Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez gives his closing remarks at the 31st Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023. Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri declares the forum closed. The two faced the media after the four-day event. Video by Red Mendoza

Thai singer Jeff Satur holding Manila concert in March 2024MANILA, Philippines — Thai singer-actor Jeff Satur is taking his "Space Shuttle No. 8" Asia Tour to Manila in March next year. Satur, who has perfomed at Singapore, Indonesia and even Brazil for the Asia Stars Festival, will be performing at Quezon City's New Frontier Theater on March 2, 2024. Since November 2021 Satur has released eight singles under Warner Music Thailand which have amounted to more than 360 million streams. 8" Asia Tour complements the launch of Satur's first album, with many more to come from the multi-hyphenate.

HONG KONG: Most Asian markets fell on Friday following a broadly healthy week, with traders hoping for fresh Chinese moves to help the country's troubled property sector after officials called on banks to provide support. However, with traders taking a breather, many markets dipped in Asia on Friday. That came after a report saying a draft list of firms eligible for bank support had been drawn up. "The property developer debt issue will be solved sooner or later," Jian Shi Cortesi, of GAM Investment Management, said. Saudi Arabia and Russia earlier this year announced cuts of a million barrels a day through to 2024 to support prices, and there had been expectations Riyadh was planning to extend that or even cut further.

(UPDATE) THE Supreme Court found former Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) chairman Camilo Sabio administratively liable for unethical intervention in a case before the Court of Appeals (CA). Former chairman of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) Camilo Sabio arrives at the Sandiganbayan in Quezon City on Thursday for his arraignment on the cases of malversation of public funds and graft and corrupt practices act filed against him. In denying the petition of the former PCGG head, the Supreme Court defined misconduct as "a transgression of some established and definite rule of action, more particularly, unlawful behavior or gross negligence by the public officer." The high court pointed out that to warrant dismissal from service, the misconduct must be "grave, serious, important, weighty, momentous, and not trifling" and "imply wrongful intention and not a mere error of judgment." Conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, on the other hand, is any act of a public officer which "tarnishes the image and integrity of their public office."

Accountability, international law and the free worldThe Hamas terror organization must be held accountable for the atrocities it has committed, as well as for the ongoing war and the toll it has taken on Israelis and Palestinians alike. On the first day of the attack, Hamas terrorists destroyed ambulances to prevent evacuation of the wounded and attacked clinics, murdering doctors and paramedics. Israel is fighting the war according to the international humanitarian law and the law of armed conflict. No one (except the Hamas supporters) expects Israel to let Hamas attack Israeli civilians once again. If the free world wishes to remain free, it must support Israel’s right to defend itself and allow it to utterly defeat Hamas.

MANILA, Philippines — The newly inaugurated Healthway Cancer Care Hospital (HCCH) will contribute to the Philippines’ potential to become a prominent healthcare destination in Asia, said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday. The President touted the new HCCH as a game changer in the cancer care industry, as it was the first dedicated hospital to cancer in the country. It will certainly positively reflect on the country’s growing potential as a leading healthcare destination in Asia,” said Marcos in his speech. In Taguig City, Marcos led the opening ceremony of the HCCH, a healthcare institution offering a wide range of cancer treatments ranging from screening to post-cancer care. However, with facilities such as this, we will allow our main weapon in combatting cancer: early detection,” said Marcos in his speech.

Security riskNepal has just joined the growing list of countries that have banned video sharing app TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance. Under the European Parliament’s ban, lawmakers and staff were also advised to remove the TikTok app from their personal devices. All these countries and institutions were concerned about the online platform’s impact on society, including potential threat to their respective governments and national security. In the Philippines, the National Security Council (NSC) has created a task force that will look at the security threat posed by TikTok. The ad hoc body is wrapping up its investigation and will submit its recommendation to National Security Adviser Edgardo Año before yearend.

For authorities, internet shutdowns have "become the first tool in their toolkit," said Indian online civil liberties activist Mishi Choudhary. Of the 187 internet shutdowns it recorded worldwide last year, 84 were in India, the "most of any country for the fifth consecutive year," it said. Human Rights Watch argues internet shutdowns "disproportionately hurt" the poorest, who depend on the government's online social support systems. "Internet access is vital for realizing economic security," Access Now said. "Your primary defense against misinformation is fact verification and fact checking," said Singh, from the Delhi-based Internet Freedom Foundation.

