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BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system exports to begin in next 10 days: DRDO chief
By Ajit DubeyNew Delhi [India], January 25 (ANI): India will begin the export of ground systems for the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile in the next 10 days while the missiles of the system would be sent by March this year, DRDO chairman Dr Samir V Kamat said on Thursday. The Defence Research and Development Organisation chairman, in an interview with ANI, said the first set of BrahMos missile systems is expected to reac.....»»
BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system exports to begin in next 10 days: DRDO chief
By Ajit DubeyNew Delhi [India], January 25 (ANI): India will begin the export of ground systems for the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile in the next 10 days while the missiles of the system would be sent by March this year, DRDO chairman Dr Samir V Kamat said on Thursday. The Defence Research and Development Organisation chairman, in an interview with ANI, said the first set of BrahMos missile systems is expected to reac.....»»
Over 33-K security personnel for Pasko Fiesta 2023
Over 33,000 security and safety personnel have been deployed for the month-long 2023 Pasko Fiesta celebration in Davao City. The Chief of Davao City's Public Safety and Security Office (PSSO), Angel Sumagaysay, announced that a total of 33,672 integrated security and safety personnel will be involved in the annual Christmas festival. The deployment will begin on November 28, 2023, and continue until January 1, 2024. The Davao City Police Office (DCPO) alone accounts for 9,862 personnel, with 4,731 being police officers and the rest consisting of police auxiliary and force multipliers. The security plan was established well in advance to anticipate various events throughout the celebratory month. The spokesperson for the DCPO, PCap. Hazel Tuazon, urged the public to actively participate, witness, and cooperate with law enforcement while adhering to the culture of security. She also reminded everyone to follow safety and security guidelines, such as refraining from carrying backpacks and firearms or deadly weapons, to ensure a peaceful celebration of Pasko Fiesta. The month-long festivities will commence on November 28 and conclude on December 31 with the Paghinugyaw.....»»
First relief convoy enters Gaza devastated by ‘nightmare’ war
The first aid trucks arrived in war-torn Gaza from Egypt on Saturday, bringing urgent humanitarian relief to the Hamas-controlled Palestinian enclave suffering what the UN chief labelled a "godawful nightmare". Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas after the Islamist militant group carried out the deadliest attack in the country's history on October 7. Hamas militants killed at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians who were shot, mutilated or burnt to death, and took more than 200 hostages, according to Israeli officials. Israel has retaliated with a relentless bombing campaign on Gaza that has killed more than 4,300 Palestinians, mainly civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. An Israeli siege has cut food, water, electricity and fuel supplies to the densely populated and long-blockaded territory of 2.4 million people, sparking fears of a humanitarian catastrophe. AFP journalists on Saturday saw 20 trucks from the Egyptian Red Crescent, which is responsible for delivering aid from various UN agencies, pass through the Rafah border crossing from Egypt into Gaza. The crossing -- the only one into Gaza not controlled by Israel -- closed again after the trucks passed. The lorries had been waiting for days on the Egyptian side after Israel agreed to a request from its main ally the United States to allow aid to enter. UN chief Antonio Guterres warned Friday that the relief supplies were "the difference between life and death" for many Gazans, more than one million of whom have been displaced. "Much more" aid needs to be sent, he told a peace summit in Egypt on Saturday. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed the aid and urged "all parties" to keep the Rafah crossing open. But a Hamas spokesman said "even dozens" of such convoys could not meet Gaza's needs, especially as no fuel was being allowed in to help distribute the supplies to those in need. 'Reeling in pain' Tens of thousands of Israeli troops have deployed to the Gaza border ahead of an expected ground offensive that officials have pledged will begin "soon". As international tensions soar, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was hosting a peace summit in Cairo on Saturday attended by regional and some Western leaders. "The time has come for action to end this godawful nightmare," Guterres told the summit, calling for a "humanitarian ceasefire". The region "is reeling in pain and one step from the precipice", he said. Guterres said "the grievances of the Palestinian people are legitimate and long" after "56 years of occupation with no end in sight". But he stressed that "nothing can justify the reprehensible assault by Hamas that terrorised Israeli civilians". "Those abhorrent attacks can never justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people," he added. Egypt, historically a key mediator between Hamas and Israel, has urged "restraint" and the relaunch of the long-frozen peace process. But diplomatic efforts to end the violence have made little headway, without the participation of Israel and its enemy Iran, a supporter of Hamas and other armed groups. 'Sliver of hope' A full-blown Israeli ground offensive carries many risks, including to the hostages Hamas took and whose fate is shrouded in uncertainty. So the release of two Americans among the hostages -- mother and daughter Judith and Natalie Raanan -- offered a rare "sliver of hope", said Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross. US President Joe Biden thanked Qatar, which hosts Hamas's political bureau, for its mediation in securing the release. He said he was working "around the clock" to win the return of other Americans being held. Natalie Raanan's half-brother Ben told the BBC he felt an "overwhelming sense of joy" at the release after "the most horrible of ordeals". Hamas said Egypt and Qatar had negotiated the release and that it was "working with all mediators to implement the movement's decision to close the civilian (hostage) file if appropriate security conditions allow". Traumatised families with loved ones missing in Gaza demanded more action. "We ask humanity to interfere and bring back all those young boys, young girls, mothers, babies," Assaf Shem Tov, whose nephew was abducted from a music festival where Hamas killed hundreds, said Friday. Devastation Almost half of Gaza's residents have been displaced, and at least 30 percent of all housing in the territory has been destroyed or damaged, the United Nations says. Thousands have taken refuge in a camp set up in the city of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza. Fadwa al-Najjar said she and her seven children walked for 10 hours to reach the camp, at some points breaking into a run as missiles struck around them. "We saw bodies and limbs torn off and we just started praying, thinking we were going to die," she told AFP. In Al-Zahra in central Gaza, Rami Abu Wazna was struggling to take in the destruction wreaked by Israeli missile strikes. "Even in my worst nightmares, I never thought this could be possible," he said. Israel's operation will take not "a day, nor a week, nor a month" and will result in "the end of Israel's responsibilities in the Gaza Strip", Defence Minister Yoav Gallant warned on Friday. Regional tensions flare In Gaza, retired general Omar Ashour said the destruction was "part of a clear plan for people to have no place left to live". "This will cause a second Nakba," he added, referring to the 760,000 Palestinians who were expelled from or fled their homes when Israel was created in 1948. The United States has moved two aircraft carriers into the eastern Mediterranean to deter Iran or Lebanon's Hezbollah, both Hamas allies, amid fears of a wider conflagration. Fire across Israel's border with Lebanon continued overnight, with one Israeli soldier killed, Israeli public radio said. The military said it hit Hezbollah targets after rocket and missile fire. Violence has also flared in the West Bank, where 84 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, according to the Palestinian health ministry. The post First relief convoy enters Gaza devastated by ‘nightmare’ war appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
