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Global governance is stuck in time
We confront a host of existential threats — from the climate crisis to disruptive technologies — and we do so at a time of chaotic transition. For much of the Cold War, international relations were largely seen through the prism of two superpowers. Then came a short period of unipolarity. Now we are rapidly moving toward a multipolar world. This is, in many ways, positive. It brings new opportunities for justice and balance in international relations. But multipolarity alone cannot guarantee peace. At the beginning of the 20th century, Europe had numerous powers. It was truly multipolar. But it lacked robust multilateral institutions and the result was World War I. A multipolar world needs strong and effective multilateral institutions. Yet global governance is stuck in time. Look no further than the United Nations Security Council and the Bretton Woods system. They reflect the political and economic realities of 1945, when many countries were still under colonial domination. The world has changed. Our institutions have not. We cannot effectively address problems as they are if institutions do not reflect the world as it is. Instead of solving problems, they risk becoming part of the problem. And, indeed, divides are deepening. Divides among economic and military powers. Divides between North and South, East and West. We are inching ever closer to a Great Fracture in economic and financial systems and trade relations; one that threatens a single, open Internet; with diverging strategies on technology and artificial intelligence; and potentially clashing security frameworks. It is high time to renew multilateral institutions based on 21st century economic and political realities — rooted in equity, solidarity and universality and anchored in the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law. That means reforming the Security Council in line with the world of today. It means redesigning the international financial architecture so that it becomes truly universal and serves as a global safety net for developing countries in trouble. At the same time, divides are also widening within countries. Democracy is under threat. Authoritarianism is on the march. Inequalities are growing. And hate speech is on the rise. In the face of all these challenges and more, compromise has become a dirty word. We have just survived the hottest days, the hottest months, and the hottest summer on the books. Behind every broken record are broken economies, broken lives and whole nations at the breaking point. Actions are falling abysmally short. There is still time to keep rising temperatures within the 1.5-degree limits of the Paris [Climate] Agreement. But that requires drastic steps now — to cut greenhouse gas emissions, and to ensure climate justice for those who did least to cause the crisis but are paying the highest price. The fossil fuel age has failed. If fossil fuel companies want to be part of the solution, they must lead the transition to renewable energy. No more dirty production. No more fake solutions. No more bankrolling climate denial. Climate chaos is breaking new records, but we cannot afford the same old broken record of scapegoating and waiting for others to move first. And to all those working, marching and championing real climate action, I want you to know that you are on the right side of history and that I am with you. I won’t give up this fight of our lives. *** Excerpts from the UN Secretary-General’s address to the General Assembly, 19 September 2023. The post Global governance is stuck in time appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Robot fried chicken: entrepreneur seeks to improve S. Korea’s favorite food
In fried-chicken-obsessed South Korea, restaurants serving the nation's favorite fast-food dish dot every street corner. But Kang Ji-young's establishment brings something a little different to the table: a robot is cooking the chicken. Eaten at everything from tiny family gatherings to a 10-million-viewer live-streamed "mukbang" -- eating broadcast -- by K-pop star Jungkook of BTS fame, fried chicken is deeply embedded in South Korean culture. Paired with cold lager and known as "chimaek" -- a portmanteau of the Korean words for chicken and beer -- it is a staple of Seoul's famed baseball-watching experience. The domestic market -- the world's third largest, after the United States and China -- is worth about seven trillion won ($5.3 billion), but labor shortages are starting to bite as South Korea faces a looming demographic disaster due to having the world's lowest birth rate. Around 54 percent of business owners in the food service sector report problems finding employees, a government survey last year found, with long hours and stressful conditions the likely culprit, according to industry research. Korean fried chicken is brined and double-fried, which gives it its signature crispy exterior, but the process -- more elaborate than what is typically used by US fast food chains -- creates additional labor and requires extended worker proximity to hot oil. Enter Kang, a 38-year-old entrepreneur who saw an opportunity to improve the South Korean fried chicken business model -- and the dish itself. "The market is huge," Kang told AFP at her Robert Chicken franchise. Chicken and pork cutlets are the most popular delivery orders in South Korea, and the industry could clearly benefit from more automation to "effectively address labor costs and workforce shortages", she said. Kang's robot, composed of a simple, flexible mechanical arm, is capable of frying 100 chickens in two hours -- a task that would require around five people and several deep fryers. But not only does the robot make chicken more efficiently -- it makes it more delicious, says Kang. "We can now say with confidence that our robot fries better than human beings do," she said. Investing in 'foodtech' Already a global cultural powerhouse and major semiconductor exporter, South Korea last year announced plans to plough millions of dollars into a "foodtech" fund to help startups working on high-tech food industry solutions. Seoul says such innovations could become a "new growth engine", arguing there is huge potential if the country's prowess in advanced robotics and AI technology could be combined with the competitiveness of Korean food classics like kimchi. South Korea's existing foodtech industry -- including everything from next-day grocery delivery app Market Kurly to AI smart kitchens to a "vegan egg" startup -- is already worth millions, said food science professor Lee Ki-won at Seoul National University. Even South Korea's Samsung Electronics -- one of the world's biggest tech companies -- is trying to get in on the action, recently launching Samsung Food, an AI-personalized recipe and meal-planning platform, available in eight languages. Lee predicted South Korea's other major conglomerates are likely to follow Samsung into foodtech. "Delivering food using electric vehicles or having robots directly provide deliveries within apartment complexes, known as 'metamobility', could become a part of our daily lives," he said. "I am confident that within the next 10 years, the food tech industry will transform into the leading sector in South Korea." 