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After 6 years, Boracay beach parties are back
When Boracay reopened in October 2018 after a six-month rehabilitation project, parties have been confined to establishments.....»»
Lebanon court orders ex-car boss Ghosn out of Beirut home: official
A Lebanese judge has decided to evict former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn from his luxury home, a judicial official said Saturday, four years after an investment firm accused him of "trespassing". Ghosn, who took up residency in the Beirut property after fleeing prosecution in Japan in 2019, appealed the ruling on Friday, the official added. A spokesperson for Ghosn confirmed he had appealed. Ghosn and his wife must "vacate the property... within a month", according to a copy of the decision seen by AFP and dated 16 October. The home with pink walls in the Lebanese capital's upscale Ashrafieh neighborhood is worth some $19 million and is registered to Lebanese company Phoinos Investment, the judicial official said, requesting anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media. Phoinos initiated the legal action in 2019 and has accused Ghosn of "trespassing on private property and living in the home without legal basis", the official added. According to the court document, Ghosn said the company was affiliated with Nissan and that "the property was purchased... for his residence, and there is a signed agreement with Nissan that grants him the right to reside" there. Ghosn occupied the home "according to a contractual relationship linking... Ghosn and Nissan", the decision said. However, the end of that relationship and the plaintiff's wish to retake the property invalidates "the legal basis" of his occupancy, it added. In a written statement to AFP, a Ghosn spokesperson said documents that had been unavailable for prior hearings in the cast would support his appeal. "He will now be able to present all the documents held up in Japan that he was unable to secure on time," the statement said. Ghosn, the former chairman and chief executive of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, was arrested in Japan in November 2018 on suspicion of financial misconduct, before being sacked by Nissan's board in a unanimous decision. He jumped bail late the following year and made a dramatic escape from Japan hidden in an audio-equipment box, landing in Beirut, where he remains an international fugitive. Ghosn has always denied the charges against him, arguing they were cooked up by Nissan executives who opposed his attempts to more closely integrate the firm with French partner Renault. Japan and France have sought his arrest, but Lebanon does not extradite its citizens, and judicial authorities have slapped a travel ban on Ghosn, who holds Lebanese, French, and Brazilian nationality. The post Lebanon court orders ex-car boss Ghosn out of Beirut home: official appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Pilmico on World Bread Day: Bread’s transformative impact on communities
Every year on 16 October, the world celebrates “World Bread Day” to honor all kinds of bread around the world. A dietary staple in people’s lives for centuries, bread plays a much more significant role in the lives of those who bake bread as their primary source of livelihood. Pilmico has been a steadfast partner of bakers since 1962. It has given out 108 bakery kits nationwide since it started distributing livelihood kits in 2016. In honor of the “World Bread Day,” Pilmico reflects on how it has helped change the lives of several people through bread. Feeding the future Pilmico’s “Kutitap Feeding Program” was launched as a sustainable initiative to address malnutrition in public schools while at the same time supporting local bakeries. The program was made possible through the help of its partner bakeries, who went through technical training and received equipment from Pilmico. They provided bread to public schools within their communities. The Kutitap Feeding Program started in Iligan City in 2015 and in Tarlac in 2018. Since then, the program has progressively evolved through the years. Due to pandemic restrictions, it was turned into the “Kutitap Care Package,” where students received baked goods and eggs through its partner bakery, Aguila Bakeshop. Now, the program has also started incorporating meats in the meals served to the daycare students in Bamban, Tarlac. Aside from feeding students with nutritional bread, this initiative also contributed to the success of some partner bakeries such as C&G Bakery from Iligan City. Marlon C. Gecale, owner of C&G Bakery, has devoted his life to baking — from when he was a teen working as a baker to an adult owning his bakery. In between, he worked as an OFW and his passion for baking grew stronger, prompting him to have his own bakery. After buying an oven with his first salary, Gecale and his wife spent the next five years building their small bakery while he worked abroad. In 2017, they applied to become a bakery partner for Pilmico’s “Kutitap Feeding Program.” They were determined to prove that their small bakery could fulfill the demands of the program despite their new and small bakery. By partnering with Pilmico for the Kutitap Feeding Program, C&G Bakery, owned by Marlon Gecale, was able to expand to three more branches in Mindanao. Gecale underwent a month-long training with Pilmico where he earned new technical skills in baking and new recipes, which he still uses in his bakery. Since then, their bakery has grown and has been a reliable partner of Pilmico in various programs including the Iligan Community Pantry. Today, C&G Bakery has expanded to three branches in Iligan City, Misamis Oriental and Zamboanga del Sur. 'Tinapay Ti Uno' program Aside from Pilmico’s own initiatives, it has partnered with local government units such as the Department of Agrarian Reform Tarlac for the “Tinapay Ti Uno” program in partnership with Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Department of Trade and Industry and the Office of Congressman Jaime Cojuangco from the 1st District of Tarlac province. This program aims to create healthy buns using locally sourced ingredients from Agrarian Reform Beneficiary Organizations and provide them to public school students in the 1st district of Tarlac. A total of 11 ARBOs participated in a bun and special bread competition where the winners will be responsible for the distribution of buns to the students. In the competition held last 24 2023, three ARBOs were hailed as the grand winners: Cabayaoasan Farmer Agriculture Cooperative from Paniqui, Tarlac; Bacabac Farmers Producers Cooperative from Brgy. Bacabac, Camiling, Tarlac; and Sinulatan 1st Agriculture Cooperative from Brgy. Sinulatan 1st, Camiling, Tarlac. Each winner received a bakery livelihood package from Pilmico that included an oven, stainless steel table, bread rack, bread showcase, proofer with cover, spiral mixer and 10 Pilmico flour sacks. In addition to the equipment, the winners were to receive technical assistance and bakery management training from Pilmico as they set up their bakery business. During the winners’ onsite bakery training in Camiling, Tarlac last 3 October, it was revealed that two out of the three ARBOs have already opened their bakeries within their communities. In celebration of “World Bread Day,” Pilmico emphasizes its unwavering commitment to providing high-quality flour that helps create nutritional bread products. “We believe in the transformative power that a simple loaf of bread can bring to people’s lives, especially those who rely on it as their main source of livelihood. Pilmico is dedicated to delivering the finest flour for the community’s bread making needs,” said Ma. Katrina Bayog, Pilmico Corporate Social Responsibility manager. The post Pilmico on World Bread Day: Bread’s transformative impact on communities appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Travel Sale Expo 2023 all set to open on 29 Sept
