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SpaceX’s 11th Starship test flight advances moon and mars plans

EDGARDO HERNAL
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SpaceX’s 11th Starship test flight advances moon and mars plans

BOCA CHICA, South Texas — SpaceX successfully launched its 11th full-scale Starship rocket on Monday, sending mock satellites into orbit before executing a controlled descent into the Indian Ocean. The Super Heavy booster separated as planned and reentered over the Gulf of Mexico, though no hardware was recovered.

“Hey, welcome back to Earth, Starship,” SpaceX’s Dan Huot declared amid cheers from company staff. “What a day.”

According to SpaceX, the flight path took the spacecraft halfway around the world. More advanced maneuvering was built into this mission, particularly during reentry, as engineers test techniques intended for future return-to-launch-site landings.

The spacecraft carried eight mock satellites modeled after Starlink units, simulating deployment operations in space. The flight lasted just over one hour and originated from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in southern Texas.

This milestone arrives amid growing anticipation over Starship’s role in NASA’s Artemis program. NASA leaders have emphasized that the 403-foot (123-meter) Starship will be critical to ferrying astronauts between lunar orbit and the Moon’s surface in upcoming missions.

Sean Duffy, NASA’s acting administrator, praised the launch: “Another major step toward landing Americans on the moon’s south pole.”

SpaceX founder Elon Musk, unusually, watched the launch outside of control rooms, calling the experience “much more visceral.”

Beyond lunar ambitions, the broader mission of these test flights is to support SpaceX’s long-term goal of making humanity multiplanetary. Starship is intended not just to service the Moon but eventually to transport crews and cargo to Mars.

To achieve this, SpaceX is refining key technologies such as full reusability, orbital refueling, and precise landing maneuvers, each critical for deep-space missions.

Meanwhile, SpaceX is modifying its Cape Canaveral facilities to accommodate Starship launches in addition to the existing Falcon rocket operations.

As SpaceX prepares to usher in a new era of spaceflight, each test flight contributes valuable data and lessons on the path toward returning humans to the Moon and reaching Mars.

Israel receives remains of 2 hostages, confirms earlier body was misidentified

Venus L Peñaflor
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Israel receives remains of 2 hostages, confirms earlier body was misidentified

JERUSALEM — Israel on Wednesday received the remains of two more hostages from Hamas, hours after the Israeli military announced that one of the bodies handed over earlier was not that of a hostage. The development added confusion and tension to the fragile truce that has temporarily halted the two-year conflict.

The Red Cross transferred the two coffins from Hamas to Israel, where the remains were brought to a forensic laboratory in Tel Aviv for identification. The Israeli military said the identities of the hostages have yet to be verified.

Meanwhile, Gaza’s Health Ministry said it received 45 additional bodies of Palestinians from Israel, bringing the total to 90 since the ceasefire began. Forensic experts in Gaza reported that many of the bodies showed signs of mistreatment.

Under the terms of the ceasefire, Hamas has so far returned eight bodies of hostages four on Monday and four on Tuesday, after releasing 20 living captives. Israel is still awaiting the return of the bodies of 28 hostages.

The Israeli military said forensic tests revealed that “the fourth body handed over to Israel by Hamas does not match any of the hostages.” Authorities have not confirmed the identity of the remains.

In exchange for the release of the hostages, Israel freed around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees earlier this week. Officials said more bodies are expected to be transferred, though it remains unclear how many are in Israeli custody or whether they include Palestinians who died in detention or during the fighting in Gaza.

As forensic teams worked to identify the returned remains, Gaza’s Health Ministry released images of 32 unidentified bodies in hopes of helping families locate missing relatives. Many of the bodies appeared decomposed, burned, or disfigured, with some missing limbs or teeth. Health officials said Israeli restrictions on DNA testing equipment in Gaza have forced morgues to rely on physical features and clothing for identification.

A Gaza forensics team reported that some bodies arrived still shackled or showing signs of torture. “There are signs of torture and executions,” said Sameh Hamad, a member of the commission receiving the bodies at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. He said most were men aged 25 to 70, some wearing civilian clothes and others in military uniforms.

