What’s at stake for PH in US-China tensions over Taiwan

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 10) — As tensions brew between global superpowers United States and China over Taiwan’s independence, the Philippines finds itself in a crucial position with its neutral and independent foreign policy.

As the stronger ties between the US and the Philippines appear to have alarmed China, the Southeast Asian nation is now under the spotlight with geopolitical decisions seen to drastically impact tensions.

Since the Philippines is a longtime ally of the US and a country economically boosted by Chinese investors, it is critical to pinpoint where it stands and what is at stake if armed conflict erupts due to the Taiwan issue.

PH, US and China

In April, China launched military drills around Taiwan after the latter’s President Tsai Ing-wen returned from a visit to the United States where she met House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other US lawmakers.

Beijing said the drills were “a serious warning against the Taiwan separatist forces’ collusion with external forces, and a necessary move to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu condemned Beijing’s actions and warned that “they seem to be trying to get ready to launch a war against Taiwan.”

While the US has updated its fact sheet on Taiwan to reinstate that it is not supporting Taiwan independence, Washington appears to be backing Taiwan—the reason why many also see the stronger US-Philippine relations as part of Washington’s preparations for the rising tensions in the Asian region.

To show their stronger ties, Amercan and Filipino officials released a joint statement on security issues. The US has reaffirmed its commitment to stand with the Philippines against any form of intimidation and coercion in the South China Sea, such as the rising incidents of Chinese Coast Guard vessels spotted near Ayungin Shoal.

Washington and Manila also showed that they are preparing Philippine troops to transition from protecting national interest through internal security to external and territorial defense.

This was seen in the largest Balikatan exercises recently held in the Philippines and the setting up of four new sites for the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the Philippines and the US. The new EDCA sites are in locations seen to boost the defense near the Taiwan Strait and West Philippine Sea, the part of the South China Sea that encompasses the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone.

The new EDCA sites give the US expanded access to Philippine military bases, where its troops can be positioned on rotation and where it can store defense equipment and supplies.

RELATED: Marcos seeks ‘even stronger’ ties with US as he leaves for official visit

Beijing saw these moves as threats to the region’s stability.

China warned that an expanded military cooperation with the US will only endanger regional peace and stability, “drag the Philippines into the abyss of geopolitical strife and damage its economic development.”

The East Asian giant also expressed “grave concern” and “strong disapproval” of the joint statement of Philippine and US officials, and reiterated its position that the UN tribunal’s ruling favoring Philippine claims in the South China Sea is “illegal, null and void.”

Foreign policy expert: China using OFWs in Taiwan as ‘hostages’

In a statement, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian also claimed the US “intends to take advantage” of the new EDCA sites to “interfere” in the Taiwan issue.

In a forum, the Chinese envoy urged the Philippines to oppose Taiwan independence and slammed statements lamenting the safety of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Taiwan following repeated warnings against Philippine-US military enhancement.

Speaking to CNN Philippines, foreign policy expert Renato de Castro denounced the Chinese envoy’s statement, saying China is using OFWs in Taiwan as “hostages” for the Philippines to side with its stance on Taiwan.

“It seems that China is treating us like a province, telling us these things,\” he said. \”We’re sovereign. Why should China treat us this way?”

De Castro also said setting up new EDCA sites and enhancing military capabilities are decisions made by an independent and sovereign country such as the Philippines.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said the terms of use of the EDCA sites are “still up for discussion.” But President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. already said his administration will not allow the new EDCA sites to be used for offensive operations, insisting that these are set up as a buffer for immediate response when natural disasters hit the typhoon-prone regions.

Marcos also said he did not receive any request from the US for possible deployment of Filipino troops to assist in combat operations should the tensions between China and Taiwan escalated into war. 

If tensions over Taiwan do escalate into war, officials and foreign security experts believe the Philippines has no way out and it will be involved in the conflict.

What’s at stake

Philippine envoy to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez said the country needs to boost its defense capabilities together with Washington as Manila may not be able to avoid being dragged into the Taiwan conflict.

“We are geographically situated where we are, how many miles away from Taiwan, and there is a conflict going on in our territorial waters right now so we’ve discussed it on many occasions with our friends and partners in Washington DC,” he said.

“Whatever happens in our area, we will all be affected,\” he added. \”There is no going around it. This is something that we have to be ready for and, hopefully, it will never happen.\”

The Philippines geographically lies in an arc south of Taiwan. US bases in the Philippines would be critical launch and resupply points as the country’s northernmost island of Itbayat is less than 100 miles from Taiwan.

Moreover, the Philippines will be obliged to take war refugees from Taiwan. The safety, repatriation, and relocation of OFWs in Taiwan are also big concerns.

WATCH: DND: PH may tap EDCA sites to evacuate Filipinos in Taiwan. 

Security analyst Chester Cabalza also noted that Chinese investors have entered the Philippines “like a Trojan Horse” and became active and large pillars in the local economy of some EDCA sites.

RELATED: Marcos on PH-China relations: ‘Disengagement not an option’

Cabalza told CNN Philippines that local leaders are scared of the possibility of investors pulling out as this will affect local economic movement drastically. But he also reminded that “local leaders should be sensible of the framework and structure of national security as it is a collective effort to advance the Philippines’ national interest.”

The security expert also noted that it is still possible for the country to maintain its “friend to all, enemy to none” policy.

“We are still siding with that neutrality policy since we know that China and the US are two competing superpowers in our backyard,\” he said. \”And we have both relations with Beijing and Washington and we should continue with that.\”

“The reason why we are fortifying our naval, aerial and terrestrial bases in the northern Philippines is because of the changing geopolitical situation that we are seeing,” he added.

But De Castro believes the Chinese have a timetable in setting up “conditions” around Taiwan and they will only use their military capabilities “when the conditions are right.”

‘ ‘Donald-Trump-sexually-abused-E-Jean-Carroll’: ‘author’: ‘Lauren del Valle, CNN’ ‘categories’: [’90febd36-3bb8-453a-86aa-322eeb5841f5′] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T04:54:56.000+08:00 ‘imagesource’: ‘jcr:070126f3-da29-4225-90c2-46e3d4db5224’ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘dde6f9fb-7c81-471c-8c6c-3b930f3562f6’ ‘lead’: ‘A Manhattan federal jury found that Donald Trump sexually abused E. Jean Carroll in a luxury department store dressing room in the spring of 1996 and awarded her $5 million for battery and defamation.’ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T04:57:17.529+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘faith’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T04:57:18.037+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘Jury finds Donald Trump sexually abused E. Jean Carroll in civil case, awards her $5 million’ ‘visualType’: ‘image

(CNN) — A Manhattan federal jury found that Donald Trump sexually abused E. Jean Carroll in a luxury department store dressing room in the spring of 1996 and awarded her $5 million for battery and defamation.

Carroll alleged Trump raped her in the Bergdorf Goodman department store and then defamed her when he denied her claim, said she wasn’t his type and suggested she made up the story to boost sales of her book. Trump denied all wrongdoing. He does not face any jail time as a result of the civil verdict.While the jury found that Trump sexually abused her, sufficient to hold him liable for battery, the jury did not find that Carroll proved he raped her.Carroll filed the lawsuit last November under the “New York State Adult Survivors Act,” a state bill which opened a look-back window for sexual assault allegations like Carroll’s with long-expired statutes of limitation.Trump did not attend the trial. Like any defendant in a civil case, he was not required to appear in court for trial or any proceedings and has a right not to testify in his own defense.Carroll left the courthouse after the verdict without speaking to reporters.Trump, on his social media site Truth Social, called the jury’s verdict a “total disgrace” and said it was “continuation of the greatest witch hunt of all time.” He repeated his claim he did not know who Carroll was.The verdict comes as the 2024 Republican presidential primary field takes shape, with Trump as the early frontrunner.His potential rivals, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, have so far criticized Trump on electability grounds but have stayed away from the former president’s legal troubles — including Carroll’s allegations and the Manhattan probe into a hush money scheme.That reluctance to attack Trump over allegations stems from his ability to survive scandals that would have doomed most politicians — including the 2016 release of the “Access Hollywood” tape, in which he bragged that stars can “do anything” to women.But as his legal troubles mount, with probes in New York, Washington, DC, and Georgia still underway and primary debates set to begin in August, Trump’s goodwill with GOP voters will again be tested in the coming months.

Jurors urged not to identify themselves

Judge Lewis Kaplan dismissed the jury after the verdict and informed them they are now allowed to identify themselves publicly if they choose. However, the judge suggested they remain silent.My advice to you is not to identify yourselves. Not now and not for a long time,” Kaplan said. “If you’re one who elects to speak to others and to identify yourselves to others, I direct you not to identify anyone else who sat on this jury. Each of you owes that to the other whatever you decided for yourself.As the verdict was read, Carroll held onto the hand of her attorney Shawn Crowley. She looked relieved and appeared to rock forward. They exchanged smiles with each other as the clerk read through each of the counts going in her favor.After the judge dismissed the jury, Trump attorney Joe Tacopina walked over the Carroll and shook her hand. He also shook the hands of her attorneys.Carroll and her lead attorney Roberta Kaplan (no relation to Judge Kaplan) embraced each other’s shoulders. They exited together.

Carroll testimony

On the stand last week, Carroll testifying in chilling detail about what happened in 1996.I’m here because Donald Trump raped me, and when I wrote about it, he said it didn’t happen,” Carroll testified. “He lied and shattered my reputation, and I’m here to try to get my life back.Carroll acknowledged she is a registered Democrat and thinks Trump is “evil” and “vile” and was a terrible president, but testified that her political views have nothing to do with her pursuit of this lawsuit.I’m not settling a political score,” Carroll said. “I’m settling a personal score because he called me a liar repeatedly and it really has decimated my reputation. I’m a journalist — the one thing I have to have is the trust of the readers.Carroll’s attorney Michael Ferrara asked why she didn’t go public with her allegations when Trump first ran for president.I noticed that the more women who came forward to accuse him, the better he did in the polls,” she said.Tacopina, in cross examination, repeatedly asked questions about why Carroll did not scream during the approximately 3-minute alleged attackI’m not a screamer,” Carroll responded. “I was too much in panic to scream.You can’t beat up on me for not screaming,” she told the defense lawyer. “Women who don’t come forward, one of the reasons they don’t come forward is they are asked why they didn’t scream. Some women scream, some women don’t. It keeps women silent.In his closing argument Monday, Tacopina said he knows Trump is a divisive figure, but that shouldn’t matter to jurors when reaching a verdict.People have very strong feelings about Donald Trump. That’s obvious,” Tacopina said. “There’s a time and a secret place to do that: it’s called a ballot box during an election.What they want is for you to hate him enough to ignore the facts,” Tacopina added. “All objective evidence cuts against her.

Jury did not find that Carroll proved rape

While the jury did not find that Carroll had proven rape, it did find that she proved Trump committed sexual abuse.The jury had been instructed that a person is liable for sexual abuse when they another person to sexual contact without consent.Under New York law, “sexual contact” means “any touching of the sexual or other intimate parts of a person for the purpose of gratifying the sexual desire of either party.The state’s law says that a person is liable for rape when a person forces sexual intercourse with another person without their consent. For the purposes of this law, “sexual intercourse” means “any penetration, however slight, of the penis into the vaginal opening.Both sexual abuse and rape are sexual offenses in New York.

Verdict doesn’t affect Trump’s legal ability to run for president

The verdict not have any legal effect on Trump’s presidential candidacy. For one, it is a civil case, and during the 2016 campaign Trump also faced all sorts of civil action — like the fraud cases concerning Trump University that were settled shortly after he was elected — that had no bearing on the requirements for the presidency that are laid out in the Constitution.Trump also faces unrelated criminal exposure, most prominently in the case that Manhattan prosecutors have brought against him for hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels, who claimed they two had an extramarital affair (Trump denies the claim).At the same time, a successful criminal prosecution of the former president is unlikely to affect — at least from a legal standpoint — his ability to be reelected to the White House.

Notably, there is precedent for convicted felons to run for federal office — including for the office of the presidency. Eugene V. Debs, a perennial socialist candidate for the White House in the early 20th century, was incarcerated on an espionage conviction when he won more than 900,000 votes in a 1920 presidential campaign.

This story was first published on CNN.com, “Jury finds Donald Trump sexually abused E. Jean Carroll in civil case, awards her $5 million”

‘ ‘London-police-express-regret-over-coronation-arrests’: ‘author’: ‘Ivana Kottasová, CNN’ ‘categories’: [’90febd36-3bb8-453a-86aa-322eeb5841f5′] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T04:57:33.000+08:00 ‘imagesource’: ‘jcr:306fe08c-c856-45bb-9731-3e21a8d7a6e0’ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘e71746d5-61da-49fb-9a51-8ffd46f330f7’ ‘lead’: ‘London’s Metropolitan Police Service has expressed “regret” over the arrests of anti-monarchy activists on Saturday, the day of King Charles III’s coronation.’ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T04:59:23.207+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘faith’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T04:59:23.529+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘London police express ‘regret’ over arrests of anti-monarchy protesters during coronation’ ‘visualType’: ‘image

(CNN) — London’s Metropolitan Police Service has expressed “regret” over the arrests of anti-monarchy activists on Saturday, the day of King Charles III’s coronation.

It comes after the Met initially defended the dozens of arrests made on Saturday following fierce backlash, with many accusing the force of taking a heavy-handed approach toward demonstrators led by Britain’s largest anti-monarchy group, Republic.Police arrested 64 people on coronation day. Among those were six anti-monarchy protesters, who have since been released and will face no further action, police said.In a statement released Monday, the force did not apologize for the arrests but said it regretted the fact that activists were unable to join the planned protest because of the detentions.Graham Smith, head of Republic, was among the six people arrested on Saturday. He said three Met Police officers visited his home on Monday to apologize and return the items that were confiscated from him during the arrest.They apologised while wearing a body cam. I made it clear the apology is not accepted as we will be taking further action,” he said on Twitter.The Met said it made the arrests on Saturday based on the new and highly controversial Public Order Act, which came into effect when King Charles III signed it last week. The royal ascent is a formality, but its timing just days before the coronation raised eyebrows.The new law gives police powers to take stronger action against people engaging in peaceful demonstrations. It criminalizes some long standing protest tactics, such as locking on, or physically attaching oneself to things like buildings and roads. It also gives police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.Writing in the Evening Standard newspaper on Tuesday, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley said that, by Friday evening, his force had “become extremely concerned by a rapidly developing intelligence picture.He said the intelligence suggested some protesters were “intent on using rape alarms and loud hailers as part of their protest which would have caused distress to military horses.Rowley added that the Met had said in advance that “there would be a low tolerance of disruption and zero tolerance of security and safety threats.In a statement issued late Monday, the Met said the six Republic activists were arrested over concerns that they were “seeking to seriously disrupt the event” after officers found items that “could be used as lock-on devices” in their car.However, police said that the investigation “has been unable to prove intent to use them to lock-on and disrupt the event.Smith said the group carried luggage straps which were intended to be used to secure their posters. “It was not physically possible to ‘lock on’ with them,” he said on Twitter.Republic also said it spent months working with police liaison officers and meeting senior commanders in order to be able to protest during the coronation. Police said it was “not clear” at the time of the arrest that Smith was engaging with the protest liaison team and that the liaison team was not present during the arrests.While it is unfortunate that the six people affected by this were unable to join the hundreds of peaceful protestors, I support the officers’ actions in this unique fast-moving operational context,” Rowley said in his Evening Standard opinion piece.The coronation was attended by a large number of VIP guests — including more than 100 heads of states — so security was tight throughout central London. The Met said before the event that the day would mark the largest policing action in decades.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who is responsible for the Met Police’s strategic goals, said Monday that he requested more clarity from the force. “While it’s vital the police are able to keep us safe, it must be balanced with protecting the right to peaceful protest — an integral part of democracy,” he said.

