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Philippines, EU resume free trade agreement talks
MANILA, March 19 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines and the European Union (EU) resumed negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) on Monday, the Philippines' Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) announced Tuesday. "Strengthening economic engagement with the EU remains a priority for the Philippines," said Philippine Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo Pascual, adding that the Philippines aims for an ambitious, b.....»»
US warns China against armed attack on Philippines
Washington, DC [US], March 19 (ANI): US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned China on Tuesday, stating that any "armed" attack on Philippine vessels in the South China Sea would activate a mutual self-defence agreement between Washington and Manila, underscoring the escalating tensions in the region that could potentially embroil the United States in conflict with Beijing, as reported by The New York Times. Despite th.....»»
US reaffirms support for Philippines sovereignty amid its tensions with China
Washington, DC [US], March 28 (ANI): US Secretary of Defence Llyod Austin has reaffirmed Washington's commitment to Manila in defending its sovereignty while criticising China's "dangerous" water cannon attack at the Philippine supply mission vessel on Saturday. In a telephonic conversation between Austin and his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro, the US Secretary reiterated the US-Philippines Mutual Defence Treaty.....»»
No Pinoy hurt in Baltimore bridge collapse
The Philippine embassy in Washington has not received any report of Filipinos hurt in the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland on Tuesday......»»
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: ".....»»
Eala advances in W75 Croissy-Beaubourg tennis tilt
Filipino tennis ace Alex Eala has gone into the next round of the W75 Croissy-Beaubourg tournament in France after sweeping hometown bet Emeline Dartron, 6-3, 6-4, late Tuesday night (Manila time)......»»
‘Trade with China should continue’
The Philippines should continue to pursue stronger trade ties with China despite rising tensions in the West Philippine Sea, according to the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc. and the Department of Trade and Industry......»»
Indian Coast Guard ship docks at Manila port amid tensions in South China Sea
Manila [Philippines], March 26 (ANI): Amid tensions in the South China Sea, the Indian Coast Guard ship, Samudra Paheredar docked at the Manila Bay in the Philippines as part of a broader initiative aimed at demonstrating ICG Marine Pollution Response capabilities, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in an official release on Tuesday. The ICG ship which arrived at the port on Monday, is on an overseas deployment to ASEAN c.....»»
US, UK accuse China of cyberespionage that hit millions of people
The aim of the global hacking operation was to 'repress critics of the Chinese regime, compromise government institutions, and steal trade secrets,' Deputy US Attorney General Lisa Monaco says.....»»
Resumption of FTA talks seen to spur higher EU investments
The Philippine Economic Zone Authority expects investments from European companies to increase with the resumption of the Philippines – European Union free trade agreement negotiations......»»
The US is cultivating an antagonist to China in Beijing s own backyard
Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the president of the Philippines, is a stark contrast to his predecessor - and besides, Washington has dirt on him The Philippines has been a treaty ally of the United States since 1951, almost as long as it's been an independent country. Before that, it was a colony of the US, which had won it as.....»»
Philippines-European Union FTA talks resume in H2
The Philippines and the European Union (EU) are looking to resume formal negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) in the early part of the second half of the year, according to the Department of Trade and Industry......»»
Lady Spikers begin push for top spot
Defending champion La Salle, after a slight stumble in the first round, wants some serious business to regain its rightful place on top when it begins its crucial second-round campaign in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum......»»
Biden to Host Japan PM Kishida, Philippines President Marcos
WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden will host Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for a White House summit next month amid growing concerns about North Korea's nuclear program, provocative Chinese action in the South China Sea and differences over a Japanese company's plan to buy an iconic American steel company.White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in a sta.....»»
Biden to host trilateral summit with Japan, Philippines on April 11
Washington, DC [US], March 19 (ANI): US President Joe Biden will host a three-way summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos in Washington on April 11, as announced by the White House, as reported by Kyodo News. This historic summit, the first of its kind involving the United States, Japan, and the Philippines, aims to bolster defence cooperation in response to China's asse.....»»
China, Not Russia, Still Tops List of Threats to US
WASHINGTON - Russia's war in Ukraine - portrayed by top U.S. officials as posing a danger to the United States itself - still trails China when it comes to long-term threats to America's security, according to a top Pentagon official.The warning from Ely Ratner, the Defense Department's assistant secretary for Indo-Pacific security affairs, comes in testimony prepared for a hearing Wednesday by the House Armed S.....»»
US Officials Warn of New Axis of Evil With China at the Fore
WASHINGTON - U.S. military and defense officials are increasingly concerned that as China and Russia forge ever stronger ties, they might attempt to challenge Western unity and eventually alter the balance of power on the world stage.The commander of U.S. forces in the Indo-Pacific told lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee that the evolving relationship between Beijing and Moscow is a "big portion" of.....»»