Organizers of The Travel Sale Expo 2023 has shifted into high gear its preparations for a successful opening on 29 September 2023 at the Megatrade Hall, SM Megamall. One Klik Events, the organizer of Travel Sale Expo 2023 is leaving no stone unturned to ensure a grand and unforgettable 3-day travel sale expo. For the exhibit area, it is almost 100% full despite having one more month to go. Organizers are excited that come opening day, they can welcome guests and visitors to a full house. This guarantees the public that they have more than enough exhibitors that will offer a wide range of choices on travel services, special package tours and budget travel fares. The Travel Sale Expo 2023 is organized by seasoned practitioners in the travel industry. They have decades of experience working in different sectors of travel industry and most importantly they have successfully managed several travel expos in the past. Thus, it is no surprise they readily got the support of several stakeholders in the tourism industry such as UnionBank of the Philippines, Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP), Global Tourism Business Association (GTBA), Israel Ministry of Tourism, Israeli Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ICCP), Hotel 101, United Airlines, Airswift, Philippine Airlines, Guam Visitors Bureau, Tourism Malaysia, Indochina Unique Tourist-Vietnam, BLS International, Philippine Amusement Entertainment & Corporation (PAEC), Travelution, Jeju Air, Converge ICT Solutions Inc., Uniqlo, Annapoorna Phils., Mix Caricature, Klik n’ Fly Travel and Tours, Soandos Travel, Embassy of Egypt, Resorts World Cruises and Megaworld Corporation. With an exciting theme of “Travel is on and It is Unstoppable”, the Travel Sale Expo 2023 will invest its time and effort on special programs it will steadily pursue. It aims to provide the travel needs of the public as well to help the government promote the tourism industry in general. “We want to support the programs of the Tourism Department of the Philippines to generate more business for the industry and help achieve the projected tourist arrivals of 4.8 million for this year”, Ms. Michelle Taylan, Chairperson of the Travel Sale Expo 2023 explained. The Travel Sale Expo 2023 is scheduled to open its doors to the general public on 29 September 2023 to 1 October 2023 at the Megatrade Hall, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City. It will host about 150 exhibitors from the travel industry like travel agencies, tour operators, airlines, hotels, resorts, cruise liners, insurance companies, amusement parks, museums and retailers of travel-related products. Each exhibitors will have the chance to showcase its travel services to the public while visitors will be busy bargain-hunting for low travel fares and special tour packages. It is estimated that about 50,000 attendees will visit the three-day travel expo. The Travel Sale Expo 2023 is green and go! For budget-conscious travelers, this is the place to be. The post Travel Sale Expo 2023 all set to open on 29 Sept appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Gabon’s Bongo aims for third term
LIBREVILLE, Gabon (AFP) — Voters here were called to the polls on Saturday for a triple election in which President Ali Bongo Ondimba, scion of a family that has ruled for 55 years, is seeking victory over a belatedly united opposition. Bongo and his main rival, Albert Ondo Ossa, lead a race of 14 candidates vying for the top job in the small oil-rich central African state. The 64-year-old incumbent is seeking a third term after taking office in 2009, succeeding his father, Omar, who died after more than 41 years in power. But as polling day loomed, a storm erupted over a purported conversation between Ondo Ossa and a fellow opposition figure. The conversation — recorded without the pair’s knowledge and disseminated on social media — refer to various strategies “to create a power struggle” and support from other countries. Bongo has accused the pair of treason, saying the remarks reflect a plot to take over with the help of “foreign powers.” At an eve-of-election rally attended by tens of thousands of supporters in Libreville, Bongo charged that the two sought to “destroy this country.” “We won’t let them to do it,” he cried. Onda Ossa, a 69-year-old economics professor who served as a minister under Bongo from 2006 to 2009, was chosen by the main opposition grouping, Alternance 2023, as its joint candidate just eight days before the election. For years, Bongo, who once had ambitions to be a funk singer before being groomed for politics, struggled in the shadow of his charismatic father. In 2016, he was narrowly re-elected with just 5,500 more votes than his rival, who claimed the election had been fixed. The announcement of the results sparked violence in the capital Libreville that left five dead, according to the government. The opposition says 30 people were shot dead by the security forces. In October 2018, Bongo suffered a stroke that sidelined him for 10 months. His prolonged absence stoked claims he was unfit to rule effectively and fueled a minor attempted coup. He returned to work after his convalescence bent on showing himself to be a man of rigor, keen to root out “traitors” and “profiteers” in his inner circle. Visitors and diplomats say that Bongo today is mentally acute but has mobility problems in his right arm and leg. In recent months, he has been busy with foreign trips and a nationwide tour defend his record and pitch himself as an agent of change. As well as voting for a president, Gabon’s 850,000 voters will be choosing candidates for the legislature and local councils. In the days leading up to the ballots, the main opposition parties have cried foul over a last-minute change to voting rules in the legislative race which they say violates the separation of powers. The new move stipulates that any vote for a local deputy will automatically be a vote for that deputy’s presidential candidate. The post Gabon’s Bongo aims for third term appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
SC junks celebrity doctor’s appeal