BoI grants towers green lane access
Deals involving 6,400 shared passive telecommunications towers nationwide by 2030, which will require an investment that will provide thousands of jobs to Filipinos in the telecom industry, will be fast-tracked following the approval of its green lane application by the Board of Investment. On Wednesday, the BoI provided the green lane endorsement to the Common Passive Telecommunications Tower Infrastructure Project of EdgePoint Tower Inc. BoI Governor Marjorie Ramos-Samaniego awarded the certificate of endorsement to EdgePoint Tower representatives headed by its chief financial officer Vicente Francisco Araña at the BoI Main Office in Makati City last 18 September 2023. EdgePoint Tower Inc. is eyeing to build and lease towers for telecommunications and digital services providers in the Philippines, a P50-billion telco infrastructure project that is expected to generate around 9,700 jobs. Aligned with the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2023’s goal of expanding and upgrading infrastructure, the project shall support the government’s initiative to enhance telecommunications services nationwide and increase connectivity, mobile network access, and Internet penetration in unserved and underserved regions of the country. The BoI added the project will provide access to the essential telecommunications infrastructure to enhance mobile telecommunications services and create a level playing field among new and existing Mobile Network Operators. Telecom infra levels up “Through continuous innovation and the use of the latest technology, the project aims to elevate the methods by which telecommunication infrastructure is developed, operated, and maintained in the Philippines. It will optimize tower design to use fewer materials and will begin using indigenous materials to replace steel elements. To lower its carbon impact, the project will promote the use of renewable energy to power telecommunications infrastructure installations,” the BoI statement said. The BoI One-Stop Action Center for Strategic Investments will monitor the actions taken by concerned government agencies on Edgepoint’s applications for permits and licenses and will submit a report to the Office of the President accordingly. Telco infrastructure is one of the priority sectors of the BoI alongside EVs, smart/high-tech lighting manufacturing, outsourced semiconductor assembly and test, green metals, high-tech agriculture, renewable energy, and data centers. Aside from generating more jobs for Filipinos, the project will strengthen the country’s telecommunications landscape and provide high-speed Internet connectivity to various areas. The post BoI grants towers green lane access appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Meta putting AI in smart glasses, assistants and more
Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday said the tech giant is putting artificial intelligence into digital assistants and smart glasses as it seeks to gain lost ground in the AI race. Zuckerberg made his announcements at the Connect developers conference at Meta's headquarters in Silicon Valley, the company's main annual product event. "Advances in AI allow us to create different (applications) and personas that help us accomplish different things," Zuckerberg said as he kicked off the gathering. "And smart glasses are going to eventually allow us to bring all of this together into a stylish form factor that we can wear." Smart glasses are one of the many ways that tech companies have tried to move beyond the smartphone as a user-friendly device, but so far with little success. The second-generation Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses made in a partnership with EssilorLuxottica will have a starting price of $299 when they hit the market on 17 October. The smart glasses also add the ability for users to stream what they are seeing in real-time, Zuckerberg said. "Smart glasses are the ideal form factor for you to let AI assistants see what you're seeing and hear what you're hearing." Meta also introduced 28 "AIs" that people can message on WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram with "personalities" based on celebrities including Snoop Dogg, Paris Hilton, and YouTube star MrBeast. Zuckerberg demonstrated an interaction with one such AI from the stage in a type-written chat promising that the new bots would soon be voiced. "This is our first effort at training a bunch of AI that are a bit more fun," Zuckerberg said. "But look, this is early stuff and these still have a lot of limitations, which you will see when you use them." The event was the first in-person edition of Connect since 2019, before the pandemic, and announcements on generative AI were widely expected. Meta has taken a much more cautious approach than its rivals Microsoft, OpenAI, and Google to push out AI products, prioritizing small steps and making its in-house models available to developers and researchers. 'Best value' Meta also unveiled the latest version of its Quest virtual reality headset with richer graphics, improved audio, and the ability for a wearer to see what is around them without taking the gear off, a demonstration for AFP showed. "This is going to be a big game changer and a big capacity improvement for these headsets," Zuckerberg told developers gathered in a Meta headquarters courtyard. Quest 3 headsets were priced starting at $499 and will begin shipping on 10 October, according to Meta. This is substantially cheaper than Apple's Vision Pro, which will cost a hefty $3,499 when it is available early next year in the United States only. The Quest 3 "is going to be the best value on the market for a long time to come", said Meta Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth, to laughter from the audience. New game titles for Quest 3 included "Assassin's Creed Nexus" from Ubisoft as well as a Roblox game. "Meta is trying to bring a much-upgraded version of (mixed-reality) to the masses," said Insider Intelligence principal analyst Yory Wurmser. The post Meta putting AI in smart glasses, assistants and more appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
ARI in troika to build Visayas wind project
