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Ecija onion farmers get storage facilities
The Department of Agriculture has turned over two onion cold storage facilities to the DA-Central Luzon office in Nueva Ecija......»»
REVIEW: ‘KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON’ Pure cinematic delight
The plot of Killers of the Flower Moon is rather simple: the shocking true story of the series of mysterious deaths of Native Americans from 1910s to 1930s in the oil-rich Osage Nation in Oklahoma. Called the “Reign of Terror,” this horrific period in American history is marked by the uninvestigated murders of the Osage tribe — the richest people in the world per capita at the time due to the vast deposits of oil found in their reservation. As black gold richly flows in their land, white men descend into the territory and begin to systematically murder the Osage tribe to steal their oil money, or headrights. Greed takes the form of grisly, nonchalant murders, compounded by racial injustice. Director Martin Scorsese takes us to Fairfax 1920s, where one such greedy white man, Ernest Buckhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) arrives in the Osage county from a non-combatant role in World War I. His guts destroyed in the war, he seeks a job from his uncle, King Bill (Robert de Niro), the powerful boss in the area and the mastermind behind the Osage killings but pretending to be a “friend to the Osage.” King Bill tells his nephew to marry a beautiful Osage woman, Mollie (Lily Gladstone) in a scheme to get her headrights. The movie focuses on the “love story” of Ernest and Mollie, and how Mollie is slowly poisoned to death. The colossal running time (3.5 hours) is barely felt. This epic revisionist Western drama is a visual spectacle and should be seen on the big screen to experience Scorsese’s glorious cinematic vision. Scorsese adapted David Grann’s 2017 bestselling non-fiction book on this grim chapter in American history. I haven’t read Grann’s book, but research revealed that it’s chiefly a detective story, with the murders viewed from the lens of the newly formed Bureau of Investigation (now the FBI) headed by Tim White. In The Irish Times interview with Scorsese, the director shared that he and co-writer Eric Roth initially wrote a script that was faithful to the book, with Scorsese’s muse, Leonardo DiCaprio, set to play White. But two years into the writing process, DiCaprio made a suggestion that completely overhauled the script, shifting the focus to Ernest (DiCaprio’s modified role) and Mollie. Lacking momentum The script often feels like it lacks momentum and depth, reducing Ernest and King Bill, and even Jesse Plemons as White, to stock characters. Roth is known for overhyped shallow films such as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Forrest Gump and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, so he’s partly to blame for the lack of insight into the psychology of the film’s fascinating characters. Plemons came in too late into the show, nearly in the third hour. The film feels like it took its leisurely time to establish the greed and the machinations of the non-threatening King Bill, then realized it is getting too long and finally crammed the investigations into the last hour. Punctuated with dark humor, the movie is crafted to entertain rather than to appeal to our sympathy. This feels rather conflicting and mildly disturbing, as the Osage, victims of greedy white men, and whose story is just now spreading into public consciousness, are merely the sideshow. If they were robbed back then, this film also robs them of central attention, choosing to focus instead on their killers, particularly DiCaprio, with a strong supporting role from Gladstone’s Mollie. The Osage are also depicted as gullible and helpless, and we often crave to understand what goes on in their minds, which the movie does not really provide us. But Scorsese’s films have always been from the POV of the criminals, and the title says it all — so perhaps it is unfair to expect a different narrative. Compelling vision Thankfully, Scorsese, despite the oftentimes frustrating script, manages to redeem the entire film with his compelling vision, orchestrating pure cinematic delight with the film’s stunning cinematography, production design and costume. Despite the focus on the killers, he still redeems the Osage by showcasing, with reverence, their culture and pantheistic religion — their belief in the invisible world of Wah-kon-tah and eventual blend with Christianity. The era’s racism and greed are also profoundly felt in the movie — from the white guardians that controlled the Osage money, to the insurance frauds they were subjected to and, most chilling of all, the calm way the whites murdered the Native Americans, as if these people were mere nuisances. Di Caprio, with his fake sordid teeth, delivers, as always, a competent performance. But it is Gladstone, with her regal beauty and intelligent eyes, that truly shines in the film. Killers of the Flower Moon, despite its imperfections, triumphs in fully immersing the viewer in its story and putting the spotlight on an important chapter in American history. It reminds us that theaters are still a necessity for this kind of epic movie experience. 3.5 out of 5 stars/ In cinemas The post REVIEW: ‘KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON’ Pure cinematic delight appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Pure cinematic delight
The plot of Killers of the Flower Moon is rather simple: the shocking true story of the series of mysterious deaths of Native Americans from 1910s to 1930s in the oil-rich Osage Nation in Oklahoma. Called the “Reign of Terror,” this horrific period in American history is marked by the uninvestigated murders of the Osage tribe — the richest people in the world per capita at the time due to the vast deposits of oil found in their reservation. As black gold richly flows in their land, white men descend into the territory and begin to systematically murder the Osage tribe to steal their oil money, or headrights. Greed takes the form of grisly, nonchalant murders, compounded by racial injustice. Director Martin Scorsese takes us to Fairfax 1920s, where one such greedy white man, Ernest Buckhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) arrives in the Osage county from a non-combatant role in World War I. His guts destroyed in the war, he seeks a job from his uncle, King Bill (Robert de Niro), the powerful boss in the area and the mastermind behind the Osage killings but pretending to be a “friend to the Osage.” King Bill tells his nephew to marry a beautiful Osage woman, Mollie (Lily Gladstone) in a scheme to get her headrights. The movie focuses on the “love story” of Ernest and Mollie, and how Mollie is slowly poisoned to death. The colossal running time (3.5 hours) is barely felt. This epic revisionist Western drama is a visual spectacle and should be seen on the big screen to experience Scorsese’s glorious cinematic vision. Scorsese adapted David Grann’s 2017 bestselling non-fiction book on this grim chapter in American history. I haven’t read Grann’s book, but research revealed that it’s chiefly a detective story, with the murders viewed from the lens of the newly formed Bureau of Investigation (now the FBI) headed by Tim White. In The Irish Times interview with Scorsese, the director shared that he and co-writer Eric Roth initially wrote a script that was faithful to the book, with Scorsese’s muse, Leonardo DiCaprio, set to play White. But two years into the writing process, DiCaprio made a suggestion that completely overhauled the script, shifting the focus to Ernest (DiCaprio’s modified role) and Mollie. Lacking momentum The script often feels like it lacks momentum and depth, reducing Ernest and King Bill, and even Jesse Plemons as White, to stock characters. Roth is known for overhyped shallow films such as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Forrest Gump and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, so he’s partly to blame for the lack of insight into the psychology of the film’s fascinating characters. Plemons came in too late into the show, nearly in the third hour. The film feels like it took its leisurely time to establish the greed and the machinations of the non-threatening King Bill, then realized it is getting too long and finally crammed the investigations into the last hour. Punctuated with dark humor, the movie is crafted to entertain