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PUBG Mobile continues steady rise in Philippines
PUBG: Mobile has been a steady shooting game that Filipinos have been playing since its release back in 2018. Since then, the game has had Filipino-centric initiatives in 2022......»»
Fish catch in West Philippine Sea grows despite tensions with China
Despite rising tensions with China, the Philippines expanded its fish catch in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) last year to a four-year high of over 200,000 metric tons on the back of higher state support to fishermen......»»
Taal Volcano back to spewing high-volume of toxic gas
LUCENA CITY, Philippines – After spewing lower volumes of sulfur dioxide (SO2) for the past five days, Taal Volcano in Batangas province again emitted a high level of toxic gas on Saturday, March 23. A total of 14,287 metric tons (MT) of SO2 from Taal’s main crater was measured over the past 24 hours and.....»»
Marcos to exhaust legal remedies to bring Teves back to Philippines
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assured the Filipino public that his administration will do every thing to bring expelled Negros Oriental 3rd District lawmaker and designated "terrorist" Arnolfo Teves Jr. back to the Philippines......»»
Hong Kong, Philippines work to enhance relations
Filipinos are slowly beginning to travel back to Hong Kong following continued efforts by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office to woo tourists from the Philippines, as well as renew and improve trade and economic ties between the two nations following the COVID-19 pandemic......»»
Philippines, US air forces back together for Cope Thunder
The Philippine Air Force and the US Pacific Air Force are set to embark on joint exercises – involving their advanced fighter jets – from April 8 to 19 for this year’s iteration of Cope Thunder, an annual air defense and offense training event to be held in Luzon......»»
Miss Saigon co-creator praises musical s Philippine connections
Claude-Michel Schönberg is back in the country to witness the comeback of "Miss Saigon," which has close ties to the Philippines because of all the Filipino actors who took part in its numerous stagings, beginning with theater legend Lea Salonga......»»
India embassy reopens visa services
India will reopen visa services for Canadians, its embassy in Ottawa announced Wednesday, a move that could ease tensions between the two countries triggered by the killing of a Sikh separatist on Canadian soil. “After a considered review of the security situation that takes into account some of the recent Canadian measures in this regard, it has been decided to resume visa services,” the Indian High Commission said in a statement Wednesday. Canadian Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan welcomed the resumption, saying the two countries had “strong people to people ties” and that it was important for people to be able to go back and forth, for example, for weddings or funerals. Canada’s population features 1.4 million people of Indian origin. Relations between India and Canada plunged after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last month publicly linked Indian intelligence to the killing of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June. New Delhi dismissed the allegation as “absurd.” Nijjar, who advocated the creation of a separate Sikh state carved out of India, was wanted by Indian authorities on charges of terrorism and conspiracy to commit murder. Canada has called for India to cooperate in the investigation into his death and expelled an Indian diplomat. New Delhi expressed outrage, and reacted by taking countermeasures that included shutting down visa services for Canadians. The Indian government had also advised its nationals not to travel to parts of Canada “given the increase in anti-Indian activities.” The post India embassy reopens visa services appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
India resumes issuing visas to Canadians after spat
India will reopen visa services for Canadians, its embassy in Ottawa announced Wednesday, a move that could ease tensions in a high-profile dispute over the killing of a Sikh separatist on Canadian soil. Relations between India and Canada plunged after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last month publicly linked Indian intelligence to the killing of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June. New Delhi dismissed the allegation as "absurd." Nijjar, who advocated the creation of a separate Sikh state carved out of India, was wanted by Indian authorities on charges of terrorism and conspiracy to commit murder. Canada has called for India to cooperate in the investigation into his death and expelled an Indian diplomat. New Delhi expressed outrage, and reacted by taking countermeasures that included shutting down visa services for Canadians. "After a considered review of the security situation that takes into account