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PBA All Stars hopping over to Davao next
The PBA is looking at Davao as potentially the next venue for the annual All-Star Weekend as it considers bringing the annual festivities to Mindanao after back-to-back stops in the Visayas......»»
LA Tenorio, Eya Laure underscore importance of sports camps
Basketball icon LA Tenorio and volleyball star Eya Laure relished going back to their roots as they made an appearance in the launching of a barangay sports grassroots program this weekend......»»
Who’ll be All-Star Game MVP?
Scottie Thompson, nursing a bad back, won’t be able to play for coach Tim Cone’s Team Japeth against coach Jorge Gallent’s Team Mark in the highlight of the PBA All-Star extravaganza at the University of St. La Salle gym in Bacolod City tonight......»»
Squires back-to-back champions
Letran’s June Silorio is being advertised as the new “Captain Marbel,” or the second coming of ex-pro star Kenneth Duremdes......»»
Silorio stars as Squires zoom past Junior Altas for back-to-back NCAA crowns
Letran’s June Silorio is being tipped as the new “Captain Marbel,” or the second coming of ex-pro star Kenneth Duremdes......»»
India holds trial run for manned orbital mission
India on Saturday successfully launched the first unmanned trial run of its upcoming crewed orbital mission, in the latest milestone for its spacefaring ambitions. The Gaganyaan (“Skycraft”) mission is slated to send three astronauts into Earth’s orbit in 2025, an important yardstick of the Indian Space Research Organization’s technical capabilities. Saturday’s rocket tested the emergency escape system of its crew module, which separated from the thruster and made a soft sea landing about 10 minutes after the launch. “I am very happy to announce the successful accomplishment of the mission,” ISRO chief S. Somanath said afterwards. The lift-off was postponed for two hours after bad weather and a glitch in the engine. ISRO will conduct a series of 20 major tests, including carrying a robot to outer space, before the final manned mission takes place in 2025. Gaganyaan is the first mission of its kind for India and comes with an estimated price tag of $1.08 billion, according to ISRO. India plans to send astronauts beyond the reaches of Earth’s atmosphere for three days before they are brought safely back with a soft landing in Indian territorial waters. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced plans to send a man to the Moon by 2040 following a year of triumphs for India’s space program. In August, India became the fourth nation to land an unmanned craft on the Moon after Russia, the United States and China. The following month, India launched a probe to observe the outermost layers of the Sun from solar orbit. India’s space program has grown considerably in size and momentum since it first sent a probe to orbit the Moon in 2008, and it has steadily matched the achievements of established spacefaring powers at a fraction of their cost. India also plans a joint mission with Japan to send another probe to the Moon by 2025 and an orbital mission to Venus within the next two years. Experts say India can keep costs low by copying and adapting existing technology, and thanks to an abundance of highly skilled engineers who earn a fraction of their foreign counterparts’ wages. The post India holds trial run for manned orbital mission appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Major asteroid sample brought to Earth in NASA first
A seven-year space voyage came to its climactic end Sunday when a NASA capsule landed in the desert in the US state of Utah, carrying to Earth the largest asteroid samples ever collected. Scientists have high hopes for the sample, saying it will provide a better understanding of the formation of our solar system and how Earth became habitable. When they learned that the capsule's main parachute had deployed, "I literally broke into tears," the Osiris-Rex mission's principal investigator Dante Lauretta told a press conference. "That was the moment I knew we made it home... For me, the real science is just beginning." The 3.86-billion-mile (6.21-billion-kilometer) journey marked the United States' first sample return mission of its kind, the US space agency said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. NASA chief Bill Nelson hailed the mission and said the asteroid dust "will give scientists an extraordinary glimpse into the beginnings of our solar system." The Osiris-Rex probe's final, fiery descent through Earth's atmosphere was perilous, but NASA managed to engineer a soft landing at 8:52 am local time (1452 GMT), in the military's Utah Test and Training Range. Four years after its 2016 launch, the probe landed on the asteroid Bennu and collected what NASA estimated is roughly nine ounces (250 grams) of dust from its rocky surface. Even that small amount, NASA says, should "help us better understand the types of asteroids that could threaten Earth." The sample return "is really historic," NASA scientist Amy Simon told AFP. "This is going to be the biggest sample we've brought back since the Apollo moon rocks" were returned to Earth. Osiris-Rex released its capsule early Sunday from an altitude of more than 67,000 miles. The fiery passage through the atmosphere