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PSAC welcomes Blinken’s bid to deepen bilateral ties
Private sector leaders have extended their full support to President Marcos as he deepened ties with the United States during US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s diplomatic visit to the country last March 19......»»
‘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......»»
India, Philippines have seen very perceptible growth in recent times: Jaishankar
Manila [Philippines], March 26 (ANI): Hailing ties between India and the Philippines, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who is on a visit to the Philippines on Tuesday, said that ties between Delhi and Manila have witnessed a very perceptible growth in recent times. Addressing a joint press briefing with Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo, Jaishankar said, "As you all know, India's ties with the.....»»
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.....»»
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......»»
TikTok facing ban in America; penalized $384 million in Europe
The US House of Reps has passed a bill to ban TikTok unless it cuts ties to Communist China. Chinese parent ByteDance must sell TikTok to another nationality in six months or be shut down......»»
Blinken Arrives in South Korea to Attend Democracy Summit
Seoul, South Korea - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived Sunday in South Korea on the first stop of a brief Asia tour also including the Philippines, as Washington moves to reinforce ties with two key regional allies.Blinken landed Sunday afternoon ahead of the third Summit for Democracy on Monday, an initiative of U.S. President Joe Biden, which Seoul is hosting this week.Before arriving in Se.....»»
Blinken underscores ironclad support for the Philippines as it clashes with China in disputed sea
Blinken underscores ironclad support for the Philippines as it clashes with China in disputed sea.....»»
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.....»»
Miss Saigon co-creator praises musical s Philippine connections
Claude-Michel Schönberg is back in the country to witness the comeback of "Miss Saigon," which has close ties to the Philippines because of all the Filipino actors who took part in its numerous stagings, beginning with theater legend Lea Salonga......»»
Elmer Bartolo, Madelyn Carter rule 'Araw' Davao City Marathon 2024
Elmer Bartolo, Madelyn Carter rule 'Araw' Davao City Marathon 2024.....»»
Beyonce goes country, unveils upcoming album Cowboy Carter
Award-winning singer Beyonce revealed her next album is titled "Cowboy Carter" and due to come out on March 29......»»
Carter, Billups among Hall of Fame finalists
Carter, Billups among Hall of Fame finalists.....»»
Backstreet Boys Nick Carter to perform solo in Manila, Cebu for world tour
'90s pop icon Nick Carter of American boy band Backstreet Boys is bringing his solo “Who I Am” Tour to Asia with concerts scheduled in Manila on Friday, May 24 in New Frontier Theater; and in Cebu on Thursday, May 23, in Waterfront Hotel Ballroom......»»
Carter Hart Among Players Urged to Cooperate in Sexual Assault Probe, According to Reports
Flyers Goalie Carter Hart and Four Other Players Facing Sexual Assault Charges Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart, along with four other players from the 2018.....»»
Paris Hilton welcomes second child, daughter named London
Socialite-television personality Paris Hilton and husband Carter Reum have welcomed their second child together, a baby girl named London......»»
Former US first lady Rosalynn Carter dies at 96
Rosalynn Carter, who in recent days had entered hospice care at home in Plains, Georgia, dies with her family by her side, according to a Carter Center statement.....»»
Rangers rookie Evan Carter batting third against Astros in ALCS Game 3 – The Daily Guardian
Texan baseball fans are in for an exciting Game 3 of the AL Championship Series between the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros as Evan.....»»
Taylor Swift, Beyonce reporting jobs trigger controversy
It's rare for a news outlet to dedicate a reporter to one personality, but the publication USA Today has decided Taylor Swift and Beyonce are phenomena requiring their own beats. The recent announcement by Gannett, which owns USA Today, that it was seeking two journalists to cover the biggest names in music as if they were running for president triggered both excitement and eye rolls -- and broader conversation about coverage priorities in an increasingly fragmented and financially precarious news media environment. Gannett, which owns more than 200 daily newspapers, has slashed jobs across local markets over the past several years, laying off six percent of its news division in December. So news of the Tay and Bey positions struck a nerve. "I suppose now is a good time to remind Twitter that I'm the only full-time news reporter left at my newspaper that was sold by Gannett in December," said Brad Vidmar on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Vidmar, 41, works for The Hawk Eye, a newspaper in Burlington, Iowa that GateHouse, an investment firm-run publishing company, purchased in late 2016. In 2019 GateHouse acquired Gannett and took its name, becoming the largest newspaper company in the nation -- and one with a reputation for scooping newspapers before curtailing their resources. Gannett resold The Hawk Eye to a family-owned media company in late 2022 -- its staff a skeleton of what it once was. "They just kept cutting and cutting and cutting staff all across the board," Vidmar told AFP. "What you saw was a situation where there are fewer reporters, reporters forced to take on multiple beats." Losing local content meant filling the paper with wire stories or stories from the broader USA Today network, he explained. Vidmar said Gannett's announcement of the Swift job made "my eyes roll." "They've been downsizing newsrooms for years now, but of course, they need somebody dedicated to covering Taylor Swift," he said. Shaping a generation Gannett said the new positions will be employed by USA Today and The Tennessean, the company's Nashville-based paper. The aim of the new jobs -- which are in addition to three music reporters The Tennessean now employs -- will be to "capture the excitement around Swift's ongoing tour... while also providing thoughtful analysis of her music and career," Gannett said. Another position is aimed at similarly analyzing Beyonce's impact. The NewsGuild's New York branch was skeptical, writing on X: "Gannett's strategy to be profitable again: 1) Lay off hundreds of reporters 2) Destroy local news coverage 3) Hire a Taylor Swift reporter." Lark-Marie Anton, Gannett's chief communications officer, said in a statement to