Philippines asserts security independence amid South China Sea tension
(Reuters)The Philippines will continue to maintain and supply its outposts in the South China Sea without seeking permission from any other country, the country's national security adviser said. The Philippines national security council said on Saturday it reaffirmed its commitment to uphold its sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the Second Thomas Shoal. But the Philippines remains open to dialogue and peaceful negotiations to resolve disputes in the entire South China Sea, the council said. The Philippine coastguard on Friday accused its Chinese counterpart of blocking efforts to evacuate a sick member of its armed forces in the South China Sea. It was the latest dispute in a longstanding territorial spat with China, which claims almost all of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than US$3 trillion in annual ship commerce.
Source:The Standard
June 09, 2024 15:36 UTC
PH elected to ILO governing body
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has been elected as deputy member to the governing body of the International Labor Organization (ILO), Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma announced on Friday. The election took place during the ongoing 112th International Labor Conference in Geneva, Switzerland. ADVERTISEMENTREAD: PH 1st in Asia to ratify ILO accord vs workplace violence, harassmentThe Philippines and other elected member-states will serve a three-year term until June 2027. The governing body is the executive arm of the ILO and plays a crucial role in determining the organization’s agenda, budget, and electing the ILO director general. —Jerome Aning
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
June 09, 2024 03:13 UTC
China maritime forces harass Philippine scientists anew
China maritime forces harass Philippine scientists anewA China Coast Guard inflatable boat collides with a PCG boat, which tried to stop the Chinese from interfering with UP scientists diving at Escoda Shoal during a coral health survey last Tuesday. “If China continues to prevent our research work, the damage and the decline and the slow recovery of corals can be due to China,” Anticamara said. Last May 19, a Philippine Navy speedboat carrying a sick soldier from the BRP Sierra Madre had to make evasive maneuver as Chinese vessels apparently were attempting to stop the medical evacuation. China considers almost the entire South China Sea its territory, but the claim has been invalidated by an arbitral court ruling inn 2016. The Chinese vessels include a training ship with bow number 83 and an amphibious transport dock with bow number 999.
Source:Philippine Star
June 09, 2024 00:15 UTC
Rahul Gandhi nominated as Indian opposition leader
NEW DELHI — Prime Minister Narendra Modi's chief rival Rahul Gandhi was nominated on Saturday to lead India's opposition in parliament after an election result that rescued his Indian National Congress party from the political wilderness. 'CONGRESS' MAN Indian National Congress leader Rahul Gandhi speaks at a press conference at his party’s headquarters in the capital New Delhi on June 4, 2024. AFP PHOTOA meeting of the Congress leadership on Saturday voted unanimously to recommend Gandhi's election as India's official opposition leader, a post that had been left vacant since 2014. If elected as expected, he will be recognized as India's official opposition leader when the new parliament sits, which local media reports suggest will happen as soon as early next week. Parliamentary regulations require the opposition leader to come from a party that commands at least 10 percent of the lawmakers in the 543-seat lower house.
Source:Manila Times
June 08, 2024 22:53 UTC
Mother arrested after caught slapping daughter in library
A 35-year-old mother has been arrested for child abuse after a video circulated online showing her slapping her daughter at Po On Road Public Library in Sham Shui Po. Sham Shui Po police said they arrested the mother, surnamed Lau, for ill-treatment or neglect of a young person around 8 pm on Friday after an investigation as the video – recorded on Thursday – came to their attention. The online video is about three-and-a-half minutes and shows the mother helping her daughter and son together at the table in the library. As the scene switches to the stairwell, the mother is seen slapping the girl numerous times again while the girl remains silent and only wipes her tears. Sources said Lau admitted and regretted treating her daughter violently, saying she was extremely anxious about her daughter’s study.
Source:The Standard
June 08, 2024 13:50 UTC
Severely injured man left outside North District Hospital, later dies
An unconscious man with multiple bruises on his body was left at the door of North District Hospital early Saturday morning and later died, prompting police to launch an investigation. Police received a report from a citizen around 5.49 am, who saw a man in his 20s collapsed right outside the hospital on Po Kin Road in Sheung Shui. According to live sources, a private car pulled up outside the hospital around 5.45 am. It is understood that the citizen who filed the report spotted a vehicle stopped at the traffic lights when crossing the road and found the unconscious man nearby as the car left. This morning, a large number of officers returned to the crime scene and cordoned off the area for investigation.
Source:The Standard
June 08, 2024 13:25 UTC
Danish PM 'hit' by man in Copenhagen
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was "hit" on Friday by a man in a Copenhagen square, her office said, with EU chiefs quickly condemning the attack. "Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was hit by a man Friday evening on Kultorvet in Copenhagen. Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen holds a speech during the 175th anniversary of the first Danish Constitution in the Landsting Hall at Christiansborg, Copenhagen, on June 5, 2024. AFP PHOTO Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen holds a speech during the 175th anniversary of the first Danish Constitution in the Landsting Hall at Christiansborg, Copenhagen, on June 5, 2024. Copenhagen police confirmed that an incident involving the prime minister had occurred but did not provide further details.
