Tanduay optimistic about entry into competitive Taiwan rum market
Tanduay has a positive outlook about its entry into Taiwan amid stiff competition from other rum brands. “Based on early reviews, we think that the brand will perform well since the Taiwanese market already has a sophisticated taste and is very accepting of brands that offer them something new and unique,” said Marc Ngo, Tanduay International Business Development manager and senior brand manager. He compared the Taiwanese rum market to that of Singapore where people are willing to spend on quality spirits and cocktails. In entering Taiwan, Tanduay partnered with the distributor, Mr. Mixer, Ltd., one of the leading spirits and other liquor distributors in the country. “They believe in the brands and they share our passion for bringing our world-class rums to the Taiwan market,” Ngo said. Mr. Mixer, Ltd recently held a grand launch of Tanduay at Driftwood Bar in Ximending District and invited Taiwan’s premier mixologists Mars Chang and the members of “To Infinity and Beyond Team”, the 2021 World Class competition Taiwan champions, to showcase their outstanding mixology skills as they infused Tanduay rums into unique signature cocktails. Seven world-class rums Tanduay is making its award-winning and best-selling rums available in Taiwan. These include the Tanduay Asian Rum Gold, Tanduay Asian Rum Silver, Tanduay Double Rum, Boracay Rum Coconut, Boracay Rum Cappuccino, Tanduay Dark and Tanduay White. Ngo said they are currently focused on opening and partnering with on-trade accounts to feature their brands and for consumers to try. “At the same time, we are having discussions with big chain accounts for them to carry Tanduay rums in their stores. We are also planning to join the Tainan Cocktail Event on 20-21 October to feature our brands more to local consumers,” he said. The brand’s international business has been on a steady growth trajectory in recent years. Taiwan is the 19th country where Tanduay rums are being sold. In Asia, it is already available in China, Singapore, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. In Europe it is being distributed in France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, Austria, Poland, Georgia, Armenia and the Czech Republic. It is also available in the United States and Canada in Northern America and Costa Rica in Central America. Apart from its increasing global footprint, Tanduay has received numerous accolades from international competitions, such as the World’s Number 1 Rum recognition from Drinks International Magazine for six consecutive years, and Brand of the Year from the World Branding Awards. Not one to rest on its laurels, Tanduay is eyeing further international expansion in the coming months. The post Tanduay optimistic about entry into competitive Taiwan rum market appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Ready for it? Belgian university offers literature course on Taylor Swift
A hubbub grips the class in the Belgian city of Ghent as university students eagerly discuss whether US pop star Taylor Swift is a "literary genius". The question elicits passionate responses from students, and it's an exercise their professor hopes will enliven their engagement with more traditional figures of the English Literature canon. The course is among a handful that have popped up at universities around the world as pop titan Swift has racked up hits and awards and as her Eras Tour is expected to set a record for the first billion-dollar tour. "To read her lyrics without the context of the song, it can feel like poetry," one student says, after the teacher opens the floor to discussion. Another student pipes up to suggest it's too soon to say Swift, 33, has had the same cultural impact as William Shakespeare, known around the world for many centuries. While Shakespeare wrote at least 38 plays, Swift has recorded 10 albums. Some will wonder what Shakespeare and his peers share in common with today's biggest US singer-songwriter. Well, they are all the subject of Elly McCausland's course called "Literature (Taylor's Version)" for Master's degree students at Ghent University, which will run until the end of the year. During the first class on Monday, assistant professor McCausland piqued the students' curiosity with controversial questions, including why certain authors and literature are considered timeless, while other books are not valued the same way. McCausland's goal? To make literature more accessible. "I'd like to get people excited about literature, thinking about literature in a new way and realizing that actually even literature from centuries and centuries ago still has something to add to our conversations," she told AFP at the class. 'Swift is a real poet' The 10-session course will use Swift's songs as references for themes and will focus on a series of historic texts including Charlotte Bronte's Villette, lesser known than Jane Eyre. The course has proved popular, with 61 students signed up, twice as many as usual. There are even students from other parts of Belgium. Zina Ringoot, 20, had learned just hours before that she could attend the course and made the 90-minute trip to Ghent from Antwerp in the northeast. "I'm a huge Taylor Swift fan," said Ringoot, an English literature Master's student. "I'm hoping to write my thesis on Taylor Swift's album 'folklore' and how it connects to romanticism. So I thought I would get a lot out of this class." Not everyone in the class is a Swiftie, as her fans call themselves. Joris Verschelde, 21, admitted he was "not that big of a fan" but wanted to "see the connection between the songs and what what we already learned" in the older texts. Laughter often fills the windowless auditorium, despite the fact that serious themes are on the agenda, including feminism, sexism and misogyny. When McCausland asks: "Who are the gatekeepers" of English literature, one student quips: "A bunch of old men!" Even if critics reject comparisons with the canonical greats, Swift has fans even among Shakespeare experts including British academic Sir Jonathan Bate. After attending a concert during Swift's