Aboitiz Renewables Inc. or ARI, the renewable energy arm of Aboitiz Power Corp., Singapore-headquartered Vena Energy, and Cebu-based Vivant Energy Corp., have teamed up to develop, build, and operate a 200-megawatt or MW wind project in the Visayas. The project, dubbed as San Isidro Wind Power Project, will be built in San Isidro, a fourth-class coastal municipality in the Province of Northern Samar. It will be undertaken by the joint venture company that the parties formed called Lihangin Wind Energy Corp. Construction starts Q4 2023 As disclosed in the separate stock reports of ARI and Vivant Energy on Wednesday, which are both publicly listed companies, the wind plant will begin construction within the last quarter of the year. It is scheduled to be completed by early 2025. “We are excited to partner with Vena Energy and Vivant Energy so that together, we can contribute to the Philippines’ clean energy aspirations. This undertaking demonstrates ARI’s progress in growing its renewable energy capacity to 4,600 MW,” ARI president and chief operating officer James Arnold Villaroman. “Each of these investments is an important step to achieving a 50:50 balance in our renewable and thermal portfolios. We are very excited about these opportunities to contribute to the country’s energy transition journey,” he added. Meanwhile, Emil Andre Garcia, president and COO of Vivant Energy, reiterated that their undertaking will “bring us closer to the goal to expand our RE portfolio to 30 percent by 2030.” “We welcome this opportunity to partner with two leaders in renewable energy development who share our vision of helping the country attain energy security while promoting renewable energy and contributing to countrywide development,” Garcia said. Most diversified AboitizPower presently has the largest and most diversified local renewable energy platform in terms of installed capacity under its operational control. Currently, close to 1,000 MW of renewable energy projects — including wind and solar farms and more geothermal capacities — are in its pipeline. The post ARI in troika to build Visayas wind project appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Former OTS chief lambasts cultural decay at airports
The former Office for Transportation Security chief lambasted the cultural decay in the airport security teams that allows negligent screeners to continue working there, this before he could begin an internal purge. Ma. O Ranada Aplasca, who resigned from his post over the airport screener caught on closed-circuit television swallowing $300 bills taken from an outbound Chinese national, said the problem with airport security is “more than systemic, it is cultural.” “There was the problem with ‘tanim-bala.’ Maybe the problems were not highlighted in the past because no one was caught. Based on our records, for the past several years, no one was dismissed in the OTS for violations of our disciplinary policies,” he said. Aplasca said when he was the director of the PNP Aviation Security Group, his initial task was to clear the country’s airports of the “tanim-bala” scheme, in which airport inspectors hid bullets in travelers’ luggage to extort money. “That tanim-bala was the first marching order to me by former President Duterte, and that’s where I felt his 100-percent support; that’s why, in less than one month, we were able to solve the problem,” he said. Aplasca said that before his resignation Tuesday, the OTS had initiated 68 cases against erring personnel, with at least 11 people dismissed. Found guilty Meanwhile, DoTr Secretary Jaime Bautista said the female Security Screening Officer and three other OTS screeners involved in the cash swallowing incident last 8 September were “found guilty of stealing.” Bautista said the guilty verdict was included in the investigation report handed to him by the OTS group of investigators, which included the CCTV footage that showed the lady scanner stuffing the money into her mouth at Terminal 1’s final security checkpoint at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The four SSO screeners face administrative and criminal cases. “The investigation showed that she was guilty and swallowed the money. However, what she said in an affidavit was that it was chocolates. But the investigators saw that she was guilty,” Bautista said in Filipino in an interview with the media after a Senate hearing on Tuesday. The CCTV footage showed that at around 8:20 p.m. on 8 September, a Chinese passenger, identified only as Mr. Cai, placed his shoulder bag on the inspection tray at the final security checkpoint. After trying to promote the gateway to potential foreign investors who may want to operate the NAIA, Bautista expressed frustration and dismay at the incident. He authorized the imposition of the maximum penalty on those found guilty to demonstrate the Department of Transportation’s determined push to rid the NAIA and attached agencies of scalawags. Aplasca submitted his courtesy resignation last Tuesday, 26 September, to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. through DoTr Secretary Bautista after House Speaker Martin Romualdez told him to resign or the Speaker would personally block the budgets of the DoTr and OTS. Not enough Meanwhile, Senator Grace Poe said Wednesday the resignation of Aplasca would not be enough to stop the criminal activities at the country’s airports. “A resignation at the top does not clean up the ranks,” said Poe, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Services. “More than ever, the Office of Transportation Security needs steady leadership to implement much-needed reforms,” she said. “There should be zero tolerance for criminal acts and unprofessional behavior,” she added. “While a witch hunt might put a syndicate on pause, the OTS urgently needs to review and tighten its security program,” she said. She continued: “Our airports should improve the physical layout of the security screening stations and provide proactive measures to prevent further incidents.” She also noted that the challenge now is to appoint someone with “immense political will to overhaul the agency and stop these incidents once and for all.” The senator stressed that the OTS must improve its hiring system and enforce ethics training. “Employees must undergo extensive background checks,” she said. “In the long-term, we should also look into providing better compensation and benefits to these employees so they would not be enticed to do this nonsense,” she added. The post Former OTS chief lambasts cultural decay at airports appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Famed environmental warrior graces RC Manila assembly
The Rotary Club of Manila had a brilliant, unique guest speaker at its last weekly members’ meeting at the Manila Polo Club — the famed, internationally acclaimed author, lawyer, environmental activist, and recipient, in 2009, of what is regarded as the Nobel Prize of Asia, the Ramon Magsaysay Award (non-category), Antonio Oposa Jr. For about an hour and a half last Thursday, 21 September 2023, RC Manila members, officers and guests at the MPC’s Turf Room alternately stood up to sing along and listen to Oposa’s telling of “good stories,” his way, he said, of promoting and creating awareness for his advocacies and his passion for the environment. Oposa earned a law degree from the University of the Philippines College of Law. For a short time, he worked in a law firm, until he realized that his heart was not in the practice of law but rather with nature and the environment. He traveled to Norway and enrolled in a course on energy and the environment at the University of Oslo’s summer program and afterwards, to Boston, where he pursued and later obtained his LLM at the Harvard Law School in 1997. [caption id="attachment_188497" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Valiant environmental warrior Antonio Oposa: ‘My biggest achievement is that I have turned some of my adversaries into co-advocates. And what could be more inspiring now than to see their own children out there, protecting the sea?’