This story was first published on CNN.com, “London police express ‘regret’ over arrests of anti-monarchy protesters during coronation”

‘ ‘Canadian-diplomat-expelled-from-China’: ‘author’: ‘Simone McCarthy, Paula Newton and Caitlin Hu, CNN’ ‘categories’: [’90febd36-3bb8-453a-86aa-322eeb5841f5′] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T05:01:26.000+08:00 ‘imagesource’: ‘jcr:7b738f07-8629-4dd2-af96-c2e3bdc8825e’ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘3758a0e5-fabe-422b-b1d8-4c63edfec443’ ‘lead’: ‘China on Tuesday expelled a Canadian diplomat in Shanghai, a day after Canada announced it would expel a Chinese diplomat over allegations he was involved in efforts to intimidate a Canadian politician. ‘ ‘ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T05:03:15.427+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘faith’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T05:03:15.827+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘Canadian diplomat expelled from China in tit–for-tat measure’ ‘visualType’: ‘image

(CNN) — China on Tuesday expelled a Canadian diplomat in Shanghai, a day after Canada announced it would expel a Chinese diplomat over allegations he was involved in efforts to intimidate a Canadian politician.

In a statement Tuesday, China’s Foreign Ministry said it strongly condemned the expulsion of Toronto-based diplomat Zhao Wei, and as “reciprocal countermeasure,” would declare Jennifer Lynn Lalonde, a consul of the Consulate General of Canada in Shanghai, persona non grata.Lalonde has been asked to leave China before May 13, according to the statement.The tit-for-tat move marks a new low in a years-long deterioration of ties between the two countries and comes amid a period of rising concerns in Canada about Chinese influence, including public uproar over allegations that China attempted to meddle in Canada’s 2019 and 2021 elections.Hours after Beijing announced it would expel Lalonde, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson at a regular briefing threatened that China would “resolutely and forcefully respond” if the Canadian government “keeps acting recklessly” and accused Canadian media and some politicians of “fabricating false information.Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa on Tuesday that Canada would “not be intimidated” by Beijing’s reaction.We will take whatever action is necessary to continue to protect our democracy and show that we’re standing up for our values and our principles. We understand there is retaliation but we will not be intimidated,” Trudeau said.Canada moved to expel Zhao on Monday, following mounting public pressure on the Canadian government to respond to revelations the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) found an accredited Chinese diplomat in the country had taken efforts toward targeting opposition lawmaker Michael Chong and relatives who may be in China.The alleged targeting took place after Chong sponsored a motion to condemn China’s treatment of its Uyghur Muslim minority group. The intelligence was first reported by Canadian newspaper the Globe and Mail earlier this month.Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly on Monday said Ottawa “will not tolerate any form of foreign interference in our internal affairs. Diplomats in Canada have been warned that if they engage in this type of behaviour, they will be sent home.Beijing has repeatedly denied accusations of political interference in Canada.The two countries’ relations have already come under significant strain in recent years, in particular following Beijing’s detention of two Canadians in China in move widely seen as retaliation for Canada’s 2018 arrest of a Chinese businesswoman Meng Wanzhou.Beijing repeatedly denied that their cases were political retaliation, but the two men, former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor, were released on the same day Meng was allowed by Canada to return to China in 2021.There have also been growing public concern about alleged Chinese interference within the country, including through the operation of overseas police stations and policing of speech in the country, which has a large community of people with Chinese heritage.

Mounting pressure

Allegations of Chinese interference in Canadian politics have become a growing challenge for the government of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who earlier this year initiated an investigation to identify and combat foreign interference in Canada’s elections and its democracy.Trudeau has said intelligence services had failed to brief him about the alleged targeting of Chong. His Foreign Ministry summoned Chinese Ambassador to Canada Cong Peiwu last week after the media reporting on the intelligence emerged.Chong, who represents the Wellington-Halton Hills district in Ontario, had called for Zhao’s expulsion and criticized Trudeau’s government for being too slow to act.In a statement posted to Twitter on May 1, Chong said that he found out about the intelligence — which was referenced in a 2021 CSIS report — through the Globe and Mail report, despite having been briefed on general foreign interference threats by CSIS.Like many Canadians, I have family abroad. The PRC’s (People’s Republic of China) targeting of family abroad to intimidate and coerce Canadians here at home is a serious, national threat,” Chong wrote in the statement, in which he says he has family in Hong Kong.Chong was among several political figures sanctioned by China in March 2021 in what Beijing called a response to American and Canadian sanctions against individuals and entities in its western region of Xinjiang “based on rumors and disinformation.China has been accused of committing serious human rights violations that may amount to crimes against humanity in its treatment of Uyghur and other Muslim minorities in the region. Beijing denies the claims, and rights groups have documented its efforts to quash international focus on the situation there.In February 2021, Canada’s parliament passed its non-binding motion saying China’s treatment of Uyghurs in the Xinjiang region constitutes genocide.

Repercussions?

China has yet to specify what “countermeasures” it may take in response to Zhao’s expulsion, but these could include a tit-for-tat expulsion of a diplomat at Canada’s mission in China.Beijing is also widely seen to have a track record of using economic or trade-related measures to express displeasure with diplomatic partners.The expelled diplomat Zhao was listed in the Department of Global Affairs’ record of foreign diplomats as working in China’s Toronto consulate, the Globe and Mail reported earlier this month.His name was not visible in a CNN search of the directory of China’s foreign representatives Monday night.Prior to naming Zhao as “persona non grata” Monday, Foreign Affairs Minister Joly last week said Canada’s government needed to carefully weigh how China might react to a Canadian response.

China would “of course” take action against Canada’s “economic interest, consumer interest and also diplomatic interests,” Joly told parliamentarians on Thursday, adding that, “I know that we are under pressure to go fast, (but) we need to make sure as well that we protect our democracy.”

This story was first published on CNN.com, “Canadian diplomat expelled from China in tit-for-tat measure”

‘ ‘meteorite-strikes-New-Jersey-home’: ‘author’: ‘Jackie Wattles and Tina Burnside, CNN’ ‘categories’: [’90febd36-3bb8-453a-86aa-322eeb5841f5′] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T05:03:26.000+08:00 ‘imagesource’: ‘jcr:0cb72726-c366-4c3e-86a7-07ffcb2013f0’ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘028f5fb3-34cd-4ff3-a134-1a4ec61dc46c’ ‘lead’: ‘What could be a meteorite struck a home in Hopewell Township, New Jersey, authorities said Monday. Officials said the strike might have been related to the Eta Aquariid meteor shower. No injuries were reported.’ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T05:04:40.327+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘faith’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T05:04:40.617+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘Possible meteorite strikes New Jersey home, authorities say’ ‘visualType’: ‘image

(CNN) — What could be a meteorite struck a home in Hopewell Township, New Jersey, authorities said Monday. The metallic object crashed through the roof of a house and ricocheted around a bedroom. No one was in the bedroom at the time of the incident, and no injuries were reported.

Police are still working to determine the precise nature of the object, though officials suspect it is related to the current meteor shower, called the Eta Aquariids, according to a statement from the Hopewell Township Police Department in New Jersey.The Eta Aquariid meteor shower is an annual phenomenon in which debris from the famous Halley’s Comet rains down into Earth’s atmosphere. The celestial event was expected to peak this past Saturday, according to American Meteor Society predictions, though it will last through May 27.I did touch the thing because I just thought it was a random rock,” Suzy Kop, a local resident who said the rock fell through the roof of her father’s bedroom, told CNN affiliate KYW-TV in Philadelphia. “And it was warm.I just thank God that my father was not here. No one was here,” she added. “You know, we weren’t hurt or anything.The outermost part of meteorites can reach scorching temperatures because of the incredible friction and pressure involved with plunging into the Earth’s thick atmosphere at high speeds, though they typically cool off significantly as they reach the ground.Space rocks strike all the time, distributed evenly across the Earth’s surface. But striking a home or populated area is rare because the majority of our planet is covered in oceans or undeveloped areas.A meteorite strike is not, however, unheard of.In November, for example, an object believed to be a meteorite from the Taurid meteor shower struck a house in Northern California, according to CNN affiliate KCRA in Sacramento. A fire broke out soon after. The Nevada County resident, Dustin Procita, was at home with his two dogs at the time of the incident. One of the dogs died in the fire.Authorities in New Jersey said the possible meteorite that struck on Monday measured about 4 inches by 6 inches.It penetrated the roof, the ceiling and then impacted the hardwood floor before coming to a rest,” police said.The police department “has contacted several other agencies for assistance in positively identifying the object and safeguarding the residents and the object.

Another distinguishing characteristic is the potential specimen’s weight. A meteorite will be much heavier for its size than a typical Earth rock because it’s packed with dense metals.

This story was first published on CNN.com, “Possible meteorite strikes New Jersey home, authorities say”

‘ ‘Efren-Bata-Reyes-early-SEA-Games-exit’: ‘categories’: [’26cd2aca-e96d-4813-956c-11c0f3a1281f’] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T05:14:59.000+08:00 ‘imagesource’: ‘jcr:4082c47d-8b96-449b-87fd-6dbe612de3ec’ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘0081b6cb-1417-40af-bb08-f99a2f53451a’ ‘lead’: ‘Billiards icon Efren ‘Bata’ Reyes suffered an early exit in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games and broke his six-year medal streak after losing to Cambodia in the men’s three-cushion carom singles. ‘ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T05:17:16.827+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘faith’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T06:01:20.699+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘Efren ‘Bata’ Reyes takes early SEA Games exit after upset from Cambodia’ ‘visualType’: ‘image

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 10) — Billiards phenom Efren “Bata” Reyes suffered an early exit in the 32nd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games and broke his six-year medal streak after losing to Cambodia in the men’s three-cushion carom singles.

Reyes lost to Cambodia’s Woo Donghoon, 15-40, in the round of 16 at the AEON Mall on Tuesday.The 68-year-old athlete’s last out-of-podium finish was in 2017 when he dropped out of English billiards singles and English billiards doubles with Francisco “Django” Bustamante.Reyes took home back-to-back one-cushion carom bronzes in the past two SEA Games.Filipino pool players Carlo Biado and Johann Chua also failed to get into semi-final rounds of their men’s nine-ball event.Pinay pool players Rubilen Amit and Chezka Centeno were also eliminated from the quarterfinals of the women’s three-cushion carom.

Meanwhile, remaining contender Francisco dela Cruz is still in the running in men’s three-cushion carom singles and slipped past Thailand to move to the last eight.

‘ ‘Taiwan-unavoidable-topic-in-ASEAN-Summit’: ‘categories’: [‘b3b3f789-2fc8-49bd-8c51-bc446e3087d9’] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T05:17:22.000+08:00 ‘imagesource’: ‘jcr:66eb631d-1d2d-439f-9dff-73bbb671073d’ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘841dd687-e33c-4aa6-bb7b-c12d98f6d273’ ‘lead’: ‘The tensions in the Taiwan Strait will be an ‘unavoidable’ topic at the upcoming 42nd ASEAN Summit, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. says.’ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T05:20:13.505+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘faith’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T06:00:33.475+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘Marcos: Talks on Taiwan Strait ‘unavoidable’ at ASEAN Summit’ ‘visualType’: ‘image

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 10) — The tensions in the Taiwan Strait will be an “unavoidable” topic at the upcoming 42nd ASEAN Summit, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Tuesday.

“Parang inevitable, eh. Unavoidable ‘yung subject matter na ‘yun dahil pare-pareho na mga miyembro ng ASEAN. Siyempre, it is a grave concern to all the member-states of ASEAN,” Marcos said when asked if the Taiwan issue would be tackled during the biannual meeting.

[Translation: It seems inevitable. The subject matter is unavoidable because they are all members of ASEAN. Of course, it is a grave concern to all the ASEAN member-states.]So it’s considering that we also agree on the concept of ASEAN centrality when it comes to regional concerns that will be one of the most important subjects that we’ll bring up,” he added.

The chief executive also said a lot has changed since the last ASEAN Summit and the member-states may need to “really calibrate” the plans.

In his recent trip to the United States, Marcos with and US President Joe Biden maintained the need to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Tensions brew between the US and China over Taiwan’s independence as Beijing insists that Taiwan is part of its territory.

RELATED: What’s at stake for PH in US-China tensions over Taiwan

“There’s no way around it. That will inevitably be a part of the conversation that we’ll be having tomorrow and the day after,” Marcos said.

‘ ‘Mary-Jane-Veloso-pardon-plea-ASEAN-Summit’: ‘categories’: [‘b3b3f789-2fc8-49bd-8c51-bc446e3087d9’] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T05:20:20.000+08:00 ‘imagesource’: ‘jcr:ab51ddd5-a0d2-4f91-87ad-5b857a9178ef’ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ’60b42d55-950a-4cfa-82e7-682e8b09e294′ ‘lead’: ‘President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. says he continues to ask Indonesia for a commutation or pardon for convicted drug mule and prisoner Mary Jane Veloso.’ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T05:22:50.063+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘faith’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T05:59:17.234+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘Marcos on Mary Jane Veloso’s pardon plea: We haven’t really stopped’ ‘visualType’: ‘image

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 10) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday said he continues to ask Indonesia for a commutation or pardon for convicted drug mule and prisoner Mary Jane Veloso.

“Ganoon pa rin (It’s still the same). We haven’t really stopped,” Marcos said when asked if he would raise Veloso’s case in meetings with Indonesian President Joko Widodo.

The impasse is that we continue to ask for a commutation or even a pardon or extradition back to the Philippines. That is constantly there,” he added.Marcos also said the Indonesian government continues to insist that Veloso’s sentence “is the law.Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo asked Indonesia to grant executive clemency to Veloso in September 2022.

Veloso was convicted of drug trafficking after being caught with 2.6 kilos of heroin in Yogyakarta in 2010. She was meted the death penalty in the same year.

“They’ve already given us postponement [of Veloso’s execution], but that doesn’t mean it’s done. I always, at least, bring it up na baka sakali, baka sakali magbago (just in case their decision changes),” Marcos said.

