5 Home Aspect Investments That Are Worth Every Penny
Investing in a home upgrade is always worth it, especially if the Lentor Mansion unit is yours. That said, some upgrades are better than most because they improve these five home aspects. Privacy Adequate privacy allows you to do the things you want or normally do without any prying eyes. Start by installing curtains on […] The post 5 Home Aspect Investments That Are Worth Every Penny appeared first on Kagay An......»»
Government grants $6.6 million to clean up old landfill sites
The Government has granted $6.6 million to clean up four historic New Zealand landfill and dump sites vulnerable to extreme weather events and coastal erosion.At the BlueGreens Forum in Paihia today Environment Minister Penny Simmonds said that the Contaminated Sites Remediation Fund grants will go towards fixing former landfills and dump sites in Tairwhiti, Southland, Canterbury and Nelson. "These.....»»
ABS-CBN s Mike Navallo Honored with JVO Award of Distinction; Jodesz Gavilan of Rappler is Marshall McLuhan Fellow for 2023
CMFR HELD the Jaime V. Ongpin Journalism Seminar in person on Thursday, October 19, the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. The seminar featured a panel of five journalists from television and online news sites who discussed concerns about the media and the news environment.The program is supported with a grant from the National Endowment for Democracy and with the cooperation of Ateneo de Manila University......»»
Help fishermen of rammed vessel, tanker owner told
The owner of the crude oil tanker Pacific Anna, which sailed under a Marshall Islands flag, should extend assistance to the families of the fishermen killed and injured in the ramming incident near Panatag Shoal, senators said yesterday......»»
The perils faced by our fishermen
Many Filipinos are mourning the death of three fishermen after their fishing boat Dearyn was rammed reportedly by a Marshall Islands-registered commercial vessel off the waters of Pangasinan......»»
Solons want probe on boat ramming incident off Pangasinan
Senators are eyeing to investigate the fatal ramming incident off the waters of Agno, Pangasinan, which resulted in the deaths of three Filipino fishermen last 2 October. In a radio interview, Senator Francis Tolentino pressed the need to conduct a Senate special investigation on the ramming incident to help establish the country's “archipelagic sea lane” and further prevent a repeat of the incident in the future. “Ang pakay dito ay ang pagbubuo ng archipelagic sea lanes. Ang ibig sabihin po nito ay iyong talagang daanan—dito dadaan yong mga barkong domestic, foreign at international vessels na malalaki, nang sa ganun alam ng ating mangingisda kung saan dadaan at makakaiwas sa isa’t isa (The intention here is to establish archipelagic sea lanes. That means, thiw Ould really determine where the domestic ships or huge foreign and international vessels should pass through so that Filipino fishermen would know and they could avoid the vessels),” Tolentino, who chairs the Senate committee on justice and human rights, told reporters on Saturday. Tolentino said he is weighing the idea of whether to start the investigation while still waiting for reports from concerned entities required by international rules. He then stressed that the “incident could have been avoided if the archipelagic sea lane in the Philippines had already been determined.” Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa earlier said he is planning to file a resolution to investigate the recent ramming incident between a Filipino boat and a foreign vessel off Pangasinan. “We will file a resolution to investigate who is really responsible for this. It’s a very unfortunate incident because you know fishermen went there for a living right and they ended up dying. It has to be investigated thoroughly by our authorities,” he said. Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Rear Adm. Armando Balilo told reporters on Friday that they have sent personnel to Singapore and reached out to the local Port State Control authority there “to inspect: the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker, MV Pacific Anna. “The inspection should be targeted in the vessel compliance with the regulations of SOLAS Chapter V (safety of navigation); the result of their inspection could be used in our investigation,” Balilo said. He added that the PCG has also sent a formal request for the Marshall Islands Flag State to launch its own investigation into the incident. “We expect with this formal request the Flag State of Marshall Island will conduct a safety investigation in compliance with the IMO’s Casualty Investigation Code Chapter 6 that the state of the ship involved in a very serious maritime casualty is responsible for ensuring that a marine safety investigation be conducted and completed,” said Balilo. He said that the result of these investigations will be used to pursue claims and damages for the victims, survivors, and owner of FFB Dearyn, the Filipino boat that capsized in the incident. The PCG earlier said that the fatal sea collision was likely an accident. Dela Rosa, however, said all possibilities should be looked into “to determine everything.” “We have to leave no stone unturned sa pag-conduct ng investigation. So, kailangan talagang ma-determine ‘yan baka mamaya nga di natin alam (so we really need to determine the facts surrounding the incident),” he said. “I hope it was a plain accident. So that walang ibang (there’s no other) political or geopolitical implications. I hope, really,” he added. The post Solons want probe on boat ramming incident off Pangasinan appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
QC fire marshall goes on leave