came only in the last 13 minutes, as the capsule hurtled downward at a speed of more than 27,000 miles per hour, with temperatures of up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,760 degrees Celsius). NASA images showed the tire-sized capsule on the ground in a desert wash, with scientists approaching the device and taking readings. Eventually, they concluded the capsule was not breached, meaning its all-important air-tight seal remained intact, avoiding any contamination of the sample with desert sands. The team then lifted the capsule by helicopter to a nearby "clean room." Meanwhile, the probe that made the space journey fired its engines and shifted course away from Earth, NASA said, "on its way" for a date with another asteroid. Japanese samples On Monday, the sample heads to the Johnson Space Center in Houston for additional study, and NASA plans to announce its first results at a news conference 11 October. Roughly one-fourth of the sample will be immediately used in experiments, and a small amount will be sent to mission partners Japan and Canada. But most of it will be saved for future generations -- a "treasure for scientific analysis for years and years and years to come, to our kids and grandkids and people that haven't even been born yet," Lori Glaze, director of NASA's Planetary Sciences division, said. Japan had earlier given NASA a few grains from asteroid Ryugu, after bringing 0.2 ounces of dust to Earth in 2020 during the Hayabusa-2 mission. Ten years before, it had brought back a microscopic quantity from another asteroid. But the sample from Bennu is much larger, allowing for significantly more testing, Simon said. Earth's origin story Asteroids are composed of the original materials of the solar system, dating back some 4.5 billion years, and have remained relatively intact. They "can give us clues about how the solar system formed and evolved," said Osiris-Rex program executive Melissa Morris. "It's our own origin story." By striking Earth's surface, "we do believe asteroids and comets delivered organic material, potentially water, that helped life flourish here on Earth," Simon said. Scientists believe Bennu, about 500 meters (1,640 feet) in diameter, is rich in carbon -- a building block of life on Earth -- and contains water molecules locked in minerals. Bennu surprised scientists in 2020 when the probe, during its brief contact with the asteroid's surface, sank into the soil, revealing an unexpectedly low density, like a children's pool filled with plastic balls. Understanding its composition could come in handy, for there is a slight -- but non-zero -- chance (one in 2,700) that Bennu could collide catastrophically with Earth, though not until 2182. NASA last year successfully deviated the course of an asteroid by crashing a probe into it in a test, and it might at some point need to repeat that exercise -- but with much higher stakes. The post Major asteroid sample brought to Earth in NASA first appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
UN chief convenes ‘no nonsense’ climate summit, without China or US
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is set Wednesday to host a climate meeting marred at its outset by the absence of speakers from the world's top two emitters, China and the United States. Despite increasing extreme weather events and record-shattering global temperatures, greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise and fossil fuel companies reap handsome profits. Guterres has thus billed the "Climate Ambition Summit" as a "no nonsense" forum where leaders or cabinet ministers will announce specific actions that deliver on their commitments under the Paris Agreement. The bar for making the podium was set high, with the UN chief making clear that only leaders who had made concrete plans to achieve net-zero greenhouse emissions would be allowed to speak. After receiving more than 100 applications to take part, the UN finally released a list on Tuesday night of 41 speakers which did not include China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan or India. "Tomorrow, I will welcome credible first movers and doers to our Climate Ambition Summit," Guterres said Tuesday. Several major leaders didn't bother making the trip to New York for this year's UN General Assembly, including President Xi Jinping of China and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak from the United Kingdom, who said he was too busy. US President Joe Biden, who addressed the General Assembly on Tuesday, sent his climate envoy John Kerry to the meeting -- though Kerry won't be permitted to speak. "There's no doubt that the absence of so many leaders from the world's biggest economies and emitters will clearly have an impact on the outcomes of the summit," Alden Meyer of climate think tank E3G said. He blamed competing issues -- from the Ukraine conflict to US-China tensions and rising economic uncertainty. "But I think it's also the opposition in many of these countries from the fossil fuel industry and other powerful interests to the kind of transformational changes that are needed," said Meyer. Catherine Abreu, executive director of nonprofit Destination Zero, said it was "perhaps a good-news story that we see Biden not being given a speaking slot at the