‘ ‘AFP-journalist-killed-Ukraine-war’: ‘author’: ‘Helen Regan, CNN’ ‘categories’: [’90febd36-3bb8-453a-86aa-322eeb5841f5′] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T06:44:23.000+08:00 ‘imagesource’: ‘jcr:ee60e3ae-ae37-4eaf-8be8-889f90bb5e65’ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘413f579e-551f-48fa-8130-336b782a8923’ ‘lead’: ‘Arman Soldin, 32, was AFP’s video coordinator in Ukraine and was killed in a rocket attack on the outskirts of the town of Chasiv Yar, near Bakhmut. ‘ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T06:46:35.451+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘lara’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T13:29:43.382+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ”Brave and tenacious’ AFP journalist Arman Soldin killed in rocket fire in eastern Ukraine’ ‘updated’: 2023-05-10T13:29:37.000+08:00 ‘visualType’: ‘image

(CNN) — A French journalist working for the international news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) was killed by rocket fire near the embattled city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday.

Arman Soldin, 32, was AFP’s video coordinator in Ukraine and was killed in a rocket attack on the outskirts of the town of Chasiv Yar, near Bakhmut, AFP announced on Twitter, citing colleagues who witnessed the incident.

\”We are devastated to learn of the death of AFP video journalist Arman Soldin in eastern Ukraine today,\” AFP said. \”All of our thoughts go out to his family and loved ones.\”

Soldin was with four colleagues at the time of the attack, but the other journalists were not injured, the news agency said.

Their reporting team was with Ukrainian soldiers when they came under fire around 4:30pm local time on Tuesday, according to AFP.

Soldin, a French citizen with Bosnian origins, was an experienced reporter who had regularly traveled to the front lines, the news agency said. He had been AFP’s video coordinator there since September 2022 and covered the conflict from the early days of Russia’s invasion.

\”Our journalists travel regularly to this area to report on clashes in the region, the epicenter of fighting in Ukraine for several months,\” AFP said in its statement.

Soldin is one of the several known journalists killed since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, including Fox News photojournalist Pierre Zakrzewski and consultant Oleksandra \”Sasha\” Kuvshynova, journalist and documentarian Brent Renaud, and photojournalist Maks Levin.

Born in Sarajevo, Arman was evacuated to France in 1992 as the Bosnian war broke out, and he told AFP in an interview last year that \”stories about refugees affect me,\” according to the agency’s obituary.

He joined AFP in 2015 in Rome and his first staff posting was in London later that year, according to the news agency.

Following news of his death, there was an outpouring of grief and condolences from his friends and colleagues.

\”The whole agency is devastated by the loss of Arman,\” said Fabrice Fries, CEO of AFP, according to the news agency. \”His death is a terrible reminder of the risks and dangers faced by journalists on a daily basis when covering the conflict in Ukraine.\”

Earlier this month Soldin kept his video camera rolling as he and his team of journalists came under rocket fire near the front line.

\”Being caught under a rain of Grad yesterday with a bunch of trench-diggers is probably one of the worst things that I’ve experienced since being in Ukraine, with rockets exploding less than 50 meters away,\” he wrote. \”Pure terror.\”

Colleagues who had worked with Soldin in Ukraine described him as a \”brave and tenacious journalist\” and \”full of enthusiasm for life\” in comments posted on Twitter.

One video posted in tribute showed him laughing and singing the 80s pop song \”Forever Young\” while driving with colleagues in April 2022.

In one of Soldin’s last Twitter threads, he posted a series of videos about rescuing a baby hedgehog that the team had found at the bottom of a crater from Russian shelling in Chasiv Yar. Soldin took the hedgehog back to base and hand-fed it back to health.

\”Arman was the kind of guy who saved hurt hedgehogs in war zones. He was an incredible and vibrant personality and a great journalist. We miss him. We are mourning him. Rest in peace,\” said Jonathan Brown, AFP’s deputy news editor for Moscow and Kyiv, on Twitter.

French President Emmanuel Macron mourned Soldin’s death, saying on Twitter: \”We share the pain of his family and all his colleagues.\”

\”With courage, from the first hours of the conflict he was at the front to establish the facts. To inform us. We share the pain of his loved ones and all his colleagues.\”

Ukraine’s ambassador to the UN Sergiy Kyslytsya called Soldin a \” remarkable journalist\” who \”paid with his life for his courage.\”

\”My condolences to his loved ones. Respect for all those who take enormous risks to speak the truth about the horrors of war in Ukraine,\” he said.

In their obituary, AFP wrote that Soldin celebrated his 32nd birthday on March 21 from Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine.

\”A decent bottle had been opened for the occasion and a colleague had got his guitar out,\” AFP quoted his colleague Antoine Lambroschini as saying.

“Arman had a delighted little smile on his face.”

‘ ‘Luigi-Trillo-takes-over-as-Meralco-Bolts-Head-Coach’: ‘categories’: [‘d79cec3f-3d3d-43b4-ba13-9570763c6111’] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T07:50:26.000+08:00 ’embedimage’: ‘jcr:21d8dbd7-449f-45a9-a4d2-7a89d496da01′ ’embedsource’: ‘

‘ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘82682a8c-fa9f-44f3-87b6-f7bd945502b5’ ‘lead’: ‘Over at the PBA the Meralco Bolts shuffling its coaching staff ahead of the 48th season. ‘ It was announced last Monday that long-time assistant coach Luigi Trillo will take over as the head coach while Norman Black will be team consultant. ‘ Serbian coach Nenad Vucinic, meanwhile will serve as the team’s active consultant. ‘ ‘ Coach Luigi joins us now via Zoom.’ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T07:51:42.855+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘abby’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T07:51:43.078+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘Luigi Trillo takes over as Meralco Bolts Head Coach’ ‘visualType’: ’embed

Over at the PBA the Meralco Bolts shuffling its coaching staff ahead of the 48th season.

It was announced last Monday that long-time assistant coach Luigi Trillo will take over as the head coach while Norman Black will be team consultant.
Serbian coach Nenad Vucinic, meanwhile will serve as the team’s active consultant.

Coach Luigi joins us now via Zoom.

‘ ‘Importance-of-family-doctors–medicine-in-health-care’: ‘categories’: [‘d79cec3f-3d3d-43b4-ba13-9570763c6111’] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T07:51:49.000+08:00 ’embedimage’: ‘jcr:c714572c-6f55-4ab8-8c88-07e04aec864d’ ’embedsource’: ‘

‘ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘de9233a7-58ac-4a8b-a416-a2f8599f60fe’ ‘lead’: ‘Family medicine is considered the center of primary care. ‘ It’s a medical specialty that provides comprehensive health care for all individuals and members of the family regardless of age and gender. ‘ And as we celebrate World Family Doctor day on May 19th we take a look at the vital role of family doctors in the health care system. ‘ ‘ Joining us now live via Zoom is Dr. Cheridine Oro-Josef. ‘ She’s a Family Medicine Doctor.’ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T07:52:56.174+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘abby’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T07:52:56.365+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘Importance of family doctors, medicine in health care’ ‘visualType’: ’embed

Family medicine is considered the center of primary care.

It’s a medical specialty that provides comprehensive health care for all individuals and members of the family regardless of age and gender.
And as we celebrate World Family Doctor day on May 19th we take a look at the vital role of family doctors in the health care system.

Joining us now live via Zoom is Dr. Cheridine Oro-Josef.

She’s a Family Medicine Doctor.

‘ ‘marcos-asean-summit’: ‘categories’: [‘b3b3f789-2fc8-49bd-8c51-bc446e3087d9’] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T09:59:30.000+08:00 ‘imagesource’: ‘jcr:c2ddf0c2-a95f-4c33-8dc2-ca31ae4a635c’ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘931d033d-b5c7-4e5c-8860-9f8223c4d908’ ‘lead’: ‘Southeast Asian leaders, including Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., formally opened on Wednesday the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Indonesia, where they are expected to discuss post-COVID-19 plans for economic recovery and other issues facing the region.’ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T10:00:44.627+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘lisbet’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T10:00:44.858+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘Marcos, Southeast Asian leaders open 42nd ASEAN Summit in Indonesia’ ‘visualType’: ‘image

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 10) — Southeast Asian leaders, including Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., formally opened on Wednesday the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Indonesia, where they are expected to discuss post-COVID-19 plans for economic recovery and other issues facing the region.

Malacañang said in a statement that the biannual meeting, with the theme “ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth,” seeks to bolster the region’s economic recovery and “make Southeast Asia the world’s engine of sustainable growth.”Some of the points that leaders are set to tackle include the adoption of the One Health Initiative, which targets to reaffirm ASEAN’s commitment to prevention, preparedness, and response to health emergencies.Marcos earlier said that participating in the ASEAN Summit would give a boost to the Philippines’ “community-building efforts” and ensure the security of Filipinos.Discussions on issues about the South China Sea, Myanmar, and Taiwan are also expected to be highlighted during the summit.Marcos said talks on the rising tensions over the Taiwan Strait are “unavoidable,” stressing it is a “grave concern” to all ASEAN members.

Meanwhile, Marcos will also take part in the 15th Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asian Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Summit on Thursday.

In these meetings, we will have the opportunity to highlight the importance of strengthening cooperation in the BIMP-EAGA sub-region to sustain its thriving economy, the strong partnership between the executive and legislative of ASEAN, the pivotal role of the private sector and the youth in advancing growth and shaping the future, as well as the future direction of the ASEAN vision,” Marcos said.

ASEAN member states include Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

‘ ‘breast-cancer-screening-age-40’: ‘author’: ‘ Jacqueline Howard, CNN’ ‘categories’: [’90febd36-3bb8-453a-86aa-322eeb5841f5′] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T10:02:19.000+08:00 ‘imagesource’: ‘jcr:878cdc83-4430-4842-b526-58aa5f23515b’ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘3afdf1d8-995a-4120-8a60-ed4b3907b162’ ‘lead’: ‘The US Preventive Services Task Force is proposing that all women at average risk of breast cancer start screening at age 40 to reduce their risk of dying from the disease, according to a new draft recommendation statement. ‘ ‘ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T10:06:51.141+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘vince’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T10:07:25.287+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘Women should start screening for breast cancer at age 40 instead of 50, health task force says in draft recommendation ‘ ‘ ‘visualType’: ‘image

(CNN) — The US Preventive Services Task Force is proposing that all women at average risk of breast cancer start screening at age 40 to reduce their risk of dying from the disease, according to a new draft recommendation statement.

It’s an update to the 2016 recommendation, in which the task force recommended that biennial mammograms, which are x-rays of the breasts, start at age 50 and that the decision for women to screen in their 40s \”should be an individual one.\”

Some groups, such as the American Cancer Society, already have been recommending for women to start mammograms in their 40s.

\”Our new task force recommendation is recommending that women start screening with mammography for breast cancer at age 40 and screen every other year until age 74,\” said USPSTF Vice Chair Dr. Wanda Nicholson, a senior associate dean and professor at George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health.

The USPSTF, a group of independent medical experts whose recommendations help guide doctors’ decisions and influence insurance plans, released the proposed update to its breast cancer screening guidance Tuesday. The recommendation is not final but will be available on the task force website for public comment through June 5, along with a draft evidence review and draft modeling report.

The draft recommendation is for all people assigned female at birth, including cisgender women, trans men and nonbinary people, who are at average risk for breast cancer.

Nicholson said that women with dense breasts and those with a family history of cancer generally fall into this category but not women who have a personal history of breast cancer or a family history of genetic mutations, like mutations on the BRCA gene, as they are considered to be at high risk.

The updates would not apply to those at an increased risk of breast cancer, who may already have been encouraged to screen at 40 or earlier. They should continue to follow the screening practices that their doctors have recommended.

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the United States, and rates of death are highest among Black women.

‘Screening alone is not enough’

The update to the recommendation \”will save more lives among all women,\” Nicholson said. \”And this is particularly important for Black women, who are 40% more likely to die from breast cancer.\”

The draft recommendation comes a few weeks after a study in the journal JAMA Network Open found that the rate of breast cancer deaths among women in their 40s was 27 per 100,000 person-years for Black women, compared with 15 deaths per 100,000 in White women and 11 deaths per 100,000 in American Indian, Alaska Native, Hispanic and Asian or Pacific Islander women. The researchers suggested that Black women start screening at younger ages, around 42 instead of 50.

The USPSTF members are calling for more research into these racial inequities in breast cancer, Nicholson said, and for all women who get abnormal mammogram results to receive equitable follow-up evaluations, additional testing, biopsies and treatment when needed.

\”Screening alone is not enough. Once someone screens with an abnormal mammogram, the subsequent steps in care must occur — timely follow-up, biopsies that are indicated — and Black women must have access to equitable treatment,\” she said.

\”We’re calling for more research to look across the health systems as to why these inequities occur,\” she said, adding that the draft recommendation also calls for more research into whether women with dense breasts should get additional screening and among \”women who are 75 years of age and older, whether and how to screen that population.\”

Cases in younger people

To review and update breast cancer screening guidance, the task force members analyzed data from thousands of study abstracts and hundreds of research papers on screening programs, cancer cases and deaths in the United States.

They found that screening with mammograms every other year provided a moderate benefit to women ages 40 to 74, as the benefits, such as detecting cancer early, outweigh potential harms, such as the risk of a false positive that could lead to unnecessary tests and emotional stress.

The evidence is \”insufficient\” to determine the risks and benefits for screening in women 75 and older, the group determined.

The task force also noticed that the rate of breast cancer diagnoses has been rising each year among women at younger ages.

Population-based data \”showed that the rate of breast cancer diagnoses was increasing at 2% annually since 2015. So more women than ever before are being diagnosed in their 40s,\” Nicholson said.

An estimated 12.9% of women born in the United States today will develop breast cancer at some time during their lives, according to the National Cancer Institute.

\”Within our recommendation, we’re calling for more research to have a better understanding of the causes and mechanisms that may be contributing to breast cancer development in all women, and in particular among Black women,\” she said. \”We know that Black women continue to have more aggressive tumors.\”

A paper published in October in the journal Nature suggests that the incidence of various cancers diagnosed in adults 50 and younger has been rising in many parts of the world since the 1990s.

\”The rising incidence of early-onset cancers is probably partially attributable to increasing uptake of screening and early detection before the age of 50 years, to variable degrees across certain cancer types, especially breast, prostate and thyroid cancers,\” the researchers wrote.

\”However, increasing incidence of early-onset cancers in several organs, such as colorectal and pancreatic cancers, which might not be fully explained by screening is also apparent,\” the researchers wrote. \”This trend could reflect increased risk factor exposures in early life and/or young adulthood.\”

To screen biennially or annually?

The draft recommendation appears to be catching up with what other organizations have been recommending for some time.

It aligns more closely — but not entirely — with American Cancer Society recommendations that women ages 40 to 44 have the option to screen with a mammogram every year, women 45 to 55 get mammograms every year, and women 55 and older can switch to a schedule of mammograms every other year.