The Supreme Court on Tuesday disclosed that it has dismissed the appeal of celebrity doctor Joel Mendez to set aside the decision of the Court of Appeals affirming the seven-year jail term slapped against him by the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City for violating the provisions of Republic Act 8282 or the Social Security Act of 1997. In a six-page resolution dated 31 July 2023, the High Court’s First Division did not give merit to Mendez’s claim that the CA’s Former Special Eight Division — through Associate Justices Edwin Sorongon, Sesinando E. Villon and Marie Christine Azcarraga-Jacob — committed grave abuse of discretion when they outright dismissed his petition. This stemmed from the petition of Mendez before the SC invoking anew “extrinsic fraud” on the part of his lawyer in seeking reconsideration of the CA’s ruling. The doctor claimed that the failure of his former counsel to attend scheduled hearings for his presentation of evidence and his counsel’s failure to inform him of the hearings and that his presence was required during the proceedings were tantamount to “extrinsic fraud.” Extrinsic fraud refers to “fraudulent act of the prevailing party in litigation committed outside of the trial of the case, whereby the defeated party is prevented from fully exhibiting his side of the case by fraud or deception practiced on him by his opponent, such as by keeping him away from court; by giving him a false promise of a compromise; or where the defendant never had the knowledge of the suit, being kept in ignorance by the acts of plaintiff; or where an attorney fraudulently or without authority connives at his defeat.” The SC, though, held that Mendez’s contention that the failure to present his side due to his former counsel’s negligence constitutes extrinsic fraud, “is untenable.” “As a ground for the annulment of a judgment, extrinsic fraud must emanate from an act of the adverse party, and the fraud must be of such nature as to have deprived petitioner of their day in court,” said the SC. “The fraud is not extrinsic if the act was committed by petitioner’s own counsel. In this light, we have ruled in several cases that a lawyer’s mistake or gross negligence does not amount to the extrinsic fraud that would grant a petition for annulment of judgment,” it added. Also, the SC stressed that Mendez failed to comply with the 60-day period under Rule 65 of the Rules of Court within which to file the present petition questioning the CA decision, adding that Atty. Marc Anthony B. Antonio, one of Mendez’s former counsels, received a copy of the CA resolution dated 16 April 2019 on 2 May 2019. Mendez alleged that Antonio informed him about the resolution only on 19 June 2019. The court added that Mendez — instead of filing the present petition for certiorari within 60 days from 2 May 2019 — secured the services of a new lawyer and filed the petition only on 8 August 2019, or 98 days after Antonio received the CA Resolution dated 16 April 2019. “As keenly observed by the OSG (Office of the Solicitor General, Mendez blames yet again one of his former lawyers who allegedly belatedly informed him of the receipt of the CA Resolution dated 16 April 2019,” the SC said. “This is a self-serving allegation not supported by any evidence and, thus, deserves scant consideration. A party alleging a critical fact must support their allegation with substantial evidence, for any decision based on unsubstantiated allegation cannot stand without offending due process,” it added. To recall, the CA — in its August 2018 decision — denied the petition filed by Mendez seeking to annul the 18 July 2016 decision of QC RTC Branch 88 Presiding Judge Rossana Fe Romero which found her guilty of violating Republic Act 8282. It did not give weight to Mendez’s contentions, stressing that the SC has previously ruled that a lawyer’s neglect in keeping track of the case and his failure to apprise his client of the development of the case do not constitute extrinsic fraud. Mendez, who owns a chain of dermatology clinics in the country, was sentenced to a jail term ranging from six years and one day as minimum to seven years as maximum by the QC RTC. He was also ordered to pay SSS a total of P1,865,657.50 representing unpaid contributions from October 2011 to January 2013 with an interest of three percent per month from July 2015 until full payment. The post SC junks celebrity doctor’s appeal appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Chosen son: Cambodia’s next PM Hun Manet to succeed father
Hun Manet has an economics degree from England and graduated from US military academy West Point, but there are few expectations he will uphold Western liberal ideals when he succeeds his father as Cambodia's prime minister. Groomed for years, the eldest son of Cambodia's iron-fisted ruler will take over next month in a dynastic transfer long in the making, which sees Hun Manet move from the premier's bodyguard unit to the seat of power in the capital Phnom Penh. After nearly four decades as Cambodian leader, Hun Sen on Wednesday announced his resignation in a televised speech, three days after claiming a landslide victory in a one-sided election that the ruling party was guaranteed to win after having silenced all viable opposition. Hun Manet, already a member of the ruling Cambodian People's Party's powerful permanent committee, has served as commander of the Royal Cambodian Army since 2018. Born on October 20, 1977, the princeling graduated from West Point in 1999 and has more recently met world leaders including President Xi Jinping of China -- Cambodia's main ally and benefactor. But the 45-year-old four-star general only contested a parliamentary seat for the first time in Sunday's election, a poll he has insisted was legitimate, while Western powers criticized it as neither free nor fair. 'After Hun Sen' While Hun Sen, one of the world's longest-serving rulers, has trailed the handover to his son for a year and a half, he has also made it clear that he intends to wield influence after he steps down, scotching the notion the country could change direction when Hun Manet assumes power. While Hun Sen's politics are shaped by his experiences of revolution and war as a young man during the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s, his son was raised in luxury and educated abroad. Hun Manet holds a PhD in economics from the University of Bristol in Britain, and was the first Cambodian to graduate from the prestigious US military academy. He has also served in leadership roles in the ruling CPP's youth movement, his father's bodyguard unit and the counterterrorism special forces. But a Western education is no guarantee of a more liberal approach, exiled politician Sam Rainsy, a longstanding foe of Hun Sen, told AFP this month -- pointing to Syria's brutal Assad dynasty. "Syria's Bashar al-Assad is more educated than Hafez al-Assad, but the son is politically worse than the father," he said. Sebastian Strangio, author of a book about Hun Sen's rule, told AFP that so far Hun Manet had shown "little evidence that he will introduce anything more than cosmetic reforms to the current political system". Without his father's backing, it is not clear Hun Manet would be able to make changes even if he wanted to. He remains untested in the political arena, analyst Ou Virak told AFP this month. "The problem is he's been spoon-fed, mostly with a golden spoon," Ou Virak said. Married with two daughters and a son, Hun Manet will assume the role of prime minister on 22 August. The post Chosen son: Cambodia’s next PM Hun Manet to succeed father appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
