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Substantiate your opinion : Students join NCCA workshop on film reading
Students in Zamboanga, however, learned a few tips on how to appreciate or read a film better in a workshop facilitated by the National Commission on Culture and the Arts when the national agency visited the southern city last March 8 in celebration of the National Arts Month every February......»»
On the edge of Gaza, Israeli soldiers brace for battle
After 16 days of mobilising and massing near the Gaza Strip, an eerie calm lingers among Israeli troops as they await the highly anticipated invasion of the Hamas-controlled Palestinian territory. The parched desert floor is now filled with hundreds of armoured vehicles along with columns of tanks primed for the expected onslaught. The mechanised steel is adorned with the blue and white Israeli flags, while soldiers labour away with the everyday maintenance of their vehicles. This entire first line is protected by an immense trench, about two kilometres (more than a mile) long, that was dug by engineering units outfitted with heavy machinery. Like most ground offensives, the combat engineering corps will lead the armoured formations when they enter Gaza -- breaching defences and clearing mines and booby traps to pave the way for ground troops. "Military engineering is essential. Without us, no one enters Gaza," explained a soldier serving with unit 601 of the military engineering corps, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "There are a lot of obstacles. The enemy is spraying rockets and other things that I cannot detail to prevent us from progressing," he added. Jammed Israel's general staff said their troops are "ready" for a ground incursion, after more than two weeks of heavy bombardment of Gaza by Israeli warplanes and artillery that the Hamas-run health ministry says has killed more than 5,700 people. The campaign follows the bloodiest day in Israel's 75-year history, when hundreds of Hamas fighters rampaged through communities across southern Israel, killing around 1,400 people and taking more than 200 others hostage, according to Israeli officials. The decision to launch a ground invasion is now in the hands of the Israeli government, even as pressure builds from its allies over the shape and parameters of the operation. As its forces wait to strike, Israel has jammed signals near the Gaza border, rendering navigation applications like Google Maps and Waze useless throughout the militarised zone that has been sealed off from civilian use. AFP journalists on the ground noted that the attempts to pin their locations with the apps resulted in errant positions, including the airport near Tel Aviv or the Egyptian capital of Cairo. To reach the sprawling Tze'elim base some 20 kilometres from Gaza, a steady traffic jam leads to the entrance of the largest military facility in the country's southern desert. For kilometres (miles), tourist buses, family cars, tanks and army jeeps form an seemingly endless convoy en route to the base. Tze'elim has long been renowned as one of the premier training grounds for urban combat, which includes life-size replicas of Gaza neighbourhoods, including a mosque and minarets. The forces that have spent years honing their skills at the base will likely be instrumental in the expected ground campaign. Israeli forces last entered Gaza on foot in 2014, allowing Hamas ample time since then to fortify and expand their defences, including a maze of tunnels snaking under the city. In Tze'elim, "tens of thousands" are believed to be on hand in addition to the 169,500 Israeli soldiers already serving in active duty, while an estimated 360,000 reserves have been mobilised to assist in the fight. "Many are already on the ground," explains a senior officer on condition of anonymity referring to the Gaza border. The families of conscripts flock to the base to deliver meals or join their relatives on brief stints of leave, as they lounge on camping chairs lining the road to the base. 'We have to face this' At the entrance to the facility, Omer, a 23-year-old artillery reservist, searches through the masses of troops hoping to find a friend who is taking him on 24-hour leave. "I have been cut off from everything for 14 days -- two weeks in the field, shooting day and night," explained the artilleryman, with a dirt-smeared face and an Indian necklace hanging from his neck. Before the war, the gunner was a yoga teacher and had been studying in northern India when he received his marching orders. Since then, Omer has been manning his battery during "impossible" nights filled with the repeated concussion of heavy artillery and clouds of dust kicked up by passing armoured vehicles. "The worst thing is being in this shit and not even having time to grieve. I have two friends from Nova killed and a friend of a friend kidnapped," said the Israeli soldier, referring to the desert rave where around 270 people were gunned down by Hamas. "When all this is over, we will also have to face this," he added. "But right now, we don't have time." The post On the edge of Gaza, Israeli soldiers brace for battle appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Hamas masterminds top Israel’s ‘dead man walking’ hit list