\”There are some similarities and some differences. So, now, the new task force recommendations has changed from screening at age 50 to age 40. And our recommendations currently are that women should begin to have the opportunity to begin annual screening if they choose beginning at age 40. The big difference there is, we recommend annual screening at that age, while the task force recommends biennial screening,\” said Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer of the American Cancer Society, who was not involved in the USPSTF draft recommendation.

\”But the big thing is, I think, a lot of women were being screened probably starting in their 40s, and so this is consistent, I think, with how most women and practitioners have been looking at screening,\” he said.

Both the USPSTF and the American Cancer Society recommendations are for women at average risk. Dahut said that women should talk to their doctors about whether they might have a higher risk for breast cancer and what screening practices would be best for them, including factors like a family history of ovarian or breast cancer or dense breasts, which have less fatty tissue and more connective tissue and have been associated with a higher risk of breast cancer.

\”The change in guidelines by the USPSTF to endorse screening mammograms for average risk women 40 and over is warranted, incorporates more modern and ‘real world’ data into the science informing the guidelines and will hopefully prompt payers to provide better coverage for women seeking breast cancer screening,\” Dr. Laura Dominici, a breast cancer surgeon at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center, said in an emailed statement. She was not involved in the USPSTF draft recommendation.

\”This is particularly important related to racial disparities in screening, as Black women are more likely to develop aggressive cancers at younger ages, contributing to worse outcomes,\” Dominici said. \”I am glad to see inequities in screening being acknowledged, but more attention to this will be needed in future guidelines.\”

Still, the new draft recommendation will not change how Dr. Maxine Jochelson discusses breast cancer risks and the important of screening with her patients, she said.

\”Unfortunately, the fact that they’re still recommending every other year rather than yearly screening, and in particular in the younger population, is very disappointing,\” said Jochelson, chief of the breast imaging service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, who was not involved in the USPSTF draft recommendation.

You are going to miss earlier cancers if you’re waiting longer, and younger women and Black women often have more aggressive cancer,” she said. “I’m going to still tell them to have yearly screening.

This story was first published on CNN.com, “Women should start screening for breast cancer at age 40 instead of 50, health task force says in draft recommendation”

‘ ‘makati-life-medical-center-public-private-partnership’: ‘categories’: [‘b3b3f789-2fc8-49bd-8c51-bc446e3087d9’] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T10:17:29.000+08:00 ‘imagesource’: ‘jcr:ef30904c-63cb-41c6-a4ea-2eec626b2842’ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘2e628e2f-10ed-4174-b661-fd340f652e8b’ ‘lead’: ‘A ₱9.77-billion healthcare facility in Makati City funded under a public-private partnership (PPP) has started its partial operations, the local government said Wednesday.’ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T10:20:43.576+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘lisbet’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T10:20:43.771+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘PH’s largest public-private partnership hospital in Makati starts partial ops’ ‘visualType’: ‘image

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 10) — A ₱9.77-billion healthcare facility in Makati City funded under a public-private partnership (PPP) has started its partial operations, the local government said Wednesday.

The city government said the outpatient department of Makati Life Medical Center is now operational, and the city’s Yellow Card holders, including private patients, can access healthcare, consultations, diagnostic, and pharmacy services.

“[This] marks a great milestone for the people of Makati, especially our senior citizens, as they now have access to quality primary care services 24/7,” Mayor Abby Binay said in a statement.

Binay considers Makati Life Medical Center as the country’s “most significant” PPP project to date. It is a partnership between the city government and LifeNurture Incorporated.

The city said that the full operations of the medical center are being eyed by the first quarter of 2024.The hospital is designed to have a total of 360 beds and 190 doctor’s clinics. It would also be equipped with advanced medical technology and modern facilities focusing on prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation services.

Makati Life Medical Center would also have a physical rehabilitation center that will use robotics in treating joint and soft tissue ailments.

‘ ‘saudi-arabia-syria-diplomatic-missions’: ‘author’: ‘Eyad Kourdi and Hande Atay Alam, CNN’ ‘categories’: [’90febd36-3bb8-453a-86aa-322eeb5841f5′] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T10:20:23.000+08:00 ‘imagesource’: ‘jcr:21b2d425-c060-4101-8512-b5d0d31786a8’ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘553a158d-a222-473a-8d92-e672db205574’ ‘lead’: ‘Saudi Arabia and Syria have resumed the work of diplomatic missions in both countries, according to state media, more than a decade after Riyadh cut ties over the Syrian government’s brutal handling of its civil war.’ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T10:23:19.054+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘pia’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T10:23:19.263+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘Saudi Arabia and Syria to resume diplomatic missions after decade-long freeze: state media’ ‘visualType’: ‘image

(CNN) — Saudi Arabia and Syria have resumed the work of diplomatic missions in both countries, according to state media, more than a decade after Riyadh cut ties over the Syrian government’s brutal handling of its civil war.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia decided to resume the work of its diplomatic mission in the Syrian Arab Republic,” the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported Tuesday.

The announcement came two days after Syria was readmitted into the Arab League — despite repeated objections from the United States to ending the isolation of a regime that it holds accountable for the deaths of more 300,000 civilians and displacement of millions in the country’s civil war.

Damascus also announced the decision to resume work of its diplomatic mission in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, according to Syrian state media SANA, citing a statement from an official source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Based on the deep bonds and common affiliation of the peoples of the Syrian Arab Republic and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and in confirmation of both communities’ wills, and based on the Syrian Arab Republic believe in the importance of strengthening bilateral relations between Arab countries to serve joint Arab action, The Syrian Arab Republic decided to resume the work of its diplomatic mission in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” the statement reads.

Officials and analysts have said that Syria’s re-admission into the Arab League, while symbolic, comes with the hope that it could pave the way for President Bashar Al Assad’s rehabilitation internationally, and potentially the removal of crippling sanctions against his regime.

This story was first published on CNN.com, “Saudi Arabia and Syria to resume diplomatic missions after decade-long freeze: state media.”

‘ ‘joe-biden-us-congress-debt-default’: ‘author’: ‘Maegan Vazquez, CNN’ ‘categories’: [’90febd36-3bb8-453a-86aa-322eeb5841f5′] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T10:24:16.000+08:00 ‘imagesource’: ‘jcr:c954d030-736e-452f-9571-cc8988e16436’ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘4fb7efd2-20a7-424b-8011-12d56dead794’ ‘lead’: ‘President Joe Biden and top congressional leadership will meet again on Friday after they emerged from their hour-long meeting in the Oval Office on Tuesday with little to show that they’re moving toward a deal to raise the debt ceiling and avoid a default that would have catastrophic economic consequences.’ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T10:30:39.798+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘pia’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T10:30:40.318+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘Biden to meet with congressional leadership again on Friday as threat of national debt default looms’ ‘visualType’: ‘image

(CNN) — President Joe Biden and top congressional leadership will meet again on Friday after they emerged from their hour-long meeting in the Oval Office on Tuesday with little to show that they’re moving toward a deal to raise the debt ceiling and avoid a default that would have catastrophic economic consequences.

House Republicans want to attach spending reductions to a debt ceiling increase and have passed a debt limit plan that does just that. But Biden and congressional Democrats have insisted on passing a clean increase on the debt limit before addressing a framework for spending.

After the meeting, Biden told reporters that White House and congressional leadership staff will meet daily before Friday’s top-level meeting.

The president said he “made it clear” during the meeting “that default is not an option,” adding that he’s “absolutely certain” the US can avoid defaulting on its obligations because an “overwhelming number of members of … Congress know it would be a disaster.”

Look, over these last few days and weeks … there’s a lot of politics, posturing and gamesmanship that’s going to continue for a while. But I am squarely focused on what matters and we’re getting to work,” Biden said in the Roosevelt Room. “As I’ve said all along, let’s discuss what we need to cut, what we need to protect, what new revenue we can raise and how to lower the deficit to put our fiscal house in order. But in the meantime, we need to take the threat of default off the table.While leaders in the meeting indicated it wasn’t discussed in the Oval Office, president told reporters that he is considering whether to invoke the 14th Amendment to declare the debt limit unconstitutional after Washington resolves the current debt limit issue. He suggested that litigation may take too long to make a difference in current negotiations.I’ll be very blunt with you. When we get by this, I’m thinking about taking a look at, months down the road, to see what the court would say about whether or not it does work,” Biden added.

The president also said he doesn’t think his aides have studied minting a trillion-dollar coin to avoid another debt crisis.

He said it’s “possible” but “not likely” that he’ll skip his upcoming foreign travel if the debt ceiling is not raised by the time he is due to leave in late May — just before the US could start to default on June 1.

Although expectations for the meeting were low, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told reporters that he didn’t see any new movement since his last meeting with the president to discuss the matter in February.I would hope that he’d be willing to negotiate for the next two weeks so we could actually solve this problem and not take America on the brink,” McCarthy said outside the West Wing following the meeting.The California Republican said he asked the president for areas where he’d engage on spending reductions, but “he wouldn’t give me any.Speaking alongside McCarthy, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell attempted to assuage fears of a default, stating that “the United States is not going to default. It never has and it never will. However, elections have consequences. We now have divided government. We didn’t have a divided government last year.However, McCarthy would not offer concrete assurances about preventing default.I’m speaker of the House,” he said. “I’m not the leader of the Senate. I’m not the president … I’ve done everything in my power to make sure it will not default. We have passed a bill that raised the debt limit. Now, I haven’t seen that in the Senate.So,” the speaker continued, “I don’t know.House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also told reporters outside the White House that McCarthy was the only leader in the meeting who would not take default off the table.Responding to McCarthy’s reluctance to take default off the table, Biden told reporters, “I don’t know what he thinks. … I think he knows better. I think he knows that default would be disastrous.Jeffries said that the meeting attendees are organizing their respective teams “to have a discussion about a path forward around the budget and the appropriations process, and everyone agreed.That’s progress,” he added.Officials had indicated Biden’s goal for the meeting was to move spending negotiations onto a separate track, removing the threat of default while giving Republicans assurances he will engage in good-faith negotiations about federal spending.

Tuesday’s meeting — comprised of the four congressional leaders as well as a handful of congressional and White House aides — marked the first in-person, top-level discussions on the matter at the White House in months.

Biden had not formally held a meeting with McCarthy since February, when the two last discussed the debt ceiling at the White House.McCarthy has signaled opposition to a short-term debt limit lift, but Biden has said the only thing he’s ruling out is default. The speaker also said that Congress will need deal in principle to lift debt limit by next week.

Heading into Tuesday’s meeting, McCarthy had more leverage than many expected him to have and House Republicans remain largely behind him.

There isn’t a single bright line or ‘must have’ that I am married to,” South Dakota GOP Rep. Dusty Johnson, a key McCarthy ally, told CNN. “The totality of the deal has to make real and substantial change to how our country spends and borrows. There are lots of different ways to get there.

Many House Republicans believe the speaker has built trust within their ranks over the last several months — a testament, they say, to a leader who barely clinched the speakership after a historic 15 rounds of voting.

A source close to McCarthy said the speaker — after months of listening sessions and meetings — feels comfortable with where his conference’s hard lines and negotiable provisions lie. He’s spent the last several days touching base with Republican members across the ideological spectrum and speaking with Louisiana GOP Rep. Garret Graves, who he selected to take lead as a policy adviser on this issue.

Asked what would be a victory in negotiations with the White House, North Dakota Republican Rep. Kelly Armstrong said, “Kevin getting us the best deal he can after the White House engages in good faith negotiations.I recognize what I want and what can get 60 votes in the Senate may not be the same,” he added.

McConnell — known as a Senate deal maker with stronger ties to Biden than McCarthy — has signaled that he won’t come to rescue Democrats in negotiations.

“The solution to this problem lies with two people, the president United States, who can sign a bill and deliver the members of his party to vote for it, and the Speaker of the House,” McConnell told reporters after Tuesday’s meeting. “There is no sentiment in the Senate — certainly not 60 votes — for a clean debt ceiling. So there must be an agreement and the sooner the president and the speaker can reach an agreement, the sooner we can solve the problem.”

In the Senate, all but six Senate Republicans have vowed to oppose raising the debt ceiling “without substantive spending and budget reforms,” backing McCarthy’s position.

The US hit the debt ceiling set by Congress in January. That forced the Treasury Department to begin taking extraordinary measures to keep the government paying its bills. And Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen recently warned that the US could default on its obligations as soon as June 1 if Congress doesn’t address the debt limit.

A breach of the US debt ceiling risks sparking a 2008-style economic catastrophe that wipes out millions of jobs and sets America back for generations, Moody’s Analytics has warned. The impact could include delayed Social Security payments, late paychecks for federal employees and veterans and a direct hit to Americans’ investments.

This story and headline have been updated with additional developments.

This story was first published on CNN.com, “Biden to meet with congressional leadership again on Friday as threat of national debt default looms.”

‘ ‘robert-de-niro-seventh-child’: ‘author’: ‘Alli Rosenbloom, CNN’ ‘categories’: [‘111cf2e1-ee3e-406d-8e6d-d80924595c9c’] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T10:30:44.000+08:00 ‘imagesource’: ‘jcr:17e7351c-59a2-48ae-a941-4aea9b7d9085’ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ’91ed97ba-bfde-4186-bae5-1b863d42baa0′ ‘lead’: ‘Robert De Niro is a dad again, a representative for the actor confirmed to CNN on Tuesday.’ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T10:35:04.064+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘pia’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T10:35:04.316+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘Robert De Niro, 79, welcomes his seventh child’ ‘visualType’: ‘image

(CNN) — Robert De Niro is a dad again, a representative for the actor confirmed to CNN on Tuesday.

The Oscar-winner first shared the news on Monday in an interview with ET Canada to promote his new film, aptly named “About My Father.”

Speaking of fatherhood in the interview, the 79-year-old politely corrected interviewer Brittnee Blair when she mentioned De Niro’s previously known six children.Seven, actually,” De Niro said, adding “I just had a baby.

De Niro has six children from previous relationships but it’s unclear who the mother of his seventh child is.

The “Godfather” actor also shared that he relishes being a father, saying that he believes in “being loving with (his) kids” even if he has to be “stern about stuff” at times.

I don’t think I’m a cool dad,” De Niro said modestly, going on to joke about how his 11-year-old daughter, whom he “adores,” gives him “grief” sometimes.And my youngest now, that’ll be more to come,” he added with a smile.The actor was previously married to Diahnne Abbott from 1976 to 1988 and they are the parents of two children, Drena and Raphael. In 1995 he welcomed twin sons, Aaron and Julian, with his girlfriend at the time, Toukie Smith. De Niro was also previously married to Grace Hightower before they split in 2018, and the pair are parents to son Elliot and daughter Helen Grace.

This story was first published on CNN.com, “Robert De Niro, 79, welcomes his seventh child.”

