📰 News & Current Affairs

President Marcos’ approval rating will surely soar if he announces in his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) a total ban on Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO) firms, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III said yesterday. Source: Koko urges President Marcos: Announce POGO ban during SONA

Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Monday gave President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. a perfect score on his performance since his last State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July last year. Source: Romualdez gives PBBM 'perfect score' since last SONA | Philippine News Agency

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his cousin, Speaker Martin Romualdez, are the least trusted among the country’s top officials, according to the results of a Pulse Asia Research, Incorporated survey held in June and released on Wednesday, July 17. Source: Marcos, Romualdez least trusted among top government officials – survey

Sen. Imee Marcos on Friday defended Vice President Sara Duterte who recently took a swipe at the government and the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr.Sen. Marcos noted that Duterte’s sentiments reflect the aspirations of all Filipinos. Source: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1971207/imee-marcos-defends-sara-duterte-over-anti-govt-remarks

“We are preparing for a longer battle this time. Longer days, if not hours,” said Fajardo in a press briefing. “I think it’s an open secret. Nung ginagawa itong structures na ito ay may mga lumabas pa sa YouTube na ipinagmamalaki nila ‘yung laki.” Sources: https://news.tv5.com.ph/breaking/read/pnp-admits-search-arrest-of-quiboloy-will-take-more-time-due-to-difficulties

China has found a major gas field in the South China Sea, a discovery that could significantly influence the region’s complex geopolitical landscape. Source: How China’s discovery of a major gas field will affect the disputed South China Sea

As tensions mount in the South China Sea, Vietnam is dredging and filling in land, fortifying barriers and erecting new structures to create hundreds of acres. Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2024/vietnam-south-china-sea-islands-growth/

China has announced a significant breakthrough in its energy exploration efforts with the discovery of a large natural gas field in the South China Sea. The new field, located in the northern waters of the South China Sea, is estimated to contain substantial reserves, which could have a considerable impact on the region's energy dynamics and China's energy security. The China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), the country's largest producer of offshore crude oil and natural gas, confirmed the discovery after extensive exploration and drilling activities. According to CNOOC, the new gas field is projected to have reserves exceeding 50 billion cubic meters, marking it as one of the most substantial finds in recent years. This...

NEW: Marcus Jordan, son of NBA legend Michael Jordan, was seen snorting a white powder during a poolside lunch in the South of France Smiling having a great time.

A column of armored vehicles rolling into southern Russia’s Kursk Oblast on the third day of Ukraine’s surprise attack into Russia confirms the involvement of one of Ukraine’s best-equipped and fastest-moving brigades: the 80th Air Assault Brigade. Source: One Of Ukraine’s Toughest And Fastest Brigades Has Joined The Invasion Of Russia

OPINION: I believe that we should respect our children enough to be able to allow them to spread their wings without putting them on a payback guilt trip, especially if they become very successful in life. https://tinyurl.com/y3vkx457

Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero on Wednesday dismissed concerns about provoking tensions with China after the United States decided to allocate an additional USD500 million in foreign military financing to the Philippines. Source: Chiz: More military aid from US will not provoke China | Philippine News Agency

Thousands of residents have been evacuated and a state of emergency has been declared in Kursk after Ukraine launched a rare incursion into the Russian border region earlier this week. Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/08/08/state-of-emergency-declared-in-kursk-as-ukrainians-and-russians-clash.html

The Department of Education (DepEd) and the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) have joined hands to augment the government’s thrust in solving the jobs and skills mismatch problem in the country, coming up with an “enhanced work immersion” program for senior high school students that will be implemented starting this school year. Source: Gov’t pilots ‘enhanced work immersion’ program for SHS students | Philippine News Agency

The Sangguniang Bayan or municipal council approved a resolution on Wednesday, August 7, declaring the measure that was revealed in a meeting with over 500 hog raisers here. Source: Batangas town under state of calamity due to ASF

A US federal grand jury in Florida indicted former Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Andres Bautista and three other executives of Smartmatic in connection with an alleged bribery and money laundering scheme related to the 2016 Philippine presidential elections. Source: https://www.rappler.com/philippines/united-states-grand-jury-indicts-former-comelec-chairman-andres-bautista-smartmatic-executives-bribery-*******/

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday led the signing of an alliance between his party, the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), and the Nacionalista Party (NP) led by former Senate president Manuel “Manny” Villar in a ceremony at Brittany Hotel in Taguig City. Sources: PBBM’s Partido Federal allies with Villar’s Nacionalista Party | Philippine News Agency

Summary *Athletes caught doping inform on others while still competing *Global agency in dispute with U.S. body over the tactic *Past medals still being reallocated when offences found https://www.reuters.com/sports/athletes-undercover-global-us-anti-doping-agencies-clash-over-tactics-2024-08-07/

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) just issued a statement: "The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has allowed doping athletes to compete for years, and in at least one case the anti-doping rule violations were never announced or sanctioned, in direct violation of the World Anti-Doping Code and USADA agency's own rules." In addition to the publicized cases, WADA is now aware of at least three cases in which athletes who committed serious anti-doping rule violations were allowed to continue competing over the years while being used as informants by USADA. USADA did not notify WADA of these practices, and there is no provision in either WADA's Code or the United States' own rules that would allow this practice WADA statement...

