International

Filipinos Seeks Freedom, Demand Right To Divorce

Published

3 years ago

May 31, 2023

577 Views

The Philippines is the only place outside the Vatican where divorce is outlawed, as a Philippine mother-of-three, Stella Sibonga is desperate to end a marriage she never wanted. But divorce in the Catholic-majority country is illegal, and a court annulment takes years.

Pro-divorce advocates argue the ban makes it harder for couples to cut ties and remarry, and escape violent spouses.

People wanting to end their marriage can ask a court for an annulment or a declaration that the nuptials were invalid from the start, but the government can appeal against those decisions.

The legal process is slow and expensive — cases can cost as much as $10,000 or more in a country plagued by poverty — with no guarantee of success, and some people seeking a faster result fall for online scams.

“I don’t understand why it has to be this difficult,” said Sibonga, who has spent 11 years trying to get out of a marriage that her parents forced her into after she became pregnant.

Sibonga’s legal battle began in 2012, when she applied to a court to cancel her marriage on the basis of her husband’s alleged “psychological incapacity”, one of the grounds for terminating a matrimony.

After five years and $3,500 in legal fees , a judge finally agreed. The former domestic worker’s relief was, however, short-lived.

The Office of the Solicitor General, which as the government’s legal representative is tasked with protecting the institution of marriage, successfully appealed the decision in 2019.

Sibonga said she requested the Court of Appeals to reverse its ruling, but is still waiting for an answer.

“Why are we, the ones who experienced suffering, abandonment and abuse, being punished by the law?” said Sibonga, 45, who lives near Manila.

“All we want is to be free.”

International

Five killed as Amazon cargo plane crashes at Miami airport

The flight also hit several vehicles on the ground.

Published

26 minutes ago

September 8, 2026

OCHEFA

7 Views

Video footage from Miami shows an Amazon Air cargo plane overshoot the runway while attempting to land at the city’s international airport, killing five people and seriously injuring five more.

The Boeing 767-300 cargo aircraft crashed just before 14:00 local time (19:00 GMT) after departing from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The flight also hit several vehicles on the ground.

BBC

International

Trump sends envoys to Russia, Ukraine with new peace plan

Published

3 days ago

September 5, 2026

Charles Flames

37 Views

US President Donald Trump has dispatched special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Moscow and Kyiv this weekend with a new proposal aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war.

Trump announced the mission on Friday, describing Witkoff and Kushner as “two great negotiators” who are carrying “a proposal to end the war.” He said there “may be a good chance” of progress and added that the United States has “an idea for peace,” without confirming whether the plan involves territorial concessions.

According to reports, the envoys were expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday before travelling to Kyiv to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday. A senior Ukrainian official confirmed the Kyiv leg of the trip. Russian state media reported that Witkoff and Kushner arrived in Moscow on Saturday.

The visit marks the first time the two envoys will travel to war-torn Kyiv since Trump returned to office. Previous diplomatic efforts involving the pair had focused more heavily on contacts with Moscow.

Zelensky said Ukrainian forces would refrain from airstrikes on Russia while the envoys were in the country and called on Moscow to reciprocate by pausing attacks on Ukraine. The mission represents Washington’s latest attempt to break the long-running diplomatic stalemate in the conflict that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

International

Uber introduces robotaxi services in London after exiting Nigeria

A licensed operator will remain inside the vehicle initially to monitor the journey. Fully driverless operations are expected in the future, subject to regulatory approval.

Published

5 days ago

September 3, 2026

OCHEFA

46 Views

Ride-haling company, Uber, in partnership with British Artificial Intelligence company Wayve, has unveiled an autonomous rides in London, marking a new step in the company’s expansion of robotaxi services.

Reuters reported that the move comes few hours after Uber exited Nigeria, where the company had operated its ride-hailing service for over 12 years.

According to Reuters report on Thursday, London is now the second city in Europe where Uber offers autonomous rides, after first it launched it robotaxi service in Zagreb.

At the initial stage, fewer than 20 Wayve-powered Ford Mustang Mach-E vehicles will be available.

Passengers requesting UberX, Uber Comfort or Uber Electric could be matched with one of the autonomous vehicles at no additional cost.

A licensed operator will remain inside the vehicle initially to monitor the journey. Fully driverless operations are expected in the future, subject to regulatory approval.

Uber’s Global Head of Autonomous Mobility, Sarfraz Maredia, said the launch would help build public and government confidence in the technology.

“This will build credibility with consumers as well as with the government,” Maredia said.