Hagel: China territorial claims destabilize region

 General
May 302014
 
Hagel: China territorial claims destabilize region

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel walks toward the podium before speaking at opening plenary meeting at the 13th Asia Security Summit in Singapore, Saturday, May 31, 2014. Defense Secretary Hagel warned the international security conference Saturday that the U.S. “will not look the other way” when nations such as China try to restrict navigation or ignore international rules and standards. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Pool) SINGAPORE — Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel warned an international security conference Saturday that the U.S. “will not look the other way” when nations such as China try to restrict navigation or ignore international rules and standards. China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea are destabilizing the region, and its failure to resolve disputes with other nations threatens East Asia’s long-term progress, Hagel said. For the second year in a row, Hagel used the podium at the Shangri-La conference to call out China for cyberspying against the U.S. While this has been a persistent complaint by the U.S., his remark came less than two weeks after the U.S. charged five Chinese military officers with hacking into American companies to steal trade secrets. The Chinese, in response, suspended participation in a U.S.-China Cyber Working Group, and released a report that said the U.S. is conducting unscrupulous cyber espionage and that China is a major target. Noting the suspension, Hagel in his speech said the U.S. will continue to raise cyber issues with the Chinese, “because dialogue is essential for reducing the risk of miscalculation and escalation in cyberspace.” In a string of remarks aimed directly at China, Hagel Read More …

May is just about to start at Brotzeit Philippines

 Entertainment
May 302014
 
May is just about to start at Brotzeit Philippines

Strength of Brotzeit’s male guests were tested by making them carry two heavy mugs of beer as long as they could at the Maifest event, where the program was led by the Goethe Institut.  MANILA, Philippines — Authentic German sausages, grilled meat, Schwenkbraten skewers, drinking games, dancing around the maypole and glorious, world-famous beer! There were cheering and applause and laughter at Brotzeit Philippines in Shangri-la Plaza Mall when the cozy restaurant transported guests to Bavaria to open Maifest last week.  Maifest is a traditional Bavarian celebration ushering the start of spring after a long, chilly winter. At Brotzeit, Filipinos and foreigners alike enjoyed feasting on juicy, beautiful Bavarian food served on a wooden board. Make sure to share the platter with friends though, because no matter how much you want to enjoy the sausages, skewers and big portions of grilled pork, you will get eventually stuffed. Actual Brotzeit Maifest platter of grilled pork chops, Schwenkbraten or schnitzel skewers, spicy chicken sausages, grilled pork sausages, pork cheese sausage, garlic sausage and veal sausage Lifestyle Feature ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: Maypole dance by Brotzeit staff as taught by Goethe Institut.  Sided with potato salad and mixed vegetables (so you can pretend to be healthy), the Maifest platter is also perfectly paired with Paulaner Original Münchner Märzen lager, which is only brewed and served at the start of the much-awaited season. “Brewed in strict accordance to Germany’s Purity Law of 1516,” the description of the Märzen goes. It was named Read More …

LTFRB reminds drivers: Give students 20% discount

 News
May 302014
 
LTFRB reminds drivers: Give students 20% discount

Drivers of public utility jeeps were reminded Saturday to give students a 20-percent fare discount, when school starts this coming Monday. Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board chairman Winston Ginez issued the reminder in an interview on dzBB radio. But Ginez also said the fare discount applies only from Mondays to Fridays when there are classes. Ginez also warned drivers against immediately charging the new fares that the agency approved on Friday for Metro Manila and Central and Southern Luzon. The LTFRB had approved a 50-centavo minimum fare hike for jeeps effective June 14. On the other hand, Ginez said drivers cannot charge the new rates without getting the new fare matrix. — Joel Locsin /LBG, GMA News

FDA warns vs. unregistered, lead-tainted watercolor paints

 News
May 302014
 
FDA warns vs. unregistered, lead-tainted watercolor paints

On the last weekend before the start of school, health authorities warned parents and students against buying lead-tainted watercolor paints. The Food and Drug Administration said it found samples of the tainted watercolor products from bookstores in Manila and Makati Cities. “Lead has tendency to accumulate slowly in the body when ingested over prolonged period of time. Lead may be deposited in the bones and teeth, and can be found in blood. Chronic lead poisoning can cause nervous system toxicity and renal tubular dysfunction leading to irreversible interstitial nephrosis with progressive renal impairment and hypertension. Lead can also depress blood synthesis and shortens the life span of erythrocytes or red blood cells, causing a hypochromic microcytic anaemia,” it said. It said the lead-tainted samples were bought from Merriam Webster Bookstore along Carvajal St., Binondo, Manila and VMZ Bookstore at Guadalupe Shopping Center in Makati. Laboratory findings showed lead beyond the maximum tolerable limit of 90 parts per million on the sample of Artex Fine Water Color manufactured by Venus Commercial Co. in Malabon City. According to the FDA, the yellow water color paints of the watercolor set taken from the Binondo bookstore contained 3,342.41 ppm. On the other hand, the sample from the VMZ Bookstore had 5,089.42 ppm. “Upon verification, the FDA database revealed that the watercolor paint products do not have market authorization from the FDA,” the FDA said. The FDA said the laboratory tests were done by the FDA Central Laboratory in collaboration with the Department of Trade Read More …