The United States is reportedly evaluating the development of military infrastructure on Australia’s remote Cocos Islands in a move that could enhance its deterrence capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region and monitor Chinese submarine activities. Source: No Place To Hide For Chinese Submarines; US Plans To Pry On Them From New Infra On Australian Islands

Nobel Peace Prize-winning economist Muhammad Yunus has returned to Bangladesh to head an interim government after weeks of student-led protests forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee to India. Source: Muhammad Yunus returns to Bangladesh to lead interim government

The Vienna leg of a tour by American mega-star Taylor Swift has been cancelled after Austria arrested an Islamic State sympathiser in connection with an attack plot, the organisers said Wednesday. Source: Taylor Swift cancels Vienna concerts after terror attack threat

Senator Robinhood "Robin" Padilla on Wednesday asked the Supreme Court (SC) to set soonest the oral arguments for his petition to resolve the issue of whether both houses of Congress should vote jointly or separately in tackling amendments to the 1987 Constitution. Source: SC urged to set oral arguments for Cha-cha petition | Philippine News Agency

Embattled religious leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy is only inside the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) compound in Davao City, a police official said on Thursday. Source: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1970786/quiboloy-staying-in-his-church-compound-davao-police-chief

Jonathan Morales (UPDATES) THE former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agent who alleged he had a list of prominent drug users — supposedly including President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. — has been found guilty by a San Fernando, Pampanga, court of perjury, for giving false testimony against two suspected drug traffickers eight years ago. In a decision promulgated on Wednesday, San Fernando, Pampanga Municipal Trial Court (MTC) Branch 9 Acting Presiding Judge Jason Alquiroz sentenced Jonathan Morales to four months imprisonment. Morales was also ordered to pay a fine of P1,000 with subsidiary imprisonment in case of insolvency. Based on court records obtained by The Manila Times, the former PDEA agent was charged for stating...

The House of Representatives has formed a “supercommittee” that will consolidate its ongoing inquiries into Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos), the questionable issuance of Philippine documents to Chinese nationals, the current state of the narcotics trade and the alleged abuses committed during the drug war waged by the previous administration. Source: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1970611/house-forms-supercommittee-for-issues-commonly-tied-to-duterte

While the Philippines is enjoying one of the lowest unemployment rates in decades, most of the new jobs Filipinos have are low-paying, think tank IBON Foundation found. Source: Most new jobs in lowest paying sectors – IBON Foundation

The Court of Appeals (CA) has issued a freeze order against the bank accounts and properties of Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) founder Apollo Quiboloy and others. Source: CA issues freeze order vs. Quiboloy, SMNI

The House of Representatives has adopted a resolution authorizing the consolidation of the ongoing investigations into crimes linked to îllégâl Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO), îllégâl drugs, and alleged extrajudicial killings under former President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs. Source: https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/8/7/mga-barko-ng-china-patuloy-ang-pag-aligid-sa-pag-asa-island-1934

Photo taken by the Diwata-2 satellite shows reclaimed land covered with built-up infrastructures at Subi Reef, February 13, 2022. Philippine Space Agency MANILA, Philippines — China now runs a fully functional military base on Subi Reef (Zamora) after years of unimpeded construction of military facilities there. Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, the navy's spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, confirmed that China has completed its construction of huge military structures, airstrips, and storage facilities in the feature, which is located outside the Philippines' exclusive economic zone but part of Pag-asa Island's 12-nautical mile territorial sea. "It is safe to assume that they have continued their maintenance and expansion...

To cushion the blow of losing billions in revenue from banning Philippines offshore gaming operators (POGOs), a House of Representatives leader on Tuesday proposed for the government to tap into the earnings of another troubled ga̾mbling industry: sa̾bong or betting on co̾ckfights. Source: PCSO urged to consider using e-****** to recover revenue loss from POGO ban

Here's a summary of the ongoing legal cases against the suspended embattled mayor, which will be updated as the cases develop. Source: Gov't vs Alice Guo: List of legal hurdles, cases against the Bamban mayor