‘ ‘louisiana-hide-and-seek-shooting’: ‘author’: ‘Devon M. Sayers, CNN’ ‘categories’: [’90febd36-3bb8-453a-86aa-322eeb5841f5′] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T10:37:43.000+08:00 ‘imagesource’: ‘jcr:231f4ca2-ccd1-4137-a5a8-d5e51737d852’ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘f3dd71a4-75af-4767-a9d1-79f811749c82’ ‘lead’: ‘Officials in Southwest Louisiana have charged a 58-year-old man in connection with the shooting of a group of juveniles who were playing hide-and-seek, one of whom was injured. ‘ ‘ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T10:39:35.811+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘vince’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T10:49:54.969+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘Louisiana man arrested in connection with the shooting of a 14-year-old girl while she was playing hide-and-seek ‘ ‘ ‘visualType’: ‘image

(CNN) — Officials in Southwest Louisiana have charged a 58-year-old man in connection with the shooting of a group of juveniles who were playing hide-and-seek, one of whom was injured.

The incident happened early Sunday in the small town of Starks, Louisiana, near the Texas state line.

Authorities say that a group of juveniles \”were playing hide and seek in the area and were hiding on the neighbor’s property,\” when David V. Doyle fired his weapon.

Doyle told detectives that he \”observed shadows outside his home, at which time he went inside and retrieved his firearm. He then advised detectives he went back outside and observed people running away from his property, at which time he began shooting at them,\” according to a release from the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office.

A 14-year-old girl was shot in the back of the head and was transported to the hospital with \”non-life threatening injuries,\” the department said.

The area where the shooting occurred is a dead-end road with only three residents: Doyle, the victim’s family and a relative of the victim’s family, CNN affiliate KPLC reported.

Doyle was charged with aggravated battery; four counts of aggravated assault with a firearm; and illegal discharge of a firearm, the department said.

CNN was unable to locate an attorney for Doyle.

This story was first published on CNN.com, “Louisiana man arrested in connection with the shooting of a 14-year-old girl while she was playing hide-and-seek” 

‘ ‘poland-mayor-death-balcony-sardinia’: ‘author’: ‘Antonia Mortensen, Barbie Latza Nadeau and Catherine Nicholls, CNN’ ‘categories’: [’90febd36-3bb8-453a-86aa-322eeb5841f5′] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T10:40:34.000+08:00 ‘imagesource’: ‘jcr:f22745ee-e8f0-4f22-9ada-8513848b742f’ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘87337456-3c14-46c5-b744-d13928cced85’ ‘lead’: ‘A Polish Mayor died after falling from a fourth-floor window of a hotel in Sardinia, Italy, the Polish Press Agency (PAP) reported on Tuesday. ‘ ‘ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T10:41:41.572+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘vince’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T10:52:33.114+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘Polish mayor falls to death from hotel balcony in Sardinia, Italy’ ‘visualType’: ‘image

(CNN) — A Polish mayor died after falling from a fourth-floor window of a hotel in Sardinia, Italy, the Polish Press Agency (PAP) reported on Tuesday.

The mayor, named by his municipality as Radosław Grzegorz Ostakiewicz, was visiting the Sardinian village of Cagliari with the Polish delegation, after he fell out of the window of a room in the Due Colonne hotel.

A spokesperson for the Cagliari police, said Ostakiewicz was sitting on the windowsill and lost his balance. The death is not being investigated as a suicide and there was no violence involved, he added.

The 44-year-old was the mayor of Jaworze, a village in southern Poland. A press release from the village’s municipality described his death as \”tragic\” and an \”unfortunate accident.\”

“Our thoughts are with loved ones. Mayor, family, acquaintances, friends, and residents of the commune. Honor his memory,” the municipality press release reported.

This story was first published on CNN.com, “Polish mayor falls to death from hotel balcony in Sardinia, Italy” 

‘ ‘cheng-lei-china-australia-1000-days’: ‘author’: ‘Jessie Yeung, CNN’ ‘categories’: [’90febd36-3bb8-453a-86aa-322eeb5841f5′] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T10:42:32.000+08:00 ‘imagesource’: ‘jcr:691f287c-826f-4836-814a-45e41ca72afe’ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘4947692c-20f5-4091-a4ba-1cdcab4e7da1’ ‘lead’: ‘Friends and family of Australian television anchor Cheng Lei renewed calls for her release from detention in China, 1,000 days after she was taken into custody on espionage charges — a move that has cast a black mark on the two countries’ already tense relationship. ‘ ‘ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T10:44:30.474+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘vince’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T10:44:31.028+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘After 1,000 days in China detention, family renews call for release of Australian TV anchor Cheng Lei ‘ ‘ ‘visualType’: ‘image

(CNN) — Friends and family of Australian television anchor Cheng Lei renewed calls for her release from detention in China, 1,000 days after she was taken into custody on espionage charges — a move that has cast a black mark on the two countries’ already tense relationship.

Cheng, a former business anchor for China’s state broadcaster CGTN and mother of two, is accused of illegally supplying state secrets overseas, a charge that carries a possible sentence of between five years to life in prison.

Australian authorities have previously expressed concern about her detention amid suggestions from analysts that strained ties between Canberra and Beijing may have provided impetus for the opaque case against her.

Relations between the two countries have thawed in recent months, with trade increasing and a new Australian government in place. But Cheng’s prolonged detention is a \”critical issue\” holding back further reconciliation, Nick Coyle, Cheng’s partner, told CNN on Tuesday.

\”The ongoing delay, the ongoing situation, causes enormous damage not only to Lei and her two children, but I think it’s also causing a lot of damage in terms of the efforts by both China and Australia to repair the bilateral relationship,\” said Coyle.

He added that people in Australia and around the world view her detention with \”a lot of negative sentiment,\” and that \”it would be in everyone’s best interest for it to be resolved as quickly as possible.\”

Cheng had been on her way to work on the morning of August 13, 2020, when she \”was taken by China’s Ministry of State Security,\” Coyle said in a separate letter published in The Australian newspaper on Monday.

\”Now 1,000 days later, we still don’t know why she was taken, why she was charged with deliberately vague national security breaches or when she might be with us again,\” he wrote.

Australia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Penny Wong also released a statement on Monday, writing on Twitter: \”Despite being separated from her family for so long, she has shown great resilience and courage. All Australians want to see her reunited with her children.\”

Wong added that the ministry shared the concerns of Cheng’s friends and family about \”the ongoing delays in her case,\” and that it would continue advocating for Cheng \”at every opportunity with the Chinese government.\”

Secretive court process

Chinese authorities have not revealed details of the allegations against Cheng, which Coyle told CNN Tuesday \”makes no sense to me.\”

\”She’s somebody who’s a deeply passionate Australian, but also very proud of her Chinese heritage,\” he said. He added that as a journalist, Cheng had been reporting on \”the positive aspects of the China growth story\” and China’s business engagement with the world. She was \”making a very positive contribution in that context — so it has never made sense to me why she was detained,\” he said.

Observers have also criticized China’s secretive, closed-door court process.

In March last year, Australia’s ambassador to China was denied entry to the start of Cheng’s trial in Beijing, a move he called \”deeply concerning.\” The court has not yet handed down a verdict, delaying the announcement multiple times — leaving Cheng stuck in custody, and her loved ones without clarity on her fate.

Cases related to national security are typically tried behind closed doors in China. But the lack of transparency in Cheng’s case against the backdrop of deteriorating relations between China and Australia prompted concerns from analysts that the charges may be politically motivated.

Soon after Cheng was detained, two Australian journalists working in China fled the country after authorities attempted to question them on national security grounds, leaving Australia’s media without any journalists in China for the first time in nearly 50 years.

While there were still some Australian journalists working in China, all are employed by non-Australian media companies.

For much of Cheng’s detention, there were widespread concerns about her wellbeing. Last June, Coyle told CNN affiliate Sky News Australia that Cheng had faced \”difficult health challenges along the way,\” exacerbated by an inadequate prison diet.

In his letter published Monday, Coyle described Cheng spending six months cut off from the outside world, limited to those consular visits, which began every month with Cheng \”being led in, blindfolded and handcuffed.\” Since then, she has been placed with other cellmates and given access to an outdoor courtyard for two hours a day, he wrote.

When speaking to CNN on Tuesday, Coyle said Cheng was allowed to receive and send letters once a month — but other than that, she has had no face-to-face contact or phone calls with loved ones including her children, aged 11 and 14, who are being cared for in Australia by their grandmother. Coyle is not their father.

“The most difficult issue for her to deal with is the long time that she’s been away from her children,” said Coyle. “Physically she’s going okay, and mentally she’s very tough, very strong, very resilient.”

This story was first published on CNN.com, “After 1,000 days in China detention, family renews call for release of Australian TV anchor Cheng Lei”

‘ ‘Remulla-cancel-Arnie-Teves-passport’: ‘categories’: [‘b3b3f789-2fc8-49bd-8c51-bc446e3087d9’, ‘1033ef4e-3828-4911-abeb-0c44153b925b’] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T12:00:57.000+08:00 ‘imagesource’: ‘jcr:43d6c513-e05b-46ae-b340-c48d795dd7fd’ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘a33dcb0e-9a3c-4d46-8196-57780c3b473f’ ‘lead’: ”The right to travel is a constitutional right so we have to respect that right…Given that, we will only cancel it when there is a cause to cancel it, which is a court case for murder or terrorism or whatever cases will be filed,’ Justice Secretary Boying Remulla said in a briefing.’ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T12:02:39.961+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘bamba’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-11T15:55:38.216+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘Remulla: Gov’t to cancel Teves’ passport once charged in court’ ‘visualType’: ‘image

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 10) — The Department of Justice (DOJ) will request for the cancellation of Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves’ passport once a criminal case is filed against him in court for his alleged involvement in the murder of Gov. Roel Degamo, Justice Secretary Boying Remulla said Wednesday.

Remulla made the clarification in a media briefing after he told CNN Philippines that the processing of the cancelation of Teves’ passport may start next week or as soon as the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) files a murder complaint against the congressman with the DOJ.

“Once the NBI files a case with the prosecutors, we can now seek for the cancelation of the passport. But effectively, the passports are canceled when there is already a court case. So we will wait for the cases to be filed before the courts by the prosecutors…before we seek the cancelation of the passport,” Remulla explained during the briefing.

“The right to travel is a constitutional right so we have to respect that right… Given that, we will only cancel it when there is a cause to cancel it, which is a court case for murder or terrorism or whatever cases will be filed,” the DOJ chief added.

It was revealed on Tuesday that Teves, who was tagged as the mastermind of Degamo’s murder, is currently in the capital city of Dili in Timor-Leste and has applied “for a protection visa with the intent of asylum.”

The Timor-Leste government denied Teves’ application and ordered the embattled lawmaker to leave within five days.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said the congressman may still appeal the decision during the five-day period.

Remulla said he expects Teves to travel back and forth between South Korea and Cambodia, as well as in Bangkok where some of Teves’ people are.

In the Wednesday briefing, the justice secretary said the agency has information confirming that Teves holds another passport from another jurisdiction. He said every travel using a diplomatic passport needs to be revalidated by the DFA.

“It is only good for one trip. Let’s say he [Rep. Teves] already used it for his United States trip, it would not be good for other trips anymore,” Remulla said.

Two months after the assassination of Degamo in March, the DOJ chief said they aim to file the complaints against Teves by the end of this week or Monday next week.

Asked why authorities are taking so long to file the complaints, Remulla said they only want to make sure it will be strong and will lead to conviction.

Remulla also said the technical working group formed to tackle the possible designation of Teves as terrorist will meet in the next two weeks.

While the process will take another two weeks, Remulla said he believes the congressman will be designated as such given the evidence so far gathered by authorities.

Remulla said individuals that can be tagged as terrorists are those who played important roles in the Degamo slay that left fear within the populace of Negros Oriental.

Teves’ assets will be frozen once he is designated as a terrorist, he added.

He also said Teves can be considered a fugitive since he is also facing multiple murder complaints in relation to the killing of at least four individuals in 2019.

“He [Rep. Teves] is wanted for legal processes (subpoenas). He is unable to receive subpoenas because he has absented himself from the country knowing fully well that there are charges,” Remulla said.

‘ ‘teves-no-plans-going-back-philippines-bato’: ‘categories’: [‘b3b3f789-2fc8-49bd-8c51-bc446e3087d9’] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T12:21:24.000+08:00 ‘imagesource’: ‘jcr:12b36b05-6ad4-4b02-8d8c-c97de8fde00e’ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘3fc45767-5b01-4c83-925d-72d0278e86ad’ ‘lead’: “Senator Ronald Dela Rosa on Wednesday said he believes suspended Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. has no intention of returning to the country anytime soon to face the charges against him. \n” ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T12:24:21.068+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘vince’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T12:55:52.578+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: “Teves has no plans to return home to face charges – Bato \n” ‘visualType’: ‘image

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 10) — Senator Ronald Dela Rosa on Wednesday said he believes suspended Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. has no intention of returning to the country anytime soon to face the charges against him.

The Department of Justice on Tuesday said Teves has applied for a protection visa with the intent of asylum at Timor-Leste, where he is staying at the moment.

But the Department of Foreign Affairs said Timor-Leste has denied the lawmaker’s request later in the day and ordered him to leave the capital of Dili after five days.

\”Seeking asylum for what? Political reasons lang naman ang pwede i-grant […] Kaya siguro na-deny kasi hindi niya na-justify,\” said Bato, who chairs the Senate committee looking into the murder of the lNegros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo.

[Translation: Seeking asylum for what? Authorities can only grant it for political reasons […] He might have been denied because he failed to justify the reason.]

Teves has been tagged in the series of killings in Negros Oriental, including Degamo’s assassination in March.

He flew to the US late February for medical treatment, but the travel authority issued to him by the House of Representatives expired on March 9. The chamber suspended him for his continued absence.

\”Wala talaga, siguro. Just like mga previous people in the same situation with him, maghihintay na lang ng after this administration saka mag-surface. Baka ganoon ang diskarte,\” said Bato when asked if he thinks Teves intends to return to Manila.

[Translation: I don’t think so. Just like with the previous people who were in the same position as him, he will probably wait until the end of this administration to resurface again. That might be his plan.]

But the senator said he keeps his mind open with regards to Teves’ innocence.

\”It’s an accepted saying, flight means guilt, pero for me I still have to leave my mind open,\” he added. \”Huwag muna magsara.\”

[Translation: It’s an accepted saying, flight means guilt, but I still have to leave my mind open. I will not close it for now.]

Teves’ legal team has always reiterated that he is not hiding and is willing to return to the country if there will be assurance of his safety and if authorities will be fair in processing the cases.

Complaints for murder and illegal possession of firearms and explosives have been filed against the suspended lawmaker.