Hamad said the Red Cross provided names for only three of the deceased, leaving many families in limbo. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government, nearly 68,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began. The ministry’s casualty records are regarded as generally credible by United Nations agencies and independent observers. Thousands remain missing, according to the Red Cross and the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.

Outside Nasser Hospital, 52-year-old Rasmiya Qudeih waited anxiously, hoping her son was among the 45 bodies returned Wednesday. He disappeared on October 7, 2023 — the day of Hamas’ assault on Israel that ignited the conflict.

The ceasefire plan, introduced by U.S. President Donald Trump, required all hostages living and deceased to be returned by a deadline that expired Monday. Under the agreement, if the deadline was not met, Hamas was obligated to provide information about the dead and return them as soon as possible.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted Wednesday that Israel “will not compromise” and called on Hamas to meet the terms of the ceasefire regarding the return of hostages’ remains.

In an interview with CNN, Trump warned that Israel could resume military operations if Hamas fails to comply. “Israel will return to those streets as soon as I say the word,” Trump said.

Hamas’ armed wing claimed it had fulfilled its obligations under the truce and handed over the remains of the hostages in its custody. Two senior U.S. advisers, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Hamas had assured the United States via mediators that it is working to locate and return additional bodies. They added that widespread destruction and unexploded ordnance in Gaza have complicated recovery efforts.

This is not the first case of a mistaken return. During a previous ceasefire, Hamas said it had delivered the bodies of Shiri Bibas and her two sons, abducted in the October 7 attacks, but testing later showed one body belonged to a Palestinian woman. Bibas’ remains were returned a day later.

Humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza resumed Wednesday after a two-day pause. The World Food Program confirmed that its trucks began entering the territory as part of the ceasefire deal. The Egyptian Red Crescent reported that 400 trucks carrying food, fuel, and medical supplies were bound for Gaza. The Israeli agency overseeing humanitarian aid, COGAT, declined to specify how many trucks were expected to cross.

Marcos, tumangging sangkot sa anomalya sa flood control projects: “Gusto nila akong tanggalin”

Carlo Juancho Funtanilla
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Marcos, tumangging sangkot sa anomalya sa flood control projects: “Gusto nila akong tanggalin”

MAYNILA —Iginiit ni Pangulong Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. na wala siyang kinalaman sa mga iniimbestigahang iregularidad sa mga flood control project ng pamahalaan, at sinabing pulitikal umano ang motibo ng mga batikos laban sa kanya.

Sa isang press conference nitong Miyerkules, tinanong si Marcos hinggil sa mga pahayag na ang imbestigasyon sa mga proyekto sa flood control ay hahantong sa kanya, dahil siya ang lumagda sa pambansang badyet at nagtalaga ng mga opisyal na maaaring sangkot sa mga anomalya.

“On this I’m confident that whatever mud might be slung at the administration, that we will be able to show that these are politically motivated and do not actually have any validation in fact,” ayon sa Pangulo.

Binigyang-diin ni Marcos na wala siyang itinatago at iginiit na ang mga nasa oposisyon ay nagnanais lamang siyang mapatalsik.

“Wala naman tayong tinatago… I know that there are several – the opposition would love to bring me to this – to include me in all of this. But that’s politics,” wika ni Marcos. “That is not to do about corruption. That is to do about politics. Gusto nila akong tanggalin,” dagdag pa niya.

Nauna nang iginiit ng Malacañang na “blameless” si Marcos sa mga isyung may kaugnayan sa mga anomalya sa flood control projects.

Matatandaang sa kanyang ikaapat na State of the Nation Address (SONA) noong Hulyo 28, nangako ang Pangulo na papanagutin ang mga opisyal ng gobyerno na kumita sa mga proyekto ng imprastruktura, kabilang ang mga flood control project.

Sa pamamagitan ng isang executive order, bumuo si Marcos ng Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) upang siyasatin ang mga naturang iregularidad.