[/caption] In 1993, Oposa made global headlines for the landmark case, Minors Oposa v Factoran where the Supreme Court ruled that the 43 children counseled by Oposa, who filed legal action against the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, seeking cancellation by the agency of existing timber license agreements and stopping the issuance of new ones, ruled in favor of the plaintiffs. “The case was brought to court amid the government’s then granting over 90 logging companies permits to cut down nearly four million hectares of old-growth forest when only 850,000 hectares remained. And forests were being logged at a rate of some 200,000 hectares per year! I told the Court how my son, only three at that time, would no longer see these forests by the time he was 10. I couldn’t help thinking, that if this wasn’t stopped not a single old-growth forest would remain for him and future generations to enjoy,” Oposa said. The case had initially been dismissed in trial court on the ground that there was no legal personality to sue. Oposa elevated the case to the Supreme Court, and in a much-hailed case of intergenerational responsibility, the Supreme Court upheld the legal standing and right of the children to initiate action on their behalf and on behalf of generations yet unborn. What was so remarkable about the case is that Oposa sued on behalf of generations yet unborn and today that milestone case is known in Philippine and global jurisprudence as the “Oposa Doctrine.” For its part, the Philippine Supreme Court, too, carved a permanent niche for itself in environmental law with its promulgation of Oposa v Factoran. It secured its place in history, earning praises from the international environmental community and a reputation as a champion of the right to a healthy environment. Oposa also recounted at this talk at the RC Manila meeting last Thursday another epic landmark case involving the legal tussle he waged against 11 government agencies for the cleaning up of severely polluted Manila Bay. In December 2008, a decade after he filed that case, the Supreme Court issued a decision in his favor. In a continuing mandamus ruling, the Supreme Court ordered all defendant agencies to implement a time-bound action plan that would clean up Manila Bay and to give the Court a progress report on the matter every three months. Oposa talked about the Island Sea Camp he organized in 2001 in Bantayan Island where he gave children lessons on coral reefs, snorkeling and sustainable practices. In 2003, 2004, while holding weekend training camps for children in the Sea Camp “we noticed the rampant illegal fishing going on. Dynamite fishing and commercial fishing intrusions into prohibited coastal zones went unchecked. Something had to be done,” related Oposa. Thus, was born the Visayan Sea Squadron. “I organized a strike team with crack enforcers from the National Bureau of Investigation, Navy, fishermen, sea watch volunteers, lawyers, law students and even a few foreigners. The target was not small fishermen but crime syndicates and operators behind the sale of blasting caps and dynamite powder. Seizures and raids followed,” he said. Operations were so effective that word went out that his friend Jojo de la Victoria, the fearless Cebu City Bantay Dagat (Sea Watch) chief, and Oposa were targets of assassination. A local newspaper interviewed De la Victoria, revealing an intelligence report about illegal fishing operators putting up a P1-million bounty for him and Oposa. In 12 April 2006, 48 hours after he was interviewed, De la Victoria was felled by a hired gunman outside his house in Cebu City. “Jojo’s life was not in vain. After his funeral, a core team met for dinner to regroup. The tide of illegal fishing started to turn. Exploits of the Visayan Sea Squadron — and the courage and synergy of the men and women who made it happen — became known far and wide,” Oposa said. He continued, “Four years after Jojo died, Visayan Sea Squadron co-founder Alfredo Marañon was elected governor of Negros Occidental province. He gathered the other governors in the region to begin a restorative plan for the Visayan Sea which encompasses an area of over a million hectares. The governors passed a landmark joint resolution declaring the entire Visayan Sea a marine reserve.” For his valiant work as an environmental warrior, Oposa has been the recipient of many award in recognition of his valiant work as an environmental warrior. Aside from receiving the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2009, he was given the equally prestigious Center for International Environmental Law Award in 2008. Earlier, in 1997, he was conferred the United Nations Environment Programme Global 500 Roll of Honor, the highest UN honor in the field of the environment. Asked if there was anything about his attainments that gives him the most satisfaction, Oposa said, “My biggest achievement is not that I caught this violator and that violator when we were busy with our Visayan Sea Squadron operations; it is that I have turned my adversaries into co-advocates. Some of those who had opposed me are now supporting me in my advocacies. And what could be more inspiring than to see their own children helping us out there, protecting the sea?” The post Famed environmental warrior graces RC Manila assembly appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Japanese coffee firm upskilling baristas
Arabica Philippines, the local unit of an independent coffee brand from Kyoto, Japan, has laid out plans to upskill Filipino baristas to become globally competitive. The coffee brand said Monday that the move is part of its parent firm’s initiative to further localize its operations to better cater to Filipino needs. Arabica Philippines and The Khoffee Group chief operations officer Koko Tamura said the global coffee brand wants to maximize and improve the Filipino baristas, who are described as eager and naturally warm. Tamura added that Arabica wants to continuously develop the Filipino baristas’ potential to become global coffee ambassadors by supporting and encouraging them to join international competitions. Opportunities opened Particularly, the company is providing local baristas with the necessary training, capacities, skill sets, and opportunities to become the best in their craft. “The company’s motto, ‘See the world through coffee,’ reflects our desire for our baristas to explore the world and gain international exposure. Arabica’s training program aims to empower Filipino baristas by equipping them with the skills and knowledge, helping them grow and explore wider opportunities,” Tamura said. Local baristas have regular evaluations to maintain excellent performance standards. They also go through an auditing process even after store operations begin. The post Japanese coffee firm upskilling baristas appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Japanese coffee brand Arabica plans to upskill Pinoy baristas
Arabica Philippines, the local unit of an independent coffee brand from Kyoto, Japan, has laid out plans to upskill Filipino baristas to become globally competitive. The coffee brand said Monday that the move is part of its parent firm’s initiative to further localize its operations to better cater to Filipino needs. Arabica Philippines and The Khoffee Group Chief Operations Officer Koko Tamura said the global coffee brand wants to maximize and improve the Filipino baristas, who are described as eager and naturally warm. Tamura added that Arabica wants to continuously develop the Filipino baristas’ potential to become global coffee ambassadors by supporting and encouraging them to join international competitions. The company is providing local baristas with the necessary training, capacities, skill sets, and opportunities to become the best in their craft. “The company's motto, ‘See the world through coffee’, reflects our desire for our baristas to explore the world and gain international exposure. Arabica's training program aims to empower Filipino baristas by equipping them with the skills and knowledge, helping them grow and explore wider opportunities”, Tamura said. Local baristas have regular evaluations to maintain excellent performance standards. They also go through an auditing process even after store operations begin. Arabica is committed to improving Filipino baristas' skills and providing global competition opportunities. They focus on local barista growth, making them a unique and successful regional coffee brand. The post Japanese coffee brand Arabica plans to upskill Pinoy baristas appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DSWD can give small rice retailers up to P15K financial aid amid ceiling order
