In a press conference, Zubiri maintained that he did not ask Marcos’ help to convince senators who are against economic Charter change (Cha-cha). We did not ask for his help because it’s more of an independent issue by Congress and Senate,” Zubiri told reporters. ADVERTISEMENTThe Senate is currently leading talks on economic Cha-cha under Marcos’ directive. Again, as I’ve said, it’s a challenge,” Zubiri added. Hontiveros and Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III only need seven votes to block the Cha-cha initiative in the upper chamber.

Sunshine Place is hosting a beginner's language class with Prof. María Gladys Tomas, with 15 sessions starting on Apr. She is a multilingual instructor handling French, Spanish, Italian, German and Nihongo. She is a member of the Association des Professeur de Français aux Philippines (Association of French Language Teachers in the Philippines), Asociación Filipina de enseñanza de ELE (Association of Spanish Teachers in the Philippines) Philippine Italian Association (PIA) and Philippine Association of Language Teachers (PALT). She also handled French, Italian and German language training for the seafarers of Magsaysay Maritime Corp.Handouts and certificates of completion will be provided for language learners. Email [email protected] or visit http://www.sunshineplaceph.com and follow Sunshine Place on Facebook @SunshinePlace56Jupiter or Instagram @sunshineplaceph for more information.

Palawan's Hidden Beach included in another global 'best beaches' listMANILA, Philippines — Hidden Beach in El Nido, Palawan was recognized by travel magazine and website Condé Nast Traveler on its latest list of Best Beaches in the World. Published last month by Lizzie Pook, Hidden Beach is the 19th best beach out of a total 34 listed by the travel outlet. Hidden Beach was ranked the third-best beach in the world last year in a list by pharmaceutical company Banana Boat. Related: Palawan's Hidden Beach named 3rd best beach in the worldThe No. Former top-ranked Lucky Bay in Australia was not included in the Condé Nast Traveler list, but another Australian beach topped the list.

A bill in the U.S. Senate that would restrict business with China's BGI, WuXi Apptec and other biotech companies on national security grounds faces its first big test in Congress on Wednesday. The bill has spurred deep concern among investors, driving a sell-off in the shares of WuXi AppTec when news of its introduction first reached Chinese markets last month. As currently written, it would prohibit federal agencies from contracting with China's BGI, MGI, Complete Genomics, WuXi AppTec, their affiliates and other biotechnology companies deemed of concern. WuXi Apptec, which provides R&D and manufacturing services to the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry, allegedly has ties to the Chinese military, according to the House version of the bill. Once it moves out of committee, the bill must pass in both the full Senate and the House, and then needs be signed by the president.

Internet users were shocked after the footage of a double-decker Citybus driving in the opposite lane in Causeway Bay on Tuesday (Mar 5) night went viral. The dashcam footage captured the incident as the bus - not in service - entered Leighton Road in the wrong direction towards Causeway Road. The bus driver realized the mistake midway and turned on the hazard lights, though the bus continued to move slowly. Eventually, the bus was pulled over to the side of the road and luckily no accidents occurred. In response to media inquiries, Citybus stated that it has conducted an internal investigation, suspended the duties of the concerned driver, and will fully cooperate with the police.

According to the document, the government is considering adding clauses to four types of national security offenses, indicating that a higher penalty would be imposed should external forces be involved. They include “offence of seditious intention”, “offense of misprision of treason”, “unlawful disclosure of classified information”, and “offence of sabotage endangering national security”. Meanwhile, the government said some of the elements of the existing offences relating to “seditious intention” lack clarity, leading to legal disputes over the elements of the relevant offences during trials. “We recommend clarifying or improving the elements of the offences based on past practical experience in the current legislative exercise. “One of the examples, for the offence of “seditious intention”, is whether proof of the intention of inciting public disorder or inciting violence is required,” it noted.

The parliament is set to focus on a litany of economic and security challenges during the weeklong conclave. The first order of business will be Premier Li Qiang's work report, at which he officially unveils the GDP goal. But 12 months later, all focus will be on the dire state of China's economy. And analysts agree that stuck between deep reforms to restart economic growth and efforts to strengthen the state's power, China's policymakers have little room for maneuvering. "It will not help the economy, but could help the party-state weather the storm of economic crisis," said Hung.