rather than to appeal to our sympathy. This feels rather conflicting and mildly disturbing, as the Osage, victims of greedy white men, and whose story is just now spreading into public consciousness, are merely the sideshow. If they were robbed back then, this film also robs them of central attention, choosing to focus instead on their killers, particularly DiCaprio, with a strong supporting role from Gladstone’s Mollie. The Osage are also depicted as gullible and helpless, and we often crave to understand what goes on in their minds, which the movie does not really provide us. But Scorsese’s films have always been from the POV of the criminals, and the title says it all — so perhaps it is unfair to expect a different narrative. Compelling vision Thankfully, Scorsese, despite the oftentimes frustrating script, manages to redeem the entire film with his compelling vision, orchestrating pure cinematic delight with the film’s stunning cinematography, production design and costume. Despite the focus on the killers, he still redeems the Osage by showcasing, with reverence, their culture and pantheistic religion — their belief in the invisible world of Wah-kon-tah and eventual blend with Christianity. The era’s racism and greed are also profoundly felt in the movie — from the white guardians that controlled the Osage money, to the insurance frauds they were subjected to and, most chilling of all, the calm way the whites murdered the Native Americans, as if these people were mere nuisances. Di Caprio, with his fake sordid teeth, delivers, as always, a competent performance. But it is Gladstone, with her regal beauty and intelligent eyes, that truly shines in the film. Killers of the Flower Moon, despite its imperfections, triumphs in fully immersing the viewer in its story and putting the spotlight on an important chapter in American history. It reminds us that theaters are still a necessity for this kind of epic movie experience. 3.5 out of 5 stars/ In cinemas The post Pure cinematic delight appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Singapore hangs 14th drug convict since last year
Singapore on Wednesday hanged a local man convicted of drug trafficking, officials said, two days before the scheduled execution of the first woman prisoner in the city-state in nearly 20 years. Mohd Aziz bin Hussain, convicted and sentenced to death in 2017 for trafficking "not less than 49.98 grams" (1.76 ounces) of heroin, was executed at Changi Prison, the Central Narcotics Bureau said in a statement. The 57-year-old was the 14th convict sent to the gallows since the government resumed executions in March 2022 after a two-year pause during the Covid-19 pandemic. Hussain's previous appeals against his conviction and sentence had been dismissed, and a petition for presidential clemency was also denied. A woman drug convict, 45-year-old Saridewi Djamani, is scheduled to be hanged on Friday, according to the local rights group Transformative Justice Collective (TJC). She was sentenced to death in 2018 for trafficking around 30 grams of heroin. If carried out, Djamani would be the first woman executed in Singapore since 2004, when 36-year-old hairdresser Yen May Woen was hanged for drug trafficking, according to TJC activist Kokila Annamalai. Singapore has some of the world's toughest anti-drug laws -- trafficking more than 500 grams of cannabis or over 15 grams of heroin can result in the death penalty. Rights watchdog Amnesty International on Tuesday urged Singapore to halt the executions, saying there was no evidence the death penalty acted as a deterrent to crime. "It is unconscionable that authorities in Singapore continue to cruelly pursue more executions in the name of drug control," Amnesty death penalty expert Chiara Sangiorgio said in a statement. Singapore, however, insists that the death penalty has helped make it one of Asia's safest countries. Among those hanged since last year was Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam, whose execution sparked a global outcry, including from the United Nations and British tycoon Richard Branson, because he was deemed to have a mental disability. The post Singapore hangs 14th drug convict since last year appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
China removes foreign minister Qin Gang
Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang was abruptly removed from office this week, deepening a mystery over what precisely has happened to a one-time confidant of President Xi Jinping and one of Beijing's most well-known officials. Here's what we know so far about the dramatic removal of one of China's most prominent diplomats. Who is Qin Gang? Qin, considered close to President Xi, was appointed foreign minister in December 2022. The 57-year-old spent several years at the Chinese embassy in London and is a fluent English speaker. Qin earned a reputation as a "Wolf Warrior", a nickname given to a new generation of Chinese diplomats who push back with often inflammatory rhetoric against Western criticism of Beijing. He said in 2020 that the image of China in the West had deteriorated because Europeans and Americans -- in particular the media -- had never accepted the Chinese political system or its economic rise. While serving as ambassador to the United States, Qin stepped up his visibility through public and media appearances in Washington in which he explained the Chinese position. He kept up a busy schedule after his appointment as minister, visiting Africa, Europe and Central Asia as well as hosting foreign dignitaries in Beijing. What happened to him? On Tuesday, after not being seen in public for a month, China's top lawmaking body met and removed Qin from his position. "Qin Gang was removed from the post of foreign minister," state news agency Xinhua reported, adding that President Xi "signed a presidential order to effectuate the decision." No reason has been given for his removal. But on Wednesday, the website of the Chinese foreign ministry was abruptly scrubbed of any mention of Qin. The rumor mill has gone into overdrive since Qin's disappearance, with some online claiming the diplomat's alleged affair with a prominent television anchor had landed him in hot water. And while China's foreign ministry said "health reasons" were to blame for Qin's absence, a spokeswoman later deflected further questions about the missing diplomat. "On the basis of all available evidence, it seems very unlikely this matter is only -- or at all -- health-related," China law expert Neysun Mahboubi told AFP. After weeks of "ceaseless speculation", he added, "it beggars the imagination that a primarily health-related cause would not have been clarified a lot more forcefully than we have seen." What do we know about his whereabouts? Qin has not been seen in public since June 25, when he met Russian deputy foreign minister Andrey Rudenko in Beijing. But it was his absence from a high-level ASEAN summit in Indonesia two weeks later that first raised eyebrows. Qin's absence left a vacuum at the top of China's foreign ministry. A visit by the European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell to Beijing was abruptly called off this month. And Bloomberg reported on Friday that a visit by UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly was postponed due to Qin's absence. Who is representing China in his stead? Top diplomatic official Wang Yi -- who outranked Qin in China's political hierarchy -- has taken up the job of foreign minister, a job he held before Qin's appointment. Beijing insisted Monday that "China's diplomatic activities are moving forward steadily". And US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that he expects to "work well" with Wang, promising to "work with whoever the relevant Chinese counterpart is." Given Wang's experience, experts said they expect Chinese diplomacy to carry on as normal -- despite the political drama in Beijing. "I do not expect China's foreign policy to shift significantly on account of Qin Gang's exit," Ryan Hass, a Brookings scholar on China and a former US National Security Council official, told AFP. "Qin was more an implementor and articulator of China’s foreign policy than an architect of it," he added. "Wang Yi is one of the world's most experienced and recognizable diplomats. He will ably carry forward China's foreign policy." The post China removes foreign minister Qin Gang appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Missing for a month: Where is Qin Gang, China’s foreign minister?
