KAKAMMPI News

The nine Filipino fishermen who had been incarcerated for nine months for illegal entry into Eritrean waters in North Africa arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Thursday. GMA News' Ariel Fernandez reported that Eritrean Coast Guard arrested the Filipinos who worked as fishermen for a Saudi Arabian company. They arrived at the NAIA Terminal 1 on a Turkish airline, the report said. Mang Leloy Medalla, one of the nine, said their fishing boat strayed into Eritrean territory and the Eritrean Coast Guard arrested them. He said it took them nine months in jail before they were freed.  —LBG/GMA News

A Filipina babysitter has been tagged as prime suspect in the mysterious death of a two-year-old girl whose skull was found fractured in New Zealand four years ago, reports said. A  report on Stuff  said Karen De Luna was named by authorities as the main suspect in the death of Bea Deleon, the child of two Filipino dairy farmers who paid De Luna to look after their child in Southland in 2012. A  separate report on NZ Herald  said De Luna was interviewed by the police shortly after Deleon's death but was allowed to return to the Philippines with her husband months later. The reports said De Luna was taking care of Deleon when the child experienced a seizure. She was rushed to Invercargill Hospital where she died days later when her life support was switched off. Police initially stated that De Luna died due to a "non-accidental head injury" and said the circumstances behind her death were suspicious but would not elaborate. Acting Detective Senior Sergeant ...

There are no Filipinos on board the EgyptAir flight that was reported missing on Thursday over the Mediterranean Sea, a report by GMA News correspondent James Agustin said on radio dzBB, citing the Philippine Embassy in Cairo. EgyptAir said Flight MS804, which departed Paris and was hearing to Cairo, disappeared soon after entering Egyptian airspace. The aircraft was carrying 59 passengers and 10 crew. According to flightradar24.com, the plane was an Airbus A320 and its last known position was above the Mediterranean Sea.  —KBK, GMA News

The Philippine government is already coordinating with the family of the Filipino teacher who was killed in a rebel ambush in Mozambique for the repatriation of her remains. Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesman Charles Jose did not name the fatality, citing government policy, but said the victim was  a Filipino woman who was on a passenger bus when attacked by Renamo rebels . "We have received a report from our embassy in Pretoria of an overseas Filipino being a fatal casualty in an ambush last Saturday in Mozambique," Jose told GMA News Online on Thursday. Mozambique is currently grappling with a rising insurgency in the country’s central region. Manila’s does not have an embassy in Mozambique, but its diplomatic post in Pretoria, South Africa, is in charge of the neighboring African state. The Philippines, one of the world’s top labor-sending countries, has around 10 million workers scattered across the world, making them vulnerable to labor abuses, physic...

Filipino-Canadian beauty queens showcased their beauty and talents during the Miss Philippines Canada and Miss Teen Philippines Canada 2016 pre-pageant held last week at the Korean Cultural Centre in Toronto.  The event, held May 7, aims to inspire excellence in young ladies of Filipino origin and to promote better understanding of the Filipino Culture, Talents, Arts, Heritage and Charity.    Miss Philippines Canada and Miss Teen Philippines Canada 2016 Pre-Pageant Photo from philippinecanadianfoundation.com Miss Philippines Canada and Miss Teen Philippines Canada 2016 Pre-Pageant Photo from philippinecanadianfoundation.com Miss Philippines Canada and Miss Teen Philippines Canada 2016 Pre-Pageant Photo from philippinecanadianfoundation.com Miss Philippines Canada and Miss Teen Philippines Canada 2016 Pre-Pageant Photo from philippinecanadianfoundation.com Miss Philippines Canada and Miss Teen Philippines Canada 2016 Pre-Pageant Photo from...

The Sultanate of Oman has granted royal pardon to two Filipino workers in commemoration of Isra Wal Mi'raj, a Muslim holiday, the Philippine Embassy in Muscat said. A  statement  from the embassy said His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said pardoned the Filipinos serving their sentences for criminal offenses during the holiday on May 5. Philippine Ambassador Narciso T. Castañeda "expressed his gratitude to the Sultanate for its strong cooperation with the Philippine government on OFW concerns." Castañeda said the pardon is "proof of the continued and untiring efforts of the Embassy in addressing the issues of distress OFWs in Oman." The Embassy is now coordinating with Omani authorities for the early repatriation of the pardoned Filipinos, who it did not identify.  — Rie Takumi /KBK, GMA News

Undocumented children living in California may now avail of health care coverage, as the state's Med-Cal program has been expanded to cover undocumented children from low-income families. Children under 19 whose parents earn $65,505 or less a year are eligible for dental, vision, and mental health benefits, according to a  report on The Desert Sun . Families will pay a premium of $13 per child and up to $39 for all their children, while those with income "on the lower end of the scale" will receive coverage for free. Parents may enroll their children to Medi-Cal by mail, in person, or online. The  Health For All Kids Act  was signed in October 2015. According to Sen. Ricardo Lara, the act will make California the "state with the largest immigrant population to provide health care coverage to low-income undocumented children." A  report on Fox 40  said undocumented adults may receive the same benefit soon if Senate Bill 10 or Senate Bill 1418 passes ...