SC urged to rule on exploration agreement with China, Vietnam

 News
May 302014
 
SC urged to rule on exploration agreement with China, Vietnam

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—In the face of China’s recent aggressive actions against the country, a group of party-list lawmakers has asked the Supreme Court to immediately resolve a six-year-old petition seeking to declare as unconstitutional a 2008 agreement that allowed China and Vietnam to jointly explore with the Philippines oil resources in the country’s undisputed and claimed territories in the West Philippine Sea. “The substantive issues in the present case are of overarching and paramount importance to the Philippines and the Filipino people, especially in light of our current territorial and maritime disputes with China,” read the petition filed by a group of party-list representatives from Bayan Muna, Anakpawis and Gabriela Women’s Party. The group said this had affected the country’s assertion against China’s nine-dash-line claim, “which encroaches on our territory, exclusive economic zone, continental shelf and marine resources, among others.” “In order to uphold the Constitution and conform to the assertion of the Republic of the Philippines of its sovereignty, territory, exclusive economic zone, continental shelf and marine resources, among others, over the undisputed and claimed areas in the West Philippine Sea covered by the agreement, the honorable court must strike down as unconstitutional the tripartite agreement,” the group said in its motion for immediate resolution of the May 21, 2008, petition. The group originally filed a petition for certiorari and prohibition against the agreement that the Arroyo administration had signed, which allowed the joint exploration among the Philippines, China and Vietnam of the Philippines’ territorial waters. The Read More …

OFW deployment to Libya totally banned

 General
May 302014
 
OFW deployment to Libya totally banned

By Tina G. SantosPhilippine Daily Inquirer 7:22 am | Saturday, May 31st, 2014 Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldo. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (Poea) on Friday imposed a total ban on the deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to Libya amid the continued unrest there. The ban was imposed on the recommendation of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), which raised the crisis alert level status for Libya from Level 2 (Restriction Phase) to Level 3 (Voluntary Repatriation Phase) in view of the worsening security situation in that country. Level 3, which is the second highest in the four-tier emergency warning system for OFWs, requires Filipino nationals in Libya to leave voluntarily as soon as possible, with the Philippine government spending for the cost of the repatriation. “We have received a communication from the DFA secretary on the new crisis alert level in Libya. Thus, the Poea governing board decided to impose a total ban on the processing and deployment of all OFWs bound for that country,” said Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz in a statement. She said there was no need yet to send a Department of Labor and Employment augmentation team to Libya, but that the agency is ready to send one to assist the Philippine Overseas Labor Office if necessary. RELATED STORY Alert level 3 raised for Filipinos in Libya Follow Us Other Stories: SC urged to rule on exploration agreement with China, Vietnam Chinese, Filipino kidnapped in Malaysia rescued Fil-Am teen finishes tied for Read More …

After six months, Cabinet approves Yolanda rehabilitation master plan

 News
May 302014
 
After six months, Cabinet approves Yolanda rehabilitation master plan

Members of the Cabinet on Friday signed a P105-billion rehabilitation and recovery master plan for areas hit by Typhoon Yolanda last year. The master plan was the result of consolidated proposals from the provincial governments of Cebu, Samar, Eastern Samar and Leyte, GMA News TV’s “State of the Nation with Jessica Soho (SONA)” reported Friday evening. Proposals from other provinces in Eastern Visayas struck by Yolanda such as Aklan and Iloilo will also be included in the masterplan soon, the report added. The master plan was signed in Cebu City by Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery (PARR) Panfilo Lacson, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, Social Welfare and Development Secretary Dinky Soliman, Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson, Socio-economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas and representatives from the Department of Trade and Industry. Among the subjects covered by the masterplan are the rebuilding of destroyed infrastructure, livelihood programs and relocation of the displaced residents. According to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) there about 3,000 families still living in a tent city in Tacloban. Soliman said they will begin constructing nipa huts next week to transfer at least 700 families from the tent city. National Housing Authority general manager Chito Cruz pointed out that though there are funds, they are finding it hard to find lots for the construction of temporary houses. “Talagang lupa ang problema namin. Even with the transition shelter, talagang importante makapili tayo ng safe na lupa,” Cruz said Read More …

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