record-breaking Eras tour, Bate wrote in the Sunday Times in April: "I came away with confirmation of a thought I first had 15 years ago: this isn't just high-class showbiz, Taylor Swift is a real poet." Beyond Belgium University courses looking at Swift have been popping up around the world. New York University's Clive Davis Institute launched its first-ever course on Swift last year, and Queen Mary University of London offered a summer school this year looking at Swift through a literary lens. In Arizona, PhD student Alexandra Wormley is hosting a course on the social psychology of Swift at Arizona State University this autumn. Critics online and even some media pundits have pondered just what it is about Swift that is so appealing. For Clio Doyle, an academic who hosted the summer course at Queen Mary, "Swift is a really fascinating songwriter". The lecturer in early modern literature added that another reason she looked at Swift was because of her popularity and the discussions surrounding her work. "A course about Swift would be an opportunity for students both to deepen their readings of Swift's lyrics and to think about what it means to study something as literature," Doyle, who runs a similarly-themed podcast about Swift, told AFP. The summer course will be offered again next year, and interest is not limited to the United States or Europe. The University of Melbourne will host a three-day "Swiftposium" looking at Swift's cultural, economic and global impact in February 2024, the same month her tour arrives in Australia. The post Ready for it? Belgian university offers literature course on Taylor Swift appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Paris Fashion Week opens with drama and dashes of humor
Paris is the last of the big four fashion weeks in the busy September calendar that sees back-to-back events in London, New York, and Milan. The biggest story this season has been a new creative director at Gucci. The debut by Sabato de Sarno in Milan on Friday was a relatively low-key affair but gave a boost to the share price of French parent company Kering, which has been struggling lately to keep up with its major rival, LVMH. The first day of Paris Fashion Week always focuses on emerging designers and there was excitement this year about avant-garde newcomer Marie Adam-Leenaerdt from Belgium, who brought a dash of much-needed humor to the opening show. It opened with a chorus singing "Let's go to the beach!" only to follow it with a series of decidedly un-beachy gray, formal, and structured outfits before introducing some more summery Barbie pink and sky-blue dresses. "There's something very Belgian about it," the 27-year-old designer told AFP backstage. "It's important for me to play with the codes and have some paradoxes." Also showing on Monday was Victor Weinsanto, a former classical dancer who trained in fashion with Jean Paul Gaultier and loves to bring cabaret to the catwalk. There were doses of humor -- opening with an extravagant wedding gown that he said was designed for "a woman who gets married entirely in Swarovski". But he also showed a more serious side, with structured and chic pieces alongside more offbeat items like hooded suit jackets. Far from a newcomer, but long absent from the official line-up in Paris, is Pierre Cardin, which returned to the catwalk for the first time in 25 years last season and was back with a glamorous show on Monday night. The label's founder died in 2020 and his nephew Rodrigo Basilicati-Cardin is currently in charge but is embroiled in a bitter succession dispute with family members who have accused each other of fraud and other crimes. The post Paris Fashion Week opens with drama and dashes of humor appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Monumental mistake
There has been a rash of vandalism of historical landmarks in Europe by unruly tourists. On 23 August, the 460-year-old Vasari Corridor, a beautiful riverside passageway connected to the famous Uffizi Galleries in Florence, Italy, was sprayed with soccer-related graffiti. Local police used video surveillance footage to identify the vandals, two German students aged 20 and 21, who were staying with other students at a nearby Airbnb. The video footage showed the two spraying black paint on the arches of the elevated passageway running along the Arno River at 5:20 a.m. Italy’s Culture Ministry said the vandalism would require 10,000 euros worth of repairs, CNN reported. Police tracked the location of the two vandals and a search of their room yielded the evidence: two cans of black spray paint and paint-stained clothing. Uffizi Director Eike Schmidt called for the jailing of vandals defacing cultural heritage sites to deter similar violations in the future. In Brussels, Belgium, an Irish tourist visiting the local stock exchange known as The Bourse fancied the statues at the entrance of the building a day after it reopened on 9 September following three years of renovations that cost 90 million euros. A police officer caught on his camera the drunk Irishman climbing on the statue of a naked torch bearer beside a statue of a lion to have his picture taken. When the tourist was dismounting, he held onto the hand with the torch, breaking it with his weight. Police later arrested the Irishman in a nearby fast food restaurant, according to reports. The tourist was charged the cost of repairing the statue, a staggering 17,600 euros. The post Monumental mistake appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
High seas treaty moves closer to reality with first signatures
