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Crypto crackdown intensifies on Hamas finance
Cryptocurrency has become the latest front in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, analysts say. Israeli and US authorities have intensified their financial hunt into Hamas in recent days as they track illicit funds via digital currencies. Ari Redbord, global policy head at crypto tracking specialist TRM Labs, said there is now less crypto transfer activity on pro-Hamas support networks as a result. "We are seeing a lot less activity in some respects since the war began," Redbord told AFP. This is "primarily because Israel has been very aggressive and successful in taking down these fundraising efforts", he added. Israel has bombed Gaza in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack by Hamas militants who, while firing a massive rocket barrage, killed more than 1,400 people and took 222 hostages on 7 October, according to Israeli authorities. Israeli strikes have now killed more than 6,500 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Shadowy world Cryptocurrency is regarded as a speedy way to move cash that is unregulated by any central bank and is less traceable than a traditional bank transfer. The shadowy world of digital units, based on decentralized blockchain technology, has gained notoriety for illicit transactions due to its under-the-radar appeal. Two weeks ago, Israeli police revealed they had located and frozen accounts linked to Hamas that sought "to solicit donations on social networks" via Binance, the world's biggest cryptocurrency exchange. A Binance spokeswoman said it "follows internationally recognized sanctions rules, blocking the small number of accounts linked to illicit funds". Redbord, formerly a senior US government adviser, said Hamas had adopted crypto from 2019 at the latest, to seek funding via the Telegram messaging network and even on its own website. Hamas decided in April that it would no longer accept cash via Bitcoin due to increased global surveillance of the world's biggest digital unit. Crypto fundraising is now operated via a network of Hamas-linked support groups. TRM Labs has closely monitored virtual crypto wallets linked to such support groups since the start of the war. And it has concluded that much smaller amounts of cash than usual are being moved. Two weeks after the attacks, support group Gaza Now received less than $6,000 in one of its crypto wallets, Redbord noted. That compared with $800,000 in total since the wallet's creation in August 2021. Meanwhile, authorities are well aware that digital assets are a minor part of a complex funding picture. The US State Department estimates that Iran funnels $100 million per year to Palestinian groups including Hamas. 'Small piece of puzzle' "Cryptocurrency is a very small piece of a larger financing puzzle for Hamas," said Redbord. "They are looking to Iran; they're... imposing taxes on the Palestinians; they have a network of charities and a diaspora of supporters who are sending donations not in cryptocurrencies." "But crypto does play a role," he said. Digital currencies still represent a significant revenue stream for Hamas and other allied groups. Crypto addresses identified by Israel as being linked to Hamas received about $41 million between August 2020 and July 2023, according to Israeli analytics and software firm BitOK. Other crypto addresses linked to Islamic Jihad received in excess of $154 million between October 2022 and September 2023, with some still active, it adds. Some players in the sector simply turn a blind eye. "Some cryptoasset businesses are intentionally or unwittingly allowing misuse of the crypto ecosystem," said Joby Carpenter, an expert on the industry. "This trend is magnified where exchanges are based in lightly or unregulated jurisdictions," he told AFP. The post Crypto crackdown intensifies on Hamas finance appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘The Eras Tour’ serves up Taylor Swift, larger than life
That Taylor Swift is a great songwriter is no longer in question. What’s up for debate is whether she’s a great concert artist as well. By artist we don’t mean a gifted vocalist. The era of the pop concert as a singing showcase and a straightforward live onstage performance of recorded music ended in 1990 with Madonna’s third concert tour. Called Blond Ambition, the highly theatrical show combined music, spectacle and, most crucially, storytelling with a several-act structure based on themes or narrative arcs, deconstructed songs and elaborate sets to redefine the pop concert as performance art. It has since been the template and gold standard by which all concerts, especially those by female superstars, have been measured. Yes, even Madonna’s own subsequent tours have been assessed through the Ambition lens and, arguably, none of them has quite equaled the one that gave the world the cone bra as an icon of female sexuality and woman power. [caption id="attachment_201371" align="aligncenter" width="1987"] LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 11: Taylor Swift attends "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" Concert Movie World Premiere at AMC The Grove 14 on October 11, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)[/caption] Feast for the eyes Swift’s The Eras Tour, as seen in the filmed concert currently showing in cinemas worldwide, certainly serves up a feast for the eyes. Most of it is courtesy of the massive stage consisting of a backdrop that stands several stories high, a huge main platform and a long runway that juts well into the audience floor and features its own diamond-shaped mini-stage with a “hyperactive” central hydraulic platform consisting of several mobile blocks that rise to various heights throughout the almost three-hour show. It’s not only one of the biggest stages ever built for a pop concert, but is also probably the biggest LED installation ever assembled in and outside the music world. And it’s never not in use, lighting up the cavernous 70,000-seat SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles (where the movie was filmed over three shows) with eye-popping digital images, pre-recorded videos and live footage from the concert itself. The set is so massive that it makes Swift and her troupe of dancers look like ants. But thanks to the big screens, she literally looks larger than life to the live audience at different points in the show. The film does the opposite, and is the better for it: It brings Swift into the intimate space of the cinema and, thus, closer to the audience. Eras further highlights and celebrates the main thing that has helped the 33-year-old singer-songwriter conquer the pop world, the core attribute that makes Taylor Swift Taylor Swift: relatability. [gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="201372,201370"] It’s all over her music: a repertoire of mostly slow and mid-tempo ballads that tell about the blush, excitement, joy, ecstasy, frustrations, confusion, sadness, heartbreak, anger and regrets of modern-day romantic relationships, in creative confessional journal prose that listeners of all ages, colors and persuasions find no difficulty accessing and plugging into. It’s all over her wholesome, winsome, non-threatening all-American girl-next-door public persona. This is on fuller display in her performance in Eras than even in her 2020 documentary movie, Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince, which chronicled mostly the period between her Reputation Tour in 2018 and the release in 2019 of her seventh studio album, Lover. Between the many floral, even pastoral, and fluid graphic images onscreen and the tasteful, immaculate set pieces, between the squarely schematic album-era sectioning and the billowy ball gowns and sparkly and sexy but modest bodysuits, between the Cheshire-Cat grin Swift wears through most of the show, even during moments in some heartbreak songs, and her dorky cheerleader energy, The Eras Tour plays like Little Miss Sunshine & The Hearty Princess. It’s all what anyone would expect from the reigning America’s Sweetheart. Thoroughly entertaining It’s a great Taylor Swift show, for sure — thoroughly entertaining and one that sends stans to Swift heaven. But it stops at being a Taylor Swift show with a faithful rendition of her songs when, for something called Eras, it should be giving audiences, both fans and casuals alike, more to chew on than what they already know and are familiar with — a recast, a reinterpretation, a recontextualization of her music and impact. [caption id="attachment_201373" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] US singer-songwriter Taylor Swift performs onstage on the first night of her "Eras Tour" at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on March 31, 2023. (Photo by SUZANNE CORDEIRO / AFP)[/caption] The show is content to be a pop concert about Taylor Swift. Coming almost 20 years into her career, it should’ve reached for the world outside of Taylor Swift, or even just a small part of it: What do Taylor and her songs, for instance, say about the times we are living in? The Eras Tour could have aspired to life and art, or at least something approaching it, and thereby become a truly era-defining experience. The post ‘The Eras Tour’ serves up Taylor Swift, larger than life appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