The Department of Social Welfare and Development on Tuesday said they are ready to provide cash assistance to small rice retailers who may incur losses due to the Malacanang-mandated price ceiling on rice which became effective yesterday 5 September. DSWD Secretary Gatchalian said he was directed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to use the department’s Sustainable Livelihood Program to help small rice retailers recover their would-be losses from the temporary price cap. "We discussed with the President that we will use the DSWD's Sustainable Livelihood Program once again so that our small retailers affected by this temporary price cap on rice can be assisted," Gatchalian said. Under Executive Order No. 39 signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on 31 August, the mandated price ceiling for regular milled rice is P41 per kilo while the mandated price cap for well-milled rice is P45 per kilo. The DSWD chief said the SLP currently has a P5.5 billion budget which can be immediately used to help cushion the impact of the price cap on rice particularly among small rice retailers who have a very small inventory. The SLP is a capacity-building program that provides start-up capital for those who wish to start a small business, capital build for cases similar to the effects of the EO 39 to small businesses, and employment grants. Gatchalian said the Department is just waiting for the list of qualified small rice retailers, which will be provided by the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Agriculture. “Hopefully, by next week, we can conduct a payout for the sustainable livelihood grant to our affected rice retailers," Gatchalian said. To date, the DTI and the DA are currently coming up with a list of affected rice traders and rice retailers who will receive the government’s assistance. Gatchalian pointed out that the DSWD is ready to begin the nationwide payout to the qualified recipients of financial aid amounting to a maximum of Php15,000. “Bagamat kino-compute pa ng DTI at DA ang dapat matanggap ng bawat tatamaang rice retailers, ang maximum na ibinibigay ng programang SLP ay P15,000. One time big time,” the DSWD chief pointed out. Last Monday, the DSWD chief said he had a meeting with Speaker Martin Romualdez who vowed to raise P2 billion to help augment the SLP budget for the benefit of more small rice traders and retailers. “I told Speaker Romualdez that the SLP’s P5.5 billion is enough to help the distressed small rice retailers. But I also welcome the additional budget as this would mean more Filipinos will be given assistance under the SLP,” Gatchalian said. The post DSWD can give small rice retailers up to P15K financial aid amid ceiling order appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PAGASA: ‘Goring’ now a super typhoon
State weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration on Sunday revealed that tropical storm “Goring” has already reached super typhoon category and was spotted based on all available data, including those from Baler and Daet Weather Radars, at 95 km east northeast of Casiguran, Aurora. PAGASA said that Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 3 is up over the eastern portion of Isabela which include Divilacan, Palanan, Dinapigue, Ilagan City and San Mariano while TCWS No. 2 is hoisted over the eastern portion of mainland Cagayan, the northern and central portion of Isabela, the extreme northern portion of Aurora and the eastern portion of Quirino. It added that “Goring” is forecast to begin its loop over the Philippine Sea east of Cagayan-Isabela area Sunday and the super typhoon will then turn northeastward and northward tomorrow before shifting northwestward on Tuesday. On the track forecast, it will make landfall over the southern portion of Taiwan on Wednesday evening or on Thursday early morning. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. over the weekend assured that the government will exert all efforts to ensure that aid will be swiftly given to those who will be affected by “Goring.” Meantime, the Cagayan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council also on Sunday reported that around 448 families took refuge because of the effects of “Goring.” The PDRRMO listed the 448 families with 1,473 are from the six municipalities of Gonzaga, Lal-lo, Sta. Ana, Gattaran, Baggao and Sta. Teresita while 141 families with 388 individuals were brought to the evacuation centers while the rest took shelter in the houses of their relatives. Also, some roads in the province were deemed impassable because of the flood caused by the rains poured by “Goring” — the Abariongan Ruar-Abariongan Uneg road, Tammuco-Balagan-Abaruangan Ruar road and Tamban Bridge in the municipality of Sto. Niño. The flooding was also enhanced by the swelling of the river. In other developments, Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. has urged local chief executives in the Cagayan Valley Region and in other affected regions to be on their toes and carry out the necessary critical preparedness actions in accordance with the agency’s “Operation Listo” disaster preparedness manual. The DILG chief has also already directed their office in Region 2 to activate the Emergency Operations Center and Disaster Online Reporting and Monitoring System to ensure the adherence of local government units within their jurisdiction to Operation LISTO Disaster protocols. Amid the looming onslaught of “Goring,” the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines has also taken preventative measures, said that airports that may be potentially affected include Tuguegarao Airport, Basco Airport, Itbayat Airport, Cauayan Airport and Palanan Airport. The post PAGASA: ‘Goring’ now a super typhoon appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
China’s Huawei renews patent licensing deal with Ericsson