Japan inflation up 2.9% as energy subsidies reducedMount Fuji (back L), Japan's highest mountain at 3,776 meters (12,389 feet), is silhouetted during sunset behind the highrise buildings of the Shinjuku area in downtown Tokyo on November 20, 2023. TOKYO, Japan — Japanese consumer inflation was up 2.9% year-on-year in October as the government reduced subsidies for electricity and gas bills, government data showed Friday. Stripping out fresh food and energy, Japan's prices rose 4.0%, data published by the internal affairs ministry showed. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government has been providing subsidies for gasoline since January 2022 and electricity and gas since the beginning of this year. Japan, like other economies around the world, has seen prices rise on the back of the Ukraine war, while a weaker yen has also made imports more expensive.

The Security Bank Foundation, Inc. (SBFI)’s transformative impact on education extends far beyond constructing physical structures. SBFI’s flagship project is “Build a School, Build a Nation” which addresses critical educational issues in the country starting with classroom construction. Through collaboration with the Department of Education (DepEd) and local government, the classrooms’ impact is not just quantitative but qualitative. Aside from building classrooms, SBFI also collaborated with international partners and local institutions in the “Mentoring Future Leaders for Nation-Building” program to provide a strategic and impactful approach to enhancing education. From a school principal to an Education Program Supervisor at DepEd, her journey illustrates the holistic approach SBFI takes in transforming education.

MANILA, Philippines — House lawmakers filed a bill that seeks to establish a legal framework to address loss and damage from climate change impacts, and hold those responsible for driving the crisis accountable. “Without a legal framework to address loss and damage from climate change impacts, corporations will continue to defend and promote their unbridled burning of fossil fuels,” House Bill 9609 read. The collected penalty will be directed to the Climate Change Reparations Fund. Any real party in interest or survivors of climate change may seek redress for harm caused by non-compliance of business entities. Climate reparationsThe bill also aims to establish the Climate Change Reparations Fund for the financing of the claims approved by the Climate Change Reparations Board.

'Don't embarrass our justice system:' Sara speaks up for father as House discusses ICC drug war probeMANILA, Philippines — Slighting from recent House calls urging cooperation with the International Criminal Court (ICC), Vice President Sara Duterte has spoken up in defense of her father and argued that local courts can resolve drug war cases without the help of the ICC. In her statement, Sara said that the lower chamber must “respect” Marcos’ previous stance of not supporting ICC’s probe. RELATED: Resumption of ICC 'war on drug' probe revives hope for justice – lawyers of victims’ kin | Victims' families, groups hail ICC decision to proceed with 'drug war' probe“Given this clear standpoint, we urge the House to respect the position of the President, who is the chief architect of our foreign policy,” Sara said. It's their "desperation, born out of a lack of timely justice ... that leads to a breakdown of trust" in democratic institutions, Duterte said. Remulla also mentioned his plan to discuss the issue with the executive secretary to clarify whether there is a plan to rejoin the ICC.

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Thursday ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to repair infrastructure damaged by continuous flooding in Samar Island. “The public works – as soon as the public works [are] able to enter, do the necessary repairs so that bigger vehicles can enter,” he instructed DPWH. “Let’s work with those who are in the evacuation centers – pati na ‘yung mga nasa bahay pa (including those who are still in homes),” Marcos told the Department of Social Welfare and Development. In addition to this, Marcos also told government agencies and local government units to make potable water available, since water filtration systems are still down due to the floods. Samar Island has been hammered by continuous rains caused by a low-pressure area and a shear line that dump heavy rains.

(Photo: newsinfo.inquirer.net)Hanoi (VNA) – The Philippines’ authorities said four children, including an 11-month-old boy, died and two others were injured in a fire that occurred at a residential area in Cebu city in the central region on November 23. The fire broke out at 5:51am (local time) and was stamped out after 20 minutes. According to witnesses, the fire hit a house while the victims were sleeping on the second floor. The incident also injured two adults and burned down at least seven houses in the residential area. The cause of the fire is being investigated./.

Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri answer questions from the media at a press conference of the 31st Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City on Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023. The two discussed tackling the resolutions to respect the 1982 UNCLOS and following international rules-based order, transnational crime, and other resolutionsVIDEO BY RED MENDOZA