Friday, July 10, 2026


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Brutal na pagpatay sa Australian couple sa Tagaytay, posibleng may kaugnayan sa manugang

Arman B. Cambe
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Brutal na pagpatay sa Australian couple sa Tagaytay, posibleng may kaugnayan sa manugang

TAGAYTAY CITY. Ang malupit na pagpatay sa mag-asawang Australyano na natagpuan sa Pilipinas ay posibleng may kaugnayan sa isang pangatlong babae, ayon sa pulisya.

Si David Fisk, 57, at ang kanyang de facto partner na si Lucita Cortez, 55, ay natagpuang patay sa isang kwarto ng Lake Hotel sa Tagaytay City, bandang 1:35 ng hapon noong Miyerkules.

Natagpuan din sa lugar ang katawan ng pangatlong babae na si Mary Jane Cortez, 30, manugang ni Lucita.

Ayon sa lokal na pulisya, hinahanap nila ang isang lalaking nakuhanan ng CCTV na ma takip ang mukha at pumasok sa isang hotel room gamit ang key card.

Naniniwala ang pulisya na ang suspek ay maaaring may kaugnayan kay Mary. “We are looking at that option, that issue,” sinabi ni Jean Alagos ng Tagaytay Police sa isang eksklusibong panayam sa 9News.

Ayon kay Tagaytay police chief Charles Daven Capagcuan, ang nilaslas ang lalamunan ni Fisk na naging sanhi ng kanyang pagkamatay, habang ang mga Cortez na babae ay maaaring na-suffocate gamit ang unan. Sinabi niya na ang mga patuloy na autopsy ay magpapatunay sa mga paunang indikasyon na ito.

Naglabas ng pahayag ang pamilya ni Fisk, na nakabase sa Sutherland Shire ng NSW, na nagsasabing “pray for answers and the truth in this horrific matter.” Dagdag pa ng pamilya, “The love we have for our father and Lucita is so dear and this situation is like living a nightmare.” Hiningi nila na igalang ang kanilang privacy.

Sinabi ni Capagcuan na ang motibo sa pagpatay ay hindi pad malinaw at idinagdag na ang ilang mahahalagang gamit ng mga biktima, kabilang ang kanilang mga mobile phone, ay hindi kinuha ng suspek. “We were shocked by this incident,” sinabi ni Tagaytay Mayor Abraham Tolentino, na humingi ng paumanhin sa mga pamilya ng mga biktima. “We’re very sorry to our Australian friends. We will resolve this as soon as possible.”

Ini-interview ng mga imbestigador ang mga saksi at sinusuri ang mga security camera sa hotel na maaaring makatulong sa pag-identify sa suspek o mga suspek, sinabi ni Tolentino nang walang karagdagang detalye.

Rescuers recover over 60 bodies after intense battle between Israeli forces and Hamas in Gaza

Venus L Peñaflor
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Rescuers recover over 60 bodies after intense battle between Israeli forces and Hamas in Gaza

CAIRO/GAZA. Israeli forces pulled back from parts of Gaza City overnight following a fierce week-long offensive that met with heavy resistance from Hamas, resulting in dozens of deaths and widespread destruction of homes and roads in the largest urban area of the Palestinian enclave, rescuers said.

The offensive, which occurred ten months into Israel’s campaign to eliminate Hamas militants, coincided with U.S.-backed mediators attempting to finalize a peace deal to free remaining hostages taken by the militants during their cross-border attack on October 7.

The Gaza Civil Emergency Service reported that teams collected around 60 bodies of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces over the past week from the area of Tel Al-Hawa and the edges of the Sabra neighborhood in Gaza City.

While tanks withdrew from some areas, Israeli snipers and tanks continued to control certain high ground, according to residents and rescue teams, who warned residents against trying to return.

“There are bodies scattered in the streets, dismembered bodies, there are bodies of entire families, there are also bodies inside a home of an entire family that was completely burned,” said Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for Gaza Strip Civil Defense, on Friday in comments carried by media in Hamas-run Gaza.

Israel’s military stated that they found drones and other weaponry in what they described as a Hamas combat complex inside the former UNRWA headquarters in Gaza City and had evacuated civilians from the area before attacking.

“The troops engaged in close-quarters combat with terrorist cells that had fortified themselves inside the UNRWA compound,” they said, adding that they also discovered a significant Hamas tunnel nearby and weapons production under a university building.

The armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad claimed they attacked Israeli forces with anti-tank rockets and mortar fire, causing numerous casualties. The Israeli army has not commented on these claims.

Home to more than a quarter of Gaza’s residents before the war, Gaza City was largely razed to the ground in late 2023, but hundreds of thousands of Palestinians had returned to their homes in the ruins before Israel once again ordered them out.

Dozens of residents returned on Friday to assess the damage after civil emergency teams extinguished fires in the early hours. Reuters footage showed wrecked roads and buildings, including the former UNRWA headquarters. Bodies wrapped in white shrouds and bearing the names of the deceased men and women lay on the floor at Al-Ahli Hospital.

Review: Maika Monroe delivers a chilling performance in ‘Longlegs’

Paraluman P. Funtanilla
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Review: Maika Monroe delivers a chilling performance in ‘Longlegs’

In the chilling thriller ‘Longlegs,’ Maika Monroe cuts like a knife.

“Longlegs,” directed by Osgood Perkins, is a chilling horror film set in the 1990s, revolving around a young FBI agent whose traumatic childhood encounter seems to hold the key to a series of brutal suburban murders spanning decades. The film opens with a haunting flashback of a young girl meeting a stranger in a snow-covered yard. The unsettling atmosphere is palpable, with the scene cutting abruptly just before the film’s title appears.

Twenty-five years later, the girl, now Agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe), is a talented FBI investigator with a unique ability to decipher the serial killer’s patterns. However, her psychological insight has its limitations. As the narrative unfolds, it becomes clear that the most disturbing mystery lies in the fragmented nature of childhood memories.

“Longlegs,” which premieres in theaters this Thursday, has been shrouded in mystery due to an enigmatic marketing campaign. The film’s ability to build a slow-burning tension is remarkable, yet it ultimately succumbs to a mix of horror clichés: satanic rituals, eerie dolls, and a bizarre performance by Nicolas Cage.

The first half of “Longlegs” is gripping and spellbinding, largely due to Monroe’s compelling performance. However, the third act fails to maintain this momentum. The film begins with a prologue presented in a boxy ratio, evoking an overhead projector’s visuals, before transitioning to a wider screen. Harker, a solitary and terse detective, joins a large task force to track down the killer responsible for the deaths of 10 families over 30 years. Her intuition proves invaluable, yet it’s met with skepticism by her partner (Dakota Daulby).

In a scene demonstrating her strange clairvoyance, Harker is subjected to a psych evaluation. Agent Carter (Blair Underwood) provides her with all the evidence, which suggests the same killer is behind the murders, as each scene includes a coded letter signed by Longlegs. “Manson had accomplices,” Harker reminds Carter, drawing a parallel to Charles Manson. Notably, all victims share a common trait: each has a daughter born on the 14th of the month, a detail Harker also shares.

Familial relationships are central to the story. Harker occasionally visits her reclusive mother (Alicia Witt), and their brief interactions hint at a deep understanding of the world’s cruelty. In one phone call, Harker mentions being busy with “work stuff,” to which her mother responds, “Nasty stuff?” Harker’s reply: “Yep.”

As the investigation progresses in rural Oregon, scenes of dread unfold in typical locations: an old crime scene, a locked barn, a psychiatric hospital. Longlegs (Nicolas Cage) lurks in the background, leaving letters for Harker. Initially seen fleetingly, Longlegs becomes increasingly clownish as the film progresses, resembling a figure from the ‘70s with his bleached hair and pale complexion.

Perkins, the son of Anthony Perkins (famed for playing Norman Bates in “Psycho”), brings personal connections to “Longlegs,” reflecting on his own upbringing and his father’s complex private life. Despite these roots, the film’s horror elements feel derivative, echoing classics like “Se7en” and “The Silence of the Lambs.” Ultimately, Longlegs comes across as a stock boogeyman and a vehicle for Cage’s eccentric performance.

However, “Longlegs” belongs to Maika Monroe. Known for her roles in “It Follows” and “Watcher,” Monroe’s portrayal of Harker cements her status as today’s leading “Scream Queen.” Her character’s determination and resilience are evident as she confronts terrifying scenarios head-on. Monroe’s steely presence and intense performance elevate the film, making her the standout in this otherwise conventional thriller. Nasty stuff? Indeed.