POUND-FOR-POUND — Good guy Gibbons gives Filipino boxers the chance to shine
If you’re a talented fighter nursing dreams of becoming a world champion, there is one guy you need to get in touch with. If you’re a promoter who has got a bevy of promising fighters but with no strong connections to the guys who matter in the world of big-time boxing, you have to meet the fellow who makes things happen. That dude is no other than Sean Gibbons, who heads MP Promotions and a sprinkling of other influential outfits in the United States that gives boxers from all over the opportunity they deserve. Having trouble with your boxer’s stagnant world rating? Call Sean Gibbons. Can’t seem to get the big breaks? Call Sean Gibbons. Being given the run-around by a scammer, give Sean Gibbons a call. You see, Gibbons is a do-it-all boxing man who is a big daddy to just about any major Filipino fighter. He has got a deep knowledge of the fight game since he used to fight during his heyday. But before you start conjuring up images of Gibbons battling it out with boxing’s marquee names, pinch yourself first. Gibbons never achieved greatness as a boxer. He was more of a pretender than a contender, having racked up a 14-7-3 win-loss-draw record with seven knockouts before finally calling it a day in 1996. He never even fought in Las Vegas and instead showcased his wares in obscurity, hopping into one small town and city after another. After spending his first five pro bouts in Oklahoma City, Gibbons brought his act elsewhere and in places he never knew existed: Hugo, Purcell, Waubeek. A year before he retired in 1995, Gibbons, now 56, even traveled to Germany and fought and lost by knockout to local boy Ruediger May. Two more bouts on American soil — the first in Des Moines, Iowa, and the second in Miles City, Montana — paved the way for one final stop in Denmark against Peter Madsen. Gibbons would lose that by stoppage again and decided that enough was enough. Pretty soon, Gibbons got himself doing odd jobs in boxing through a relative — uncle Pat O’ Grady — father to former world lightweight champion Sean O’Grady. “I got the boxing bug from him. I would set up the ring, help sell tickets and train fighters… I started from the bottom,” Gibbons, born in Long Beach, California, said, noting that the first fighter he trained was heavyweight Wimpy Halstead. Oftentimes, Gibbons “would jump in as one of the fighters in the card and I was able to travel the world.” He also got aligned with Top Rank and credits Hall of Fame Bruce Trampler and fight coordinator Pete Susens as his mentors and takes great pride in his close association with eight-division legend Manny Pacquiao. Gibbons actually came to the Pacquiao show rather late. But his seven-year stint working for Pacquiao was the most memorable, saying it doesn’t compare with the 35 other years of involvement with boxing. “Seven years I spent with him were better than the other 35 years,” Gibbons, who graduated from Simi Valley High, said. Gibbons revealed that after Australian banger Jeff Horn elbowed and butted and wrestled his way in carving out a controversial points win in Brisbane in July 2018, “Pacquiao had pretty much been left for dead by some people.” It was right at this time when Gibbons entered the scene as Pacquiao’s go-to-guy for meaningful fights while also providing other Filipino boxers the break they need to become successful. Gibbons didn’t disappoint and was instrumental in striking a deal for fights involving Adrien Broner and Keith Thurman that resulted in a “tremendous run.” The victory over Thurman would go down as an epic as it made Pacquiao the oldest to win a world welterweight crown in July 2019 in Las Vegas. Now that Pacquiao has sailed into the sunset, Gibbons is dedicating his time and effort to the betterment of the other talents under MP Promotions, the Pacquiao-owned company that has majority of the country’s top ring talent under contract. And this is where Gibbons wields his expertise and proof of his savvy can be seen on Jerwin Ancajas, Pedro Taduran, Rene Cuarto, Mark Magsayo and current two-belt world super-bantamweight titleholder Marlon Tapales. Also under Gibbons’ care are Jonas Sultan, Vincent Astrolabio, Jade Bornea and Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist and Asian Games silver medalist Eumir Marcial. Though not every one of them managed to win a world title, Gibbons draws utmost satisfaction from the helping hand that he had extended to them. “The most satisfying thing is to change lives of the fighters and take fighters who wouldn’t normally get these opportunities.” Also, Gibbons points to Pacquiao as a reason why he was able to pull it off. “I had the name Manny Pacquiao promotions and Manny Pacquiao was behind me but the biggest, biggest key was Al Haymon and he took my word for guys like Jerwin Ancajas, Mark Magsayo, Jonas Sultan and many, many others.” And there is no stopping Gibbons from doing the same thing especially when his clients’ welfare is on the line. A few months ago, Gibbons earned the ire of a state commission and got slapped with a ban. Still, Gibbons swears it is his way of showing that he always got his clients’ back. So how does he want people to remember him? “I would like to be remembered as someone who gave his all, no regrets. Just you know, when I work with someone, I put all my heart and soul into it. I got suspended for five for screaming at referees but I would like to be remembered for a guy who always had his client, fighters and boxers’ back and that when we went at it, we gave it our all.” If you end up going to war, you’d certainly want somebody like Sean Gibbons right by your side. The post POUND-FOR-POUND — Good guy Gibbons gives Filipino boxers the chance to shine appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Tourism, agribusiness need prioritization — PCCI
The country’s biggest congregation of business owners in the country, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the Marcos Jr. administration must focus on the industries of tourism and agribusiness as they provide opportunities to Filipinos. Apart from the two, PCCI president George Barcelon said other industries that need further push and support are IT-BPO and creative industries, manufacturing, mining, and mineral resources, considered to be ideal and attractive for local and foreign investments and could amplify the economic growth and competitiveness of the country. “Some of our neighboring countries in ASEAN have really moved fast over the past 10 years. We had been lagging them in terms of exports, investments, and trade and we could not afford to be in this situation, so we really need to review our policies for us to be attractive to local and foreign investors,” Barcelon said. He said this will be the center of discussions at the upcoming 49th Philippine Business Conference & Expo set this month, which will gather industry leaders and practitioners to provide insights and share some prospects in what an interesting discussion on policies and regulations could be to attract investors and stimulate investments in these sectors. He said tourism and agribusiness are low-hanging fruits that the government should seriously prioritize and develop as it provides many opportunities for Filipinos. In 2022, the tourism and travel industry only contributed 6.2 percent to the country’s GDP lower than 12.7 percent in 2019 prior to the pandemic. The latest data from the Department of Tourism said that from 1 January to 29 September 2023, a total of 4,005,465 visitors arrived in the country, bringing in a total of P316 billion in revenue into the government coffers and hiring 5.35 million Filipinos in tourism-related jobs. The Philippine agribusiness, on the other hand, contributed only around 8.9 percent to GDP in 2022 where in fact its contribution could actually reach 35 percent. The mining and mineral sector, meanwhile, was able to boost the country’s growth by P102B in 2020 during the pandemic while the manufacturing sector contributed 17.2 percent in 2022. “As the private sector takes the lead in mapping out plans for Vision 2050, we hope our government will focus its attention on harnessing these sectors and address the challenges that hinder the country’s economic growth. We have the competitive advantage to become a first world economy by 2050, we just have to do extra work to achieve it,” said Architect Felino Palafox Jr., who chairs the 49th PBC&E happening on 25-26 October at The Manila Hotel. This year’s conference carries the theme Vision 2050: The Philippines A First-World Economy. It will initiate discussions and gather insights from visionary leaders and policymakers on how the country, given its strategic location, natural and human capital resources, and the many advantages it has, can become one of the industrialized and developed economies by 2050. The two-day event will interestingly gather prominent business personalities, national and local executives, and international leaders. The post Tourism, agribusiness need prioritization — PCCI appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Amazon launches test satellites in challenge to Musk’s Starlink
