📰 News & Current Affairs

DAVAO CITY – Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin told Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Secretary Maria Belen Acosta on Thursday that Secretary Leo Tereso Magno's assumption as the new MinDA chairperson took effect on May 21. Source: https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1225366

In an effort to attract more tourists and remote workers, the Thai cabinet this week rolled out a series of new visa promotions, including visa-free and visa-on-arrival schemes, extended stays for students, and reduced compulsory health insurance for retirees. Source: Thailand Expands Visa-Free Entry: 93 Nations Now Qualify

DAVAO CITY – The Task Force Davao (TFD) and the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) confiscated some 900 grams of shabu, valued at PHP14.4 million, from an unidentified male bus passenger on Wednesday night at the Lacson checkpoint in Calinan District here. Source: https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1225883

Di ko pa mahagilap ang source neto sa mainstream media kaya pa-help na lang sakaling ma-pick up na ito sa mainstream. Source: SMNI

INFO Amelia Leal, claimed by Mayor Alice Guo to be her Filipina mother, doesn't have birth and marriage records, nor a death certificate Nope, it wasn’t a teleserye. But Filipinos who were watching the Senate hearing last Wednesday, May 22, probably felt like they were solving a puzzle when controversial Mayor Alice Guo of Bamban, Tarlac answered questions about her family background. Guo faced the Senate for the second time as the chamber continued its probe into her supposed involvement in îllégâl Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGOs) in her province. Prior to the May 22 Senate face off, Guo, in an exclusive interview with journalist Karen Davila on May 20, said that she has paternal half-siblings. She claimed that she was...

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The Regional Trial Court (RTC) has ruled in favor of Leo Magno, recognizing his appointment as the legal Chairperson of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and dismissing the claim of ousted chair Maria Belen Sunga Acosta. Source: It's Magno as MinDA chair

American voters will choose between re-electing Democratic President Joe Biden or his Republican predecessor, Donald Trump, to the White House. Source: US election 2024: Where Biden and Trump stand on key issues

MANILA, Philippines – Did the Senate fail to spot the almost P12-billion increase in the Commission on Election’s (Comelec) initial budget of P2.5 billion for the conduct of plebiscites in 2024? Source: 'Nasingitan kami': How Senate failed to spot P14-B budget for plebiscites in 2024

MANILA, Philippines — The drug probe by the panel headed by Sen. Ronald dela Rosa was cited as a key reason for the ouster of Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri as Senate president. Source: Bato backs Chiz, says sorry to Migz

Source: PhilStar

CLASSMATES of Vice Adm. Alberto Carlos at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), who went on leave last week as chief of the AFP Western Command (Wescom) amid talks of a supposed “new model” arrangement with China, threw support to the Navy officer. Source: PMA classmates air support for Wescom chief on leave

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is selling rice at P29 per kilo in five Kadiwa stores in Metro Manila, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) announced Sunday. Source: Kadiwa stores in NCR sell rice at P29/kilo

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY—Vice Adm. Alberto Carlos, who supposedly confirmed that a “new model” arrangement to ease tension between the Philippines and China during the resupply of the troops at Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, has been removed as chief of the military’s Western Command (Wescom). Source: It’s official: Carlos out as chief of Wescom

MANILA, Philippines — Senators moved to cite for contempt and consequently ordered the detention of former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agent Jonathan Morales for reportedly “continuously lying” before the chamber. Source: Senators cite ex-PDEA agent Morales for contempt, order his detention

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. condemned Beijing’s directive to detain foreigners suspected of entering disputed areas in the South China Sea, calling it “completely unacceptable to the Philippines.” Source: Beijing’s detention rule in South China Sea ‘unacceptable’ — Marcos

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. told the military to serve the country and remain loyal as the government continues to thwart brewing destabilization plots against the current administration. Source: Marcos to military: Be loyal amid destabilization threats

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Risa Hontiveros gladly received news on the divorce bill’s progress at the House of Representatives. Source: Hontiveros welcomes divorce bill’s progress at House: ‘Sana all!’

Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo’s lips are sealed amid questions on her citizenship and ties to mainland China. Source: ‘Ayaw na po ng lawyer ko:’ Alice Guo no longer responding to questions on citizenship

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. called on the Department of Foreign Affairs yesterday to investigate how unnamed people in the Chinese embassy in Manila allegedly recorded a supposed phone conversation between a Chinese diplomat and a top Armed Forces official discussing a so-called new model agreement on rotation and resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea last January.