Source:Manila Times
June 08, 2024 09:55 UTC
Recto on calls to ban Pogos: ‘No objection’
ADVERTISEMENT“It is within the right of the lawmakers to talk about a ban on Pogos. “In Batangas, there are no Pogos,” Recto added, referring to his home province where he started his political career as a congressman. ‘Doing something else’“Today, a lot of Pogos are not really Pogos. In February 2020, when he was still a senator, Recto filed a bill imposing a 30-percent income tax and a 5-percent franchise tax on Pogos. In a January 2024 interview, however, Tengco rejected calls for a full ban on Pogos, saying it could put about 68,000 Filipinos out of work.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
June 08, 2024 09:38 UTC
LIVE updates: Kanlaon Volcano restiveness
LIVE updates: Kanlaon Volcano restivenessResidents harvest vegetables near their house at the foot of Mount Kanlaon volcano covered in thick clouds in a village in Canlaon, Negros Occidental province, central Philippines on June 4, 2024, a day after the volcano erupted. MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised on June 3 the status of Kanlaon Volcano on Negros Island to Alert Level 2 due to "increasing unrest." According to state seismologists, the shallow magmatic activity is causing unrest, which could lead to more explosive eruptions or a hazardous magmatic eruption. Here are the latest updates on the volcano's activity and related events. (Can't view the updates below?
Source:Philippine Star
June 08, 2024 05:59 UTC
Ethical business needed
Medicine is one of the fields that requires practitioners to be ethical at all times. In reinforcing ethical behavior, some entities should be praised for taking the initiative in this regard. The Philippines has become a signatory to the Mexico City Principles, which clearly state how healthcare professionals and pharmaceutical companies should be ethical in dealing with patients. The fact that the cost involved for the pharma company in such cases is small does not make it ethical. Medical professionals must be transparent about their financial interests and must adhere to the ethical maxim that the patients’ interests must always come first over personal gains.
Source:Philippine Star
June 07, 2024 20:39 UTC
As the world strives to reduce waste: Miramar Travel partners with Rail Europe to promote sustainable European rail travel
(From right) Mr Alex Lee, General Manager of Miramar Travel; Mr Daniel Freihofer, Consul General of Switzerland in Hong Kong; Ms Florence Pasquier, Chief Commercial Officer of Rail Europe. In response, Miramar Travel has partnered with Rail Europe to launch a series of exclusive European railway tours aimed at promoting sustainable tourism initiatives. Through its partnership with Rail Europe, Miramar Travel is introducing a new ‘European Rail Series’ of itineraries that allow travelers to explore Switzerland, France, Italy, and the UK by train. Beyond the convenience, Alex also pointed out several other benefits offered by railway travel. To further enhance its rail travel offerings, Miramar Travel is also launching an online flagship store this summer.
Source:The Standard
June 07, 2024 15:46 UTC
Philippines accuses Chinese coast guard of 'barbaric' blocking of medical evacuation
Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela said coast guard and navy boats were harassed by Chinese vessels, despite having informed them the operation was of a medical nature. "The barbaric and inhumane behaviour displayed by the China Coast Guard has no place in our society," Tarriela said in a statement. Tarriela said the Chinese coast guard "engaged in dangerous manoeuvres and even intentionally rammed" a navy boat while it was transporting the sick personnel. Another attempt was made the next day with the help of the Philippine coast guard and the soldier was successfully evacuated, Brawner said. China routinely accuses the Philippines of encroachment while Manila and its allies have condemned what they calls aggression by Beijing.
Source:The Standard
June 07, 2024 15:32 UTC
Jollibee Foods Corp. announces notice of annual stockholders' meeting
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the annual meeting of the stockholders of Jollibee Foods Corporation (the "Corporation") shall be held on Friday, June 28, 2024 at 2:00 in the afternoon. Only stockholders of record as of May 28, 2024 are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, this meeting. In the interest of public health and safety, there will be no physical meeting. The Corporation shall conduct the meeting virtually and the stockholders may attend and participate via remote communication and by voting in absentia or by appointing the Chairman of the meeting as their proxy. The deadline for registration to vote in absentia shall be until 12:00 P.M. of June 21, 2024.
Source:Manila Times
June 07, 2024 12:14 UTC
El Nino phenomenon has ended: Philippines
MANILA: The El Nino phenomenon has ended, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) announced on Friday (June 7). The Pagasa El Nino Southern Oscillation Alert and Warning System (ENSO) was also lowered to inactive (ENSO-neutral), while the La Nina watch remains in effect. The El Nino phenomenon, according to Pagasa, is a “large-scale oceanographic/meteorological phenomenon that develops in the Pacific Ocean and is associated with extreme climatic variability” such as devastating rains, winds, and drought. “DOST [Department of Science and Technology]-Pagasa announces the end of El NiNo, as the conditions in the tropical Pacific have returned to El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-neutral levels. “DOST-Pagasa will continue to closely monitor any significant developments in this climate phenomenon,” Pagasa said.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
June 07, 2024 08:41 UTC
Bad year took toll on women
Kelly KongOver a third of women seeking help from the Hong Kong Federation of Women's Centres are experiencing mental health issues that are often rooted in domestic violence and relationship problems. That pandemic period caused a worsening of interpersonal relationships and financial situations and increased parent-child communication issues. Self-esteem risks are 150 to 288 percent higher for women at the receiving end of domestic violence, stalking, gender discrimination, or family status discrimination. Despite friends and family members trying to stop her, she left home. May got help fortifying her mental resilience after coping with bouts of depression at an asylum center.
Source:The Standard
June 07, 2024 01:11 UTC