Amazon launched two satellites on Friday as part of its plan to deliver the internet from space and compete with Elon Musk's Starlink service. The Atlas V rocket carrying the satellites lifted off from Cape Canaveral in Florida at 2:06 pm local time (6:06 pm GMT). The launch was carried out by the United Launch Alliance (ULA) industrial group, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin. Once up and running, the company founded by Jeff Bezos says its Project Kuiper will provide "fast, affordable broadband to unserved and underserved communities around the world," with a constellation of more than 3,200 satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO). "We've done extensive testing here in our lab and have a high degree of confidence in our satellite design, but there's no substitute for on-orbit testing," said Rajeev Badyal, Project Kuiper's vice president of technology. The company has said it would invest $10 billion in the project and has booked 77 heavy-lift launches with commercial providers Arianespace, ULA, and Bezos-owned Blue Origin. The first operational satellites of the Kuiper project are due to be launched in early 2024, according to Amazon, which hopes for initial tests with customers at the end of next year. The test on Friday attempted to establish contact between the probes and Earth, deploy their solar panels, and confirm that all instruments are operating correctly and at the desired temperatures. The two prototypes will then be removed from orbit and disintegrated in the Earth's atmosphere at the end of the test mission. These services are designed to provide internet access to even the most remote and underserved areas around the world, including war zones or disaster-struck areas. Musk's SpaceX launched the first batch of its more than 3,700 operational Starlink satellites in 2019 and is by far the biggest player. Musk's ownership of Starlink caused uproar in Ukraine last month when it was revealed that he refused to turn on the service for a planned attack by Kyiv forces on Russia's Black Sea navy fleet last year. London-headquartered OneWeb is another early entrant in the emerging sector. Given the technology's strategic importance, governments are also keen to join the rush into the sector. China plans to launch 13,000 satellites as part of its GuoWang constellation, while Canada's Telesat will add 300 and German start-up Rivada is eyeing 600. That will be in addition to the European Union's Iris project -- 170 satellites -- and the 300-500 satellites planned to be launched by the US military's Space Development Agency. The post Amazon launches test satellites in challenge to Musk’s Starlink appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘A form of pain’: China basketball fans pile in after latest loss
Fed-up Chinese basketball fans berated and mocked the men's national team on Thursday after the hosts' agonizing 77-76 defeat to the Philippines in the Asian Games semi-finals. The hashtag "Chinese men's basketball lost twice to Philippines in 32 days" received 28 million views on Chinese social media site Weibo in the hours following Wednesday night's loss in Hangzhou. "Watching you play basketball is a form of pain, isn't it?" read one popular meme, as the online world in China piled in. Basketball is hugely popular in the country but the men's team have consistently failed to meet high expectations, despite former NBA star Yao Ming playing a leading role in the sport. At the recent Basketball World Cup, China finished bottom of their group and then lost 95-75 to the Philippines in a classification match. Fans online once again accused the team -- who play Taiwan on Friday for bronze -- of being spoiled by their high salaries and VIP treatment. "All you can think about is making money," one Weibo user wrote. "But you have to do your job well while making money." In perhaps the biggest insult of all, another warned the basketball team were in danger of being on a par with the much-derided men's national football side. Hu Jie, in a commentary for state-owned newspaper The Paper, blamed the Chinese team's lack of familiarity with major international competitions. "Since the end of the 2019 men's World Cup, Chinese basketball has noticeably reduced its exchanges with the rest of the world," Hu wrote, pointing to the Chinese Basketball Association's shift away from bringing in foreign players as well as Covid-19 travel curbs. The post ‘A form of pain’: China basketball fans pile in after latest loss appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
S. Korean migrant’s tale to open Asia’s biggest film festival
The world premiere of Jang Kun-jae's "Because I Hate Korea" will open Asia's largest film festival Wednesday night as it looks to rally from a year marked by scandal and budget cutbacks. The South Korean director's tale of a disillusioned young woman who relocates to New Zealand is among 209 official entries from 69 countries set to unspool at the Busan International Film Festival, which runs until 13 October. Eighty will be making their world premieres in the southern port city. This year's edition comes as organizers grapple with the fallout from former festival director Huh Moon-yung's resignation in May amid accusations of sexual misconduct. The scandal saw BIFF's 2023 budget reduced by about 10 percent as sponsors withdrew in the wake of the allegations, according to organizers. Kang Seung-ah, now serving as acting deputy director, acknowledged they had endured a "difficult phase" before assembling a lineup she said was "more substantial than ever before". Opening night director Jang, who noted he'd attended BIFF far more as an audience member than a filmmaker, told a late afternoon news conference he had sought to address serious questions with his film. "I believe it's necessary to pay attention to the fact that many young people are finding it difficult to navigate through Korean society. I started questioning whether our society is providing a fair and equitable foundation for young people to pursue their dreams," he told reporters after a preview screening. Based on the best-selling Chang Kang-myoung novel, "Because I Hate Korea" received support from BIFF's Asia Project Market back in 2016. South Korea has transformed itself into a cultural powerhouse since then thanks to the explosive success of the Oscar-winning "Parasite" and the Netflix series "Squid Game". "Many people are now showing great interest in Korean content such as K-pop, K-movies, and K-dramas. Living in such an era, they might develop a certain fantasy about South Korea, I think," Nam Dong-chul, the festival's acting interim director, told reporters. But "I thought it might be good to consider these views from the perspective of people living in Korea and especially the youth in South Korea", he said of the opening night choice. "They might have different thoughts and experiences." Frequent Bong Joon-ho collaborator Go Ah-sung, who delivered a memorable performance as the protagonist of "Because I Hate Korea", was unable to attend the festival due to a back injury. 'Dear Jinri' Despite Go's absence, the festival will still feature serious star power, with acclaimed Hong Kong actor Chow Yun Fat scheduled to receive the Asian Filmmaker of the Year award. Three of Chow's films -- "A Better Tomorrow" (1986), "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" (2000) and 2023's "One More Chance" -- will be screened in his honour. Other highly anticipated screenings include "Dear Jinri", a documentary that features late K-pop star Sulli's last and incomplete project. Sulli, born Choi Jin-ri, took her own life in 2019 after a long struggle with online bullying. The film includes her final media interview, which has not been disclosed previously. Korea's filmmaking diaspora will also be showcased with a special series of screenings that includes "Searching" (2018), starring John Cho, and director Celine Song's Sundance favorite "Past Lives". Netflix's highly anticipated "Yellow Door: 90s Lo-fi Film Club" will also have its world premiere at BIFF. The documentary spotlights South Korea's renowned cinephile generation of the 1990s, acclaimed "Parasite" director Bong among them. "The Movie Emperor", director Ning Hao's satirical take on the Chinese film industry starring Hong Kong actor Andy Lau, is set to close the festival. Ning's comedy "deftly captures the fine line between the film industries in Hong Kong and mainland China", as well as the "delicate relationship between Western film festivals and Asian filmmakers", according to the program notes. The post S. Korean migrant’s tale to open Asia’s biggest film festival appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Biggest franchise expo rides on growth