Quezon City Fire Marshal, Senior Supt. Aristotle Bañaga has gone on leave following a call from Mayor Joy Belmonte for his removal in the wake of several fire incidents this year in his jurisdiction. This was confirmed by Bureau of Fire Protection chief Director Louie Puracan who said Bañaga filed his leave of absence Monday, following a DAILY TRIBUNE report that Belmonte wrote Interior and Local Goverment Secretary Benhur Abalos to recommend his relief and that of his Fire Safety Enforcement Section head, Chief Inspector Dominic Salvacion for their lapses. In her letter dated 14 September, Belmonte told Abalos that the city’s investigation found “serious lapses in the inspection process”of the two officials. “After an investigation into the deadly fire last 31 August in Tandang Sora, wherein 15 lives were lost, it was discovered that serious lapses in inspection processes led to insufficient site inspection for the FSIC (Fire Safety Inspection Certificate) application of business in 2022, and no inspection at all for the same purpose in 2022 and 2023. These, despite knowledge per records that the business transferred from original site in Manresa, this city, into residential area in Pleasant View Subdivision in Tandang Sora, with a declaration of 15 square meters “office only” contractor of clothes, garments and bags as its business area and nature of business,” Belmonte said in her letter. “At the very least the QCFD (Quezon City Fire Department) should have been more circumspect in inspecting the business area and the rest of the premises for signs of unauthorized business activities, Instead, just a cursory look was undertaken in 2021 and no inspection at all in 2022 and 2023.” Belmonte added that the capability and effectiveness of QCFD in responding to fires appears to have decreased significantly wherein the severity of this year’s incidents necessitates a call for a change of leadership in the city fire district. “Said change is crucially needed for the welfare of our citizens given the loss of our trust and confidence with QCFD Col. Banaga and Chief Insp. Salvacion,” the mayor stressed. In response to the letter, Abalos said he personally instructed the BFP to investigate thoroughly and determine the officials’ accountability. Puracan, meanwhile, said that Banaga’s deputy, Supt. Gilbert Arellano, a lawyer, will temporarily assume office to pave the way for an ongoing investigation. Aside from the deadly fire that left 15 people dead, fire incident protocols were also allegedly broken in the aftermath of a blaze that also claimed the life of Retired General George Ancheta, the uncle of QC Council Majority Floor Leader Dorothy Delarmente. Another fire in Culiat also injured seven people and destroyed about 200 homes. The post QC fire marshall goes on leave appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Musk says X could charge all users ‘small monthly payment’
Online platform X could introduce a monthly fee for all users, its owner Elon Musk said Monday, citing the need to cut down on bots. The tech tycoon has made multiple changes since taking over the site for $44 billion in October last year when it was known as Twitter. He has fired thousands of employees, introduced a paid premium option, cut content moderation, and reinstated formerly banned accounts including that of former US president Donald Trump. He said in July the platform had lost roughly half its advertising revenue. Bots -- accounts run by computer programs rather than humans -- are common on X, where they can be used to artificially amplify political messages or racial hatred. During a talk with Musk on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu raised the question of online anti-Semitism, and how X could "prevent the use of bots -- armies of bots -- to replicate and amplify it." Musk replied that the company was "moving to having a small monthly payment for use of the X system." "It's the only way I can think of to combat vast armies of bots," he said. "Because a bot costs a fraction of a penny -- call it a tenth of a penny -- but if somebody even has to pay a few dollars, some minor amount, the effective cost of bots is very high. "And then you also have to get a new payment method every time you have a new bot." The conversation, which was broadcast on X, came as the Tesla tycoon is mired in a row with the Anti-Defamation League, a US-based Jewish organization. Musk has accused the ADL of making unfounded accusations of anti-Semitism that have scared away advertisers and hurt his company's revenue and has threatened to sue for billions of dollars. The post Musk says X could charge all users ‘small monthly payment’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
QC fire marshall gone on leave — BFP
Quezon City fire marshal, Senior Superintendent Aristotle Bañaga, has gone on leave following a call from Mayor Joy Belmonte for his removal in the wake of several fire incidents this year in his jurisdiction. This was confirmed by Bureau of Fire and Protection (BFP) chief, Director Louie Puracan, who said that Bañaga filed his leave of absence on Monday, following a piece of news published by Daily Tribune that Belmonte wrote Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benhur Abalos to recommend his relief and Fire Safety Enforcement Section head, Chief Inspector Dominic Salvacion, for their lapses. In her letter dated 14 September, Belmonte told Abalos that the city’s investigation found “serious lapses in the inspection process” by the two officials. "After an investigation into the deadly fire last August 31 in Tandang Sora, wherein fifteen lives were lost, it was discovered that serious lapses in inspection processes led to insufficient site inspection for the FSIC (Fire Safety Inspection Certificate) application of business in 2022, and no inspection at all for the same purpose in 2022 and 2023. These, despite knowledge per records that the business transferred from original site in Manresa , this city, into residential area in Pleasant View Subdivision in Tandang Sora, with a declaration of 15 square meters 'office only' contractor of clothes, garments, and bags as its business area and nature of business,” Belmonte said in her letter. “At the very least the QCFD (Quezon City Fire Department) should have been more circumspect in inspecting the business area and the rest of the premises for signs of unauthorized business activities, Instead, just a cursory look was undertaken in 2021, and no inspection at all in 2022 and 2023.” Belmonte added that the capability and effectiveness of QCFD in responding to fires appears to have decreased significantly wherein the severity of this year’s incidents necessitates a call for a change of leadership in the city fire district. “Said change is crucially needed for the welfare of our citizens given the loss of our trust and confidence with QCFD Col. Banaga and Chief Insp. Salvacion,” the mayor stressed. In response to the letter, Abalos said he personally instructed the BFP to conduct a thorough investigation and determine the officials’ accountability. Puracan, meanwhile, said that Banaga’s deputy, Supt. Gilbert Arellano, a lawyer, will temporarily assume office to pave the way for an ongoing investigation. Aside from the deadly fire that left 15 people dead, fire incident protocols were also allegedly broken in the aftermath of a blaze that also claimed the life of Retired General George Ancheta, the uncle of QC Council Majority Floor Leader Dorothy Delarmente. Another fire in Culiat also injured seven people and destroyed about 200 homes. The post QC fire marshall gone on leave — BFP appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Belmonte calls for reforms in BFP-QCFD
