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DILG, PNP preparing for Teves return
Both the Department of Justice and the Philippine National Police are making preparations to secure the detention of expelled Negros Oriental congressman Arnolfo Teves Jr. once he arrives from East Timor where he was arrested on Thursday after months in hiding......»»
Australia, Britain Criticize China for Actions in Hong Kong
SYDNEY - Australia and Britain on Friday criticized China for its actions in Hong Kong and the South China Sea and its support of Russia, after a meeting in which London and Canberra deepened their security ties.The two countries called out 'recent unsafe and destabilizing behavior by China's vessels against Philippine vessels and crew near Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea,' in a statement that contain.....»»
GCash sets sights on further international expansion
With GCash Overseas, Filipinos in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Germany, Qatar, Kuwait, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia can now download and use the GCash app, whether they have Philippine SIMs or local mobile phone numbers in the countries or territories where they live......»»
Elijah Woods on first-ever Asia tour, ‘loving’ Filipino fans
Canadian singer-songwriter and producer Elijah Woods (stylized as elijah woods) is bringing to Asia his ilu 24/7, 365 tour. The series of shows will commence on May 13 in Singapore and travel through Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Manila, Tokyo and Taipei......»»
Hong Kong, Philippines work to enhance relations
Filipinos are slowly beginning to travel back to Hong Kong following continued efforts by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office to woo tourists from the Philippines, as well as renew and improve trade and economic ties between the two nations following the COVID-19 pandemic......»»
Scores killed in Gaza strikes as new aid convoy arrives
Scores of Palestinians were killed in central Gaza on Sunday after Israel stepped up its strikes on the war-torn enclave and another convoy of 17 aid trucks arrived as the Hamas-run territory faces "catastrophic" shortages. With the violence raging unchecked, Iran said the region could spiral "out of control". Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a stark warning to Lebanon's Hezbollah, saying getting involved would be "the mistake of its life". Washington warned any actors looking to inflame the conflict that it would not hesitate to act in the event of any "escalation". Hamas militants in Gaza stormed across the border into Israel on 7 October, launching a raid that killed at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians who were shot, mutilated, or burnt to death on the first day, according to Israeli officials. They also seized more than 200 hostages in the worst-ever attack in Israel's history. Israel has hit back with a relentless bombing campaign that has so far killed more than 4,600 Palestinians, mainly civilians, according to Gaza's health ministry. Officials said the central town of Deir al-Balah had been particularly badly hit overnight from Saturday to Sunday. The ministry said at least 80 people had been killed in the overnight raids on central Gaza, which destroyed more than 30 homes. At the hospital morgue, an AFP journalist saw the bodies of many children on the bloodied floor, where distraught families wept as they identified the victims. Among them was a man clutching his dead toddler and a young boy who pulled back a blanket over his little sister's body. "My cousin was sleeping in his house with his daughter in his arms. He was a man with no record, nothing to do with the resistance," said Wael Wafi, gazing at the body of his cousin, his arm still wrapped around his three-year-old daughter Misk. Also Sunday, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said that 29 of its staff had been killed since the start of the war in a statement on X, formerly Twitter, saying half of them were teachers. On Saturday it had given a toll of 17. The scale of the bombing has left basic systems unable to function. The UN said dozens of unidentified bodies had been buried in a mass grave in Gaza City because cold storage had run out. Meanwhile, an Israeli soldier was killed near the Gaza border by an anti-tank missile fired by militants inside the enclave, the army said. 'Accident' as Israel hits Egypt post Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant warned the war with Hamas could take months. "It will take one month, two months, three months, and at the end, there will be no more Hamas," Gallant said. A second convoy of 17 trucks of aid entered Gaza from Egypt on Sunday following an initial delivery of 20 trucks on Saturday after intensive negotiations and US pressure. Separately, an AFP journalist saw six trucks leaving Rafah after filling up from dwindling fuel stocks held at the crossing as the enclave faces catastrophic shortages after Israel cut off supplies of food, water, fuel, and electricity. It later resumed water supplies to the south on 15 October. Although Egyptian media said another 40 trucks would enter Gaza on Monday, the UN says the enclave needs 100 trucks per day to meet the needs of Gaza's 2.4 million residents. And so far, there have been no deliveries of fuel, with UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini warning Sunday that supplies would run out "in three days". "Without fuel, there will be no water, no functioning hospitals, and... aid will not reach many civilians in desperate need," he said. The Hamas government said 165,000 housing units -- half of those in the entire Gaza Strip -- had been destroyed in the raids. With fears growing that the conflict could spread, Israel on Sunday admitted accidentally hitting an Egyptian border post, apologizing for the incident which Cairo said had left an unspecified number of border guards with "minor injuries". Risk of regional escalation There were fresh exchanges of fire over Israel's northern border with Lebanon as fears grew that Hezbollah, a close ally of Hamas and Iran, could enter the conflict, prompting Israel's Netanyahu to warn it would be "the mistake of its life". "We will strike it with a force it cannot even imagine, and the significance for it and the state of Lebanon will be devastating," he said. Iran also warned about the conflict spreading on Sunday, with top diplomat Hossein Amir-Abdollahian cautioning that if Washington and Israel did not "immediately stop the crime against humanity and genocide in Gaza.. the region will go out of control". But Washington said it wouldn't hesitate to act in the event of any "escalation", just hours after the Pentagon moved to step up military readiness in the region. "If any group or any country is looking to widen this conflict and take advantage of this very unfortunate situation that we see, our advice is: don't," US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said on ABC News. On Sunday, Pope Francis used his weekly Angelus prayer in Rome to plead for an end to the bloodshed. "War is always a defeat, it is a destruction of human fraternity. Brothers, stop!" he said. He later held a 20-minute conversation with US President Joe Biden about "conflict situations in the world and the need to identify paths to peace", the Vatican said. Biden later discussed with war with the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, and Italy, the White House said. The US president also held talks with Netanyahu, said the White House, adding: "The leaders affirmed that there will now be continued flow of this critical assistance into Gaza." In Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron's office announced he would be traveling to Israel on Tuesday for talks with Netanyahu. Protesters marched in several European capitals on Sunday. At least 10,000 people rallied in support of Israel in Berlin as Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed to stamp out a resurgence of anti-Semitic incidents linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict. Thousands gathered in Paris to demand an end to Israel's operation in Gaza, the first pro-Palestinian rally in the French capital that wasn't banned on security grounds. The post Scores killed in Gaza strikes as new aid convoy arrives appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Biden boosts U.S. influence on G20, Vietnam
United States President Joe Biden arrives in India Friday for the Group of 20 summit and proceeds to Vietnam Sunday, both aimed at boosting US influence amid division caused by the war in Ukraine and territorial dispute in the South China Sea. Biden is hoping to seize on the absence of Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit. The US president said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he was showing his country’s commitment to the G20 as a forum that can deliver. White House officials said Biden would in particular stress a plan to increase World Bank and International Monetary Fund lending power for emerging nations by some $200 billion as a better alternative to Beijing’s “coercive” Belt and Road Initiative. But the absence of Xi and Putin underscores the divisions in the G20 and could hamper Biden’s bid to keep the bloc as the leading forum of global economic cooperation. In Hanoi, Biden and ruling Vietnamese Communist party chief Nguyen Phu Trong are expected to sign a major upgrade in ties between the two countries, who have overcome the painful legacy of the Vietnam War to grow close. They are expected to sign off on a “comprehensive strategic partnership,” Hanoi’s highest level of diplomatic ties. Currently, Vietnam only has ties at the same level with Russia, India, South Korea and China. Biden is betting that Vietnam won’t mind being closer to Washington at a time when China’s sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea have fueled tensions with its Southeast Asian neighbors. However, Vietnam won’t be keen to play a role in balancing Washington and Beijing, Nguyen Quoc Cuong, the Vietnamese ambassador to US from 2011 to 2014, said. WITH AFP The post Biden boosts U.S. influence on G20, Vietnam appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Manhattan of Pasay City (2)