Israel has threatened that every Hamas member faces death when it invades Gaza but two accused masterminds of the October 7 attacks are at the top of its hit list. Military strategist Mohammed Deif and political leader Yahya Sinwar have already spent time in Israeli or Palestinian jails and been the targets of multiple attempts to kill them. The hunt for the two most senior Hamas leaders in the besieged Gaza Strip will be fierce this time. In the war of words leading up to the impending ground offensive, Israel has said that Sinwar is "a dead man walking" after Hamas fighters killed about 1,400 people and abducted more than 200 in the worst attacks suffered by Israel since its creation 75 years ago. Israel has responded with a withering bombardment of Gaza that has killed more than 3,700 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, and with a volley of deadly warnings. "Hamas terrorists have two options: Be killed or surrender unconditionally. There is no third option," Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said. Hamas spokesmen have responded that the Palestinian Islamist group is "not scared". Security sources outside Gaza say Deif and Sinwar are now embedded in a network of tunnels built to resist the bombing campaign launched after the brutal attacks on communities and military bases near the border shook Israel to its core. But the pair have spent years operating in the shadows. Israel has singled out the 61-year-old Sinwar, who was elected Hamas leader in Gaza in 2017 after Ismail Haniyeh became the movement's supreme leader. Military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht called Sinwar the "face of evil" and declared him a "dead man walking". Sinwar was a founding member of Hamas in 1987 during the first Palestinian intifada or uprising and rose through the ranks as a fierce advocate of armed struggle. A graduate of the Islamic University in Gaza, he learned Hebrew during 23 years in Israeli jails. Sinwar was serving four life terms for the killing of two Israeli soldiers when in 2011 he became the most senior of 1,100 Palestinians released in exchange for French-Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. In the shadows Sinwar and Deif were both born in the Khan Yunis refugee camp in Gaza and added to the United States' list of most wanted "international terrorists" in 2015. Hamas is blacklisted as a "terrorist organisation" by the European Union as well as the United States. Much less is known about Deif, Israel's number one public enemy for the past two decades during which he has been accused of organising suicide attacks, kidnappings and other raids. There is only one known full-face photo of the commander of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas's military wing. It is at least 20 years old. The others show him either in a mask or standing in the shadows to avoid identification. An audio message from Deif was transmitted by Hamas media on the morning of the attacks dubbed Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. "The rage of our people and our nation is exploding," he said. Deif was born Mohammed Diab al-Masri in 1965. His assumed name means "Guest" in Arabic and he reportedly never spends more than one night in the same place. Enemies have dubbed him the "cat with nine lives" as he has survived at least six attempts to kill him. Deif's wife and at least one child were killed in an Israeli air strike during the 2014 Gaza war. Deif has reportedly lost one eye and been left disabled by the attempts on his life but it has not weakened his influence. He has been involved with Hamas since the 1980s and was arrested at the start of the second intifada but escaped, or was released, from a Palestinian Authority prison in 2000. He became head of the Hamas military wing in 2002 and has been Israel's bete noire ever since. Israel has sent repeated warnings to the Hamas leadership since October 7. "Every member of Hamas is a dead man," said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But experts say that eliminating Sinwar and Deif would severely weaken but not crush Hamas, which is Israel's declared aim. "Sinwar and Deif are clearly first priority leadership, the loss of which would damage Hamas, but one presumes that the group has contingencies about their loss," said H.A. Hellyer, an international security specialist at the Royal United Services Institute in London. The post Hamas masterminds top Israel’s ‘dead man walking’ hit list appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
BOC’s X-ray Inspection Project improves border control, protection