China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang has not been seen in public for almost a month, sparking a flurry of questions over his whereabouts. Here's what we know so far about the disappearance of one of China's most senior diplomats: Qin, considered a confidante of President Xi Jinping, was appointed foreign minister in December 2022. The 57-year-old spent several years at the Chinese embassy in London and is a fluent English speaker. Qin earned a reputation as a "Wolf Warrior", a nickname given to a new generation of Chinese diplomats who push back with often inflammatory rhetoric against Western criticism of Beijing. He said in 2020 the image of China in the West had deteriorated because Europeans and Americans -- in particular the media -- had never accepted the Chinese political system or its economic rise. While serving as ambassador to the United States, Qin stepped up his visibility through public and media appearances in Washington in which he explained the Chinese position. Following his appointment as minister, he kept up a busy schedule, visiting Africa, Europe and Central Asia as well as hosting foreign dignitaries in Beijing. Whereabouts Qin has not been seen in public since 25 June, when he met with Russia's deputy foreign minister Andrey Rudenko in Beijing. But it was his absence from a high-level ASEAN summit in Indonesia two weeks later that first raised eyebrows. China's foreign ministry said "health reasons" were to blame for Qin's absence. But that has done little to stem an explosion of rumors online. "Everyone is concerned about something but cannot discuss it publicly," Hu Xijin, a prominent commentator with the state tabloid Global Times, said in a post on Weibo. "A balance needs to be struck between maintaining the situation and respecting the public's right to know," he said. The foreign ministry has since deflected further questions about Qin's absence. Who's representing China? Qin's absence has left a vacuum at the top of China's foreign ministry. A visit by the European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell to Beijing was abruptly called off this month. And Bloomberg reported on Friday that a visit by UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly was postponed due to Qin's absence. Top foreign policy official Wang Yi -- who outranks Qin in China's political hierarchy -- has taken on some of his responsibilities in the meantime, travelling to Africa this week to attend a BRICS meeting on security affairs in Johannesburg. And Beijing has insisted throughout his absence that China's diplomacy is functioning as normal. But as the foreign ministry reaches a month without a visible boss, doubts will start to mount over how much it's business as usual. "When the top dog is disappeared by the state, everyone in the organization freezes," Desmond Shum, a former Chinese business and political insider and author of "Red Roulette" tweeted. "Who's going to sign on the dotted line of the minister?" The post Missing for a month: Where is Qin Gang, China’s foreign minister? appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
N. Korea leader’s sister warns of ‘overwhelming nuclear deterrence’
The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned on Friday of "overwhelming nuclear deterrence" unless the United States drops what she called its "hostile policy" against Pyongyang, state media reported. Kim Yo Jong also defended North Korea's latest intercontinental ballistic missile launch as an act of self-defense. The nuclear-armed state on Wednesday test-fired a solid-fuel missile that flew 1,001 kilometers (622 miles) at a maximum altitude of 6,648 km, before splashing into the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan. Its trajectory suggested it was capable of reaching the mainland United States, analysts said. "Under the premise that the United States doesn't accept dropping its anti-North Korea policy... We will strive hard to establish the most overwhelming nuclear deterrence," Kim Yo Jong said in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency. The launch was an "exercise of self-defense... to protect the Korean peninsula from falling into a nuclear warfare", she said, adding that no one could blame Pyongyang in the face of Washington's "hostile policy". She went on to rail against the United Nations Security Council for its response to the launch. In a joint statement, 10 of the Security Council's 15 members including South Korea condemned the latest test and noted that the North's 20 launches of ballistic missiles in 2023 were "all blatant violations of multiple Security Council resolutions". Kim Yo Jong slammed the statement, saying it was "unfair and biased". Earlier this week she accused US military surveillance jets of breaching North Korean airspace, warning that they could be shot down. In response to the North's string of missile launches this year, Seoul and Washington have ramped up security cooperation, vowing that Pyongyang would face a nuclear response were it to ever use its nuclear weapons against the allies. The post N. Korea leader’s sister warns of ‘overwhelming nuclear deterrence’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Lucky to come home: Growing up trans in Brazil can be deadly
Wearing a pink dress that matches the bow in her hair, eight-year-old Agatha flashes a smile that belies all she has been through as a trans child growing up in Brazil. Agatha's mother, Thamirys Nunes, says she vividly remembers the day her daughter, then almost four, asked the question that has changed both of their lives. "Mommy, can I die today and come back tomorrow as a girl?" Nunes, 33, who lives in Sao Paulo, says she knew then they both had a hard road ahead, in a country where the discrimination and dangers facing trans people run deep. Gender dysphoria among children, a sensitive subject in many places, is especially fraught in Brazil, the deadliest country in the world for trans people. There were 118 trans people murdered in Brazil last year, 29 percent of the world total, according to the National Network of Trans People of Brazil. Polarizing politics have only made things worse, in a country where far-right ex-president Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022) made attacking "gender ideology" a central issue in elections last year, and conservative parties hold a strong majority in Congress. Nunes says she worries every time Agatha leaves the house. "I'm afraid people will call her a freak, hit her or mistreat her," she says. "I feel lucky every time she comes home." Activist mom It was not easy for her to accept Agatha for who she is, admits Nunes. "It wasn't my dream to have a little trans girl. I had lots of doubts," she says. She remembers Agatha playing with dolls and wearing earrings from the time she was small. "She had always been uncomfortable with the gender she was given at birth," she says. A psychologist told Nunes she needed to "reinforce" her child's masculine side, she says. But "trying to reaffirm her masculinity just hurt her," she told AFP. So, overcoming her own prejudices and fears of what people would think, Nunes decided to let Agatha change her name and live as a girl. It has been a transformative experience for Nunes, too. Today, she is an activist for the rights of trans children and teens. Last year, she founded an organization called My Trans Child, which has nearly 600 members. 