some of the recent Canadian measures in this regard, it has been decided to resume visa services," the Indian High Commission said in a statement. India's foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, on Sunday had insisted on increased security for India's missions in Canada. He was quoted by the Times of India as saying security had been a concern and that "if we see progress there, I would like very much to resume visa services." Canadian Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan welcomed the resumption, calling it "good news for Canadians." He said the two countries had "strong people to people ties" and that it was important for people to be able to go back and forth, for example, for weddings or funerals. Canada's population features 1.4 million people of Indian origin. Sajjan recalled that "a Canadian was killed on Canadian soil" and he said India has yet to cooperate in the criminal investigation. Canada announced last week it had withdrawn 41 diplomats from India as a result of the row. New Delhi was about to revoke diplomatic immunity for all but 21 of Canada's diplomats and their families, forcing Ottawa to pull out the others. The Indian government had also advised its nationals not to travel to parts of Canada "given the increase in anti-Indian activities." Nijjar, who emigrated to Canada in 1997 and became a Canadian citizen in 2015, was shot and killed by two masked assailants in the parking lot of a Sikh temple near Vancouver in June. Canada is home to some 770,000 Sikhs, who make up about two percent of the overall population, with a vocal minority calling for creating a separate Indian state called Khalistan. The Sikh separatist movement is largely finished within India, where security forces used deadly force to put down an insurgency in the state of Punjab in the 1980s. Hundreds of Sikh protesters rallied outside Indian diplomatic missions in Canada last month, burning flags and trampling on pictures of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The post India resumes issuing visas to Canadians after spat appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Japan, U.S.: ‘We got your back’
Key allies of the country expressed their unwavering support after a Chinese Coast Guard ship intentionally collided with a Philippine Navy boat to stop a resupply mission to the grounded BRP Sierra Madre on Ayungin Shoal. Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. described the maneuver as an escalation of China’s aggression within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines. Japan issued a statement expressing support after the incident. “Japan expresses serious concern for actions which increase regional tensions, including a dangerous action that caused a collision between Chinese and Filipino ships on 22 October,” the Japanese Foreign Ministry said. It added that Japan believes the issue of the South China Sea is directly related to the peace and stability in the region and is a legitimate concern of the international community, including Japan. “Thus, Japan opposes any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force as well as any actions that increase tensions in the South China Sea,” it said. Citing the Japan-Philippines Joint Statement last February, the Foreign Ministry said the “government of Japan concurs with the Philippines’ long-standing objections to unlawful maritime claims, militarization, coercive activities, and threat or use of force in the South China Sea.” “Furthermore, Japan highly appreciates the government of the Philippines for having consistently complied with the arbitral tribunal’s award as to the disputes between the Republic of the Philippines and the People’s Republic of China regarding the South China Sea, and has shown its commitment to the peaceful settlement of disputes in the (West Philippine Sea), as stated in the statement by the Foreign Minister of Japan issued on the occasion of the seventh anniversary of the issuance of the award,” it said. Japan said it would continue to cooperate with the international community, such as the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the United States, to “protect free, open and peaceful seas.” ‘Ironclad’ vow The United States, meanwhile, reiterated its “ironclad” commitment to the Philippines. According to a White House statement, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan assured National Security Adviser Eduardo Año of US support in safeguarding its sovereign rights in the WPS under the Mutual Defense Treaty between both nations. “Sullivan reiterated US support for our Philippine allies following the PRC Coast Guard and maritime militia’s dangerous and unlawful actions on 22 October, obstructing a routine Philippine resupply mission to Second Thomas Shoal,” the statement read. “Sullivan emphasized the ironclad US commitments to the Philippines under theUS-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty, which extends to armed attacks on Philippine