Chinese vessels in high-seas chase of Philippine boat with mediaThis photo taken on Nov. 10, 2023 shows China coast guard personnel sailing an aluminum hulled boat at Second Thomas Shoal in the disputed South China Sea. Moments later, the Philippine Coast Guard craft carrying AFP and a local media outlet slipped into the shallow waters of the shoal. China claims almost the entire South China Sea and has ignored an international ruling that its stance has no legal basis. Manila accuses Chinese vessels of harassing and blocking Philippine boats delivering food, water and materials for badly needed repairs. The Philippine Coast Guard identified five Chinese coast guard, 28 "maritime militia" and five navy vessels floating nearby.

Hospital Authority calls on people to register as organ donors on Organ Donation DayThe Hospital Authority on Saturday - the city’s Organ Donation Day - called on people to register as organ donors, adding that over 2,400 end-stage renal disease patients in Hong Kong are waiting for kidney transplants as of September this year. The Authority believed that conservative local cultures are still major barriers to organ donation, leading to suboptimal donation rates in recent years. However, it noted that the number of registrations for organ donation has slowly been increasing in recent months, and they urge citizens to support the cause. It said the process affects the patients' daily lives, also quoting patients who underwent kidney transplants who say they were given a new lease on life after the transplant. The SAR government has designated the second Saturday of November every year as Organ Donation Day.

Support swells as PH files new China protestSEVERAL countries have expressed their support for the Philippines, calling out China's "dangerous" actions in the West Philippine Sea, as the Philippines, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, filed another diplomatic protest. Under the revised IRR, the President "may either accept or reject" the recommendation of the advisory body regarding the nominees for the M.I.C. Roads after Santiago was a "tribute to her incredible achievements and a reminder of her unwavering dedication to the country." Ireland's first trade mission is in PHIn business, Ireland has brought its first high-level trade mission to the Philippines as it considers the Philippines an important market in Southeast Asia. The two-day Irish trade mission here, through the Bord Bia (Irish Food Board), aims to boost Ireland's food exports, especially dairy and meat products, and look into opportunities in partnering with local companies.

Hong Kong's anti-graft agency chief said on Saturday that authorities will crack down on those who urge people to cast blank votes in elections, including those who relayed the message. Speaking on a TV program, ICAC Chief Danny Woo Ying-ming, said the anti-graft body will strictly enforce the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance in the upcoming District Council elections. Meanwhile, Woo said the agency will establish the Hong Kong International Academy Against Corruption next year. Two floors at the agency’s North Point headquarters, as well as the training camp in Tuen Mun, will be utilized as school campuses. He said the academy will organize training for anti-corruption professionals from around the world, as well as for the public and private sectors in Hong Kong, with an aim of organizing 20 overseas and 10 local courses next year for some 2,000 people.

39 Filipinos remain in Gaza amid Israeli-Palestinian conflictPalestinian families fleeing Gaza City and other parts of northern Gaza towards the southern areas, walk along a road on November 10, 2023 amid ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement. MANILA, Philippines — Over three dozen Filipinos are still in Israeli-occupied Gaza as bombs target Palestinians, more than a month into the conflict. The DFA had placed Gaza under Alert Level 4 last October due to the intensification of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, making evacuation for Filipinos mandatory. Entry permits remain a problemAccording to De Vega, some Palestinian spouses of Filipinos were not given clearance to leave. The "Operation al-Aqsa Storm," conducted by Palestinian militants, is reportedly a response to attacks by Jewish settlers, along with confrontations in Jenin and the Al-Aqsa mosque.

Two workers were hit by falling metal bars at a construction site in Yau Ma Tei on Saturday, with one of the workers said to be unconscious after the incident. The incident happened at around 1.43 pm today on the construction site located at the intersection of Ferry Street and Kansu Street. Sources said the metal bars fell from a height when they were being lifted by a crane. The other worker was said to be pinned under the metal bars. Two other workers also suffered minor injuries when evading the falling metal bars.

LOS ANGELES, California: A US jury on Thursday found Robert de Niro's production company liable for gender discrimination against a former employee who said she had been forced to perform "stereotypically female" jobs for the actor. The jury dismissed the original lawsuit filed by Canal Productions against Chase Robinson. "We are delighted that the jury saw what we saw and returned a verdict in Chase Robinson's favor against Robert De Niro's company, Canal Productions," her lawyer David Sanford wrote in a statement to Agence France-Presse (AFP). De Niro, who did not attend Thursday's hearing, was not found individually liable. Earlier in the two-week trial, he had testified that Chase Robinson's claims were "nonsense."

CUPERTINO, California: Apple has agreed to pay $25 million to settle allegations that it engaged in a pattern of discriminatory hiring practices when filling some of its jobs during 2018 and 2019. Apple on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023, has agreed to pay $25 million to settle allegations that it engaged in discriminatory hiring practices. Apple on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023, has agreed to pay $25 million to settle allegations that it engaged in discriminatory hiring practices. Most of the settlement amount — $18.25 million — will be funneled into a fund to compensate victims of Apple's alleged discrimination. The rest of the money covers the fine that Apple is paying for its hiring practices during the time frame covered in the settlement.

