#MANILA, #Philippines – The bill discontinuing the use of mother tongue as the #LanguageOfInstruction from kindergarten to grade 3 has lapsed into law, #Malacañang announced on Saturday, October 12.

Republic Act No. 12027 reverts the medium of instruction to #Filipino and, until otherwise provided by law, #English, pursuant to the #1987Constitution. #RA12027

Bill ceasing #MotherTongue as medium of instruction in K-3 lapses into law
https://www.rappler.com/philippines/bill-ceasing-mother-tongue-medium-instruction-kindergaten-grade-3-lapses-law/

Exporters seeking #ArmsSales licences are reportedly receiving messages from the Department for Business and Trade saying that applications are suspended pending the review.

#Whitehall sources insisted this did not represent a change in policy and might be administrative procedures.

#Gaza

#UK reportedly suspends arms export licence applications for #Israel ‘pending review’
https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/06/uk-arms-export-licence-applications-israel-review

“I would imagine that he is going to devote a lot of time and energy to the situation in the #MiddleEast. He surely doesn’t want history to record that the final months of his tenure witnessed the outbreak of the first comprehensive Middle East war in decades, a war that he, like others, has been struggling to avoid." - Bill Galston, a former Clinton policy adviser

#Israel #Biden #Harris

Not done yet: still-smarting #JoeBiden to focus on his legacy in final months
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/aug/10/joe-biden-final-months-legacy

Why it matters: The results of the coming week will indicate whether the region is going to sink even deeper into crisis and a widening perpetual war, — or if, for the first time since Oct. 7, there will be a significant change of course. The outcome could shape President #Biden's legacy.

#Israel #Egypt #Qatar #GazaCeaseFire

#US prepares for crucial week as #Gaza deal faces "now-or-never" moment
https://www.axios.com/2024/08/10/gaza-israel-hamas-hostage-deal-regional-war

"This is a decisive moment – probably the best, maybe the last, opportunity to get the #hostages home, to get a #ceasefire and to put everyone on a better path to enduring peace and security,” #Blinken said on his ninth trip to the region since #Israel’s war on #Gaza began in October. #GazaCeasefire

Blinken says current talks ‘maybe last’ chance to free captives from Gaza
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/8/19/blinken-says-current-talks-may-be-last-push-to-end-israels-war-on-gaza

In #Jerusalem’s Old City, nearly all souvenir shops are closed. In #Haifa’s flea market, forlorn merchants polish their wares on empty streets. Airlines are canceling flights, businesses are failing and luxury hotels are half empty.

Nearly 11 months into the war with #Hamas, #israels economy is struggling.

#Gaza

Israel's economy is struggling. Economists say ending the war would help
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/israels-economy-is-struggling-economists-say-ending-the-war-would-help/ar-AA1pqDWs

The discovery of the hostages’ bodies in #Gaza over the weekend threatened to bring deep divisions over the war to breaking point. An estimated 100,000 protested in #TelAviv, while others demonstrated in #Jerusalem as pressure on the prime minister, Benjamin #Netanyahu, to reach a #ceasefire deal to bring the remaining hostages home reached a new peak.

#GazaCeasefire

Protests in #Israel and strike called amid eruption of outrage over #GazaWar
https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/01/protests-israel-strike-eruption-outrage-gaza-war

The new protest came a week after one of the largest demonstrations of the war after the discovery of another six dead hostages in #Gaza, and after prime minister Benjamin #Netanyahu pushed back against pressure for a ceasefire deal and declared that “no one will preach to me”. #GazaCeasefire #Gaza

Thousands rally across #Israel in new wave of protest
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/sep/08/middle-east-crisis-live-israelis-surge-to-the-streets-in-new-wave-of-protest-as-heavy-air-raids-hit-gaza?page=with:block-66dd099e8f080b4351298b1b#block-66dd099e8f080b4351298b1b

A source in #Hezbollah confirmed that #WalkieTalkies used by the group were targeted in the attack. A senior security source said that the explosions were “small in size”, similar to yesterday’s attacks. #Israel

Second wave of explosions across #Lebanon target Hezbollah walkie-talkies
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/sep/18/middle-east-crisis-live-hezbollah-pager-explosion-lebanon-irael-iran-latest-updates?page=with:block-66eae2208f086ad2b492a737#block-66eae2208f086ad2b492a737

There were 30K+ Filipinos in Lebanon as of 2020, probably a lot more now :(
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“At this time, commercial flights are available, but at reduced capacity. If the security situation worsens, commercial options to depart may become unavailable,” it added. #Israel #Hezbollah

US urges citizens to leave #Lebanon while commercial options available

https://www.msn.com/en-ph/news/other/us-urges-citizens-to-leave-lebanon-while-commercial-options-available/ar-AA1qYdmE?ocid=msedgntp&pc=ASTS&cvid=c99549f400e64620b7d002d6c005a16

The timing and location of the dual attacks, targeting very high-profile commanders in densely populated capital cities, made them particularly humiliating for #Iran and #Hezbollah, raising the risk of a slide towards full-blown #RegionalWar as #Tehran seeks to re-establish a military deterrent.

