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Oyo Abductions: Five suspects deny terrorism charges

Five suspects facing terrorism charges over the May 15 Oyo school kidnappings have been re-arraigned by the DSS. The men are accused of helping orchestrate the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area, as well as the subsequent killing of two hostages.

The defendants, Mahmud Muhammad (aka Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar); Abubakar Abbas (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri); Abdulrazak Umar (aka Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid); Yunusa Musa (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa); and Shamsu Adamu Sani (aka Abu Itisar), were arraigned on a seven-count amended charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/438/2026, filed by the DSS on behalf of the Federal Government.

They however, pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to them by the Registrar of the court.

Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation (DPPF), applied for the immediate trial of the defendants in line with the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.

Azerbaijan Cup final to be held in Ganja for first time

The Azerbaijan Cup final will be held at Ganja City Stadium for the first time.

The decision was made by AFFA President Rovshan Najaf following a proposal by the Professional Football League.

The decisive match of the tournament will take place on May 12 next year.

The Azerbaijan Football Cup is the country’s main annual knockout football competition. It was first introduced in 1936, with its modern format running since 1992.

Organized by the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA), the tournament includes clubs from both the Premier League and lower divisions.

The winner earns a place in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League.

Formed in 1992, the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA) is the governing body of football in Azerbaijan.

The Association is responsible for overseeing all aspects of amateur and professional games in its territory.

It runs numerous competitions, the most famous of which is the Azerbaijan Cup. AFFA is a member of both UEFA and FIFA.

National chess teams enter Olympiad second round

The second-round games of the 46th World Chess Olympiad, being held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, will take place on September 17.

Azerbaijan’s men’s national team will face the Philippines in this round. The team consists of Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Rauf Mamedov, Aydin Suleymanli, Mahammad Muradli and Eltaj Safarli.

The women’s national team will take on Denmark. The Azerbaijani lineup includes Ulviyya Fataliyeva, Gunay Mammadzada, Govhar Beydullayeva, Khanim Balajayeva and Gulnar Mammadova.

In the first round, Azerbaijan’s men’s team defeated Morocco 4-0, while the women’s team beat Guatemala 4-0.

The World Chess Olympiad, held under the Swiss system over 11 rounds, will conclude on September 27.

A total of 1,032 chess players representing 208 teams are taking part in the Olympiad.

30 Ships Deliver Fuel, Food, Others To Lagos Ports

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has announced that 30 ships carrying petroleum products, food items and other cargoes are expected to arrive at the Apapa, Lekki Deep Sea and Tin Can Island ports in Lagos between September 15 and 28.

The authority disclosed this in its Daily Shipping Position released on Tuesday.

According to the NPA, 10 of the expected vessels will arrive with containers carrying various goods, while five others will transport aviation fuel.

The remaining 15 vessels are expected to deliver crude oil, diesel, general cargo, bulk gypsum, fresh fish and bulk wheat.

The expected arrivals are coming amid ongoing vessel activities at the three ports, with 12 ships and tanker vessels already at the ports awaiting berthing.

The NPA said the vessels waiting to berth are expected to discharge bulk urea, petrol, diesel, crude oil and bulk salt.

Meanwhile, 21 ships are currently discharging various cargoes at the three ports, according to the authority.

The cargoes being discharged include containers, fresh fish, general cargo, bulk pallets, bulk urea, bulk sugar, bulk salt, aviation fuel and petrol.

The latest shipping position highlights continued vessel movements and cargo-handling activities at Lagos ports, which remain important gateways for the importation of petroleum products, food commodities and other goods into the country.

JV Ejercito admits political clan helped, but backs anti-dynasty bill

Sen. JV Ejercito on Thursday renewed his call for an anti-political dynasty law despite being part of a political dynasty himself.

His statement came a day after the Supreme Court directed Congress to enact a law banning political dynasties under the 1987 Constitution.

‘I benefited from it when I first entered politics, but I have always advocated against political dynasties,’ Ejercito told the media.

He recalled that even when he was in the House of Representatives, he supported anti-political dynasty bills.

‘I believe that no one should monopolize power. Power should not be monopolized, whether economic or political,’ he said.

‘Also, there are almost 116 million Filipinos. Maybe out of those 116 [million], many want to serve. They just don’t have the opportunity because they don’t have a name, no name recall, no machinery, no funds. So that’s my opinion. I would like to give a chance to others,’ he added.

In the 20th Congress, Ejercito also filed a bill against political dynasties. Its contents were consolidated with seven other similar bills under Senate Bill No. 1905, sponsored by then-Senate electoral panel chairperson Sen. Risa Hontiveros.

