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Lionel Messi signs contract with Inter Miami through 2025
Argentine superstar Lionel Messi has signed a contract until 2025 with Inter Miami, the Major League Soccer team announced on Saturday. The 36-year-old striker who sparked Argentina to a World Cup title last year in Qatar, is set to be unveiled by the team in a Sunday ceremony and expected to join Inter Miami on the pitch as early as Friday. "I'm very excited to start this next step in my career with Inter Miami and in the United States," Messi, who moves from Paris Saint-Germain, said in a statement. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner's arrival in Miami has already caused a sensation and is expected to spark greater interest in the game and MLS across the United States. It's also hoped he'll revive the fortunes of a Miami squad at the bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference at 5-13 with three drawn. "This is a fantastic opportunity and together we will continue to build this beautiful project," Messi said. "The idea is to work together to achieve the objectives we set and I'm very eager to start helping here in my new home." Messi's debut match is planned for Friday when Inter Miami will host Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup, a revamped competition between MLS and Mexican league squads. It's the biggest boost for the North American league since English star David Beckham, now a co-owner of Inter Miami, joined the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2007. He launched the MLS Miami squad in 2020 after years of trying to find a stadium site. "Ten years ago, when I started my journey to build a new team in Miami, I said that I dreamt of bringing the greatest players in the world to this amazing city, players who shared the ambition I had when I joined LA Galaxy to help grow football in the USA and to build a legacy for the next generation in this sport that we love so much," Beckham said in a statement. "Today that dream came true. "I couldn't be prouder that a player of Leo's caliber is joining our club, but I am also delighted to welcome a good friend, an amazing person, and his beautiful family to join our Inter Miami community. "The next phase of our adventure starts here and I can't wait to see Leo take to the pitch." World's greatest Inter Miami head coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino has managed Messi in two separate prior stints –- with FC Barcelona in the 2013-14 campaign, winning the 2013 Spanish SuperCup, and from 2014-2016 with the Argentine national team. Messi captained the Albiceleste to victory at the 2021 Copa America as well as the Qatar World Cup and has 103 goals in 175 appearances for Argentina. "We're overjoyed that the greatest player in the world chose Inter Miami and Major League Soccer," MLS commissioner Don Garber said. "His decision is a testament to the momentum and energy behind our league and our sport in North America. We have no doubt that Lionel will show the world that MLS can be a league of choice for the best players in the game." Messi is set for a glitzy arrival ceremony on Sunday at "The Unveil" with 18,000 expected to watch his first public event with his new club, followed by his first news conference with Inter on Monday and first training session with the club on Tuesday. "I'm honored to welcome Leo Messi and his family to their new home," Inter Miami managing owner Jorge Mas said. "We made a promise to build an ambitious club that would attract the world's elite players... a heartfelt thank you to our fans that never stopped believing. Together we will continue to turn dreams into reality." The post Lionel Messi signs contract with Inter Miami through 2025 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘The Eras Tour’ serves up Taylor Swift, larger than life
That Taylor Swift is a great songwriter is no longer in question. What’s up for debate is whether she’s a great concert artist as well. By artist we don’t mean a gifted vocalist. The era of the pop concert as a singing showcase and a straightforward live onstage performance of recorded music ended in 1990 with Madonna’s third concert tour. Called Blond Ambition, the highly theatrical show combined music, spectacle and, most crucially, storytelling with a several-act structure based on themes or narrative arcs, deconstructed songs and elaborate sets to redefine the pop concert as performance art. It has since been the template and gold standard by which all concerts, especially those by female superstars, have been measured. Yes, even Madonna’s own subsequent tours have been assessed through the Ambition lens and, arguably, none of them has quite equaled the one that gave the world the cone bra as an icon of female sexuality and woman power. [caption id="attachment_201371" align="aligncenter" width="1987"] LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 11: Taylor Swift attends "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" Concert Movie World Premiere at AMC The Grove 14 on October 11, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)[/caption] Feast for the eyes Swift’s The Eras Tour, as seen in the filmed concert currently showing in cinemas worldwide, certainly serves up a feast for the eyes. Most of it is courtesy of the massive stage consisting of a backdrop that stands several stories high, a huge main platform and a long runway that juts well into the audience floor and features its own diamond-shaped mini-stage with a “hyperactive” central hydraulic platform consisting of several mobile blocks that rise to various heights throughout the almost three-hour show. It’s not only one of the biggest stages ever built for a pop concert, but is also probably the biggest LED installation ever assembled in and outside the music world. And it’s never not in use, lighting up the cavernous 70,000-seat SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles (where the movie was filmed over three shows) with eye-popping digital images, pre-recorded videos and live footage from the concert itself. The set is so massive that it makes Swift and her troupe of dancers look like ants. But thanks to the big screens, she literally looks larger than life to the live audience at different points in the show. The film does the opposite, and is the better for it: It brings Swift into the intimate space of the cinema and, thus, closer to the audience. Eras further highlights and celebrates the main thing that has helped the 33-year-old singer-songwriter conquer the pop world, the core attribute that makes Taylor Swift Taylor Swift: relatability. [gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="201372,201370"] It’s all over her music: a repertoire of mostly slow and mid-tempo ballads that tell about the blush, excitement, joy, ecstasy, frustrations, confusion, sadness, heartbreak, anger and regrets of modern-day romantic relationships, in creative confessional journal prose that listeners of all ages, colors and persuasions find no difficulty accessing and plugging into. It’s all over her wholesome, winsome, non-threatening all-American girl-next-door public persona. This is on fuller display in her performance in Eras than even in her 2020 documentary movie, Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince, which chronicled mostly the period between her Reputation Tour in 2018 and the release in 2019 of her seventh studio album, Lover. Between the many floral, even pastoral, and fluid graphic images onscreen and the tasteful, immaculate set pieces, between the squarely schematic album-era sectioning and the billowy ball gowns and sparkly and sexy but modest bodysuits, between the Cheshire-Cat grin Swift wears through most of the show, even during moments in some heartbreak songs, and her dorky cheerleader energy, The Eras Tour plays like Little Miss Sunshine & The Hearty Princess. It’s all what anyone would expect from the reigning America’s Sweetheart. Thoroughly entertaining It’s a great Taylor Swift show, for sure — thoroughly entertaining and one that sends stans to Swift heaven. But it stops at being a Taylor Swift show with a faithful rendition of her songs when, for something called Eras, it should be giving audiences, both fans and casuals alike, more to chew on than what they already know and are familiar with — a recast, a reinterpretation, a recontextualization of her music and impact. [caption id="attachment_201373" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] US singer-songwriter Taylor Swift performs onstage on the first night of her "Eras Tour" at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on March 31, 2023. (Photo by SUZANNE CORDEIRO / AFP)[/caption] The show is content to be a pop concert about Taylor Swift. Coming almost 20 years into her career, it should’ve reached for the world outside of Taylor Swift, or even just a small part of it: What do Taylor and her songs, for instance, say about the times we are living in? The Eras Tour could have aspired to life and art, or at least something approaching it, and thereby become a truly era-defining experience. The post ‘The Eras Tour’ serves up Taylor Swift, larger than life appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