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte on Monday called on the Bureau of Fire Protection to undertake reforms in the BFP - Quezon City Fire District (QCFD). Belmonte made the call as results of the probe conducted by the city government and the Quezon City Council revealed lax inspection, backlog in the examination of businesses, and other lapses in the performance of the BFP-QCFD. "The BFP should look into how the BFP-QCFD fulfilled its mandate in the light of tragic loss of lives and properties due to recent fires in the city. Were the BFP-QCFD leadership remiss in their duties? They should hold their personnel accountable if proven guilty of inefficiency," she said. Belmonte earlier sought the relief of two officials from the BFP-QCFD following a review of the performance of the agency prompted by the tragic loss of lives caused by the fire last 31 August in Tandang Sora. An evaluation conducted by the city government of each fire incident that occurred this year showed on average, more damage, injury, and death compared to the previous year. “The capability and effectiveness of the BFP-QCFD in responding to these fires have lessened significantly. The city government recognizes that each fire has its own distinct volatile circumstances. Nonetheless, the severity of this year's incidents necessitates a call for a change in the leadership of the agency. A change is needed for the welfare of our citizens. We look forward to a better performance from the BFP," Belmonte said. The two officials were identified as BFP-QCFD fire marshall, Fire Senior Superintendent Aristotle Bañaga, and the chief of the QCFD Fire Prevention Branch, Fire Chief Inspector Dominic Salvacion. Data from the BFP revealed that from January to August 2023, there were 153 fires recorded in the city, while there were only 219 fires from January to December 2022. With a third of the year left, there have already been eight firefighters and 63 civilians injured compared to only two firefighters and 60 civilians for the entirety of last year. Moreover, there were already 24 deaths in the first eight months of this year while there were 30 from January to December 2022. There were 8,362 individuals or 2,380 families affected by the fires up to August this year, higher than the whole of last year’s record of 7,295 individuals or 2,005 families. “For this reason and to protect the people of Quezon City, I am calling upon the national leadership of the Bureau of Fire Protection to assign to us a new fire marshall for the QCFD and a new inspection head,” Belmonte added. Belmonte also called on the BFP to be more transparent in their own investigation of the Tandang Sora fire. “The BFP has failed to reciprocate the city government’s efforts to exercise transparency. They resisted our calls to be apprised of the progress of their own probe, or to our requests for coordination. We therefore ask the BFP to cooperate fully with the city government as mandated by law, to ensure full transparency and clarity in these investigations. Our people demand more, and the victims and their families deserve nothing less,” Belmonte said. Belmonte earlier ordered the City Legal Department to form a Special Panel of Investigators to probe the incident and if warranted by evidence, to file the appropriate case(s) against pertinent and surviving officers of the business establishment involved in the deadly fire in Tandang Sora. Local government personnel found to be liable after the conduct of the investigation will likewise face administrative and criminal charges. “The city government continues to thoroughly investigate the devastating fire of August 31. It has coordinated with and interviewed its departments, the barangay, the homeowners association, the relatives of the victims, and the survivors, to ascertain the circumstances that brought about this tragedy. We will leave no stone unturned, and we will not spare even our own officials and personnel,” the mayor added. The mayor assured the residents that the city government will continue to beef up the city’s fire prevention measures and efforts. On 14 September, Mayor Belmonte extended financial assistance to the families of the fire victims. Earlier, the city government helped arrange for the cremation of the remains of the victims, among others. The post Belmonte calls for reforms in BFP-QCFD appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
UK media investigate sex assault claims against comedian Brand
The BBC and Channel 4, former employers of British actor and comedian Russell Brand, said Sunday they were investigating claims of rape, sexual assaults and emotional abuse over a seven-year period, which the 48-year-old has denied. Four women have alleged sexual assaults between 2006 and 2013 when Brand was at the height of his fame working as a presenter for BBC Radio 2, Channel 4 and acting in Hollywood movies, a joint media investigation said Saturday. The broadcasters BBC and Channel 4, along with the production company Banijay UK, said Sunday that they would open internal inquiries into the claims. "We are urgently looking into the issues raised," a BBC spokesperson told AFP. The allegations were made in a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, the Times, and Channel 4 Dispatches. "Banijay UK has launched an urgent internal investigation and will cooperate with any requests for information from broadcast partners and external agencies," the production firm said. According to the Times investigation, several women have made a range of accusations about Brand's alleged controlling, abusive and predatory behavior. In a video released Friday, Brand denied the "very serious criminal allegations". He said he had received letters from a TV company and a newspaper listing "a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks". "Amidst this litany of astonishing rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute," he said in the video clip posted online. According to the media reports, one woman alleged that Brand raped her in his Los Angeles home, while another claims he assaulted her during a three-month relationship while she was 16 and still at school. Known internationally as the former husband of pop star Katy Perry, Brand began his career as a stand-up comedian in the early 2000s. He was the host of the chat show Big Brother's Big Mouth, a spin-off of the popular reality series, for three years from 2004. He also played rock star Aldous Snow in the 2008 film "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and its 2010 sequel "Get Him To The Greek". London's Metropolitan Police told AFP that while it was aware of the allegations, "At this time, we have not received any reports in relation to this". "If anyone believes they have been the victim of a sexual assault, no matter how long ago it happened, we would encourage them to contact police," it said. The post UK media investigate sex assault claims against comedian Brand appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Sinner, savior or both?: Trump woos evangelicals, women