The price we have to pay
We caught our good friend Mulong busy fetching water when we visited him over the weekend. Just like most of his neighbors, Mulong was preparing for the time the daily water supply would be cut off to scrimp on whatever supply was available in our dams. Starting yesterday, more than half a million households within the concession area of water distributor Maynilad Water Services began enduring service interruptions for as long as 11 hours as the water level of Angat Dam continued to drop amid the El Niño weather phenomenon. Around 591,000 Maynilad customers in Caloocan, Navotas, Malabon, Valenzuela, Manila and Quezon cities had their supply cut from 7 p.m. to 4 a.m., if the schedule started on time. Despite assurances that the water service interruptions won’t be much of an inconvenience as they have been limited to the nighttime hours, Mulong was not taking any chances. “Mabuti na ang sigurado (It pays to be sure),” Mulong fumed as he transferred a pail of water to a big drum. “Eh kung walang tumulo dyan sa takdang oras (What if water does not flow at the scheduled time)?” Mulong is probably just one of the many who are not leaving their fate to the concessionaires. Unless the rains start falling soonest, this jack-of-all-trades friend of ours would rather leave his fate to himself. He, however, remains optimistic that the rainfall would increase next month to raise the water levels, particularly at Ipo Dam which has a lower capacity and spilling level. We told Mulong that climate change is the price we earthlings have to pay for our own follies. We can’t blame any particular group for the mess we are in. The lack of an abundant water supply we told him could be blamed on El Niño, a climate phenomenon that impacts weather patterns and rainfall distribution. “Dati wala naman tayong ganito, ah (We didn’t have these things before),” he told us. Yes, we said, but El Niño can lead to drought, reduced agricultural productivity, and water shortages. Mitigating the impact of El Niño, we pointed out, requires a comprehensive approach involving various strategies and sectors. Efficient water resource management is therefore crucial during El Niño periods, we explained to our friend. This includes optimizing water storage facilities, improving irrigation systems, and promoting water conservation practices, we added. “So, what is our government doing?” Mulong asked us. Didn’t you notice how the government has enhanced its early warning system? Long before the onset of El Niño, we had already been warned of its potential impact so that the public could take preventive measures. “Look at you,” we told him, “you’re already preparing for the water supply cut because you’ve been forewarned. If not, we all would have been caught flat-footed.” “Oh, and is that why I heard on the radio that the Agriculture Department is urging farmers to intensify and ramp up rice production before we feel the effects of El Niño?” he asked. “Exactly,” we replied. “Although Pagasa said that El Niño is now in the country, its impact on farms would not be immediate and would take time to affect those in non-irrigated areas.” The weather bureau said the amount of rain for the months of June to September would be normal to above normal but rainfall for October to December would be below normal, we told our friend. “Yeah, I can understand all of that, but it really pains me that we are all suffering now because of our abuse of Mother Earth. Don’t you wish we could have taken care of her more?” The post The price we have to pay appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Istanbul’s ancient shoreline gets ultramodern museum
Istanbul's Museum of modern art moved Tuesday into a futuristic building overlooking the Bosphorus Strait designed by the Italian-born architect of London's Shard skyscraper and the Pompidou Centre in Paris. The museum's return to its old but reinvented location marks the latest attempt by Turkey's cultural capital to infuse its iconic waterfront -- lined with graceful imperial palaces and mosques -- with a more futuristic feel. Established in 2004, the Istanbul Modern in 2018 moved out of a rustic building that once served as a customs warehouse. The city then launched a massive regeneration project that rebuilt a long stretch of the European side of the Bosphorus shoreline, making it more accessible to both Istanbulites and cruise ships that again clutter the busy strait. The museum's new three-story reflective steel building, featuring a transparent ground floor made of reinforced glass, is connected to the new Galata Port -- a sleek amalgam of restaurants, bars, and retail stores overlooking a waterfront boardwalk. Its design was inspired by the glittering waters and light reflections of the Bosphorus, architect Renzo Piano told reporters. "This museum building is like a creature of the sea that has jumped out from the waters of the Bosphorus," said Piano, whose other works include the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. "Every time you have water, it is great to make a building because water makes things beautiful," he said. "Istanbul is a place of water. We have water everywhere." Turkey's art scene, funded mostly by wealthy businessmen and philanthropists, flourished during an economic boom that accompanied the early years of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's rule. But Erdogan, who extended his two decades in power until 2028 in a general election last month, has come under fire for curtailing the freedom of expression and developing a troubled relationship with artists. It's forever Spanning 10,500 square meters (115,000 square feet), the museum offers a space for exhibitions, film screenings, and a permanent collection of more than 280 works by Turkey's most important modern and contemporary artists. It is currently featuring works by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, a photographer, screenwriter, and actor whose "Winter Sleep" won the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 2014. The exhibition consists of 22 large portraits taken by Ceylan in his travels to places such as India, Georgia, China, and Russia. Piano approached his latest creation knowing the pressures of erecting a building that could reshape both the city and its artistic direction for future generations. "People must understand that it is a public art, making architecture, so it is different from many other sorts of art," Piano said. "It's forever," he added. "Especially when you make a building like a museum." The building stands on a grid of steel-braced concrete columns that are meant to be resistant to major earthquakes. The city of 16 million people straddles an active fault line, suffering a catastrophic quake in 1999 that claimed more than 17,000 lives. Piano said architecture was about making lasting structures. "Look at the building, it's solidly built, and the solidity is part of the semantic expression of the building: solid and flying." The post Istanbul’s ancient shoreline gets ultramodern museum appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Blinken urges open lines of communication with China