England, Wales grapple with growing teen knife violence
Elianne Andam was headed to school like any other teenager in London last month when she was stabbed to death, becoming the latest victim of rising knife crime in England and Wales. The 15-year-old suffered a "brutal attack" in Croydon, south London, shortly after she and her friends had stepped off a public bus on a Wednesday morning, prosecutors have said. A 17-year-old boy arrested nearby just over an hour later will stand trial for her murder next April. One of the latest tragic cases of teen-on-teen violence in the British capital, it has become an increasingly common problem nationwide over recent decades. A few days after Andam's death, 16-year-old Taye Faik died in Edmonton, north London, following another knife attack. He was the 14th teenager to be killed with a blade in the city this year. The UK government, and mayors in some of its biggest cities and regions, have repeatedly vowed to tackle the persistent scourge of youth violence, but appear to be failing. Between 2012 and 2022, the number of knife and offensive weapon offences amongst children aged 10-17 increased by 19 percent across England and Wales, according to the Ministry of Justice. That compared with an eight percent increase among adults. 'Social issue' With the sale of guns strictly controlled in Britain, teenagers intent on violence typically turn to blades, including machetes and so-called "zombie" knives. Inspired by horror films, they often have one smooth blade and one serrated edge, and feature graphics or text on the blade or handle glorifying violence. Possessing them has been illegal since 2016, but some manufacturers have managed to evade this quasi-ban by altering their design. The government unveiled plans in August to outlaw them entirely and give police more powers to seize the weapons, which it said "seem to be designed to look menacing with no practical purpose". The new legislation will also increase the maximum penalty for their "importation, manufacturing, possession and sale" from six months to two years. However, machetes and zombie-style knives can be bought with relative ease for less than £50 ($60) on social media platforms like TikTok or Snapchat, circumventing online age restrictions, according to anti-knife crime campaigners. They urge more focus on the roots of the problem. "Knife crime isn't just a law-and-order issue, it's a social issue," Patrick Green, president of the Ben Kinsella Trust, told AFP. The anti-knife crime charity is named after a London teenager murdered in 2008. "When you start to unpick knife crime, you start to look at social deprivation, poverty, the lack of social mobility, mental health probation for young people," Green said. 'Awful weapons' Youth knife violence is more prevalent in Britain than many other European countries, he noted. "It's difficult to determine why exactly," Green added. London mayor Sadiq Khan's office blamed the austerity policies of successive Tory governments in power since 2010, which it argued have "decimated youth services" in the capital and beyond. As many as 130 centers offering sports and arts activities in the city have closed over that period, its statement noted. The pandemic and the country's worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation, driven by decades-high inflation, are also seen as contributing to the problem. Following the recent knife crime deaths in the capital, the Labour mayor urged the Conservative government in a letter "to speed up the legislation so we can ban these awful weapons as soon as possible". "The proposals also need to be toughened up to close the loopholes that could still allow the sale of these weapons," Khan added. He also wrote this month to London's 500 secondary schools reiterating that wand metal detectors to screen pupils for weapons were available, as well as police officers to deliver knife crime prevention talks. His opposition Labour party -- well ahead in polls for over a year -- has pledged to spend up to £100 million if it wins power in an election expected next year on a "Young Futures" program. It would fund new youth mentors and mental health hubs in every community, youth workers in schools set up for troubled students and hospitals, alongside wide-ranging public sector reforms. The post England, Wales grapple with growing teen knife violence appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Millions of children affected by climate disasters – UNICEF
The United Nations Children’s Fund warned on Thursday that weather disasters brought on by climate change caused 43.1 million child displacements between 2016 and 2021 and criticized the lack of attention given to the victims. Co-Author Laura Healy told American for Prosperity, or AFP, that the data only indicated the “tip of the iceberg,” with many more possibly affected, in comprehensive research on the subject that included the heartbreaking stories of some children affected. Khalid Abdul Azim, a child from Sudan, recalls his terrible experience in a flooded village that can only be reached by boat. "We moved our belongings to the highway, where we lived for weeks," he said. In 2017, sisters Mia and Maia Bravo watched flames engulf their trailer in California from the back of the family minivan. "I was afraid, in shock," Maia said. Statistics on internal displacements caused by climate disasters generally do not account for the victim’s age. The Internal Displacement Monitoring Center, a non-governmental organization, and UNICEF collaborated to analyze the data and uncover the hidden toll for children. Four types of climate disaster (floods, storms, droughts, and wildfire) has led to 43.1 million child displacements in 44 countries in which frequency of the said disasters has increased during global warming, the report says. Ninety-five percent of those displacements were caused by floods and storms. “It’s equivalent of about 20,000 child displacements every day,” Healy lamented on AFP highlighting how the afflicted children are then at risk of suffering other traumas, such as being torn away from their parents or being the prey of child traffickers. As one child may be uprooted more than once, the numbers reflect the number of displacements rather than the number of children affected. The number of displaced people as a result of drought is “radically underreported,” according to Healy because they are less abrupt and hence harder to measure. This is just the tip of the iceberg based on the available data that we have," she said. "The reality is with the impacts of climate change, or better tracking of displacement when it comes to slow onset events, that the number of children who are uprooted from their homes is going to be much greater." Healy added. UNICEF Report Reveals Alarming Predictions for Child Displacements Due to Climate Events In a recently released UNICEF report, startling forecasts have been unveiled for specific climate-related events. According to the report, the next three decades could witness a staggering 96 million child displacements due to flooding caused by overflowing rivers. Additionally, cyclonic winds are projected to force 10.3 million child displacements, while storm surges may result in 7.2 million displacements. It's worth noting that these estimates do not factor in preventive evacuation measures, raising concerns about the potential scale of displacement. UNICEF's Executive Director, Catherine Russell, emphasized the profound impact on those compelled to flee, including the fear of an uncertain return, disruptions to education, and the possibility of further relocations. Russell stressed that while migration may save lives, it also brings significant upheaval and challenges. "As the impacts of climate change escalate, so too will climate-driven movement. We have the tools and knowledge to respond to this escalating challenge for children, but we are acting far too slowly." She added. At the COP28 climate summit in Dubai in November and December, UNICEF urged world leaders to take up the climate issue. According to Healy, children, particularly those who have already been compelled to move must be prepared “to live in a climate change world”. While the effects of climate change are spreading across large portions of the planet, the UNICEF report highlights some of the most susceptible nations. The biggest number of displaced people (almost 23 million in six years) occurred in China, India, and the Philippines because of their massive populations, strategic positions, and precautionary evacuation measures. However, in proportional terms, Africa and small island states are most at risk; in Dominica, 76 percent of all children were uprooted between 2016 and 2021. More than 30 percent of the said amount went to Saint Martin and Cuba. The post Millions of children affected by climate disasters – UNICEF appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