Presently, SB No. 1905, though already presented in plenary in late February 2026, has yet to move forward following changes in Senate leadership.

With Hontiveros no longer the chairperson of the Senate electoral panel, she may no longer sponsor the measure without permission from its new head, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, who is currently under preventive suspension. He is also Ejercito’s brother.

The panel’s vice chair, Sen. Camille Villar, has yet to comment.

Singapore’s Changi Airports International interested in Georgia’s planned Vaziani airport

Singapore-based Changi Airports International (CAI) has expressed interest in operating and investing in Georgia’s planned new international airport in Vaziani, following meetings between the company’s management and Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Economy Minister Mariam Kvrivishvili.

Kvrivishvili said CAI has formally confirmed its interest in both operating the airport and investing in the country’s largest infrastructure project.

The new airport is planned at the site of the former Vaziani military airfield, around 20-25 kilometers from Tbilisi. According to the government’s plans, the airport will have the capacity to handle up to 20 million passengers a year and is expected to reach full operation by the end of 2031.

The estimated cost of the project is around $1.3 billion.

Changi Airports International, part of Singapore’s Changi Airport Group, specializes in airport investment, management and consulting. The company operates and advises on airport and aviation hub projects in several countries.

It should be noted that the Vaziani airport does not yet exist and remains a planned project. Kobakhidze first announced plans to build a new international airport there on April 8, 2024.

Lotto results: No jackpot winners in Sept. 17 draws

No bettor won the jackpots in the SuperLotto 6/49 and Lotto 6/42 draws on Thursday, Sept. 17, according to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

The SuperLotto 6/49 winning combination was 23-31-25-15-16-36 for a jackpot of ?25.22 million. No ticket matched all six numbers.

For Lotto 6/42, the winning combination was 08-31-32-19-24-06 for a jackpot of ?45.83 million. No bettor won the jackpot.

Minor games

6D Lotto: 7-2-5-1-1-1 – ?980,735; 3 winners

3D Lotto 2 p.m.: 2-9-2 – ?4,500; 152 winners

3D Lotto 5 p.m.: 6-2-2 – ?4,500; 215 winners

3D Lotto 9 p.m.: 4-7-8 – ?4,500; 452 winners

2D Lotto 2 p.m.: 13-26 – ?4,000; 336 winners

2D Lotto 5 p.m.: 13-03 – ?4,000; 135 winners

2D Lotto 9 p.m.: 23-12 – ?4,000; 454 winners

Draw schedule

SuperLotto 6/49 draws are held every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, while Lotto 6/42 draws take place every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

DOE seeks rules on boarding EVs on ships after MV June Aster tragedy

Following the fire on a Palawan ferry that carried an electric vehicle (EV), the Department of Energy (DOE) has sought new guidelines on boarding EVs and hybrids onto vessels from the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina).

On Wednesday last week (September 9), M/V June Aster caught fire at sea while on its way to Coron, Palawan, from Batangas.

The tragedy killed at least 77 persons.

Initial investigation indicated that it might have been the EV on board that caused the fire and explosion.

‘The guidelines of Marina don’t have specific rules on EVs,’ DOE Energy Utilization Management Bureau Director Patrick Aquino told the Senate finance subcommittee on Thursday.

‘That’s why we’re coordinating with them to come out with new guidelines to address this concern,’ Aquino said.

Following the disaster, major ferry company Montenegro Shipping Lines, Inc. banned EVs and hybrid EVs from boarding its ships.

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian pointed out that should other shipping lines follow suit, it will discourage Filipinos in remote parts of the country from purchasing EVs, despite soaring gas prices.

Aquino then noted that the investigation of the MV June Aster has not yet fully ruled out that internal combustion engines might have caused the fire.

DOF seeks to triple sugary drinks tax

The Department of Finance (DOF) is pushing to raise taxes on sugary drinks to at least three times their current rate to discourage consumption.

The finance department said Thursday, September 17, that its goal in imposing higher taxes on sweetened drinks is not only to generate revenue, but also to address and curb lifestyle diseases like diabetes, obesity and kidney issues among Filipinos.

‘Gusto natin bawasan o i-discourage ang pagkonsumo ng mga sweetened beverages kasi nakita natin, at sabi din ng mga eksperto din sa health sector, na talagang nagdudulot ito ng mga sakit,’ DOF Assistance Secretary for Revenue Operations Group Euvimil Nina Asuncion told dzMM in an interview.

(We want to reduce or discourage the consumption of sweetened beverages because we saw, and even the experts in the health sector said, that this causes diseases.)