Meron na pala copy ng buong transcript Source: Reddit

China has E×ρréššed "grave concern" over the US' deployment of a medium-range missile system in the Asia Pacific, saying it worsens tensions in the region and increases the risk of misjudgment and miscalculation. Source: China: US missile system in PH worsens tensions in Asia Pacific

Top officials of the Marcos administration, including Defense Secretary Gilbero Teodoro Jr. and National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, have agreed to a “new model” for easing tension in the South China Sea, the Chinese Embassy in Manila said. Preferred Source: Out with gentleman’s agreement: China claims Marcos execs OK’d ‘new model’ for easing South China Sea tension Mainstream Media Source: China Embassy: AFP WESCOM agreed to ‘new model’ on Ayungin Shoal

The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) has joined forces with giant social media companies in the Philippines to collectively combat misinformation and disinformation. Source: https://pco.gov.ph/news_releases/pco-ties-up-with-social-media-giants-meta-google-tiktok-to-combat-misinformation-disinformation/

eto na cctv footage ni Morales na pinapa-gur-gur siya ni LAM Source: Maharlika @ Youtube

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday thumbed down proposals to put water cannons on Philippine vessels patrolling the West Philippine Sea. Source: Marcos rejects water cannons on Philippine vessels

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday merely laughed off drug use allegations hurled against him and actress Maricel Soriano, as claimed by a document purportedly leaked by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). Source: Bongbong Marcos laughs off ‘leaked’ PDEA report vs him, Maricel Soriano

“Real GDP growth for 2024 was revised slightly to 6.2 percent from the January WEO forecast of six percent, reflecting carryover from a better-than-expected outturn in the last quarter of 2023,” IMF resident representative Ragnar Gudmundsson said in an email to The STAR. Inflation in the Philippines is expected to average 3.6 percent this year before easing further to three percent in 2025. Both projections are lower than the six percent full-year inflation in 2023. Inflation accelerated to 3.7 percent in March from 3.4 percent in February, marking its second straight month of uptick. This prompted the BSP to keep borrowing costs elevated after it raised interest rates by 450 basis points from May 2022 to October 2023. Source ...

- THE TIMES OF INDIA

John Alfred Tinniswood is now the world’s oldest living man, following the death of 114-year-old Juan Vicente Pérez (Venezuela). John was born in Liverpool on August 26, 1912 – the same year the Titanic sank. Despite his advanced age, he can still perform most daily tasks independently: he gets out of bed unassisted, listens to the radio to keep up with the news, and still manages his own finances. John doesn’t smoke and rarely drinks *******. His main advice for staying healthy is to practice moderation: “If you drink too much or you eat too much or you walk too much; if you do too much of anything, you’re going to suffer eventually,” he said. "It's pure luck": Inside the life of world's oldest man as he takes title aged 111

The Firefly Squid is a squid that shines along its body with a length of 5 centimeters. They are always found at sea depths from 200m to 600m. In the night of 12th of March, alot of these creatures were seen along the coast of Niigata prefecture in the city of Sado. These creatures tend to lay their eggs at shallow depths. Those who were not able to go back to the sea became stuck along the coast of Niigata and illuminated the coast with blue color during the night. People who took some of these squids said that, "I think we can collect more than 10kg of them". A person in an aquarium in Niigata prefecture said that, "The Firefly Squid lay their eggs until around April. I think we can see alot of them until then." Source ...

TOPLINE Covid vaccines from companies like Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca were linked to rare occurrences of heart, brain and blood disorders, a recent peer-reviewed study found, though experts say the risks of developing Covid-19 greatly outweigh the risks of getting vaccinated. healthcare worker administering a Covid vaccine to a patient. -GETTY IMAGES KEY FACTS Researchers from the Global Vaccine Data Network—a research arm of the World Health Organization—looked at expected versus observed rates of 13 medical conditions that were considered “adverse events of special interest” in a study population of 99 million vaccinated people eight countries, making it the largest Covid vaccine study to date. Rare cases of...

Jerusalem and Gaza CNN — Israel has formally declared war on Hamas, setting the stage for a major military operation in Gaza as fighting rages on Israeli soil. Tanks and personnel carriers could be seen on the move near the Israel-Gaza border on Sunday, after Hamas – an Islamist militant group – launched a surprise assault this weekend that has so far killed over 700 Israelis. Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2023/10/08/middleeast/israel-gaza-attack-hostages-response-intl-hnk/index.html