'Initially struggled' Entrepreneur Kang now has 15 robot-made chicken restaurants in South Korea, and one branch in Singapore. During AFP's visit to a Seoul branch, a robot meticulously handled the frying process -- from immersing chicken in oil, flipping it for even cooking, to retrieving it at the perfect level of crispiness, as the irresistible scent of crunchy chicken wafted through the shop. Many customers remained oblivious to the hard-working robotic cook behind their meal. Kim Moon-jung, a 54-year-old insurance worker, said she was not sure how a robot would make the chicken differently from a human "but one thing is certain -- it tastes delicious". The robot can monitor oil temperature and oxidation levels in real time while it fries chicken, ensuring consistent taste and superior hygiene. When Kang first started her business she "initially struggled" to see why anyone would use robots rather than human chefs. But "after developing these technologies, I've come to realize that from a customer's perspective, they're able to enjoy food that is not only cleaner but also tastier", she told AFP. Her next venture is a tip-free bar in Koreatown in New York City, where the cocktails will feature Korea's soju rice wine -- and will be made by robots. The post Robot fried chicken: entrepreneur seeks to improve S. Korea’s favorite food appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bureau of Plant Industry should only get P1 budget — Tulfo
Rookie lawmaker Erwin Tulfo wants a meager P1 budget for the "useless" Bureau of Plant Industry for failing to exercise its monitoring power over the supply of onions in the Philippine market, reportedly subject anew to hoarding and price manipulation. "This BPI is so useless. Don't give this a budget. Just give it maybe five cents. You guys are not doing your job.... Might as well, we will give you a P1 budget," Tulfo said during the House Committee on Agriculture and Food probe into the possible hoarding of onion in the country. The congressional probe, which had previously concluded in May, reopened anew following reports that the commodity's price is being manipulated through hoarding activities. The probe was triggered by the agricultural produce shortage, primarily in onions, which saw prices reaching as high as P500 to P700 per kilo in the last quarter. The BPI, under the Department of Agriculture, was on the receiving end of the panel's wrath due to its failure to effectively mitigate the persistent surge in the price of onions nationwide. Tulfo quizzed the BPI on why they "cannot do anything" to cease the unscrupulous scheme despite possessing the jurisdiction to oversee or monitor cold storage facilities and ascertain if there is indeed an onion supply shortage. "The oversight committee was even better when Congress stepped up. So we'll just do your work and don't give you a budget. What is the use of the department?" Tulfo said. He emphasized that the price of onion only went down after the members of the House led by Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez toured the markets. "It took the oversight committee of Congress and it is not the job of Congress to go round and round to do your job. Mr. Chair, this should be the work of the BPI, and it's the responsibility of the BPI to do that," Tulfo added. "We wouldn't be here today if government agencies had just done their jobs. Something is lacking here. Contrary to the claims, BPI officer-in-charge division chief Sheree Samala told the panel that they monitored cold storage and also had a consultation meeting with the farmers involved. "As we've mentioned during past hearings, we also conducted monitoring in our cold storages and also had a consultation meeting with our farmers. And we requested that the local supply be released first and they agreed and committed that there would still be supply throughout last year in November and December," Samala told lawmakers. Moreover, Samala admitted that the drop in the onion supply had been observed, but proposals were also considered to meet the necessary demand by importation. "We allow farmers as to their claim that they would be able to supply... at the time of November," she said. Tulfo was clearly not buying the BPI's assertion, as he remained steadfast in his position that there would be no congressional probe if there were no supply shortages due to hoarding and that the agency did its part. "If you monitor the cold storage, thousands of sacks are there. We know that's why we're here because there is hoarding Mr. Chair. There is hoarding, so the price has increased. If you are monitoring, it will not reach there. If you have anticipated, then you have given the directive to the traders to release the supply," he stressed. Echoing Tulfo, Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga likewise chided the BPI for failing to take swift action to cease hoarding and price manipulation. Barzaga said suppliers would buy the onions at an earlier date but would only release them in the market when the supply is depleted, causing the prices of the commodity to soar. "You have to tell us honestly. You hide it. That we have DA Circular No. 1. And under that circular or administrative order, the BPI has the right...you also have the power to regulate the cold storage facilities," he said. According to Barzaga, the BPI can impose the necessary sanctions, given that it has the power to regulate. Several supermarket firms, namely Puregold, Robinsons, Gaisano Mall, and Powerplant Mall, who could have shed light in the onion probe, were subpoenaed by the panel due to their no-show. The post Bureau of Plant Industry should only get P1 budget — Tulfo appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Pope arrives in Mongolia to back tiny Catholic presence on China’s doorstep