public vessels, aircraft and armed forces — to include those of its Coast Guard — in the Pacific, including in the West Philippine Sea,” it added. Signed in 1951, the Philippines and the United States agreed that an armed attack in the Pacific area on either of the parties would be dangerous to its own peace and safety and declared that it would act to meet the common dangers by its constitutional processes. The White House said Sullivan and Año “reaffirmed the enduring alliance and friendship between our nations and discussed upcoming US-Philippine engagements and ways to further strengthen our close partnership.” Manila vs Beijing Both Manila and Beijing condemned the incident, which they said violated their sovereign rights over Ayungin Shoal, a low-tide elevation in the WPS. The two countries traded blame for the incident, which also sparked concern from Australia, Canada and South Korea. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration rejected Beijing’s historical nine-dash line claim to the WPS. Militia boats utilized Teodoro labeled the Chinese actions near the shoal as deliberate. “Chinese Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels, in blatant violation of international law, harassed and intentionally hit the Unaiza May 2 and Philippine Coast Guard vessel BRP Cabra,” Teodoro said. “We are here to decry in the strongest terms this egregious violation and illegal act within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone and the obfuscation of the truth by China’s distorting of the story to fit its own ends.” His comments came hours after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. met with security officials and ordered the Coast Guard to investigate the incident, which was “being taken seriously at the highest levels of government,” Malacañang said. The military monitored “a large number of Chinese maritime militia vessels” swarming in the West Philippine Sea, National Security Council spokesperson, Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya, said. In a television interview, Malaya said these vessels were spotted “not only in the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal and Bajo de Masinloc but also in other features, including (Scarborough Shoal) and Sabina (Escoda) Shoal.” “We are alarmed by the environmental degradation our Coast Guard ships were able to monitor in these areas,” he told the ANC. Malaya noted that environmental degradation or coral destruction would directly impact the livelihood of the fishermen in the WPS. “Sometimes we forget the reasons why we are pushing our rights in the WPS. Some critics say this is just posturing on the part of the Philippines or a tug-of-war between China and the Philippines. No, this is not,” he stressed. “This is a battle for the resources of our country, particularly for our fishermen, so that when we monitor coral destruction in parts of the WPS, it alarms the government because it directly impacts the livelihood of our fishermen,” he said. Malaya also slammed China’s “maligned information operation” and sharing of “false narratives” in its sweeping claims on the WPS. “Definitely, there’s a maligned information operation going on nowadays that is shared to the public and we are just happy it is not just the Philippine government that is sharing our side here — we have allies, if we may call them witnesses, from the media,” he said. The post Japan, U.S.: ‘We got your back’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Scores killed in Gaza strikes as new aid convoy arrives
Scores of Palestinians were killed in central Gaza on Sunday after Israel stepped up its strikes on the war-torn enclave and another convoy of 17 aid trucks arrived as the Hamas-run territory faces "catastrophic" shortages. With the violence raging unchecked, Iran said the region could spiral "out of control". Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a stark warning to Lebanon's Hezbollah, saying getting involved would be "the mistake of its life". Washington warned any actors looking to inflame the conflict that it would not hesitate to act in the event of any "escalation". Hamas militants in Gaza stormed across the border into Israel on 7 October, launching a raid that killed at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians who were shot, mutilated, or burnt to death on the first day, according to Israeli officials. They also seized more than 200 hostages in the worst-ever attack in Israel's history. Israel has hit back with a relentless bombing campaign that has so far killed more than 4,600 Palestinians, mainly civilians, according to Gaza's health ministry. Officials said the central town of Deir al-Balah had been particularly badly hit overnight from Saturday to Sunday. The ministry said at least 80 people had been killed in the overnight raids on central Gaza, which destroyed more than 30 homes. At the hospital morgue, an AFP journalist saw the bodies of many children on the bloodied floor, where distraught