Franchising is expected to earn an unprecedented P30 billion by the end of the year, based on industry projections. During the Franchise Asia Philippines 2023 International Expo briefing on Monday, Philippine Franchise Association chairperson Sherill Quintana said that franchising revenues has reached P27 billion in the year to date, already surpassing the pre-pandemic 2019 revenues of P25 billion. With the growing local market, Quintana said global franchise brands should consider the Philippines as their “launching pad” in Asia. “The future is Asia, and the Philippines will be the launch pad for what the Asian economy will be able to seize for the global market,” Quintana said in a press conference in Quezon City. In the next five years, she said her group is expecting to reap 10 to 13 percent revenues for the industry over the next five years. PFA president Chris Lim said the exposition will be the biggest franchise show that the country hosted in the past 10 years. Franchise Asia Philippines 2023 International Franchise Expo will run from 27 to 29 October and the meetings of the World Franchise Council and the Asia Pacific Franchise Confederation from 24 to 30 October 2023. “More than a decade ago was the last time that a similar event was held in the Philippines, so it is really a very momentous occasion. And what a great way to really celebrate and to really show that we’re back in business, that the franchise industry in the Philippines is as vibrant as ever,” Lim added. SMX Convention Center taken up Franchise Asia Philippines 2023 overall co-chair Richard Sanz said this will be the first time for a franchise event to occupy the entire SMX Convention Center in Pasay City to showcase 1,000 local and global franchise brands from 26 countries. Further, he said 39 percent of the expo participants are new exhibitors with new concepts such as breastfeeding center, agriculture supplies, automated retail and convenience store, vape store and kickboxing gym. “This speaks of the vibrancy of the franchise sector with new players joining the market,” he said. Sanz mentioned that also 20 percent of the participants are international brands from Australia, China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Sinapore, Taiwan, Thailand and the United States. More than 50,000 exhibitors are expected to attend the expo. “This highlights the continued interest among Filipinos in franchising as an investment option,” Sanz said. The post Biggest franchise expo rides on growth appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Indonesia launches Southeast Asia’s first high-speed rail
Indonesia launched Southeast Asia's first high-speed railway on Monday, a delayed, multibillion-dollar project backed by China that President Joko Widodo hailed as "a symbol of our modernization". With a top speed of 350 kilometers (220 miles) per hour, the bullet train "Whoosh" can get between the capital Jakarta and Bandung in 45 minutes. The 140 km journey would previously have taken about three hours by train. "The Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train marks our efficient, friendly, and integrated mass transportation system," Widodo said during a ceremony at the capital's central station. "It is a symbol of our modernization in the public transport, seamlessly connecting with other modes of transportation." Widodo said the 600-capacity train was the first high-speed rail transportation in Southeast Asia. It is part of Beijing's Belt and Road initiative -- a decade-old program of China-backed infrastructure projects. The president said the name was actually an acronym, standing for a tagline of "Waktu Hemat, Operasi Optimal, Sistem Handal" -- which in Bahasa Indonesia means "Saving time, optimal operation, reliable system". It was built by PT KCIC, which is made up of four Indonesian state companies and Beijing's China Railway International Co. The project was initially set to cost less than $5 billion and be completed by 2019. However, delays caused by construction challenges and the Covid-19 pandemic led to a surge in costs. In preparation for its opening, officials have conducted public trials for the new high-speed route. Last week, Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi confirmed that the government would extend the high-speed train route from Bandung to the country's second-biggest city Surabaya. Last month, Chinese Premier Li Qiang joined Senior Minister Luhut Pandjaitan on a ride aboard the train during his Jakarta visit for summits with Southeast Asian leaders. Pandjaitan told reporters on Thursday that Widodo plans to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping in the future to ride the train, but did not give more specifics. agn/ebe/sn/leg © Agence France-Presse The post Indonesia launches Southeast Asia’s first high-speed rail appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Think tank: SMGPH faces liquidity crunch
The declining profitability of San Miguel Corporation’s energy unit San Miguel Global Power Holdings Corp. has affected the capability of the company to meet near-term financial obligations, according to a report of the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, or IEEFA. Local groups held a forum on Wednesday ahead of the 133rd anniversary of the Adian conglomerate that focused on the “losing strategy” of maintaining its dependence imported fossil fuel with its planned shift from traditional coal to liquefied natural gas, or LNG. Think tank Center for Energy, Ecology and Development indicated during the event that SMGPH is implementing “a losing strategy that is having devastating consequences on shareholders and investors, energy consumers, and the environment.” “While SMC is pursuing the country’s further dependence on fossil fuel, it is also losing on the actual energy transition development. SMC had lost in the race to secure new permits for renewable energy capacity, which will be built in the next two to three years,” Gerry Arances, CEED executive director, said. Sam Reynolds, author of an Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, or IEEFA, report titled San Miguel Global Power: Fossil fuel-oriented growth strategy raises financial red flags, said the article detailed the financial issues SMC faces because of its reliance on coal and gas. IEEFA is a Detroit-based advisory group for energy industry strategies. He warned the company’s overexposure to volatile fossil fuel prices could sink its financial health and that “SMGPH’s overreliance on fossil fuels has weakened its financial health — moving from coal to LNG is not going to solve the fundamental problem of overexposure to fossil fuel prices.” SMGPH debts are falling due between 2024 and 2026, according to the study. The company’s financial position would likely remain inadequate to address the callable perpetual securities, amounting to $3.4 billion (P193 billion). “SMGPH could face a double-edged sword. On one hand, the need to redeem perpetual securities demands additional capital or funding. On the other, opting not to exercise the call option subjects the company to additional financial costs, further straining its financial position,” according to IEEFA. No contract to back up projects “This is especially true when you consider the company’s lack of contracts for its existing and proposed LNG facilities,” he added. SMC’s status as one of the country’s biggest conglomerates entails that the company should be among those leading the transition away from fossil fuels, Reynolds added. Reynolds also doubts the company will be able to fulfill the 2050 net zero commitment it unveiled earlier this year. “Unless there is a major, material pivot within the company to transition to renewables and phase out its fossil fuel expansion plans, the company is going to have very little chance of achieving its 2050 net zero target. Without a strategic, material, immediate pivot, that goal is simply unrealistic,” he said. Liquidity crunch possible As a result of SMGPH’s declining profitability, IEEFA’s analysis indicated that its ability to cover near-term financial commitments in the form of debt, interest and capital distribution for perpetual securities may have worsened considerably. This points to an overall liquidity crunch, which could translate to a longer-term funding shortfall if not carefully managed. IEEFA indicated that its view “aligns with conclusions from Bloomberg Intelligence, which stated that the company may need $900 million (P51 billion) by the end of this year to meet its financial commitments. “SMGPH’s funding constraints also depend on its ability to extend P21 billion worth of short-term loans. There is also a possibility of obtaining local