Pope Francis arrived in Mongolia on Friday, beginning the first papal visit to the vast Asian nation landlocked between China and Russia. The 86-year-old pontiff's trip through Monday to the Buddhist-majority nation is a gesture of support for the tiny community of Catholics numbering about 1,400. The Argentine pontiff left Rome at 1640 GMT Thursday bound for the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar, arriving Friday morning local time following a nine-hour journey. He was greeted by a line of Mongolian honor guards in traditional blue, red, and yellow attire and foreign minister Batmunkh Battsetseg. Aboard the papal plane soon after take-off, Francis described the vast, sparsely populated country of Mongolia as one that "can be understood with the senses." Asked by a journalist whether he found diplomacy difficult, the pope answered: "Yes, you don't know how difficult it is. "Sometimes you need a sense of humor." The nine-hour flight passed over Chinese airspace and the pontiff, following custom, sent a telegram to President Xi Jinping, bearing "greetings of good wishes" to him and the Chinese people. "Assuring you of my prayers for the well-being of the nation, I invoke upon all of you the divine blessings of unity and peace," he wrote. The voyage -- Francis' second to the region in a year after a September trip to Kazakhstan -- is geopolitically strategic. It is seen as encouraging Mongolia's fragile democracy and potentially helping the Church make inroads with the country's more powerful neighbors. "This is a clear effort of the Holy See to take care of Central Asia and not abandon it to Russia or China," Michel Chambon, a scholar of Catholicism in Asia, told AFP. The visit -- Francis' 43rd voyage in his decade as head of the Catholic Church -- is also crucial in keeping the door open for improved Vatican ties with Beijing and Moscow, which have yet to offer the Pope an invitation. "It's a way to not give up, to remind them 'I'm here!'" Chambon said. "It's a way not to just stay in Rome and wait for things to happen but to jump in." Stamina test The trip will be a stamina test for the pope, who continues to travel widely despite undergoing a hernia operation in June and pain in his knee that has forced him to use a wheelchair. After a day of rest, the pontiff's itinerary on Saturday includes a welcome ceremony, meetings with President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh and Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene, and a first address to authorities, diplomats, and members of civil society. He will meet the Catholic community -- which includes just 25 priests and 33 nuns, only two of them Mongolian -- later Saturday in Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral. Its circular nave resembles a "ger", the Mongolian nomads' traditional tent dwelling. The Jesuit pope addresses an interreligious meeting Sunday, where the rector of Ulaanbaatar's Russian Orthodox Church is expected to be present with a delegation, and later presides over a mass inside a newly built ice hockey arena. Pilgrims from nearby countries are expected at the mass, the Vatican said, including from Russia, China, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Azerbaijan. Not taking sides Once part of the empire of Genghis Khan, Mongolia is dependent on Russia for energy imports and on China for the export of its raw materials, primarily coal. But while toeing a neutral line with its powerful neighbors, it has engaged in a "third neighbor" policy, strengthening relations with other nations, including the United States, Japan, and South Korea, for balance. That makes Mongolia potentially helpful for Vatican relations with both Beijing and Moscow. The Holy See last year renewed a deal on the thorny issue of bishop appointments with China, and Francis has sought to broker an end to the war in Ukraine with Russia. Francis may use his trip to the former Soviet satellite state, a democracy since just 1992, to hammer home democratic principles. A major coal industry corruption scandal provoked street protests in December, eroding public trust amid a weak economy, high inflation, and major gaps between rich and poor. Chambon, a fellow at Singapore's Asia Research Institute, said Francis may take a page from last year's Kazakhstan visit, during which he warned authorities they have a responsibility to govern well. "The pope is not taking sides but is really putting politicians in front of their responsibilities," Chambon said. "'Who are we serving, are we honest, are we caring for the poor and marginalized, are we taking care of the entire nation in its religious and ethnic diversity?' "He plays the games but he asks the hard questions." Francis, who plans in October to publish an update to his seminal 2015 "Laudato Si'" a global call to action for the environment, will also likely bring attention to the impact of climate change on Mongolia's ecosystems. Together with mining and overgrazing, rising temperatures and their effects are fuelling desertification across swathes of the country. Severe cold, flooding and drought have killed off herds on the vast grasslands, forcing nomads who make up one-third of the population to migrate to Ulaanbaatar, now surrounded by shantytowns inhabited by displaced herders. The post Pope arrives in Mongolia to back tiny Catholic presence on China’s doorstep appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DTI’s Food Logistics Agenda aims to keep produce available, affordable
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved the Department of Trade and Industry's (DTI) three-year Food Logistics Action Agenda to overhaul the country's food distribution system, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said on Wednesday. In a statement, PCO said Marcos endorsed the proposal earlier this week at a sectoral meeting in Malacañang with secretaries from various government departments. The primary goal of the plan, according to the PCO, is to maintain the availability and affordability of food for Filipinos. The said plan was in response to Marcos' instruction to improve the farm-to-market highways, cold chain industries, food logistics chain, and port infrastructure in September 2022. "The Three-Year Food Logistics Action Agenda contains six key strategies to ensure success. These include revolutionizing the Philippines' food distribution system, reducing transport and logistics costs, increasing investments in logistics infrastructure on transportation and storage, and addressing other supply chain gaps," PCO said. "The plan also seeks to heighten enforcement measures against hoarding, smuggling, overstaying food imports, and monitoring of warehouses or cold storage facilities, and resorting to using information and communications technology to improve logistics performance," it added. By modernizing current food terminals and constructing new food hubs in Metro Manila and other regions of the nation, the DTI has described efforts to incorporate food terminals into the logistical system. The supply chain from producers to consumers could be simplified by integrating food terminals, with uniform logistical procedures and a transportation system aimed at specific locations. Due to the synergy that occurs within these hubs, the effectiveness of the action plan is amplified. These hubs serve as primary command centers for successfully monitoring the balance between supply and demand. Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual said that the DTI is assisting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in making the transition to established e-commerce companies through a pilot project with Nueva Vizcaya Agricultural Terminal (NVAT) and the US Agency for International Development-Strengthening Private Enterprises for the Digital Economy (USAID-SPEED). “This project will help pivot NVAT from offline to online transactions thereby maximizing the potential of e-Commerce, and increasing market access for farmers’ produce,” Pascual said. The International Maritime Competitiveness Act, which intends to provide the Maritime Industry Authority authority to control shipping lines and prevent exorbitant shipping costs, is one example of legislation connected to logistics that the trade department is supporting for inclusion in the priority legislative agenda. The Department of Agriculture, Department of Transportation, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Information and Communications Technology, and other development partners worked together to design the logistics action agenda, which is a component of the President's goal to turn the Philippines into a logistics hub in Asia. The post DTI’s Food Logistics Agenda aims to keep produce available, affordable appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
AFP-PLA patrol dead on water
The proposed joint maritime patrol between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the People’s Liberation Army in the South China Sea may no longer proceed. AFP Chief of Staff, Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., on Sunday, said the government may have gotten cold on the idea amid China’s continuing hostility toward the country in the West Philippine Sea. Brawner, in a radio interview, said Beijing’s actions in the WPS have raised questions over its claimed intention to uphold peace in the Indo-Pacific region. “With the way they are currently doing things, [the possibility of a joint patrol] seems quite unclear,” Brawner said, clearly referring to incidents of harassment by the China Coast Guard in the WPS. However, military collaboration between the two nations’ militaries will continue under a 2004 defense cooperation memorandum of understanding, the AFP chief stressed. The MoU had provisions allowing the AFP to send its officers to China for additional training, something that does not seem to interest the Philippine government at the moment. On the other hand, Brawner said the Philippines will continue to hold military drills with “partner” countries like the US, Japan and Canada. “We need to inform the whole world about what is happening here in the South China Sea. Because of these recent events, we have been successful in revealing China’s coercive and dangerous tactics,” he said. Previously, Brawner disclosed that China’s Ambassador to the Philippines, Huang Xilian, had offered to have joint patrols with the Philippines in the SCS, which overlaps with the WPS. China is claiming nearly all of the South China Sea under its nine-dash line theory, including the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone in the WPS. A decision made by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 junked China’s claim in the WPS, saying it has no historical basis while affirming the Philippines’ WPS claims. On 5 August, the Chinese Coast Guard bombarded a Philippine Coast Guard fleet with water as the latter was delivering supplies to Filipino troops stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre at Ayungin Shoal. The latest in a string of harassment incidents against Philippine ships this year, China’s action drew denunciation from several nations, including the US, Australia, Japan and Canada. The post AFP-PLA patrol dead on water appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
A shared ambition
The Department of Health, World Health Organization, United Nations Children’s Fund, donor governments, the private sector, and civil societies converged to deliver urgent actions to close the child immunization gap. The summit, “Closing the Immunization Gap,” was participated in by national and local officials, development partners, professional associations, business partners, religious groups, and youth organizations to demonstrate that looking after children’s health and well-being is everyone’s responsibility. It also served as an avenue to secure public commitments and mobilize additional resources to help the DOH accelerate fiscal and legislative reforms, local government action, improvements to vaccine program management, cold chain and supply chain management, and communication and information systems management. Participants discussed needed reforms in immunization such as amending the Immunization Law, increasing investments in strengthening primary healthcare as a key platform for immunization services, key health system strengthening building blocks such as human resources and digitalization, deeper involvement of local chief executives, strengthening of the supply chain, and intensifying communication activities, among others. Best practices were also shared, such as the success of the City of Manila in reaching vulnerable populations, and a youth-led initiative to promote children’s immunization during Covid. According to Unicef and the WHO under the estimates of National Immunization Coverage 2022, the Philippines remains among the top five countries with the most number of zero-dose children globally and the greatest contributor to the number of zero-dose children in East Asia and the Pacific. Despite progress in reducing the number of zero-dose or unvaccinated children between 2021 and 2022 from around 1 million to 637,000 children for those born within 2022, more work needs to be done to reach the ideal 95 per cent coverage, especially for those not reached in previous years. “Until all of us come together to mend the gaps in routine immunization coverage, children in the Philippines will remain at risk of contracting and dying from diseases we can prevent. Vaccinating children gives them an added layer of defense against the many vulnerabilities they face, such as a lack of a safe and secure environment, and stable and healthy nutrition. Let’s reignite our shared ambition of leaving no child behind,” said Unicef Philippines Representative Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov. The post A shared ambition appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Solon: Probe DoJ, NBI for smuggling