'Abandoned to their fate' Although Bolsonaro lost last October's elections, replaced by the more tolerant administration of veteran leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, activists say the situation for trans people remains alarming. Aline Melo, a member of Nunes's organization, says things have only gotten worse in recent years. Her son, 14-year-old Luiz Guilherme, is trans. "He's proud of who he is. But he knows he can't always be himself when he leaves the house," she says. Nunes says the lack of government protections to combat rapes and violence against trans youths is "absurd." "We want public policies to protect (this group) that is abandoned to their fate," she says. Forced to leave home Celeste Armbrust still remembers how she felt when she embraced her own gender identity, her eyes lighting up beneath her new pink bangs. "I felt like myself. I felt free," says the 17-year-old trans girl, who began hormone therapy at 16 -- the age authorized under a 2020 decision by Brazil's Federal Council of Medicine. She was brave enough to unveil her new identity at school. But she is afraid to leave the house alone. "She's fearful of being singled out and suffering for it," says her mother, Claudia Armbrust. Brazil, a sprawling country of 214 million people, has just five public centers to assist children and teens on gender identity issues. There is a long waiting list at Sao Paulo University Clinical Hospital, which is helping around 400 such minors. "We help them feel understood," says psychologist Larissa Todorov. But few in Brazil have access to such programs, which struggle with insufficient funding. Carolina Iara, 30, a trailblazing state legislator who is Brazil's first intersex lawmaker, says the country has made progress since her childhood. But not nearly enough, she adds. "There are still trans kids who get kicked out of the house at 13 and have to turn to prostitution," she says. The post Lucky to come home: Growing up trans in Brazil can be deadly appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Thousands flee flooded homes after Ukraine dam destroyed
Thousands were fleeing their homes Wednesday after the destruction of a frontline Russian-held dam in Ukraine flooded dozens of villages and parts of a nearby city, sparking fears of a humanitarian disaster. Downstream from the breached Kakhovka dam, Ukrainian police and troops in the southern city of Kherson were bringing people out from inundated areas in inflatable boats, most clutching only a few documents and pets. Despite the evacuations, officials said Russian forces have kept shelling the residential neighborhoods. Ukraine and Russia have traded blame for the dam being ripped open early Tuesday, prompting Turkey's president to propose to both nations' leaders an international probe of the breach. The destruction has also raised fears of an environmental disaster and nuclear safety risks as it provides cooling water for Europe's largest nuclear plant. One woman, Nataliya Korzh, 68, had swum part of the way to escape from her house. She emerged from a rescue boat barefoot, her legs covered with scratches, her hands trembling from cold. "All my rooms are underwater. My fridge is floating, the freezer, everything. We're used to shooting, but a natural disaster is a real nightmare. I wasn't expecting that," she told AFP. She feared for her two dogs and cat, which she was unable to save. "To get to the room where the dogs were, I would have had to dive. I don't know what's happened to them." The water was waist-deep in the central streets of Kherson and the ground floors of buildings were submerged. A spokesman for Ukraine's emergency services, Oleksandr Khorunzhyi, said that "currently there is no information about the dead or injured". Water levels in Kherson have risen by five meters (16 feet), he said. While finger-pointing continued over the dam's destruction, Moscow accused Kyiv of blowing up a key pipeline that Russia used before the war to export ammonia and whose re-activation it has requested as part of grain deal talks. Continued shelling The governor of the Kherson region, Oleksandr Prokudin, said 1,700 people had been evacuated so far and reported that ongoing shelling was endangering rescuers and locals. Moscow-installed officials on the Russian-occupied side of the river said on Tuesday that more than 1,200 people had been evacuated. A policeman, Sergiy, 38, was using a radio to coordinate the rescue boats. "Today we've already saved 30 people, 10 pets. There was one child. We will work until we've brought out all the people," he told AFP. Washington warned there would be "likely many deaths" due to the breach of the Kakhovka dam. Kyiv said the destruction of the dam -- seized by Russia in the early hours of the war -- was an attempt by Moscow to hamper its long-awaited offensive, which Ukraine's leader stressed would not be affected. The United Nations warned that hundreds of thousands could be affected on both sides of the frontline. The governor of the Kherson region, Oleksandr Prokudin, said 1,852 houses had been flooded by early Wednesday. "According to our forecasts, the water level will increase by one meter within the next 20 hours," he warned. An official in President Volodymyr Zelensky's office, Daria Zarivna, said that in the occupied territory "the Russians simply abandoned people" and in the town of Oleshky on the opposite bank from Kherson, "many spent the night on the roofs of houses". 'Environmental bomb' Zelensky accused Russia of detonating an "environmental bomb of mass destruction", saying authorities expected up to 80 settlements with tens of thousands of residents to be flooded and urging the world to "react". "This crime carries enormous threats and will have dire consequences for people's lives and the environment," Zelensky said. But the explosion would "not affect Ukraine's ability to de-occupy its own territories", he added. Last October, Zelensky accused Russia of planting mines at the dam, warning that its destruction would spur a new wave of refugees into Europe. Kyiv said 150 tonnes of engine oil had spilled into the river, and the agricultural ministry said about 10 thousand hectares of farmland on the right bank of the river would be flooded and "several times more" on the left bank. China expressed "serious concern" over the dam destruction, while EU chief Charles Michel called it a "war crime" and NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg condemned it as "outrageous". Russia has said the dam was partially destroyed by "multiple strikes" from Ukrainian forces and urged the world to condemn Kyiv's "criminal acts". Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's office said he proposed setting up an international commission to investigate the destruction of the dam in calls with Zelensky and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. The Soviet-era dam, built in the 1950s, sits on the Dnipro River, which provides cooling water for the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant some 150 kilometers (90 miles) away. The UN nuclear watchdog agency said the dam break was posing "no short-term risk" to the plant. Separately, Moscow accused a Ukrainian "sabotage" group of blowing up a section of the Togliatti-Odesa pipeline that Russia used to export ammonia and that is part of the international talks on allowing grain exports from Ukraine amid the conflict with Russia. Ukrainian officials have accused Russian forces of firing at the ammonia pipeline. The post Thousands flee flooded homes after Ukraine dam destroyed appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bureaucratic (mal)practice