Dozens of nations on Wednesday began signing a first-ever treaty on protecting the international high seas, raising hopes that it will come into force soon and protect threatened ecosystems vital to the planet. "It's an amazing moment to be here and see such multilateral cooperation and so much hope," said actor Sigourney Weaver said in New York as the signatures opened. The treaty marks change in "the way we view the ocean, from a big garbage dump and a place where we can take stuff, to a place that we take care of, that we steward, we respect," she told AFP. Around 70 countries are set to sign the treaty on Wednesday on the sidelines of the annual UN General Assembly, including the United States, Chile, Fiji, Norway, and the European Union as a whole. But each country must still ratify the treaty under its own domestic process. The treaty will come into force 120 days after 60 countries ratify it. "It is clear that the ocean is in urgent need of protection," said Belgium's deputy prime minister, Vincent van Quickenborne. Without action, "it's game over," he said. After 15 years of discussion, the United Nations sealed the first treaty on the high seas in June by consensus, although Russia said it had reservations. The start of signatures marks "a new chapter" of "establishing meaningful protections" for the oceans, said Nichola Clark of the Ocean Governance Project at The Pew Charitable Trusts. The high seas are defined as the ocean starting beyond countries' exclusive economic zones, or 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) off coastlines -- covering nearly half the planet. Nonetheless, they have long been ignored in discussions on the environment. A key tool in the treaty will be the ability to create protected marine areas in international waters -- only around one percent of which are now protected by any sort of conservation measures. The treaty is seen as crucial to an agreement to protect 30 percent of the world's oceans and lands by 2030, as agreed by governments in a separate historic accord on biodiversity reached in Montreal in December. 'Race to ratification' Mads Christensen, interim executive director of Greenpeace International, voiced hope that the treaty would come into force in 2025, when the next UN oceans conference takes place in France. "We have less than seven years to protect 30 percent of the oceans. There is no time to waste," he said. "The race to ratification has begun and we urge countries to be ambitious, ratify the treaty and make sure it enters into force in 2025." But even if the treaty draws the 60 ratifications needed to come into force, it would still be well below the universal support for action sought by environmental defenders. Oceans are critical for the health of the whole planet, protecting often microscopic biodiversity that supports half of the oxygen breathed by land life. The oceans are also critical to limiting climate change by helping absorb greenhouse gas emissions. The treaty, officially known as the treaty on "Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction" or BBNJ, also introduces requirements to carry out environmental impact studies for proposed activities on the high seas. Such activities, while not listed in the text, would include anything from fishing and maritime transport to more controversial pursuits such as deep-sea mining or even geo-engineering programs aimed at fighting global warming. The post High seas treaty moves closer to reality with first signatures appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US finds debris from missing F-35
Debris from a stealth jet that went missing after the pilot ejected has been found, the US military said Monday, after a day in which failure to track the $80 million aircraft drew amazement and ridicule in equal measure. The debris field from the F-35 was found in Williamsburg County, South Carolina, two hours northeast of Joint Base Charleston (JBC), officials said in a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Members of the community should avoid the area as the recovery team secures the debris field," the statement read. When the jet disappeared over South Carolina on Sunday, JBC issued a plaintive call on social media asking for anyone who had information about it to call in. Flight tracking sites showed several search aircraft focused on a wooded and farmland area near Stuckey, which is in Williamsburg County, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) north of Charleston, late Monday afternoon. The F-35 Lightning II jet is coveted by US allies around the world, especially Ukraine, with its distinctive shape and features that shield it from radar detection. The pilot ejected for unknown reasons and parachuted safely into a North Charleston neighborhood on Sunday -- leaving the jet flying in what some called a "zombie state." In 1989 the pilot of a malfunctioning Soviet MiG-23 ejected over Poland and the jet continued to fly on autopilot until it crashed in Kortrijk, Belgium, more than 900 kilometers (560 miles) away. The disappearance of a highly advanced aircraft sparked incredulous comments online. "How in the hell do you lose an F-35? How is there not a tracking device and we're asking the public to what, find a jet and turn it in?" said Nancy Mace, a member of Congress representing the Charleston area. Hard for radar to detect Some posted manipulated photographs of lost signs on trees, offering rewards for finding the missing jet. One post showed Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky posing in front of an F-35, suggesting he took it. Since Russia invaded his country last year, Zelensky has been pressing the United States to supply his air force with advanced US jets to give his military an advantage. The US has begun training Ukraine pilots on F-16s. The missing aircraft was an F-35B, a variation operated by the Marines that has short takeoff and vertical landing capabilities. The shape of its airframe, including two angled stabilizers on the back, and the use of special materials make it harder for traditional radar to detect. JBC spokesman Jeremy Huggins told the Washington Post that the jet's transponder was not working and that its stealth capabilities added to the challenges of tracking it. At least seven F-35s have been destroyed in previous crashes, due to a range of causes. The post US finds debris from missing F-35 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Belgium Evaluates Apple iPhone 12 Amid Sales Suspension in France – The Daily Guardia
Title: Belgium Looks into Health Risks of iPhone 12, Following France’s Ban Date: [Insert Date] Word Count: 368 Belgium is reviewing potential health risks associated.....»»
