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China ramps up pressure on Taiwan ahead of presidential inauguration ---- By William Yang

TAIPEI, TAIWAN — China has initiated a series of influence campaigns against Taiwan ahead of the island’s inauguration of president-elect Lai Ching-te on May 20. Beijing has increased the scale and frequency of military activities near Taiwan while partially relaxing travel and import restrictions. Some analysts say Beijing is trying to test how the incoming Taiwanese government will respond to the increased pressure from Beijing while further eroding the longstanding status quo across the Taiwan Strait at a time when Taiwan is preparing for a transition of power. “In the short term, Beijing is trying to see how the new Taiwanese government under Lai may respond to its pressure campaign,” said Chen Fang-yu, a political scientist at Soochow University in Taiwan. “At the same time, the Chinese government is attempting to change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait when Taipei is focusing on the inauguration,” he told VOA by phone. Taiwan’s defense ministry detected 26 Chinese mil
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Marcos to certify as urgent proposed amendments to Rice Tariffication Law ---- By ANNA FELICIA BAJO and GISELLE OMBAY, GMA Integrated News

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is amenable to certifying as urgent the proposed amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law. In an interview with Palace reporters, Marcos said rice prices increase due to the competition of traders. “It is something that has come up, so that… ang problema kasi, kaya tumataas ang presyo ng bigas dahil ang mga trader ay nagcocompete, pataasan sila ng presyuhan sa pagbili ng palay at wala tayong kontrol doon,” Marcos said. “Kung magkaroon ng amendments sa… NFA charter at Rice Tarrification Law, magagawan natin, makokontrol natin, may influence tayo sa presyuhan sa pagbili ng palay at pagbenta ng bigas,” he added Asked if he would certify it as urgent, Marcos said, “Yes, I think it justifies the urgent certification.” In an ambush interview, Department of Agriculture (DA) Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said that the agency welcomes this development. “We welcome, of course, na ma-amyendahan ‘yung Rice Tariffication Law. Again, mage-end na ‘y
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18 Filipino household workers in New York graduate from nanny training program ---- By DAVE LLAVANES JR.

NEW YORK — Eighteen Filipino household workers here have completed a comprehensive nanny training program with the assistance of the grassroots organization Damayan, which advocates for the rights of Filipino migrant workers. The 18 graduates -- which included mothers, grandmothers, professionals, and working-class domestic workers -- underwent nine nanny training modules from WiseRise and Cornell ILR, providing them with additional knowledge and opportunities for higher wages. For some, it was their first graduation as they were forced to migrate to the United States to provide for their families in the Philippines and did not have the opportunity to continue their education. "Hindi man ako nakapag-graduate ng elementary at high school, naka-graduate naman ako [sa WiseRise Nanny Training] sa tulong ng Damayan," Ate Alma, one of the graduates and a Damayan member, said in a speech. (Even though I did not graduate from elementary and high school, I was able to graduate fr
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DMW to recruit 100 Filipino caregivers for work in South Korea ---By JOAHNA LEI CASILAO, GMA Integrated News

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Friday announced the launch of a project seeking to recruit 100 caregivers in the Philippines for work in South Korea. Under the caregiver Pilot Project, qualified caregivers will assist families in South Korea with childcare, daily tasks such as cleaning and laundry, and support of pregnant women. Registration will start on May 9, Thursday, to May 10, Friday, the DMW said. Interested caregivers must present their Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) National Certificate (NC) II Caregiving Certificate. They must also be between 24 to 38 years old. "Selected applicants will undergo comprehensive medical, psychological, language, and physical tests. They will receive pre-departure and post-arrival training sessions," the DMW said. "Prospective Korean families will also attend the orientation sessions," it added. The project is under South Korea's Employment Permit System (EPS), which allows
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No Filipinos affected by Indonesia, Brazil floods, landslides —DMW --- By GMA Integrated News

There were no Filipinos reported affected by the massive floods that hit Brazil and Indonesia earlier this month, according to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Tuesday. Interviewed on Unang Balita, DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said this was the information they got from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). "Ang na-relay sa akin na information ay walang Filipino dun sa area na tinamaan ng flood sa Brazil, 'yung Rio Grande do Sul, and dito naman sa South Sulawesi kung saan tumama 'yung flood and landslide ay wala pa tayong nababalitaang Pilipinong apektado doon," Cacdac said. (Based on the information that was relayed to me, there were no Filipinos in the area that was hit by flood in Brazil, the Rio Grande do Sul, and in South Sulawesi that was also hit by flood and landslide, there were no Filipinos reported affected.) The death toll from heavy rains that have caused flooding in Rio Grande do Sul, a southern state in Brazil, has risen to at least 78
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Judge threatens Trump with jail over gag order violations --- Gregory Walton - Agence France-Presse

NEW YORK, United — The New York judge presiding over Donald Trump's hush money trial fined the former president on Tuesday for defying a gag order and warned that further violations could see him thrown in jail. Trump, 77, is accused of falsifying business records to reimburse his lawyer, Michael Cohen, for a $130,000 payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels just days ahead of the 2016 election, in which Trump ran against Hillary Clinton. Keith Davidson, Daniels' former lawyer, spent several hours on the witness stand on Tuesday testifying about the negotiations he held with Cohen to secure the X-rated movie star's silence about an alleged 2006 sexual encounter with Trump. Before Davidson's testimony, Judge Juan Merchan held Trump in contempt of court for multiple violations of a gag order he imposed on the former president ahead of the trial prohibiting him from publicly attacking witnesses, jurors or court staff and their relatives. He fined Trump $1,000 each for
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China warns Blinken over deteriorating ties in talks --- Agence France-Presse

BEIJING, China — China on Friday urged US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to address rising disagreements or risk a "downward spiral" between the two powers as talks opened in Beijing. Blinken, paying his second visit to the rival country in less than a year, voiced hope for progress but said he would directly raise areas of difference, which are expected to include Russia, Taiwan and trade. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, receiving Blinken at the Diaoyutai state guesthouse in the capital's ancient gardens, said relations between the world's two largest economies were "beginning to stabilise" after leaders Joe Biden and Xi Jinping met at a November summit. "But at the same time, the negative factors in the relationship are still increasing and building," Wang said. "The relationship is facing all kinds of disruptions. China's legitimate development rights have been unreasonably suppressed and our core interests are facing challenge
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