the government to also probe the Department of Justice and the National Bureau of Investigation in the incidents of smuggling, hoarding and price fixing of agricultural products — mainly onions — in the country. In a radio interview, Cavite Representative Elpidio Barzaga Jr. recommended to include the DoJ and NBI for their alleged “non-action” against smugglers despite the existence of the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016. “Also very important to investigate are the National Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice, because we have the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act as of 2016 which unfortunately, from 2016 until now, no case has been filed against persons who violated the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016,” the lawmaker said. Barzaga, who chairs the House Committee on Natural Resources, was one of the House agriculture and food panel members that grilled trade and warehouse firms for their alleged involvement in onion smuggling. He also stressed that apart from the DoJ and NBI, the Bureau of Plant and Industry, Bureau of Customs, importers and cold storage facilities owners should also be investigated. Barzaga questioned why the BoC — which jurisdiction includes going after smugglers and hoarders — could not cease the unscrupulous scheme. In fact, he said, some of its officers are allegedly involved in the operations. “Why is there smuggling when everyone goes through the Bureau of Customs? And therefore, there are persons in the Bureau of Customs who were allegedly involved,” Barzaga said. Previously, the President — who also sits as the DA secretary — tapped the DoJ and NBI on Wednesday to initiate an investigation into the issue, which he deemed tantamount to economic sabotage. The post Solon: Probe DoJ, NBI for smuggling appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Family attack TikTok amateur sleuths after UK woman’s ‘accidental’ death
A British woman whose mystery disappearance earlier this year sparked a social media frenzy by online sleuths and conspiracy theorists fell into a river and drowned accidentally, a coroner concluded at an inquest on Tuesday. Nicola Bulley went missing in January, apparently vanishing "into thin air". After dropping her two young daughters at school she was seen walking her dog along a river in the rural village of St Michael's on Wyre in northwestern England. The 45-year-old mortgage adviser's phone was later found on a bench still dialed into a work conference call. Her unexplained disappearance saw the online true crime world become awash with speculation about what might have happened to her. One TikTok user even had himself filmed digging up potential burial sites and then captured the moment Bulley's body was pulled from reeds in the river over three weeks later. But ruling that her death had been accidental, coroner James Adeley said she had suffered "cold water shock" after going into the river. He said the exact circumstances of how she fell in could not be known, but evidence showed there had been a steep grassy slope around the bench with an "almost vertical drop" to the water. The river bank itself had no footholds that would have allowed someone in trouble to climb out, he added at the hearing in Preston, northwestern England. In addition, the flow of the river on the day she disappeared would have made it almost impossible to swim against the current, he said. After the hearing, Bulley's family hit out at the social media speculation over her case. "It's upsetting that we've continued to receive negative targeted messages and still witness wildly inaccurate speculation being shared over numerous platforms," the family's lawyer Terry Wilcox said in a statement on their behalf. "We encourage people to look at the facts, the evidence which has been heard during the inquest, and the conclusion reached by the coroner, to ignore any amateur views and opinions, and be mindful of the impact words bring." Detective Chief Superintendent Pauline Stables of Lancashire Police said she hoped the coroner's finding would "put an end to ill-informed speculation and conspiracy theories which have been so damaging to Nikki's family". Lancashire Police were criticized over their handling of Bulley's disappearance, including sharing personal information such as her struggles with alcohol and perimenopause. But the police watchdog said in May that they would face no further action. Coroners' inquests are held in England and Wales to try to establish the causes and circumstances of sudden or unexplained deaths based on the balance of probability. They do not determine criminal or civil liability but set out facts in the public interest. The post Family attack TikTok amateur sleuths after UK woman’s ‘accidental’ death appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Fear, grief after 41 dead in ‘brutal’ Uganda school attack
Grieving families buried their dead in western Uganda on Sunday while others searched desperately for missing loved ones after militants killed dozens of students in a "brutal" school attack. Officials say at least 41 people, mostly students, were massacred Friday in the worst attack of its kind in Uganda since 2010. President Yoweri Museveni, in his first statement since the attack, vowed to hunt the militants "into extinction". Victims were hacked, shot and burned in the late-night raid on Lhubiriha Secondary School in Mpondwe, which lies less than two kilometres (1.2 miles) from the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Pope Francis offered a prayer on Sunday for "the young student victims of the brutal attack" that has shocked Uganda and drawn condemnation from around the globe. Ugandan authorities have blamed the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a militia based in DR Congo, and are pursuing the attackers who fled back toward the border with six abductees. "Their action -- the desperate, cowardly, terrorist action -- will not save them," said Museveni. Fifteen others from the community, including five girls, were still missing, said Eriphaz Muhindi, chairman of Kasese district, which shares a long and forested border with DR Congo. - 'Great pain' - Families desperate for news waited all night in the cold outside a mortuary in nearby Bwera. Those able to identify loved ones embraced and wept as they took away the bodies in coffins. "We flocked (to) the hospital and found many bodies -- of boys and girls, some cut with pangas (machetes), others hit with hammers on the head," Roti Masereka, a farmer, told AFP. He left with the body of his brother -- 35-year-old Mbusa Kirurihandi, a security guard at the school -- and his 17-year-old son. But a third son, aged 15, is missing, and the family is distraught. "Today we have buried two bodies, the father and his son. But we are still looking for the missing child," he said. The government said Sunday it would assist with funeral arrangements and support the injured. Seventeen victims were burned beyond recognition when the attackers set a dormitory ablaze, frustrating efforts to identify the dead and account for the missing. Muhindi said they had been taken