Chinese telecoms giant Huawei said Friday it had renewed a licensing agreement with Ericsson to use each other's technologies, in a rebuff to US warnings about the risk of espionage by Beijing. Huawei has been at the center of an intense technological rivalry between China and the United States, which suspects the company of spying for Beijing -- accusations Huawei denies. US sanctions on Huawei since 2019 have cut off the firm from global supply chains for American components and hobbled its smartphone arm, forcing it to pivot towards other forms of growth. Washington has also pressured its allies to ban the use of Huawei gear in their 5G telecoms networks, arguing that Beijing could use the equipment to spy on other countries' communications and data traffic. Despite those tensions, Huawei and Ericsson -- based in Stockholm -- have signed a "long-term" global agreement to license each other's patents, the Chinese company said in a statement Friday. The deal covers patents essential to 3G, 4G, and 5G cellular technologies as well as both companies' "respective sales of network infrastructure and consumer devices", Huawei said. The company's intellectual property chief, Alan Fan, said the agreement "demonstrates the commitment both parties have forged that intellectual property should be properly respected and protected". "Our commitment to sharing leading technological innovations will drive healthy, sustainable industry development and provide consumers with more robust products and services," he said. The previous agreement between Huawei and Ericsson was signed in 2016. Back then, Huawei was an insurgent force in the global technology sector with an eye on dethroning Apple and Samsung as the world's top sellers of smartphones. It briefly grabbed that title in 2020 but US sanctions have since clipped its wings and forced Huawei into a strategic refocus on software, connected devices, business computing, smart vehicles, and other sectors. Despite being sidelined from American technologies, Huawei could begin producing its own chips for 5G phones this year, according to media reports about which the company has refused to comment. The post China’s Huawei renews patent licensing deal with Ericsson appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Trump arrested in Georgia racketeering case
Former US president Donald Trump was arrested at a Georgia jail on Thursday on racketeering and conspiracy charges for trying to overturn the 2020 election results in the southern state. During a brief session lasting less than 30 minutes, the 77-year-old Trump was booked on 13 charges at Atlanta's Fulton County Jail, according to records published by the sheriff's office. Trump's height was listed by the jail as six foot three inches (1.9 meters), his weight as 215 pounds (97 kilograms) and his hair color as "Blond or Strawberry." Other defendants in the racketeering case who have surrendered to the Georgia authorities in recent days have had a mugshot taken. The billionaire has been criminally indicted four times since April, setting the stage for a year of unprecedented drama as he tries to juggle multiple court appearances and another White House campaign. In posts on his Truth Social platform shortly before leaving his New Jersey golf club for the flight to Atlanta, Trump said he was being arrested for "having the audacity to challenge a RIGGED & STOLLEN (sic) ELECTION." "This is yet another SAD DAY IN AMERICA!" he added. Trump was able to dodge having a mugshot taken during his previous arrests this year: in New York on charges of paying hush money to a porn star, in Florida for mishandling top secret government documents, and in Washington on charges of conspiring to upend his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden. But Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat said standard procedure in Georgia is to take a defendant's photograph before they are released on bond -- set at $200,000 in Trump's case. The arrest comes one day after Trump spurned a televised debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, featuring eight of his rivals for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination -- all of whom lag well behind him in the polls. He still stole the spotlight, though, with all but two of the candidates saying they would support him as the party's nominee even if he were a convicted felon. During a pre-recorded interview with former Fox News talk show host Tucker Carlson -- which aired on social media at the same time as the debate -- Trump dismissed the criminal cases filed against him as "nonsense." Trump said the Justice Department had been "weaponized" under Biden to hamstring his White House bid. Court dates in election race A tight security perimeter was set up for Trump's booking at the Fulton County Jail, which is under investigation for a slew of inmate deaths and deplorable conditions. Fani Willis, the Fulton County district attorney who filed the sweeping racketeering case, had set a deadline of noon (1600 GMT) on Friday for Trump and the other 18 defendants to surrender. Trump and 11 others have turned themselves in so far. Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows surrendered on Thursday and was released on $100,000 bond. Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, who served as Trump's personal lawyer when he was in the White House and vigorously pushed the false claims that Trump had won the 2020 election, was booked and released on Wednesday. John Eastman, a conservative lawyer who is accused of drawing up a scheme to submit a false slate of Trump electors to Congress from Georgia instead of the legitimate Biden ones, has also been booked and released. A few dozen supporters of the former Republican president gathered outside the jail, including Sharon Anderson who spent the night in her car. "I think this is a political persecution and now that's turned into a political prosecution," Anderson told AFP. Trump is the first US president in history to face criminal charges. His various trials, if they take place next year, may coincide with the Republican presidential primary season, which begins in January, and the campaign for the November 2024 White House election. Special counsel Jack Smith has proposed a January 2024 start date for Trump's trial on charges of conspiring to overturn the last election with a lie-fueled campaign that culminated in the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol by his supporters. Trump's attorneys have countered with a suggested start date well after the election -- April 2026. Willis, the Georgia district attorney, initially proposed that the racketeering case begin in March next year, the same month Trump is scheduled to go on trial in New York on charges of paying hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels. On Thursday, after one of the defendants asked for a speedy trial, she proposed that it begin for all 19 in October of this year, a move met with an immediate objection from Trump's lawyers. The Florida case, in which Trump is accused of taking secret government documents as he left the White House and refusing to return them, is scheduled to begin in May. The post Trump arrested in Georgia racketeering case appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
New PNR norm: Electric trains
When the Philippine National Railways resumes operations after a five-year hibernation, Filipinos will discover an entirely modern railway that will use an all-electric system. By that time, the diesel-powered engines would all be relegated to the train museum. In his speech before the Transport Logistics Forum held at the World Trade Center on 17 August, PNR Chairman Michael Ted Macapagal said the agency is hard at work to complete the North-South Commuter Railway or NSCR, which will run from Clark Air Base in Pampanga to Calamba City in Laguna, a distance of 147 kilometers, for P873.62 billion. The forum was sponsored by the Italian, German, French, and Spanish Chambers of Commerce. Macapagal said that once the project is completed, five years hence, all trains running on diesel fuel will be replaced with a fleet of 60 electric multiple units, “which are at par with world standards in terms of safety and comfort.” Macapagal said PNR is thus rebuilding the country’s railway system from the ground up. “The NSCR is long overdue, while other countries transport people and goods by train, the Philippines depends on cars and trucks to achieve that purpose, which is why we have these daily traffic snarl-ups that cost us, according to studies, the equivalent of $25 billion a year,” according to the PNR chief. The refurbished rail line will be able to transport 800,000 passengers every day. Travel time from one end of the line to the other will be cut in half, from eight to four hours. He said