Philippines supports UN resolution demanding ceasefire in GazaA general view shows a screen of votes during a United Nations General Assembly meeting to vote on a non-binding resolution demanding "an immediate humanitarian ceasefire" in Gaza at UN headquarters in New York on December 12, 2023. MANILA, Philippines (Update 1: 3:16 p.m.) — The Philippines has voted in favor of a United Nations General Assembly resolution demanding a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, marking a shift from the country’s earlier decision to abstain. The UN General Assembly overwhelmingly passed a non-binding resolution Tuesday, demanding an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in Gaza, with 153 countries voting in favor and 23 abstaining. The resolution also calls for the protection of civilians, humanitarian access, and the "immediate and unconditional" release of all hostages. “The Philippines believes that a humanitarian ceasefire is crucial to halt the loss of life and suffering.

MANILA, Philippines — The commuting public should brace for longer waiting times to get a ride as the two-day transport strike to protest the government’s public utility vehicle modernization program (PUVMP) will start today. Despite the transport strike, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) is keeping mum on its preparations on how it will serve affected commuters. The agency said that 262,653 transport operators, drivers and workers have joined the PUVMP and have consolidated into entities. A majority of public transport drivers and operators have “signified they would not join the transport strike,” according to the MMDA chief. Apart from police personnel, the NCRPO will also dispatch a total of 147 service vehicles across the metropolis to provide free rides to commuters who will be affected by the transport strike.

FILIPINA tennis ace Alex Eala has once again climbed the rankings of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA). As of Monday, December 11, she ranked 189th in the WTA, according to its website. Alex Eala PHOTO FROM EALA’S FB PAGEWith her current rank, she equalled her career best singles' ranking from last October 2, where she also placed 189th. In 2023, Eala won two titles in separate International Tennis Federation (ITF) events, her first of the year last June in Yecla, Spain and the second in Roehampton, United Kingdom in August. She came close to winning at two other ITF tournaments in Aldershot, United Kingdom days after her Roehampton win and at Petange, Luxembourg just last month.

By Dana Ryan, Ph.D., MA, MBADirector, Sports Performance, Nutrition and Education, Herbalife NutritionIf you’re committed to your fitness routine, it doesn’t slow down when winter rolls around. While these sports keep us active and healthy during the cold winter months, colder temperatures lead to increased energy expenditure and fluid loss, requiring us to maintain proper nutrition and hydration for optimal performance. Choosing the proper attire for your sport is essential for helping maintain proper hydration. Incorporate one or two more snacks throughout the day to help maintain your energy levels. For more helpful tips visit IamHerbalifeNutrition.com where you can find helpful articles related to exercise, proper nutrition, and recipes.

THE habit of writing or speaking English corporatese begins harmlessly enough. IMAGE 1 (genesis-of-corporatese_jargon-1H2)After all, the corporatese spinners would say, it's only words, English words. In the few years that I was a passive observer in the corporate boardroom, I would sometimes see a CEO forget his corporatese in a fit of rage or pique. By fiat, they must be forbidden to speak in corporatese ever again in public, just plain and simple English, perhaps even the vernacular. Read this essay and listen to its voice recording in The Manila Times: "The genesis of corporatese"* * *IMAGE 3 (eps-3rd-ed_cover-1H2)The essay above, "The Genesis of Corporatese," first appeared in Jose A. Carillo's column in The Manila Times and subsequently in Part I – "Our Uses and Misuses of English" of his book "English Plain and Simple: No-Nonsense Ways to Learn Today's Global Language" (First Edition 2004, Third Updated Edition 2023; 500 pages).

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The name of this creature is Freedom of the Press, which gathers together all those who stand in its name. Our Demands:– Immediate release of Dr. Badoy-Partosa and Mr. Celiz: We demand the immediate and unconditional release of our colleagues. Our Resolve:Unwavering support: Our support for Dr. Badoy and Mr. Celiz is absolute. Active resistance: We pledge to resist — with every resource at our disposal — the insidious encroachment upon our democratic rights and liberties, and we will not rest until justice is restored. We should be able to reason together.

No extension for PUV consolidation deadline after 2-day strike announcementColorful traditional jeepneys along with their modernized versions wait for passengers at the corner of EDSA and Aurora Boulevard in Quezon City on Aug. 30, 2022. MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. announced that there will be no more extension of the December 31 deadline for public utility vehicle (PUV) consolidation. "Today, we held a meeting with transport officials, and it was decided that the deadline for the consolidation of public utility vehicles (PUV) operators will not be extended," said Marcos on Tuesday. Today, we held a meeting with transport officials, and it was decided that the deadline for the consolidation of public utility vehicles (PUV) operators will not be extended. Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), on the other hand, claimed that Marcos' 70% consolidation data is misleading, saying that it's an aggregate of all types of PUVs nationwide, including buses.