funding due to its connection to parent company SMC,” IEEFA indicated. Its financial SMGPH’s perpetual securities come with a notable feature: a step-up interest mechanism. If the call option on the security is not exercised, the interest rate increases by a certain percentage each year. SMGPH has strategically tapped into the issuance of bonds and loans to fund its expansion plans, increasing its total debt. Total equity has also grown, driven largely by the company’s issuance of perpetual securities. The paper added that a broader assessment, beyond operating cash flows, reveals a rising liquidity risk for SMGPH. It measured the SMGPH’s cash flow from operations (CFO)-to-current liabilities ratio, the results of which pointed a “concerning trend.” The ratio has been on a downward trajectory since 2019. In 2022, the CFO-to-current liabilities ratio plummeted to an all-time low of -0.12, indicating insufficient cash flow to cover short-term liabilities. The same ratio remained weak in the first half. Its ratio in 2022 was 1.00, down from 1.43 in 2021, meaning the company has exactly one dollar of current assets for every dollar of current liabilities. “In essence, the company holds a relatively tight margin of assets available to cover its immediate financial obligations. Meanwhile, the accounts receivable turnover ratio stood at 3.15, marking its lowest value since 2016.” The post Think tank: SMGPH faces liquidity crunch appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Toast to the return of Grand Wine Experience
In wine pairing, the generally accepted rule is that reds are to be paired with “dark” food like red meat, while whites are ideal with light fares like fish and salads. “It’s still a good rule – white with white, red with red,” said Ronald Lim Joseph, director of Finance and Operations of Ralph’s Wines and Spirits and a veritable encyclopedia of wine varieties. “But the rule now is to pair bodies with bodies – so, white wine with delicate flavors, medium-bodied with medium flavors and so on.” The Joseph brothers and some of their children, with supportive spouses, of course, once again hosted a lively lunch to launch the 20th Grand Wine Experience at the newest and biggest brand of Ralph’s, located at Mitsukoshi Mall in BGC. This outlet serves Italian and Japanese fare that one may pair with any of the wines from Ralph’s. “Has it been 20 years?,” I asked a similarly awestruck Melissa de Leon-Joseph, Ron’s wife. “We started out with just maybe a few hundred varieties of wines,” she mused. Today, one of the grandest of Food and Beverage events in the country has evolved into “more than just a wine and spirits event. It is a celebration of life, a toast to the future and a tribute to the past. It is a symbol of resilience, of how we can overcome adversity and emerge stronger and better,” the event originators declare in a statement. On its 20th year, the event will, indeed, be “more special,” Ron says. “Every year, we try to introduce new wines from new regions, from the regions that we bring in. This year, expect new wines from Portugal, Israel and new regions from Italy. We want our friends to discover new places and new flavors.” The last Grand Wine Experience was held in 2019, but the pandemic prevented them from holding it in the succeeding three years. The theme then was “Generations,” a nod to winemaking as among the oldest trades in the world. “It’s passed on from generation to generation. This year, we want the new generations to join.” This year’s theme is “Bud Break, which captures the essence of renewal and optimism,” adds information from Philippine Wine Merchants. Bud break, PWM adds, “is the first stage of the grapevine’s annual cycle, when the dormant buds burst into life and produce new shoots. It is a critical time for the vineyard, as it determines the potential yield and quality of the grapes. It is also a beautiful sight, as the green leaves contrast with the brown branches and create a stunning landscape.” Just like this blossoming season, Grand Wine Experience returns to bring back a sense of appreciation for all the good things in life that people missed over the course of the pandemic. [caption id="attachment_186637" align="aligncenter" width="2008"] PHOTOGRAPH BY DINAH VENTURA FOR THE DAILY TRIBUNEthe Philippine Wine Merchants leaders (from left): Robert Ian Joseph, director for Sales and Marketing; Raymond Joseph, president and CEO;Ralph Joseph, Rea Joseph- Gonzales, Rafael Joseph, director of Finance and Operations Ronnie Joseph and Sales executive Redmond Joseph.[/caption] Drink to be merry The Grand Wine Experience promises more of what regulars have come to expect of the event. On its much-awaited return, “the largest and most prestigious event of its kind in Southeast Asia, featuring over 1,000 wines, spirits, sakes and beers from around the world, curated by experts and presented by renowned winemakers and distillers” will no doubt welcome more of the new generation of Filipino wine and spirits market. More to watch out for are the “exquisite dishes prepared by top chefs to complement the libations,” surely a sensory delight from the chefs of Marriott Manila. The 20th Grand Wine Experience will take place on 17 November at the Marriott Grand Ballroom. The doors will open at 5 p.m. and the event will last until midnight. Tickets are limited and have always sold out fast, so don’t miss this chance to experience some of the finer things in life. “We drink to be merry, not to get drunk,” quips the Josephs, once again reiterating that the best part of celebration is enjoying the food and drink, but more so the company and conversation. The post Toast to the return of Grand Wine Experience appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
UN chief convenes ‘no nonsense’ climate summit, without China or US
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is set Wednesday to host a climate meeting marred at its outset by the absence of speakers from the world's top two emitters, China and the United States. Despite increasing extreme weather events and record-shattering global temperatures, greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise and fossil fuel companies reap handsome profits. Guterres has thus billed the "Climate Ambition Summit" as a "no nonsense" forum where leaders or cabinet ministers will announce specific actions that deliver on their commitments under the Paris Agreement. The bar for making the podium was set high, with the UN chief making clear that only leaders who had made concrete plans to achieve net-zero greenhouse emissions would be allowed to speak. After receiving more than 100 applications to take part, the UN finally released a list on Tuesday night of 41 speakers which did not include China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan or India. "Tomorrow, I will welcome credible first movers and doers to our Climate Ambition Summit," Guterres said Tuesday. Several major leaders didn't bother making the trip to New York for this year's UN General Assembly, including President Xi Jinping of China and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak from the United Kingdom, who said he was too busy. US President Joe Biden, who addressed the General Assembly on Tuesday, sent his climate envoy John Kerry to the meeting -- though Kerry won't be permitted to speak. "There's no doubt that the absence of so many leaders from the world's biggest economies and emitters will clearly have an impact on the outcomes of the summit," Alden Meyer of climate think tank E3G said. He blamed competing issues -- from the Ukraine conflict to US-China tensions and rising economic uncertainty. "But I think it's also the opposition in many of these countries from the fossil fuel industry and other powerful interests to the kind of transformational changes that are needed," said Meyer. Catherine Abreu, executive director of nonprofit Destination Zero, said it was "perhaps a good-news story that we see Biden not being given a speaking slot at the summit" because the United States is continuing to expand fossil fuel projects even as it makes historic investments in renewables. "I think about this as being a correction from past summits, where leaders have been given the opportunity to take credit for climate leadership on the global stage, while they continue to pursue plans to develop fossil fuels, and continue driving the climate crisis back at home," she added. While the United States won't take the rostrum, California will be represented by Governor Gavin Newsom. From Britain, London Mayor Sadiq Khan will also attend. Growing anger The event is the biggest climate summit in New York since 2019, when Greta Thunberg stunned the world with her "How Dare You" speech before the UN. Anger is building among climate activists, particularly younger people, who turned out in thousands last weekend for the "March to End Fossil Fuels" in New York. Observers are eager however to see what Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and European Union President Ursula von der Leyen say both on their own goals and on financing commitments for the developing world. The failure of advanced economies, responsible for the majority of historic emissions, to honor their promises to the worst affected lower-income nations has long been a sore point in climate talks. There are some bright spots, including the announcement that Colombia and Panama are joining a grouping called the Powering Past Coal Alliance -- particularly notable as Colombia is the world's sixth biggest coal exporter. Wednesday's summit comes weeks ahead of the COP28 climate talks in the United Arab Emirates, where goals include tripling renewable energy by 2030, and ending by 2050 the generation of fossil fuel energy that isn't "abated" by carbon capture technology. The post UN chief convenes ‘no nonsense’ climate summit, without China or US appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Taylor Swift, Beyonce reporting jobs trigger controversy