Former US president Donald Trump courted evangelical Christians and women at two back-to-back Washington events on Friday -- voting blocks whose loyalties to him once seemed contradictory but have now become a well-established part of his base. The legal, moral, and sexual escapades of the scandal-plagued frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination have earned him indictments, impeachments, and public scorn in many quarters. But support among his devotees remains strong. "As a woman, I understand that he can be offensive," Joan Horswell, a 76-year-old retired nurse from Texas, told AFP. But "personally, I like him," she said at the "Pray Vote Stand" summit, put on by the conservative Christian group Family Research Council. Something of a rock star among white evangelical Protestants, 84 percent of whom voted for him in 2020, Trump also holds his own among women, having won 44 percent of their vote in the last election, according to the Pew Research Center. "This election will decide whether America will be ruled by Marxist, fascist, communist tyrants who want to smash the Judeo-Christian heritage," Trump, 77, said at the summit, "or whether America will be saved by God-fearing freedom-loving patriots like all of the people in this room." "Is he a flawed individual? Sure. But most Christians will say, we are all sinners. Jesus is not on the ballot," said William Wan, a 60-year-old Catholic engineer from Winter Garden, Florida who attended the summit. Still, Trump may strike many as offensive. He was found liable in a civil trial in May for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll in 1996. He's also set to go on trial for allegedly paying election-eve hush money to a porn star. And he was heard boasting of groping women's genitals when the infamous "Access Hollywood" tape was published, just one month before the 2016 presidential election. But lots of conservative evangelicals believe he "is the perfect man for the job precisely because he does not reflect Christian values," Kristin Du Mez, a history professor at Calvin University, told AFP. Trump's supporters "certainly like what he's done for them. But I think that many are also very comfortable with how he's done it," Du Mez said. She points to his take-no-prisoners approach in getting conservative Christians what they wanted, from ending the federal right to an abortion to recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Her book "Jesus and John Wayne" chronicles the rise of rugged masculinity ideology within white evangelical Christianity. Penny Nance, CEO of conservative Christian women's group Concerned Women for America, echoed this dogma when she introduced Trump before he spoke across town at a leadership summit for her advocacy group on Friday. "Conservative women are not looking for a pastor or a husband for president, we are looking for a bodyguard," she told the audience to cheers. "Someone willing to stick the knife in his teeth and swim the moat to our rescue from those who threaten our safety and our freedom." Melissa Deckman, CEO of the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute, points out that while some political observers had initially been surprised by the number of women willing to vote for Trump, not all women see eye-to-eye on issues of sex and sexism. "American women are far from monolithic when it comes to attitudes about gender dynamics," she told AFP in an interview. Much stronger man Trump's former vice president Mike Pence -- who is also running for the Republican 2024 nomination and spoke at the "Pray Vote Stand" summit -- brandishes authentic evangelical bona fides as a deeply religious long-time churchgoer who has described himself as "a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order." Yet only five percent of surveyed white, evangelical potential Republican primary voters said they would choose him as their nominee. Trump meanwhile would receive 56 percent of their vote, according to a July 2023 New York Times/Siena Poll. "He is the clearest kind of white evangelical poster boy out there," said Du Mez. "They might want (Pence) as a Sunday school teacher; that's not who they want in the Oval Office." Horswell, the retired nurse, thinks "Mike Pence is OK," but adds, "I think at this point in our government, we need a much stronger man." For conservative Christians, Trump's accomplishments as a "strong man" are many. He appointed three of the Supreme Court's nine justices, creating a bench that went on to overturn abortion rights. In 2020 he became the first sitting president to attend the annual anti-abortion March for Life rally in Washington. He has repeatedly expressed his opinion that gender is biological, siding against trans inclusion in women's sports and against gender-affirming care for minors. Any personality flaws take a back seat said Deckman: "The moral character, I think, matters less in some ways than what a candidate is willing to stand for and fight for." As Wan, the engineer from Florida, put it, "Many Christians would argue we're electing a president, we are not electing a chief theologian." The post Sinner, savior or both?: Trump woos evangelicals, women appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Phl envoy to China lauds Manila LGU