away for DNA testing, a process that could take some time. "This is a great pain to their families," he told AFP. - 'They wore military camouflage' - Officials said 37 students were killed -- 17 in the torched men's dormitory, and 20 female students who ran but were hacked to death. Elias Kule, an 18-year-old survivor, said the boys locked their dormitory door when they heard gunshots and saw armed men entering the school. "They wore military camouflage. Each had a hammer, a hoe, knives, pangas (machetes) and guns with magazines," he told AFP. He said the attackers started firing through the windows and doors, hitting at least one student, before lobbing a "bomb" into the dormitory that started a fire. "I ran out of oxygen, I covered my mouth and nose with a cloth... I got blood and smeared myself on the head and ears to claim I was dead," he said, waiting until the coast was clear to escape. Four non-students, including the security guard Kirurihandi, were also killed. - 'Appalling act' - The African Union, France and the United States, a close ally of Uganda, offered their condolences and condemned the bloodshed. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said: "Those responsible for this appalling act must be brought to justice." Questions have been raised about how the attackers managed to evade detection in a border region with a heavy military presence. Major General Dick Olum told AFP that intelligence suggested the presence of the ADF in the area at least two days before the attack, and an investigation would be needed to establish what went wrong. Uganda and DR Congo launched a joint offensive in 2021 to drive the ADF out of their Congolese strongholds, but the measures have failed to blunt the group's violence. Originally insurgents in Uganda, the ADF gained a foothold in eastern DRC in the 1990s and have since been accused of killing thousands of civilians. The Islamic State group claims the ADF as its Central African affiliate. Attacks in Uganda are rare but in June 1998, 80 students were burnt to death in their dormitories in an ADF raid on Kichwamba Technical Institute near the DR Congo border. More than 100 students were abducted. The attack was the deadliest in Uganda since 2010, when 76 people were killed in twin bombings in Kampala by the Somalia-based group Al-Shabaab. gm-np/bp © Agence France-Presse The post Fear, grief after 41 dead in ‘brutal’ Uganda school attack appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Ginebra, TNT go for broke
Games Wednesday: (Smart Araneta Coliseum) 5:45 p.m. Ginebra vs TNT Series summary: Game 1: Ginebra 102, TNT 90 Game 2: TNT 95, Ginebra 82 Game 3: Ginebra 117, TNT 103 Game 4: TNT 116, Ginebra 104 An all-out war gets underway as Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and TNT Tropang Giga collide for an all-important victory in Game 5 of their Philippine Basketball Association best-of-seven finals series on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Action starts at 5:45 p.m. with both squads tipped to be at their best to deliver a win that will put them a heartbeat away from clinching the title of this season-ending conference. According to PBA head of statistics Fidel Mangonon III, the battle had turned into a cold-blooded shootout with Ginebra piling a total of 405 points with 56 three-pointers while TNT compiled 404 points with 55 treys. In Game 3, in fact, the Kings ran wild from the rainbow area, hitting 18 three-pointers to set a franchise record for the most number of treys. But TNT responded in Game 4 as it unloaded a finals record of 21 long bombs to eclipse its previous mark of 20 that it tallied in a 121-119 double-overtime win over Rain or Shine in Game 7 of its 2015 Commissioner’s Cup best-of-seven finals series. TNT head coach Jojo Lastimosa said their sharp form from downtown was a product of their good spacing and ball movement. “If you shoot well, most likely, you’re gonna win,” said Lastimosa, also the team manager of the Tropang Giga. “I think what we did was we went back to what we do best. If we have Rondae (Hollis-Jefferson) there as a screener and we have proper spacing, and we can locate shooters on the corner, we know that we’re gonna get shots.” He added they marched into Game 4 with fire in their eyes after realizing their mistakes in Game 3. “The problem with our last game was that we didn’t have good spacing. Rondae was our facilitator and the ball didn’t go to the shooters,” he said. “But in Game 4, Calvin had a lot of looks and it stemmed from our spacing. If it’s your night, it’s your night. We have a lot of heroes, Kib Montalbo was a huge part of this game, and without Roger there, having a broken finger, we need somebody who can step in and help out in the scoring side.” For Montalbo, it’s all about getting prepared, whatever your role is, and in Game 4, he was promoted to become a starter and immediately made a huge impact, scoring 16 points and hitting 4-of-8 treys. “I wasn’t able to play much previously, but I was inserted to the starting position and I just took advantage,” Montalbo said. “For me, it’s about putting in the work because, you’ll never know. Things like that can happen in the finals.” “We also brought that mentality of refusing to lose and Coach Jolas is one guy who doesn’t want to lose,” added Montalbo, who played one of his better games in the tournament capped by a buzzer-beating desperation heave from way, way out to close out the first half. Ginebra coach Tim Cone admitted that Lastimosa, his team captain when he won a grand slam with Alaska in 1996, outwitted him. “We played badly and they we’re off to a good start, so now the series is tied,” Cone said. “It was quite disappointing and, in many ways, it was embarrassing. But it’s a series, so we need to get ready for Wednesday.” Seeing Justin Brownlee, who lost the Best Import plum to Hollis-Jefferson, getting into early foul trouble and watching his team missing 10 of 23 attempts from the free throw line are some of areas Cone sees need some improvement. With Brownlee, a three-time Best Import winner, nursing five fouls, TNT was able to attack his defense, putting to waste his 28-point effort. In Game 2, Brownlee was limited to only 12 points, his lowest in the conference, and went without a three-point field goal for the first time in 77 games. That’s why if there’s one player who can inspire the Kings to regroup, it’s Brownlee, who is on his quest for record seven championships that will make him the winningest reinforcement ever to play in the PBA. The post Ginebra, TNT go for broke appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bankers pour cold water on red-hot coal
With Western banks under pressure from shareholders to show action on climate change, coal executives say they are having to scout for alternative funding.....»»
Where have you Christians been?