It's rare for a news outlet to dedicate a reporter to one personality, but the publication USA Today has decided Taylor Swift and Beyonce are phenomena requiring their own beats. The recent announcement by Gannett, which owns USA Today, that it was seeking two journalists to cover the biggest names in music as if they were running for president triggered both excitement and eye rolls -- and broader conversation about coverage priorities in an increasingly fragmented and financially precarious news media environment. Gannett, which owns more than 200 daily newspapers, has slashed jobs across local markets over the past several years, laying off six percent of its news division in December. So news of the Tay and Bey positions struck a nerve. "I suppose now is a good time to remind Twitter that I'm the only full-time news reporter left at my newspaper that was sold by Gannett in December," said Brad Vidmar on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Vidmar, 41, works for The Hawk Eye, a newspaper in Burlington, Iowa that GateHouse, an investment firm-run publishing company, purchased in late 2016. In 2019 GateHouse acquired Gannett and took its name, becoming the largest newspaper company in the nation -- and one with a reputation for scooping newspapers before curtailing their resources. Gannett resold The Hawk Eye to a family-owned media company in late 2022 -- its staff a skeleton of what it once was. "They just kept cutting and cutting and cutting staff all across the board," Vidmar told AFP. "What you saw was a situation where there are fewer reporters, reporters forced to take on multiple beats." Losing local content meant filling the paper with wire stories or stories from the broader USA Today network, he explained. Vidmar said Gannett's announcement of the Swift job made "my eyes roll." "They've been downsizing newsrooms for years now, but of course, they need somebody dedicated to covering Taylor Swift," he said. Shaping a generation Gannett said the new positions will be employed by USA Today and The Tennessean, the company's Nashville-based paper. The aim of the new jobs -- which are in addition to three music reporters The Tennessean now employs -- will be to "capture the excitement around Swift's ongoing tour... while also providing thoughtful analysis of her music and career," Gannett said. Another position is aimed at similarly analyzing Beyonce's impact. The NewsGuild's New York branch was skeptical, writing on X: "Gannett's strategy to be profitable again: 1) Lay off hundreds of reporters 2) Destroy local news coverage 3) Hire a Taylor Swift reporter." Lark-Marie Anton, Gannett's chief communications officer, said in a statement to AFP that "these roles do not come at the expense of other jobs," noting that in Gannett's bid to "grow our audience," the company has hired 225 journalists since March and has more than 100 open roles. "Taylor Swift and Beyonce Knowles-Carter are artists and businesswomen. Their work has tremendous economic impact and societal significance influencing multiple industries and our culture -- they are shaping a generation," Anton said. Under pressure Robert Thompson, a media scholar at Syracuse University, said his initial reaction to the new jobs was questioning whether "this is a joke." But he said after more reflection "I think it would be silly to categorically dismiss this... There are so few things that everybody really kind of knows whether they're fans or not, and Beyonce and Taylor Swift are some of the very rare ones." The jobs have the potential to allow for "really insightful ways to tell the story of 21st-century America through the lens of its most popular personages," he said. On the other hand, Thompson acknowledged that the negative reaction to the new jobs in light of dwindling local news coverage is reasonable. "If you were to get a bunch of people together and say, 'We've got X number of dollars, how should they be spent?' Most of them would probably not say the Taylor Swift beat," he said. "But that doesn't mean that separate from that context there can't be some really good things to come of it." If performed correctly, the new jobs are not necessarily the "dream" careers some headlines have touted them as he said. The fan bases for both Swift and Beyonce are notoriously defensive -- music critics who make even the slightest negative comment about their idols can be doxxed or receive death threats. Along with the "organized wrath" of Swifties and the Beyhive, the worlds these artists have curated are famously guarded. Plus, Thompson noted, "The eyes of the profession are going to be on these poor folks when they finally get hired." "That first piece that they file -- it better be really good." The post Taylor Swift, Beyonce reporting jobs trigger controversy appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
A tribute to people working behind the scenes
Audiences always see the work that the actors, and rest of the cast — the so-called front-liners of a production — put into a successful performance, but they seldom are aware of the “backliners” — the backstage and production crew — who also spent time and energy on the production. As the cast receives applause and adulation, the behind-the-scenes crew often goes unnoticed — the costume designer who works on the fittings and alterations, the technical staff who makes sure that the lighting and sound system works, the production people who make the artistic vision come alive with their hammers, paint brushes, etc. Some take great pride in their backstage work such as Annie Ignacio and Amado Bonifacio III, who are in production design for the Cultural Center of the Philippines. A theater arts graduate of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Ignacio first encountered CCP when she was invited as a performer for Pasinaya: The CCP Open House Festival, the country’s largest multi-arts festival happening every February. After hearing great things about CCP from her friends who have been working at the premier cultural institution, she decided to try her luck and inquired about a job opening. Weeks later, she started her new job as part of the theater crew at the Production Design Center. Later on, she was promoted as a draftsman. [caption id="attachment_185925" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Amado Bonifacio III prepares a production’s scale model with his mentor Manong Junior.[/caption] Bonifacio, meanwhile, recalled undergoing an on-the-job training at CCP in 2016, a requirement to finish his engineering degree at the University of Manila. Two years later, in 2018, he became a reliever for one of the theater crewmembers. He was later tasked to supervise the layout of the CCP’s Christmas decorations. Ignacio and Bonifacio both trained under Francisco M. Galvero Jr., or “Manong Junior” to people he worked with. For more than five decades until his retirement last year, Manong Junior remained the only scenic painter of the CCP. After watching him create huge sets for different CCP productions, the mentees started shadowing this master. They would always see Manong Junior doing the scale models and then bringing these miniatures into life-sized sets and sceneries. Curiosity led Ignacio to this path. She would ask questions, inquire about the process of producing sets, find out how to make things realistic and experiment with colors and textures to make the design come alive, among others. “While working with Manong Junior, I noticed his hands. I told him that his hands look like my father’s hands,” shared Ignacio in an interview. Bonifacio added that Manong Junior served as a father figure to him and his fellow workers. “As a mentor, he gave us artistic freedom to explore. He allowed us to express our creativity, but he would appraise our works and rectify what we’d done wrong in a very patient way,” he said. Being a backstage crewmember has its share of ups and downs. Sometimes, several productions are scheduled simultaneously, with everything happening all at