summit" because the United States is continuing to expand fossil fuel projects even as it makes historic investments in renewables. "I think about this as being a correction from past summits, where leaders have been given the opportunity to take credit for climate leadership on the global stage, while they continue to pursue plans to develop fossil fuels, and continue driving the climate crisis back at home," she added. While the United States won't take the rostrum, California will be represented by Governor Gavin Newsom. From Britain, London Mayor Sadiq Khan will also attend. Growing anger The event is the biggest climate summit in New York since 2019, when Greta Thunberg stunned the world with her "How Dare You" speech before the UN. Anger is building among climate activists, particularly younger people, who turned out in thousands last weekend for the "March to End Fossil Fuels" in New York. Observers are eager however to see what Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and European Union President Ursula von der Leyen say both on their own goals and on financing commitments for the developing world. The failure of advanced economies, responsible for the majority of historic emissions, to honor their promises to the worst affected lower-income nations has long been a sore point in climate talks. There are some bright spots, including the announcement that Colombia and Panama are joining a grouping called the Powering Past Coal Alliance -- particularly notable as Colombia is the world's sixth biggest coal exporter. Wednesday's summit comes weeks ahead of the COP28 climate talks in the United Arab Emirates, where goals include tripling renewable energy by 2030, and ending by 2050 the generation of fossil fuel energy that isn't "abated" by carbon capture technology. The post UN chief convenes ‘no nonsense’ climate summit, without China or US appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Whole family gone’: families identify victims of Hanoi fire
Hundreds gathered outside a morgue in western Hanoi Wednesday, waiting to hear if their families and friends were victims of a devastating apartment fire that killed more than 50 people. The fire in the 10-storey building, which had only one exit and wire-barred balconies, started as residents fell asleep on Tuesday night. Neighbours and residents of the building in the capital's southwest said they heard screaming as people struggled to escape the flames and thick smoke. Police said 56 people were killed and 37 injured, while state media reported that three children were among the dead. At the morgue in a military-owned hospital, officials appeared at the entrance every half hour to announce through a loudspeaker that there was another victim for families to identify. Holding out a photo on a mobile phone or simply describing the dead, medical workers asked desperate relatives if they recognised their loved ones. Cries broke out each time a match was found. Authorities tried to prevent families talking to journalists, but one man, who did not give his name, said his daughter had died and feared his wife had also perished. "I lost my daughter, who was staying with her mother," he said through tears. Unsure where his wife was, he told AFP: "I guess she did not make it either." One group of five women, sitting on the floor outside the morgue, said their "whole family had gone". "They were our children and grandchildren," they said. 'So much suffering' Elsewhere in the morgue, families who knew their loved ones had died sat waiting for hours to collect the bodies. One man, who gave his name as Dung, said his two young cousins, a man and a woman, were among the dead. They had come from their home in nearby coastal Thai Binh province to study. "They were at university here. Our family bought them this small apartment. "We are waiting here to bring back them back to our home province for burial, but we don't know when they are going to release the body." State media reported that Hanoi would provide around $1,500 to families for each adult who had died. Compensation would also be given for those who had lost a child. The apartment block, which is down a narrow alley in a residential area of the capital, was home to several young families. Many had come from other provinces to work or to study. Around 150 people lived in the building, which had no emergency ladder on the outside. Survivor Tran Thi Lien, 65, who bought her second-floor apartment in the block eight years ago, told AFP that residents had requested better fire safety equipment many times. "They still did not do it," she said. "When people die like this... it causes so much suffering." The post ‘Whole family gone’: families identify victims of Hanoi fire appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bob Barker, 99