MOGADISHU — The United Nations has described floods that uprooted hundreds of thousands of people in Somalia and neighbouring countries in East Africa following a historic drought as a once-in-a-century event. Camps for people displaced by an Islamist insurgency and the worst drought in four decades have also been flooded, causing people to flee for a second time, aid groups say. Large-scale displacement, increased humanitarian needs and further destruction of property remain likely, OCHA said, with some 1.5 million hectares (3.70 million acres)of farmland potentially being destroyed. ADVERTISEMENT“Extreme weather linked to the ongoing El Niño risks further driving up humanitarian needs in already-vulnerable communities in Somalia and many other places,” said Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General, the UN’s Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. “We know what the risks are, and we need to get ahead of these looming crises,” he said.

LUCENA CITY—Following the record-high volume of sulfur dioxide (SO2) spewed by Taal Volcano in Batangas province on Thursday, experts warned anew of health risks posed by volcanic smog or vog on residents near the area. The gas from the volcano is toxic, especially for the elderly,” said Sheila Tan, 70, another Tagaytay City resident, over the phone. The volcano had been relatively quiet until July 11, 2022 when Phivolcs placed it under alert level 1 after it showed signs of low level of unrest. Phivolcs said entry into the Pulo, especially the vicinity of the main crater and the Daang Kastila fissure, as well as human activities on Taal Lake, must remain prohibited. Subscribe to our daily newsletter SIGN ME UPShould an uptrend or pronounced change in monitored parameters forewarn of renewed unrest, the alert level may be raised back to alert level 2, Phivolcs warned.

56 more Filipinos exit Gaza through Rafah border crossingPalestinian women react after an Israeli bombardment in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on November 7, 2023, amid continuing battles between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. MANILA, Philippines — Fifty-six more Filipinos have left the war-torn Gaza Strip and are set to reach Cairo after being allowed to cross the Rafah border crossing, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Friday. This brings the total number of Filipinos evacuating from the Gaza Strip to 98 out of the estimated population of 137 Filipinos in the area. The Rafah crossing is the only safe passage out of Gaza Strip. The first Filipinos to leave Gaza through the Rafah border made their exit on November 2 after repeated appeals from governments and international rights advocates to Egypt.

China says took 'control measures' vs Philippine ships in its watersFootage of a Chinese Coast Guard ship using a water cannon against a Filipino resupply vessel is shown during a press conference at the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila on August 7, 2023. BEIJING, China — China demanded Friday that Manila stop infringing on its territorial sovereignty after taking what it described as "control measures" against Philippine ships at a contested South China Sea outpost. "The China Coast Guard followed the Philippine ships in accordance with the law, took control measures, and made temporary special arrangements for the Philippines to transport food and other necessary daily supplies," China Coast Guard spokesman Gan Yu said. "The China Coast Guard will continue to carry out rights protection and law enforcement actions in waters under China's jurisdiction in accordance with the law, resolutely safeguarding national sovereignty and maritime rights and interests." China claims almost the entire South China Sea, through which trillions of dollars in trade passes annually, and has ignored a 2016 international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

‘I Pagliacci’ performers include Sherwin Sozon, Rica Nepomuceno, Isaac Droscha, Zip De Guzman Jr., and Glenn Gaerlan. CONTRIBUTED POSTER Hong Kong Opera artists Vicki Wu, Henry Ngan, Michael Lam, Leung Siu Kwan, and Christy Li bring ‘Cavalleria Rusticana’ to life. In collaboration with the Hong Kong opera company, Tutti, the performances promise a blend of world-class talent and profound purpose. As much as music moves audiences, we'd also like to send a message of hope to those who deal with hunger every day," says Sherwin Sozon, co-founder of LyrOPERA. #CometotheOpera #CAVPAG #LyrOPERA #HAPAG.

BEIJING: China slipped back into deflation in October, data showed on Thursday, highlighting the work officials have in reviving still-sluggish demand in the world's No. The rise in imports could be a signal that domestic demand in China is recovering from months of weakness. The latest readings will likely put pressure on authorities to target consumer demand with fresh stimulus. Zhiwei Zhang, chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management, said the data showed that "domestic demand remains sluggish." "With the budget deficit rising and the property developers ... gaining support from the government, domestic demand will likely improve next year," Zhang said.

A simulated crash that leads to a blaze and chemical leakage is tackled by people from various government agencies during the drill. Steven Yiu Previous NextChristine TangThe Hong Kong International Airport is ready for emergency accidents and crises, after it completed a safety drill for a chemical leakage with various government departments, Airport Authority executive director Steven Yiu Siu-chung said. After the 4 1/2-hour drill, Yiu said that safety is always the top priority at the airport. The drill took place on the new North Runway from 2.15am to 6.45am yesterday. The Air Traffic Control Tower immediately activated the crash alarm, while the authority activated the Airport Emergency Centre to facilitate coordination and communications among departments.