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Wednesday for open lines of communication as he spoke with China's foreign minister, ahead of planned face-to-face discussions in Beijing. Relations between the world's two largest economies have tanked in recent years over Taiwan, trade and human rights, among a litany of other issues. Blinken is due in Beijing on Sunday for talks aimed at calming nerves, after a previous planned visit was abruptly cancelled in February. In his call with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, which took place Wednesday Beijing time, Blinken said they "discussed ongoing efforts to maintain open channels of communication as well as bilateral and global issues". State Department spokesman Matthew Miller also said Blinken had stressed "the importance of maintaining open lines of communication to responsibly manage the US-PRC relationship to avoid miscalculation and conflict". Blinken "made clear the US would continue to use diplomatic engagements to raise areas of concern as well as areas of potential cooperation", Miller said. A Beijing readout of the call struck a more confrontational tone, reporting that Qin had warned that relations between the two countries had faced "new difficulties and challenges" since the beginning of the year. "It's clear who is responsible," Qin said, according to the Chinese foreign ministry. "China has always viewed and managed China-US relations in accordance with the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation put forward by President Xi Jinping," he added. - Blinken in Beijing - Blinken's planned visit to Beijing would be the first trip by a top US diplomat to China since his predecessor Mike Pompeo in October 2018. Presidents Joe Biden and Xi met in Bali in November and agreed to try to prevent tensions from soaring out of control, including by sending Blinken to Beijing. But Blinken abruptly cancelled a trip scheduled in early February after the United States said it detected -- and later shot down -- a Chinese surveillance balloon flying over the US mainland. The two sides have more recently looked again to keep tensions in check, including with an extensive, closed-door meeting between Biden's national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, and senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi in Vienna last month. Biden has sought limited areas for cooperation with China, such as climate change, in contrast with the more fully adversarial position adopted at the end of the administration of his predecessor Donald Trump. But two countries remain at deeply at odds over many issues. The White House last week accused China of operating an intelligence unit in Cuba for years and upgraded it in 2019 in an effort to enhance its presence on the Caribbean island. A base in Cuba, which lies 90 miles (150 kilometers) off Florida's southern tip, would be viewed in Washington as a direct challenge to the continental United States. Asked about the base at a regular press briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said he was "unaware of the situation" before criticising US policy on Cuba. bur-oho-ehl/je/kma © Agence France-Presse The post Blinken urges open lines of communication with China appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
India train mishap kills nearly 300
BELASORE, India — At least 288 people were killed and more than 850 injured in a train crash in India on Friday night. The crash occurred near Balasore, in the eastern state of Odisha, when two passenger trains and a goods train collided. The impact of the crash caused carriages to be lifted into the air, twisted, and then smashed off the tracks. Rescue workers used metal cutting tools to pry open gaps in the torn sides of carriages in a desperate search to reach those trapped inside. By Saturday morning, they had pulled out 288 bodies and more than 850 injured passengers. The death toll is expected to rise, as many of the injured are in critical condition. The cause of the crash is still under investigation. Residents and volunteers rushed to help the injured, providing food, water, and blankets. They also helped to carry the injured to hospitals. The crash has caused widespread disruption to train services in the region. All train trips between Balasore and Bhubaneswar have been canceled, and others were running late. The government has announced compensation of 500,000 rupees (about $7,000) for the families of each of the victims. The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, has expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and has ordered a full investigation into the crash. Chronology of rail disasters With hundreds killed and more injured in a three-train collision in India, AFP looked back on some of the worst rail disasters of the last 10 years: Greek collision. On 28 February 2023, a head-on collision between a freight train and a passenger train on the route between Athens and Thessaloniki claimed 57 lives, in the country’s worst rail accident; Stowaways derailed. On 10 March 2022, a freight train loaded with stowaways derailed in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Lualaba province, killing at least 75 people and injuring 125 others. A month later, at least eight people died when a goods train derailed in the same area; Pakistan farmlands. On 7 June 2021, at least 63 people died when a train hurtling through farmland derailed and collided with another passenger service in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province; Taiwan tragedy. On 2 April 2021, at least 49 people were killed and 200 injured when a passenger train collided with a truck that slid down an embankment near the city of Hualien — the island’s worst rail disaster in decades; Pakistan pilgrims. At least 74 people died and more than 40 were injured on 31 October 2019, when a fire broke out on an overcrowded passenger train carrying pilgrims to a religious gathering near Lahore; Crowds on tracks. A speeding train ran over revelers watching fireworks during a Hindu festival in northern India on 19 October 2018, killing at least 60 people; Indian Express disaster. At least 146 people died when an Indore-Patna Express train with around 2,000 people on board derailed in Uttar Pradesh on 20 November 2016, sending carriages crashing into each other; Speeding Cameroon train. A train traveling from the capital Yaounde to the economic hub of Douala derailed on 21 October 2016, killing at least 79 people and injuring around 550 others. It was traveling “abnormally” fast before the crash, the investigation into the crash concluded; Congo accident. A goods train carrying hundreds of illegal passengers flew off the rails in a swampy and inaccessible part of the south of the Democratic Republic of Congo on 22 April 2014, killing at least 136 people. Many had to be buried in mass graves nearby; and Spain derailing. About 80 people were killed and 140 injured when a high-speed train slammed into a concrete wall near the northwestern city of Santiago de Compostela on 24 July 2013. The train had been approaching a curve at more than twice the speed limit. The post India train mishap kills nearly 300 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Grab fined P9M over late refunds