“I know what we did or did not do,” aniya. “So… we investigate. We investigate everybody. We follow the evidence. And wherever that leads, it’s not something that we try to direct or influence. That’s why we have the ICI,” dagdag ng Pangulo.

AI and chatbots pose a threat to the call center industry, human operators

Carlo Juancho Funtanilla
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AI and chatbots pose a threat to the call center industry, human operators

BENGALURU, India — In a bustling startup office in Bengaluru, developers at LimeChat are refining artificial intelligence chatbots designed to converse and message like humans. The company’s bold aim is to make traditional customer-service roles nearly obsolete, claiming its generative AI agents enable clients to cut staffing needs by up to 80% for every 10,000 monthly queries.

India, long regarded as the world’s back office for its low-cost, English-speaking workforce, now faces a technological upheaval as AI-powered systems begin replacing call-center and customer-support jobs. The shift is fueling growth for AI startups that promise reduced costs and greater efficiency, even as many consumers continue to prefer human interaction.

A Reuters investigation based on interviews with 30 executives, workers, recruiters, and government officials found that rather than slowing down AI adoption, India is accelerating it. Policymakers are betting that the transition will create new roles to absorb displaced workers. The stakes are high, as the outcome could determine whether AI-driven disruption becomes a model for development or a cautionary tale for emerging economies.

The global conversational AI market is expanding by 24% annually and is expected to reach $41 billion by 2030, according to consultancy Grand View Research. For India, where the IT sector contributes 7.5% of GDP, the government sees AI as an opportunity. In February, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “Work does not disappear due to technology. Its nature changes and new types of jobs are created.”

Still, concerns persist about the country’s readiness. Santosh Mehrotra, a former government official and visiting professor at the University of Bath, warned, “There’s no gameplan,” criticizing the lack of urgency in addressing AI’s potential effects on India’s young workforce.

Business process management — employing 1.65 million people in call centers, payroll, and data handling has seen hiring slow dramatically. Neeti Sharma, CEO of TeamLease Digital, said automation and digitalization have curbed job growth even as demand rises for AI coordinators and process analysts.

Among those affected is Megha S., a 32-year-old customer-service employee who lost her $10,000-a-year job in Bengaluru as her company introduced AI tools to evaluate sales calls. “I was told I am the first one who has been replaced by AI,” she said. “I’ve not told my parents.”

Former labor ministry secretary Sumita Dawra noted that while AI offers productivity gains and new employment avenues, India may need stronger social safety nets, such as unemployment benefits for displaced workers. A senior government official, however, told Reuters that AI would have little long-term effect on total employment.

Analysts remain cautious. Jefferies Investment Bank predicts India’s call centers could face a 50% revenue decline from AI adoption within five years, and a 35% drop for other back-office roles. India currently accounts for 52% of the global outsourcing market.

“The biggest impact is going to be on young students coming out of college,” said Pramod Bhasin, who launched India’s first call center for GE Capital in the 1990s. Yet Bhasin believes India could evolve from the “world’s back office” into its “AI factory” by supplying skilled automation engineers.

LimeChat’s co-founder Gupta said his firm’s technology has already automated 5,000 jobs nationwide, handling 70% of client complaints and targeting 90–95% automation within a year. “If you’re giving us 100,000 rupees per month, you are automating the job of at least 15 agents,” he said. The company’s revenue grew from $79,000 in 2022 to $1.5 million in 2024.

LimeChat’s competitors include Haptik, owned by Reliance, which says its AI agents “deliver human-like customer experiences” for $120 per agent, cutting support costs by 30%. Haptik’s revenue rose to nearly $18 million last year from under $1 million in 2020. “Brands are not investing in human agents and they want to deploy AI agents,” said Suji Ravi, a Haptik product manager.

For companies like Mamaearth, AI’s appeal lies in scalability. “Providing good customer support is make or break for us,” said Vipul Maheshwari, head of product and analytics at parent firm Honasa Consumer. “But can we infinitely scale my customer support team? Absolutely not.”