S. Korean migrant’s tale to open Asia’s biggest film festival
The world premiere of Jang Kun-jae's "Because I Hate Korea" will open Asia's largest film festival Wednesday night as it looks to rally from a year marked by scandal and budget cutbacks. The South Korean director's tale of a disillusioned young woman who relocates to New Zealand is among 209 official entries from 69 countries set to unspool at the Busan International Film Festival, which runs until 13 October. Eighty will be making their world premieres in the southern port city. This year's edition comes as organizers grapple with the fallout from former festival director Huh Moon-yung's resignation in May amid accusations of sexual misconduct. The scandal saw BIFF's 2023 budget reduced by about 10 percent as sponsors withdrew in the wake of the allegations, according to organizers. Kang Seung-ah, now serving as acting deputy director, acknowledged they had endured a "difficult phase" before assembling a lineup she said was "more substantial than ever before". Opening night director Jang, who noted he'd attended BIFF far more as an audience member than a filmmaker, told a late afternoon news conference he had sought to address serious questions with his film. "I believe it's necessary to pay attention to the fact that many young people are finding it difficult to navigate through Korean society. I started questioning whether our society is providing a fair and equitable foundation for young people to pursue their dreams," he told reporters after a preview screening. Based on the best-selling Chang Kang-myoung novel, "Because I Hate Korea" received support from BIFF's Asia Project Market back in 2016. South Korea has transformed itself into a cultural powerhouse since then thanks to the explosive success of the Oscar-winning "Parasite" and the Netflix series "Squid Game". "Many people are now showing great interest in Korean content such as K-pop, K-movies, and K-dramas. Living in such an era, they might develop a certain fantasy about South Korea, I think," Nam Dong-chul, the festival's acting interim director, told reporters. But "I thought it might be good to consider these views from the perspective of people living in Korea and especially the youth in South Korea", he said of the opening night choice. "They might have different thoughts and experiences." Frequent Bong Joon-ho collaborator Go Ah-sung, who delivered a memorable performance as the protagonist of "Because I Hate Korea", was unable to attend the festival due to a back injury. 'Dear Jinri' Despite Go's absence, the festival will still feature serious star power, with acclaimed Hong Kong actor Chow Yun Fat scheduled to receive the Asian Filmmaker of the Year award. Three of Chow's films -- "A Better Tomorrow" (1986), "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" (2000) and 2023's "One More Chance" -- will be screened in his honour. Other highly anticipated screenings include "Dear Jinri", a documentary that features late K-pop star Sulli's last and incomplete project. Sulli, born Choi Jin-ri, took her own life in 2019 after a long struggle with online bullying. The film includes her final media interview, which has not been disclosed previously. Korea's filmmaking diaspora will also be showcased with a special series of screenings that includes "Searching" (2018), starring John Cho, and director Celine Song's Sundance favorite "Past Lives". Netflix's highly anticipated "Yellow Door: 90s Lo-fi Film Club" will also have its world premiere at BIFF. The documentary spotlights South Korea's renowned cinephile generation of the 1990s, acclaimed "Parasite" director Bong among them. "The Movie Emperor", director Ning Hao's satirical take on the Chinese film industry starring Hong Kong actor Andy Lau, is set to close the festival. Ning's comedy "deftly captures the fine line between the film industries in Hong Kong and mainland China", as well as the "delicate relationship between Western film festivals and Asian filmmakers", according to the program notes. The post S. Korean migrant’s tale to open Asia’s biggest film festival appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
COA: Davao City tops CF spending during Sara term
Davao City appears to be the biggest spender of confidential funds among the country’s cities and municipalities between 2016 and 2022 when it was still under mayor Sara Duterte, who is now the Vice President, Commission on Audit (COA) records showed......»»
Think tank: SMGPH faces liquidity crunch
The declining profitability of San Miguel Corporation’s energy unit San Miguel Global Power Holdings Corp. has affected the capability of the company to meet near-term financial obligations, according to a report of the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, or IEEFA. Local groups held a forum on Wednesday ahead of the 133rd anniversary of the Adian conglomerate that focused on the “losing strategy” of maintaining its dependence imported fossil fuel with its planned shift from traditional coal to liquefied natural gas, or LNG. Think tank Center for Energy, Ecology and Development indicated during the event that SMGPH is implementing “a losing strategy that is having devastating consequences on shareholders and investors, energy consumers, and the environment.” “While SMC is pursuing the country’s further dependence on fossil fuel, it is also losing on the actual energy transition development. SMC had lost in the race to secure new permits for renewable energy capacity, which will be built in the next two to three years,” Gerry Arances, CEED executive director, said. Sam Reynolds, author of an Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, or IEEFA, report titled San Miguel Global Power: Fossil fuel-oriented growth strategy raises financial red flags, said the article detailed the financial issues SMC faces because of its reliance on coal and gas. IEEFA is a Detroit-based advisory group for energy industry strategies. He warned the company’s overexposure to volatile fossil fuel prices could sink its financial health and that “SMGPH’s overreliance on fossil fuels has weakened its financial health — moving from coal to LNG is not going to solve the fundamental problem of overexposure to fossil fuel prices.” SMGPH debts are falling due between 2024 and 2026, according to the study. The company’s financial position would likely remain inadequate to address the callable perpetual securities, amounting to $3.4 billion (P193 billion). “SMGPH could face a double-edged sword. On one hand, the need to redeem perpetual securities demands additional capital or funding. On the other, opting not to exercise the call option subjects the company to additional financial costs, further straining its financial position,” according to IEEFA. No contract to back up projects “This is especially true when you consider the company’s lack of contracts for its existing and proposed LNG facilities,” he added. SMC’s status as one of the country’s biggest conglomerates entails that the company should be among those leading the transition away from fossil fuels, Reynolds added. Reynolds also doubts the company will be able to fulfill the 2050 net zero commitment it unveiled earlier this year. “Unless there is a major, material pivot within the company to transition to renewables and phase out its fossil fuel expansion plans, the company is going to have very little chance of achieving its 2050 net zero target. Without a strategic, material, immediate pivot, that goal is simply unrealistic,” he said. Liquidity crunch possible As a result of SMGPH’s declining profitability, IEEFA’s analysis indicated that its ability to cover near-term financial commitments in the form of debt, interest and capital distribution for perpetual securities may have worsened considerably. This points to an overall liquidity crunch, which could translate to a longer-term funding shortfall if not carefully managed. IEEFA indicated that its view “aligns with conclusions from Bloomberg Intelligence, which stated that the company may need $900 million (P51 billion) by the end of this year to meet its financial commitments. “SMGPH’s funding constraints also depend on its ability to extend P21 billion worth of short-term loans. There is also a possibility of obtaining local funding due to its connection to parent company SMC,” IEEFA indicated. Its financial SMGPH’s perpetual securities come with a notable feature: a step-up interest mechanism. If the call option on the security is not exercised, the interest rate increases by a certain percentage each year. SMGPH has strategically tapped into the issuance of bonds and loans to fund its expansion plans, increasing its total debt. Total equity has also grown, driven largely by the company’s issuance of perpetual securities. The paper added that a broader assessment, beyond operating cash flows, reveals a rising liquidity risk for SMGPH. It measured the SMGPH’s cash flow from operations (CFO)-to-current liabilities ratio, the results of which pointed a “concerning trend.” The ratio has been on a downward trajectory since 2019. In 2022, the CFO-to-current liabilities ratio plummeted to an all-time low of -0.12, indicating insufficient cash flow to cover short-term liabilities. The same ratio remained weak in the first half. Its ratio in 2022 was 1.00, down from 1.43 in 2021, meaning the company has exactly one dollar of current assets for every dollar of current liabilities. “In essence, the company holds a relatively tight margin of assets available to cover its immediate financial obligations. Meanwhile, the accounts receivable turnover ratio stood at 3.15, marking its lowest value since 2016.” The post Think tank: SMGPH faces liquidity crunch appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bersamin: ‘Phl can live without China’