“Longlegs,” a Neon release, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for bloody violence, disturbing images, and some language. Running time: 101 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

A woman who received a pig kidney transplant and a heart pump has died

EDGARDO HERNAL
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A woman who received a pig kidney transplant and a heart pump has died

WASHINGTON. A woman who underwent a groundbreaking pig kidney transplant along with an implanted heart pump has passed away, her surgeon announced on Tuesday.

Lisa Pisano, from New Jersey, was in critical condition due to kidney and heart failure when she received the pioneering surgeries at NYU Langone Health in April. Initially, Pisano showed signs of recovery, but complications arose 47 days later when the pig kidney was damaged by her heart medications, forcing doctors to remove it and place her back on dialysis.

Despite the dialysis and the implanted heart pump, Pisano’s condition worsened, and she was placed in hospice care. She passed away on Sunday, as confirmed by Dr. Robert Montgomery, the transplant surgeon at NYU Langone.

Dr. Montgomery praised Pisano’s courage in undergoing the experimental procedure known as xenotransplantation, which aims to address the critical shortage of transplantable organs. “Lisa helped bring us closer to realizing a future where someone does not have to die for another person to live,” he said. “She will forever be remembered for her courage and good nature.”

Back in April, the 54-year-old Pisano told The Associated Press that she understood the risks involved. “I just took a chance. And you know, worst case scenario, if it didn’t work for me, it might have worked for someone else,” she said.

Pisano was the second patient to receive a kidney from a gene-edited pig. The first patient, Richard “Rick” Slayman, received his transplant at Massachusetts General Hospital and died in early May, nearly two months post-surgery. His doctor stated that Slayman’s death was due to preexisting heart disease, not the transplant.

The U.S. transplant waiting list has over 100,000 people, most of whom need a kidney, and thousands die waiting. In response, several biotech companies are working on genetically modifying pigs to make their organs more compatible with human bodies and less likely to be rejected by the immune system.

In addition to the pig kidney experiments, the University of Maryland has transplanted pig hearts into two men who had no other options; both died within months. However, the insights gained from these procedures, along with research on donated bodies, give doctors hope that they can begin formal clinical trials next year with patients who aren’t in critical condition.

Lisa Pisano’s brave participation in this experimental surgery has contributed significantly to the advancement of xenotransplantation and offers hope for future patients in need of life-saving organ transplants.

VP Sara Duterte hindi dadalo sa SONA ni Pangulong Marcos, idiniklara ang sarili bilang “designated survivor”

Venus L Peñaflor
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VP Sara Duterte hindi dadalo sa SONA ni Pangulong Marcos, idiniklara ang sarili bilang “designated survivor”

MAYNILA. Kumpirmadong hindi dadalo si Vice President at outgoing Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sara Duterte sa idaraos na State of the Nation Address (SONA) ni Pangulong Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. sa Hulyo 22.

Matapos ang kanyang pagbibitiw sa gabinete ng Pangulo noong nakaraang buwan, marami ang nag-aabang kung dadalo ba ang Bise Presidente sa SONA ni Pang. Marcos.

“No, I will not attend the SONA… I am appointing myself as the designated survivor,” pahayag ni Duterte sa isang panayam sa inagurasyon ng Child and Adolescent Neurodevelopment Center sa isang pagamutan sa Davao City.

Ito ang kauna-unahang pagkakataon na hindi dadalo ang Bise Presidente sa SONA.

Pinalagan naman ni Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua ang umano’y hindi magandang patawa ni VP Sara Duterte nang sabihin nitong itinatalaga niya ang kaniyang sarili bilang “Designated Survivor” kaya wala siyang planong dumalo sa joint session ng Kongreso para sa ikatlong SONA ni Pangulong Marcos.

“Such a joke is not in good taste because the security of the President of the Philippines is not a joking or laughing matter. Great care is taken to ensure the security of the President, especially during the SONA,” saad ng solon.

Ayon kay Chua, anuman ang tensyon sa pulitika ay hindi dapat nagbibiro ng masama ang ikalawang Pangulo, lalo na’t usapin pa ng kaligtasan ng Pangulo ng bansa.

“Strictly speaking, Vice President Sara Duterte does not have that appointing power for a designated survivor because it is the 1987 Constitution that designates the Vice as the first next in line to succeed the President,” punto ni Chua.

Una nang nagbitiw si Sara bilang kalihim ng Department of Education (DepEd) at vice chairperson ng National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), epektibo sa Hulyo 19.