the trip will be even shorter for express train passengers. The PNR is undergoing reconstruction after President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said his administration will give priority to the development of more efficient railways for public transport. The NSCR is only the start, revealed Macapagal. “Having set the project in motion, President Marcos now wants to begin construction of the North Long Haul, the South Long Haul, the Panay Railway, North Mindanao Railway, and San Mateo Railway, all spanning a total of 1,024 kilometers,” he indicated. NSCR connects to Ilocandia Of the five projects, the North Long Haul is the most ambitious. It will connect NSCR to the Poro Point Free Port Zone, Laoag International Airport in Ilocos Norte, and Port Irene and Lal-lo International Airport in Cagayan. The chairman said President Marcos regards the railway projects as the country’s framework for economic development. To give way to the construction project, PNR has stopped train operations from Alabang to Laguna. It is set to suspend all operations in Metro Manila also. “That’s why the LTFRB, prodded by PNR, is expeditiously approving franchise applications for additional buses in affected areas,” Macapagal related. As PNR chairman, Macapagal identifies priority projects with the help of the board, which falls under the authority of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista. “If we are a basketball team,” Macapagal said in his address, “Secretary Bautista is the MVP. Of course, President Marcos is the head coach. I’d like to think I am the point guard.” The PNR station in Ligao City, Albay recently reopened after six years of hiatus. Every day, the first PNR trip from Ligao to Naga leaves at 5:30 a.m. and is followed by a second trip at 5:30 p.m. from Naga to Ligao. The cheapest fare is P15 for the first station and goes up to P105 for the entire stretch of the train system. The post New PNR norm: Electric trains appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Group urges return of NFA inspection power
The Federation of Free Farmers urged the government to re-implement the inspection power of the National Food Authority over warehouses of rice traders to prevent price manipulation by illegal hoarders. Leonardo Montemayor, FFF board chairman and former agriculture chief, last Friday told the DAILY TRIBUNE the inspectorate and enforcement division of the Department of Agriculture headed by assistant secretary James Layug has insufficient manpower to inspect the warehouses. “That office is too small for the job. Warehouse inspections are important because prices have gone up and we must ensure that there is no hoarding of rice. Besides, I believe NFA only has stocks good for a few days,” Montemayor said. Hoarding creates an artificial insufficient supply of rice that forces market vendors to hike prices to fill consumer demand. Prices of regular milled rice have risen to over P50 per kilo, above the recommended price of just P32 to P36 per kilo, following the end of the harvest season in mid-year. Agriculture officials said the next season will begin next month or in October. On the other hand, Montemayor said the government must automatically and strictly implement the 35-percent minimum tax requirement on imported rice under the Rice, Tariffication Law or RTL to ensure local farmers are not deprived of decent incomes. “This will help prevent imported rice from flooding the local market as they are often cheaper, forcing vendors of local rice to bring down their prices to compete with the imports. I’m not sure if the government is imposing the tariff because local production remains low,” he said. Signed into law in 2019, the RTL requires proceeds from the 35-percent tariff on exporting countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to be used in purchasing machinery and other farm inputs for local farmers to increase their production. NFA stocks fell 27.1 percent to 99,030 metric tons in April, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. However, the total volume of local rice increased by 3 percent to 9 million metric tons from January to June. This is much lower than those of its neighboring countries, such as Vietnam’s 43.4 million tons and Thailand’s 28.3 million tons. President and Agriculture Secretary Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vowed to make the country food self-sufficient in the next two years by consolidating farms and innovating the agriculture industry, among others. Agriculture spokesperson Rex Estoperez said the government is open for a review of the RTL, which Montemayor said is a step forward toward real agricultural development. These statements came after Agriculture senior undersecretary Domingo Panganiban said the government discussed with India and Vietnam their importation of rice to augment stocks for any possible shortage due to El Nino and other weather disturbances. “The FFF welcomes the incumbent administration’s long-overdue recognition of the serious infirmities in the RTL. Essentially, it has left food security and farmers’ and consumers’ welfare to the vagaries of the so-called free market and the humanitarian graces of rice-exporting countries,” Montemayor said. The post Group urges return of NFA inspection power appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Phl, Australia begin first-ever bilateral amphibious warfare exercise
The Philippines and Australia officially began their first bilateral amphibious warfare exercise city of Darwin on Monday. The bilateral Cooperative Amphibious Serial drills -- known as “Exercise ALON”, coined from the term “waves” -- will be joined in by 700 personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines along with 1, 200 members of the Australian Defense Force and 150 officers of United States Marine Corps. AFP public affairs office chief Lt. Col. Enrico Gil Ileto said the United States Marine Corps will be participating as a support unit integrated with Australia's Amphibious Force. They will be utilizing USMC MV-22 during the combined air assault. The maneuvers formally kicked off at the flight deck of the Royal Australian Navy landing helicopter dock HMAS Canberra (LO2) with Indo-Pacific Endeavor 2023 commander Air Commodore Tony McCormack present during the proceedings. This Exercise ALON, which will run until 31 August, is part of the Indo-Pacific Endeavour activity between the Philippines and Australia for 2023. Ileto said the IPE23 serves as Australia's flagship international engagement activity in the Southeast Asian and Indian Ocean region. IPE is targeted to promote security, stability and stronger partnership through bilateral and multilateral engagement training, capacity-building and humanitarian efforts. The opening ceremony started with the acknowledgment of participating militaries, including the 111 contingent from the AFP aboard the ship, commanders of participating RAN and ADF units and USMC representatives. The departure of Exercise Alon 2023 participants onboard HMAS Canberra from Australia to the Philippines after the opening ceremony depicts the start of a bilateral and joint-led amphibious field training exercise of the AFP and ADF, according to Ileto. A series of bilateral activities are slated to be conducted in various training locations within the AFP Northern Luzon Command and Western Command with the ground, aviation and surface assets from ADF, Philippine Navy, Philippine Marine Corps, Philippine Fleet, Philippine Air Force and Philippine Army supported by USMC. “The main objective of this exercise is to enhance interoperability and be able to share tactics, techniques and procedures, and best practices in the conduct of amphibious operations in the accomplishment of the PMC and AFP mission,” Ileto said. The bilateral exercise, he added, will help enhance regional security through cooperation and partnership. It will further enhance interoperability and readiness to respond to shared security challenges. Exercise Alon is also expected to become an avenue for a shared commitment to a peaceful, prosperous and resilient Indo-Pacific Region. The post Phl, Australia begin first-ever bilateral amphibious warfare exercise appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Islamic State claims responsibility for Pakistan blast that killed 54