Delivery and ride-hailing app Grab Philippines needs to pay up a fresh P9-million fine, on top of previous penalties, following its alleged failure to fully refund customers. In a press statement on Monday, the Philippine Competition Commission lamented Grab’s inaction to pay back customers more than three years after the PCC first ordered the reimbursement. The latest fine, according to PCC, is on top of the P63.7 million in penalties that the Commission had imposed on Grab over the years since it acquired the Philippine operations of then-lone rival Uber in 2018. The PCC cleared the acquisition at the time after Grab committed to addressing several competition concerns raised by the Commission. Under the Philippine Competition Act, the PCC has the power to review a merger between or among businesses to ensure their transaction does not restrict competition in the market where the merged entity will operate. Surprised Meanwhile, Grab Philippines said they were astounded by the decision of the PCC to impose a fine against them, though they are glad that the PCC has finally come to a decision on the disbursement mechanism for the remaining administrative fees — so they can put the matter to rest. “At the same time, we are surprised at PCC’s decision to fine us — given that we’ve been proactively engaging with them for over a year with proposals for alternative mechanisms to disburse the remaining administrative fees.” Also, Grab Philippines maintained that it has always been 100 percent committed to fully depleting the unclaimed administrative fees, and has made every effort it can to do so. “We proposed alternative disbursement mechanisms and are surprised that the PCC made a decision in February 2023 without informing us — given that we’ve been regularly following up with them. Nevertheless, we will implement the order of the PCC for Alternative Refund Mechanism as required by the PCC Order,” the statement sent to reporters read. “As we have been forthcoming in explaining our legal position, and challenges to the PCC; and have been proactive in proposing alternative disbursement mechanisms, we will be evaluating our legal options regarding the P9M fine,” it added. In a Resolution dated February, the PCC imposed a P6-million fine on Grab for violating three separate Commission orders for the company to return a combined P25.45 million to its customers. The refund orders were issued after Grab failed to deliver on its Price Monitoring Commitment. The earliest Commission order was issued in November 2019, followed by a second order a month later, and a third in October 2020. On each occasion, Grab was given a 60-day deadline to complete the refund from receipt of each order. In the same Commission Resolution, the PCC also imposed a P3-million fine on Grab for providing incorrect and misleading information in the compliance reports that the company submitted concerning the refund orders. In those reports, Grab claimed that it had completed the refund. However, PCC’s review found that only 24.16 percent of the total amount had been returned to Grab’s customers as of June 2021 — more than five months after the deadline for the Commission’s third refund order. It was only after the PCC issued a show-cause order in January 2022 that compliance with the refund order shot up to 73.80 percent as of April last year, but still short of the full refund that Grab had claimed. Lastly, the Commission, in the same Resolution, directed Grab to provide Alternative Refund Mechanism that would allow its customers to claim remaining refunds, barring which the company was ordered to convey the amount to PCC for remittance to the National Treasury. To ensure higher take-up of the refund, the PCC instructed Grab to exhaust different platforms to inform customers about the pending reimbursement. The post Grab fined P9M over late refunds appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Barangay 143’ conquers Netflix, streams on PopTV this Nov. 18
First Filipino anime series “Barangay 143” continues to bring the country’s name to the global stage after it debuted on streaming giant Netflix last month and even landed among the top ten most watched titles in Netflix Asia. “We are very proud that again we have reached another first with ‘Barangay 143,’ and that is the first Filipino anime series to stream on Netflix. This has been enjoyed by millions of Filipinos nationwide during its free TV run and we believe other countries would enjoy it just as much as Filipinos did. We hope it continues to entertain young viewers and inspire young Filipino animators,” said August Media Holdings CEO Jyotirmoy Saha. “From the very start, we want to make Filipinos proud and to be able to share our story to the rest of the world so we are just overwhelmed with all the positive feedback we are getting. ‘Barangay 143’ represents all of us,” said Synergy88 Entertainment Media COO Jackeline Chua. Ever since it premiered on Netflix, the show has again received positive feedback from Filipinos who expressed how proud they of the Filipino anime. Some also shared how happy they are that they can finally stream it online. Aside from that, clamor for its second season grows even more as avid fans of the show demand producers to finally end its more than one year of hiatus off air. Prior to this, “Barangay 143” made the headlines as it emerged the best in Asia and won the Best 2D Animated Program and Best Theme Song (‘Alanganin’) categories at the recent Asian Television Awards. It was also proclaimed regional winner in the Best Animated Program, Best Drama Series, and Best Theme Song (‘Liga ng Buhay’) categories at the 2019 Asian Academy Creative Awards. Produced by Philippine-based Synergy88 Entertainment Media, Singapore’s August Media Holdings, Japan’s TV Asahi and ASI Animation, “Barangay 143” tells the story of Bren Park, a young and rising basketball superstar from Korea who in search of his biological father in Manila. Here, he finds a new family in a team of misfits and turns their basketball team from underdogs to being the team to beat in the tournament. Aside from its Filipino storyline, “Barangay 143” was dubbed by Filipino celebrities-turned-voice actors led by Migo Adecer, Julie Anne San Jose, Ruru Madrid, and Kelley Day and seasoned actors John Arcilla, Cherie Gil, Edu Manzano, and Lorna Tolentino among others. It’s original soundtrack also features top OPM artists that include Gloc 9, Nina, Top Suzara, Kris Lawrence, Harlem Ty, Kevin Yadao, Krizza Neri, and Willie Revillame. It premiered on free-to-air television via GMA 7 in October 2018 and consistently dominated its Sunday morning timeslot according to data from AGB Nielsen. “Barangay 143” is still available on Netflix and will be available on newest streaming platform POPTV this Nov 18. To download just search “POPTV Pinas” on Google Play or Apple AppStore. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/poptvph.....»»