The transformation is also evident at The Media Ant, a Bengaluru-based advertising agency that cut 40% of its workforce after replacing its sales and call-center teams with AI bots. Founder Samir Chaudhary said a voice agent named Neha now handles client inquiries fluently in Indian-accented English. “Ask her out for a coffee and she will laugh it off,” he joked.

Still, AI deployment has limits. When a Reuters reporter asked a LimeChat-powered bot from Knya to verify claims about its medical products, it replied, “I am sorry, I don’t have enough information to answer your question.”

A recent EY survey of 1,000 Indian consumers found 62% made purchases influenced by AI recommendations, double the global average, but 78% still prefer human-assisted platforms.

As AI reshapes India’s technology landscape, training centers are adapting. In Ameerpet, a Hyderabad hub for IT education, institutes now emphasize AI courses such as data science and prompt engineering. “Recruiters are asking for students with basic AI skills,” said instructor Priyanka Kandulapati.

During a discussion with Indian startup founders last month, venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, co-founder of Sun Microsystems, offered a stark forecast: “All IT services will be replaced in the next five years. It’s going to be pretty chaotic.”

Cyprus struggles with surging cat population, one cat for every resident

Paraluman P. Funtanilla
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Cyprus struggles with surging cat population, one cat for every resident

NICOSIA, Cyprus — The Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus is facing an unusual problem, a booming cat population estimated to be roughly equal to its one million residents.

Officials and animal welfare groups say the number of feral cats has grown out of control, with sterilization programs too limited to manage the surge. “It’s a good program, but it needs to expand,” said Environment Commissioner Antonia Theodosiou, noting that only about 2,000 sterilizations are conducted each year on a modest budget of 100,000 euros ($117,000).

Responding to mounting pressure, Environment Minister Maria Panayiotou announced on October 4, World Animal Day, that the government would triple sterilization funding to 300,000 euros annually. The move was welcomed by animal rights groups, but lawmakers cautioned that funding alone won’t solve the crisis.

“There has to be a plan,” said Charalambos Theopemptou, chairman of the Parliamentary Environment Committee. “We can’t just go ahead with sterilizations without having a plan.”

Experts warn that the island’s expanding cat population threatens both its ecosystem and the welfare of the animals themselves. Large numbers of feral cats often roam congested streets in search of food and shelter, while conservationists struggle to contain the situation.

Cyprus’s deep-rooted relationship with cats dates back thousands of years. Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a domesticated cat buried alongside a human from a 9,500-year-old Neolithic village, one of the oldest signs of human-feline companionship. A 4th-century legend even tells of Saint Helen bringing cats to Cyprus to combat a snake infestation, a story still commemorated by the monastery of St. Nicholas of the Cats.

Today, the island’s feline residents are part of its cultural and tourist identity, often seen lounging near restaurants and being fed by visitors. But unchecked breeding, particularly in urban areas, has caused the population to explode, said Veterinary Association President Demetris Epaminondas.

The government’s sterilization program, run by the state’s Veterinary Services, funds local municipalities that pay private veterinarians to neuter cats brought in by animal groups. Authorities, however, admit the effort is “lesser than the real need.”

Animal welfare advocates are calling for a more unified approach. “Tripling funds won’t have the desired effect unless groups with the know-how are recruited to round up cats,” said Elias Demetriou of Friends of Larnaca Cats.

Eleni Loizidou of Cat Alert said her group recently trapped 397 feral cats in Nicosia “a mere drop in the ocean.” She added that too few females are being sterilized due to the difficulty of trapping them.

Epaminondas believes Cyprus could control its cat population within four years if authorities simplify procedures and collaborate more closely with private clinics. “People will be more motivated to get cats neutered if we make it easier for them to do so,” he said.

His association has proposed a national strategy that includes a smartphone app to help locate cat colonies, designated clinics for mass sterilization, and a public fund to encourage private and corporate donations.

Theodosiou said her office is working on a long-term plan to unite government agencies, animal advocates, and volunteers to accurately track the cat population and legalize private sanctuaries.

“There are solutions,” Loizidou affirmed.