What welfare state model — replete with assumptions, measures, and calculations — allowed government to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, provide free healthcare to the sick, give cash subsidies to the jobless? This bureaucratic (mal)practice transfers the burden to the taxpayers-at-large if the pattern of government spending is to extend help to the needy. Seemingly a grand equalizer, privileges go to the poor like manna from heaven while obligations pass to the rich like punishment from above, effectively blurring the relationship between entitlements and contributions. Economists have done very little to incentivize interdependence rather than this vicious dependence by the least affluent class on the more affluent class of society. And what angelic genius of an idea have grandstanding politicians invented in the government’s strongest pretension as a welfare state — when navigating like a rudderless ship in fiscally constrained waters — they should not have dared to venture? Came the fire that ravaged the entire Central Post Office building from the basement to the roof of the iconic five-story structure, stripped of its “flesh” solely because water sprinklers had not been installed in the whole edifice that could have averted the tragic inferno. At no point had the government come to its senses on how to preserve a P1-million investment a hundred years ago — or to how much it would cost to build the same structure today. An editorial in a leading newspaper has profusely romanticized the role of the old post office with an unmuffled scream for restoration and reform toward modernity — one more superior than private courier services (i.e. FedEx, DHL, United Parcel Service). But the long prose hardly rolled out — in a manner clear as crystal and hard as diamond — what “structural weaknesses of the agency” ought to be re-engineered. Its nostalgia for the charred edifice as a Filipino heritage is vacuous or paying mere lip-service absent any well-defined reform parameters beyond its existing mandate. Instead, why doesn’t the government sponsor an international competition for the design of a new Central Post Office building by forming a judging committee as early as now? Thereafter, the winning entry will be commissioned to begin construction of what would later be a new heritage landmark. In short, let a new structure rise and supplant that which now lies in ruin – for want of water sprinklers. It will not strain logic that the charred remains of a once-proclaimed national treasure has fallen into an absolute case of “sunk cost,” which simply means that there is nothing more to retrieve. At this critical juncture, however, let it be a local concern rather than a national one given that as head of a local government unit, the city mayor of Manila is in the best position to determine its needs in accordance with existing comprehensive land use plans. Besides, LGU Manila is one of the highest revenue-generating local governments and therefore has the wherewithal to foot the construction of a new post office. What “outstanding universal value,” if any, is the old building known for to deserve classification as a cultural heritage or as a national treasure, as the case may be? What heritage — natural, cultural, historical — is there to really preserve other than the nightmare of the Battle of Manila in World War II? A single article in a referenced journal should be enough proof that it attained a level of recognition of unsurpassed value. When the National Museum of the Philippines declared it an important cultural property for “exceptional cultural, artistic, and historical significance to the Philippines,” it came so rather belatedly in 2018. From then on, it received public funds for its protection, conservation and restoration. If officialdom will download awesome sums of money to restore what was lost, methinks that in both economic and accounting costs, it will be foolhardy to do so. For now, blame not Congress or any board of inquiry for probing why it burned to the ground — beyond the worn-out narrative of faulty wiring. Let heads roll! The post Bureaucratic (mal)practice appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Air strikes shake Khartoum as Sudan rivals agree 1-week ceasefire
Air strikes and artillery exchanges shook the Sudanese capital Saturday and armed men ransacked the Qatari embassy as the country's warring generals kept up their struggle for control even as they agreed to a brief humanitarian pause. With heavy fighting raging in Khartoum, the rival sides struck a deal on a seven-day ceasefire beginning the evening of May 22, the United States and Saudi Arabia said Saturday in a joint statement after talks in Jeddah. The ceasefire "shall remain in effect for seven days and may be extended with the agreement of both parties," it said. Multiple announced truces have been violated since fighting broke out five weeks ago, which the Saudi foreign ministry acknowledged in a statement published by the official Saudi Press Agency early Sunday. "Unlike previous ceasefires, the Agreement reached in Jeddah was signed by the parties and will be supported by a US-Saudi and international-supported ceasefire monitoring mechanism," it said. It said subsequent talks "will focus on additional steps necessary to improve security and humanitarian conditions for civilians such as vacating forces from urban centers, including civilian homes, accelerating removal of impediments to the free movement of civilians and humanitarian actors, and enabling public servants to resume their regular duties." The power struggle between regular army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy-turned-rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who heads the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, erupted into fighting on April 15. The conflict has killed hundreds of people, most of them civilians, and displaced more than one million. The United Nations has warned of a fast-deteriorating humanitarian situation in Africa's third-largest country, where one in three people already relied on aid before the war. Saturday's ceasefire announcement comes two weeks after representatives of the warring generals first gathered in Jeddah for talks. By May 11 they had signed a commitment to respect humanitarian principles and allow in badly needed aid. But UN aid chief Martin Griffiths told AFP on Thursday that there had been "important and egregious" violations of that agreement, which fell short of a ceasefire. On Friday, Burhan sacked Daglo, giving his title of vice president of the ruling Sovereign Council to former rebel leader Malik Agar, and appointed three allies to top jobs in the military. A former rebel leader who signed a peace deal with Khartoum authorities in 2020, Agar said in a statement Saturday he was determined to try to "end the war" and press for negotiations. He also addressed Daglo directly saying "Sudan's stability can only be re-established by a professional and unified army". Integration of the RSF into the regular armed forces has been the main bone of contention between Daglo and Burhan. The force, which traces its origins to the notorious Janjaweed militia recruited in the early 2000s to crush a rebellion by ethnic minority groups in Darfur, is highly mobile but has a reputation for being ill-disciplined. Its fighters have been accused of widespread break-ins and looting, including at diplomatic missions and aid group offices. On Saturday, Qatar's embassy was the latest diplomatic mission to be attacked, drawing condemnation from Doha. "The embassy staff had previously been evacuated and... none of the diplomats or embassy