Bob Barker, longtime host of The Price Is Right, has passed away according to his publicist. He was 99. “It is with profound sadness that we announce that the World’s Greatest MC who ever lived, Bob Barker, has left us,” publicist Roger Neal said in a statement on Saturday. USA TODAY reports that the game show emcee died of natural causes at his longtime Hollywood Hills home. No specific cause of death was given. Barker, whose real name is Robert William Barker, was born in South Dakota on 12 December 1923. He attended Drury College in Springfield, Missouri, on a basketball scholarship. He dropped out two years later to join the US Navy during World War II. He went back shortly to Drury as war ended long before he even made it to the field. He worked his first media job at KTTS-FM Radio in Springfield. In 1950, Barker was given his own program, The Bob Barker Show. Game show producer Ralph Edwards was looking for a new host to replace Jack Bailey in Truth or Consequences as Barker was hosting the audience-participation radio show KNX (AM). Barker started headlining the program on 31 December 1956 until 1975. In 1972, CBS expressed interest in modernizing the revival of The Price Is Right with Barker as host. However, Barker offered to present another game show on the network, The Joker’s Wild. CBS did not accept the proposal. He began hosting The Price Is Right on 4 September 1972. He announced his retirement on 31 October 2006 saying that he would retire from The Price Is Right by June 2007. He taped his final episode on 6 June 2007. The show aired twice on 15 June. After his retirement, Barker made three return appearances to the program: On 16 April 2009 to promote his autobiography, Priceless Memories; on 12 December 2013 to celebrate his 90th birthday; and on 1 April 2015 for an April Fools’ Day special. The post Bob Barker, 99 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
India becomes first nation to land spacecraft near Moon’s south pole
India on Wednesday became the first nation to land a craft near the Moon's south pole, a historic triumph for the world's most populous nation and its ambitious, cut-price space program. The unmanned Chandrayaan-3, which means "Mooncraft" in Sanskrit, touched down at 6:04 pm India time (1234 GMT) as mission control technicians cheered wildly and embraced their colleagues. Its landing comes days after a Russian probe crashed in the same region and four years since the previous Indian attempt failed at the last moment. Prime Minister Narendra Modi smiled broadly and waved an Indian flag on a live broadcast to announce the mission's success as a triumph that extended beyond his country's borders. "On this joyous occasion I would like to address the people of the world," said Modi from the sidelines of the BRICS diplomatic summit in South Africa. "India's successful moon mission is not just India's alone," he added. "This success belongs to all of humanity." The Chandrayaan-3 mission has captivated public attention since launching nearly six weeks ago in front of thousands of cheering spectators. Politicians staged Hindu prayer rituals to wish for the mission's success and schoolchildren followed the final moments of the landing from live broadcasts in classrooms. Chandrayaan-3 took much longer to reach the Moon than the Apollo missions in the 1960s and 1970s, which arrived in a matter of days. India used rockets much less powerful than the ones the United States used back then, meaning the probe had to orbit the Earth several times to gain speed before embarking on its month-long journey. The lander, Vikram, which means "valor" in Sanskrit, detached from its propulsion module last week and has been sending images of the Moon's surface since entering lunar orbit on August 5. Now that Vikram has landed, a solar-powered rover will explore the surface and transmit data to Earth over its two-week lifespan. Ambitious program India is closing in on milestones set by global space powers such as the United States and Russia, conducting many of its missions at much lower price tags. The South Asian nation has a comparatively low-budget space program, but one that has grown considerably in size and momentum since it first sent a probe to orbit the Moon in 2008. The latest mission has a cost of $74.6 million -- far lower than those of other countries, and a testament to India's frugal space engineering. Experts say India can keep costs low by copying and adapting existing technology, and thanks to an abundance of highly skilled engineers who earn a fraction of their foreign counterparts' wages. In 2014, India became the first Asian nation to put a craft into orbit around Mars and is slated to launch a three-day crewed mission into Earth's orbit by next year. Wednesday's landing had been eagerly awaited by the Indian Space Research Organisation after the frustrating failure of its previous mission at the last hurdle in 2019. Back then, mission control lost contact with the Chandrayaan-2 lunar module moments before its slated landing. 'Very, very important' Former ISRO chief K. Sivan told AFP that India's efforts to explore the relatively unmapped lunar south pole would make a "very, very important" contribution to scientific knowledge. Only Russia, the United States and China have previously achieved controlled landings on the Moon. Russia launched a lunar probe in August -- its first in nearly half a century. If successful, it would have beaten Chandrayaan-3 by a matter of days to become the first mission from any nation to make a controlled landing around the south pole. But Luna-25 crashed on Saturday after an unspecified incident as it prepared to descend. The post India becomes first nation to land spacecraft near Moon’s south pole appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