families wept as they identified the victims. Among them was a man clutching his dead toddler and a young boy who pulled back a blanket over his little sister's body. "My cousin was sleeping in his house with his daughter in his arms. He was a man with no record, nothing to do with the resistance," said Wael Wafi, gazing at the body of his cousin, his arm still wrapped around his three-year-old daughter Misk. Also Sunday, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said that 29 of its staff had been killed since the start of the war in a statement on X, formerly Twitter, saying half of them were teachers. On Saturday it had given a toll of 17. The scale of the bombing has left basic systems unable to function. The UN said dozens of unidentified bodies had been buried in a mass grave in Gaza City because cold storage had run out. Meanwhile, an Israeli soldier was killed near the Gaza border by an anti-tank missile fired by militants inside the enclave, the army said. 'Accident' as Israel hits Egypt post Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant warned the war with Hamas could take months. "It will take one month, two months, three months, and at the end, there will be no more Hamas," Gallant said. A second convoy of 17 trucks of aid entered Gaza from Egypt on Sunday following an initial delivery of 20 trucks on Saturday after intensive negotiations and US pressure. Separately, an AFP journalist saw six trucks leaving Rafah after filling up from dwindling fuel stocks held at the crossing as the enclave faces catastrophic shortages after Israel cut off supplies of food, water, fuel, and electricity. It later resumed water supplies to the south on 15 October. Although Egyptian media said another 40 trucks would enter Gaza on Monday, the UN says the enclave needs 100 trucks per day to meet the needs of Gaza's 2.4 million residents. And so far, there have been no deliveries of fuel, with UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini warning Sunday that supplies would run out "in three days". "Without fuel, there will be no water, no functioning hospitals, and... aid will not reach many civilians in desperate need," he said. The Hamas government said 165,000 housing units -- half of those in the entire Gaza Strip -- had been destroyed in the raids. With fears growing that the conflict could spread, Israel on Sunday admitted accidentally hitting an Egyptian border post, apologizing for the incident which Cairo said had left an unspecified number of border guards with "minor injuries". Risk of regional escalation There were fresh exchanges of fire over Israel's northern border with Lebanon as fears grew that Hezbollah, a close ally of Hamas and Iran, could enter the conflict, prompting Israel's Netanyahu to warn it would be "the mistake of its life". "We will strike it with a force it cannot even imagine, and the significance for it and the state of Lebanon will be devastating," he said. Iran also warned about the conflict spreading on Sunday, with top diplomat Hossein Amir-Abdollahian cautioning that if Washington and Israel did not "immediately stop the crime against humanity and genocide in Gaza.. the region will go out of control". But Washington said it wouldn't hesitate to act in the event of any "escalation", just hours after the Pentagon moved to step up military readiness in the region. "If any group or any country is looking to widen this conflict and take advantage of this very unfortunate situation that we see, our advice is: don't," US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said on ABC News. On Sunday, Pope Francis used his weekly Angelus prayer in Rome to plead for an end to the bloodshed. "War is always a defeat, it is a destruction of human fraternity. Brothers, stop!" he said. He later held a 20-minute conversation with US President Joe Biden about "conflict situations in the world and the need to identify paths to peace", the Vatican said. Biden later discussed with war with the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, and Italy, the White House said. The US president also held talks with Netanyahu, said the White House, adding: "The leaders affirmed that there will now be continued flow of this critical assistance into Gaza." In Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron's office announced he would be traveling to Israel on Tuesday for talks with Netanyahu. Protesters marched in several European capitals on Sunday. At least 10,000 people rallied in support of Israel in Berlin as Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed to stamp out a resurgence of anti-Semitic incidents linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict. Thousands gathered in Paris to demand an end to Israel's operation in Gaza, the first pro-Palestinian rally in the French capital that wasn't banned on security grounds. The post Scores killed in Gaza strikes as new aid convoy arrives appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Biden discusses Mideast war with Western allies — White House