#Israel #Gaza

Fears of escalation mount after Israeli killings of #Hamas and Hezbollah leaders
https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jul/31/israel-iran-hamas-hezbollah-lebanon-assassinations-middle-east

The #UnitedStates is sending a #CarrierStrikeGroup, a #FighterSquadron and additional #warships to the #MiddleEast as the region braces for possible Iranian retaliation to the killing of a senior #Hamas leader in #Tehran earlier this week.

#Israel #Iran #Gaza

#US sending warships and fighter squadron to Middle East as region braces for Iranian retaliation
https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/israel-hamas-haniyeh-iran-tensions-08-02-24#h_e64606e098e04eb3d92ff39ac55f8104

The leader of #Hezbollah has said that the Lebanese group’s conflict with #Israel has entered “a new phase” after the back-to-back assassinations of a senior commander and #Hamas’s political chief that risk plunging the #MiddleEast into a regional war. #Gaza

Hezbollah chief says conflict with Israel is in ‘new phase’ after assassinations
https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/01/funeral-for-hamas-political-leader-haniyeh-held-in-tehran-amid-security-fears

The authorities in #Tehran issued a #NOTAM dispatch to pilots, instructing airplanes to avoid the airspace over the center, west, and northwest of the country.

Some pilots have already changed their routes. On flight-tracking maps, there's increasing traffic over #Iraq and a noticeable "emptiness" over #Iran

#Israel #Gaza

Iran's warning to aircraft sparks fear of imminent attacks
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/iran-s-warning-to-aircraft-sparks-fear-of-imminent-attacks/ar-AA1ohIng

Everybody take a deep breath, and pray 🙏
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#Jordan's foreign minister, #AymanSafadi, has made a rare visit to #Iran in a last-ditch effort to persuade it to hold back from attacking #Israel in response to the assassination of the #Hamas political leader, #IsmailHaniyeh, in #Tehran last week. #Gaza

Jordan in last-ditch effort to prevent Iran retaliating for Haniyeh killing
https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/04/jordan-foreign-minister-visit-iran-haniyeh-killing

#US intelligence suggests
the goal for #Hamas is to survive — that would be victory for the group. #Sinwar likely believes Hamas can hold out while #Israel’s global standing deteriorates as the war in #Gaza, which has killed thousands of civilians, continues.

A senior Biden administration official put it bluntly: “He believes he’s winning.

Sinwar believes Hamas has upper hand in negotiations with Israel, officials say
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/06/11/politics/us-intelligence-sinwar-gaza/index.html

Not going to happen.
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Israeli Foreign Minister #IsraelKatz raised eyebrows on Friday when he said #Israel would expect international partners such as the #UK and #France to join Israel in responding to a potential strike from #iran “not only in defense, but also in attacking significant targets in Iran.”

Both France and the UK, however, have downplayed such a prospect.

#Gaza

Muted response from UK and France after Israeli FM calls for retaliation to any Iran strike
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/08/16/europe/israel-uk-france-iran-retaliation-intl-latam/index.html

The #vaccinations, due to begin this weekend, will be accompanied by three-day pauses in the fighting in several areas of the territory to allow the inoculation of more than 640,000 children. #Polio #Israel

#WHO delivers 1.2m #Polio Vaccine doses to #Gaza as pauses in fighting agreed
https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/30/who-delivers-polio-vaccine-doses-gaza-israel-agrees-humanitarian-pauses-fighting

The #US could walk away from leading the #GazaCeasefire negotiations if the two sides fail to accept a final “take it or leave it” deal that it plans to present to #Israel and #Hamas in the coming weeks, the Washington Post has reported citing a senior Biden administration official.

“You can’t keep negotiating this. This process has to be called at some point,” the official said according to the Post.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/sep/02/israel-gaza-war-live-israel-faces-nationwide-general-strike-amid-public-anger-over-hostage-deaths-and-failed-ceasefire-talks?page=with:block-66d51af08f08e2612479606e#block-66d51af08f08e2612479606e

The #OversightBoard reviewed three cases involving #Facebook posts that featured “#FromTheRiverToTheSea” and found they did not break #Meta’s rules involving restrictions on hate speech and incitement, while an outright ban on the phrase would interfere with political speech in “unacceptable ways”. #Israel #Gaza

Meta’s moderation board backs decision to allow ‘from the river to the sea’ in posts
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/sep/04/metas-moderation-board-backs-decision-to-allow-from-the-river-to-the-sea-in-posts