Based on the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) report released June 30, diabetes ranked fifth among the leading causes of death in the Philippines in 2026, with 2,795 recorded deaths as of February.

Meanwhile, the National Nutrition Council said on September 10 that 43% of Filipino adults are obese.

The government currently imposes a P6 to P12 per liter excise tax on pre-packed sweetened drinks under Republic Act No. 10963, or the Philippine TRAIN Law.

The DOF, however, proposed to raise these taxes from P6 to P20 per liter for non-caloric and caloric beverages, and from P12 to P40 for drinks using fructose corn syrup.

Should the finance department’s proposal be approved, retail prices of carbonated soft drinks, pre-packed teas and other ready-to-drink juices that are widely available in the market could also increase.

But, unlike previous measures, the DOF is also currently proposing that these excise taxes on sugary drinks be adjusted by around 5% every year.

‘Gusto talaga natin na imbes na magkonsumo sila ng softdrinks…iinom sila ng healthier na alternative,’ Asuncion said.

(We want them to consume healthier alternatives instead of consuming softdrinks.)

The collected taxes from these products are intended to support Universal Health Care, which enrolls all Filipinos into the country’s national health insurance, according to Asuncion.

Environment groups decry police ‘harassment’ over Nueva Vizcaya mining

Environmental groups on Thursday condemned the Philippine National Police (PNP) for allegedly harassing organizers barricading in Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya to stave off a mining venture there.

The groups, spearheaded by the Kasibu Intertribal Response for Ecological Development (Kired), took their grievances to a protest staged outside the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

‘Kami ay hina-harass ng mga kapulisan doon. Kinakasuhan kami ng mga kasong grave coercion, mga cyber libel cases dahil handa kami ipagtanggol ang aming lugar,’ Kired organizer Leijin Dugay said in an interview on the sidelines of the protest.

(We’ve been harassed by the police there. They charge with grave coercion and cyber libel just because we’re prepared to defend our land.)

Dugay was among three indigenous people (IP) leaders who had been arrested during negotiations between the residents and the police last August 19.

She was then released on bail.

She pointed out that, nine days after her arrest, 11 more of their fellow residents had been arrested for the same offenses.

‘Sobrang mahalaga yung aming lupa doon kasi doon talaga kami kumukuha ng aming kabuhayan. Agricultural saka watershed area yung sa amin na hindi dapat pwedeng minahin ng dambuhalang pagmimina,’ Dugay explained.

(Our land is very important because that’s where we get our livelihood. Our land is an agricultural and watershed area that should not be subjected to widespread mining.)

For his part, also at the protest, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan secretary-general Mong Palatino decried the alleged harassment by police.

‘Nakaka-alarma itong trend,’ he maintained.

(This trend is alarming.)

‘Itong mga nakaraang buwan, ang pulis, agresibo, marahas sa dispersal ng mga protesta. Binubuwag ang mga barikada sa mga pamayanan na may pagtutol sa pagmimina at nagsasampan ang mga harassment cases sa mga aktibista,’ he added.

(These past few months, the police have been aggressive and violent in their dispersal of protesters. They take down the barricades in communities defending themselves against mining and they file harassment cases against activists.)

Palatino particularly cited the arrest of five paralegals assisting rallyists at a protest decrying Pax Silica outside a Taguig City hotel, where President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had attended a forum to court foreign investors earlier this September.

Pax Silica is a United States-led initiative that seeks to strengthen supply chains for critical minerals and artificial intelligence infrastructure through measures including the establishment of a hub in Central Luzon.

In a briefing in Camp Crame later on Thursday, PNP public information chief Col. Allen Rae Co defended the police’s actions in Nueva Vizcaya.

‘We can sympathize. We understand yung kanilang opinyon regarding the mining activity ongoing there. But, they cannot prevent yung mining companies from going in,’ Co explained.

(We can sympathize. We understand their opinion regarding the mining activity ongoing there. But, they cannot prevent the mining company from going in.)

‘Hindi tayo nanghihimasok. Hindi tayo nagbibigay ng opinyon as to whether the mining being done there is right for the environment. Ang alam lang natin is they are allowed to do that,’ he asserted.

(We’re not entrenching their rights. We’re not giving an opinion as to whether the mining being done there is right for the environment. All we know is the mining company is allowed to do that.)

‘Ang mga nagpoprotesta, they are allowed to express their views. Ito ay dapat i-express sa proper forum, hindi dapat sa kalsada na mangha-harass sila ng empleyado sa legal na gawain,’ he added.

(The protesters are allowed to express their views. But, this should be expressed at the proper forum, not on the streets where they harass employees with legal work.)