Executive Secretary Justice Lucas Bersamin on Thursday said that the Philippines can live without China and that it should avoid overdependence on its Asian neighbor despite the two countries' strong economic ties. In a recent interview with journalist Ka Tunying, he asked Bersamin whether the Philippines is dependent on China. He responded that the question has many aspects and that he is not in a position to speak about it because he is too close to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. However, Bersamin did say that the Philippines is dealing with the issue of its relationship with China diplomatically. He also said that it is still possible for the Philippines to go with China but that the country should not be too dependent on its Asian neighbor. "We are dealing with (several) issues diplomatically. It is still possible for us to go with China, but about the economic viability of our relations or the economic dimensions if we were to go against China. You know, we can't say that we are dependent on China," Bersamin said. "China might be our trading partner or supplier, or it gives us some products that we may need, but we should not be too dependent on China. I don't think China will even want us to be dependent because China knows that we have a multilateral approach," Bersamin added. Bersamin's statement comes when the Philippines is facing increasing pressure from China in the South China Sea. China has been militarizing islands and reefs in the disputed waters despite a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration that invalidated its claims. When asked if he thinks China needs the Philippines more than the Philippines needs China, Bersamin said that the Philippines has exclusive rights to the fisheries and natural resources in that area. "Perhaps China is acting this way because they know that in the eyes of other countries, we are the ones who should be recognized as having the exclusive right to own these fisheries and natural resources in that area," Bersamin said. "That's probably why China is acting like that. But beyond that, we do not want to have a conflict with China. We do not want to provoke a conflict with China because we can coexist with China." Ka Tunying, meanwhile, said that more countries are siding with the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea dispute because the current administration is being more transparent about what China is doing. "The biggest news today regarding China's aggression is that more countries are siding with us because this administration is becoming transparent about what China is doing in the WPS (West Philippine Sea). Did you notice that during the previous administration, they intentionally did not report what China was doing because we didn't want to upset China back then?" Ka Tunying asked Bersamin. Bersamin said that he was not paying much attention to the issue during the previous administration. Still, he said that he wants to avoid comparing the two administrations' foreign policy directions. "I don't want to compare," he said. "We leave that to the Presidents to make those decisions, the directions that they take," he added. Despite the dispute, the Philippines and China have maintained close economic ties. Latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that China has become the Philippines' primary trade partner, representing a significant portion of the nation's exports and serving as the leading provider of imported products. As of May, exports reached a total of $6.44 billion, with China carrying out 16.6 percent of total exports during the month. Import costs, meanwhile continued to surpass export receipts, hitting $10.84 billion during the month. China was also the country's biggest source of imported goods, supplying 24 percent of the country's total imports. The post Bersamin: ‘Phl can live without China’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
UniSQ in Toowoomba
Just recently, the 13th Australian Media Traditions Conference was held on the 20th and 21st of September at the University of Southern Queensland, or UniSQ, in the Garden City of Toowoomba in Brisbane on the theme “Beyond Boundaries.” Thirty-six paper presenters, who were largely PhDs and PhD candidates from various universities on the Australian continent and beyond, each had 20 minutes to share their research and scholarly works in the field of communication in the context of the digital age. Most conferees came from the universities of Southern Queensland, Queensland, Macquarie, La Trobe, RMIT, Monash, James Cook, Swinburne, Deakin, South Australia, Melbourne, Canberra and QUT — all in Australia — while two were from the University of China and the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, and one from the University of the Philippines (the only Filipino in the pack). Each day featured a keynote speaker, a morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. Everyone received a ring-bound booklet that contained the individual abstracts and biographies of every participant. The various subthemes delved into — literature, journalism, television drama, civic engagement, music industry, radio, cinema, mobile developments, media/politics/issues, technologies and globalization, SVODs in Australia, creation and content production, and archives (i.e., collection of digital/social media at the National Library of Australia) — were all reflective of the contemporary communication and media ecosystem. For one, this author presented his paper titled, “Scoping the reformative and transformative impact of media traditions.” Let me share, dear readers, what my seminal and expository paper was all about. The terms reformative and transformative simply refer to access to news, entertainment, or information in various modalities, while impact, as a term, refers to “hit,” it denoting who are adversely affected in an era of digital media (i.e., print newspapers, periodicals, magazines and other forms of publishing). These social and economic dimensions are on opposite ends of a continuum. There’s no need to be an apologist for print newspapers since the notion that the “editor is dead” in this digital age is a myth. Neither is there such a thing as the “golden age of journalism,” as one presenter embraced the view — with some authority based on her research — that it never existed. In fact, if it were any consolation, there had been a common point when the portion who got its news via social media was about equal to the portion who got its news from newspapers and that was in 2017. Therefore, if there was a crucial paradigm shift to the digital or social media platform, it must have been an entirely slow and gradual process where the readership of print newspapers slid down and the readership on social media climbed, not to mention that such transformation was only of recent memory or origin. In the case of Americans, and it may be a universal phenomenon elsewhere in the world, television dominates as a news source followed by news websites, in turn followed by radio then social media, in turn followed by print newspapers — in this pecking order. As well articulated with evidence-based data, two age groups, namely, those between 50-54 and those 65 and over, still preferred print newspapers as their news source with lower percentages in the younger age groups (i.e., 18-29, 30-48). More particularly, while most Americans get their news often from social media rather than print newspapers, there is only a marginal variance of 20 percent and 16 percent, respectively, over the period 2016 to 2018. In other words, we can embrace the view that print newspapers “will never die,” very much so in countries with aging populations to the extent possible that it might even overcome social media at some point as a source for news in this…. “digital divide” as well as “age divide.” This media traditions conference at the UniSQ in Toowoomba was probably the most fulfilling intellectual experience for experts, scholars, and practitioners in the present-day communication and digital landscape. The post UniSQ in Toowoomba 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......»»