Philippine Ambassador to China Jaime FlorCruz hailed the local government of Manila recently for maintaining close and friendly relations with its sister cities in China. Florcruz expressed his gratitude during a courtesy visit made to the Philippine Embassy in Beijing by the Manila delegation headed by City Administrator Bernardito “Bernie” Ang. Ang expressed the positive response of the Manila local government headed by Mayor Honey Lacuna, in the interest of certain cities in China to revive their sister-city relationship with the Philippines’ capital city. Joining Ang in the visit were Manila Chinatown Development Council Executive Director Willord Chua, Universidad de Manila President Dr. Felma Carlos-Tria, UdM Director for Quality Assurance, Accreditation, Compliance and Linkages Dr. Rejan L. Tadeo and Director for Information and Communications Technology Emmanuel Gatdula, among others. Ang told Florcruz that almost every month, secretaries-general of provinces in China get in touch with the Manila city government for the re-establishment of sister-city ties as in fact, the local government already made it possible with the provinces of Fuzhou, Chongqing and Guangzhou, with a number more in the works. He also told Florcruz that the resumption of sister-city agreements with Manila local government unit stems from the fact that Guangzhou, for instance, is the first sister city that Manila had. According to Ang, no less than the influential and revered chairman Mao Ze Dong told then First Lady Imelda Romualdez-Marcos, wife of the late President Ferdinand Marcos and mother of current Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., that he wants Manila to be the sister city of Guangzhou. Ang noted that the 47-year-anniversary of the relationship between Manila and Guangzhou will be in November, adding that while the relationship contained in a formal accord was signed in 1982, the relationship between the two cities actually began in 1975, during the visit made by First Lady Imelda Marcos to China. At this point, Ang told Florcruz that Marshall Louis Alferez, consul-general of the Philippines in Guangzhou, was doing a very good job. Alferez was on hand to welcome the Manila delegation during a visit made in Guangzhou months ago. Ang said the Manila-LGU is very happy that Beijing had written to say it wants an accord with Manila and the city is just as thrilled about pushing through with it. The post Phl envoy to China lauds Manila LGU appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Courting disaster (2)
“The judiciary,” once intoned Alexander Hamilton, “has no influence over either the sword or the purse; no direction either of the strength or of the wealth of society; and can take no active resolution whatever. It may truly be said to have neither force nor will, but merely judgment.” Thus, is the Judiciary said to be the “weakest” of the Three Great Branches of Government under the Constitution, as it, to paraphrase Hamilton, holds neither the purse (controlled by Congress) nor the sword (under the command of the Chief Executive)? Someone once joked that in the case, however, of then-Chief Justice Enrique Fernando, he holds the umbrella for Imelda Marcos, but that is something those born after the 1980s will not get. This is why the framers of our Constitution, in their infinite wisdom (and I use the phrase advisedly) had deemed it fit to elevate what had hitherto been merely ruling case law into a constitutional injunction. Section 3 of Article VIII reads: “The Judiciary shall enjoy fiscal autonomy. Appropriations for the Judiciary may not be reduced by the legislature below the amount appropriated for the previous year and, after approval, shall be automatically and regularly released.” Looks good. But in practice, it reduces judicial independence to a chimera. While the budget of the courts may not be reduced from that of the previous year, if a nasty Legislature wants to starve out a nonconformist Judiciary, it may simply opt to maintain its budget at the same level year after year after year. After a few years, with inflation, the courts will be reduced to tatters. And this happens every year, with the high officials of the Supreme Court practically reduced to bringing a begging bowl to Congress when budget deliberations come up in the agenda. This year, around P14 billion was arbitrarily lopped off the proposed budget for the Judicial branch. Now, the court administration is asking that some P6.7 billion be restored if only to upgrade the salaries of court personnel, the hazard pay for judges (who lately have been at the receiving end of gun barrels from disgruntled litigants) and costs for their security in the form of judicial marshals, the creation of more courts to serve a burgeoning caseload, and for the Judicial Integrity Board (who keeps erring judges in line). Methinks this is not too much to ask for, and as a lawyer and therefore an officer of the court, it pains me to see the Supreme Court looking like the poorer relations of Congress begging for alms. This is especially since Congress has notoriously been seen to have granted unto itself huge allocations for its members per district, the combined value of which is far and away higher than what the High Tribunal is asking for. The importance of a strong, independent Judiciary cannot be overestimated in a constitutional government such as ours. Aside from adjudicating private rights amongst competing parties, it is the final bulwark against governmental abuse. As former President Jose P. Laurel, when he was a Supreme Court magistrate, so emphatically articulated in the landmark case of Angara v. Electoral Commission, “(i)n cases of conflict, the judicial department is the only constitutional organ which can be called upon to determine the proper allocation of powers between the several departments of the government.” That is why I wish to make this call to our lawmakers to be not niggardly with the monetary allocation to our courts. It will not serve the ends of good governance well to be penny-wise and pound-foolish with the nation’s coffers. By the same token, kudos to Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Senate President Miguel Zubiri and neophyte Senator Raffy Tulfo, who have all filed bills seeking to strengthen the Judiciary’s fiscal autonomy. For to neglect the courts would necessarily be courting disaster. The post Courting disaster (2) appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
As wildfires multiply, a new era of air pollution