Meta has apologized for the inconvenience it may have caused to its users following the worldwide outage on Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram. On its official page on X, Meta wrote it was aware that users had difficulties accessing their social media applications as it thanked them for their patience. Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram were hit with outage problems late Thursday, March 5. Internet users also weren't able to send messages via Messenger and refresh their own feeds on Instagram for a while. Users took to X to talk about the outages on the said social media platforms, making the topics “Facebook and Messenger,” “FB & IG,” “Facebook and IG,” Mark Zuckerberg,” “Session Expired,” and “#instagramdown” trend on the social media platform in no time.

The Philippines' Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro arrives to attend the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) in Jakarta, Indonesia, November 15, 2023. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan/Pool/File PhotoThe Philippines and the United States will carry out annual military exercises next month in key locations including Philippine islands facing the South China Sea and Taiwan, as tensions with China in the region continue to simmer. China claims Taiwan as its own territory despite the island's rejection and routinely stages air and naval military operations near the island. The exercises will also include areas in Palawan province in the South China Sea where frequent maritime run-ins between Manila and Beijing have occurred over the past year. France and the Philippines are both seeking authority to negotiate a military agreement.

A seven-year-old boy is now in intensive care after he was thrown off Kowloon City Plaza on Monday by his 58-year-old father who later plunged to his own death, suspectedly because he was overwhelmed with gambling debts. The father was rushed to Queen Elizabeth Hospital but was eventually pronounced dead at 10.17 pm. The boy was rushed to Kwong Wah Hospital and remains in the intensive care unit. Dial 2896-0000 for the Samaritans or 2382-2007 for Suicide Prevention Services. You can also call Suicide Prevention Services at 2382-0000 or the CEASE Crisis Centre of Tung Wah Groups of Hospitals at 18281.

Marcos denies family’s ill-gotten wealth anew, accuses critics of 'propaganda'People wave flags as Philippines' President Ferdinand Marcos Jr delivers a speech to members of the local Filipino community during an event on the sidelines of the Australia-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) summit in Melbourne on March 4, 2024. MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has again denied his father’s plunder of billions of public funds during his two-decade rule, calling as “propaganda” the campaign for the Marcos family to return their ill-gotten wealth to the government. Estimates of the amount the Marcoses reportedly amassed in the last few years of Marcos Sr. presidency range from US$5 billion to $13 billion. This sizeable loot far exceeds the yearly salary that Marcos Sr. was earning as president, which was about $4,700 or P100,000. In 2003, the Supreme Court ordered the forfeiture of $658 million worth of frozen Swiss bank deposits belonging to Marcos Sr.

Supporters of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC), gather in front of the Senate building along Pasay on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. Quiboloy has been subpoenaed to appear at a Senate inquiry into his alleged sexual abuses. Video by Javier Joe Ismael

Video shows the collision between the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ship BRP Sindangan (MRRV-4407) and China Coast Guard (CCG) 21555 on Tuesday, March 5, off Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea. The collision resulted in minor structural damage to the PCG vessel. The PCG ship was one of two escorting a resupply mission to troops stationed at the grounded BRP Sierra Madre when Chinese vessels formed a blockade to prevent the Philippine ships from passing through. Video courtesy of the PCG

PETA gives a taste of the much-awaited musical adaptation of the hit movie, 'One More Chance.' Relive the story of Popoy and Basha, with the hit tunes of Ben&Ben from April 12 to June 30, 2024, at the PETA Theater Center in Quezon City. Video by Christina Alpad

Japan's Nikkei 225 share index rose to 40,314.64 but fell back slightly. BREACHING People walk in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan’s Nikkei 225 index on Monday, March 4, 2024, in Tokyo. Japan’s Nikkei 225 share benchmark has topped 40,000 for the first time as strong demand for technology shares drives the index higher. AP PHOTO BREACHING People walk in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei 225 index on Monday, March 4, 2024, in Tokyo. Japan's Nikkei 225 share benchmark has topped 40,000 for the first time as strong demand for technology shares drives the index higher.