once. When these happen, the workload could become overwhelming for the crew. “There was a time when work piled up. We didn’t know what we should do first. My mind went blank, and I just cried. But after that, I returned to work as if nothing happened,” said Ignacio. Bonifacio noted a similar experience. “Even if we don’t want to, the nature of the work forces us to be workaholics. Things could get stressful and tiring, but we love what we are doing. That’s why we are still here.” For them, work does not feel like work. They find fulfillment in seeing what they worked hard for and pour their hearts into it. Ignacio’s biggest achievement to date was creating the now-iconic eye balloon for the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival 2019. The work was displayed at the CCP Main Building Grand Staircase and became an instant hit as an Instagrammable spot among film enthusiasts. She also did the realistic bibingka and puto bumbong props for Tuloy Ang Pasko. These involved trials and errors, and hearing the compliments and receiving recognition made it all worthwhile. She said, “Manong Junior always told us not to be afraid to keep trying and make mistakes.” [caption id="attachment_185927" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Francisco M. Galvero Jr., with his apprentice Annie Ignacio, preparing the set for a ballet production.[/caption] Bonifacio, who takes pride in his work with the Art House Cinema facade decor and Sinag: Festival of Lights, reveals that he doesn’t see himself as an artist. It was only when his mentor Manong Junior recognized him as an artist that he started pondering about his work. They know that backstage work is rarely recognized, but CCP is paying homage to these unsung heroes through a series of mini-documentaries by filmmaker Joseph Mangat, Backstage Pass. Launched during Cinemalaya 19, the second installment features Manong Junior, who had been working on sets for various CCP productions since the early 1980s. The first release featured the technical theater crew in the lights and flying sections. More Backstage Pass episodes will feature the CCP film technicians, sound crew and costume custodians, as well as venue booking and front-of-house operations. The series also gives viewers a glimpse of the lesser-known careers in cinema and theater work. The post A tribute to people working behind the scenes appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
A resounding FIBA World Cup hosting success
In 2007, sports patron and prominent business executive Manny V. Pangilinan flew to Geneva to mend the country’s scarred relationship with FIBA when the Philippines was suspended due to a struggle between the Basketball Association of the Philippines and the Philippine Olympic Committee. Over the years, MVP, along with the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas or SBP, were able to make amends and formed a strong bond with FIBA. And as they say, the rest was history. MVP’s vision to host the FIBA World Cup in a tri-nation bid was approved. The country, together with Japan and Indonesia, was granted to host the 2023 FIBA World Cup, with 32 teams competing for the coveted Naismith trophy for the 2023 Last Sunday, the World Cup curtain finally closed, with several records written, erased, and etched in FIBA history. First, the expanded World Cup adopted by the organizers successfully achieved a more competitive playing field. Nine of the 32 that came to this World Cup did not play in the previous World Cup. After two weeks of grueling competition, six of the eight countries that previously entered the quarterfinals in the 2019 World Cup failed to advance to the next round. Argentina, France, Spain, Poland, Australia, and the Czech Republic were eliminated earlier in the group stages, with only the US and Serbia moving to the semi-final round. Second, for the first time since it participated in the tournament, Germany won the World Cup championship, beating all its opponents in the elimination rounds for an immaculate 7-0 and completing an 8-0 game sweep by beating Serbia in the final, 83-77. FIBA secretary general Andreas Zagklis was quoted by AP saying the expanded qualification field “has changed global basketball on the men’s side.” Third, the three host countries had record-breaking attendance, a rousing success for the tri-nation hosting of the world’s biggest basketball show. Across 92 games in 15 days in five different venues (three in Manila, one each in Okinawa and Jakarta), Zagklis said the World Cup drew a total of 700,000 fans pending the final numbers from the bronze-medal match between USA and Canada and Serbia-Germany finale. In the opener on 25 August, the Philippines tallied a World Cup record featuring 38,115 fans who witnessed the thrilling battle between home team Gilas Pilipinas and the Dominican Republic at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan. The milestone highlighted the Philippines’ hosting and smashed the previous record of 32,616 spectators who watched the gold medal match between the USA and Russia in the 1994 games in Toronto, Canada. Zaglis was all praises for the three countries, especially the Philippines, whom he described as an excellent host. “I don’t think it’s easy to find anywhere in the world that has this kind of service to the visitors. Always with a smile and kindness and with a solution-oriented approach. I can only express how grateful FIBA is to the Philippines,” Zaglis said. SBP president Al S. Panlilio had mixed emotions as the FIBA World Cup ended. “We have proven that our country can host a global basketball event as huge as the FIBA World Cup. Everyone involved — the local organizing committee, various private and public stakeholders, volunteers, peace and order personnel, traffic enforcers, the LGUs, and basketball-loving Pinoys who bravely trooped to the venues to watch the games — must be congratulated for making the event a whopping success.” “But there’s also a feeling of extreme bittersweetness as it comes to an end, yet overshadowed by extreme hopefulness for the 2027 World Cup in Qatar,” he added. Panlilio spearheaded the country’s bid for the multiple-nation hosting of the World Cup along with MVP, SBP chairman emeritus, in 2017. He acknowledged what MVP did to bring the FIBA World Cup to the Philippines with his creative vision of bidding for multi-nation hosting. “It was a privilege to help realize that creative vision by collaboratively working with various groups and stakeholders and successfully hosting the World Cup. We are proud of the effort everyone contributed to make this huge undertaking a monumental and amazing feat,” Panlilio said. The post A resounding FIBA World Cup hosting success appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
P5M street-lighting project in Pangasinan inaugurated
Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos led on Sunday morning the inauguration of a P5 million street-lighting project in Mangaldan, Pangasinan. The project involves the installation of 115 solar panels to provide lighting along the Alangacan Road traversing barangays Tebag, Salaan, Palua, and a portion of Pogo, and directly benefiting the Angalacan Eco-Tourism Park which is one of the main tourist destinations in the town. It was funded through the Seal of Good Local Governance incentive the municipality won last year. Abalos commended the Municipal Government of Mangaldan for winning the prestigious SGLG Award multiple times and for putting the incentive into good use. “Sa SGLG, pinipili namin ang pinakamagagaling na LGUs. Napakahirap manalo dito, para kang pumapasok sa butas ng karayom. At ako ay natutuwa dahil laging lumulusot ang Mangaldan,” Abalos said in his message during the inauguration ceremony. “Natutuwa ako na ginamit ang SGLG Incentive fund sa tamang paraan. Napakaimportante ng pailaw na ito, ng installation ng 115 solar lights. Lagi kong sinasabi, what if ang naglalakad sa gabi ay anak nating babae, o asawa nating babae, yan ang laging barometer ko kung safe ang lugar,” he added. The project is already the 5th SGLG-funded initiative in Mangaldan town having won the award in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2022. He also urged local officials to be proactive in their leadership by engaging in regular dialogue with their constituents and collectively finding and implementing solutions to their locality’s problems. “Leadership is knowing about your community. Ang pagiging magaling na lider ay ang pag-alam sa iyong lugar, sa kalakasan nito at kahinaan nito. Makukuha mo ang solusyon sa pakikipagdayalogo sa mga tao. Kailangang makasalamuha mo ang tao,” he said. “Matapos mo makonsulta ang tao makasama ang tao sa pag-implementa and once you implement it, i tell you, you cannot go wrong because that is leadership coming from the heart, coming from the community. It’s a proactive kind of leadership,” he added. He also urged them to harness agriculture which is the biggest resource of their town and province and continue to work for the welfare of their constituents. “Ang yaman at lakas n’yo ay agrikultura, harness this at kasama n’yo ako dito,” he said. Mangaldan Mayor Bona Fe De Vera-Parayno expressed her gratitude to the DILG for the SGLG incentive and for serving as an inspiration. “Taos-puso kaming nagpapasalamat kay Secretary Abalos at sa DILG sa pagbibigay ng proyektong ito at sa inspirasyon ng pagiging matino, mahusay at maaasahan,” she said. The SGLG is an institutionalized award, incentive, honor, and recognition-based program, that aims to bring about inclusive and people-oriented reforms that will enable LGUs to foster a culture of good governance. The post P5M street-lighting project in Pangasinan inaugurated appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Mexico extradites son of cartel kingpin ‘El Chapo’ to US