ValuePlus Auto Service kicks off 10th anniversary celebration
ValuePlus Auto Service, a premier provider of automotive services, is thrilled to announce the kickoff of its 10th-anniversary celebration this coming November. For a decade, ValuePlus has steadfastly served as a reliable and resilient alternative to traditional car dealerships, consistently delivering high-quality service and creating unyielding trust among its loyal customers. "Reflecting on our journey, we take immense pride in the resilience that has been our guiding force," said Normann Chiu, president of ValuePlus Auto Service. "Our unwavering commitment to serve as the trustworthy casa alternative has shaped our story, driving our success over these 10 fruitful years." In celebrating this significant milestone, ValuePlus Auto Service has planned a host of exciting initiatives. As a token of gratitude, the company will be giving away one-year complimentary Preventive Maintenance Services (PMS) to its select loyal customers who have been availing services since 2013. Additionally, both current and past customers stand a chance to win in a raffle draw featuring service packages as prizes. In the spirit of giving back and fostering growth within the broader auto service community, ValuePlus' franchising arm, VPX, will spearhead an exclusive mentorship program for independent auto repair shop owners and aspiring technicians. "Over the years, we have successfully navigated the intricacies of this industry, gaining invaluable knowledge and experience," said Mark Saberola, general manager of ValuePlus. "To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we are extending this knowledge beyond our own operations. Through VPX, we will offer 10 mentorship slots to independent auto shop owners, providing them with the insights we've gleaned and the experiences we've encountered, in a concerted effort to uplift the entire industry." ValuePlus Auto Service's journey over the past decade has been marked by continuous adaptation, overcoming industry challenges, and changes to further solidify its position as a resilient casa alternative. As it celebrates its 10th anniversary, the company reaffirms its commitment to its core principles and to serving its customers' automotive needs. "We are excited about the future and are committed to continuing to serve as a trusted, resilient casa alternative," said Chiu. "Our 10th anniversary is not only a celebration of our past achievements but also a stepping stone towards a future filled with further growth and service to our customers." The post ValuePlus Auto Service kicks off 10th anniversary celebration appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Cambodian PM quits,Thai ex-premier returning
Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen announced Wednesday he is stepping down as the former leader in neighboring Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra, ends his 15-year self-exile and will be back in his country on 10 August. Hun Sen, the 70-year-old former Khmer Rouge cadre who has ruled Cambodia since 1985, is paving way for a dynastic succession by handing power to his eldest son, 45-year-old four-star general Hun Manet. “I would like to ask for understanding from the people as I announce that I will not continue as prime minister,” Hun Sen said in a special broadcast on state television. The prime minister’s announcement followed his Cambodian People’s Party’s landslide victory in Sunday’s election that was nearly bereft of challengers with opposition candidates disqualified. The victory virtually assures the CPP of all but five lower house seats. While 84.6 percent of voters turned out in the polls, Western powers including the United States and European Union condemned the poll as neither free nor fair. Meanwhile, 74-year-old billionaire Thaksin is expected to inflame an already tense political situation on his return announced by his daughter Wednesday. “Dad is coming back on Aug 10 at Don Meung airport,” his daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra wrote on her official Facebook page on Wednesday — Thaksin’s birthday. The military, which ousted Thaksin from power in 2006, was badly beaten in the May elections and its senators is blocking the elections of a reformist prime minister in parliament. Paetongtarn was a candidate to become prime minister for the Pheu Thai party, which came second in the election and is now trying to form a government after Move Forward Party’s Pita Limjaroenrat was suspended. Days before the May election, Thaksin said on social media that he would return to Thailand “before my birthday” because he was getting old and wanted to spend time with his grandchildren. Thaksin was convicted in absentia on corruption charges in 2008 — and has since faced numerous other cases — but said in May he was ready to face the courts. Parties linked to Thaksin have dominated Thai politics since 2001, but lost two prime ministers to military coups and another to a court ruling. WITH AFP The post Cambodian PM quits,Thai ex-premier returning appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Algeria battles raging wildfires that have killed 34
