“It’s a killing activity, and I think that at my age — ako hindi masyado, kasi nagmamarijuana ako eh, para magising. Sa iba, hindi na kaya,” Duterte said in a speech during the conferment of awards to the Asean-National Organizing Council officials in Malacañang.

The President was referring to his hectic schedule during the 33rd Asean Summit in Singapore.

“You know we start at 8:30 in the morning  and we end up almost 10? 11? Nandiyan man ‘yan silang lahat. And it’s every 30 minutes, 8:30 tapos 9:30, 10:30, iba na naman. Baka akala nitong Asean Secretariat boy scout kami. Hindi kaya ‘yan. It’s whole [day], hindi kaya,” he said.

“Susmaryosep, walang tulog. And the more that crescendo becomes faster, mas lalo kang ‘di nakakatulog kasi hinahabol ka na babasahin eh, and so you do not want your President to look ignorant. So I have to catch up with the reading, wala na talagang panahon,” he added.

During the Asean summit in Singapore, the President skipped several meetings on the second day of the regional meeting.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo explained that the President took “power naps” to catch up on his sleep.

In his previous speeches, Duterte earlier admitted that he used to take fentanyl for the pain caused by his previous injuries.

Duterte, in several press interviews, has said that he was in favor of medical marijuana. In same speech, Duterte also complained about the food being served during the Asean Summit.

“Pangit pa ng mga ulam, susmaryosep… Nagbabaon ako ng Karne Norte pati tuyo,” he said.

    Trump’s surprise announcement late Sunday came a day after he and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to suspend any new tariffs and give negotiators 90 days to strike a deal.

The ceasefire follows months of tensions and tit-for-tat custom duties on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of goods that raised fears of an escalation harmful to the global economy.

Both sides gained from hitting the pause button, with Trump securing a Chinese pledge to import more US goods and Xi staving off the further pressure that higher tariffs would place on his country’s slowing economy.

    Trump tweeted that China had agreed to “reduce and remove” tariffs of 40 percent on cars, though Beijing has yet to confirm the move.

China’s foreign ministry declined to confirm Trump’s assertion on Monday, instead saying: “On December 1 President Xi and President Trump reached an important consensus on trade issues.”

“They agreed to hold off on the imposition of new tariffs and came up with a series of constructive arrangements on how to address the existing differences and problems,” spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters.

Trump’s tweet did not explain which tariffs would be reduced or removed, or when China would act.

Beijing had reduced auto import duties from 25 percent to 15 percent in July. But it later added a 25 percent tariff on US made cars as trade tensions soared, bringing them to 40 percent.

Many US automakers build their cars in China for the local market, but for some the tariff hikes have hit sales, including electric car-maker Tesla and US-made models from BMW and Ford.

 – IP theft –

One expert said China would have to address US complaints about China’s forced transfer of intellectual property rights — a major issue at the core of a US “301” trade investigation — for Washington to drop its tariffs.

“Any action which increases market access or better ensures a level playing field will certainly be welcomed and could lead to continued discussions,” Steven Okun, a Singapore-based senior advisor at strategic advisory firm McLarty Associates, told AFP.

“Still, one must presume that as the existing and proposed tariffs are to spur China to address the US’ IPR concerns, only action directly related to that would ultimately impact the 301 tariffs,” he said.

The White House said Saturday the two sides would “immediately” begin talks on “structural changes” affecting forced technology transfer, intellectual property protection and cyber theft.

China reaffirmed that the agreement held “great significance”.

“It prevents the economic and trade frictions from expanding and opens new prospects for cooperation,” Geng said.

 – ‘No magic wand’ –

Asian and European stock markets jumped on Monday, with Hong Kong and Shanghai closing sharply higher and the yuan strengthening after months of trade-war turbulence.

After being spooked by the conflict, investors returned to buying following the long-awaited meeting between the two presidents.

But observers warned there were still major issues that needed to be resolved, including access for US companies and intellectual property protection.

“We anticipate that things are still likely to get worse before they get better, and that the negative sentiment impact created by the trade narrative will create additional market volatility,” said Kerry Craig, global market strategist at JP Morgan Asset Management.

China’s state-run media cautiously welcomed the Buenos Aires agreement.

The nationalist Global Times tabloid called it a “momentous step forward” that brings “huge potential for fair trade”.

“It is hoped that the trade teams from both countries will reach as many practical agreements as possible and as quickly as possible to hasten China-US cooperation,” the daily said.

Under the agreement, Trump is shelving a plan to raise tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports from 10 percent to 25 percent from the start of next year — but the hike will kick in if negotiators fail to reach a final deal within 90 days.

The United States has imposed 25 percent tariffs on another $50 billion worth of Chinese imports and they remain in effect despite the truce.

China has hit back with similar tariffs on $110 billion worth of goods made in the US.

“No magic wand has been waved to make the differences between the United States and China vanish overnight,” the state-run China Daily warned.

