General

Seoul: The number of young South Koreans who were jobless or opted to remain economically inactive surpassed 1.2 million last month amid tough job market conditions, data showed Sunday. A total of 1.21 million individuals aged 15 to 29 either remained unemployed or economically inactive to prepare for a job or without specific reasons as of the end of February, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. According to Philippines News Agency, the figure marked an increase of 70,000 from last year’s 1.13 million. Of the total, those who opted to stay out of work without specific reasons reached

Metro Manila: The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has arrested two foreign fugitives wanted in their home countries for various crimes. According to Philippines News Agency, Jordanian national Hussam Aldeen Mohd Kamiel Ghanem, 56, was apprehended on March 11 at the BI office in Manila while attempting to extend his tourist visa. Authorities later confirmed he was wanted in Jordan for issuing a bouncing check. The following day, Chinese national Peng Quanbin, 28, was arrested at his Makati residence. He is accused of theft and cybercrimes in China and linked to hacking schemes that caused losses exceeding USD414,000. Both fugitives are

Quezon City: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced on Saturday that it has completed the printing of over 68 million official ballots for the forthcoming national and local elections scheduled for May 12. According to Philippines News Agency, Comelec Chairperson George Garcia revealed during a press briefing that a total of 68,542,564 ballots have been printed at the National Printing Office (NPO) in Quezon City since the resumption of printing on January 27. Garcia expressed gratitude towards the NPO for overcoming initial challenges that arose at the beginning of the printing process, which commenced on January 27. He reiterated the

Manila: The top diplomats of the Group of Seven (G7) have condemned China’s ‘illicit, provocative, coercive, and dangerous actions’ in the Indo-Pacific as they aired their concern over the harassment against Filipino vessels in the South China Sea (SCS). According to Philippines News Agency, a statement released by the US Embassy in Manila on Saturday said the G7 expressed concern over the situation in the South China Sea, including the ‘increasing use’ of dangerous maneuvers and water cannons against Philippine vessels. The G7 foreign ministers, who held a meeting in Charlevoix, Quebec in Canada on March 12-14, also hit ‘efforts

Manila: The Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported the arrest of a Japanese woman suspected of being a member of the infamous “Luffy” gang, linked to theft and fraud in Japan. According to Philippines News Agency, Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado announced in a press release that the BI’s fugitive search unit (FSU) apprehended 33-year-old Natsuki Kimura along Ayala Avenue in Makati City on Friday. Her arrest was based on a deportation order issued in March 2023. Kimura is among several ‘Luffy’ gang members who have been apprehended by the bureau following reports from the Japanese government about their presence in the