Taylor Swift, Beyonce reporting jobs trigger controversy
It's rare for a news outlet to dedicate a reporter to one personality, but the publication USA Today has decided Taylor Swift and Beyonce are phenomena requiring their own beats. The recent announcement by Gannett, which owns USA Today, that it was seeking two journalists to cover the biggest names in music as if they were running for president triggered both excitement and eye rolls -- and broader conversation about coverage priorities in an increasingly fragmented and financially precarious news media environment. Gannett, which owns more than 200 daily newspapers, has slashed jobs across local markets over the past several years, laying off six percent of its news division in December. So news of the Tay and Bey positions struck a nerve. "I suppose now is a good time to remind Twitter that I'm the only full-time news reporter left at my newspaper that was sold by Gannett in December," said Brad Vidmar on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Vidmar, 41, works for The Hawk Eye, a newspaper in Burlington, Iowa that GateHouse, an investment firm-run publishing company, purchased in late 2016. In 2019 GateHouse acquired Gannett and took its name, becoming the largest newspaper company in the nation -- and one with a reputation for scooping newspapers before curtailing their resources. Gannett resold The Hawk Eye to a family-owned media company in late 2022 -- its staff a skeleton of what it once was. "They just kept cutting and cutting and cutting staff all across the board," Vidmar told AFP. "What you saw was a situation where there are fewer reporters, reporters forced to take on multiple beats." Losing local content meant filling the paper with wire stories or stories from the broader USA Today network, he explained. Vidmar said Gannett's announcement of the Swift job made "my eyes roll." "They've been downsizing newsrooms for years now, but of course, they need somebody dedicated to covering Taylor Swift," he said. Shaping a generation Gannett said the new positions will be employed by USA Today and The Tennessean, the company's Nashville-based paper. The aim of the new jobs -- which are in addition to three music reporters The Tennessean now employs -- will be to "capture the excitement around Swift's ongoing tour... while also providing thoughtful analysis of her music and career," Gannett said. Another position is aimed at similarly analyzing Beyonce's impact. The NewsGuild's New York branch was skeptical, writing on X: "Gannett's strategy to be profitable again: 1) Lay off hundreds of reporters 2) Destroy local news coverage 3) Hire a Taylor Swift reporter." Lark-Marie Anton, Gannett's chief communications officer, said in a statement to AFP that "these roles do not come at the expense of other jobs," noting that in Gannett's bid to "grow our audience," the company has hired 225 journalists since March and has more than 100 open roles. "Taylor Swift and Beyonce Knowles-Carter are artists and businesswomen. Their work has tremendous economic impact and societal significance influencing multiple industries and our culture -- they are shaping a generation," Anton said. Under pressure Robert Thompson, a media scholar at Syracuse University, said his initial reaction to the new jobs was questioning whether "this is a joke." But he said after more reflection "I think it would be silly to categorically dismiss this... There are so few things that everybody really kind of knows whether they're fans or not, and Beyonce and Taylor Swift are some of the very rare ones." The jobs have the potential to allow for "really insightful ways to tell the story of 21st-century America through the lens of its most popular personages," he said. On the other hand, Thompson acknowledged that the negative reaction to the new jobs in light of dwindling local news coverage is reasonable. "If you were to get a bunch of people together and say, 'We've got X number of dollars, how should they be spent?' Most of them would probably not say the Taylor Swift beat," he said. "But that doesn't mean that separate from that context there can't be some really good things to come of it." If performed correctly, the new jobs are not necessarily the "dream" careers some headlines have touted them as he said. The fan bases for both Swift and Beyonce are notoriously defensive -- music critics who make even the slightest negative comment about their idols can be doxxed or receive death threats. Along with the "organized wrath" of Swifties and the Beyhive, the worlds these artists have curated are famously guarded. Plus, Thompson noted, "The eyes of the profession are going to be on these poor folks when they finally get hired." "That first piece that they file -- it better be really good." The post Taylor Swift, Beyonce reporting jobs trigger controversy appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Pinoy rowers face rough waters
The national rowing team braces for tough battles in the 19th Asian Games starting Wednesday at the Fuyang Water Sports Centre in Hangzhou, China. National rowing team assistant coach Nic Jasmin said countries like China, Iran, Thailand and Japan will be their biggest challenges as they seek to return to the medal podium of this prestigious quadrennial meet for the first time in more than two decades. Bannered by Tokyo Olympics veteran Cris Nievarez, the six-man rowing team composed of Joanie Delgaco, Tammy Sha, Feiza Lenton, Edgar Ilas and Zuriel Sumintac was the first delegation to leave for Hangzhou over the weekend. Nievarez will see action in the men’s single sculls while Southeast Asian Games silver medalist Delgaco will vie in the women’s single sculls. SEA Games bronze medalists Ilas and Sumintac will compete in the lightweight men’s double sculls with Lenton and Sha participating in the lightweight women’s double sculls. The last time the Philippines brought home an Asian Games medal in rowing was in 2002 in Busan, South Korea in which Alvin Amposta and Nestor Cordova snagged a bronze medal in the lightweight women’s double sculls. This year, Jasmin admitted that the battles will not be easy. “Japan is strong in the single sculls alongside Iran. China is expected to be strong in rowing but that will depend on the flow of the tournament,” Jasmin, whose wards will be seeing action in the Asian Games for the first time since 2016, said. “Thailand really prepared for this tournament since their team competed in world tournaments this year and hired two foreign coaches.” Jasmin, however, stressed that the Asian Games will be a perfect opportunity for them to scout the opposition in the Paris Olympics next year. The post Pinoy rowers face rough waters appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
UBS’s Credit Suisse takeover, ‘deal of the century’?
Did banking giant UBS make "the deal of the century" when it bought one of the world's biggest banks for a pittance as it teetered on the edge of the abyss? Switzerland's largest bank was in March strong-armed by Swiss authorities into a $3.25-billion takeover of Credit Suisse, to keep its closest domestic rival from going under. At the time, investors gasped at the risks UBS was taking on with the purchase. But by August, the bank said it would not need the billions in support offered by the Swiss government and central bank to offset any surprises that might pop up in its stricken rival's accounts. That must mean that Credit Suisse's situation was "much better than described in March", Thomas Aeschi, a member of parliament with the populist rightwing Swiss People's Party (SVP), wrote on X, formerly Twitter. UBS seemed to prove him right when it unveiled its second-quarter results on August 31. The bank posted a towering net profit of $29.2 billion for the three-month period, thanks to an exceptional gain due to the gulf between the amount paid for Credit Suisse and its book value. 'Godsend' "UBS has pulled off the deal of the century," Switzerland's Socialist Party said, maintaining the "rescue" was more of a "godsend", allowing it to snatch up a bank at a dramatically reduced rate. "If we had chosen another path, (like) a temporary or partial nationalization," said Samuel Bendahan, a Socialist MP and economics professor at the University of Lausanne, the Swiss state "would have taken on the risk, but those $29 billion would have gone to the population". Instead, the takeover has created "a monopolistic situation", he told AFP, warning that while this might strengthen UBS, it puts Switzerland in an extremely risky position if the new mega-bank were to one day face a crisis. Politicians are not the only ones taking issue with the takeover. Gisele Vlietstra, founder of the Swiss Investor Protection Association, told public broadcaster RTS that UBS's towering quarterly profit confirms that the "intrinsic value" of Credit Suisse was "far higher" than the purchase price. She said she hoped that the lawsuits brought by her association and others on behalf of thousands of Credit Suisse shareholders will help determine "the correct value" that they should be compensated. 