Marcos Jr is proclaimed next Philippines prez
Ferdinand Marcos Jr was proclaimed the next president of the Philippines by a joint session of Congress following a landslide election triumph 36 years after his dictator father was ousted in a pro-democracy uprising. The Senate and House of Representatives also declared that his separately elected vice presidential running mate, Sara Duterte, had won by a wide margin. She is the daughter of outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte, whose turbulent six-year term ends on June 30.
Myanmar bans foreign currency for local use
The Central Bank of Myanmar (CBM) has banned the use foreign currency for local payments in an effort to stabilise the foreign exchange rate in the country. The bank asked government agencies to pay with only Myanmar kyat, saying the use of foreign currencies for domestic payments could lead to higher demand for dollars and cause exchange rate instability, reports Xinhua news agency. The move came after the CBM found out that some government agencies and organisations were using foreign currencies for local payments.
Iraqi man arrested for ‘plot to kill Bush’
The FBI said that they had arrested an Iraqi citizen living in Columbus, Ohio, for aiding and abetting a plot to assassinate former president George Bush in retaliation for waging a war against Iraq. The 52-year-old Ahmed Shihab Shihab was accused of conspiring and abetting a plot to assassinate Bush, going so far as to smuggle immigrants without legal status into the United States to help carry out the killing. Shihab was also accused of committing an immigration crime. The FBI’s application for a warrant called Shihab a self-described “soldier waiting for directions from the leadership in Qatar. ” And it alleges that he planned to provide material support to the Islamic State group.
Man marries for the first time at 95
Proving you are never too old to find love, Julian Moyle has married for the first time after finding his soulmate aged 95. He finally said “I do” to blushing bride Valerie Williams, 84, last week in front of 40 guests at Calvary Baptist Church in Cardiff, where they met 23 years ago. Julian, who emigrated from Australia in 1954, wore a grey suit, while his bride wore a floral dress and a blazer. He said: “It was marvellous and like a new year . We are going to have a deferred honeymoon to Australia, where I will show Mrs Moyle off. She’s so, so kind and giving I’m looking forward to her companionship.” Valerie, who grew up in Cardiff, described Julian as a “fine gentleman”.
Bank sued for denying request to work remotely
A former BNP Paribas SA regional director is suing the lender, claiming she was left with no other choice than quitting after it vetoed her request to work remotely from the French Riviera where her husband had got a new job. Sandrine Sustar, who was based in the northern city of Lille and specialised in real estate financing for wealthy clients, argues that working from home posed no problems during Covid-19 lockdowns and so there was no reason to prevent her from continuing it from the south of France so that she, her husband and their two children could all live together. “She was offering to come back to the office once a week at her own costs,” Sustar’s lawyer said but the bank refused.