Disqualified si ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan sa kaso ni Duterte

Venus L Peñaflor
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Disqualified si ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan sa kaso ni Duterte

THE HAGUE — Diskwalipikado na si International Criminal Court (ICC) Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan sa paghawak ng kasong war crimes laban kay dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte, ayon sa desisyong inilabas ng mga hukom ng ICC Appeals Chamber dahil sa posibleng “conflict of interest.”

Batay sa kopya ng desisyon na nakita ng Reuters, pumabor ang mga hukom sa argumento ng panig ni Duterte na si Khan ay dati umanong kinatawan ng Commission on Human Rights (CHR) ng Pilipinas, na nagsumite ng mga komunikasyon sa ICC kung saan tinukoy si Duterte bilang pangunahing suspek sa mga pagpatay kaugnay ng kampanya kontra droga. Dahil dito, sinabi ng korte na maaaring hindi siya maging ganap na patas sa paghawak ng kaso.

Mariing itinanggi ni Khan ang akusasyon at iginiit na walang “conflict of interest” sa kaniyang dating trabaho, ngunit noong Oktubre 2 ay tuluyang ipinasiya ng Appeals Chamber na siya ay madiskwalipika.

Ang desisyon ay isa pang dagok kay Khan, na pansamantala ring umalis sa tungkulin noong Mayo dahil sa imbestigasyong isinasagawa ng United Nations hinggil sa umano’y sexual misconduct laban sa kaniya.

Samantala, si Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang ang hahawak ngayon sa kaso. Si Niang ay isa rin sa mga opisyal ng ICC na pinarusahan ng Estados Unidos dahil sa pagsisiyasat ng korte sa mga umano’y krimen sa Gaza.

Naaresto si Duterte noong Marso at dinala sa The Hague matapos maglabas ng arrest warrant ang ICC na nag-uugnay sa kaniya sa libu-libong pagpatay sa kampanya laban sa ilegal na droga mula 2016 hanggang 2022. Ipinagpipilitan ng dating pangulo na labag sa batas ang kaniyang pagkakaaresto at ito raw ay “tantamount to kidnapping.”

Si Khan ay dati na ring pinatanggal sa imbestigasyon ng ICC sa Venezuela dahil sa posibleng “conflict of interest” matapos mabunyag na ang kaniyang bayaw ay abogado ng gobyerno ni Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Patuloy namang itinanggi ng kampo ni Khan ang lahat ng paratang laban sa kaniya.

Romualdez, posibleng maging state witness sa flood control anomaly; 60% ng Pinoy nagalit ayon sa survey

Carlo Juancho Funtanilla
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Romualdez, posibleng maging state witness sa flood control anomaly; 60% ng Pinoy nagalit ayon sa survey

MAYNILA — Ipinauubaya ng Malacañang sa Department of Justice (DOJ) ang pagdedesisyon kung maaaring maging state witness si dating House Speaker Martin Romualdez kaugnay ng umano’y maanomalyang mga flood control projects sa bansa.

Ang pahayag ay ginawa matapos humarap si Romualdez sa imbestigasyon ng Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), na kasalukuyang nagsisiyasat sa mga alegasyon ng katiwalian sa mga proyekto.

Ayon kay Palace Press Officer Atty. Claire Castro, nakasalalay sa magiging salaysay ni Romualdez sa ICI kung maaari siyang maging state witness. “Ang DOJ ang magdedetermina batay sa kanilang pamantayan,” ani Castro.

Ang ICI ang may tungkuling magrekomenda sa korte hinggil sa magiging kapalaran ng mga opisyal at personalidad na isinangkot at inakusahan na kumita mula sa pondo ng mga flood control projects. Isa si Romualdez sa mga binanggit na pangalan ng isang engineer ng Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) na umano’y nakinabang sa naturang mga proyekto.

Samantala, lumabas sa isang Tugon ng Masa survey ng OCTA Research na 60% ng mga Pilipino ang nagsabing sila ay nagalit matapos mabunyag ang mga anomalya sa mga flood control projects. Ipinahayag din ng mga kalahok ang kanilang pagsuporta sa isinasagawang imbestigasyon ng pamahalaan.