From Quebec to British Columbia to Hawaii, North America is facing an extraordinary wildfire season -- and regions both near and far have found themselves increasingly blighted by smoke exposure. Here's what you should know about air pollution from these blazes. What we know One of the defining aspects of smoke from wildfires is "particulate matter" -- toxins that, in their numbers, can make smoke visible. Particulate matter of 2.5 micron diameter, PM2.5, is "particularly dangerous for human health and emitted in really large quantities," Rebecca Hornbrook, an atmospheric chemist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, who flies in planes through smoke for her research, told AFP. "Typically if you are downwind of a wildfire, that's the thing that's causing the majority of the darkening of the sky and the lack of visibility," she said, such as the shrouded skies seen in New York as a result of fires hundreds of miles away in Quebec earlier this year. PM2.5 penetrates deep inside the lungs and potentially even the bloodstream. The average American had already been exposed to 450 micrograms of smoke per cubic meter by early July, worse that the entirety of the years from 2006-2022, economist Marshall Burke at Stanford posted on X recently, citing calculations made by the university's Environmental Change and Human Outcomes Lab. Also of concern are invisible substances known as volatile organic compounds such as butane and benzene. These cause eye and throat irritation, while some are known carcinogens. When VOCs mix with nitrogen oxides -- which are produced by wildfires but also are abundant in urban areas from burning fossil fuels -- they help form ozone which can exacerbate coughing, asthma, sore throat and difficulty breathing. What we don't know Automobile ownership exploded after World War II, and in the decades since scientists have gained insights on how it impacts humans -- from the onset of asthma in childhood to increased risk of heart attacks and even dementia later on in life. That breadth of knowledge is lacking for wildfire smoke, explained Christopher Carlsten, director of the Air Pollution Exposure Laboratory at the University of British Columbia. Based on the two dozen studies published "there seems to be a greater proportion of respiratory versus cardiovascular effects of smoke as compared to traffic pollution," he told AFP. The reason might be that nitric oxides are more prominent in traffic pollution. Carlsten's lab has begun conducting human experiments with wood smoke to gain more clarity. Medical interventions exist, said Carlsten, who is also a physician, including inhaled steroids, non-steroid inflammatories, and air filters -- but research is urgently needed to know how best to use them. Will it spur action? The warming planet also impacts our psychological wellbeing in myriad ways, Joshua Wertzel, chair of the American Psychiatric Association's committee on climate change in mental health, told AFP. One response is distress, "anger, grief, anxiety, in the face of the natural disasters they expect to come," with these rates far higher in younger people than older. Another is mental "acclimatization," a byproduct of evolution that helps us cope with new stressors, but if we're not careful can inure us to dangers, much like the proverbial frog in boiling water. For Hornbrook, who is based in Colorado, what eastern North America experienced in 2023 is what the western side of the continent has already been dealing with for many years -- and the global picture is only set to worsen given humanity's appetite for burning fossil fuels. While historic pollution regulations helped rein in emissions from cars and industry, climate action will be needed to tackle the wildfire scourge, she said. "It gets frustrating knowing that we've been ringing the warning bell for years and years, and we're now seeing what we've been warning about," she said, but added there was still hope. "Maybe now people are actually starting to notice and we'll see some change." The post As wildfires multiply, a new era of air pollution appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PBBM to discuss defense, maritime affairs with Aussie PM Albanese
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will discuss defense and maritime affairs during Albanese's visit to the Philippines next month, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said on Friday. In a Facebook post, PCO said Marcos and Albanese are expected to discuss the potential improvement of their cooperation in defense and security, trade, economic development, and maritime affairs. "The Philippines and Australia share a rich history of friendship and collaboration, which has flourished through the decades," it said. "The President's meeting with Prime Minister Albanese on 8 September is anticipated to reinforce this partnership, ushering in a new era of closer cooperation across key sectors, such as defense and security, trade, economic development, and maritime affairs," the PCO added. As per PCO, Albanese's upcoming trip comes in the wake of a sequence of top-level interactions earlier this year between the Philippines and Australia. A report from Reuters dated 8 August showed that Albanese had expressed his intention to journey to the Philippines in September for talks on defense and security collaboration. Albanese's meeting with Marcos is slated on 7 and 8 September. In May, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong expressed their country's willingness to offer drones, expertise training, and additional technological aid to enhance the Philippines' efforts in enhancing awareness of its maritime territories. In addition to providing technical support, Australia also indicated its interest in fostering potential trilateral collaborations involving the Philippines and other similarly aligned countries, with the aim of conducting joint patrols in response to the evolving security situation in the South China Sea. The post PBBM to discuss defense, maritime affairs with Aussie PM Albanese appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Police guard Christian community, seeks blasphemers