DOJ urged to place Quiboloy under lookout bulletin to prevent his ‘escape’Apollo Quiboloy, head of "the Kingdom of Jesus Christ," a non-Catholic religious group and spiritual adviser of president-elect Rodrigo Duterte, speaks during a press conference in Davao City in southern island of Mindanao on May 23, 2016. MANILA, Philippines — A senator has called on the Department of Justice to issue an immigration lookout bulletin for controversial preacher Apollo Quiboloy amid a pending Senate probe into child abuse allegations against him and his religious group. The senator added that Quiboloy’s alleged crimes are “global in breadth” because of his wanted status in the United States. Without elaborating, Hontiveros added that there are already pending charges of rape, child abuse and trafficking lodged against Quiboloy with the DOJ that are currently for appeal. The US Department of Treasury in 2022 blocked Quiboloy's assets over what it described as "serious human rights abuses" committed by the preacher.

WASHINGTON — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky kicked off a quick visit to Washington on Monday, warning in a speech at a defense university that Russia may be fighting in Ukraine, but its “real target is freedom” in America and around the world. He also issued a personal plea for Congress to break its deadlock and approve continued support for Ukraine. John Kirby, the White House National Security Council spokesman, told reporters Monday that Zelenskyy’s visit is critical. He said Biden will make clear to Zelensky when they meet that the White House is standing firm on the supplemental budget request. White House spokesman Andrew Bates said top Office of Management and Budget, National Security Council and White House legislative affairs officials have continued to press the case for the funding.

BANGKOK: Myanmar became the world's biggest producer of opium in 2023, overtaking Afghanistan after the Taliban government cracked down on the trade, said a United Nations report released on Tuesday. Myanmar produced an estimated 1,080 metric tons of opium — essential for producing heroin — this year, the UN Office for Drugs and Crime's (UNODC) latest report said. Estimated opium production for 2022–23 was at its highest level for more than 20 years, the UNODC said. Afghanistan, the world's biggest producer for some years, has seen cultivation collapse after the Taliban authorities vowed to end illegal drug production. Shan accounted for about 88 percent of the 41,300 ha (102,054 acres) of opium poppy areas nationwide, the UN report said.

MANILA, Philippines: The easterlies, the weather system that carries winds coming from the east, passing through the Pacific Ocean and bringing warm and humid weather, are affecting most parts of the country, the state-run weather agency said on Tuesday. On one hand, the northeast monsoon, locally known as "amihan," is affecting extreme Northern Luzon particularly Batanes and Babuyan Islands where partly cloudy to overcast skies with isolated light rains would be likely, weather specialist Patrick del Mundo said. "Most parts of the country would again have generally-fair weather conditions due to the easterlies," Del Mundo said. "Moreover, our monitoring station has not spotted any low pressure area (LPA) inside and outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) in the coming days," the Pagasa forecaster said. In particular, the easterlies along with the localized thunderstorms may bring partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers over Metro Manila and the rest of the country especially in the afternoon or at night.

JAKARTA: Chinese-owned short video app TikTok on Monday announced a $1.5 billion investment in GoTo group in a deal that would allow it to restart its online shop in Indonesia, the companies said in a statement. Under the deal, TikTok Shop will be merged into GoTo's Tokopedia, and TikTok will have a controlling stake in that entity. "TikTok, Tokopedia and GoTo will transform Indonesia's e-commerce sector, creating millions of new job opportunities over the next five years." That came days after Southeast Asia's largest economy banned sales on social media to protect millions of small businesses. Indonesia's e-commerce market is dominated by platforms such as Tokopedia, Shopee and Lazada but TikTok Shop gained a significant market share since launching in 2021.

MANILA, Philippines — Transport group Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (Piston) will stage a two-day nationwide transport strike this week to protest the Dec. 31 deadline for franchise consolidation and phaseout of traditional jeepneys. The strike will be held from Dec. 14 to 15 and may be extended depending on the government’s response, Piston national president Mody Floranda told a press conference on Monday. ADVERTISEMENTThe militant labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno will also join the strike. Piston and its allies staged a three-day transport strike in late November to protest the public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program, forcing some schools in Metro Manila to shift to virtual classes. The Department of Transportation earlier expressed willingness to discuss the other demands of transport groups that are protesting the PUV modernization program except for the franchise consolidation requirement, which it called a “nonnegotiable.”The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has yet to issue a statement on the planned protest.

Third petition filed vs Sara Duterte’s secret funds reaches SCFormer Bayan Muna Representatives Neri Colmenares, Carlos Zarate, together with Rep. France Castro (ACT-Teachers) and Rep. Arlene Brosas (Gabriela) at the Supreme Court filing a petition against the 2022 Confidential and Intelligence Funds of Vice President Sara Duterte. This will be the third petition against Duterte’s confidential and intelligence funds. The second petition against Duterte’s confidential and intelligence funds requested the nullification of the circular. Thesregulations enable the utilization, transfer and disbursement of confidential funds without subjecting them to audit. On October 10, the House of Representatives re-aligned the confidential funds of Duterte’s offices to the agencies responsible for safeguarding the West Philippine Sea.