WORD ALIVE FR. BEL SAN LUIS, SVD It happened in China a few years before the Communists expelled the missionaries. A foreign Catholic missionary came upon an old woman by the wayside, deserted, cold, and hungry. “Why do you bother about me?” the old lady whispered feebly when the priest tried to help her as best as he could. “Nobody else cares. Why should you?” * * * “God said to go out over the world and help everyone who is in need,” the priest said. Pondering over the words of the priest, she said, “What a beautiful religion. Where did it come from? ” * * * Whereupon the priest started to tell her about God who loves us and sent his own Son Jesus Christ to save us. “Your Christ,” the old woman went on, “Where is He?” When the priest said He died two thousand years ago, she was amazed. “Do you mean to say that it has been two thousand years since Christ commanded his followers to spread his teachings? Why, where have you Christians been all this time?” * * * This might well be the pointed question addressed to us as we celebrate World Mission Sunday today. Before ascending to heaven, Jesus commanded his apostles: “Go out into the whole world and proclaim the Good News to every nation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mk 16,15). * * * Pope Francis gave the Church his first apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel). In it he proposed a profound missionary renewal of the entire Church. He asserted that we need an “evangelizing Church that comes out of herself…All renewal in the Church must have mission as its goal; otherwise, it falls prey to a kind of ‘ecclesial introversion.’” * * * How can we be an “evangelizing Church”? Obviously, not all can go out of their country to reach out to peoples who have not known Christ. If some heroic Christians can do it as missionaries, great. But for most of us, all that we can do is be missionaries at home. * * * Remember St. Therese of the Child Jesus? She is the universal patroness of Catholic missions yet, ironically, she never stepped out of the four walls of her Carmelite cloister! She merited the title because of her burning obsession to save souls by offering every little act, every bodily pain for the conversion of immortal souls. * * * When I was ordained priest in our missionary congregation, Society of the Divine Word (SVD), I applied to work in Mexico, Central America. Unfortunately I never got my wish. The farthest I’ve gone to is Mexico… Pampanga! * * * That doesn’t mean, however, that I am not a genuine missionary. By my work in the media or supporting seminarians under the “Adopt A Seminarian” scholarship program, I am a missionary. What counts is not geography, but the missionary spirit or attitude. In this connection, let’s not be missionaries only on Mission Sunday. As a good Christian, the mission spirit should be an all-time continuing attitude and action. * * * Further, you can be missionaries by means of extending financial assistance. Be generous and share your resources for the support of missionaries. Money is a necessity in the work of evangelization. Churches, schools, convents, clinics, social centers are needed, especially in the “bush” mission. * * * Every Christian is a missionary. Are you doing your share? * * * LAUGH WITH GOD. A parish priest was making an impassioned appeal to the parish council for the annual mission collection. Great was everybody’s surprise when the wealthiest but tight-fisted member of the council rose and offered to start the collection rolling with a contribution of P500. * * * As he stood up to hand in the amount, a mild earthquake took place and some plaster from the ceiling fell and hit him on the head. A bit shaken, he withdrew the amount and said, “I guess I’d better make that P5,000.” A small voice from the back was heard, “Hit him again, Lord.” (It’s not known if he gave some more!). * * * HELPING MISSIONARY SEMINARIANS. We Filipinos are blessed because there are still a good number of young men who wish to become priests and missionaries. But they have difficulty in pursuing their priestly vocation due to financial constraints, especially this time of the COVID-19 crisis. * * * Chip in or sponsor a year’s scholarship of a seminarian. REMEMBER: Without seminarians, we cannot have priests and missionaries. For inquiry, e-mail me at belsvd@gmail.com. * * * FAMILY TV MASS – is aired on 5PLUS Channel 59, Cignal Cable Ch. 6, Free TV Ch. 41 at 6-7 a.m. Sunday and anytime at “MCFI SVD Media” Account on YouTube and Facebook Page. Priest presider: FR. LOUIE PUNZALAN, SVD......»»
SUPER SHOWDOWN: rookie EJ Laure vs. rookie Eya Laure
University of Sto. Tomas fans waited a long time to see sisters EJ and Eya Laure play together for the Tigresses after their explosive tandem won it all for the school during their stint with the girls' team. UAAP Season 82 saw the reunion of the Laure sisters albeit brief – two games to be exact – before the tournament was scrapped because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. One could just imagine what impact the Laure siblings would have brought to the Tigresses if not for the cancellation of the season. Skills-wise, both can contribute on points as well as provide support on defense. They have already proven it during their respective rookie seasons. In fact, both earned Rookie of the Year awards. But which Laure played better in her maiden stint with the black and gold? For this week’s ‘Super Showdown: Volleyball edition’, we compare the two well-rounded siblings based on their offense and defense, impact, competition and lasting impression for the Tigresses. OFFENSE AND DEFENSE EJ brought the much-needed firepower for the then Odjie Mamon-mentored Tigresses in Season 77. In her first year, EJ averaged 11.7 points per game while providing help on net and floor defense. However, her main role in that UST batch was to contribute on points at the wing. She had a 32.17% success rate in attacks. On the defensive side, EJ contributed 13 kill blocks while playing a decent role on floor defense. Eya, on the other hand, gave UST an added scoring option to a squad that already had veteran Sisi Rondina and 6-foot-2 Milena Alessandrini. Eya averaged 16.4 points per outing behind Rondina’s 