Mexico on Friday extradited the son of Sinaloa Cartel kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to the United States to face narcotics charges, US Attorney General Merrick Garland said. Ovidio Guzman Lopez, also known as "El Raton" or "The Mouse," was indicted earlier this year on drug trafficking charges linked to the fentanyl crisis plaguing the United States. His father was convicted in 2019 of running what was believed to be the world's biggest narcotics syndicate and is serving life in a supermax prison in the state of Colorado. Garland hailed the extradition as "the most recent step in the Justice Department's effort to attack every aspect of the cartel's operations." "The Justice Department will continue to hold accountable those responsible for fueling the opioid epidemic that has devastated too many communities across the country." After Guzman's conviction, several of his sons, collectively known as "the Little Chapos," inherited control of the Sinaloa Cartel, US authorities said. Security agents captured the younger Guzman in the Sinaloa city of Culiacan on 5 January. Following his arrest, cartel members set vehicles on fire and created mayhem, an echo of the massive shootouts in 2019 when the younger Guzman was briefly detained but then freed to avoid bloodshed. At the time, US authorities had a $5 million bounty for his arrest, accusing him and his brother, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, of overseeing methamphetamine labs in Sinaloa state producing an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 pounds of meth per month. "Other information indicates that Ovidio Guzman Lopez has ordered the murders of informants, a drug trafficker, and a popular Mexican singer who had refused to sing at his wedding," according to a website of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Ovidio Guzman, 33, will spend his first nights in a US prison just as his father's wife, Emma Coronel, walks free. Coronel, who is not Guzman's mother, was released from a California halfway house this week after completing a sentence for collaborating with Chapo Guzman in his narcotics activities. Coronel is a dual US-Mexican citizen. tjj/qan © Agence France-Presse The post Mexico extradites son of cartel kingpin ‘El Chapo’ to US appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Mexico, Pampanga honors BCDA chief Joshua Bingcang
Bases Conversion and Development Authority President and Chief Executive Officer Engr. Joshua M. Bingcang was recently commended by his hometown Mexico, Pampanga for his dedication to public service and exemplary leadership, enabling him to rise from the ranks. The Sangguniang Bayan of Mexico on 11 September 2023 presented Bingcang a copy of Municipal Resolution No. 138-2023, which expresses the municipality’s “pride and honor” on the recent appointment of Bingcang to the top management position of BCDA. This comes on the heels of the Angeles City Council’s resolution last month commending Bingcang for bringing pride to the province of Pampanga. “Engr. Bingcang has performed vital tasks that prove his commitment and love for Pampanga and the Metro Clark areas through his roles in the planning and implementation of key projects,” a resolution issued by the Sangguniang Bayan of Mexico read. Bingcang led the completion of some of BCDA’s biggest projects, which serve as major social and economic growth drivers in Northern and Central Luzon. These are the completion of the Philippines’ longest toll road, the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway; the development of Clark Freeport Zone and the first phase of the National Government Administrative Center in New Clark City; as well as the expansion and modernization of Clark International Airport. “We at BCDA will not be able to achieve all these accomplishments without the help of our public and private sector partners, like the Municipality Government of Mexico. A lot still needs to be done. We would like to get your continued support as we move forward with our One Clark vision, which will further put Pampanga and the rest of Northern and Central Luzon into the center of investment and development,” Bingcang said. Climbing the career ladder, Bingcang started working at BCDA as Project Development Officer III in 1996. He then held various positions on development and project management through the years until his promotion as Senior Vice President for Conversion and Development Group in 2019. In March 2023, he was appointed as President and CEO of the Clark International Airport Corporation, a subsidiary of the BCDA. President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. then appointed Bingcang as BCDA President and CEO, taking his oath of office before Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin on 6 June in Malacañang Palace. Born and raised in Mexico, Pampanga, Bingcang is a licensed electrical engineer and holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of the Philippines. He also attended an Urban Policy and Governance program at the Nanyang Technological University, and trained at the Harvard Kennedy School in Public-Private Partnerships in Infrastructure. -end- The post Mexico, Pampanga honors BCDA chief Joshua Bingcang appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
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......»»
Play relives Filipinos in Israel
Israel in Manila is paying homage to OFWs and late Migrant Workers Secretary Toots Ople through a one-act play by Israeli improv group Duda showing in Manila throughout the weekend. Duda presented a show based on the stories of some OFWs in Israel that the group interviewed prior to their performance in Manila. In attendance to the improv show held on 6 September were relatives of the OFWs in Israel, family and friends of then Secretary Ople, officials from the DMW, members of the diplomatic community, government officials, and friends of the embassy. There are around 30,000 Filipinos working as caregivers and hotel workers in Israel. The Israel is working closely with the Philippines, especially with the Department of Migrant Workers, to ensure that their rights are protected and respected. They are provided with medical insurance, pension fund, yearly leave with pay, and all of the social rights given under Israeli labor rules. The labor market in Israel is regulated by the rights of the employees. Ambassador Fluss also highlighted the OFWs in Israel who are hardworking, compassionate, and notable for their world-class care. He remembered Ople’s dedication as an advocate for OFWs: “In my close collaboration with her, I had the privilege of witnessing her unwavering commitment and compassionate leadership. Her unique blend of pragmatism and empathy made her a formidable advocate for OFWs. Together, we faced numerous challenges, driven by our shared commitment to enhance the lives of these unsung heroes. Her legacy of compassion, justice, and solidarity continues to inspire us all.” Improvisation or improv is a form of live theater in which the plot, characters, and dialogue of a story are unscripted and created spontaneously by the performers. Duda is one of the groups performing at the Manila Improv Festival which is the biggest improv festival in Asia. The group will be the opening act of the festival on 8 September at 7:30 p.m. in Ayala Malls Circuit Makati. This is the second time for Duda to join the improv fest in Manila, the first one was way back in 2019. In addition to the performances, the group is expected to do a workshop on applied improv with Filipino medical practitioners and an outreach event in an orphanage. Fluss acknowledged the deep relations between the Philippines and Israel, a historical, profound bond rooted in shared values and fortified by vibrant cultural cooperation: “Cultural collaboration has played a pivotal role in reinforcing this bond. Through a rich tapestry of cultural exchanges, we have deepened our understanding of each other’s heritage and fostered a sense of unity and camaraderie. Culture is the bridge that connects our hearts and minds.” The post Play relives Filipinos in Israel appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»