Government, social media firms to combat fake newsMANILA, Philippines — The government is partnering with social media companies to intensify its campaign against disinformation and misinformation. Other agencies joining the initiative are the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education, Department of the Interior and Local Government and Department of Social Welfare and Development. The MIL will be integrated into the higher education curriculum, community-based training and family-oriented programs, she added. On the other hand, social media companies and their platforms are also expected to collaborate with the government by lending the tools and training to fight disinformation and misinformation, according to Garafil. PCO Undersecretary Cherbett Karen Maralit had said the government would implement a digital media literacy drive to equip the most vulnerable communities with knowledge and tools “to be discerning of the truth.”Maralit also said bills on media literacy have been filed in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

A seven-seater was damaged after a piece of concrete fell off a North Point car park ceiling Sunday morning. The concrete chunk, measured about 1.5 meters by 1 meter, fell off from the ceiling at the car park located in Healthy Gardens and struck a parked seven-seater at around 9 am. The fallen concrete heavily dented the roof of the vehicle. Repair workers were alerted to the scene and tore down pieces of damaged concrete. It was learned that the rebars were visible with numerous shards of concrete all over the floor, and workers were inspecting the damages.

Russia sent a task force to oversee the cleanup of parts of the country’s Far East on Sunday after Typhoon Khanun (locally named Falcon in the Philippines) passed through the Primorye region, the emergencies ministry in Moscow said. Russia’s TASS news agency quoted the ministry as saying the number of flooded homes stood at 4,368 while 5,654 adjoining plots and 7 apartment buildings also were flooded. It added there were no reports of casualties and that it had avoided more serious damage by sending units in early. RELATED STORIESTyphoon Khanun lashes southern Japan, South Korea; another storm loomsTyphoon Khanun shuts markets, grounds flights in TaiwanJapan braces for Typhoon Khanun’s winds and heavy rainfallKhanun enters PAR, now called tropical storm Falcon – PagasaYour subscription could not be saved. Subscribe to our daily newsletter SIGN ME UPClick here for more weather related news.

Judo is a martial art that develops both body and spirit to utilize strength with maximum effectiveness. Practitioners must master about 100 different techniques, all based on the fundamental philosophy of softness overcoming hardness, with a major appeal of Judo being the confidence it gives in the face of much bigger and stronger opponents. Judo was the first martial art to become an official Olympic sport, at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Based on mutual respect for opponents and partners, regardless of who wins or loses, Judo is now a popular sport and martial art in over 200 countries and regions. VIDEO BY MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF JAPAN

13 BIFF men surrenderMANILA, Philippines — Thirteen members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) have surrendered in Maguindanao del Norte, security officials confirmed yesterday. The BIFF men, who were with the Karialan and Bungos factions, turned over their guns to Brig. Gen. Leodevic Guinid, commander of the First Brigade Combat Team, in Barangay Pigcayawan in Sultan Kudarat town on Thursday. The military said the former BIFF members would undergo debriefing and would be assisted by concerned local government units in their integration to civilian communities. Westmincom chief Lt. Gen. Roy Galido said the military would continue a diplomatic approach in its campaign to end lawless violence and demilitarize armed groups.

TO mark its 27 years in the country, HCG Philippines welcomed partners and media to the grand ribbon-cutting ceremony of its newest office space in Park West, BGC before transferring to Grand Hyatt Hotel for the day's main festivities. Hocheng Group or HCG Philippines executives are (from left) Elden Wu, manager; Paul Wu, manager; Mornaliza Belardo, assistant vice president; Eugene Lin, officer in charge; Li-Hwa Wu Chan, director; Yueh Long Wu, director; Chitran Chiu, director; Patrick Chiu, chairman; Hong You Chiu, director; Scott Chiu, chairman, HCG China; Kent Chiu, chairman; Casey Chiu, director; Michael Chiu, director; David Chang, vice president; Irene Calubiran, assistant vice president for Customer Relationship Management; and Romuald Ponce, assistant vice president for Projects. For years, HCG has nurtured strong partnerships with premier developers, clients, interior designers and property managers around the Philippines, helping create spaces of comfort and convenience. Discover new ways of doing things while finding comfort, convenience and a safer toilet experience with HCG Philippines' new smart toilet technology. For more information, visit HCG Philippines' website at http://hcg.com.ph/, or follow the company on TikTok (@hcgbathroomfixtures), Instagram (@hcgbathroomfixtures), YouTube (@hcgbathroomfixtures) and Facebook (HCG Philippines).

Citizen soldiers in West Philippine Sea pushedMore than 50 Chinese vessels swarm the vicinity of Iroquois Reef and Sabina Shoal in the West Philippine Sea,MANILA, Philippines — A major labor group has voiced support for the military’s plan to build up and deploy citizen soldiers to help protect and defend the West Philippine Sea. This sentiment reflects the essence of a united front in safeguarding the nation’s territories,” FFW national president Jun Ramirez said. According to the FFW, it strongly supports the AFP’s initiative, underscoring the vital role of citizen participation in defense strategies. “The FFW fervently believes that empowering citizen soldiers is pivotal in asserting our national rights and interests,” Maranan added. Hugo said that until now, fishing boats still avoid the sandbars near Pag-asa Island for fear of encountering CCG or militia vessels.