Pasay City aspires to be the first eco-sustainable city or “eco-city” of the Philippines, taking utmost consideration of its environment for the sake of its people. Pasay City is a super-active global metropolis, a host for every foreign visitor coming to or leaving the Philippines. Its mayor is the Honorable Imelda “Emi” Calixto-Rubiano. She is that notable lady you will often see among government officials at the airport every time President Bongbong Marcos leaves or arrives from abroad. For every great stride that the national government takes, be it for the economy and infrastructure, the city government complements that with its own. The city government of Pasay always prefers to move along with the national government. When the Duterte administration launched its “Build, Build, Build” program to achieve the golden age of infrastructure in the Philippines, to enhance mobility and connectivity, the city government of Pasay swung along the same spirit by enlarging its limited space by reclaiming a total of 625 hectares, with a blueprint for building two islands and establish connectivity with a bridge between them. And wonder of all wonders, that only the intrepid can do, the city will even erect an iconic Manhattan in Manila Bay! Believe it or not, it’s true. It’s ongoing. And with the advent of digitalization during the administration of President Bongbong Marcos, the pace of construction could go faster. Soon the office of the city auditor of Pasay will be advocating an automated audit system for e-collection and e-payment, and the use of artificial intelligence to process big data to determine patterns and detect fraud. The Office of the City Auditor has been trying its best to make it easy for the Office of the Chief Accountant to cleanse the accounts and eliminate discrepancies and reconcile the accounts with their subsidiaries to reduce to an easy and manageable level the difference between the accounting records and the general service office reports. The Office of the Chief Accountant should start studying how to imbibe the development by CoA of an easy-to-implement and technology-driven government accounting system compliant with the international standard to ensure that all revenues and expenditures are recorded accurately and promptly and enhance auditing guidelines for engagements to cover contracts entered into via social media. Digitalization will enhance transparency, prevent corruption and expedite economic activity. President Bongbong Marcos has launched a continuation of President Duterte’s program of building more, providing sustainable economic activities, and more bridges to establish linkages among islands and our people in the farmlands. Proper utilization and management of resources for the greatest benefit of its constituents are the takeoff point for development planning strategies of the city of Pasay. Since it aspires to be the very first eco-sustainable city or “eco-city” in the Philippines, Pasay City is taking utmost consideration of its environment and the people. The City of Pasay is strictly cognizant of its mission statement: “To serve its constituents and stakeholders with enthusiasm, efficiency, and a firm commitment to adhering to the principles of good governance; and to provide services and infrastructure essential to making the City a progressive, healthy and peaceful place worthy of respect and emulation.” This serves to guide the City in its decision-making and formulating strategies for development. The focus of its mission is ensuring that development ultimately benefits every Pasayeño and the kind of service rendered is one that is characterized by willingness to serve, transparent and responsive to the needs of its constituents. The post Manhattan of Pasay City (2) appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Italian navy ship ‘Francesco Morosini’ arrives in Manila
The Italian Navy Ship (ITS) "Francesco Morosini” arrived in Manila for a five-day port call. The port visit of the 144-meter multipurpose Italian patrol vessel here, from 7 to 11 July, is part of its five-month naval campaign in the Indo-Pacific region. The Italian ship docking here reinforces the cooperation between Italy and the Philippines in order to promote naval diplomacy along with freedom of navigation, respect for the international law of the sea, and a safe and inclusive Indo-Pacific. In an interview on Saturday, Ambassador to the Philippines Marco Clemente also confirmed that the Philippines and Italy will hold a joint military exercise while the Morosini is docked here. “The exercise in the port of Manila will open a lot of opportunity… This presence of the ship Morosini can make a difference for the future of our bilateral relations,” he said. The “Morisini” mission purposes in the Indo-Pacific area are focused on promoting the international image of the Italian Navy and Italy as a whole but the deployment is actually also supporting marine international research, conducted by two Italian researchers of the Italian Superior Institute of Health, aiming to collect biological and physical samples up to 100 meters depth along her cruise in some parts of the Indo-Pacific basins. “Italy is very much interested in the stability of the region. The Indo-Pacific region is crucial not only for the obvious strategic reason that through this area is where the main bulk of the trade goes through,” Clemente said. He added that stability in the region also means “free trade and stability of the economic situation.” The Italian vessel features a peculiar wave-piercing double bow—an engineering solution optimizing the vessel’s performances in terms of hydrodynamics and maximum attainable speed, with a significant reduction in fuel consumption. Entirely built in Italy at Fincantieri’s Integrated Shipyard, the ITS Morosini is named after the Doge of Venice who successfully commanded the Venetian Republic fleet in