The Bureau of Customs, under the direction of Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio, has attained impressive achievements through its X-ray Inspection Project (XIP), making a substantial step towards improving border control and protecting national security. Under the direction of Deputy Commissioner Juvymax Uy, the XIP, a key division of the Bureau's Intelligence Group, has continuously shown its dedication to protecting the country by diligently monitoring and conducting non-intrusive inspections of goods entering ports across the country. From January to August 2023, the BOC's unwavering efforts prevented and stopped countless attempts at smuggling, resulting in the remarkable capture of illegal substances valued at more than P1.161 billion. The 107 operational X-ray machines of various varieties that have been strategically placed around the country’s ports, sub-ports, and airports are at the vanguard of this spectacular success. Utilizing these tools has been crucial in locating hidden contraband within shipments without the need for intrusive searches, supporting both effective trade procedures and strong security measures. The BOC said that in the past two weeks, XIP has successfully foiled over P18.5 million worth of illegal drugs and intercepted 'misdeclared' goods in several ports. Furthermore, the unit advocates real-time information exchange among all ports to thwart smuggling attempts, offering full support for the "Remote Image Analysis Centre (RIAC) Project," a pivotal step in modernizing and enhancing the efficiency of the Bureau of Customs’ border protection. With a well-defined strategy for the XIP that centers on bolstering border control and enhancing national security by leveraging technology and automation, the functions of the XIP offices will be fully optimized. Under BOC Collector Carmelita Talusan's direction and with the unwavering support and guidance of Commissioner Rubio and Deputy Commissioner Uy, the Bureau of Customs continues to relentlessly pursue excellence. The X-ray Inspection Project is a testament to the organization's dedication to innovation, vigilance, and the highest standards of service. The post BOC’s X-ray Inspection Project improves border control, protection appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Kim oversees N. Korea military parade showcasing new drones, ICBMs
Flanked by visiting Russian and Chinese officials, Kim Jong Un oversaw a North Korean military parade featuring new drones and Pyongyang's nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles, state media reported Friday. At least four new North Korean military drones were towed on trailers through Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung square at the parade late Thursday, state media images showed, while another drone appeared to conduct a flyover overhead. Standing between Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chinese politburo member Li Hongzhong in the VIP viewing stands, Kim smiled and saluted as thousands of soldiers marched past, trailed by the country's most powerful ICBMs, which are banned under UN sanctions. The event, featuring Kim's first-known foreign guests since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, was to mark the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice, which ended open hostilities and is celebrated as Victory Day. Kim "extended warm militant greetings" to the parade, the official Korean Central News Agency said, and North Korea's defense minister Kang Sun Nam made a speech. The United States has no chance "of survival in case they use nuclear weapons against the DPRK", Kang said, referring to the North by its official name. He warned that any attempts by the United States to use armed force against the North would cause an "unimaginable and unforeseen crisis". The parade featured an array of new weaponry, including some first unveiled at a defense expo on Wednesday in Pyongyang, visited by Kim and Shoigu. North Korea's new underwater nuclear attack drone, called the "Haeil", appeared at the parade for the first time, Seoul-based specialist site NK News reported. "The strategic reconnaissance drone and the multi-purpose attack drone which was newly developed and produced... made circular flights in the sky above the (Kim Il Sung square," KCNA said. The "excitement and great joy of the spectators reached its height" when the nuclear-armed country's newest ICBM -- the solid-fuel Hwasong-18, tested in April and July this year -- was paraded through the square, KCNA said. The tests were roundly condemned by Seoul, Washington and Tokyo, and violate UN sanctions banning the North from any tests using ballistic missile technology. 'Send the US a signal' The parade is a key part of "promoting Kim Jong Un's ruling legitimacy and internal unity in this economically challenging time", Yangmo Ku, a political science professor at Norwich University, told AFP. But this year, with the inclusion of high-level guests from Moscow and Beijing, Pyongyang is also sending America "a signal that under strengthened ties with Russia and China, North Korea is militarily ready to cope with strategic threats from its enemies", he said. "All these acts mean the emergence of the new Cold War surrounding the Korean Peninsula," Ku added. Beijing is North Korea's most important ally and economic benefactor, their relationship forged in the bloodshed of the Korean War in the 1950s. "China's representation at North Korea's