'Nickel and dime' "UBS paid a nickel and dime" and "got rid of its main competitor" in one fell swoop, Carlo Lombardini, a lawyer and banking law professor at Lausanne University, told AFP. The coming restructuring will clearly carry risks, "but having paid just three billion, it can't go wrong", he said, slamming the option chosen by the Swiss authorities. Like UBS, Credit Suisse was listed among 30 international banks deemed too big to fail because of their importance in the global banking architecture. But the collapse of three US regional lenders in March left the firm looking like the next weakest link in the chain. The Swiss government feared Credit Suisse would have quickly defaulted and triggered a global crisis, shredding Switzerland's reputation for sound banking. But its chosen option for dealing with the issue was certainly a boon to UBS, which will now swell to manage $5 trillion of invested assets. Confidence 'evaporated' UBS chief Sergio Ermotti acknowledged in a recent interview with the SonntagsZeitung weekly that the bank had been "worried" about its competitor since 2016, and had among other things looked into the possibilities of buying it, for fear a foreign lender might snap it up. He acknowledged that Credit Suisse may have survived for a time if the central bank had injected more cash, "but it would not have been enough, since confidence had evaporated". Since the takeover announcement in March, UBS has seen its share price soar 31 percent. But the bank still faces significant challenges, Vontobel analyst Andreas Venditti told AFP. The $29 billion "is a huge one-off gain, but this is just accounting", he said, stressing that "the losses and costs will come later". The analyst, who a few months ago wondered in a note whether UBS had secured "the deal of the decade or a decade of headaches", stressed that "it's going to be a huge task". He said it would only become clear "whether it was worth it" after most of the restructuring is done three years down the line. Parts of the business are continuing to "produce huge losses", he said, warning "many things can still go wrong". Swissquote analyst Ipek Ozkardeskaya agreed, recalling that "UBS was forced" into the merger. Now it is up to the bank to "transform an 'obligation' to its advantage". The post UBS’s Credit Suisse takeover, ‘deal of the century’? appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DonBelle’s first primetime series ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ opens this October
The much-anticipated debut of the New Gen phenomenal love team of Donny Pangilinan and Belle Mariano (“DonBelle”) in their very first primetime series is just around the corner. The teaser for their show Can’t Buy Me Love, opening this October, has set the hearts of fans aflutter. In the one-minute clip, Mariano’s character Caroline, a Chinese-Filipino born into a very wealthy and traditional family, meets Pangilinan’s character Bingo, a diligent man whose aim is to provide for his underprivileged family. “This October, magbibida na sa kanilang unang primetime series ang New Gen Phenomenal Love Team,” the video teaser announced. Following their successful team-up in Star Cinema’s romantic comedy film An Inconvenient Love, which paved the way for the film outfit’s comeback to theaters after the pandemic, Mariano and Pangilinan’s next series, Can’t Buy Me Love, represents the latest professional milestone for the love duo. Mae Cruz Alviar is directing the TV series, which Mariano described as “always been a dream of mine. Growing up, I used to watch primetime series, and to be able to do one with Direk Mae and him (Donny), grabe! I am so excited. I cannot wait.” Alviar, in turn, has been all praises for her stars. “They want to make this work even more,” she said. “Napaka-hardworking na couple nila, na love team (They are a very hardworking couple, their loveteam). And, together I know that they will go very, very far.” DonBelle earned their “phenomenal” moniker in 2021, their breakout year as a record-breaking pair when their collaboration in the iWantTFC limited series He’s Into Her and the digital release of their debut movie Love Is Color Blind took the digital entertainment industry by storm. Love Is Color Blind became the highest-grossing movie and the biggest digital premiere on KTX.ph. The post DonBelle’s first primetime series ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ opens this October appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Digitizing a must — Concepcion
Honing and making micro, small and medium enterprises fully engrossed with digitization is now a must for every country in the ASEAN Region to fully realize the expanding opportunities presented by digital transformation, according to ASEAN-Business Advisory Council Philippines chairperson Joey Concepcion. “The power of digitalization is there; we just have to use it. It’s time that we really focus on the objective of greater prosperity, especially for those at the bottom of the pyramid, using whatever tools we have,” Concepcion said during a panel discussion on ASEAN’s Digital Powerhouse at the Nexus of Connectivity and Transformation in Jakarta, Indonesia on Sunday. “We must enable MSMEs to use digitalization to their advantage. Digital growth is seen to boost cross-border e-commerce by providing MSMEs with access to new markets and is hoped to promote financial inclusion to underserved populations,” he added. Further, Concepcion noted that although the rapid growth of digital adoption in the ASEAN bodes well for the region’s economies, its growth must be inclusive, with MSMEs being crucial to sustainable growth, to fully realize the expanding opportunities presented by digital transformation. “All of these tools are important to uplift the lives of our people. That’s why we are here: how do we solve big problems, especially for those who are at the bottom of the pyramid,” he said, pointing out that four of the 10 countries in the ASEAN have nearly a fifth of their populations still living in poverty. Region’s biggest tech players The session gathered some of the region’s biggest technology players, as well as key stakeholders from leading multinational companies, global financial institutions, and government organizations. The session delved into the development of strategic policies — including financial technology, e-trade, and cross-border trade facilitation. “The power of digital has to be used. The crisis pushed people to use these tools and this is one of the reasons we in the ASEAN BAC Philippines proposed to sign an MoU with each ASEAN country to focus on sectors that will bring development, specifically agriculture and MSMEs,” he said. He also pointed out that digitalization will stand to benefit even the one-man businesses — also known as nanopreneurs — who now have a better chance at succeeding because they have access to marketing tools and digital payment solutions. “We are the big brothers. Unless we embrace the MSMEs in our value chain this is going to take a long time. That is our mission as ASEAN BAC heads, to see to it that greater prosperity is achieved,” he said. Private sector feedback The ASEAN BAC was organized to provide private sector feedback and guidance to boost ASEAN’s efforts towards economic integration. It was said in the discussion that ASEAN has emerged as the world’s fastest-growing Internet market, with a 40 percent annual growth in the value of e-commerce between 2016 and 2021. Further, it is set to become the world’s fastest-growing digital market driven by a growing consumer market and the rapid adoption of social commerce platforms by its population. “This growth must be inclusive to unlock the benefits. It must be used to enable MSMEs,” he said. Phl case cited Concepcion cited the Philippines case as an example of how digital technology has helped MSMEs compete with big corporations and gave birth to a thriving digital economy that was further hastened by the pandemic lockdowns. Aside from Concepcion, other speakers in the session were Sam Myers, deputy trade commissioner for Asia Pacific (Southeast Asia) at the UK Department for Business and Trade; Haslina Taib, CEO of Dynamic Technologies; Yuem Kuan Moon, CEO of Singtel; and Kok Ping Soon, CEO of Singapore Business Federation. Bank of Indonesia Governor Dr. Perry Warijjyo, Temasek Holdings CEO Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara; and Japan External Trade Organization Chairman Ishiguro Norihiko delivered keynote remarks, while ASEAN-BAC Indonesia Policy Manager for Digital Transformation Yohanes Lukiman gave a policy presentation. The post Digitizing a must — Concepcion appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
San Jose del Monte City strives to shine