staff were subjected to any harm," the ministry said. It renewed calls for "an immediate halt to the fighting". Qatar did not specifically identify Daglo's RSF as responsible but a statement from the pro-Burhan authorities put the blame squarely on the paramilitaries. The embassies of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey have also come under assault in recent weeks. Saturday's attack came a day after Arab leaders meeting at a summit in Saudi Arabia urged Sudan's feuding generals to halt the fighting. Although the main fighting is being played out in Khartoum, the violence has also spread to the war-ravaged western region of Darfur, where the RSF has its roots. In South Darfur capital Nyala, fighting since Thursday has killed 22 people forcing civilians to flee for safer areas as shells crash on their homes, the bar association in Darfur has said. On Friday, the UN aid boss Griffith said he was allocating $22 million in emergency funds to help Sudanese fleeing the violence. The funds will help relief efforts in Chad, the Central African Republic, Egypt, and South Sudan where Sudanese have sought refuge, he said. The United States promised $103 million for Sudan and neighboring countries to support displaced people. The post Air strikes shake Khartoum as Sudan rivals agree 1-week ceasefire appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
HSBC stays intact, share owners vote
Global lender HSBC on Friday overwhelmingly defeated an activist proposal supported by its largest stakeholder, Chinese insurer Ping An, to spin off the bank’s Asia business. Of the shareholders who voted, more than 80 percent opposed the call to break up the Asia-focused bank, HSBC said in a statement. The vote took place during HSBC’s annual general meeting or AGM in Birmingham, central England. Last March, HSBC assured it is further strengthening its consumer banking business in the Philippines. The AGM came at the end of a week in which the London-headquartered bank posted a surge in quarterly net profit, boosted by rising interest rates and its rescue of the UK arm of failed US lender Silicon Valley Bank. “A large majority of HSBC shareholders voted overwhelmingly to support the board,” HSBC chairman Mark Tucker told the meeting. “That draws a line (under) the debate over the structure of the bank.” Speaking earlier at the meeting, Tucker insisted the proposal to split the bank was not beneficial. “We concluded that the alternative structural options would materially destroy value for shareholders, including putting your dividends at risk. This remains our unanimous view today,” he said. But Ping An, which owns more than 8 percent of HSBC, argued that the lender lags behind international peers and that a recent improvement in performance was tied mainly to rising interest rates, which it claims have peaked. The US Federal Reserve this week hinted that it would pause a policy of lifting borrowing costs aimed at cooling inflation. The European Central Bank on Thursday delivered a smaller interest rate increase than recently as higher borrowing costs begin to take their toll, but said it had “more ground to cover” in fighting red-hot price increases. “It is necessary for HSBC to push for structural reform to fundamentally address HSBC’s underlying market competitiveness issues,” Michael Huang, chairman and CEO of Ping An Asset Management, said recently. Strategic restructuring pushed Ping An had called on HSBC to engage in a “strategic restructuring” that would see it create a separately-listed bank headquartered in Hong Kong. Huang said the proposal would allow the bank to retain control over a separate Asia business, adding that management had “exaggerated many of the costs and risks” associated with a split. HSBC was among a number of major banks to cancel dividends early in the Covid-19 pandemic after an order from the Bank of England, a move that riled some Hong Kong investors. Some retail investors had cited the cancellation of the dividend as a reason to back the spin-off proposal. Friday’s shareholder meeting faced disruption from climate protesters, a common feature this year at annual general meetings being held by major UK companies. “You are happy to profit while the world burns. HSBC stop the greenwash,” one protester shouted as the meeting got underway and before security removed some demonstrators. Environmentalists are pushing for banks to stop funding fossil fuel projects, arguing that while they continue to do, their pledges to help tackle climate change are acts of “greenwashing”. The post HSBC stays intact, share owners vote appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Myanmar junta admits village air strike
Myanmar’s ruling junta has confirmed that it carried out an air strike on a village in which dozens of people were reported killed, drawing condemnation from the United Nations and Western powers. The early Tuesday morning strike on the remote Kanbalu township in the central Sagaing region killed at least 50 and wounded dozens, according to reports by BBC Burmese, The Irrawaddy and Radio Free Asia, as well as a witness contacted by Agence France-Presse. Military aircraft strafed Pazi Gyi village, where scores of locals had gathered to mark the opening of a local defense force office connected to junta opponents, a witness told AFP. One fighter jet and a helicopter were involved in the attack, a security source told AFP. The junta confirmed Wednesday it had “launched limited air strikes” after receiving a tip-off from locals about the event. Graphic video clips circulating on social media — footage AFP has been unable to verify or geo-locate because of the absence of significant landmarks — show bodies scattered among ruined homes. UN rights chief Volker Turk said he was “horrified” by the deadly air strike, whose victims he said included schoolchildren performing dances, with the global body calling for those responsible to be brought to justice. Junta spokesperson Zaw Min Tun late on Tuesday said some of the dead were anti-coup fighters in uniform, though “there could be some people with civilian clothes.” The spokesperson went on to blame mines planted by the People’s Defence Force — coup opponents — for some of the deaths. Buddhist New Year The attack came as Myanmar was preparing to mark the Buddhist new year — Thingyan — which begins Thursday and traditionally involves public water fights, but celebrations are expected to be muted. “As the people of Myanmar celebrate their New Year, the EU (European Union) is deeply shocked by reports of the latest atrocity committed by the military regime in Sagaing, taking the lives of dozens of innocent civilians,” EU foreign affairs spokesperson Nabila Massrali said. The UN while not confirming a toll, said several civilians were killed, with Turk accusing Myanmar’s military of once again disregarding “clear legal obligations... to protect civilians in the conduct of hostilities.” Military aircraft strafed Pazi Gyi village. The military’s crackdown on dissent following the February 2021 coup that toppled Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government has left more than 3,200 people dead, according to a local monitoring group. Sagaing region — near the country’s second-largest city of Mandalay — has put up some of the fiercest resistance to the military’s rule, with intense fighting raging there for months. The post Myanmar junta admits village air strike appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Myanmar confirms deadly air strike as international outcry rises