Algerian firefighters were Tuesday battling blazes that have killed 34 people across the tinder-dry north, destroyed homes and coastal resorts and turned vast forest areas into blackened wastelands. Witnesses described fleeing walls of flames that raged "like a blowtorch", and TV footage showed charred cars, burnt-out shops and smoldering fields and scrubland as thousands of residents were evacuated. Severe fires raged through the mountain forests of the Kabylia region on the Mediterranean coast, fanned by hot winds amid blistering summer heat that peaked at 48 degrees Celsius (118 degrees Fahrenheit) Monday. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune sent his condolences to the families of those killed -- among them 10 soldiers trapped by flames at Beni Ksila, in Bejaia province, according to the defense ministry. Authorities reported progress in fighting back the almost 100 fires reported in recent days, having mobilized more than 8,000 civil defense personnel, over 500 fire trucks and multiple chartered aircraft. "Out of 97 declared fires, only 15 remained" at 8:30 am (0730 GMT) Tuesday, including two in worst-hit Bejaia, civil defense information officer Karim Belhafsi said on national television. The interior ministry expected to soon announce "the total extinction of all fires", he said, as the public prosecutor of Bejaia ordered an investigation into the causes of the fires and possible perpetrators. An unknown number of people suffered injuries from burns to smoke inhalation, and more then 1,500 were evacuated as the fires hit 15 provinces, especially Bejaia, Bouira and Jijel. Climate change and drought Much of the water-scarce northern African region has been hit by serious drought, severe summer heat and regular wildfires, a trend expected to worsen as climate change intensifies. Serious fires have also raged in recent days in neighboring Tunisia, especially the northwestern Tabarka region. An AFP team there witnessed significant damage and saw helicopters and Canadair water bombers in action. More than 300 people were evacuated from the coastal village of Melloula by boat and overland. Northern and eastern Algeria battle forest fires every summer. In August last year, 37 people were killed by fires in the northeastern El Tarf region, a year after 90 died, mostly in Kabylia. To prepare for this year's fire season, Algerian authorities deployed observation drones and created multiple helicopter landing sites. The government in May announced the purchase of a large water bomber aircraft and the rental of six others from South America. Algeria also placed an order with Russia for four water bombers, but reported that their delivery was delayed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The post Algeria battles raging wildfires that have killed 34 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Celine Dion cancels ‘Courage World Tour’ concert
Queen of Power Ballads Celine Dion made a heartbreaking announcement regarding the cancellation of her concert “Courage World Tour” because of her health condition. In an Instagram post, she shared the news with everyone stating, “It is with tremendous disappointment that we have to announce today the cancellation of the Courage World Tour.” “I’m so sorry to disappoint all of you once again. I’m working really hard to build back my strength, but touring can be very difficult even when you’re 100%. It’s not fair to you to keep postponing the shows, and even though it breaks my heart, it’s best that we cancel everything now until I’m really ready to be back on stage again. I want you all to know, I’m not giving up… and I can’t wait to see you again!”, she added. The international singer has been recently diagnosed with a rare disease called Stiff Person Syndrome that can affect one in every million people. This condition brought problems to Dion specifically with her mobility issues. SPS is a chronic condition that causes muscle stiffness and painful muscle spasms. How severe it may be depends from one person to another. The post Celine Dion cancels ‘Courage World Tour’ concert appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Zelensky seeks diplomatic, military support in Hiroshima
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will plead for diplomatic and military support in Hiroshima Sunday as he addresses G7 allies and a few nations who have pointedly declined to condemn Russia's invasion. In a surprise trip to a city synonymous with the horror of nuclear war, Zelensky began his day huddling with G7 leaders. Later he will address assembled leaders from India, Brazil, Vietnam, and Indonesia and is expected to give a speech to rally support for Ukraine's defense against Moscow's 15-month onslaught. His appearance at the G7 summit has firmly shifted the spotlight onto Russia's aggression and comes after a victory in his long-running campaign to win US backing for the supply of American-made advanced fighter jets. Zelensky bounded down the stairs from a French government plane on Saturday and began a punishing schedule of talks, meeting leaders from Europe, India, Indonesia, and Canada over several hours. While Zelensky is assured the support of long-standing G7 backers, he is on shakier ground with others in Hiroshima, including Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has accused the West of "encouraging the war" and is yet to confirm he will even meet his Ukrainian counterpart. The reception was warmer from India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who told Zelensky: "I understand your pain and the pain of Ukrainian citizens very well." "I can assure you that to resolve this India and, me personally, will do whatever we can do." Zelensky offered an upbeat assessment of the encounter, saying he believed India "will participate in the restoration of the rules-based international order that all free nations clearly need." French President Emmanuel Macron praised the trip as "a way to build peace," calling it an "honor" to have supplied the plane that carried the Ukrainian leader to Hiroshima. Zelensky is looking for support for a ten-point peace plan, centred on the demand that Russia retreat from Ukrainian territory. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the message from Ukraine and its allies was clear: "Russia must withdraw troops". Any peace plan, he said, "can't simply be linked to a freeze of the conflict." "Russia should not bet that if it holds out long enough, it will end up weakening support for Ukraine." Zelensky had previously been scheduled to attend the G7 summit remotely but arrived on the back of a major breakthrough in his battle to wrest advanced weaponry from the West. The White House dropped its longstanding reluctance to allow allies to supply Kyiv with F-16 fighter jets, opening the way for Ukraine to receive its most sophisticated material yet. Washington insisted the aircraft were part of a US strategy to support Ukraine "in a way that avoids World War III," and deflected criticism that their decision was too long coming. Zelensky acknowledged the jets would not help the war effort immediately, but hailed the decision as "a great result". "It really will help our society, our people to save houses, families." Mick Ryan, a strategist and retired Australian major general, called the decision "very significant". "F-16s have the sensors and weapon systems that are either equal to, or overmatch, Russian fighters," he told AFP, saying the jets would make life "more difficult" for Russian missile-launching aircraft operating in and around Ukraine. Zelensky meets Biden later Sunday, though the White House has declined to confirm US media reports it could announce a new package of weapons for Ukraine. While Ukraine has dominated the summit, the leaders have also taken aim at China, with a thinly veiled statement denouncing efforts to "weaponize" trade and supply chains, and warning they would "fail and face consequences". The grouping also warned China against its "militarisation" in the South China Sea and urged Beijing to press Russia to end its invasion of Ukraine. It insisted however that it still seeks "constructive and stable relations" with China. China hit back late Saturday, expressing its "strong dissatisfaction" with the G7's final communique, and Russia too lashed out at the group. "Look at the decisions discussed and taken today at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, which aim to contain both Russia and China," Moscow's top diplomat Sergei Lavrov said. The post Zelensky seeks diplomatic, military support in Hiroshima appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US inflation now ‘broad-based,’ top Fed official says
Inflation in the United States has become "broad-based," a top Federal Reserve official said Friday, suggesting the US central bank's fight against price rises through interest rate hikes has some road left to run. The Fed has raised its benchmark lending rate nine times in a row since March last year to tackle inflation, which remains well above its long-term target of two percent. Several senior Fed officials have suggested in recent weeks that interest rates may need to increase further and remain high, to control inflation. Overall inflation, and other underlying measures of consumer price increases, remained high, Fed governor Lisa Cook said in prepared remarks in Washington on Friday. "All of these measures have come off their peaks but remain elevated, suggesting that inflation has become broad-based in the economy," said Cook, who is a member of the Fed's 12-person rate-setting committee. Cook said the path back to stable inflation "could be long and is likely to be uneven and bumpy." The "appropriate path" of interest rate hikes would be determined by the impact of the recent financial sector turmoil on bank lending, she added. "But if data show continued strength in the economy and slower disinflation, we may have more work to do," she said. The Fed will announce its next interest rate decision on May 3. Most futures traders now expect the US central bank will raise its benchmark lending rate by 25 basis points, according to data from CME Group. The post US inflation now ‘broad-based,’ top Fed official says appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Tearful Biden ends Ireland trip with nod at re-election