Batay sa resulta ng survey, 60% ng mga Pinoy ang nagagalit tuwing naiisip ang korapsyon sa pamahalaan, 30% ang nagsabing sila ay natatakot o nababahala, at 9% naman ang nakaramdam ng pagkadismaya o kalungkutan.

Ayon sa OCTA, ang pagkagalit ang pinakapangunahing emosyon sa lahat ng rehiyon, socioeconomic class, at age groups. Pinakamapansin ito sa mga kabataang Pilipino, kabilang ang Gen Z at millennials.

Nabatid din na 83% ng mga Pilipino ang sumusuporta sa desisyon ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. na ilantad ang mga kaso ng korapsyon, dahil nakikita ito bilang hakbang upang maibalik ang tiwala ng publiko sa pamahalaan.

Pinakamataas ang antas ng suporta sa National Capital Region (NCR) na may 91%, kasunod ang Balance Luzon na may 90%. Samantala, 46% ng mga respondents ang naniniwalang ang isang independiyenteng komisyon gaya ng ICI ang pinakaangkop na manguna sa imbestigasyon.

Isinagawa ang Tugon ng Masa survey mula Setyembre 25 hanggang 30, na nilahukan ng 1,200 adult respondents sa pamamagitan ng face-to-face interviews.

Nilinaw ng DOH na walang bagong virus sa gitna ng pagtaas ng flu cases

Venus L Peñaflor
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Nilinaw ng DOH na walang bagong virus sa gitna ng pagtaas ng flu cases

MAYNILA — Nilinaw ng Department of Health (DOH) na walang bagong virus na kumakalat sa bansa sa kabila ng mga ulat hinggil sa pagtaas ng mga kaso ng influenza at influenza-like illnesses (ILIs).

Ayon sa DOH, ang kamakailang pagsuspinde ng face-to-face classes ng Department of Education (DepEd) sa Metro Manila ay isang pag-iingat lamang at bahagi ng paghahanda sa lindol, hindi dahil sa isang bagong sakit.

Binigyang-diin ni DOH spokesperson Albert Domingo na ang dalawang araw na suspensyon ng klase ay isang “normal precaution” na kasabay ng mga aktibidad na may kaugnayan sa paghahanda para sa “The Big One,” isang malawakang earthquake scenario na pinagpaplanuhan at sinasanay ng iba’t ibang ahensya ng gobyerno.

Sinabi rin ni Domingo na nananatiling kabilang sa mga karaniwang sakit tuwing tag-ulan ang ILIs, ngunit batay sa pinakahuling datos ng DOH, bumaba ng 8 porsiyento ang bilang ng mga kaso kumpara noong nakaraang taon.

Dagdag pa ni Domingo, inaasahan ang bahagyang pagtaas ng mga mild flu cases tuwing panahon ng tag-ulan mula Hunyo hanggang Nobyembre, na siyang itinuturing na taunang flu season sa bansa.

Hamas returns hostage bodies as Israel moves to cut Gaza aid

EDGARDO HERNAL
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Hamas returns hostage bodies as Israel moves to cut Gaza aid

JERUSALEM — Hamas has handed over additional bodies of deceased hostages to Israel, signaling limited progress after a series of setbacks since U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled his plan to end the Gaza war.

The transfer came after Israel announced it would cut by half the number of humanitarian aid trucks entering Gaza, saying Hamas had violated the ceasefire agreement by failing to deliver all the remains of hostages as promised under last week’s truce.

Israeli military officials confirmed that four coffins were received from the Red Cross at a meeting point in northern Gaza late Tuesday. The coffins were brought into Israel for forensic identification shortly before midnight. Hamas also acknowledged the handover.

“At this moment, the men are continuing to oversee the implementation of what was agreed upon regarding the handover of bodies as part of the agreement to end the war in Gaza,” Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem wrote on Facebook.

Despite the partial compliance, Israeli officials said it was unclear whether the latest transfer would lead to a full restoration of aid. They confirmed that only half the agreed number of trucks would be allowed in starting Wednesday, while plans to reopen Gaza’s southern border crossing to Egypt were being delayed.