Walang opisyal na “designated survivor” rule sa Pilipinas tulad ng sa Estados Unidos. Sa ilalim ng 1987 Konstitusyon ng Pilipinas, ang pagkakasunud-sunod sa kapangyarihan ay malinaw na tinutukoy. Ang Bise Presidente ang unang susunod sa Pangulo sa kaso ng kamatayan, pagkakasakit, pagbibitiw, o pagkakatanggal ng Pangulo.

Ayon sa Artikulo VII, Seksyon 8 ng 1987 Konstitusyon, ang pagkakasunud-sunod ay ang mga sumusunod:

  1. Bise Presidente
  2. Senate President
  3. Speaker of the House of Representatives

Ito ay nagsisiguro na may malinaw na plano para sa pagpapatuloy ng pamumuno sakaling may mangyari sa Pangulo. Ang ideya ng “designated survivor” na ginagamit ni VP Sara Duterte ay maaaring isang biro o metaphorical na pahayag at hindi isang opisyal na proseso sa ilalim ng batas ng Pilipinas.

Miracle baby found crawling by highway after brother’s death and mother’s arrest

EDGARDO HERNAL
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Miracle baby found crawling by highway after brother’s death and mother’s arrest

NEW ORLEANS. In a remarkable story of survival, a 1-year-old “miracle baby” was found crawling along a Louisiana roadside two days after his 4-year-old brother was discovered dead and their mother was arrested in Mississippi.

Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Gary “Stitch” Guillory reported that the baby, despite numerous bug bites, was in good condition. The harrowing events unfolded after the body of the 4-year-old was found in a lake behind an Interstate 10 welcome center near the Texas state line on Monday.

“Thank God that trucker saw him,” Sheriff Guillory said emotionally during a news conference in Lake Charles, approximately 200 miles west of New Orleans.

The deceased child, whose autopsy results are pending, had last been seen on Saturday with his mother, Aaliyah Jack, 25, of Lake Charles, and the 1-year-old. Fearing the worst, authorities were preparing to search the water where the 4-year-old’s body was discovered when they received a critical call.

A truck driver, who spotted the baby crawling along the roadside, dialed 911, leading to the baby’s rescue. “We look at this 1-year-old as our miracle baby because he was still alive,” a visibly moved Guillory stated.

The rescue was complicated by Hurricane Beryl, which had struck east Texas early Monday, bringing bands of heavy rain and high wind gusts to the area.

An alert was issued for Jack on Monday night, and a Louisiana judge subsequently issued a warrant for her arrest. She was apprehended in Meridian, Mississippi, over 350 miles from where her children were found. The Meridian Police Department took her into custody without the 1-year-old, prompting an ongoing search until the trucker’s call.

“When deputies arrived, they were able to positively identify the child as the missing 1-year-old,” according to the sheriff’s office.

Jack is facing charges of failure to report a missing child and is expected to be extradited to Louisiana. Her bond has been set at $300,000.

Kayla Vincent, a spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office, mentioned that no additional charges were pending as of Wednesday afternoon and that the investigation continues.

Currently, online booking records are unavailable, and it remains unclear if Jack has legal representation to comment on her behalf.

The community is left in shock and relief over the “miracle baby” who survived such dire conditions and was brought to safety thanks to a vigilant truck driver.

Taiwan monitors Chinese military surge, deems China a threat to stability

Venus L Peñaflor
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Taiwan monitors Chinese military surge, deems China a threat to stability

TAIPEI. Taiwan announced on Thursday that it is closely monitoring the Chinese military, which it identified as a growing regional threat, following a surge of warplanes near the island participating in drills with China’s Shandong aircraft carrier in the Pacific.

These Chinese military exercises coincide with a NATO summit in Washington, where a draft communique indicated that China has become a decisive enabler of Russia’s war effort in Ukraine and continues to pose systemic challenges to Europe and global security.

Taiwan’s defense minister reported on Wednesday that the Shandong passed close to the Philippines on its way to the Pacific exercises.

In its daily update on Chinese military activity over the past 24 hours, released Thursday morning, Taiwan’s defense ministry stated it detected 66 Chinese military aircraft around the island. Of these, 39 passed to the south and southeast of Taiwan. On Wednesday, the ministry reported detecting 36 aircraft heading to the Western Pacific to conduct drills with the Shandong.

Taiwan’s defense ministry released two images: a grainy black-and-white photo of a Chinese J-16 fighter and a color image of a nuclear-capable H-6 bomber, which it said were taken recently, though the exact time and location were not specified.

