, Salvacion, Bacungan, Babuyan, Maoyon, Sta. Lourdes, Tanabag, Sicsican, Concepcion, Irawan, Manalo, Langogan, San Rafael, Iwahig Farm Village, Irawan, Iratag and Maunlad. He added that in response to the crisis, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and the City Social Welfare and Development Office are working to provide food packs and ensure the evacuees’ well-being. “We’re taking care of them in our evacuation centers, and were making sure they have food packs that are good for three days. The typhoon is really far from us, but because it is enhancing the southwest monsoon, we’re experiencing rains that have caused rivers to be flooded,” Ligad said. He also said that the City Health Office has also been conducting health assessments and distributing medicines to the families in the evacuation centers Meantime, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines reported that the weather disturbance caused a halt to flight operations at Laoag International Airport. According to CAAP Room Centre 1 Manager Ronald Estabillo, the domestic pre-departure room at the airport is being temporarily replaced by the international pre-departure space because the latter would require repairs after suffering significant damage to its ceiling and doors. It also reported that the Vigan Airport incurred minimal damage to its facilities while the Lingayen Airport’s ramp was flooded due to heavy rainfall. The Baguio Airport, Rosales Airport, and San Fernando Tower Facility, meanwhile, reported no damages. Over at the Cordillera region, landslides and rock fall due to the typhoon has caused the closure of some major roads in different parts of the region. Department of Public Works and Highways Cordillera said that the Baguio-Bontoc Road which is an access way from Baguio City to Mountain Province was closed. Landslides and rock falls occured on the mountainsides or slopes along the Halsema Highway. The post ‘Egay’ onslaught affects families, travel appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
NEDA approves partnership to improve NAIA
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) has approved the solicited public-private partnership to improve and privatize Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said on Wednesday. In a Malacañang press briefing, the NEDA Secretary said the project intending to repair and modernize the country's primary gateway would cost P170.6 billion. “The goal of the project is to address longstanding issues at NAIA such as the inadequate capacity of passenger terminal buildings and restricted aircraft movement,” Balisacan said, adding that the successful bidder may be revealed within the year. “It aims to increase the current annual airport capacity from 35 million to at least 62 million passengers. The NAIA PPP Project also aims to increase air traffic movement from 40 to 48 per hour,” Balisacan pointed out. Balisacan said the project, which he mentioned is under the Department of Transportation and the Manila International Airport Authority, is expected to enhance overall customer satisfaction and service quality to avoid long lines, protracted wait times, and other annoyances for passengers. The NEDA Secretary added that the project covering all NAIA terminals, facilities, and runways would start "as early as next year." Marcos added that the unsolicited proposal of the Manila International Airport Consortium (MIAC), which seeks a longer concession period of 25 years, is already defacto closed as it overlapped with the DOTr’s solicited mode to privatize NAIA’s operations. “Now that the solicited proposal has been approved, we are now saying it’s open for competitive bidding so the unsolicited proposal is de facto already closed,” Balisacan said. “Those who are planning or proposing to come in under unsolicited [mode] are encouraged and we hope that they will participate in the solicited mode of PPP,” Balisacan added. For context, Transportation Undersecretary for Aviation Roberto Lim explained that the NEDA Board usually decides on “the best route to take” regarding the solicited or unsolicited proposal on NAIA’s privatization. When questioned about the possibility of funding the project through the Maharlika Investment Corporation, Balisacan said "there is no need" to invest the funds there if the private sector is already capable of handling it. The post NEDA approves partnership to improve NAIA appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Nayong Pilipino seeks resumption
DAVAO DE ORO — A high-ranking official of the Nayong Pilipino Foundation said they are hoping that appropriate funding will be finally released to them next year in order to reopen the Nayong Pilipino in Parañaque City. In an interview, NPF executive director Gertie Duran-Batocabe said the park is there but not operational now. “The park is there but there is nothing on it. We really hope that it will reopen, and it should open. We already applied to the National Economic Development Authority for funding. We are also looking for a private-public partnership or PPP,” Batocabe told Daily Tribune during the Philippine Experience program-Davao Region leg on Friday. “Recently, we also sought the help of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority to fund its reopening. And they are exploring how we can be funded,” he added. According to a TIEZA official who requested anonymity, the request for proper funding is already being discussed at TIEZA and they are now delegating the project of reopening Nayong Pilipino to its attached agencies. Nayong Pilipino Foundation is an attached agency of the Department of Tourism and it was created during the time of former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr. in order to revive cultural practices and folkloric traditions that existed before the coming of colonizers. Batocabe said they understand that the DoT is not yet prioritizing the reopening of Nayong Pilipino. Earlier, the Commission on Audit said in its report that NPF has the uncertainty to continue its operations in the future, “considering its inability to raise additional or alternative sources of revenue as funds for its operations would be fully depleted within the next five to six years.” With this, Senator Nancy Binay in April 2023 asked the DoT to avert the expected fund depletion of the NPF by reviewing the organization’s projects and activities. Binay also recommended to the DoT to scrutinize the financial and sales projections of the NPF in the next five to 10 years. The 2022 COA audit report also called on the NPF to draft a long-term financial plan with “detailed and realistic” targets to prevent fund depletion. Nayong Pilipino Park, situated near the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, is a 47-hectare property divided into seven regions, each of which was designated with a renowned architect, such as National Artist Leandro Locsin. The old park was closed in 2002 under Executive Order 111 by then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to give way to the airport’s expansion. The post Nayong Pilipino seeks resumption appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
NAIA records highest int’l passenger volume and flight movement since pandemic
In April 2023, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport experienced a strong international market with the highest monthly passenger and flight traffic since the COVID-19 pandemic. The Manila International Airport Authority said that in April 2023, 9,089 international planes and 1,677,779 foreign passengers were transported through the country's primary gateway. In comparison to April 2022, when there were 663,824 foreign passengers and 4,494 international flights, there have been more than twice as many passengers and aircraft that have taken off and landed. According to MIAA Officer-in-Charge Bryan Co., summer is indeed a popular time for vacation and international travel, not only for Filipinos taking advantage of airlines’ promotional fares or using travel funds for flights they couldn't use due to the pandemic but also for our international visitors wanting to see the Philippines. Co added that after more than two years of closed borders, they expect the momentum of recovery to continue for tourism and the aviation industry, noting that NAIA welcomed 1,178,461 passengers overall in the first ten days of April as travelers took advantage of the long Holy Week break. Combined with domestic figures, NAIA registered a total of 3,666,503 passengers and 22,816 flights in April 2023. This amounts to a 50% increase from the 2,447,795 passengers in April 2022 and 86% of the 4,261,352 passengers in April 2019, the final full year before the pandemic. Additionally, the number of flights has climbed by 28% compared to the 17,774 flights in the same month last year, and as of April 2019, there were 98% of the 23,327 flights. In comparison to April 2022, when MIAA's OTP rating was 71.24%, the average for April 2023 was 75.20%. The post NAIA records highest int’l passenger volume and flight movement since pandemic appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
NAIA to retain CCTV footage for 90 days
In a bid to prevent human trafficking and other crimes at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the Manila International Airport Authority said it will extend the retention period of closed-circuit television footage at NAIA to 90 days from the current 30 days......»»