The two-year Israeli offensive has left Gaza in ruins, with widespread famine affecting more than half a million Palestinians. Under the ceasefire, up to 600 aid trucks were expected to enter the enclave daily, but the restrictions have deepened the humanitarian crisis.

Meanwhile, Hamas fighters have reappeared in large numbers across Gaza, signaling renewed control following Israel’s partial troop withdrawal. Residents reported seeing hundreds of armed men deployed to key streets and checkpoints.

In a video circulated on Monday, Hamas fighters were seen executing seven men accused of collaborating with Israel in a Gaza City square, an act confirmed by a Hamas source. Reuters verified the location of the video through identifiable geographic features.

The militant group warned that it would no longer tolerate “violations of order” in Gaza and vowed to target collaborators, armed looters, and drug dealers.

Trump, who addressed Israel’s parliament on Monday declaring “the historic dawn of a new Middle East,” had earlier threatened Hamas with military action if it failed to disarm. “If they don’t disarm, we will disarm them. And it will happen quickly and perhaps violently,” he said at the White House on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that the war would not end until Hamas surrendered its weapons and relinquished control of Gaza — demands the group has rejected.

The ceasefire followed the exchange of the last 20 living Israeli hostages for nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees, though disputes persist over the return of 28 deceased hostages. Hamas has now handed over eight coffins, leaving at least 19 presumed dead and one unaccounted for.

Palestinian health authorities reported that Israeli drone strikes killed five people in eastern Gaza City and another airstrike killed one person near Khan Younis. Israel said its forces targeted individuals who crossed truce lines and approached its troops despite warnings.

The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led gunmen attacked Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, Israel’s military campaign has killed at least 67,000 people in Gaza, with thousands more believed buried under rubble, according to local authorities. Gaza’s Civil Defence Service said it has recovered 250 bodies since the truce began.

Face-to-face classes sa Laguna, suspendido hanggang Oktubre 31

Roy Tomandao
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Face-to-face classes sa Laguna, suspendido hanggang Oktubre 31

LAGUNA — Sinuspinde ng Pamahalaang Panlalawigan ng Laguna ang lahat ng face-to-face classes sa mga pampubliko at pribadong paaralan mula Oktubre 14 hanggang Oktubre 31, 2025, bilang bahagi ng pag-iingat sa posibleng paggalaw ng West Valley Fault.

Ayon kay Governor Sol Aragones, ang desisyon ay resulta ng masusing konsultasyon sa disaster management teams at pagsusuri ng mga datos kaugnay ng fault line.

“Kinausap din po natin ang ating disaster team para matiyak ang kaligtasan ng ating mga kababayan, hindi lamang ng mga estudyante kundi ng lahat dito sa Laguna,” pahayag ni Aragones sa isang Facebook Live broadcast.

Binigyang-diin ng gobernadora na ang kaligtasan ng mga estudyante ang pangunahing prayoridad ng pamahalaang panlalawigan. “Ang mga araw na walang klase ay puwedeng habulin, pero ang buhay ng tao ay isa lang at hindi na maibabalik. May nakaambang panganib at kailangan nating maging handa,” aniya.

Habang suspendido ang in-person classes, ipinag-utos ng pamahalaan sa mga paaralan ang pagpapatupad ng alternative learning modes tulad ng online at modular learning.

Hinimok din ng mga awtoridad ang mga residente na pag-ibayuhin ang paghahanda sa posibleng malakas na lindol at ipasuri ang katatagan ng mga gusali ng paaralan upang matiyak ang kaligtasan ng mga mag-aaral at guro.

“Even if nothing happens, this is an opportunity to remain ready. Safety comes first, especially for our students,” dagdag pa ni Aragones.

Samantala, nilinaw ni PHIVOLCS chief Dr. Teresito Bacolcol na walang direktang koneksyon ang mga naitalang lindol sa ibang bahagi ng bansa sa West Valley Fault, na dumaraan sa mga lalawigan ng Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, at sa Metro Manila.

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