Court to deliver verdict on hacker behind biggest leak in football history
A Portuguese court was due on Monday to deliver its verdict on hacker Rui Pinto, whose flood of "Football Leaks" revelations exposed dirty dealings in international football. It was the biggest information leak in sports history and sparked criminal investigations in Belgium, Britain, France, Spain and Switzerland. The verdict, which has been postponed several times, was due to be delivered at a hearing in Lisbon starting at 2:30 pm (1330 GMT). Pinto, 34, is charged with 89 hacking offences, and with attempted extortion, a crime punishable in Portugal by between two and 10 years in prison. He argues he is a whistleblower, whose actions exposed underhand dealings involving top football stars, clubs and agents. Between 2015 and 2018, he shared 18.6 million documents on the internet and with a consortium of European newspapers, which published details. The revelations shook the football world. They included the salaries of Lionel Messi and Neymar, an accusation of rape against Cristiano Ronaldo, alleged financial sleight of hand at Manchester City and ethnic profiling at Paris Saint Germain. Defendant and witness Pinto is both a defendant and a protected witness in Portugal. When his trial began in September 2020, Pinto told the court he had been shocked by what he had discovered and was proud of bringing it to public knowledge. But he has admitted he used illegal means to obtain documents. His alleged victims include top Portuguese football club Sporting Lisbon, the Portuguese Football Federation, lawyers, magistrates and Doyen Sports -- a Malta-based investment fund run by Kazakh-Turkish oligarchs. Pinto was arrested in Hungary in 2019 and extradited to Portugal, where he spent a year behind bars before agreeing to cooperate with the Portuguese authorities on other cases, giving them access to encrypted documents he had obtained. The French authorities have also sought his cooperation over the "Luanda Leaks", a release of 715,000 documents providing compromising information on Angolan billionaire Isabel dos Santos, daughter of former president Jose Eduardo dos Santos. Dos Santos, once the richest woman in Africa, has faced several court cases on charges she syphoned billions of dollars from Angolan state companies during her father's four decades in office. The post Court to deliver verdict on hacker behind biggest leak in football history appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
History on tap: Brussels serves beer museum to thirsty visitors
Sightseers who flocked to a grand reopening of the refurbished Brussels stock exchange building this weekend were invited to chase the visit down with a side order of Belgium's top tipple -- beer. The 90-million-euro ($96-million) makeover of the Bourse, once a temple to capitalism, tempted in passers-by from the cafe bars of the capital's old town. Thanks to the new "Belgian Beer World", they did not go thirsty. Belgian beer culture is listed by UNESCO as part of the "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity". It is a source of pride for many locals and a big draw for tourists from around the world. But, even though beer is ubiquitous here, the Brussels scene lacked a focal point for visitors or -- if you're a jaded glass-half-full drinker -- a promotional vehicle for Belgium's vast global booze industry. Traders moved out of the 1868 neo-classical Palace de la Bourse or Beurspaleis in 2014, and the Belgian exchange has now merged with former competitors in Paris and Amsterdam to form Euronext. So, when the city refurbished the historic building, the brewers were on hand to stand their round and sponsor a fitting modern beer museum and roof top bar for their star export. - Trappist monks - On Saturday, when the refurbished Bourse reopened to the public, 11,000 people passed through to see the trading hall, and 566 -- including a tourist from as far away as Singapore -- stopped by Beer World. "A lot of interesting interactions, features that involve the participants, all the visitors," said the tourist, who gave his name as Su. "I believe that all the beer drinkers, if they wish to have a good understanding about the whole process, about the history of the beer, it's definitely a place for them to visit." Opening the center this week, Brussels mayor Philippe Close acknowledged that, beyond the culture of beer, the museum is "a way to support a huge economic sector." Belgium has at least 430 brewers, from mighty AB Inbev -- which pours a third of the planet's pints -- to tiny Trappist monasteries that sells one eagerly sought-after batch of ale per year to patient punters on a waiting list. The trade federation, Belgian Brewers, estimates that its members employ 6,900 people directly and support 50,000 more jobs in a country of only 11.5 million. Some 70 percent of Belgian beer is exported, not just to neighbours in Europe's beer-drinking north, but around the world. Tickets for the Beer World are a hefty 17 euros -- but it does get you your first drink in the rooftop bar -- with its vast selection drawn from the 1,600 types of beer the country has to offer. Belgian brewers are not as conservative as their German and Dutch neighbors. The sour, bubbly lambic and gueuze styles -- "Brussels Champagne" -- are Belgium's own, but many beers including the big brands like Jupiler or Stella Artois are based on the Czech and German Pilsner style. There are even Scotch ales in thistle-shaped glasses, allegedly introduced to entertain General Montgomery's British Second Army when it arrived in September 1944. And of course younger small-scale brewers have begun making hoppy Belgian pale ales to rival the best of the US craft beer explosion. - Great complexity - Beer World administrator Charles Leclef -- a 30-year veteran Flemish brewery operator -- told AFP that the city wanted to capture the "playful" side of the everyday tipple, not to incite heavy drinking. "We're not the biggest producer in the world, far from it, but we're perhaps the most creative, with beer of great diversity of flavor, great complexity," Leclef boasted. In the museum, visitors can wander inside a virtual fermentation tank, with immersive screens taking them inside the process of turning hops, malt, yeast and water into national pride. In Germany, the law forbids any but these four ingredients, but Belgian brewmasters are free to experiment with spices and infusions and even fruits like cherry or raspberry. Museum visitors can pull taps to signal their favorite flavors and "virtual waiters" will print out a suggestion on a beermat to be ordered later at guests' leisure. mad-lob/dc/pvh © Agence France-Presse The post History on tap: Brussels serves beer museum to thirsty visitors appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