“Given the complexity of interactions between the two economies, the rest of the world will still be holding its collective breath while it waits to see if the series of constructive plans that are in the works can put bilateral relations back on a cooperative rather than confrontational track,” it said.

The Education Minister on Monday (Dec 3) announced that the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal and kleptocracy will be included as part of the History syllabus.

“I think it will not be long before Maszlee himself will enter the history books,” the former prime minister said in response.

“Do not use our children, do not persecute their future,” Najib added.

Maszlee made the announcement when answering a supplementary question by Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan (BN-Pontian) in Parliament Monday (Dec 3).

Ahmad had asked if local history is taught in private schools, such as the 60 Chinese independent schools.

Earlier, Dr Maszlee informed lawmakers that the Education Ministry is setting up a committee to review and improve History textbooks and methods of teaching the subject.

He said that secondary students are currently being taught a History curriculum which was introduced in 2017.

But in Oct 2017, it was widely reported that hundreds of pupils and teachers from SK Putrajaya Presint 14 (1) took part in a “class decoration and performance” competition with the theme “Umno and independence #Negaraku”.

Umno flags were draped all over the primary school and pupils also sang the party’s anthem.

Former secretary-general Umno Tengku Adnan, in his speech at the school, had urged teachers to join Umno. After the minister finished his speech, the pupils chanted “Hidup Umno!” (“Long live Umno!”).

Shortly after, National Human Rights Society chairperson Ambiga Sreenivasan said it was unacceptable for Tengku Adnan to take partisan politics to schools, calling it a “sign of desperation by Umno.”

    The 41st US president died Friday at age 94, at his home in Houston — “a very gentle and peaceful passing,” his lifelong friend and advisor James Baker said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.”

Bush — only the second president to see his son follow him to the Oval Office — will be honored with four days of services and tributes in Washington and in Texas, where he will be buried on Thursday.

The high point of the commemorations will come Wednesday with a state funeral at Washington National Cathedral — the first presidential funeral since Gerald Ford died in 2006.

    Bush was a decorated World War II fighter pilot, former head of the Central Intelligence Agency, and vice president to Ronald Reagan before winning the White House.

President Donald Trump — who has often clashed with the Bush family — has declared Wednesday a national day of mourning, and said he will attend the funeral.

– Lying in state –

The week’s events begin at 1630 GMT Monday, when Bush’s remains are to be flown aboard the presidential Boeing 747 — made available at Trump’s direction — from Houston to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.

By tradition, the plane is only known as Air Force One when the sitting president is on board.

Family spokesman Jim McGrath said the flights to carry Bush are being dubbed “Special Air Mission 41.”

“A beautiful day In Texas — ‘ceiling and visibility unlimited,’ Mr. President,” he wrote — using a phrase that Bush held dear from his time in the Navy, and one used by his family and friends to discreetly spread the news of his death.

Bush’s son George — the 43rd president of the United States — and other loved ones are expected to travel on the presidential jet.

Also reportedly expected to make the trip is his service dog Sully — McGrath posted a touching photo of the yellow Labrador near Bush’s casket on Sunday with the phrase “Mission Complete.”

After a speech from Vice President Mike Pence, Bush will lie in state in the US Capitol from Monday evening until Wednesday morning, under the watchful gaze of an around-the-clock honor guard.

Thousands are expected to pay their respects.

The casket will then be transported to the cathedral for Wednesday’s funeral service — the fourth held there for a former president.

Dozens of foreign leaders and US luminaries are expected. Former Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney told Politico he will deliver one of several eulogies, at Bush’s request.

The casket will then be flown back to Houston, where the former head of state will lie in repose at St Martin’s Episcopal Church — where the Bushes worshipped for decades — until Thursday’s funeral service.

The remains will then be transported by train for interment at the George Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas.

Bush will be buried next to his wife Barbara, who died in April, and their daughter Robin, who died of leukemia at age three.

     – Tributes from friends –

Baker, who served Bush as secretary of state, joined others in paying warm tribute on Sunday television talk shows.

Baker called him “far and away the best one-term president we have ever had,” alluding to Bush’s single biggest political failure — his loss in the 1992 election to Bill Clinton.

Baker instead emphasized his friend’s foreign policy successes: navigating the end of the Cold War, negotiating two nuclear arms reduction treaties, and summoning a global coalition to eject Iraqi troops from Kuwait in the first Gulf War.

Colin Powell, who was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during that war, said he was confident in Bush’s leadership because “he knew what combat was all about. He knew it meant the death of people… He wanted to avoid a war.”

The former president had struggled for years with Parkinson’s disease, which left him wheelchair-bound and often hospitalized — including after Barbara’s death.

Last week, things took a decided turn for the worse, Baker said on ABC.

When an aide told Bush that Baker was visiting Friday, “he perked up. He opened his eyes. He looked at me, he says, ‘Hey, Bake. Where we going?'”

“We’re going to heaven,” Baker said. Bush replied: “Good, that’s where I want to go.” Baker said Bush’s last words, in a phone conversation with son George, were: “I love you, too.”