East Asia Super League partners with FIBA to launch champions-league style joust
East Asia Super League's worst-kept secret is finally out. In an official announcement this week, EASL has partnered with FIBA to launch a champions-league style tournament featuring the top club teams in the East Asian region. The 10-year agreement will kick off with the first tournament in October 2021, one month after the scheduled FIBA Asia Champions Cup. Next year, EASL will gather eight top teams from China (CBA), Japan (B.League), South Korea (KBL), and the Philippines (PBA) to play in a tournament under a home-and-away format. Following preliminary play, the competition will conclude in February 2022 with a Final Four to determine one regional champion. The same format will be used for the 2022-2023 edition and EASL has plans to expand the tournament to 16 teams by 2023. "The recognition of the East Asia Super League is based on a shown commitment to developing basketball in the region, and is in line with FIBA’s club competition strategy that is to shape international club competitions,” said FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis. "EASL has demonstrated a great operational capability to organize a high-level competition for top clubs, and a strong commitment to elevate the sport of basketball in East Asia within the FIBA regulatory framework for leagues,” said FIBA Executive Director Asia Hagop Khajirian. EASL has staged tournaments featuring East Asian Club teams in the past. The Super 8 tournament, which require all-local lineups, was played in Macau in 2017 and 2018 with Japan's Chiba Jets and China's Guangzhou Long Lions named as champions. EASL's premier tournament, The Terrific 12, allows teams to play with up to two imports. It was also played in Macau starting in 2018. Japan's Ryukyu Golden Kings won the first Terrific 12 title in 2018. Last year, China's Lioaning Flying Leopards, with Lance Stephenson at the lead, captured the championship, beating PBA flagships TNT KaTropa and the San Miguel Beermen along the way. "EASL is thrilled to receive FIBA’s support for the launch of our league. With top teams from the Greater China region, Japan, Korea, and the Philippines, we are confident it will become one of the top professional basketball competitions in the world by 2025," CEO Matt Beyer said. "We also look forward to aligning with FIBA’s vision to strengthen domestic clubs and league competition in East Asia with a potential fan base of over 2 billion people, which will contribute to FIBA’s global club championship ambitions," Beyer added. — Follow this writer on Twitter, @paullintag8.....»»
Former ONE champ Kevin Belingon becomes a father
Former ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin "The Silencer" Belingon is now a father! The Team Lakay star and his wife Lee welcomed a baby girl into the world on August 18th, and "The Silencer" made shared the wonderful news on social media. The 32-year old Belingon last saw action back in October of 2019, coming up short in his attempt to reclaim the ONE Bantamweight World Championship against reigning titleholder Bibiano Fernandes at ONE: Century in Japan. Belingon dethroned Fernandes for the title back in 2018, before losing it via Disqualification in March of 2019. When Belingon returns to action, whenever that may be, you can bet that "The Silencer" will have extra motivation to return to the win column. Just last month, fellow Filipino world champion Brandon "The Truth" Vera also became a father, welcoming a baby boy. .....»»
Thirdy, NeoPhoenix open home campaign against powerhouse Jets
We'll be seeing Thirdy Ravena take flight in Japan sooner rather than later. San-en NeoPhoenix plays its first pair of home games of the 2020-2021 B.League season on October 3-4 at the Hamamatsu Arena. View this post on Instagram . HOME OPENING GAME???????? . . ???? 2020?10?3?????4???? ?????????? ????#?????? . ?????????2????????????????????????????????????????? . . #?????????? #B??? #?????? A post shared by ???????????? (@neophoenix_official) on Jul 12, 2020 at 9:34pm PDT NeoPhoenix will take on the powerhouse Chiba Jets, who finished the COVID-19 shortened 2019-2020 season with a 28-12 record. The Jets were also runners-up to champion Alvark Tokyo to end the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Ravena signed with the NeoPhoenix last month, becoming the first Asian import in the B.League after the initiative was first announced in 2019. [Related: Get to know San-en NeoPhoenix, Thirdy Ravena's team in Japan] Thirdy looks to boost San-en's campaign as NeoPhoenix finished in last place in the Division 1 with a 5-36 record. The team would have been up for relegation if not for the shortened season. — Follow this writer on Twitter, @paullintag8.....»»