‘ ‘Justice-Secretary-Boying-Remulla—The-Source’: ‘categories’: [‘d79cec3f-3d3d-43b4-ba13-9570763c6111’] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T12:24:23.000+08:00 ’embedimage’: ‘jcr:39a119c0-c664-47e4-9776-3ee5372e93dc’ ’embedsource’: ‘‘ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘d8056ad7-bd40-45c3-8f20-136c94dd8f61’ ‘lead’: “Timor-Leste denies Congressman Arnie Teves’ application for political asylum. \n\nFormer Corrections Chief Gerald Bantag sends another surrender feeler to the Department of Justice. \n\nAnd about a dozen individuals to face charges for trafficking foreign nationals to work for cyber fraud in Pampanga\n\nJustice Secretary Boying Remulla joins us live.” ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T12:26:24.887+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘abby’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T12:56:22.526+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘Justice Secretary Boying Remulla | The Source’ ‘visualType’: ’embed

Timor-Leste denies Congressman Arnie Teves’ application for political asylum.

Former Corrections Chief Gerald Bantag sends another surrender feeler to the Department of Justice.

And about a dozen individuals to face charges for trafficking foreign nationals to work for cyber fraud in Pampanga

Justice Secretary Boying Remulla joins us live.

‘ ‘PH-envoys-to-U.S.–Joint-patrols-in-WPS-may-start-before-yearend-‘: ‘categories’: [‘d79cec3f-3d3d-43b4-ba13-9570763c6111’] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T12:26:28.000+08:00 ’embedimage’: ‘jcr:d8000ec3-8703-4e46-9f6e-1a9520f2c753′ ’embedsource’: ‘

‘ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘e359edde-42ea-4265-bdab-8580c6310bdb’ ‘lead’: ‘Talks between Manila and Washington are underway for joint patrols in the West Philippine Sea, which could start before the year ends. ‘ ‘ But analysts are warning against the repercussions of such patrols amid rising tensions with Beijing. ‘ ‘ Tristan Nodalo reports.’ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T12:27:33.253+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘abby’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T12:27:33.442+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘PH envoys to U.S.: Joint patrols in WPS may start before yearend ‘ ‘visualType’: ’embed

Talks between Manila and Washington are underway for joint patrols in the West Philippine Sea, which could start before the year ends.

But analysts are warning against the repercussions of such patrols amid rising tensions with Beijing.

Tristan Nodalo reports.

‘ ‘Gatchalian-warns-vs.–pandemic-of-mental-health-‘: ‘categories’: [‘d79cec3f-3d3d-43b4-ba13-9570763c6111’] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T12:27:37.000+08:00 ’embedimage’: ‘jcr:466d13f5-160e-4756-b695-bbcf12f1fb88′ ’embedsource’: ‘

‘ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘5a8fe1b1-6b76-4604-867b-8f4a8f5a3579’ ‘lead’: ‘A senator sounds the alarm about the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the mental health of Filipinos. ‘ ‘ Eimor Santos reports. ‘ ‘ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T12:28:47.776+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘abby’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T12:28:47.944+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘Gatchalian warns vs. ‘pandemic of mental health” ‘visualType’: ’embed

A senator sounds the alarm about the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the mental health of Filipinos.

Eimor Santos reports.

‘ ‘DICT-eyes-launch-of-digital-driver-s-license-in-June-‘: ‘categories’: [‘d79cec3f-3d3d-43b4-ba13-9570763c6111’] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T12:28:56.000+08:00 ’embedimage’: ‘jcr:82506986-c4f2-4c75-8be5-4505587299ce’ ’embedsource’: ‘

‘ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘cca4050d-843c-460c-b988-8f3a8af379a4’ ‘lead’: ‘The government eyes to launch its planned Super App for digital driver’s licenses in June. ‘ ‘ This will be implemented in light of a recent shortage of physical cards. ‘ ‘ Senior correspondent Gerg Cahiles has more. ‘ ‘ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T12:30:06.533+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘abby’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T12:30:06.715+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘DICT eyes launch of digital driver’s license in June ‘ ‘visualType’: ’embed

The government eyes to launch its planned Super App for digital driver’s licenses in June.

This will be implemented in light of a recent shortage of physical cards.

Senior correspondent Gerg Cahiles has more.

‘ ‘marcos-aging-population-asean’: ‘categories’: [‘b3b3f789-2fc8-49bd-8c51-bc446e3087d9’] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T12:51:26.000+08:00 ‘imagesource’: ‘jcr:20e84ad2-9497-49fd-aeee-7b95f8e8217a’ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘ca9cef66-df5d-4714-9894-4a0f7725de87’ ‘lead’: ‘President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called on his colleagues in the region to look into issues surrounding an aging society in light of a recent report that stated one in four people in Asia Pacific will be over the age of 60 by 2050.’ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T12:52:58.883+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘lisbet’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T13:29:26.608+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘Marcos calls on ASEAN to address aging population’ ‘visualType’: ‘image

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 10) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called on his colleagues in the region to look into issues surrounding an aging society in light of a recent report that stated one in four people in Asia Pacific will be over the age of 60 by 2050.

“Decades to sustain economic growth and prosperity have resulted in longer life spans in ASEAN… I think therefore it is time that ASEAN starts discussing the concerns of an aging population, consistent with the Asian tradition of valuing our elders,” Marcos said in a speech Wednesday during the opening session of the 42nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Indonesia.According to a report by the Asian Development Bank (ABD), China, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam could see the demographic phenomenon happening “very rapidly.” Others such as Indonesia may witness a slower transition, “but they will end up with very large populations of older persons.”The ADB noted that population aging in the region would have “wide social and economic consequences,” including the delivery of health and social services, employment, and fiscal policies.Marcos said ASEAN must see the issue “as an opportunity and a challenge” in delivering social benefits and social empowerment.He also said the group’s plans should cover the health of the elderly, as well as making sure they would have “a safe and dignified, and productive life.”

In the Philippines, the policymaking National Economic and Development Authority Board, which is chaired by the president, approved measures that aim to boost social security protection services for the vulnerable sector, including senior citizens.

‘ ‘DOJ-complaints-vs-Teves’: ‘categories’: [‘b3b3f789-2fc8-49bd-8c51-bc446e3087d9’, ‘1033ef4e-3828-4911-abeb-0c44153b925b’] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T12:49:55.000+08:00 ‘imagesource’: ‘jcr:bf8d7065-81ba-4a94-927f-108b85ea12e5’ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘a8006b8b-ada9-411e-8098-78666349288b’ ‘lead’: ”When we file a case, I want a reasonable certainty that we can convict the person,’ Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla says.’ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T12:53:27.726+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘bamba’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T12:53:28.141+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘DOJ chief: We want certainty of conviction before filing complaints vs. Teves’ ‘visualType’: ‘image

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 10) — The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday said there should be reasonable certainty of conviction before filing the complaints against Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves, the alleged mastermind in the murder of Gov. Roel Degamo.

“When we file a case, I want a reasonable certainty that we can convict the person,” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla told CNN Philippines’ The Source. “We want to be sure of what we file. We want to be sure that when we file it, we can prove it.”

Two months after the assassination of Degamo, authorities have yet to file any complaint against the alleged mastermind.

Remulla said the DOJ aims to file the complaints by Friday this week or Monday next week.

“It’s not a very simple case, it involves many actors, it involves so many statements, it involves so many details,\” he explained. \”The case has to be properly written up to include all the facts that are part of the testimonies of the witnesses.\”

Teves’ former bodyguard Marvin Miranda was also tagged as a mastermind.

Investigators are still looking into at least two other individuals who also possibly participated in the killing of Degamo, Remulla said.

Meanwhile, former Negros Oriental Gov. Henry Teves, the brother of the embattled lawmaker, is not yet being considered by authorities as one of the orchestrators of the crime, the DOJ chief added.

Earlier, Levi Baligod, lawyer of the Degamo family, said the suspects named the Teves brothers as the main perpetrators of the murder.

In total, there are 10 suspects under custody, while one was killed in a firefight with the police team trying to arrest him.

Teves, on the other hand, is reportedly in the capital city of Dili in Timor-Leste and has applied \”for a protection visa with the intent of asylum.\”

The Timor-Leste government has denied Teves’ application and has ordered the lawmaker to leave within five days.

Teves first left the country late February to fly to the United States for medical purposes. Despite an expired travel authority, he has refused to return to the Philippines, prompting the House of Representatives to suspend him.

Remulla said authorities will push for the cancelation of Teves’ passport after filing the complaints.

‘ ‘Japan-to-open-NATO-office’: ‘author’: ‘Jessie Yeung and Marc Stewart, CNN’ ‘categories’: [’90febd36-3bb8-453a-86aa-322eeb5841f5′] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T13:08:05.000+08:00 ‘imagesource’: ‘jcr:3850af18-cbd2-407b-92aa-86588baf59f5’ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘5fb97ada-7813-47f1-a714-7edf197f880f’ ‘lead’: ‘Japan is in talks to open a NATO liaison office, the first of its kind in Asia, the country’s foreign minister told CNN in an exclusive interview on Wednesday, saying Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has made the world less stable.’ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T13:17:10.463+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘raheema’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T13:18:22.416+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘Exclusive: Japan is in talks to open a NATO office as Ukraine war makes world less stable, foreign minister says’ ‘visualType’: ‘image

(CNN) — Japan is in talks to open a NATO liaison office, the first of its kind in Asia, the country’s foreign minister told CNN in an exclusive interview on Wednesday, saying Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has made the world less stable.

\r

Japan is in talks to open a NATO liaison office, the first of its kind in Asia, the country’s foreign minister told CNN in an exclusive interview on Wednesday, saying Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has made the world less stable.

“We are already in discussions, but no details (have been) finalized yet,” Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said on Wednesday.

Hayashi specifically cited Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year as an event with repercussions far beyond Europe’s borders that forced Japan to rethink regional security.
\”The reason why we are discussing about this is that since the aggression by Russia to Ukraine, the world (has) become more unstable,\” he said.
\”Something happening in East Europe is not only confined to the issue in East Europe, and that affects directly the situation here in the Pacific. That’s why a cooperation between us in East Asia and NATO (is) becoming … increasingly important.\”

The Nikkei Asia first reported plans to open the office in Japan last Wednesday, citing unnamed Japanese and NATO officials.

In a statement to CNN last week, a NATO spokesperson said: \”As to plans to open a liaison office in Japan, we won’t go into the details of ongoing deliberations among NATO allies.\” She added that NATO and Japan \”have a long-standing cooperation.\”
Russia’s invasion drove non-aligned Finland and Sweden to abandon their neutrality and seek protection within NATO, with Finland formally joining the bloc last month.

An office in Tokyo would be hugely consequential, as the war in Ukraine and deepening divisions within Asia have seen countries like Japan and South Korea draw closer to their Western partners — and present a united front against perceived threats closer to home, such as North Korea and China.

China, which has previously warned against NATO expanding its reach into Asia or a similar bloc emerging in the region, has already responded angrily to previous reports on the possible Japan office.
\”Asia is a promising land for cooperation and a hotbed for peaceful development. It should not be a platform for those who seek geopolitical fights,\” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning in a briefing last week. \”NATO’s eastward push and interference in Asia Pacific matters will definitely undermine regional peace and stability.\”

Speaking to CNN on Wednesday, Hayashi said the opening of any NATO office was not intended to send a message “to any specific countries.”

However, he added, the security environment in Asia is becoming “more and more severe, and also complex” — and he highlighted China as “a greatest challenge for us.”

He also pointed to Russia as a neighbor to Japan, and the threat of a North Korean nuclear test, after months of warnings from observers that there is renewed activity at the test site.
Hayashi played down concerns that opening a Tokyo NATO office could further inflame tensions, saying: \”I don’t feel that’s the case.\”

The country has had a pacifist constitution since World War II — which he argued is reflected in this move.

“We are not offending anyone, we’re defending ourselves from any kind of interference and concerns, and in some cases threats,” he said.

This story was first published on CNN.com, “Exclusive: Japan is in talks to open a NATO office as Ukraine war makes world less stable, foreign minister says.”

‘ ‘DOJ-special-arrangement-for-Bantag-Zulueta’: ‘categories’: [‘b3b3f789-2fc8-49bd-8c51-bc446e3087d9’, ‘1033ef4e-3828-4911-abeb-0c44153b925b’] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T13:19:41.000+08:00 ‘imagesource’: ‘jcr:6ab19afb-e31a-464f-83e0-46a0873d13e5’ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘91340a24-4ae3-408c-8ee2-210ac5355084’ ‘lead’: ‘The DOJ says it is willing to give former BuCor chief Gerald Bantag and former deputy officer Ricardo Zulueta special arrangements once they surrender to authorities.’ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T13:21:55.374+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘bamba’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T13:21:55.744+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘DOJ open to ‘special arrangements’ for detention of Bantag, Zulueta’ ‘visualType’: ‘image

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 10) — The Department of Justice (DOJ) said Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag and former deputy officer Ricardo Zulueta – who are facing arrest warrants – may be given detention options once they surrender to authorities.

“Camp Crame detention is one. We can ask the PNP chief and other people within the police force to help us out,” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla told CNN Philippines’ The Source on Wednesday, referring to the facility inside the Philippine National Police headquarters in Quezon City where prominent personalities are detained.

Other possible facilities may be considered but the court’s permission is needed, he noted.

The two former officials were linked to the murder of broadcaster Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa and alleged middleman in the crime, Jun Villamor. 

Remulla told reporters on Tuesday that Bantag and Zulueta may not be serious about surrendering.

Bantag had sent two feelers, one through a Cabinet official and another through a law enforcement officer, he said.

The DOJ secretary said the agency understands some of the concerns, specifically of Bantag’s, given his history at the BuCor.

“He considers himself unsafe in BuCor itself. That’s why if that is his request then we can consider other detention facilities,” Remulla said.

Remulla said he believes Bantag and Zulueta can be found “in a short time.”

‘ ‘Pakistan-former-prime-minister-Imran-Khan-arrest’: ‘author’: ‘Sophia Saifi, Rhea Mogul and Azaz Syed, CNN’ ‘categories’: [’90febd36-3bb8-453a-86aa-322eeb5841f5′] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T13:29:41.000+08:00 ‘imagesource’: ‘jcr:cda20e36-9d9e-4e8f-bc89-47d5f5893210’ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘a267d467-8859-4deb-932b-6e522a5fc2a9’ ‘lead’: ‘Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is expected to appear in front of a judge Wednesday on multiple corruption charges, less than 24 hours after he was dramatically arrested by paramilitary troops in a significant escalation of a year-long political standoff that has put the South Asian country on edge.’ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T13:36:29.642+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘raheema’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T13:36:30.153+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘Pakistan on edge as Imran Khan’s supporters face off against powerful military’ ‘visualType’: ‘image

(CNN) — Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is expected to appear in front of a judge Wednesday on multiple corruption charges, less than 24 hours after he was dramatically arrested by paramilitary troops in a significant escalation of a year-long political standoff that has put the South Asian country on edge.