US President Joe Biden ended an emotional visit to Ireland on Friday with a campaign-style exhortation for hope, as he inched closer to formally launching his 2024 bid. The 80-year-old Democrat, who has Catholic Irish roots, had a tearful encounter with a priest before a concluding speech that coincided with an angry address back home by Donald Trump, his potential Republican rival for next year's White House battle. "I told you my plan is to run again," Biden told reporters before flying to the United States. "I've already made that calculus. We'll announce it relatively soon. But the trip here just reinforced my sense of optimism about what can be done." Biden was feted by an estimated 27,000 people as he spoke in front of the floodlit St Muredach's Cathedral in Ballina, one of his family's ancestral hometowns, in northwest Ireland. In 1828, Biden's forebear Edward Blewitt sold the bricks that went into the construction of the Roman Catholic cathedral, using the money to fund his famine-stricken family's later emigration to the United States. The Irish and Americans were united by an optimistic vision, Biden said in the speech. "More than anything, hope is what beats in the hearts of all our people," he said, reprising the core message of his and Barack Obama's historic campaign in 2008. "Even during times of darkness and despair, hope has kept us marching forward toward a better future, one of a greater liberty, greater dignity and greater possibilities." Biden was in a more sorrowful mood earlier on a visit to the celebrated Roman Catholic pilgrimage shrine at Knock, near Ballina. Organizers made the last-minute discovery of a link between the Biden family and one of their priests, Father Frank O'Grady, who returned to Ireland after years serving as a chaplain in the US army. The president's son Beau Biden died of brain cancer aged 46 in 2015. Father O'Grady administered the last rites at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center outside Washington. O'Grady was not on the official guest list but was given hurried security clearance. Biden said it was "incredible" to meet by chance with the priest. "It seemed like a sign," he said of the 10-minute meeting, which was joined by his remaining son Hunter and the president's sister, Valerie Biden Owens. O'Grady told Irish broadcaster RTE that Biden "certainly misses his son" but that the president said his Catholic faith had "sustained him". "He has been grieving a lot, but I think the grief is kind of going down a bit," the priest said. Knock Shrine parish priest Richard Gibbons told the BBC that Biden "got the shock of his life" at discovering O'Grady's presence in Knock. "He was crying, it really affected him and then we said a prayer, said a decade of the rosary for his family. "He lit a candle and then he took a moment or two of private (reflection) for prayer." The US president went on to visit the Mayo Roscommon Hospice nearby with his son, sister, and Irish cousin Laurita Blewitt. In 2017, he came for the building's groundbreaking, and a plaque there commemorates Beau Biden. Biden then headed to the picturesque riverside town of Ballina, which was proudly displaying US flags and red, white and blue bunting as locals thronged the streets in anticipation. Ballina commissioned a five-meter-high (16-foot-high) mural of Biden when he won the 2020 presidential vote. Blewitt descendants still live in the town, where the Mocha Beans cafe changed its shop sign to read "Mocha Biden" for the occasion. "That buzz is incredible around Ballina today," the cafe's owner Trevor Mangan told AFP. As a baby, Flori Garvin was given a cuddly toy donkey by Biden when the Democrat visited Ballina as vice president. Now aged seven, she was back with her grandmother, Elizabeth Robinson, 63. "She hasn't stopped talking about it," Robinson said. "She thinks she's going to see him herself." The surrounding county of Mayo was the ancestral homeland of one branch of the Biden family, and the president also toured a genealogy center to find out more about his origins. Biden had declared in a speech Thursday to the Irish parliament: "I'm home." Ahead of a potential rematch against Trump, the president dwelt both at the parliament and the cathedral on the success of Irish emigres in carving out a new life far from home. "We Irish," he said on Friday, "we always believe in a better tomorrow because no matter what, we've always carried hope in our hearts." The post Tearful Biden ends Ireland trip with nod at re-election appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
After Korean Air incident, Mactan Cebu airport resumes 24/7 operations
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Approximately four days after its operations got paralyzed due to a jet that overshot the runway, Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) is back to operating 24/7. The Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) made the announcement at 8 p.m. on Thursday, October 27. “The Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority is pleased to announce that […] The post After Korean Air incident, Mactan Cebu airport resumes 24/7 operations appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
Rico Blanco may solo concert sa Araneta Coliseum
“I am happy to announce that on September 11, I will be back at the Araneta Coliseum for a concert!” Ito ang naging announcement ng OPM icon at dating frontman na bandang Rivermaya na si Rico Blanco sa isang face-to-face mediacon na ginanap kamakailan lang sa Quezon City. “It’s been a while since I performed […] The post Rico Blanco may solo concert sa Araneta Coliseum appeared first on Pinoy Parazzi......»»