US President Joe Biden discussed the Israel-Hamas war Sunday with leaders of major Western powers, the White House said, as Israel intensified its attacks on Gaza. Biden spoke with the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, and Italy, the White House said. "The leaders reiterated their support for Israel and its right to defend itself against terrorism and called for adherence to international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians," a White House readout of the discussions said. It said the leaders discussed their own citizens trapped in the Israel-Hamas war, "in particular those wishing to leave Gaza." Fighting raged unchecked and scores more were killed in air strikes by Israel in Gaza as the humanitarian situation in the enclave worsened. Another convoy of 17 aid trucks arrived in Gaza as the Hamas-run territory faced "catastrophic" shortages. Hamas militants stormed across the border into Israel on 7 October, launching a raid that killed at least 1,400 people, according to Israeli officials. They also seized more than 200 hostages in the worst attack in Israel's history. Israel has hit back with a relentless bombing campaign that has so far killed more than 4,600 Palestinians, mainly civilians, according to Gaza's health ministry. The readout said the Western leaders voiced commitment to coordinate "to ensure sustained and safe access to food, water, medical care, and other assistance required to meet humanitarian needs." They also pledged close diplomatic coordination "to prevent the conflict from spreading, preserve stability in the Middle East, and work toward a political solution and durable peace." In addition to Biden, those on the call included Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, President Emmanuel Macron of France, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the White House said. The post Biden discusses Mideast war with Western allies — White House appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Canada firm on online news act, but ‘optimistic’ of Google buy-in
Canada "will not back down" in the face of opposition from tech giants to a new law requiring companies like Google and Meta to pay publishers for news content, Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge said Friday. She said she was "optimistic" that Google would come around, while Meta continues to take a hard line against the bill. The Online News Act builds on similar legislation introduced in Australia and aims to support a struggling Canadian news sector that has seen a flight of advertising dollars and hundreds of publications closed in the last decade. "We've seen two different types of reactions," St-Onge told press bosses gathered in Toronto for a media conference. "Google has been participating and collaborating throughout the entire process and on the other hand, Meta chose to ban news in Canada even though the act is not even currently enforced." Meta has called Bill C-18 "fundamentally flawed" and, starting in August, blocked news access in Canada to news articles on its Facebook and Instagram platforms. Google has also voiced opposition to the Online News Act, adopted in June but only set to come into force in December. The two companies control about 80 percent of all online advertising revenues in Canada. The government has estimated it could cost the pair a combined Can$230 million (US$170 million) by requiring them to make fair commercial deals with Canadian outlets for the news and information that is shared on their platforms, or face binding arbitration. St-Onge acknowledged that Google "does not wish to end up in an arbitration process" for commercial agreements, while Facebook "doesn't want to regulate content." "We are trying to strike the right balance," she said, aware that other nations are watching and interested in how this will play out. The minister commented that this is "new territory." "Canada is only the second jurisdiction in the world to enact this type of bargaining framework," after Australia. "We are leading the way but we're also facing a lot of resistance from tech giants," she said. Contacted by AFP, Google Canada maintained Friday that "critical structural issues" with the bill "have not been sufficiently addressed." "We continue to be concerned that these fundamental issues cannot be resolved through regulation and that legislative changes may be necessary," a spokesman said in an email. The post Canada firm on online news act, but ‘optimistic’ of Google buy-in appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
U.S. asserts safe WPS passage for all