Myanmar's ruling junta confirmed on Wednesday that it carried out an air strike on a village in which dozens of people were reported killed, drawing condemnation from the United Nations and Western powers. The official death toll from the Tuesday morning strike on the remote Kanbalu township in the central Sagaing region remains unclear, with at least 100 fatalities reported by the BBC, The Irrawaddy, and Radio Free Asia. A villager involved in rescue and recovery efforts at Pazi Gyi village -- who asked not to be named to protect his safety -- said body parts had been strewn across the site of the attack, and estimated the death toll to be higher than 120. Following a coup that toppled Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government in 2021, the military's crackdown on dissent and armed groups opposed to their rule has left more than 3,200 people dead, according to a local monitoring group. UN rights chief Volker Turk said he was "horrified" by the deadly air strike, whose victims he said included schoolchildren performing dances, with the global body calling for those responsible to be brought to justice. On Wednesday, the villager told AFP it was difficult to identify the dead. "We can not identify anymore who is who among the dead because they all became pieces," he said. The man estimated about 80 bodies had been cremated on Wednesday, with rescuers halting efforts to recover roughly 40 more bodies "because we were afraid of more air strikes". Village strafed Tuesday's strike saw military aircraft strafe Pazi Gyi, where scores of locals had gathered to mark the opening of a local defense force office connected to junta opponents, a witness told AFP. One fighter jet and a helicopter were involved in the attack, a security source told AFP. The junta confirmed Wednesday it had "launched limited air strikes" after receiving a tip-off from locals about the event. It did not say how many were killed but insisted the military had tried to minimize harm to civilians. "We heard that more people were killed because of big explosions from weapons and ammunitions... displayed at the opening event," a junta statement said. Junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun late on Tuesday said some of the dead were anti-coup fighters in uniform, though "there could be some people with civilian clothes". The spokesman went on to blame mines planted by the People's Defence Force -- coup opponents -- for some of the deaths. Sagaing region -- near the country's second-largest city of Mandalay -- has put up some of the fiercest resistance to the military's rule, with intense fighting raging there for months. The attack came as Myanmar was preparing to mark the Buddhist new year -- Thingyan -- which begins Thursday and traditionally involves public water fights, but celebrations are expected to be muted. International condemnation "As the people of Myanmar celebrate their New Year, the EU is deeply shocked by reports of the latest atrocity committed by the military regime in Sagaing, taking the lives of dozens of innocent civilians," EU foreign affairs spokesperson Nabila Massrali said. France's foreign ministry said in a statement that the "abominable" strike demonstrated "the strategy of indiscriminate violence the Myanmar junta has inflicted on Myanmar's people for more than two years". UN chief Antonio Guterres condemned the attack and reiterated his call "for the military to end the campaign of violence against the Myanmar population throughout the country", according to a statement from his spokesperson. Washington also denounced the "reprehensible" attack. "We strongly condemn the regime's air strikes and urge the regime to cease the violence," US State Department Counselor Derek Chollet tweeted. Human Rights Watch Asia deputy director Phil Robertson said the strike was likely to have a chilling effect across Myanmar society. "I think this will cause greater fear amongst the people," he told AFP. "I think in the future, communities will be reluctant to hold a... mass gathering of any sort, recognizing that they could be bombed". According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies' Myanmar conflict tracker, the military has carried out 689 air and drone strike attacks since the coup. Rights groups have called for the international community to further restrict Myanmar's access to aviation fuel in the wake of the attack. But Bangkok-based security analyst Anthony Davis told AFP that demand was "divorced from reality". "Russia is a firm ally of the junta and one of the world's largest oil exporters. Do we seriously believe Moscow will sit and watch the Myanmar Air Force being slowly grounded for a lack of aviation fuel?" he said. The post Myanmar confirms deadly air strike as international outcry rises appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Myanmar confirms deadly air strike as international outcry mounts
Myanmar's ruling junta has confirmed that it carried out an air strike on a village in which dozens of people were reported killed, drawing condemnation from the United Nations and Western powers. UN rights chief Volker Turk said he was "horrified" by the deadly air strike, whose victims he said included schoolchildren performing dances, with the global body calling for those responsible to be brought to justice. The death toll from the Tuesday morning strike on the remote Kanbalu township in the central Sagaing region remains unclear, with at least 50 fatalities and dozens of injuries reported by BBC Burmese, The Irrawaddy and Radio Free Asia, as well as by a witness contacted by AFP. Myanmar's military has cracked down on dissent following a February 2021 coup that toppled Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government, with the ensuing unrest leaving more than 3,200 people dead, according to a local monitoring group. Tuesday's strike saw military aircraft strafe Pazi Gyi village, where scores of locals had gathered to mark the opening of a local defense force office connected to junta opponents, a witness told AFP. One fighter jet and a helicopter were involved in the attack, a security source told AFP. The junta confirmed Wednesday it had "launched limited air strikes" after receiving a tip-off from locals about the event. It did not say how many were killed but insisted the military had tried to minimize harm to civilians. "We heard that more people were killed because of big explosions from weapons and ammunitions... displayed at the opening event," a junta statement said. Junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun late on Tuesday said some of the dead were anti-coup fighters in uniform, though "there could be some people with civilian clothes". The spokesman went on to blame mines planted by the People's Defence Force -- coup opponents -- for some of the deaths. Sagaing region -- near the country's second-largest city of Mandalay -- has put up some of the fiercest resistance to the military's rule, with intense fighting raging there for months. Buddhist New Year The attack came as Myanmar was preparing to mark the Buddhist new year -- Thingyan -- which begins Thursday and traditionally involves public water fights, but celebrations are expected to be muted. "As the people of Myanmar celebrate their New Year, the EU is deeply shocked by reports of the latest atrocity committed by the military regime in Sagaing, taking the lives of dozens of innocent civilians," EU foreign affairs spokesperson Nabila Massrali said. While not confirming a toll, the UN said several civilians were killed, with Turk accusing Myanmar's military of once again disregarding "clear legal obligations... to protect civilians in the conduct of hostilities". A rescuer connected to a People's Defence Force group told AFP that children were among the dead. After recovering bodies and transporting survivors to safety, he estimated the death toll could be as high as 100. 