Khan supporters and riot police gathered outside police headquarters Wednesday, where police said the fomer prime minister’s hearing will take place rather than a court to \”keep him away from the public.\” Khan’s lawyer Faisal Chaudhry told CNN Wednesday he has had \”no contact\” with his client.

The stage is now set for the possibility of a tumultuous showdown between the country’s powerful military and Khan’s supporters following deadly and unprecedented clashes Tuesday that saw angry crowds break into and vandalize the homes of army personnel.

Video before Khan’s arrest on Tuesday show paramilitary forces breaking a window to get to the politician as he watched impassively at the unfolding chaos. Khan was then led into a vehicle surrounded by dozens of security officers and escorted away.

In a pre-recorded statement released on YouTube by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) political party after his arrest, the former prime minister said he was \”detained on incorrect charges\” and told his supporters \”the time has come for all of you to come and struggle for your rights.\”

\”I have always followed the law. I am being apprehended so that I can’t follow my political path for this country’s fundamental rights and for me to obey this corrupt government of crooks which has been hoisted on us,\” he said in the video.

Hundreds of Khan supporters responded to his call to take to the streets and violent protests broke out in several cities.

Khan supporters armed with sticks broke into the military’s headquarters in the city of Rawalpindi, just outside the capital, chanting in support of the former leader.

Protesters also blocked one of the main thoroughfares into Islamabad, throwing stones and pulling down street signs. A police vehicle was set ablaze, resulting in police retaliating with tear gas.

Meanwhile, in the southwestern city of Quetta, a Khan supporter was shot and killed by police at a protest, according to a CNN journalist at the scene.

Authorities blocked mobile internet services shortly after in a bid to quell the chaos, disrupting access to Twitter, Facebook and YouTube in the nation of 270 million. Private schools across the country were ordered shut on Wednesday, according to the Private Schools Association.

At least 43 protesters were arrested in Islamabad Tuesday, the city’s police said on Twitter.

Pakistan in crisis

Khan, 72, was ousted in a parliamentary no-confidence vote last year and has since led a popular campaign against the current government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accusing it of colluding with the military to remove him from office.

The former star cricketer turned populist politician denies the charges leveled against him, instead accusing Sharif and the military of playing a political game. The military and Sharif — who is in the United Kingdom after attending the coronation of the British monarch — deny Khan’s accusations.

The tensions have brought Pakistan, a nuclear-armed country that has for decades grappled with political instability, into unknown territory and have often boiled over into violence.

Last November, Khan survived a shooting at a political rally, in what his party called an assassination attempt.

His claims have struck a chord with a young population in a country where anti-establishment feelings are common, and are being fueled by a rising cost of living crisis as soaring inflation makes ordinary goods increasingly unaffordable.

Amid the crisis, the government has so far failed to reach an agreement with the International Monetary Fund to restart a $6.5 billion loan program that has stalled since November, in an effort to keep the economy afloat.

But the political upheaval appears to have bolstered Khan’s popularity. Last year, his PTI party won local elections in the country’s most populous Punjab province, seen as a litmus test for national elections.

This story was first published on CNN.com, “Pakistan on edge as Imran Khan’s supporters face off against powerful military.”

‘ ‘risa-hontiveros-doe-ngcp-power-energy-electricity’: ‘author’: ‘CNN Philippines Staff’ ‘caption’: ‘(FILE PHOTO)’ ‘categories’: [‘b3b3f789-2fc8-49bd-8c51-bc446e3087d9’] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T13:41:52.000+08:00 ‘imagesource’: ‘jcr:6249215b-95ef-4074-9d46-f312c34d7e9f’ ‘jcr:mixinTypes’: [‘mgnl:hasVersion’] ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘6b195e67-29a1-4126-9aa4-cdc2ed1df4c1’ ‘lead’: ‘Senator Risa Hontiveros said energy stakeholders should tackle the country’s power woes head on, adding that issues concerning power and electricity rates should be made transparent following recent unexpected power outages across several parts of the country.’ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T13:46:21.107+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘pia’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T13:48:58.951+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘pia’ ‘mgnl:lastActivatedVersion’: ‘1.0’ ‘mgnl:lastActivatedVersionCreated’: 2023-05-10T13:48:58.602+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘electricity’, ‘DOE’, ‘power’, ‘energy’] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘Hontiveros tells DOE, NGCP to ‘step up,’ be transparent with power outlook’ ‘visualType’: ‘image

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 10) — Senator Risa Hontiveros said energy stakeholders should tackle the country’s power woes head on, adding that issues concerning power and electricity rates should be made transparent following recent unexpected power outages across several parts of the country.

“Taon-taon na lang problema ang blackouts at kakulangan ng suplay,” Hontiveros said in a statement on Wednesday. “Taon-taon na rin pinananawagan sa DOE at NGCP na kumilos sila pero bakit parang wala pa ring nangyayari?”

Both of these agencies should step up and put an end to this energy crisis once and for all,” she added.[Translation: Every year the problem has always been the lack of supply and blackouts. Every year we call on the DOE and the NGCP to act on these matters but nothing ever happens. Both of these agencies should step up and put an end to this energy crisis once and for all.]

On Monday, Luzon was put under a red alert for several hours, meaning there was insufficient power to meet demand. This resulted in power outages in several areas. The alert was eventually lifted at 8 p.m. the same day.

RELATED: NGCP: 10-year-plan needed to build plants, answer power demand

In April, it was reported that the Visayas grid would continue to experience system disturbances which would lead to power outages specifically in parts of Panay Island.

Hontiveros said both the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines and the Department of Energy should be honest when talking about the state of the country’s power supply to prepare consumers.

“Baka mangako na naman na gaganda ang sitwasyon pero puro blackouts at taas-singil pa rin,” she said. “Our consumers deserve to be informed and notified. Hindi bibiglain na naman.”

[Translation: The might promise again that the situation will improve but then we continue to have blackouts and high electricity costs. Our consumers deserve to be informed and notified and not be taken by surprise.]

On Tuesday, the DOE said more yellow alerts are seen to happen this month as the Ilijan natural gas plant in Batangas is undergoing repairs and is expected to be online by May 26.

In her statement, Hontiveros said the Senate may have been “taken for a ride” by energy officials, specifically Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla, who earlier assured that power supply for the year would be sufficient.She added that El Niño could worsen the power shortage and negatively impact prices.

The senator also said these issues could lend credence to the argument that nuclear power could be the only solution to supply problems when the government should instead focus on the development and distribution of renewable energy systems.

‘ ‘Catholic-Diocese-of-Oakland-bankruptcy-‘: ‘author’: ‘Taylor Romine, CNN’ ‘categories’: [’90febd36-3bb8-453a-86aa-322eeb5841f5′] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T13:40:12.000+08:00 ‘imagesource’: ‘jcr:06851c09-ffcc-4e38-a8b0-32ead66f8578’ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘f4c05823-c362-4f90-a0f3-5ee58b35aef3’ ‘lead’: ‘The Catholic Diocese of Oakland filed for bankruptcy protection Monday after it received more than 330 legal claims of sexual abuse, Bishop Michael C. Barber announced in a letter to the parish community.’ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T13:47:51.338+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘raheema’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T13:55:04.678+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘Catholic Diocese of Oakland files for bankruptcy following more than 300 lawsuits claiming sexual abuse’ ‘visualType’: ‘image

(CNN) — The Catholic Diocese of Oakland filed for bankruptcy protection Monday after it received more than 330 legal claims of sexual abuse, Bishop Michael C. Barber announced in a letter to the parish community.

The lawsuits were filed after California suspended the statute of limitations for sexual abuse between January 2020 and December 2022, opening a three-year window where victims had until age 40 or five years from the time their abuse was discovered to file civil actions against their alleged abusers.

\”We made the filing because we believe this process is the best way to support a compassionate and equitable outcome for survivors of abuse, while ensuring we continue to provide the essential services and support so crucial to our parishioners and communities,\” Barber said in the letter.

Barber wrote \”a great majority\” of the alleged abuse in the 330 lawsuits took place between 1960 and 1989 but they are still being notified about claims.

Since that period of time, the diocese \”has put in place robust safeguards to protect children and vulnerable adults\” including background checks and training on looking out for child sexual abuse, he added.

\”We know the pain inflicted against our children and young people decades ago continues to cause great suffering. I am deeply sorrowful about this reality and pray daily for all impacted,\” Barber said.

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests said in a statement that the diocese’s bankruptcy filing \”is an attempt to deny justice and transparency\” and it is trying to hold onto \”money and secrets.\”

\”The Diocese of Oakland is surely morally bankrupt, it seems to us, but they do not deserve to be declared financially bankrupt,\” the statement said.

SNAP said the diocese owns a cathedral worth $200 million and has hundreds of acres of land.

\”Except for character and integrity, it is not poor,\” SNAP officials said in the statement.

CNN has reached out to the Diocese of Oakland for response to SNAP’s comments and claims.

The diocese will work with their pastors and congregations over the next few months to \”determine how best to address the outcome of the bankruptcy process\” and how to \”right size\” their parishes as officials also address declining engagement in the church, the Barber said.

The Diocese of Oakland serves approximately 550,000 Catholics in 82 parishes, according to their website.

Filing for bankruptcy protection doesn’t preclude a financial settlement with the litigants. In October 2020 the diocese in Camden, New Jersey, filed for Chapter 11.

And last month, the diocese and a survivors committee announced an $87.5 million settlement for about 300 victims who reported sexual abuse, according to a representative for some of the survivors.

According to The Catholic Project at The Catholic University of America — citing work by Penn State University law professor Marie Reilly — 13 US dioceses and archdioceses are in bankruptcy proceedings and 17 have emerged since July 2004.

The diocese in Oakland filed for Chapter 11 in the Northern District of California, which is also where the diocese of Santa Rosa filed in March.

This story was first published on CNN.com, “Catholic Diocese of Oakland files for bankruptcy following more than 300 lawsuits claiming sexual abuse.”

‘ ‘marcos-clean-energy-asean’: ‘categories’: [‘b3b3f789-2fc8-49bd-8c51-bc446e3087d9’] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T13:50:19.000+08:00 ‘imagesource’: ‘jcr:4fd5830f-135f-4d46-b3bd-6ffc56671503’ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘653196db-f7d1-43d3-8a29-e70d3cbfd869’ ‘lead’: ‘President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Southeast Asian leaders must be “united” in calling on developed countries to fulfill their commitments to a global emissions deal as he stressed the country’s initiative towards clean energy.’ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T14:00:32.580+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘lisbet’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T14:00:32.818+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘Marcos: PH to ‘take bold steps’ in clean energy shift’ ‘visualType’: ‘image

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 10) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Southeast Asian leaders must be “united” in calling on developed countries to fulfill their commitments to a global emissions deal as he stressed the country’s initiative towards clean energy.

“The Philippines will take bold steps to transition to renewable and alternative energy technologies in a secure and sustainable manner,” he said in a speech Wednesday during the opening session of the 42nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Indonesia.He urged ASEAN to beef up regional cooperation for the industrial metals and minerals value chain.During his first State of the Nation Address in July 2022, Marcos said the country would increase its use of hydropower, geothermal power, solar, and wind energy sources. He also directed top officials of the environment and public works departments to explore partnerships with the private sector for the development of the needed infrastructure to support this vision.Marcos’ statement continued to cite developed nations’ commitments to the Paris Agreement, which seek to cut global greenhouse gas emissions and provide financing to developing countries to prepare and cushion the impact of climate change.He said while the Philippines only accounts for “less than 1%” of global emissions, it continues to be vulnerable to the “devastating impacts” of climate change.“Developed countries have a moral obligation to support adaptation and mitigation efforts for the most vulnerable countries through technology transfer, capacity-building, and climate financing,” he said.“This, to address loss and damage and to achieve the necessary breakthroughs for climate action at a global scale,” Marcos added.A similar call was made by Marcos during his opening remarks at the ASEAN-EU Commemorative Summit in Brussels, Belgium in December.

ASEAN groups Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

‘ ‘DOJ-complaints-human-trafficking-victims-Clark’: ‘categories’: [‘b3b3f789-2fc8-49bd-8c51-bc446e3087d9’, ‘1033ef4e-3828-4911-abeb-0c44153b925b’] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T14:36:07.000+08:00 ‘imagesource’: ‘jcr:ed762be6-7ce8-43f5-ab95-f58882f4408b’ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘aeff5688-fca8-4446-ba24-bca3e81aa308’ ‘lead’: ‘The Department of Justice says it is looking into other possible crimes related to the alleged human trafficking of over 1,000 individuals in Clark, Pampanga after only 18 of them filed complaints against 12 arrested suspects.’ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T14:43:11.248+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘bamba’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T14:43:11.701+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘DOJ: Only 18 of 1,000 suspected human trafficking victims in Pampanga filed complaints’ ‘visualType’: ‘image

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 10) — The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday said it is looking into other possible crimes related to the alleged human trafficking of over 1,000 individuals in Clark, Pampanga after only 18 of them filed complaints against 12 arrested suspects.

“What was brought to us for inquest were just 12 people who were arrested with 18 complainants against them,” DOJ Sec. Jesus Crispin Remulla told CNN Philippines’ The Source. “So, the other 1,000 is a mystery to me as to why they are also under hold order unless they are being held to account for other crimes.”

The Philippine National Police on May 5 said it rescued over 1,000 suspected human trafficking victims of various nationalities from Clark Sun Valley Hub. They were supposedly forced to work as cyber scammers. 

Remulla said he is still requesting for a full report on the incident, noting that it was possible that some of the victims were forced, while some willingly participated in the scam.

“I will ask the anti-trafficking force to account for these people who are now in custody so that we can treat everybody properly,” he said.

The DOJ chief added this would also help Philippine authorities determine the status of the victims, whether they want to be repatriated or have complaints to file.

It was earlier reported that complaints against the 12 “maintainers” have already been filed during the weekend.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros revealed last month in a hearing that the Philippines is hosting its very own scam hubs operated by trafficked foreign nationals. 

She said there were possibly thousands of victims from Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, and other nations in Africa and South Asia.

‘ ‘binay-ph-ad-campaign-uk’: ‘categories’: [‘b3b3f789-2fc8-49bd-8c51-bc446e3087d9’] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T14:45:42.000+08:00 ‘imagesource’: ‘jcr:e5806d8d-9fac-4d71-81c6-42ac13b23512’ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘81148fa0-1351-4b56-bd63-a832384d5b0c’ ‘lead’: ‘The chairperson of the Senate Committee on Tourism raised concern over a new government ad campaign abroad, which she fears may send the message that the Philippines is a ‘labor-exporting’ country that treats its people as a commodity.’ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T14:48:29.096+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘kristel’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T14:48:29.496+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘New ad campaign in UK may imply PH ‘commodifying’ its people, senator says’ ‘visualType’: ‘image

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 10) — The chairperson of the Senate Committee on Tourism on Wednesday raised concern over a new government ad campaign abroad, which she fears may send the message that the Philippines is a “labor-exporting” country that treats its people as a commodity.