AFP that "these roles do not come at the expense of other jobs," noting that in Gannett's bid to "grow our audience," the company has hired 225 journalists since March and has more than 100 open roles. "Taylor Swift and Beyonce Knowles-Carter are artists and businesswomen. Their work has tremendous economic impact and societal significance influencing multiple industries and our culture -- they are shaping a generation," Anton said. Under pressure Robert Thompson, a media scholar at Syracuse University, said his initial reaction to the new jobs was questioning whether "this is a joke." But he said after more reflection "I think it would be silly to categorically dismiss this... There are so few things that everybody really kind of knows whether they're fans or not, and Beyonce and Taylor Swift are some of the very rare ones." The jobs have the potential to allow for "really insightful ways to tell the story of 21st-century America through the lens of its most popular personages," he said. On the other hand, Thompson acknowledged that the negative reaction to the new jobs in light of dwindling local news coverage is reasonable. "If you were to get a bunch of people together and say, 'We've got X number of dollars, how should they be spent?' Most of them would probably not say the Taylor Swift beat," he said. "But that doesn't mean that separate from that context there can't be some really good things to come of it." If performed correctly, the new jobs are not necessarily the "dream" careers some headlines have touted them as he said. The fan bases for both Swift and Beyonce are notoriously defensive -- music critics who make even the slightest negative comment about their idols can be doxxed or receive death threats. Along with the "organized wrath" of Swifties and the Beyhive, the worlds these artists have curated are famously guarded. Plus, Thompson noted, "The eyes of the profession are going to be on these poor folks when they finally get hired." "That first piece that they file -- it better be really good." The post Taylor Swift, Beyonce reporting jobs trigger controversy appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Dangerous escalation: U.S. troops in Hormuz
US President Joe Biden sent 3,000 soldiers to the Red Sea last 6 August in what TV Vantage News viewed as a step towards responding to “Iranian aggression.” Washington justified the move by saying Iran had captured around 20 tankers in the Gulf in the last 20 years. The US fears that continued “Iranian aggression” will worsen with the currently high global price of oil. The US soldiers are aboard two warships, the USS Bataan, an amphibious assault ship, and the USS Carter Hall, used for docking. The goal is for the rapid deployment of troops on oil tankers which are considered potential targets for capture by the Iranian navy. The idea is for the presence of US soldiers to act as a “deterrence” against an Iranian assault. They are thus being placed up front as possible sacrificial lambs if Iran insists on assaulting the troop-laden tankers. Biden’s move is essentially a psychological tactic. It is similar to terrorists using civilians as shields against an assault. Soldiers have no value or role in a naval confrontation of missiles and drones. In fact, Iran’s undeterred response to the US troop initiative is to arm its warships with the new Abu Mehdi missiles, which have a range of 1,000 kilometers. How can soldiers face missiles? It is like the children sent by the Church as crusaders, in the hope the Muslims would not harm children. They were instantly massacred without hesitation. Who drew first blood? Actually, the original aggressor, the one that drew first blood, was the US, consistently capturing Iranian vessels, prior to the troop initiative, on the pretext of its almighty sanctions. For a long time, Iran had no response for fear of derailing the ongoing nuclear deal negotiations, which was a thorn in its throat, until finally they could not take it anymore. They also must have felt that the negotiations were not going anywhere. Iran’s Defense Minister Nasser Kenaani, in response to the US troop initiative, said the US troops were not necessary and that the region can handle local security by themselves without foreign interference. Indeed, the US move may be seen as an invitation to a confrontation rather than a “deterrence.” The presence of US troops in Hormuz has “massive implications both for the US and for the rest of the world,” according to Vantage. The US, in its military initiative in Hormuz, is actually a multi-tentacled octopus spreading itself too thin across the planet, such as in the protracted war in Ukraine, and in the Taiwan Strait. The US is worried that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are shifting towards relations with China. US carriers are tied down in the West Philippine Sea, especially following the recent Philippine diplomatic protests over China harassing its Coast Guard. The Philippines may invoke mutual defense if push comes to shove. The US maintains 17 military bases throughout the breadth and length of the Philippine archipelago. The Hormuz chokepoint, where about 20 percent of global oil supplies pass through, is a mere 39 kilometers wide between the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. It is considered one of the most dangerous powder kegs in the entire Middle East, capable of evolving into a full-scale war in the blink of an eye. History of US-Iran conflict In 1988, a tanker war ensued wherein the US attacked Iranian oil rigs and sank many Iranian vessels. All these happened after the US lost control of Iranian oil and gas with the fall of the Shah, the greatest single tragedy of the US in its search of gulf energy. Since then, the Pentagon had been planning the future invasion of Iran, staging the most expensive and ambitious $250-million war game called 2002 Millennium Challenge. In 2011, the sinking of the Fifth Fleet in Bahrain was predicted by military experts. Admiral William Fallon, ex-US Centcom Commander and head of the Fifth Fleet, in fear of Iranian underground hypersonic missiles, said, “There will be no attack on Iran on my watch.” He was sacked instantly and replaced by Gen. David Petreaus. Pentagon initiatives are deterred by 1) an Iranian underground air force with hypersonic missiles and killer drones (now being used by Russia in Ukraine); 2) Iran being an ally of Russia (an attack on Iran instantly involves Russia), and 3) a more sober civilian government opposing Pentagon brinkmanship. In his frustration, Biden, worried about his reelection and his dwindling charisma, is sending US troops to Hormuz, a dangerous catalyst to all-out war. The post Dangerous escalation: U.S. troops in Hormuz appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»