'Reprehensible' UN chief Antonio Guterres condemned the attack and reiterated his call "for the military to end the campaign of violence against the Myanmar population throughout the country", according to a statement from his spokesperson. Washington also denounced the "reprehensible" attack. "We strongly condemn the regime's air strikes and urge the regime to cease the violence," US State Department Counselor Derek Chollet tweeted. Human Rights Watch Asia division deputy director Phil Robertson said the strike was likely to have a chilling effect across Myanmar society. "I think this will cause greater fear amongst the people," he told AFP. "I think in the future, communities will be reluctant to hold a... mass gathering of any sort, recognizing that they could be bombed, they could be attacked." According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies' Myanmar conflict tracker, the military has carried out 689 air and drone strike attacks since the coup. Rights groups have called for the international community to further restrict Myanmar's access to aviation fuel in the wake of the attack. But Bangkok-based security analyst Anthony Davis told AFP that demand was "divorced from reality". "Russia is a firm ally of the junta and one of the world's largest oil exporters. Do we seriously believe Moscow will sit and watch the Myanmar Air Force being slowly grounded for a lack of aviation fuel?" he said. Myanmar's National Unity Government, a shadow body dominated by former lawmakers from ousted civilian leader Suu Kyi's party, called the strike a "heinous act". "We... share the great pain felt by the families affected by this tragedy," it said in a statement. The post Myanmar confirms deadly air strike as international outcry mounts appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Court finds grenade planted, grants bail plea of labor leader
An activist from Central Luzon was allowed to post bail after more than a year since his arrest. The post Court finds grenade planted, grants bail plea of labor leader appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
Central Luzon activist granted bail a year after arrest
An activist from Central Luzon was allowed to post bail after more than a year since his arrest. The post Central Luzon activist granted bail a year after arrest appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
In Mecca, dreams of a ‘green hajj’
A smaller carbon footprint, less waste, and more environmentally friendly — this year’s pilgrimage to Mecca, dramatically scaled down due to coronavirus, has opened up the prospect of a “green hajj”. This year’s dramatically downscaled Hajj pilgrimage has had a much less adverse effect on the environment than previous years (AFP Photo/STR) In addition to being a logistical and security headache, one of the planet’s largest gatherings, which drew some 2.5 million people last year, also typically poses huge environmental challenges. The procession of so many worshippers, over a short time and in a limited space, results in an assault on the desert kingdom’s delicate environment. Thousands of vehicles generate substantial air pollution, while the pilgrims leave behind an avalanche of waste, including enormous quantities of plastic water bottles. This year’s hajj, limited to a maximum of 10,000 attendees, was by all accounts literally a breath of fresh air. But for environmental activist Nouhad Awwad, it’s not so much the size of the crowd that determines the impact on the environment but more “our collective behaviour”. “This year’s hajj, although taking place at a difficult time globally, can be a source of hope,” the Greenpeace campaigner told AFP. “It gives an idea of what a green pilgrimage could look like,” she added. The scenes in Mecca since the hajj began on Wednesday are very different from those of past years. Rather than the vast crowds that move between the sites, casting rubbish as they go and sometimes prone to deadly crushes, the movement of the pilgrims has been limited and orderly. Even the pebbles they use to symbolically “stone the devil” have been sanitised, as part of elaborate amenity kits provided by authorities that include disinfectant and masks. “Everything is clean and there are only a few municipal workers collecting the small amounts of garbage,” Azim Allah Farha, a pilgrim from Afghanistan who has performed the hajj several times before, said at Mount Arafat, the site of one of the main rituals. One of those workers, Rahim Fajreddine, recalls the hundreds of tonnes of rubbish — plastic bags, cans and food plates — left in past years at the rocky hill outside Mecca where pilgrims pray and repent in the high point of the hajj. “Large numbers of workers had to be mobilised to remove all the debris they left behind as they passed,” he recalled. Eco awakening Until recently, the environment was not a central concern of Saudi Arabia when it came to the hajj. As “Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques”, the kingdom was concerned primarily with accommodating as many pilgrims as possible, mindful of the long waiting lists for Muslims, who must complete the hajj at least once in their lifetime if they are able. Huge extensions have been built in recent decades to increase the capacity of the two mosques and pilgrimage sites. Saudi Arabia hopes to welcome 30 million pilgrims to the kingdom annually by 2030. However, by 2018 the local authorities launched a waste separation programme and began to consider recycling. Signs in several languages were posted to encourage the pilgrims to do their bit and dispose of their waste properly. This year, despite the relatively tiny number of pilgrims, the municipality deployed more than 13,000 cleaners to the holy sites, equipped with hundreds of skips, according to an official statement. ‘This is our future’ Awwad said that although this year’s hajj is leaving a small environmental footprint because of the constraints generated by the global pandemic, in the future the same outcome must be achieved by choice. “By investing in sustainable development and adopting green practises, we can continue to live our traditions and perform our rituals while keeping our skies clear of pollution and our streets free of waste,” the activist said. She imagines “a hajj with its millions of pilgrims in total symbiosis with their environment, in a Mecca powered by solar energy”. In a kingdom that ranks as the world’s top energy exporter, and where the shift to renewables is going slower than planned, her vision is unlikely to become a reality any time soon. “But this is the future we should all be working towards,” she insisted......»»
Winds destroy houses in two Central Mindanao towns
Around 40 houses were destroyed by strong winds that pummeled lowlands in the adjoining towns of Montawal, Maguindanao del Sur and Kabacan, Cotabato amid heavy rains on Thursday afternoon......»»
China: PH is ‘straying down a dangerous path’
MANILA, Philippines — China continued to blame the Philippines and its ally, the United States, for the continued tensions in the disputed West Philippine Sea. In a statement on Thursday, Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Wu Qian warned that the Philippines is going down a dangerous path. READ: No letup in Chinese water cannon attacks.....»»