Many of Japan's older classical dances, such as Noh with its slow and stately movements and the lively, dynamic Kabuki, remain very popular. But none are as popular as Nihon Buyo, created about 400 years ago by incorporating elements from older traditions. The art continued to grow and evolve through generations of teachers, and today, there are around 120 different schools. All teach certain basic movements first, special techniques for moving the feet, hands and neck. We watch dancers as they practice, and hear from them how Nihon Buyo uniquely expresses the Japanese sense of beauty.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. (Reuters)Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged the Philippines to work with China to seek an effective way to defuse tensions in the South China Sea, the official Xinhua news agency said on Saturday. The comments come amid rising tensions between the two countries over the location of a grounded warship that serves as a military outpost in the South China Sea. The Philippines won an international arbitration award in 2016 against China's claim over almost all of the South China Sea, after a tribunal ruled Beijing's sweeping claim had no legal basis, including at the Second Thomas Shoal. China, which does not recognize the ruling, has built militarized, man-made islands in the South China Sea and its claim of historic sovereignty overlaps with the EEZs of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.

If that’s the case, we should no longer give [infrastructure] projects to state-owned Chinese companies here in the Philippines,’” Zubiri said in a radio interview on Thursday night. “I was elated because Secretary Bautista said they [would] no longer get Chinese state-owned companies in the construction of [railways], airports and other big-ticket items,” he added. Vietnam is among the countries in Southeast Asia which have overlapping claims in the South China Sea. ADVERTISEMENT‘Friendly’ states“Why should we let the taxes of the Filipino people be used to fund these Chinese state-owned companies? We should blacklist their companies,” Zubiri added.

Scientists have warned the impacts of El Niño — combined with human-induced global warming — will likely stretch beyond the weather. Scientists warned that El Niño, coming in addition to already dire global warming, could make the situation worse. An El Niño in 1998 was linked to a major malaria epidemic in the Kenyan Highlands. Impacts from both El Niño and global warming were “projected to cause $84 trillion in 21st-century economic losses”, it said. However researchers at Oxford Economics have argued against these projections, calling El Niño a “new risk, but not a gamechanger”.

Chinese business man caught with drugs at NAIAThe suspect, a passenger of a flight for Guangzhou in China, was also caught with two bullets for a .22 caliber handgun. MANILA, Philippines — A Chinese businessman was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on Thursday after he was caught by security officers carrying five grams of shabu with a street value of P34,000. The suspect, a passenger of a flight for Guangzhou in China, was also caught with two bullets for a .22 caliber handgun. Qian is being held on charges of violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act. P1.3 million shabu seized in Quezon CityMeanwhile, anti-narcotics officers confiscated 200 grams of shabu valued at P1.36 million in Quezon City on Thursday night.

Speaker: Economic growth highlights country’s achievementsMANILA, Philippines — The increase in the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) highlights both the “achievements and areas requiring intensified action,” Speaker Martin Romualdez declared yesterday. “We, in the House of Representatives, commend the unwavering efforts of our economic managers in navigating our nation towards recovery amidst challenging times,” he noted in a statement. Romualdez added that “one pressing concern” evident is the rising food inflation, “which has been a significant driver of the economic slowdown.”He maintained that addressing this is “paramount to ensure that every Filipino has access to affordable, nutritious food while also stimulating our agricultural sectors.”The Speaker proposed some actions to ensure food security such as agricultural investments, supply chain enhancement, price monitoring and regulation and import policies.

A Fire Services Department van driver was hospitalized after a four-vehicle collision in Yau Tong on Friday morning. At 10.41 am today, a truck was waiting for the traffic light to switch signals at the interchange of Cha Kwo Ling Road and Yau Tong Road, with a van and a Fire Services Department van waiting in line behind it. A black van that sped into the intersection could not stop in time due to the slippery surface caused by the rain and collided with the vehicle in front of it, causing a four-car collision. In the incident, the 37-year-old driver of the Fire Services Department van complained of discomfort in his neck and was taken to the hospital for medical attention. The other three drivers were unharmed in the accident and stayed behind at the scene to assist the police with their investigation.

The deceased suspect died of injuries sustained in a shoot-out, the attorney general’s office said on Wednesday. READ: Ecuador declares state of emergency after assassination of anti-corruption presidential candidateViolence in Ecuador has surged in recent years, especially in cities along drug-trafficking routes like Guayaquil and Esmeraldas where citizens say they live in fear. Neither the police nor the attorney general’s office responded to requests for comment about the authenticity or origin of the video, which features more than a dozen black-clad and masked men waving high-powered rifles. His body will be released to two people chosen by his wife, including his lawyer, the attorney general’s office said on X. Countries lined up to condemn his assassination and call for a full investigation.