HONG KONG - announced Wednesday it was imposing sanctions on the Philippines because of its “unacceptable” failure to apologize for a deadly hostage crisis more than three years ago. The current visa-free arrangement for visiting Philippine diplomats and officials will be suspended from February 5, Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-Ying said in a press conference. Currently they are able to stay 14 days without a visa. Officials at Malacayang Palace said the Department of Foreign Affairs would issue a statement, but DFA Spokesman Raul Hernandez said the office would do so on Thursday.

World leaders have expressed their support to the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) after the signing of a peace deal that hopefully would end decades-long violence in the southern part of the country. The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs describes the signing of normalization annex, the fourth and last of the Framework Agreement of the Bangsamoro, as a “momentous milestone towards a long-lasting peace.”

MANILA, Philippines – The United Nations (UN) Friday has called for increased support for the victims of typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan) citing that only 20 percent of funding has been provided so far to help people rebuild their homes. “I am particularly concerned that just 20 percent of funding has been secured to provide tools and materials so that people can rebuild their homes,” Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos said in a statement posted on the UN website.

ADMINISTRATION ally Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and opposition lawmakers on Sunday blamed President Benigno Aquino III, the Energy Department and the Energy Regulatory Commission for the growing power mess that threatens to punish consumers with the highest electricity rates in history. Reading high. A Meralco man reads the meters on an electric post in Tondo, Manila, from the raised shovel of a company truck. Lino Santos Trillanes challenged the President to apply political pressure on Meralco and others responsible for the problems besetting the power industry.

A German company will build a multi-billion-peso motor vehicle parts facility in one of the special economic zones to support the projected rise in automobile production. German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry business development manager Brenda Baylon did not identify the company, but said the manufacturing facility would employ 2,000 people, once it was fully operational. “I would say this is the first German firm to engage in motor vehicle parts manufacturing.