the XVII century in numerous naval battles against the Ottoman empire. The ship, a multipurpose off-shore patrol vessel, is designed with enhanced “dual use” features to perform both military tasks (including patrol, logistic transport, and surface combat) and civil protection activities (wide range of containerized/palletized first aid delivery, fresh water, and electricity provider, medical facilities, vertical lift transportation, wideband communications and embarked laboratories, sea pollution barrier, and agents deployment, etc. The combination of new technologies and extensive use of the modularity concept make this unit a cutting-edge engineering solution, a real Italian excellence. Rear Admiral Fabio Gregori, chief of staff of the Italian Navy Fleet, said Italy has been sending its naval fleet to different waters as it pushes for naval diplomacy, and “develop ties and strengthening the cooperation and partners in the region.” Gregori said they intend to “routinely deploy” ships in the Indo-Pacific to strengthen their ties with counterparts in this area. “The Philippines is one of the main strategic partners in this area,” he added, noting that the Morosini has also anchored in Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, and South Korea earlier this year. He, likewise, stressed that Italy is also eyeing to sail to India, Bangladesh, and later on, the Middle East. The Morosini measures 143 meters in length, 16.5 meters in beam, and 8.2 meters in draught, with a range of 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 kilometers) at 15 knots (28 kph). The Morosini is expected to perform a joint passing exercise or PASSEX with a Philippine Navy Ship on 11 July, upon leaving the country. The post Italian navy ship ‘Francesco Morosini’ arrives in Manila appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
UN chief arrives in Haiti for ‘solidarity’ visit
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in Haiti on Saturday for a lightning visit aimed at showing "solidarity" with the country's people as it navigates a "tragic cycle" of overlapping security, political and economic woes, his spokesperson said. For months, the world body's leader has raised the alarm bell about the situation in the Western Hemisphere's poorest country, which has been wracked by gang violence, a worsening public health situation, and political instability. Guterres -- making his first visit to Haiti as UN secretary-general -- is expected to meet with Prime Minister Ariel Henry as well as other political leaders and members of civil society, his spokesperson said in announcing his arrival. Guterres will "reiterate the UN's support for Haiti, his strong appeal for the international community to continue to support Haiti and its humanitarian needs, as well as his call for the immediate deployment of an international force to assist the Haitian National Police," his office said. The United Nations and Henry have repeatedly made the case for a multinational force to stabilize Haiti, which has not held national elections since 2016. But nine months after Guterres first asked the Security Council for such a force, no country has been willing to step forward to lead one, fearing high risks and uncertain success. Canada and Brazil have both been heavily involved in discussions and several Caribbean nations have backed a multinational force. President Joe Biden has made clear that the United States, which has a long history of intervention in Haiti, will not lead a force and instead wants to focus on bolstering the fledgling national police. The United Nations has meanwhile been clear about the nightmare suffered by many Haitians on a daily basis -- shootings, kidnappings, and rapes are frequent. 'Never been worse' "Haitians and our team there tell me it's never been worse than it is now," UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Catherine Russell said this week after returning from Port-au-Prince. Russell highlighted "unprecedented hunger and malnutrition, grinding poverty, a crippled economy, resurgence of cholera, and a massive insecurity that creates a deadly downward spiral of violence." Compounding the crises, the flooding and earthquakes which ravage the country "continue to remind us all just how vulnerable Haiti is to climate change and natural disasters," she told a briefing. And then Russell recounted the horrific story of an 11-year-old girl who was kidnapped by five men -- and raped by three of them. "She was eight months pregnant when we spoke and gave birth just a few days later," she said, recalling that armed gangs control more than 60 percent of the capital and large swathes of the countryside. Faced with such violence, residents have occasionally taken matters into their own hands. In April, a group of civilians beat to death several suspected gang members who were in police custody and burned their bodies in the street. And in June, Haiti's minister of planning and external cooperation Ricard Pierre warned of the risk that the country could descend into civil war if an international assistance force is not deployed soon. "The risk of civil war is very real," he said. Some 5,2 million Haitians -- nearly half of the country's population -- need humanitarian assistance. Three million of those in need are children. Guterres is also planning to "underscore the need for a Haitian-led, inclusive political pathway towards elections and the return of constitutional order in Haiti," his spokesperson said. Henry, who was named to his post shortly before the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise, has faced questions about his own legitimacy. Following his stop in Haiti, Guterres will head to Trinidad and Tobago for a summit of the Caribbean Community, or CARICOM. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will also attend that meeting, where he plans to meet Henry. The post UN chief arrives in Haiti for ‘solidarity’ visit appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Cebu City eyes coastal housing