“The military has a detailed grasp of the activities in the seas and waters around the Taiwan Strait, including the Chinese Communists’ aircraft and ships,” stated ministry spokesperson Sun Li-fang. He added that Taiwan’s forces had tracked the two Chinese warplanes photographed.

China’s defense ministry has not responded to requests for comment on the Shandong’s activities.

Addressing military officers in Taipei, President Lai Ching-te emphasized his commitment to strengthening the island’s defenses. “The Chinese Communists’ threat to regional stability continues to rise, and its grey zone intrusions into the Taiwan Strait and surrounding areas are also increasing day by day, which are a common challenge to global democracy,” he stated, according to an office statement.

Taiwan claims China has been employing “grey zone” tactics, which stop short of actual combat to test and pressure Taiwanese forces, including regular coast guard patrols near the Taiwan-controlled Kinmen islands within view of China.

Previously, Taiwan reported the Shandong operating near the island, including in December when it passed through the Taiwan Strait weeks before Taiwanese elections. Experts suggest China is still far from mastering carrier operations.

China views Taiwan as its own territory and has intensified military activities over the past four years to pressure the democratically governed island, which rejects China’s sovereignty claims.

A spokesperson for the Chinese mission to the European Union criticized the NATO summit’s draft declaration as “full of belligerent rhetoric,” and claimed the China-related content contained provocations, “lies, incitement and smears.”

Ahead of the summit, Taiwan’s foreign ministry told Reuters it “welcomes NATO’s continuous increase in attention to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region in recent years, and its active strengthening of exchanges and interactions with countries in the Indo-Pacific region.”

Taiwan is not the only security hotspot involving China and Russia in the region. Japan’s Self-Defense Forces reported tracking two Russian frigates on Wednesday passing between two of its islands at the western end of its Okinawa chain close to Taiwan, heading southwest toward the Pacific Ocean.

China and the Philippines are also locked in a confrontation in the disputed South China Sea, with tensions rising as Beijing presses its claims to shoals within Manila’s exclusive economic zone.

U.S. allies Australia and Japan have been increasing their military activities. The Philippine Air Force arrived in northern Australia on Wednesday for its first overseas deployment in six decades, practicing combat alongside U.S. and Australian fighter jets.

Additionally, a Japanese navy destroyer made a rare entry into China’s territorial waters near Taiwan this month without notifying China, sparking “serious concerns” from Beijing, according to Japanese media reports.

Tatlong bangkay, kabilang ang 2 Australians, natagpuan sa isang hotel sa Tagaytay

Arman B. Cambe
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Tatlong bangkay, kabilang ang 2 Australians, natagpuan sa isang hotel sa Tagaytay

TAGAYTAY CITY. Dalawang Australyano at isang Filipina ang natagpuang patay sa isang hotel sa Tagaytay City sa Cavite. Patuloy na iniimbestigahan ng pulisya ang insidente, ayon sa mga opisyal noong Huwebes.

Isang hotel worker ang nakadiskubre sa mga katawan ng mga biktima na nakagapos ang mga kamay at paa sa isang silid sa Lake Hotel sa Tagaytay noong Miyerkules, batay sa pahayag ng pulisya.

Hindi pa malinaw ang motibo sa pagpatay, ayon kay Tagaytay police chief Charles Daven Capagcuan, at idinagdag na ang ilang mahahalagang gamit ng mga biktima, kabilang ang kanilang mga cellphone, ay hindi kinuha ng suspek.

“We were shocked by this incident,” pahayag ni Tagaytay Mayor Abraham Tolentino, humihingi ng paumanhin sa mga pamilya ng mga biktima. “We’re very sorry to our Australian friends. We will resolve this as soon as possible.”

Ang mga biktima ay pinaniniwalaang isang lalaking Australian na 50-anyos, ang kanyang Philippine-born asawa na nakakuha na ng Australian citizenship, at isang kamag-anak na Filipina.

Ang mga imbestigador ay kasalukuyang nakikipag ugnayan sa mga saksi at nagsusuri ng mga security camera sa hotel, kabilang ang isang footage na nagpapakita ng isang lalaking nakasuot ng mask at hoodie, at may dalang sling bag na lumabas mula sa silid ng mga biktima ilang oras bago natagpuan ang kanilang mga katawan, ayon kay Capagcuan.