18.5 points per game in the elimination round of Season 81. Eya placed second in UST kill blocks with 19 during the elims behind Kecelyn Galdones’ 23. Eya also punched in 35.90% of her attacks. TEAM IMPACT EJ gave UST faithful a ray of light when the highly-recruited talent decided to remain with UST after powering the Junior Tigresses to the girls’ title the year before. The Season 76 Girls’ MVP adjusted well with setter Alex Cabanos and showed good chemistry with veterans Pam Lastimosa, Mela Tunay and Ria Meneses. EJ’s presence also brought back the UST crowd that in the past two years slowly dwindled after lumbering at fifth and sixth place in Season 75 and 76, respectively. Just like her older sister, Eya brought excitement to the Tigresses supporters. UST was then coming off its worst finish in decades – landing at seventh place in Season 80. Eya, Rondina and Alessandrini formed the deadly trio that brought great promise for UST heading into the season. The former high school MVP, Best Setter and two-time Best Opposite Spiker winner did not disappoint right from her debut game. COMPETITION Although the favorite for the RoY award, EJ had to contend with one of league’s best batch of rookies. She played alongside another promising freshman in Rondina, who delivered UST’s first gold medal of the season in beach volleyball while bagging the rookie of the year and MVP awards. Ateneo had a prized recruit in middle Bea de Leon while De La Salle University's rookies were Eli Soyud and Aduke Ogunsanya. Far Eastern University also introduced solid young guns in ChinChin Basas, Heather Guino-o and Jerrili Malabanan. National University had Jorelle Singh and University of the Philippines got then rookie libero Ayel Estranero. Adamson University recruited a solid middle in Joy Dacoron while University boasted of skilled newcomers in libero Kath Arado and Judith Abil. EJ did pocket the RoY award as expected. But for the first time in the last two decades EJ shared the recognition with another impressive freshman in Arado – the first libero to receive the award since Mel Gohing of DLSU in Season 71. Just like her older sister, Eya came in as the odds-on favorite for RoY, considering the implementation of the K-12 education program. However, she still had to work to lay her claim. Eya faced her high school rivals Princess Robles, Ivy Lacsina of Jen Nierva of National University. Jolina Dela Cruz made immediate impact as DLSU’s leading scorer while Far Eastern University got Lycha Ebon, who unfortunately had her rookie year cut short after sustaining a knee injury. LASTING IMPRESSION While EJ did give UST the boost it needed, the Tigresses still closed Season 77 outside of the top four. UST finished the elimination round with 6-8 win-loss record tied with FEU at fourth to fifth spot. Actually, UST came one set win away to a bus ride to the stepladder semifinals. EJ in the most important game for the Tigresses went cold, scoring only five points in just three sets of action. She started in the first two frames that UST yielded, sat out the third and fourth sets with Rondina playing better, before playing off the bench in the fifth. It would take EJ two more years for a taste of a Final Four appearance. Unfortunately, EJ suffered a shoulder injury that forced her to sit out two seasons. Eya was a vital cog in the Tigresses’ rise in Season 81. She was consistent and her all-around game was a plus for the Kungfu Reyes-mentored team, which closed the elims with a 10-4 mark tied with the Lady Spikers. Eya’s heroics during the playoff against DLSU for the semis twice-to-beat advantage, where she dropped 17 points in the Tigresses’ four set win, pushed UST on the brink of ending an eight-year Finals stint drought. Eya erupted for 25 points in the Final Four to dethrone the four-peat seeking Lady Spikers in five sets. She backed Rondina in UST shocking Game 1 sweep of Ateneo in Game 1 of the Finals. Eya also showed big heart and great character in Games 2 and 3 despite playing hurt only to close her first year with a heartbreak after losing to the seasoned Lady Eagles. She averaged 10.6 points per game in the Finals. --- Follow this writer on Twitter, @fromtheriles.....»»
Philippines’s Marcos pledges action in response to China’s ‘dangerous attacks’
President Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines has issued a strong statement in response to recent confrontations in the South China Sea, stating that the country.....»»
Akbayan to Sara: You don’t have to be president to speak vs China
MANILA, Philippines — Party-list group Akbayan said on Thursday that Vice President Sara Duterte does not have to be a president of the country for her to call out China’s intrusive actions over the West Philippine Sea (WPS). Empathy and a moral backbone is just what it takes to stand up with fisherfolk and frontline.....»»
Belmonte, Binay call for climate action funding from development banks
The C40 coalition of cities, a network of nearly 100 mayors, asked MDBs to increase urban climate investment, integrate urban climate action into their strategies, and implement tailored programs to support city projects. .....»»
Rebelasyon ni Elizabeth Oropesa best kisser si FPJ: Basta napakasarap!
SHOOKT ang publiko sa naging rebelasyon ng premyadong aktres na si Elizabeth Oropesa tungkol sa namayapang Action King na si Fernando Poe, Jr.. Nag-guest si La Oro (tawag kay Elizabeth sa showbiz) sa “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda” nitong nagdaang March 26, kung saan game na game niyang sinagot ang maiintrigang tanong sa kanyang career.....»»
EDITORIAL - Finally, plastic license cards
It says a lot about the quality of governance and ease of doing business in this country that it takes forever just to obtain a plastic driver’s license card......»»
Companies State it Takes More Than 6 Months to Fill Cybersecurity Positions
The latest Kaspersky survey found that 48% of companies require over half a year to find a qualified cybersecurity professional. A lack of proven experience was cited as one of the biggest challenges, along with the high cost of hiring and global competition in talent acquisition. With global labor markets continuing to clamor for InfoSec […].....»»