World pledges help to quake-hit Morocco
Morocco said late Sunday it was accepting offers from just four countries: Britain, Spain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, after the earthquake that has killed more than 2,100 people. But countries around the world have lined up to offer to help Morocco. International aid agencies The International Federation for Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has released over $1 million from its emergency disaster fund to support the Moroccan Red Crescent's work on the ground. "The next 24 to 48 hours will be critical in terms of saving lives," the global humanitarian network warned on Saturday, adding that help could be needed for months or even years. Spain Spain on Sunday sent 86 military rescuers and eight search dogs to Morocco after receiving a formal request for help from Rabat. A first team, from the armed forces Emergencies Unit, took off in an A400 military plane bound for Marrakesh to "help in the search and rescue of survivors", the defense ministry said. Another military plane took off from a base in Torrejon de Ardoz near Madrid, an interior ministry spokesman said. Qatar Qatar said it was also sending a rescue team. France A team of French volunteer firefighters has arrived in Morocco and President Emmanuel Macron said more, substantial assistance was available, should Morocco request it. "We have mobilized all technical and security teams to be able to intervene when the Moroccan authorities deem it useful." United States The United States has told Morocco it is "ready to provide significant assistance" including search and rescue teams. "We are also ready to release funds at the right time that can help the Moroccans recover and deal with this horrific tragedy," Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer said. "The United States will be with them at every step of the way when they are ready to avail themselves of what we have to offer," he added. Switzerland Switzerland has offered to provide temporary shelters, water treatment and distribution equipment, sanitation facilities, and hygiene kits. Belgium Belgium has offered help including medical teams and field hospitals. The Flanders region, home to a large Moroccan community, said it would provide 200,000 euros ($214,270) in emergency aid through the Red Cross, while the Wallonia region has pledged to provide 500,000 euros. Italy Italy has offered the help of its civil protection agency and fire service, while the Italian Catholic Church has sent 300,000 euros ($321,400) in aid through NGO Caritas Italy. Italian President Sergio Mattarella on Saturday stressed Italy's "willingness to contribute to the complex rescue work". Turkey Turkey has offered to send 265 rescue workers and 1,000 tents. Poland and Israel Poland and Israel said they were ready to provide assistance including search and rescue teams. Iraq and Jordan Iraq and Jordan have offered to provide all possible forms of assistance to Morocco. Organizations The heads of the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, African Union, and the European Commission, together with the presidents of France and India, pledged in a joint statement to "mobilize our technical and financial tools and assistance" to help Morocco. Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca "pledged over $1 million to support immediate humanitarian relief efforts with leading global non-profit humanitarian partners and through matching of employee donations". The post World pledges help to quake-hit Morocco appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
NATO naval drills begin as U.S.-Armenia exercise irks Moscow
Thirteen members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and Sweden kicked off a naval exercise in the Baltic Sea on Saturday amid rising tensions with Russia as Moscow summoned Armenia’s ambassador over Yerevan’s planned war games with the United States military. About 3,200 soldiers from Italy, France, Finland, Estonia, Denmark, Canada, Belgium, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, the US and non-NATO member Sweden are taking part in the German-led Northern Coasts 23 exercise, Germany’s navy said in a statement. Thirty ships, submarines, up to 19 aircraft and various landing units are involved in the war games, it added. The exercise will take place off the coasts and on the territory of Latvia and Estonia. Russia regularly holds naval drills in the Baltic Sea, often in response to NATO exercises in the area. It last held drills in the area in early August. Meanwhile, Moscow’s foreign ministry said Friday the Armenian ambassador was given a “tough presentation” of Yerevan’s “series of unfriendly steps.” Armenia announced drills with the US military after its increasing criticism of Moscow’s role in the Nagorno-Karabakh standoff. Yerevan, a traditional Russian ally, has increasingly criticized Moscow’s peacekeeping mission in the Armenian enclave in Azerbaijan. Russia deployed peacekeepers to Karabakh as part of a Moscow-brokered deal to end a 2020 war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Russian ministry also said that the Armenian prime minister’s wife traveled to Kyiv, Ukraine, which is at war with Russia, and Yerevan intended to join the International Criminal Court, which issued a warrant of arrest against Russian President Vladimir Putin for allegedly deporting Ukrainian children to his country. Despite the summoning, the foreign ministry stressed that Russia and Armenia “remain allies and all agreements on developing the strengthening of the partnership will be fulfilled.” WITH AFP The post NATO naval drills begin as U.S.-Armenia exercise irks Moscow appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Ryanair boss gets pied in Brussels
Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary got a rude welcome in Brussels on Thursday when he received two cream pies to the face while standing next to a cardboard cutout of EU chief Ursula von der Leyen. The tarts were landed by two women environmental activists as O'Leary was holding a one-man protest outside the European Commission against repeated air traffic controllers' strikes in the EU impacting his low-cost Irish airline, Europe's biggest by passenger numbers. "Welcome in Belgium," said one of the activists as she planted her pie, according to video of the scene broadcast by Belgian news channels LN24 and RTL Info. "Stop the pollution" from planes said the other activist as she smeared her pastry on O'Leary before both walked off. The Ryanair chief, who regularly courts publicity, laughed off the stunt, calmly telling an assistant to take his soiled jacket away to be cleaned. Ryanair's feed on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, later posted that O'Leary got a "warm welcome in Brussels". "Passengers so happy with our routes and petition that they're celebrating with cake," it said. The activists' pie protest came as Ryanair pilots in Belgium announced a new strike on September 14 and 15 -- their fourth stoppage in two months -- over pay and working conditions. rmb/lth © Agence France-Presse The post Ryanair boss gets pied in Brussels appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
OP travel expenses up by 1,453% — CoA
Malacañang justified President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s surging travel funds last year saying they were necessary to fulfill his duties and obligations as the Chief Executive. The Commission on Audit had flagged the Office of the President’s travel expenses that increased by 1,453 percent in 2022. The foreign travel-related expenses of OP, CoA said, surged by more than P367 million, from P25.2 million in 2021 to P392.3 million in 2022. The notable rise pertained to the costs accrued by the Office of the President for the overseas trips of the President at the beginning of his term in 2022, as outlined in the annual audit report for that year. “The significant increase of P367,052,245.96 was due to the official travels relative to the foreign summits and state visits attended by the President during the year in Singapore, Indonesia, United States of America, Cambodia, Thailand and Belgium,” the state auditors said in a statement. The expenditures related to international trips encompass all the expenditures associated with the movement of government officials and staff outside of the country. State auditors said these include transportation, travel per diem, passport and visa processing, and all other travel-related expenses. Meantime, expenses for local travel slightly dipped by 6.97 percent from P11.5 million to P10.7 million. In a separate statement to Palace reporters, Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil said the President’s domestic travels play a vital role in shaping his decision-making process. She said Marcos had the task of inspecting various government projects after the Covid-19 restrictions were lifted and the economy started to reopen. The post OP travel expenses up by 1,453% — CoA appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
OP s foreign travel expenses jumped by over 1000% in 2022 — COA report
“Significant increase of P367 million is due to the official travels relative to the foreign summits and state visits attended by the President during the year in Singapore, Indonesia, United States of America, Cambodia, Thailand and Belgium,” state auditors said......»»
Another Ecuador politician slain, six days ahead of vote
A local politician in Ecuador was killed Monday, party officials said, less than a week after a presidential front-runner was gunned down at a campaign rally ahead of this weekend's elections. Pedro Briones, a member of the Citizen Revolution Party of former president Rafael Correa, and one of the movement's leaders in the province of Esmeraldas on the border with Colombia, was killed by unknown gunmen. "My solidarity with the family of comrade Pedro Briones, new victim of violence," Luisa Gonzalez, one of the main presidential candidates, said on X, the social media platform formerly called Twitter. "Ecuador is going through its bloodiest period," said Gonzalez, a close former associate of Correa. She called the government inept and said the country has been taken over by organized crime gangs. Correa added his condolences on social media: "They murdered another of our colleagues in Esmeraldas. Enough is enough!" Neither the police nor the government immediately confirmed the attack but Ecuadoran media, citing a local police source, said the victim was shot at his home in the town of San Mateo by two men on a motorcycle who later fled. The murder came less than a week after the August 9 killing, in the capital Quito, of one of the presidential favorites, the centrist Fernando Villavicencio. The 59-year-old journalist was on a crusade against corruption and was in second place in the polls when he was shot as he left a campaign rally. One of his main feats as a journalist was to have put the former president Correa, who served from 2007-2017, in the dock thanks to one of his investigations. Correa, now living in Belgium, was sentenced in absentia to eight years in the case. Most of Ecuador has been under a state of emergency and President Guillermo Lasso has blamed organized crime for the killing of Villavicencio. Six Colombians were arrested as part of the probe into the assassination and one was killed shortly after the attack by the candidate's bodyguards. The post Another Ecuador politician slain, six days ahead of vote appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Intimate Audrey:’ An up-close and personal look at a Hollywood and fashion icon