Ayon sa isang kamag-anak ng babaeng Australyano, ang mag-asawang Australian ay lumipad mula Sydney papuntang Indonesian resort island ng Bali para sa bakasyon at pagkatapos ay nagtungo sa Pilipinas noong Lunes upang bisitahin ng Filipina ang kanyang dalawang anak sa unang asawa.

Ang mag-asawa ay nakatakdang bumalik sa Australia noong Miyerkules, noong araw na sila ay pinatay, ngunit nagpasyang mamasyal sandali sa Tagaytay, ayon sa anak na lalaki ng napatay na Australian-Filipina, na humiling na huwag pangalanan dahil sa takot matapos ang nangyari sa kanyang ina habang malaya pa ang suspek.

Sinabi ni Tolentino na ang labi ng lalaking Australyano ay ipapadala pabalik sa Sydney at ang dalawang babae ay ililibing sa Pilipinas ayon sa kahilingan ng kanilang mga kamag-anak. Ang gobyerno ang magbabayad para sa libing ng mga babae, dagdag niya.

Sa Australia, isang tagapagsalita ng Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade ang nagsabing magbibigay sila ng consular assistance sa mga pamilya ng biktima at nagpahayag ng pakikiramay sa kanilang mga pamilya. Walang ibang detalye na ibinigay “owing to our privacy obligations,” ayon sa tagapagsalita.

Trapped bodies in Gaza City under Israeli assault as mediators seek truce

Venus L Peñaflor
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Trapped bodies in Gaza City under Israeli assault as mediators seek truce

CAIRO/GAZA. Residents of Gaza City found themselves trapped in their homes and bodies lay uncollected in the streets amidst a fierce Israeli assault on Thursday, even as peace efforts continued in Egypt and Qatar.

The heavy assault could jeopardize efforts to end the conflict, according to Hamas. The Palestinian militant group stated that mediators have not provided updates since it made concessions to a U.S.-backed Israeli peace proposal last week.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that the head of Israel’s Shin Bet security agency was en route to Cairo for further ceasefire discussions. Meanwhile, U.S. envoy Brett McGurk met with Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant in Israel.

The latest assault on Gaza City, which residents compare to the most intense battles of the war, has razed much of the city. Gaza City, home to over a quarter of Gaza’s residents before the war, was heavily damaged in late 2023 but saw many Palestinians return to the ruins. Now, they have been ordered to evacuate once more by the Israeli military. However, many residents are determined to stay.

“We will die but not leave to the south. We have tolerated starvation and bombs for nine months and we are ready to die as martyrs here,” said Mohammad Ali, 30, via text message. Ali’s family, which has moved several times within the city, is running out of food, water, and medicine.

“The occupation (Israel) bombs Gaza City as if the war was restarting. We hope there will be a ceasefire soon, but if not, then it is God’s will,” he added.

The Gaza health ministry reported that people were trapped and others killed in their homes in the Tel Al Hawa and Sabra districts, with rescuers unable to reach them. The Civil Emergency Service estimated at least 30 people had been killed in the Tel Al-Hawa and Rimal areas, with bodies remaining in the streets.

On Wednesday, the Israeli army instructed Gaza City residents to use two “safe routes” to head south, but many have refused to leave, using the hashtag “We are not leaving” on social media.

Return to Shejaia

In the Shejaia suburb east of Gaza City, residents returned to a scene of devastation after Israeli forces withdrew following a two-week offensive. The main cemetery was bulldozed, and residents navigated rubble-strewn tracks, passing destroyed Israeli armored vehicles.

“We have returned to Shejaia after 15 days. You can see the destruction. They spared nothing, even trees, there was a lot of greenery in this area. What is the guilt of stones and trees? And what is my guilt as a civilian?” resident Hatem Tayeh told Reuters.

“There are bodies of civilian people. What is the guilt of the civilian? Who are you fighting?” he added.

Israel launched its assault on the Gaza Strip last year after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and capturing over 250 hostages, according to Israeli reports. Since then, Israel’s offensive has resulted in over 38,000 deaths, according to medical authorities in Gaza.

Ongoing Conflict in Rafah

In Rafah, near the Egyptian border, tanks have been operating in most of the city since May. Residents reported that the army continued demolishing houses amid fighting with Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and other factions. Palestinian health officials stated that four people, including a child, were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Tel Al-Sultan, western Rafah.

The Israeli military reported intercepting around five rockets fired from the Rafah area on Thursday.

Negotiations in Qatar and Egypt followed significant concessions from Hamas, which accepted a truce could begin and some hostages be released without Israel ending the war first. However, Hamas accused Israel of “stalling to buy time to foil this round of negotiations.”