The local government of Cebu City recently kicked off its lots procurement as pre-requisite to establish the South Coastal Urban Development housing project which covers eight barangays. City Planning and Development Office chief Architect Joseph Michael Espina disclosed that the city government has assembled a team of lawyers to settle property concerns. “We will discuss how to proceed, and then we will solve problems along the way,” Espina said. Recently, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. graced and broke ground the SCUD with the Phase 1 to house 8,000 informal settler families and low-wage earners. The SCUD is situated across South Road Properties and has three phases comprising 60 hectares of land area in Barangays Sawang Calero, Duljo-Fatima, Mambaling, Basak San Nicolas, Basak Pardo, Kinasang-an Pardo, Cogon Pardo and Inayawan. “There is a law. You have to pay the owners if they own the property. If they have a title, the government will pay you. There’s a law on that,” Espina said. He added that when the land acquisitions are completed then land development of the area will follow and reiterated that the engineered way of land development will be used and not simply use the direct dumping of filling materials. Espina also said that they are prioritizing the temporary housing as the city government will order from China one boatload of 2,000 pre-fabricated steel units. “When that arrives, they can construct it in three months,” Espina said. The temporary housing will be for ISFs that were affected by the clearing operations on the three-meter easement of waterways while the ISFs await the completion of high-rise buildings under SCUD. The pre-fabricated materials have already walls and other parts ready for construction. The post Cebu City eyes coastal housing appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US defense chief arrives for talks on VFA, West Philippine Sea
The Visiting Forces Agreement and the West Philippine Sea issue are expected to highlight the discussions when visiting US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin meets with his Philippine counterpart and other officials today......»»
Bohol receives over 2,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses
TAGBILARAN CITY- Hope finally arrives in Bohol following the delivery of over 2,000 doses of CoronaVac, Sinovac of China’s COVID-19 vaccine Saturday morning. The 2,860 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are enough for the staff and employees of Governor Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital (GCGMH), said its medical chief, Dr. Mutya Kismet Tirol-Macuno. The biggest government […] The post Bohol receives over 2,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
Navy’s second missile-capable warship arrives from South Korea
The Philippine Navy on Tuesday officially welcomed its second missile-capable frigate, just hours after the new military chief said he would increase the presence of naval assets in the West Philippine Sea......»»
Pentagon chief reaffirms support after latest China aggression in WPS
Austin emphasized US support for the Philippines in defending its sovereign rights and jurisdiction in a phone call with Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro on Wednesday. .....»»
New DCPO chief pledges technology-driven approach
THE new director of the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) underscored the utilization of technology to streamline their operations......»»
Victims of Baltimore bridge collapse include those from Mexico, Guatemala
Maryland [US], March 27 (ANI): Among those reported missing following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore in the US are Mexican nationals, CNN reported, citing Rafael Laveaga, Chief of the Consular Section of Mexico's Embassy in Washington. Laveaga refrained from specifying the exact number of missing Mexican nationals when he addressed reporters near the scene on Tuesday. A reporter asked Laveaga: ".....»»
Paolo Contis happy for It s Showtime, open to guest in new GMA noontime show
Kapuso actor Paolo Contis is glad that ABS-CBN noontime show "It's Showtime" found a new home in GMA. .....»»
Ministry helping improve BARMM’s business climate names 10 new officials
The Bangsamoro chief minister has filled out ten regional positions in one of the ministries under him to boost its operation as requested by business blocs enticing foreign investors to venture into viable businesses in the region......»»
Russian Spy Chief Makes Bizarre Claim of US, UK, and Ukraine Involvement in Moscow Attack
In a recent development, the director of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has made startling accusations against Ukraine, the US, and the UK, claiming they.....»»