It has nothing to do with that particular country, or so they claimed rather cautiously and diplomatically. Navies of the Philippines and the United States opened their bilateral naval exercises yesterday, along with six other countries, at Naval Station Jose Andrada on Roxas Boulevard, Manila. The drills involve at-shore events at the Philippine Navy’s headquarters before going out to sea for exercises intended to improve the allied naval forces’ interoperability. Dubbed Exercise Sama-Sama, or Together, the exercise, according to Philippine Navy chief Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci, has nothing to do with a particular country that has figured in increasing tensions in the West Philippine Sea. But Adaci was obviously referring to China whose coast guard had used water cannons on Philippine Coast Guard-led resupply missions to Filipino troops stationed on the BRP Sierra Madre at Ayungin Shoal in the WPS. Adaci opened the exercise with US Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Karl Thomas. “The exercise is designed to be conducted here in Manila and the southern Luzon area,” Adaci said. Thomas, for his part, stressed the need to recognize the rules-based international order. Strong word “I think it is important that all nations have a right to sail and operate in the West Philippine Sea — free from worrying about being attacked,” Thomas said. “And attack is probably a strong word.” “I would say, free from being coerced, free from being intimidated. You know we want the commons to be common and open and free. And so long as our nations operate in accordance with the rule of law, in accordance with the rules and regulations, with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” he said. Like Adaci, Thomas did not mention China, but it is common knowledge that the United States military has been conducting “freedom of navigation” patrols to keep the South China Sea open to international commerce. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. last week ordered the PCG to cut the 300-meter floating barrier installed by Chinese militia vessels at Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal. PN assets in action A 2016 arbitral ruling deemed China’s territorial claim on nearly the entire South China Sea, including areas that overlap the WPS, invalid. The ruling stemmed from a 2013 case filed by the Philippines against China before the Permanent Court of Arbitration, or PCA, after Beijing seized control of Scarborough Shoal in 2012. As the PCA junked China’s nine-dash line South China Sea claim, it affirmed the Philippines’ entitlement to its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone. Around 700 sailors and marines from different PN units are participating in the exercise, which will see in action, among other assets, the BRP Antonio Luna, and an AW109 naval helicopter. For the second straight year, the exercise will include the navies of Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, France and Australia. They will be participating mainly in humanitarian assistance and disaster response drills. Observers Meanwhile, the Royal New Zealand Navy and the Indonesian Navy are also joining as observers the naval exercise that dates back to 1994 when it was known as Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training. In 2017, its name was changed to Exercise Sama-Sama. Subsequently, the exercise was conducted annually across various regions: In 2017 at Naval Forces Central; in 2018 at Naval Forces Northern Luzon; in 2019 at Naval Forces West; and in 2021 at the Northern Luzon Command. Last year, it was held alongside Exercise Lumbas — the bilateral navy-to-navy exercise between the Philippines and Australia — with the limited participation of France, Japan and the United Kingdom. According to the PN, the primary objective of the exercise is to enhance the capabilities of both nations in responding to regional crises. Additionally, it aims to strengthen its capacities to address non-traditional challenges, including territorial defense, natural and man-made disasters, counterterrorism, maritime security and transnational crimes. The post U.S. asserts safe WPS passage for all appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Philippine Navy officially opens bilateral naval exercise
The Philippine Navy on Monday officially opened this year's Exercise SAMASAMA, an annual bilateral naval exercise that aims to further strengthen international defense cooperation, interoperability, and advancing rules-based international order with counterparts in the United States. In this year's iteration, the Philippines and US will include other countries like Japan, United Kingdom, Canada, France, and Australia to be participating in subject matter expert exchanges and events related to humanitarian assistance and disaster response. Meanwhile, the Royal New Zealand Navy and the Indonesian Navy are also joining as observers. Exercise SAMASAMA's inception dates back to 1994 when it was initially known as Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training. The post Philippine Navy officially opens bilateral naval exercise appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Will you go back to Canada?
Our own bilateral relations with Canada stretching over the past 75 years suffered cracks in the past......»»