Police on Thursday are guarding a Christian community in central Pakistan that had been attacked by a Muslim mob provoked by the desecration of the Koran. A spokesperson for the Punjab provincial government said late Wednesday that police in Jaranwala are also seeking to arrest the people accused of defiling the Muslim holy book, though more than 100 suspects who set fire on churches and ransacked Christian homes were also arrested. “The desecration of the Holy Quran has been made and emotions of the Muslims have been injured. An order has been issued for the arrest of the accused,” a statement from the provincial government said. Images on social media showed crowds of hundreds armed with sticks and rocks storming through the streets, with smoke rising from church buildings. In one video, crowds cheer and demand punishment for the accused blasphemers as a cross is torn from the top of a church. The boundary walls of a Christian cemetery were vandalized, police said. “The crowd inflicted heavy damage on the area including to homes of Christians, and many churches,” Ahad Noor, a government official, told Agence France-Presse. Pakistani bishop Azad Marshall, in the neighboring city of Lahore, said the Christian community was “deeply pained and distressed” by the events. “We cry out for justice and action from law enforcement and those who dispense justice and the safety of all citizens to intervene immediately and assure us that our lives are valuable in our own homeland,” he posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. Pakistan’s newly appointed caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar ul-Haq Kakar said on X that he was “gutted” by what was happening. “Stern action would be taken against those who violate law and target minorities,” he said. WITH AFP The post Police guard Christian community, seeks blasphemers appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Clarence Avant, ‘Godfather of Black Music,’ dies at 92
Clarence Avant, the entertainment executive who is counted among the music world's most impactful figures, died over the weekend, a statement from his family said Monday. He was 92 years old. Avant "passed away gently at home" in Los Angeles on Sunday, said his children Nicole and Alex Avant, as well as Nicole's husband, Netflix executive Ted Sarandos. "Through his revolutionary business leadership, Clarence became affectionately known as 'The Black Godfather' in the worlds of music, entertainment, politics, and sports," the statement said. "Clarence leaves behind a loving family and a sea of friends and associates that have changed the world and will continue to change the world for generations to come. The joy of his legacy eases the sorrow of our loss." Avant was born on 25 February 1931 in small-town North Carolina, the oldest of eight. After spending most of his childhood in North Carolina he moved to New Jersey as a teenager, getting his start in the music business as a club manager of Teddy P's Lounge in Newark. He later was mentored by the longtime Louis Armstrong manager Joe Glaser. He went on to become one of the most revered players in music and beyond, an advocate and mentor who pushed the boundaries for Black entertainers in an industry rife with racism. Avant helped establish Venture Records, the first joint effort between a Black-owned music company and a major record label, in this case, MGM. He later launched Sussex Records and signed the likes of Bill Withers. Avant worked at an array of other labels, produced films, and also brokered deals for Black athletes including baseball superstar Hank Aaron. "He's the perennial godfather of our business," Quincy Jones said in 2006, in an interview with Billboard. "Everyone in our business has been by Clarence's desk if they’re smart." 'True pioneer' Avant also consulted at Motown and worked with other top producers including Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis as well as Babyface. He's been credited with burnishing the careers of countless artists, including Jones as well as Pharrell Williams, Snoop Dogg, and Whitney Houston. "Clarence Avant connects us all through his incredible impact since before I was born up until now. He's the godfather to so many of us -- and not just African Americans, most of the industry," Pharrell said in a statement in 2019, ahead of the release of the Netflix documentary "The Black Godfather." In 2021, Avant's wife of over 50 years, Jacqueline, was fatally shot at age 81, during a break-in of the couple's Beverly Hills home. Earlier that year Avant received special accolades from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Recording Academy has also bestowed a number of honors on him and in 2007 he received the Thurgood Marshall Lifetime Achievement Award from the NAACP. Tributes to Avant began pouring out upon news of his death, including from Jay-Z's company Roc Nation, which hailed him "a true pioneer" who "burst through doors and tore down ceilings, changing lives and providing opportunities for generations." "Clarence Avant isn't just the 'Godfather Of Black Music,' he is our cultural Godfather," the company said. Bill and Hillary Clinton, the former US president and secretary of state, said in a joint statement they were "saddened by the passing of our friend." "It was impossible to spend time with him and not come away feeling more positive and wanting to follow his example." The post Clarence Avant, ‘Godfather of Black Music,’ dies at 92 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Blinken rallies SE Asia against ‘coercion’ in swipe at China
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken vowed unity Friday with Southeast Asian nations against "coercion", in a thinly veiled reference to Beijing, as host Indonesia warned at talks that the region should not become a proxy for global rivalries. Blinken met foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Jakarta at a gathering that also brought the top diplomats of China and Russia, the two main adversaries to the United States. A day after his latest talks with China on managing tensions between the two powers, Blinken made a clear if unstated allusion to concerns shared with many in the region over Beijing. "We share a vision of the Indo-Pacific that is free, open, prosperous, secure, connected and resilient," Blinken told ASEAN foreign ministers, using another term for the Asia region. "That means a region where countries are free to choose their own paths and their own partners, where problems are dealt with openly -- not through coercion," he said. "We must uphold the freedom of navigation in the South and East China Seas and maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait." Friction has been rising for years between Beijing and Southeast Asian nations, particularly Vietnam and the Philippines, over China's sweeping claims to much of the South China Sea. Maritime incidents have been on the rise and tensions have also soared over Taiwan, the self-governing democracy which Beijing claims and has not ruled out seizing by force. But host Indonesia warned that ASEAN cannot become a proxy, as tensions flare not only between the United States and China but over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "The Indo-Pacific must not be another battleground," Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told ministers of the 18-nation East Asia Summit, which includes the United States, China and Russia, as well as Japan, India and Australia. Managing tensions The annual closed-door talks have often been a raucous affair as big powers clash, but the United States and China have been working to prevent disagreements from spiraling out of control. Blinken met Thursday evening for more than an hour and a half with China's foreign policy supremo Wang Yi, less than a month after the top US diplomat paid a rare visit to Beijing. He told Wang that Washington would hold hackers "accountable" after a breach of US government email accounts was blamed on Chinese state-backed actors, a US official said. Wang urged Washington to "work with China in the same direction" to improve ties and stop interfering in China's affairs, according to a statement on Friday by the foreign ministry in Beijing. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong held her own meeting with Wang on Thursday and said she had urged Beijing to "navigate our differences wisely" and provide "transparency" on a controversial policing pact with Solomon Islands. Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi also met Friday with Wang, where Tokyo and Beijing traded barbs over the former's plan to discharge treated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant. US shuns Russia While the United States has sought to increase communication with China, Blinken shunned Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. It was first time Blinken and Lavrov were in the same room since a Group of 20 meeting in March in New Delhi, where they spoke briefly on the sidelines. US officials say Russia has no real interest in diplomacy to end the war in Ukraine, with Western powers instead ramping up military support to Kyiv. The US approach has caused unease in parts of the developing world, with countries including India and South Africa refusing to rally behind condemnation of Russia. Meeting with ASEAN, Blinken called for a "just and lasting peace to Russia's war of aggression" in Ukraine. In an interview with Indonesian media this week, Lavrov said the war in Ukraine would not end until Western nations gave up their efforts to "defeat" Russia. Pressure on Myanmar ASEAN talks have been dominated by the crisis in Myanmar. The bloc refused to invite the country's military junta, which seized power in February 2021. With Myanmar's chair at the table conspicuously empty, Blinken urged more pressure. "In Myanmar, we must press the military regime to stop the violence, to implement ASEAN's five-point consensus, to support a return to democratic governance," Blinken said. ASEAN reached a five-point peace plan two years ago with the junta, which has yet to implement it. Myanmar's neighbor Thailand has broken with the bloc by pursuing engagement with the junta, although its foreign minister said he also was able to see deposed elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Sunday. Singapore Minister of Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan told reporters at the end of meetings Friday that ASEAN members "encourage all channels of communication to be open". The post Blinken rallies SE Asia against ‘coercion’ in swipe at China appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US-China cooperation in climate finance ‘critical’: Yellen
It is "critical" for Washington and Beijing to keep working together on climate finance, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Saturday, urging deeper cooperation in addressing the "existential threat" of global warming. Her comments, on a four-day trip to Beijing that follows Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit, come as the United States seeks to cool tensions and stress areas of collaboration between the world's two biggest economies. "As the world's two largest emitters of greenhouse gases and the largest investors in renewable energy, we have both a joint responsibility –- and ability -– to lead the way," Yellen told a roundtable of experts in China, underlining a key area of cooperation despite tense bilateral relations. "Climate change is at the top of the list of global challenges, and the United States and China must work together to address this existential threat," she added. Saying that "climate finance should be targeted efficiently and effectively", she pressed China to support existing multilateral institutions like the Green Climate Fund, while urging for the inclusion of the private sector in transitioning towards net zero. "Both our economies seek to support partners in emerging markets and developing countries as they strive to meet their climate goals, and I believe continued US-China cooperation on climate finance is critical." China last year briefly said it was suspending talks on the climate after Nancy Pelosi, then speaker of the House of Representatives, visited Taiwan -- the self-ruling democracy claimed by Beijing. But there are signs that talks might restart again soon, with US envoy John Kerry due to travel to China soon to discuss cooperation on climate change, a US official said Friday. Besides working together on climate, Yellen said in a Friday meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang it was also key that Washington and Beijing closely communicate on global economic and financial affairs -- while making joint efforts on international challenges such as debt distress. 'Big ticket items' On Saturday, in addition to meeting people involved in climate finance, she is also expected to speak with women economists and see Vice Premier He Lifeng, a key Chinese economic official. And a key question is whether "big ticket items that are in the category of global challenges," like debt distress and climate cooperation, get bumped to the top of the agenda, said Lindsay Gorman, senior fellow for emerging technologies at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Yellen's talks on Saturday follow meetings with US businesses, who have expressed a host of concerns ranging from level playing fields with the Chinese, reduced people-to-people exchanges, and an uncertain business climate in the face of a national security crackdown. "Anything that can help make the US-China relationship better, number one, will help the companies here, the investment sentiment and two, just give us more opportunity to cooperate," Michael Hart, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, told AFP. The post US-China cooperation in climate finance ‘critical’: Yellen appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»