Senator Nancy Binay was reacting to an ad on a bus in the United Kingdom which features Filipina-British nurse May Parsons, who administered the world’s first COVID-19 vaccine shot outside of clinical trials.

Parsons is seen holding a syringe in the ad, along with the lines \”We give the world our best. The Philippines.\”

“Based on that one transit ad that recently saw the rounds in London, nakaka-bother lang [it’s bothering] when you see the ad, it seems that we are offering the world our nurses—which is a bit off kasi nauubusan na nga tayo rito ng mga health worker [because we’re seeing a shortage of health workers here],” Binay said in a statement.

“We don’t want to commodify our people, and we don’t want to be tagged as a labor-exporting country,” she added.

The lawmaker said while she appreciates the effort to give the Philippines the needed boost in the global market, there seems to be a “disconnect” in the messaging.

She described the idea as “vague,” questioning if it is meant to promote tourism in the Philippines, help bring in more investments, or encourage employers abroad to hire more Filipinos.

“Sa unang tingin pa lang, ano ang konek ng nars, heringgilya at bakuna sa pino-promote nating mga tour destination?” Binay asked.

[Translation: At first look, what’s the connection of the nurse, syringe, and vaccine to the tour destinations we are promoting?]

Binay also reiterated her call for the Department of Tourism (DOT) to consider deferring its rebranding plan for its tourism campaign, as she urged the agency to continue using the “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” slogan and to just come up with fresh permutations.

The senator earlier expressed opposition to the rebranding move, saying it is very costly, especially given the country’s financial challenges

“We have yet to see other renders and permutations of their ‘Best’ ads. But sad to say—from a tourism perspective—’di tugma ang ‘Best’ messaging sa gusto nating ma-achieve sa Philippine tourism. Ang tanong ko rin: ‘yan na ba talaga ang ia-adopt ng DOT na bagong slogan?” she said.

[Translation: “We have yet to see other renders and permutations of their ‘Best’ ads. But sad to say—from a tourism perspective—the ‘Best’ messaging does not fit what we want to achieve for Philippine tourism. My other question: Is that really what the DOT will adopt as its new slogan?]

RELATED: It’s More Fun in PH: DOT chief wants ‘evolved’ tourism slogan

‘ ‘dotr-naia-privatization’: ‘author’: ‘Currie Cator, CNN Philippines’ ‘caption’: ‘(FILE PHOTO)’ ‘categories’: [‘b3b3f789-2fc8-49bd-8c51-bc446e3087d9’, ‘9f881b11-f250-41ce-9ad5-334f860f07c0’] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T14:57:50.000+08:00 ‘imagesource’: ‘jcr:20bfb8e1-3c62-43ae-bbcd-70ed252e4e88’ ‘jcr:mixinTypes’: [‘mgnl:hasVersion’] ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘ce9283bc-51ed-43cc-859a-93dd873c0a08’ ‘lead’: ‘The Department of Transportation on Wednesday said it is finalizing the proposed terms of reference for the privatization of the country’s main gateway as it noted the need for more airports.’ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T15:03:05.609+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘pia’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T15:12:41.988+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘pia’ ‘mgnl:lastActivatedVersion’: ‘1.0’ ‘mgnl:lastActivatedVersionCreated’: 2023-05-10T15:12:41.649+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘Department-of-Transportation’, ‘DOTr’, ‘NAIA’, ‘ADB’] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘DOTr finalizing terms for NAIA privatization’ ‘visualType’: ‘image

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 10) — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Wednesday said it is finalizing the proposed terms of reference (TOR) for the privatization of the country’s main gateway as it noted the need for more airports.

The agency is working with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), with hopes of releasing the TOR by June.
\”We’re now in the process of checking the completion of requirements that were submitted to us,\” said Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista.
Plans for NAIA come on the heels of an unsolicited proposal from a consortium that offered to rehabilitate and operate the aging facility.

The ₱100-billion unsolicited proposal came from the Manila International Airport Consortium. It groups Alliance Global Group Inc., Aboitiz InfraCapital, Inc., AC Infrastructure Holdings Corporation, Infracorp Development, Inc., Filinvest Development Corporation and JG Summit Infrastructure Holdings Corporation, with US-based Global Infrastructure Partners.

Bautista said the Bulacan International Airport, currently under development, is expected to serve passengers by 2024 or 2025, while authorities are finalizing the design for the Sangley Point International Airport in Cavite.
\”[The] Manila International Airport [Authority] is very congested,\” Bautista said. \”Initial [projections] showed by 2040, we will need around 100 million capacity. Right now, MIAA will have 40 to 45 million. So, we really need those additional airports.\”

Issues at NAIA have been compounded by power disruptions at the air traffic management that has shut down the county’s air space on days with heavy passenger traffic: Jan. 1 (News Year’s Day) and May 1 (Labor Day). 

Business tycoon Manuel \”Manny\” Pangilinan has offered to shoulder the electrical audit for NAIA, according to the DOTr.

On the suspension of the MIAA head

Meanwhile, questions are being raised over the timing of the suspension of MIAA General Manager Cesar Chiong over allegations of grave abuse of authority and grave misconduct.

Bautista said Chiong was neither given the chance to explain nor was he made aware that a case was filed against him.

“Nag-file lang (siya) ng motion for reconsideration [He just filed a motion for reconsideration],” he said.

Chiong was placed under preventive suspension by the Office of the Ombudsman for up to six months for reassigning some 285 MIAA employees.

‘ ‘PNP-pinaigting-ang-pagbabantay-vs.-kabataang-naninigarilyo’: ‘categories’: [‘d79cec3f-3d3d-43b4-ba13-9570763c6111’] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T15:46:29.000+08:00 ’embedimage’: ‘jcr:088b385a-74fd-44f0-ad76-9b172c993a7b’ ’embedsource’: ‘

‘ ‘jcr:mixinTypes’: [‘mgnl:hasVersion’] ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘4ed59e4d-e6ef-4fb9-bb53-b0bfcf78664f’ ‘lead’: ‘Higit 77-percent ng mga estudyante sa Pilipinas, edead trese hanggang kinse, may access at nakakabili ng mga sigarilyo sa mga tindahan at street vendors. ‘ ‘ Ayon ‘yan sa pinakahuling global youth tobacco survey ng World Health Organization at ating pamahalaan. Kaya naman bantay-sarado na ng pulisya ang mga estudyante at meno de edad na hindi mapigilang manigarilyo at mag-vape sa mga paaralan. ‘ ‘ Kamusta kaya ang pagpapatupad ng kampanyang ito? ‘ ‘ Makakausap natin si PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Jean Fajardo.’ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T15:49:28.767+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘yancy’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T15:50:14.169+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘yancy’ ‘mgnl:lastActivatedVersion’: ‘1.0’ ‘mgnl:lastActivatedVersionCreated’: 2023-05-10T15:50:13.898+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘PNP pinaigting ang pagbabantay vs. kabataang naninigarilyo’ ‘visualType’: ’embed

Higit 77-percent ng mga estudyante sa Pilipinas, edead trese hanggang kinse, may access at nakakabili ng mga sigarilyo sa mga tindahan at street vendors.

Ayon ‘yan sa pinakahuling global youth tobacco survey ng World Health Organization at ating pamahalaan. Kaya naman bantay-sarado na ng pulisya ang mga estudyante at meno de edad na hindi mapigilang manigarilyo at mag-vape sa mga paaralan.

Kamusta kaya ang pagpapatupad ng kampanyang ito?

Makakausap natin si PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Jean Fajardo.

‘ ‘ca-bernard-chong-drug-smuggling’: ‘categories’: [‘b3b3f789-2fc8-49bd-8c51-bc446e3087d9’] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T15:49:17.000+08:00 ‘imagesource’: ‘jcr:077c3ada-19af-4ca8-acc2-e868679d7258’ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘f097910f-bcbb-464f-9220-7c5c60f8fd35’ ‘lead’: ‘The Court of Appeals (CA) overturned a Manila court decision to charge Bernard “Bren” Chong, the businessman behind gaming team Bren Esports, for his alleged involvement in a failed drug smuggling operation in March 2019.’ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T15:51:02.325+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘lisbet’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T17:46:20.479+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘CA clears Bren Esports owner of drug smuggling raps’ ‘visualType’: ‘image

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 10) — The Court of Appeals (CA) overturned a Manila court decision to charge Bernard “Bren” Chong, the businessman behind gaming team Bren Esports, for his alleged involvement in a failed drug smuggling operation in March 2019.

The decision came after “a careful re-evaluation of the records,” the CA said in a 27-page decision dated April 20.The CA said it found “no ounce of evidence” to pin down the entrepreneur’s involvement in the crime.Chong, whose family also owns sports shoes and apparel firm World Balance, was tagged in the importation of illegal drugs at the Manila International Container Port stemming from his alleged role as one of the owners of Fortuneyield Cargo Services Corporation, the assigned consignee of the seized drugs.The case even went as far as the National Bureau of Investigation launching a manhunt against the businessman.But the CA said Chong proved he was no longer linked to Fortuneyield.

“At the crux of the controversy rests on whether petitioner’s claim that he was no longer connected with Fortuneyield on or about March 22, 2019, that time of the alleged commission of the crime, by reason of his resignation, assignment of shares, and replacement as president of the said company long before the said commission of the crime, has been sufficiently established,” the CA said.

“A judicious scrutiny reveals that the trial court whimsically found probable cause against herein petitioner on the expedient basis that there was a “damning evidence” against him of an e-filing with the Bureau of Customs allegedly submitted on June 2018 declaring herein petitioner as a general manager of Fortuneyield. However, the commission of the crime took place on or about March 22, 2019. Thus there is no sufficient basis to conclude that the petitioner was still an officer of Fortuneyield nor had any vested interest therein at the time of the commission of the offense,” it added.Given this, the CA said the orders issued by the Manila City Regional Trial Court Branch 53 were rendered “annulling and setting aside.”It also ordered the dismissal of the case and the quashing of the warrant of arrest on the businessman.

The decision was signed by Associate Justice Bonifacio Pascua. Associate Justices Louis Acosta and Jennifer Joy Ong also concurred with the order.

‘ ‘Comelec-hold-hearing-BSK-polls-postponement-Negros-Oriental-September-‘: ‘author’: ‘Vince Ferreras, CNN Philippines’ ‘categories’: [‘b3b3f789-2fc8-49bd-8c51-bc446e3087d9’] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T16:04:10.000+08:00 ‘imagesource’: ‘jcr:0bbc2d38-d1ae-44dd-bcd2-8aa3d40f8fa0’ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘fc6a5dcf-db28-479a-a3b3-e6590042d7af’ ‘lead’: ‘The Commission on Elections on Wednesday said it will conduct a hearing on the proposal to postpone the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in Negros Oriental amid security concerns. ‘ ‘ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T16:10:11.955+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘vince’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T16:12:05.537+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘Comelec to hold hearing on BSK polls postponement in Negros Oriental in September ‘ ‘ ‘visualType’: ‘image

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 10) — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday said it will conduct a hearing on the proposal to postpone the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in Negros Oriental amid security concerns.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the hearing will be held around the second or third week of September.

“We are going to conduct the hearing in all the municipalities and barangays of Negros [Oriental],\” Garcia told a Senate hearing. \”Kasi po may posibilidad na may municipality diyan na ayaw po nila ng postponement (Because there is a possibility that some municipalities do not agree with the postponement), so there should be a proper hearing.\”

The BSK elections are scheduled for Oct. 30, but Senator Francis Tolentino earlier proposed to postpone the polls in the province due to cases of political violence.

The laws on election and setting the BSK poll date allow the Comelec to postpone elections not later than 30 days after the cessation of the cause for such postponement, and in all cases not later than 90 days after the original date of elections.

The grounds for postponement of elections include rebellion, insurrection, violence, terrorism, loss or destruction of election paraphernalia or records, force majeure, and other analogous causes of such a nature that prevents the holding of a free and orderly election.

However, Comelec noted some gaps with the existing laws with regards to the postponement of an election.

“Ang problema, kailan ba dapat nage-exist ang mga grounds na ‘yan?,\” Garcia said. \”Pwede bang nag-exist ang grounds na ‘yan several months before the conduct of election? Hindi po naging maliwanag ‘yun. That is an open issue. That is still subject to interpretation.”

[Translation: The problem now is when should the grounds exist? Is it okay for the grounds to exist several months before the conduct of election?]

Moreover, the poll body also pointed out that the postponement of elections in an area would mean that incumbent barangay officials would have to extend their terms.

“Kung sakaling ipo-postpone namin ang barangay at SK elections, paano yung mga barangay officials dun?\” the Comelec chief said. \”Yung holdover capacity ay wala sa kapangyarihan ng Commission on Elections.”

[Translation: If ever we will postpone the barangay and SK elections, what would happen to the incumbent barangay officials? The holdover capacity is already beyond the control of the Commission on Elections.]

Tolentino is hoping that his suggestion would be considered for fair elections in Negros Oriental.

“Yung peace and order ay hindi naman kailangan one day before the elections… Ang gusto lang natin mangyari ay maging malaya ang halalan sa Negros Oriental,” he said.

[Translation: I don’t think peace and order are only needed a day before the elections… What we only want to achieve is a free election in Negros Oriental.]
‘april-music-roundup’: ‘author’: ‘Mariah Reodica’ ‘caption’: ‘From the lyric video “Sansinukob” by Baguio-based band Dilaw. Screencap from DILAW/YOUTUBE’ ‘categories’: [‘dd8a9fff-dce1-406e-ba00-e08f2c961a57’] ‘created’: 2023-05-10T17:01:02.000+08:00 ‘imagesource’: ‘jcr:a584428c-460f-4aa9-b53a-114d4613fe3f’ ‘jcr:primaryType’: ‘mgnl:composition’ ‘jcr:uuid’: ‘c01aee44-2520-4af4-af59-5e932375a3bc’ ‘lead’: ‘If you find yourself with some spare time, make yourself a nice, cold drink and lend your ears to these tunes from April. ‘ ‘mgnl:activationStatus’: true ‘mgnl:created’: 2023-05-10T17:08:01.801+08:00 ‘mgnl:createdBy’: ‘gabrielle’ ‘mgnl:lastActivated’: 2023-05-10T18:44:24.666+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastActivatedBy’: ‘superuser’ ‘mgnl:lastModified’: 2024-07-05T13:24:25.059+08:00 ‘mgnl:lastModifiedBy’: ‘magnolia’ ‘mgnl:tags’: [] ‘stories’: [] ‘template’: ‘1’ ‘title’: ‘Lend Your Ears: New music from Dilaw, The Itchyworms, Syd Hartha, and more ‘ ‘ ‘visualType’: ‘image

The month of April may have been heralded by a humid haze of hot summer days, but plenty of musicians have found ways to keep it cool. If you find yourself with some spare time, make yourself a nice, cold drink and lend your ears to these tunes.

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