parading of nuclear-capable missiles raises serious questions about Beijing enabling Pyongyang's threats to global security," said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. Russia, another historic ally, is one of a handful of nations with which Pyongyang maintains friendly relations, and experts said it was noteworthy that Moscow had sent Shoigu to the anniversary celebrations -- a rare visit by a Russian defense chief in the post-Soviet era. Kim has been steadfast in his support for Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, including, Washington says, supplying rockets and missiles -- a charge Pyongyang has denied. Russia's President Vladimir Putin sent a speech, read out by Shoigu at an anniversary event, according to KCNA, in which Moscow's leader hailed North Korea for its "firm support for special military operations against Ukraine". Easley said that "given Russia's need for ammunition for its illegal war in Ukraine and (Kim's) willingness to personally give the Russian defense minister a tour of North Korea's arms exhibition, UN member states should increase vigilance for observing and penalizing sanctions violations". The inclusion of foreign guests at this year's celebrations is a post-pandemic first, and hints at new flexibility toward enforcing border controls. North Korea has imposed a rigid Covid-19 blockade since early 2020, preventing even its own nationals from entering the country. It only resumed some trade with China last year and allowed new Beijing envoy Wang Yajun to take up his position this year. He is the first known senior diplomat to cross into North Korea since the border closure in January 2020. The post Kim oversees N. Korea military parade showcasing new drones, ICBMs appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Russia strikes Odesa cathedral, Putin dismisses counteroffensive
Russia's latest strike on Odesa on Sunday killed two people and severely damaged a historic Orthodox cathedral, drawing a vow of retaliation from Ukraine's leader. The attack came as President Vladimir Putin met his Belarusian counterpart for talks in Russia and claimed Kyiv's counteroffensive had "failed". Russia has pounded the Ukrainian port city of Odesa since quitting the Black Sea grain deal last week. Locals watched in disbelief as the Transfiguration Cathedral -- originally built in 1794 under imperial Russian rule -- was hit. The biggest Orthodox church in Odesa lies within the UNESCO-protected historic city center. UNESCO condemned the "brazen" attack, which hit several sites in the World Heritage area, marking "an escalation of violence against (the) cultural heritage of Ukraine", according to UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay. Clergymen rescued icons from rubble inside the badly damaged shrine, which was demolished under Stalin in 1936 and rebuilt in the 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The culture ministry said it had so far identified damage to 29 monuments of important cultural heritage. The Ukrainian government condemned the cathedral strike as a "war crime", saying it had been "destroyed twice: by Stalin and Putin". President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed retaliation: "They will definitely feel this," he said. "We cannot allow people around the world to get used to terrorist attacks," Zelensky added in his evening speech late on Sunday. "The target of all these missiles is not just cities, villages or people. Their target is humanity and the foundations of our entire European culture." Icons pulled from rubble Images showed smashed mosaics on the cathedral floor as workers cleared the rubble. The outside of the building appeared intact. "There was a direct hit to the cathedral," said Father Myroslav, the assistant rector, adding that three altars were ruined. Icons were pulled out from under the rubble and the shrine was "very badly damaged inside", with "only the bell tower intact", he added. Clergymen said a security guard and a priest getting ready for a morning liturgy were inside during the attack but both survived. Russia blamed the cathedral damage on Ukrainian air defense. It said it had hit all its intended targets in the Odesa strike, claiming the sites were being used to prepare "terrorist acts" against Russia. But local people said Russia had hit residential areas. "We have ordinary residential buildings here, where people live," a woman who owns a beauty salon nearby, Tetiana, told AFP. "There are no military facilities here. Just simple beauty salons, a marine agency, a groomer. Nothing military here at all." Russia launched a wave of attacks on the Black Sea port this week, after exiting a deal between Moscow, Kyiv, Istanbul and the UN allowing the safe passage of cargo ships. Ukraine has vowed to find a way to continue exports from the ports and said Sunday repeated Russian strikes on Odesa this week were an attempt to "prevent and neutralise international efforts to restore the functioning of the "grain corridor." Putin meets Lukashenko As Odesa cleared rubble from the Russian strikes, Putin hosted his closest