First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos led the ribbon cutting ceremony on 31 July to formally open the first Asian stop of Intimate Audrey, the bespoke exhibition on the life of the late Hollywood and fashion icon Audrey Hepburn that was created by her son Sean Hepburn Ferrer. Ferrer himself attended the ceremony, with his daughter Emma in tow, held at The Museum at S Maison, located at the Mall of Asia complex in Pasay City, where the exhibition will run until 29 October 2023. The exhibition was brought to the Philippines through the partnership of FashX, a fashion trade and licensing company, and SM Supermalls, as represented at the opening by Hans Sy and Teresita Sy-Coson. [caption id="attachment_169574" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Hans Sy, chairman of the executive committee of SM Prime.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_169575" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos with SM Investments Corporation vice chairperson Teresita Sy-Coson.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_169573" align="aligncenter" width="730"] Irene Marcos-Araneta, Joanne De Asis-Benitez and Anna Sobrepeña. | Photographs Courtesy of Sm Supermalls[/caption] Intimate Audrey is the third exhibition Ferrer has created for his mother in the last 30 years. It first opened on 4 May 2019 in time for Hepburn’s 90th birth anniversary and held in her birthplace in Brussels, the capital city of Belgium. It then made a stop in what she considered her home country, Netherlands, specifically in its capital, Amsterdam, where she spent much of her youth during the war years. The exhibition features over 800 photographs, memorabilia, fashion items, drawings, writings, movie posters and trophies that were thoughtfully curated and laid out around the 730-square meter space at The Museum at S Maison. There are also videos playing in strategic spots to highlight specific chapters in her life and at the screening room to show clips from her timeless movies Roman Holiday, Sabrina, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, to name a few. At the end of the exhibition — which covers Hepburn’s life from childhood to ballet training to conquering Hollywood, getting married, becoming a mother and finally doing humanitarian work as UNICEF ambassador — there’s a fashion tribute put up especially for the Manila stop. Titled Audrey: An Homage from Filipino Fashion, this section highlights the works of celebrated Filipino designers who got inspiration from Hepburn’s films and documentaries on her life. The participating designers include Pepito Albert, Ivar Aseron, Vic Barba, Mike Dela Rosa, JC Buendia, Len Cabili, Auggie Cordero, Rhett Eala, Jun Escario, Ben Farrales, Cesar Gaupo, Rajo Laurel, Jojie Lloren, Dennis Lustico, Randy Ortiz, Frederick Peralta, Puey Quiñones, Patrice Ramos-Diaz, Philip Rodriguez, Cary Santiago and National Artists Salvacion Lim-Higgins and Ramon Valera. Tickets to Intimate Audrey are available online via SM Tickets and at all SM Tickets offline locations, such as SM Department Stores and SM Cinemas. Regular price is P850. There’s a special rate of P450 for students, senior citizens, PWDs, national athletes and medal of valor awardees. The post ‘Intimate Audrey:’ An up-close and personal look at a Hollywood and fashion icon appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Intimate Audrey’ in Manila
'Intimate Audrey' is a bespoke exhibition on the life of Audrey Hepburn created by her son, Sean Hepburn Ferrer, to celebrate her 90th birthday anniversary. Originally launched in her birth town of Brussels, Belgium, the exhibition made a stop in her home country of the Netherlands (Amsterdam) where she spent the war year. The exhibition includes over 800 photographs, memorabilia, dresses, and accessories, as well as her never before seen fashion drawings and humanitarian writings. A series of poignant videos bring each of its chapters to life. [caption id="attachment_167063" align="aligncenter" width="240"] Sean Hepburn Ferrer[/caption] Part of the Intimate Audrey experience in Manila and a unique addition to the execution that was last on display in Amsterdam is an exclusive tribute called “AUDREY: An Homage from Filipino Fashion.” This section highlights the works of some of the Philippines’ most celebrated designers and how each one of them took inspiration from Audrey Hepburn’s films to the documentation of her personal life. It includes works and pieces from Pepito Albert, Ivar Aseron, Vic Barba, Mike Dela Rosa, JC Buendia, Len Cabili, Auggie Cordero, Rhett Eala, Jun Escario, Ben Farrales, Cesar Gaupo, Rajo Laurel, Jojie Lloren, Dennis Lustico, Randy Ortiz, Frederick Peralta, Puey Quiñones, Patrice Ramos-Diaz, Philip Rodriguez, Cary Santiago and National Artists Salvacion Lim-Higgins, and Ramon Valera. Attending the vernissage in Manila are Audrey’s own son, Sean Hepburn Ferrer, and her granddaughter, Emma Hepburn Ferrer. [caption id="attachment_167064" align="aligncenter" width="240"] Emma Kathleen Ferrer[/caption] FashX, a fashion trade and licensing company in the Philippines, has partnered with the country’s leading retail chain SM Supermalls, to hold this first-in-Asia exhibition of “Intimate Audrey” at The Museum at S Maison at the Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City from 1 August 2023 to 29 October 2023. The event's official partners include SMDC, Vogue Philippines, Furla Eyewear, Hardys, Gallery by Chele, The Henry Hotel Manila, and The Diarist. Exhibition tickets will be available online via SM Tickets and at all SM Ticket offline locations such as SM Department Stores and SM Cinemas. Exhibition access is priced at P850 with a special rate of P450 for students, senior citizens, PWDs, national athletes, and medal of valor awardees, and allows access to the 730-square-meter space for one hour and a half per visit. The post ‘Intimate Audrey’ in Manila appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
South Korean couple beat same-sex barriers to parenthood
South Korea has spent billions of dollars on policies to boost its birth rate. But when Kim Kyu-jin and her wife wanted to have a baby, they had to fly to Belgium. Legally, South Korea considers Kim single, despite her 2019 wedding — ceremony in Seoul, legal registration in New York City — because the […] The post South Korean couple beat same-sex barriers to parenthood appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
