Here鈥檚 a quick roundup of today鈥檚 top stories:
The Philippine economy grew 5.9 percent year-on-year in the third quarter, faster than the 4.3-percent expansion recorded in the second quarter and exceeding market expectations, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported Thursday.
This brought to 5.5 percent the country鈥檚 year-to-date average gross domestic product (GDP) growth.
While an ally of Speaker Martin Romualdez believed that the status quo was still 鈥渟olid, robust and vigorous,鈥� a lawmaker belonging to the Makabayan bloc said the removal of Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab as House deputy speakers only highlighted the growing cracks in the alliance of President Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been seeing these cracks even before when the Vice President quit the Lakas Christian Muslim Democrats,鈥� House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro said, referring to Romualdez鈥檚 ruling party.
A Russian missile damaged a Liberia-flagged civilian vessel entering a Black Sea port in Odesa region, killing one and injuring four people including three Filipinos, Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday.
After pulling out of the U.N.-brokered deal that guaranteed safe shipments of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea, Russia has been repeatedly attacking Ukrainian port infrastructure.