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MANILA: The Philippine government on Monday warned the press against plotting to “destroy” President Rodrigo Duterte's government, as his spokesman accused journalists of spreading fake news. The warning followed recent local news reports alleging the Duterte family's involvement in illegal drugs and raising questions about a large increase in his wealth. “They are all there doing their thing, trying to destroy this government by spreading false news and planting intrigues against the government,” Duterte spokesman Salvador Panelo told a news conference. He released a graphic which he said showed how a video of a hooded man alleging the Duterte family's role in the narcotics trade was shared

Iran's supreme leader has appointed General Hossein Salami to head the country's Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), promoting him to the rank of major general, the semi-official Tasnim news agency has reported. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made the announcement in a decree on Sunday, saying the decision to name IRGC chief was made in view of Salami's work ethic and experience. Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif congratulated Salami following his promotion, wishing him "success and great achievement in this great position". Meanwhile, Salami's predecessor, Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari, was named head of Hazrat Baqiatollah al-Azam Cultural and Social Headquarters. No reason

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda Dense, lush and otherworldly, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is one of the last redoubts of the mountain gorilla. Over 400 call this UNESCO-protected national park home, with the chance for visitors to trek to and meet habituated groups. Its biodiversity extends far beyond its most famous inhabitants, however; 348 bird species and 220 butterfly species can be found within its 331-square-kilometer expanse. Samburu, Kenya Thanks to its relative inaccessibility, Samburu, in the heart of Kenya, is a haven for some of Africa's most beguiling wildlife. The grassland and acacia-dotted landscapes of its national reserve are home to the endangered reticulated giraffe and

Sri Lanka's Easter Sunday turned into a scene of death and destruction. Churches and luxury hotels were targeted in at least eight coordinated blasts. Hundreds of people were killed, many as they attended Christian services. Police say the first six explosions happened in one wave, two more blasts came hours later. The bombings took place in the heart of the capital, Colombo, and in the cities of Negombo and Batticaloa A curfew was imposed and major social media networks blocked, including Facebook and WhatsApp. The attacks were the worst since the South Asian country's civil war ended in 2009. Sri Lanka's prime minister vowed to take action against those responsible. What does it mean for Sri

Queen Elizabeth II is celebrating her 93rd birthday, which this year coincides with Easter Sunday. The queen is marking Easter by attending a service with other senior royals at St. George's Chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle, west of London. She was joined by Prince William and his wife Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince Harry, whose wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, is expecting their first child in the coming weeks and did not attend. Harry and Meghan did post a birthday greeting for the queen on their Instagram page: “Happy Birthday Your Majesty, Ma'am, Granny. Wishing you the most wonderful day! Harry & Meghan.” The queen's birthday is marked this year by an unusual sunny

The Trump administration on Monday told five countries - Japan, South Korea, Turkey, China and India - that they will no longer be exempt from US sanctions if they continue to import oil from Iran after their waivers end on May 2. "We're going to zero. We're going to zero across the board," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters after the White House made the announcement in a statement. "There are no (oil) waivers that extend beyond that period, full stop," he said, adding that there will be no grace period for those economies to comply.  The United States, which has engaged in a maximum pressure campaign against Tehran since Donald Trump came to office, had been giving the countries

Five people were killed when at least two buildings collapsed near Manila after a powerful earthquake set skyscrapers swaying and drove terrified locals into the street. Three bodies have been pulled out of a four-story building in the town of Porac, while a woman and her grandchild were crushed to death in the town of Lubao, Lilia Pineda, governor of Pampanga province told ABS-CBN television. A strong quake with a magnitude of 6.3 struck the region at 5:11 pm local time, according to the US Geological Survey. The quake that rumbled across the northern Philippines caused skyscrapers to sway, as they are designed to do, in Manila.