Netanyahu, facing opposition within his right-wing cabinet to any deal that halts the war without defeating Hamas, insists that any agreement must allow Israel to resume fighting until all its objectives are met.

Israel’s defense ministry stated that Gallant and U.S. envoy McGurk discussed the progress of an agreement for the release of hostages, emphasizing the need for security measures to prevent weapons smuggling into Gaza.

Movie Review: Scarlett Johansson shines in ‘Fly Me to the Moon’

Paraluman P. Funtanilla
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Movie Review: Scarlett Johansson shines in ‘Fly Me to the Moon’

“Fly Me to the Moon” exceeds expectations.

This isn’t a critique of the marketing campaign for this space race rom-com, featuring a straight-laced NASA man and a Madison Avenue marketing savant brought in to sell the mission to the moon. It’s more a comment on the current state of theatrical moviegoing.

Films like this, with bona fide movie stars Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, a slick, glossy look, an original concept, and a sparkling title, are rare at local cinemas. We’ve been conditioned to assume such films are either high-budget streamer products or fake, like movies-within-a-movie that are mostly there for laughs but also somewhat plausible.

Both assumptions hold some truth, but the former is essentially correct: This is an Apple production that, like “Napoleon” and “Killers of the Flower Moon,” will debut in theaters first, on Friday, through a traditional studio (Sony’s Columbia Pictures). It’s not merely a gesture to theaters either — its streaming date is yet to be announced.

Directed by television veteran Greg Berlanti, whose films include “Love, Simon” and “Life as We Know It,” the film takes a stylistic and tonal page from Peyton Reed’s “Down with Love,” the 1960s via 2003 Rock Hudson/Doris Day pastiche starring Renée Zellweger and Ewan McGregor. The script, by Rose Gilroy with a story by Bill Kirstein and Keenan Flynn, is lighthearted and breezy with a pleasing screwball energy, giving Johansson the chance to use her full star power as the shrewd, self-made Kelly Jones. She’s a kind of female Don Draper minus the melancholy and dalliances but with some secret baggage and the ability to charm and persuade just about anyone.

If you make it past the opening montage, a cringey history lesson that has all the depth and nuance of a half-page, single-space elementary school report on the space race, you’re in for a mostly pleasant, if meandering, ride courtesy of Johansson, who produced, Tatum, and a talented roster of supporting actors (Woody Harrelson, Ray Romano, Jim Rash). Tatum might be a little miscast as the NASA launch director (and Korean War vet) Cole Davis. Though he is a good match for Johansson and the array of knit sweaters he sports throughout, his portrayal makes Cole too instantly likable for there to be any sort of dramatic stakes or tension. Whether this was a script-level miscalculation, a directorial choice, or a casting issue is hard to say. But there is no will-they-won’t-they, only when-will-they, which is not compelling storytelling when your runtime stretches over two hours.

This movie is in no rush to reach its destination. The main selling point of the trailer, that Kelly has been hired to stage a fake moon landing in case anything goes wrong with Apollo 11, isn’t even introduced until deep into the film. It’s not the main point of the story at all, just an aspect of it, which is a little disorienting during a first-time viewing. Rash, as a diva director-for-hire for this top-secret film project, makes these scenes very funny (although the recurring Kubrick jokes fall flat). Most attempts to reference the era beyond the great costuming and production design are quite superficial – it’s a kind of rose-colored-glasses version of the late 1960s in which racism and homophobia are practically nonexistent. Misogyny and former President Richard Nixon are punchlines and tolerable nuisances.

Another misstep was spending too much time with the Apollo 11 astronauts, down to the obligatory launch – a sequence that we’ve seen so many times and so much more effectively that there is little to be gained in clumsily shoehorning it into this kind of film. It’s just an expensive distraction, grasping at grandeur that it didn’t really need.

“Fly Me to the Moon” is at its best when it doesn’t take itself too seriously. The most worthwhile concept it sells is the idea of Johansson and Tatum (which, by the way, is a great reminder to rewatch “Hail, Caesar!”) as a modern Day and Hudson. They have the charm; they just need material that does it justice.

“Fly Me to the Moon,” an Apple Original Films/Columbia Pictures release in theaters Friday, is rated PG-13 for “some strong language, smoking.” Running time: 132 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.
“ Fly Me to the Moon ” is better than it looks.

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