Koepka among those who have to catch up in FedEx Cup
By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer The question was perplexing to Brooks Koepka, perhaps because it was missing specific context or because it takes a lot to make him worry. He was asked going into the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head if he felt any sense of urgency. “Urgency for what?” he replied. Koepka missed three months after a knee injury in October when he slipped on wet concrete at the CJ Cup in South Korea and had to withdraw. When he returned, he played five times — his only top-20 finish was a tie for 17th in Saudi Arabia — and then the COVID-19 pandemic shut down golf for three months. Having played only four PGA Tour events, he was No. 213 in the FedEx Cup standings. The only time he didn’t make it to East Lake for the FedEx Cup finale was in 2015, when he missed a month with an ankle injury. He finished 35th. Koepka was unaware that history is working against him this year. In the last 10 years, Jim Furyk is the only player to be outside the top 200 in the FedEx Cup standings with nine events remaining and reach the postseason. “I just go play golf, just keep doing what I’m doing,” Koepka said that day. “I feel like I’m playing good, so eventually it will come.” He closed with a 65 at Harbour Town to finish seventh and moved up 56 spots to No. 148. And then he withdrew the following week from the Travelers Championship out of caution when his caddie, Ricky Elliott, tested positive for the coronavirus. He returns to the Workday Charity Open this week having slipped seven spots to No. 155. Six tournaments are on the schedule between now and the start of the FedEx Cup playoffs. Furyk in 2016 turned it around with a runner-up finish at the U.S. Open. Only one major and one World Golf Championship remain on the schedule. Koepka has company in that regard. British Open champion Shane Lowry spent most of his time on the European Tour late last year and into the first month of 2020, so he has only seven starts on the PGA Tour and is at No. 148. C.T. Pan, who played in the Presidents Cup, has missed seven of nine cuts since January and is No. 182. Sergio Garcia is at No. 122. One week can change everything. Dustin Johnson, who missed the entire fall recovering from knee surgery, was off to a slow start before the pandemic and missed the cut at Colonial upon his return. Two weeks later, he won the Travelers Championship and moved up to No. 22. Koepka still has the World Golf Championship at TPC Southwind, where he won last year, and the PGA Championship, where he tries to become the first player to win three straight times in stroke play. There is time. Plus, he's not one to sweat such matters. BONES ON THE BAG Matt Fitzpatrick came over from England for the restart of the PGA Tour, and caddie Billy Foster stayed behind. The idea was for Fitzpatrick to get used to the protocols, and then Foster would join him for the World Golf Championship in Memphis, Tennessee, and the PGA Championship in San Francisco. Fitzpatrick used Cayce Kerr for three tournaments. And then he got an offer he couldn’t refuse for two weeks at Muirfield Village: Jim “Bones” Mackay, the longtime looper for Phil Mickelson who now does course commentary for NBC Sports. “I was absolutely shocked,” Fitzpatrick said. “Everyone knows his place in the game and how well he’s done. Even just walking around here, people are excited to see him back and on tour. For me, I was very taken aback.” It wasn’t an accident. Fitzpatrick has an endorsement with Workday, whose CEO knows Mackay and suggested he reach out to Fitzpatrick. They will be working together the next two weeks at the Workday Charity Open and the Memorial. LET’S PLAY TWO Muirfield Village is hosting different PGA Tour events in consecutive weeks, which hasn’t happened in 63 years. The last time was in 1957, when Roberto de Vicenzo won the All American Open against an 83-man field at Tam O’Shanter Club in Illinois. Dick Mayer won the World Championship of Golf on the same course a week later. That was the 10th straight season that the All American Open and World Championship of Golf were held at Tam O’Shanter in successive weeks. Lloyd Mangrum was the only player to win both events in the same year (1948). According to the PGA Tour, there was one other tournament held on the same course in back-to-back weeks. That was in 1956, when the Dallas Centennial Open and the Texas International Open were held at Preston Hollow to coincide with the 100-year anniversary of Dallas being founded. Both events were never played again. DRIVE ON Maybe some of the PGA Tour players should borrow the “Drive On” slogan from the LPGA Tour. That’s all they’ve been doing since the restart last month in Texas. Russell Knox drove his RV from the north Florida coast to Colonial, and then back toward the Atlantic coast to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. From there, he and his wife went north to Connecticut to the Travelers Championship. At that point, they hired a driver (they were passengers) for the trip to Detroit, and now they’re in Ohio. But they had company. One of his closest friends on tour, Brian Stuard, also bought an RV. “We’ve been traveling along with him,” Stuard said. “Decided to do it and really enjoy it so far. Not sure if we’re going to continue to do that. Those were some long drives. But it’s worth it once you get it there.” And then there’s Viktor Hovland. The Norwegian played at Oklahoma State and still lives in Stillwater, so he decided to take the four-hour drive to Colonial. “Then I just kept on thinking, ‘Well, what if I just take my car to all these tournaments?’ I looked it up, it’s 16 hours to Hilton Head. It’s 13 hours to Connecticut. ... Yeah, been having a lot of fun so far.” He drove through the night from Fort Worth, Texas, to Hilton Head and didn’t feel great when he arrived. He took in some views from Connecticut to Detroit. “It’s really nice just driving through New York and Pennsylvania,” he said. “It’s really hilly and a lot of cool views on the way.” DIVOTS Matt Fitzpatrick is hopeful fans will return, especially for the Masters — not so much for him, but his parents. “I know my parents really want to come watch that one,” he said. ... The Senior British Open, canceled this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, will remain at Sunningdale next year. ... After his victory in Detroit, Bryson DeChambeau was listed as the betting favorite over Rory McIlroy in the three majors this year. STAT OF THE WEEK The last three PGA Tour events were won by players from the top 10 in world — Webb Simpson (9) at Hilton Head, Dustin Johnson (6) at Hartford and Bryson DeChambeau (10) at Detroit. The last time that happened was in the summer of 2018 when Johnson (1) won the Canadian Open, Justin Thomas (3) won the Bridgestone Invitational and Brooks Koepka (4) won the PGA Championship. FINAL WORD “I’ll be devastated if I don’t play well.” — Charles Barkley on playing the American Century Championship for celebrities......»»
Welcome back, JB
Justin Brownlee is returning home to his adopted country after a four-month wait in Los Angeles wondering when FIBA would hand out its decision on his suspension for testing positive in a drug test after the Asian Games final in Hangzhou last October......»»
J-K Bank Q3 net profit up 35 pc to Rs 421 cr, 9-month net jumps 57 pc
Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], January 20 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir bank net profit rose 35 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 421.08 crore for the October-December Quarter (Q3FY 2024) when compared to Rs 311.59 crore registered for the same period last fiscal, an official release said. According to the release, the bank announced the results today after its Board of Directors reviewed and approved the numbers for Q3.....»»
J-K Bank Q3 net profit up 35 pc to Rs 421 cr, 9-month net jumps 57 pc
Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], January 20 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir bank net profit rose 35 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 421.08 crore for the October-December Quarter (Q3FY 2024) when compared to Rs 311.59 crore registered for the same period last fiscal, an official release said. According to the release, the bank announced the results today after its Board of Directors reviewed and approved the numbers for Q3.....»»