DFA confirms Azurin held by Canadian immigration
Former Philippine National Police chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. was intercepted by Canadian immigration personnel upon his arrival at Langley Airport in Canada, the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed Wednesday. During the budget deliberation on the DFA’s proposed P23 billion for the upcoming fiscal year in the House of Representatives, House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan inquired about reports of Azurin being held by Canadian immigration authorities. Responding to Libanan’s query, Nueva Ecija Representative Joseph Violago, who sponsored the DFA’s proposed budget before the plenary, positively affirmed the report. “There seems to be a misunderstanding, misinterpretation of what happened. The Canadian government expressed their regrets due to the miscommunication,” Violago said. He noted that Azurin, who resigned from his post in January, voluntarily went back home after being denied from entering Canada. In a separate statement, DFA spokesperson Teresita Daza said that the Philippine government is “in touch” with Canadian authorities regarding Azurin’s case. “The Department is in touch with Canadian authorities and hopes to get a better understanding of the incident soon,” Daza told reporters in a WhatsApp message to reporters. “While our foreign service posts are ready to assist Filipino travelers, including former government officials, these cases have privacy issues surrounding them,” she added. To recall, Azurin resigned from his post in January following Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos’ appeal to the high-ranking officials of the PNP to resign from their posts as part of the internal cleansing of the organization. Abalos sought the courtesy resignation of almost 1,000 police colonels and generals to address the alleged return of ninja cops in the PNP. The post DFA confirms Azurin held by Canadian immigration appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Likely asteroid debris found upon opening of returned NASA probe
After a seven-year wait, NASA scientists on Tuesday finally pried open a space probe carrying the largest asteroid samples ever brought back to Earth, finding black debris. Researchers "found black dust and debris on the avionics deck of the Osiris-Rex science canister when the initial lid was removed today," the US space agency said, though without specifying whether they definitely belonged to the asteroid. Scientists are eagerly awaiting researching the bulk of the sample, which will require "intricate disassembly" of the probe. Osiris-Rex launched in 2016, landing on the asteroid Bennu and collected roughly nine ounces (250 grams) of dust from its rocky surface. Even that small amount, NASA has said, should "help us better understand the types of asteroids that could threaten Earth." It ended its 3.86-billion-mile (6.21-billion-kilometer) journey after touching down in the desert in the western state of Utah on Sunday, following a high-stakes, fiery descent through Earth's atmosphere. The residue on the avionics deck found Tuesday was likely a result of issues during the collection, which NASA said were eventually solved, allowing the secure transfer of the sample. The lid was opened in an airtight chamber at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. A news conference is scheduled for 11 October in which the bulk of the sample will be revealed to the public. The analysis of the asteroid, scientists believe, will help researchers better understand the formation of the solar system and how Earth became habitable. Most of the sample will be conserved for study by future generations. Roughly one-fourth will be immediately used in experiments, and a small amount will be sent to mission partners Japan and Canada. The post Likely asteroid debris found upon opening of returned NASA probe appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Sikhs protest outside India consulates in Canada
Indian flags were burned and pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi were trampled on at protest rallies by Canadian Sikhs outside Indian diplomatic missions in Canada on Monday. “The Indians, they are terrorists, they killed our brother in Vancouver, so that’s why we are protesting here,” Harpar Gosal of Toronto said outside of the Indian consulate in Toronto, referring to the murder in June of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar. “We are not safe back home in Punjab, we are not safe in Canada,” another protesting Canadian Sikh, Joe Hotha, said. Several hundred people gathered in Toronto as well as in Ottawa and Vancouver to denounce Modi’s government. The protests were stirred by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau statements before parliament that New Delhi was possibly involved in the assassination of the Sikh leader, triggering a major diplomatic crisis between the two nations. Nijjar, who was wanted in India for alleged terrorism and conspiracy to commit murder, was shot dead by two masked assailants. The Indian government called the Canadian accusations “absurd” and vehemently denied them. It also advised its nationals not to travel to certain Canadian regions “given the increase in anti-Indian activities” and temporarily stopped processing visa applications in Canada. Jagmett Singh, the leader of the left-wing New Democratic Party and a Trudeau ally, said Trudeau's announcement confirms suspicions that India was interfering in the democratic rights of Canadians. Canada must also put an end to intelligence sharing with New Delhi, Sikh officials said. Since 2018, the two countries have established cooperation on counter-terrorism activities which commits them to financial, judicial and police cooperation, an agreement eyed warily by 770,000 Canadian Sikhs today. WITH AFP The post Sikhs protest outside India consulates in Canada 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......»»