Defying rains and strong wind brought by two typhoons — “Goring” and “Hanna” -— and the southwest monsoon, the local government of San Jose del Monte City in Bulacan kicked off the celebration of its Tanglawan Festival on 1 September with a flashy program and a fashion show. This year, the city in the eastern portion of the Central Luzon province is holding its biggest festival yet, which lasts until 10 September. Tanglawan is spearheaded by the city’s prominent political family, led by its mayor Arthur Robes and his wife, congresswoman Florida P. Robes. Meant as a celebration of the anniversary of San Jose del Monte’s achievement of cityhood on 10 September 2000, the festival aims to project the city as a beacon of progress in the province, thus the name, which derived from the Tagalog word tanglaw, meaning “light.” Launched in 2016, it is also, of course, an opportunity for San Joseños to gather together, enjoy and be entertained. [gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="179659,179658"] In the 2017 festival, the city made a bid to be included in the Guinness World Records for mounting the largest lantern parade on 19 September, involving 14,173 people. During the two years of lockdowns because of the coronavirus pandemic, the festival was held virtually. It made a comeback as an onsite event in 2022. This year, Tanglawan Festival, which has the theme, “Tanglaw ko, Bukas Mo, Mananatiling Bulakenyo. Yes to HUC!,” is made grander to promote its bid to secure a highly urbanized city status, according to the deputy festival director Glenn de Jesus. The Pasiklab ng Tanglawan: Tanglawan Festival Grand Opening at the CSJDM Sports Complex featured celebrities, such as Robi Domingo, Darren Espanto, Paul Salas, AC Bonifacio and Jillian Ward. The show also featured the debut of the new signature moves created by dance group Douglas Nierras Powerdance, performed by about 400 dancers to the new festival theme song composed by Ato del Rosario. The moves and music would be used for their street-dancing parade and competition, the Arya-aryahan Street Dance Comp the first time that the festival featured a fashion show, a nod to the city’s garment industry. Organizers said that San Jose del Monte was once considered the fashion capital. [gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="179653,179654"] The “Tanglaw ng Kahapon” part of the fashion show showcased the collections of Viña Romero, who is from San Jose del Monte, with accessories by Arnel Papa. A collection took heavy inspiration from the Dumagat people, an indigenous people of the city, which can be problematic. Another collection was inspired by the piña fabric. The second part of the show featured the luxurious pieces of Francis Libiran, who hails from the town of Balagtas. Organizers hope that the fashion show would be a regular part of the lineup of events of the Tanglawan Festival, which includes events regularly seen in modern festivals in the country, such as trade fairs, sporting competitions, concerts and parades. The post San Jose del Monte City strives to shine appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
James Arthur serves up grit, emotion, rawness in ‘Blindside’
Singer-songwriter James Arthur serves up a superb offering in his new song “Blindside,” which features a killer, top-down driving chorus and powerful belting vocals. “Blindside” is a song I’ve wanted to write for years, about falling in love with the right person at the wrong time. It’s an energetic song with a sad lyric and it really suited this new rawer style I was after,” Arthur said. The anthemic single also comes with a visual helmed by Tim Mattia. Arthur recently received the BRIT Billion award, which celebrates surpassing one billion career UK streams. Presented to him live on BBC’s The One Show, the award puts him in elite company, alongside recipients including ABBA, Anne-Marie, Coldplay, Ellie Goulding, George Ezra, Lewis Capaldi, Mariah Carey, Rita Ora, Sam Smith and Whitney Houston. The Middlesbrough-born artist has scored four top 10 albums, with 2016’s Back From The Edge hitting the Number 1 spot, and over his career has collaborated with the likes of Anne-Marie, Sigala, Rudimental, Marshmello and many more. Arthur is one of the world’s biggest streaming artists, with over 37 million monthly listeners on Spotify alone. “Say You Won’t Let Go” became his breakthrough hit in the US. It was officially the UK’s most streamed song in 2016 and has gone on to be enjoyed via four billion streams, while the song’s official video has achieved 1.5 billion views on YouTube. Earlier this year, the track became his first RIAA Diamond Single with 10 million certified units, making Arthur one of just 100 recipients of an RIAA Diamond Single certification in the program’s history. The post James Arthur serves up grit, emotion, rawness in ‘Blindside’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Mla slams Beijing’s expanded SCS claim
The Department of Foreign Affairs has strongly protested China’s inclusion of the entire West Philippine Sea in the newest version of its standard map, calling it “unacceptable.” Manila, through the DFA, made this very clear to Beijing on Thursday as it rejected China’s map that depicts its new “10-dash line” claim to the entire South China Sea, including maritime zones of the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam and Indonesia. The map was issued by China’s Ministry of Natural Resources on 28 August, drawing protests from Malaysia and India (see related story). “This latest attempt to legitimize China’s purported sovereignty and jurisdiction over Philippine features and maritime zones has no basis under international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” the DFA said. The DFA reiterated to China that a 2016 international arbitral ruling invalidated its “nine-dash line” claim in the South China Sea and affirmed the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea. This was in reference to the final judgment rendered by the Permanent Court of Arbitration on 12 July 2016. “It (decision) categorically stated that ‘maritime areas of the South China Sea encompassed by the relevant parts of the nine-dash line are contrary to the Convention and without lawful effect to the extent that they exceed the geographic and substantive limits of China’s maritime entitlements under the Convention,’” the statement said. “The Philippines, therefore, calls on China to act responsibly and abide by its obligations under UNCLOS and the final and binding 2016 Arbitral Award,” the DFA added. China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, but has not recognized the arbitral ruling. Neither did Beijing participate in the court’s proceedings. During a Malacañang press briefing, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Daniel Espiritu confirmed Manila had filed a diplomatic protest with Beijing regarding the issue. Beijing’s revised map features a sequence of 10 dashes arranged in a U-shape, encompassing not only parts of the Philippines but of self-ruled Taiwan as well as parts of the exclusive economic zones of Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam and Indonesia. “Suffice it to say that we have already expressed our opposition to that matter,” Espiritu told Palace reporters. “We are definitely against it, we reject it, and we continue to advocate for a peaceful resolution of disputes in that aspect,” he added. Asked how this would affect the Philippine position when Marcos meets with his Southeast Asian and Chinese counterparts during the upcoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit, Espiritu said the leaders would not complete their discussions on the matter in just one, two, or three meetings. “Progress has been made. We also expressed our profound satisfaction with recent developments in the South China Sea, particularly on the issue of the water cannoning,” Espiritu said. “We emphasized that these actions must be avoided, as they erode trust, escalate tensions in the South China Sea, and destabilize the peace and stability in the region,” Espiritu added. China’s defense For its part, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs defended the map, saying it is “in accordance with the law.” “On 28 August, the Ministry of Natural Resources of China released the 2023 edition of the standard map. It is a routine practice in China’s exercise of sovereignty in accordance with the law,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said. Wang called on the countries affected by the new map to “stay objective and calm, and refrain from over-interpreting the issue.” Four of the 10 members of ASEAN are primary claimants to the resource-rich South China Sea — Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines. Final and binding In reaction, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said the Philippines does not recognize China’s nine-dash line claim, more so its expanded 10-dash line. “The arbitral award is final and binding,” Año said. “It gives us our maritime entitlement, our extended economic zone, our territorial waters, and our extended continental shelf.” The Philippines, he said, is not alone in its rejection of the 10-dash line. India and Malaysia have also expressed their opposition to the new map. “There would be more countries, I think, to react adversely against this 10-dash line,” Año said. “Our Armed Forces, our uniformed services, our government will do everything in their capacities to ensure that we are protecting our national interest.” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., meanwhile, will push for a rules-based international order and for parties to follow the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea during the upcoming 43rd Asean Summit next month, DFA Undersecretary Espiritu said on Thursday. “The Philippines will continue to uphold and exercise freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea in accordance with international law,” Espiritu added. He said Marcos is expected to have one-on-one meetings with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, and Timor Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão. “With Vietnam, the focus will be on strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries and, of course, cooperation on rice and food security,” he said. ‘Cancel China projects’ With Beijing’s unrelenting expansion into the SCS, Infrawatch PH convenor Terry Ridon said the government should reconsider existing and upcoming China-assisted infrastructure projects. “Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri had earlier suggested a boycott of all Chinese companies and products, including the Chinese Communication Construction Company, to protest Beijing’s continued incursion into our territory,” Ridon said. “Why not push that call up a notch and call on the Marcos administration to cancel all China-assisted infrastructure projects in the pipeline?” he added. There are presently six major infrastructure projects financed with Chinese loans, the biggest of which is the PNR South Long Haul Project, a 380-kilometer railway that will link Calamba in Laguna and Legazpi in Albay. The project, which started in 2016 and is set to be completed in 2024, has a total price tag of P175.3 billion. The post Mla slams Beijing’s expanded SCS claim appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PPA gears to unveil 19 seaport projects until end-2023
With the aim to further improve the country's gateways serving oceangoing passengers and vessels, the Philippine Ports Authority announced that infrastructure development in ports nationwide will continue in the remaining months, with the completion of another 19 seaport projects before the end of 2023. As of July 2023, the PPA has completed 30 seaport projects during the first year of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. In a statement on Wednesday, the PPA said 19 seaport infrastructure projects are said to be completed by December this year, namely the 11 projects from Luzon, four in the Visayas, and four in Mindanao ranging from the construction and rehabilitation of backup areas, breakwaters, RoRo ramps, and RC Piers, among others. Also, the PPA disclosed that the public can expect convenience and experience improved cargo handling with the upgrading of the general cargo berth at the Port of Sasa in Davao City amounting to P902 million which is the highest funded project among the 19 to be completed before the year ends, followed by the P693 million construction of wharf and port operational area with continuous RoRo ramp at the Port of Catagbacan in Bohol. In addition, set to be completed this year is the construction of the country’s first dedicated cruise ship terminal at Jubang Port in Surigao del Norte amounting to P620 million. "We remain optimistic that we are continuously evolving to be at par with countries observing the highest level of port standards around the world, we already made it as one of the strongest ports in Southeast Asia as of 2023. Here in PPA, we continue to participate in economic globalization by advancing infrastructure development through building high quality ports," said PPA General Manager Jay Santiago. The additional 19 seaport projects also include rehabilitation of Claveria Port, construction of PPA-PCG K9 academy, Puerto Galera port expansion project, and Balingoan port expansion project in Misamis Oriental among others. In addition, PPA is also set to award and commence 47 new port infrastructure projects for the year 2023. Increase in income On the other hand, PPA recorded a 23.18 percent increase of net income in the 1st half of 2023 amounting to P6.9 billion compared to P5.0 billion income for the same period in 2022. Further, the PPA underlined that they posted a record of more or less 12 percent increase of budget utilization every year, which has been a trend for PPA since 2016 with its highest budget utilization rate of 83 percent last year. "Good governance, transparency, and hardwork are among the biggest contributing factors for completing almost 50 infrastructure projects at the end of 2023. This is another milestone for us and a testament that Philippine ports are ready to cater to local and global demands," Santiago added. Other than the increased number of completed projects and high budget utilization rate, the PPA also recorded a 3.23 percent decrease or P142.52 million less in total expenditures as compared to that incurred during the same period last year. The post PPA gears to unveil 19 seaport projects until end-2023 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
William Friedkin, incendiary director of ‘The Exorcist’
US director William Friedkin, who died Monday, will forever be remembered for his Oscar-winning "The Exorcist" in 1973, one of the most controversial horror films of all time that still chills new generations of moviegoers. The taboo-breaking scene of a 12-year-old girl believed to be possessed by the devil, foul-mouthed and feverishly masturbating with a crucifix on her bed, provoked frenzy in audiences and sparked a global debate about the occult in the Catholic Church. "It was shocking," wrote Rolling Stone in 2018, recalling the first reactions. It "had people lining up at the entrances of movie theatres while the exits were soppy with puke from the previous showing." Remarkably for a horror film, it was nominated for 10 Oscars and took home two. Pact with the devil Friedkin, who passed away in Los Angeles on Monday at the aged of 87, after suffering health issues in recent years, first hit the pinnacle in Hollywood a few years before "The Exorcist" -- with his stomping, stylish 1971 thriller "The French Connection." Starring Gene Hackman as a cop in gritty, corrupt New York City, the film won five Oscars including Best Director and Best Picture. It was a pearl of the "New Hollywood" wave of socially and politically charged filmmaking associated with emerging directors such as Robert Altman, Francis Ford Coppola, and Martin Scorsese. Friedkin was asked to direct "The Exorcist" -- based on a novel inspired by a reported case of possession of a 14-year-old boy -- after other star directors including Stanley Kubrick had turned it down. "I thought it was a film about the mystery of faith... but I didn't set out to make a horror film," Friedkin was quoted saying in The Hollywood Reporter in 2015. "But by now, I have accepted that it is." His film was followed by four sequels, based on the same novel but without Friedkin's participation, together grossing more than $600 million worldwide. A television series began in 2016. Real power Friedkin was born in Chicago in 1935. His mother was a nurse and his father held several jobs, from merchant seaman and semi-professional softball player to discount-clothes salesman. He singled out viewing in his twenties of Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane" (1941) as having a radical impact. "It changed my life," he said in a 2014 interview published on the website of respected US critic, Roger Ebert. "It made me understand that film was an art form and a unique way of storytelling that I had never considered". Friedkin started working in television as a runner and then directed TV shows before making his own documentary in 1962, "The People vs Paul Crimp", about a real-life death row prisoner. The film would contribute to Crimp's death sentence being commuted, convincing Friedkin of "the power of cinema", he told AFP in an interview in 2017. In 1967 he made his first feature, "Good Times", a musical starring the popular pop duo Sonny and Cher. Eclipse from the A-List After his heyday in the 1970s, came a spectacular fall from the Hollywood A-List. It was his ambitious "Sorcerer" (1977), that would prove Friedkin's undoing. After a difficult shoot that went wildly over budget to cost $22 million, the film bombed at the US box office, grossing just under $6 million. It was also eclipsed by the first installment of George Lucas's "Star Wars", released at the same time. Amongst his other flops from a total of about 20 features was "Cruising" (1980) with Al Pacino as an undercover cop hunting down a serial killer in New York's S&M scene. But "Killer Joe" in 2011, starring Matthew McConaughey as a man plotting to kill his own mother, brought renewed critical praise. In 2018, decades after his most famous hit, Friedkin revisited the themes of "The Exorcist" with the documentary "The Devil and Father Amorth", about a priest performing an exorcism in Italy. "The life of a filmmaker is one film to another," Friedkin told the LA Times in 1989 about how he picked himself up after his career had taken a tumble. "There's a great reward when you connect with the public and people are lining up around the block to see your film. But the real joy is making the film." Friedkin was married four times, the first time to one of France's top actresses, Jeanne Moreau. The post William Friedkin, incendiary director of ‘The Exorcist’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»