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility Monday for a suicide bomb blast in Pakistan that killed at least 54 people, including 23 children, at a political party gathering ahead of elections due later this year. The blast has raised fears Pakistan could be in for a bloody election period following months of political chaos prompted by the ousting of Imran Khan as prime minister in April last year. Around 400 members of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F (JUI-F) party -- a key government coalition partner led by a firebrand cleric -- were waiting Sunday for speeches to begin when a bomber detonated a vest packed with explosives and ball bearings near the front stage. "I was confronted with a devastating sight -- lifeless bodies scattered on the ground while people cried out for help," Fazal Aman, who was near the tent when the bomb went off, told AFP. Shaukat Abbas, a senior official with the counter-terrorism department (CTD) told AFP that 54 people had been killed, including 23 under the age of 18. On Monday the Islamic State group claimed responsibility. "A suicide attacker from the Islamic State... detonated his explosive jacket in the middle of a crowd" in Khar, the jihadist group's news arm Amaq said in a statement Monday. The attack occurred in the town of Khar in the northwestern Bajaur district, just 45 kilometers from the Afghan border, in an area where militancy has been rising since the Taliban took control of Kabul in 2021. Parliament is likely to be dissolved after it completes its term in the next two weeks, with national elections to be held by mid-November or earlier. The local chapter of the jihadist Islamic State group has in the past targeted JUI-F rallies and leaders. Shattered family On Monday, blood-stained shoes and prayer caps littered the site, along with ball bearings and steel bolts from the suicide vest. Pieces of human flesh could still be seen, blasted 30 meters (100 feet) from the stage where the bomber detonated his device. Thousands of mourners attended the first funeral ceremonies, including for two young cousins aged 16 and 17. "It was not easy for us to lift two coffins. This tragedy has shattered our family," said Najib Ullah, the brother of one of the boys. "Our women are profoundly shocked and devastated. When I see the mothers of the victims, I find myself losing my own courage." JUI-F's leader, cleric Fazl-ur-Rehman, started political life as a firebrand Islamist hardliner, and while his party continues to advocate for socially conservative policies, he has more recently forged alliances with secular rivals. He has operated in the past as a facilitator for talks between the government and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a rival of the jihadist Islamic State group. Last year, IS said it was behind attacks against religious scholars affiliated with JUI-F, which has a huge network of mosques and schools in the north and west of the country. The jihadist group accuses the JUI-F of hypocrisy for being a religious party while supporting secular governments and the military. JUI-F officials hit out at the government for failing to provide security in areas where militants operate. "The state has not fulfilled its responsibilities. I think the state has failed regardless of who is in power," said Shams uz Zaman, deputy general secretary of its Bajaur branch. "For God's sake take notice of the situation." While Rehman's party never musters more than a dozen or so seats in parliament, they can be crucial in any coalition and his ability to mobilize tens of thousands of religious school students allows him to punch above his weight. "It is important to consider why workers of a religious inclined political party could have been subjected to such bestial violence," Dawn newspaper said in an editorial Monday. "However ultra-conservative the JUI-F's worldview, the party has chosen to contest power and operate within the parameters set by the Constitution of Pakistan." A spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell said the blast was "an attempt to weaken democracy". Rise in attacks Pakistan has seen a sharp rise in militant attacks since the Afghan Taliban surged back to power in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021. In January, a suicide bomber linked to Pakistan's Taliban blew himself up in a mosque inside a police compound in the northwestern city of Peshawar, killing more than 80 officers. The militant assaults have been focused in regions abutting Afghanistan, and Islamabad alleges some are being planned on Afghan soil -- a charge Kabul denies. Analysts say militants in the former tribal areas have become emboldened since the return of the Afghan Taliban. The blast coincides with a visit to the country by a senior delegation of Chinese officials, including Vice Premier He Lifeng, who arrived in the capital Sunday evening. The post Islamic State claims responsibility for Pakistan blast that killed 54 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
CIA denies hand on Wagner mutiny
United States Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns recently traveled to Ukraine, where he met with intelligence counterparts and President Volodymyr Zelensky, a US official confirmed to AFP Friday. The trip, which was not reported at the time, comes as Kyiv’s brigades pursue a counteroffensive in their nation’s east and south against Russian forces, launched earlier this month after weeks of anticipation. During his trip, Burns reaffirmed “the US commitment to sharing intelligence to help Ukraine defend against Russian aggression,” the US official said. According to The Washington Post, which first reported the visit, Ukrainian officials shared plans to claw back Russian-occupied territory and begin ceasefire negotiations by the end of the year. Burns “traveled to Ukraine as he has done regularly since the beginning of Russia’s recent aggression more than a year ago,” the US official said. The Post reported that the visit occurred in June. The trip took place before the 24-hour insurrection by the leader of the Wagner private military company, Yevgeny Prigozhin, according to the official. The mutiny, which was widely seen as the biggest threat to Kremlin authority in decades, “was not a topic of discussion,” the official added. The United States has attempted to make clear to Russia that it played no role in the rebellion, with major US media reporting Friday that Burns called the head of Russia’s SVR foreign intelligence service, Sergei Naryshkin, following the uprising to assert that the United States was not involved. The Ukrainian military’s commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhny has said his country’s counteroffensive plans are being hobbled by the lack of adequate firepower, from modern fighter jets to artillery ammunition. On Tuesday, the United States announced a fresh $500-million package of arms to bolster the counteroffensive, including armored vehicles, precision munitions and mine-clearing equipment. The post CIA denies hand on Wagner mutiny appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»