EU presses free trade agreement with Phl
The European Union and the Philippines will cooperate to provide the "right conditions" for the free trade deal, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday. In a joint statement following a meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the Malacañang Palace, von der Leyen pressed for adopting a bilateral FTA as the EU and the Philippines "can do so much more" in terms of trade. "So I'm very glad that we have decided to relaunch negotiations for free trade agreement," von der Leyen said. "Our teams will get to work right now on setting the right conditions so that we can get back to the negotiations. A free trade agreement has huge potential for both of us in terms of growth and in terms of jobs," she added. Von der Leyen also said that the FTA could be a "springboard for a new technology cooperation to modernize the broader economy." She mentioned that the EU wants to accelerate such cooperation with the Philippines to “derisk its trade relations” with other countries such as China and Russia. “We have all learned the hard way the cost of economic dependencies. We need to diversify our supply lines and make them resilient,” Von der Leyen said. Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual said that talks on a free trade deal between the Philippines and the EU are expected to pick back up before the year is through. The Philippines and the EU initiated preliminary FTA discussions in 2013, and formal negotiations officially commenced in December 2015. In 2016, the first round of FTA discussions were held in Brussels, Belgium, while 2017 saw the second round in Cebu, Philippines. The FTA negotiations have subsequently ceased. Pascual said in March that FTA negotiations with the EU might be resumed. The post EU presses free trade agreement with Phl appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Appellant’s Brief
Jurisprudence holds that the right to appeal is neither a natural right nor a part of due process; it is merely a statutory privilege and may be exercised only in the manner and in accordance with the provisions of law. (Fenequito v. Vergara Jr., G.R. 172829, 18 July 2012). An appeal being a purely statutory right, an appellant or appealing party must strictly comply with the requisites laid down in the Rules of Court. With respect to ordinary appealed cases to the Court of Appeals (CA), Section 7, Rule 44 of the Revised Rules of Civil Procedure requires an appellant to file an Appellant’s Brief with the CA within forty-five days from receipt of the notice of the clerk. According to the Supreme Court in Philippine Coconut Authority v. Corona International Inc. (G.R. 13991, 29 September 2000), the purpose of the Appellant’s Brief is to present to the court in coherent and concise form the point and questions in controversy, and by fair argument on the facts and law of the case, to assist the court in arriving at a just and proper conclusion. Failure to file an Appellant’s Brief within the prescribed period is a ground for the dismissal of the appeal. However, the SC clarified in Sindophil Inc. v. Republic (G.R. 204594, 07 November 2018) that the use of the permissive “may” in the wording of the above-stated provision meant that the dismissal of the appeal by the CA is directory and not mandatory. This means that the failure to file an Appellant’s Brief within the reglementary period would not automatically result in the outright dismissal of the appeal as the CA is bound to exercise its sound discretion whether to allow the appeal to proceed or not. The SC explained that the allowance of the appeal despite the failure to file an Appellant’s Brief must be decided by the CA taking into account all the factors surrounding the case. Its discretion must be exercised with due regard to justice and fair play under the circumstances. The question of whether or not to sustain the dismissal of an appeal due to the appellant’s failure to file the Appellant’s Brief had been raised before the SC in a number of cases. In some of these cases, the High Court relaxed the Rules and allowed the belated filing of the Appellant’s Brief. In other cases, however, the Court applied the Rules strictly and considered the appeal abandoned, which thus resulted in its eventual dismissal. Finally, in Government of the Kingdom of Belgium v. Court of Appeals (G.R. No. 164150, 14 April 2008), the SC revisited the cases which it previously decided and laid down the following guidelines in confronting the issue of non-filing of the Appellant’s Brief: (1) The general rule is for the CA to dismiss an appeal when no appellant’s brief is filed within the reglementary period prescribed by the rules; (2) The power conferred upon the CA to dismiss an appeal is discretionary and directory and not ministerial or mandatory; (3) The failure of an appellant to file his brief within the reglementary period does not have the effect of causing the automatic dismissal of the appeal; (4) In case of late filing, the appellate court has the power to still allow the appeal; however, for the proper exercise of the court’s leniency[,] it is imperative that: (a) the circumstances obtaining warrant the court’s liberality; (b)that strong considerations of equity justify an exception to the procedural rule in the interest of substantial justice; (c) no material injury has been suffered by the appellee by the delay; (d) there is no contention that the appellee’s cause was prejudiced; (e) at least there is no motion to dismiss filed. (5) In case of delay, the lapse must be for a reasonable period; and (6) Inadvertence of counsel cannot be considered as an adequate excuse to call for the appellate court’s indulgence except: (a) where the reckless or gross negligence of counsel deprives the client of due process of law; (b) when application of the rule will result in outright deprivation of the client’s liberty or property; or (c) where the interests of justice so require. *** For more of Dean Nilo Divina’s legal tidbits, please visit www.divinalaw.com. For comments and questions, please send an email to cabdo@divinalaw.com. The post Appellant’s Brief appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»