ally, Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko, in his native city of Saint Petersburg -- their first meeting since Minsk helped end a revolt by Russia's Wagner force. Both leaders were dismissive of the Ukrainian counteroffensive to take back land captured by Russia. "There is no counteroffensive," Lukashenko said at the meeting, before being interrupted by Putin: "There is one, but it has failed." The Belarus strongman now hosts Wagner fighters on his territory, after brokering a deal that convinced its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin to end a march on Moscow and exile himself to Belarus. "We are controlling what is happening (with Wagner)," he said, thanking Putin for vowing to defend Belarus should it be attacked. Wagner's presence in Belarus has rattled EU and NATO member Poland, which has strengthened its border. On Sunday, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said a new battalion of sappers would be formed in the country's northeast. Polish, US, British, Romanian and Croatian soldiers were training "shoulder to shoulder", he said, during a visit to the northeastern city of Augustow. The comments came two days after Putin said western Poland was a "gift" from Stalin at the end of World War II, when victorious allies decided on the contours of post-war Europe. Warsaw summoned the Russian ambassador over the remarks. Both Putin and Lukashenko also accused Warsaw of having territorial ambitions on Ukraine and Belarus. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba responded quickly on Twitter. "Putin's attempts to drive a wedge between Kyiv and Warsaw are as futile as his failing invasion of Ukraine," he wrote. "Unlike Russia, Poland and Ukraine have learned from history and will always stand united against Russian imperialism and disrespect for international law." Fighting in Ukraine continued Sunday, with Russia launching 17 cruise missiles and two ballistic missiles, according to the Ukraine army. The post Russia strikes Odesa cathedral, Putin dismisses counteroffensive appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Progressive : Arlene Damot on embracing married women, all ages in Miss Universe
Mrs. Universe 2023 2nd runner-up Arlene Damot sees the Miss Universe Organization's decision to lift the age requirement and welcome married women as a progressive move......»»
Philippines sees increase in hotel bookings from overseas in 2023 — report
Hotel bookings from overseas rose in the Philippines in 2023, a report on hotel booking trends by hotel channel manager SiteMinder found......»»
Comelec says systems can thwart foreign interference
The Commission on Elections is preparing to defend its servers from attempts to hack it in the 2025 midterm polls, its chairperson announced on Wednesday......»»
S& P: Philippines may miss growth goal this year
S&P Global Ratings sees the Philippines again missing its growth targets this year as it kept its gross domestic product growth forecast at 5.9 percent. While the projection is better compared to other economies in the region, it is again below the government’s 6.5 to 7.5 percent growth target......»»
Women empowering women
As we celebrate National Women’s Month in March, here are inspiring messages from women leaders of different industries and sectors......»»
Amigas group celebrate March Birthdays
The Amigas group had a small get-together at Blackbird at the Nielson Tower this month for their March birthday celebrants. Among them was the author, Lanie Fung......»»
JK Labajo pauses concert to take care of 2-month-old baby from crowd
Singer Juan Karlos paused his concert to take care a two-month-old baby from the crowd. .....»»
Sarah Geronimo meets with Fil-Am producers in LA
Sarah Geronimo has made two historic feats just weeks apart this month, but the talented singer-actress revealed that she still had hesitations and apprehensions......»»
Education in Les Roches and flying Boeing
I recently met with Mano Soler, a family friend from Malaga, Spain......»»
BTr raises P120 billion from T-bond sale
The government raised the entire program of P120 billion in long-term securities this month even as investors’ asking rates were mixed......»»
13 killed in vehicles collision in southern Philippines
MANILA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Thirteen people were killed after a passenger van and a dump truck collided on a highway in Cotabato province in the southern Philippines on Monday, police and local media said. Police said the van, with about 15 passengers aboard, was negotiating a sloping curve when it was hit by the speeding dump truck in the opposite lane. The accident happened after 12 noon local time. In.....»»
Women s Month: Deniece Cornejo urges Filipinas to fight sexual harassment, challenges
Model Deniece Cornejo had a message for her fellow Filipinas this International Women’s Month. .....»»
Mga momshies! Melai Cantiveros gives Women s Month inspiration
Kapamilya host Melai Cantiveros had a message for women this Women’s Month. .....»»
Thousands celebrate Women s Month in Talisay
Thousands celebrate Women s Month in Talisay.....»»