PCG’s problematic dualism
There is a world of difference between the roles of a civilian agency and those of a military command. No civilian agency or military command should be doing the role of the other, lest they overlap, conflict, or render redundant their authority. The role of the Philippine Coast Guard is a good subject for legislative review — whether it fulfills a purely civilian function or a purely military one. The fact that it’s an attached agency of the Department of Transportation as much as an attached service of the Department of National Defense “confers” upon it a dualism that may be at cross purposes. While the PCG can fit either role, it shouldn’t. For in so doing, the line between maritime law enforcement and national defense is blurred. One may be led to think that, perforce, the PCG is unadulteratedly a military organization as it used to be part of the Philippine Navy, a major branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Something explains this duality, but it may require assessment as to whether it must continue to have this dual character. In principle, any individual or unit that performs a task or mandate that essentially belongs solely to the military must forthwith be under a military commander or military organization. Who can even begin to fathom what it means when the Commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard reports directly to the Transportation Secretary in the enforcement of maritime law, but also reports to the Defense Secretary if not the President in wartime? If one should take a cursory look at those who served as commandants of the PCG since its founding in 1967 under different presidents, one would find, viz.: 1) During Rodrigo Duterte’s term, only three served for over a year, while four served for less than a year, and one for only 18 days; 2) Under Benigno Aquino, four barely completed a year, one just a year, and one more than two years; 3) Under Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, three served for barely a year, two served over two years or so; 4) Under Joseph Estrada, one served for two years; 5) In Fidel Ramos’ time, five served for less than a year, one for 32 days, and one for almost three years; 6) Under Corazon Aquino, two served for two years, one for three years, and two for a week or so; 7) Under Ferdinand Marcos Sr., four served for over a year, three served for 3, 4, 5 years, respectively. This tells us that commandants, as presidential appointees, must be the personal choices of the presidents they serve. With a change of the occupant in Malacañang, a change in the leadership of the PCG also takes place, good or bad. It’s said that the PCG’s “transformation into a non-military organization” and its “civilian character” allowed it “to receive offers of vessels, equipment, technology, services, cooperation and other needed assistance from other countries,” that otherwise would not have been feasible were it a military agency. President Fidel Ramos signed Executive Order 475 on 30 March 1998 to separate the PCG from the Philippine Navy, and Executive Order 477 to transfer it from the DND to the DoTC, a month thereafter. Thus, even FM Jr. has been heard saying, “Our friends from other countries will help strengthen the PCG’s capabilities.” Today, the President envisions the PCG as a “central actor” insofar as West Philippine Sea matters are concerned; thus, he ordered several 40-foot long patrol vessels to be built in Cebu to improve the PCG’s capabilities in maritime territorial disputes. In the face of China’s unprecedented coast guard expansion — the largest in the world — “civilianizing” the PCG makes little sense. It’s a Catch-22 on how to “reinvent” the PCG. Military strategists had miserably failed. The post PCG’s problematic dualism appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Second release of Fukushima wastewater next week
Japan is releasing next week the second batch of treated wastewater from a crippled nuclear power plant. Fukushima nuclear power plant operator TEPCO said Thursday the second release to the Pacific Ocean will start on 5 October. “As was the case for the first discharge, we will continue to monitor the tritium levels. We will continue to inform the public in ways that are easy to understand based on scientific evidence,” TEPCO official Akira Ono told reporters Thursday. TEPCO says that the water has been filtered of all radioactive elements except tritium, which is within safe levels. That view is backed by the United Nations atomic agency. Some 1.34 million tons of wastewater accumulated when the plant was disabled by a tsunami in 2011. Water was used to cool the reactor of the plant. The first release of wastewater from 24 August to 11 September, measuring 7,800 tons, angered China. Beijing banned all Japanese seafood imports despite assurance by Tokyo that the discharge poses no risk to marine food. China has accused Japan of using the ocean like a “sewer.” Ironically, Chinese boats are reportedly continuing to catch fish off Japan in the same areas that Japanese vessels operate. Rahm Emanuel, the United States ambassador to Japan, last week posted photos of what he said were Chinese fishing boats off Japan on 15 September. Russia, whose relations with Japan are also frosty, is reportedly considering following suit on a seafood ban. The Fukushima wastewater releases, which are expected to take decades to complete, aim to make space to eventually begin removing the highly dangerous radioactive fuel and rubble from the wrecked reactors. WITH AFP The post Second release of Fukushima wastewater next week appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Second round of Fukushima wastewater release to start next week
Japan will begin releasing a second batch of wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant from next week, its operator has said, an exercise that angered China and others when it began in August. On 24 August, Japan began discharging into the Pacific some of the 1.34 million tons of wastewater that has collected since a tsunami crippled the facility in 2011. "The inspections following the first release have been completed... The (second) discharge will start on 5 October," TEPCO said on Thursday. China banned all Japanese seafood imports after the first release, which ended on September 11, despite Tokyo's insistence that the operation poses no risk. Russia, whose relations with Japan are also frosty, is reportedly considering following suit on a seafood ban. In the first phase around 7,800 tons of water were released into the Pacific out of a planned total of 1.34 million tons, equivalent to more than 500 Olympic swimming pools. TEPCO says that the water has been filtered of all radioactive elements except tritium, which is within safe levels. That view is backed by the UN atomic agency. China has accused Japan of using the ocean like a "sewer", accusations echoed at the United Nations last week by Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare of the Solomon Islands, who has developed close relations with Beijing. The release, which is expected to take decades to complete, is aimed at making space to eventually begin removing the highly dangerous radioactive fuel and rubble from the wrecked reactors. "As was the case for the first discharge, we will continue to monitor the tritium levels. We will continue to inform the public in ways that are easy to understand based on scientific evidence," TEPCO official Akira Ono told reporters Thursday. Despite China's ban on Japanese seafood imports, Chinese boats are reportedly continuing to catch fish off Japan in the same areas that Japanese vessels operate. Rahm Emanuel, the US ambassador to Japan, last week posted photos of what he said were Chinese fishing boats off Japan on 15 September. "They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Chinese vessels fishing off Japan's coast on September 15th, post China's seafood embargo from the same waters," Emanuel said on social media platform X. The post Second round of Fukushima wastewater release to start next week appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»