UK-EU Brexit talks back on track as clock ticks to deadline
London—European Union negotiators headed to London on Thursday to resume Brexit trade talks after Britain called off a boycott, with both sides vowing to work round the clock to seal a deal in the time left......»»
China to send youngest-ever crew to space station
Tiangong is the crown jewel of Beijing's space program, which has also landed robotic rovers on Mars and the Moon and made China the third country to put humans in orbit. The station is constantly crewed by teams of three astronauts, who are rotated out every six months. The Shenzhou-17 module carrying the trio to the station is scheduled to blast off at 11:14 a.m. (0314 GMT) Thursday from the Jiuquan launch site in China's arid northwest. "It is the crew of astronauts with the youngest average age since the launch of the space station construction mission," Beijing's State Council Information Office said in a statement. The all-male trio will be led by Tang Hongbo, who is on his first return mission to the Tiangong space station. "Throughout the past two years, I have often dreamt of going back to space," Tang said at a press conference on Wednesday. "The space station is our other home that takes us away from Earth and into the universe," he added. Accompanying him will be Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin, both in their thirties and each making maiden space voyages. The crew has an average age of 38, compared to 42 for the crew of Shenzhou-16 when it launched. "According to the plan, the Shenzhou-17 spacecraft will conduct autonomous rendezvous and docking procedures after entering orbit," Lin Xiqiang, spokesperson for China's space program, said during a Wednesday morning press briefing. It will dock with the station's core module "about six-and-a-half hours" after first initiating the procedure, he added. 'Space dream' Plans for China's "space dream" have been put into overdrive under President Xi Jinping. The world's second-largest economy has pumped billions of dollars into its military-run space program in an effort to catch up with the United States and Russia. In June, the return capsule of the Shenzhou-15 spaceship touched down at a landing site in the northern Inner Mongolia region, with state media hailing the mission as a "complete success". That month also saw the launch of the Shenzhou-16 capsule, which carried the first Chinese civilian -- Beihang University professor Gui Haichao -- into orbit. That crew will return to Earth on October 31 after completing a handover, officials said Wednesday. Beijing also aims to send a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030 and plans to build a base on the lunar surface. Spokesperson Lin reiterated that aim Wednesday, saying that the "goal of landing Chinese people on the moon by 2030 will be realized as scheduled". Lunar plans The country's lunar plans were dealt a setback in 2017 when the powerful Long March-5 Y2 rocket failed to launch on a mission to put communication satellites into orbit. That forced the postponement of the Chang'e-5 launch, originally scheduled to collect Moon samples in the second half of 2017. Another robot, the Chang'e-4, landed on the far side of the Moon in January 2019 -- a historic first. Chang'e-5 eventually landed on the Moon in 2020, raising a Chinese flag on the lunar surface and returning to Earth with the first lunar samples in four decades. The final module of the T-shaped Tiangong -- which means "heavenly palace" -- successfully docked with the core structure last year. The station carries several pieces of cutting-edge scientific equipment, according to state news agency Xinhua, including "the world's first space-based cold atomic clock system". The Tiangong is expected to remain in low Earth orbit at between 400 and 450 kilometers (250 and 280 miles) above the planet for at least 10 years. China will send its youngest-ever crew of astronauts to the Tiangong space station this week, officials said Wednesday, as Beijing pursues plans for a manned mission to the Moon by the end of the decade. Tiangong is the crown jewel of Beijing's space program, which has also landed robotic rovers on Mars and the Moon and made China the third country to put humans in orbit. The station is constantly crewed by teams of three astronauts, who are rotated out every six months. The Shenzhou-17 module carrying the trio to the station is scheduled to blast off at 11:14 am (0314 GMT) Thursday from the Jiuquan launch site in China's arid northwest. "It is the crew of astronauts with the youngest average age since the launch of the space station construction mission," Beijing's State Council Information Office said in a statement. The all-male trio will be led by Tang Hongbo, who is on his first return mission to the Tiangong space station. "Throughout the past two years, I have often dreamt of going back to space," Tang said at a press conference on Wednesday. "The space station is our other home that takes us away from Earth and into the universe," he added. Accompanying him will be Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin, both in their thirties and each making maiden space voyages. The crew has an average age of 38, compared to 42 for the crew of Shenzhou-16 when it launched. "According to the plan, the Shenzhou-17 spacecraft will conduct autonomous rendezvous and docking procedures after entering orbit," Lin Xiqiang, spokesperson for China's space program, said during a Wednesday morning press briefing. It will dock with the station's core module "about six-and-a-half hours" after first initiating the procedure, he added. 'Space dream' Plans for China's "space dream" have been put into overdrive under President Xi Jinping. The world's second-largest economy has pumped billions of dollars into its military-run space program in an effort to catch up with the United States and Russia. In June, the return capsule of the Shenzhou-15 spaceship touched down at a landing site in the northern Inner Mongolia region, with state media hailing the mission as a "complete success". That month also saw the launch of the Shenzhou-16 capsule, which carried the first Chinese civilian -- Beihang University professor Gui Haichao -- into orbit. That crew will return to Earth on October 31 after completing a handover, officials said Wednesday. Beijing also aims to send a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030 and plans to build a base on the lunar surface. Spokesperson Lin reiterated that aim Wednesday, saying that the "goal of landing Chinese people on the moon by 2030 will be realized as scheduled". Lunar plans The country's lunar plans were dealt a setback in 2017 when the powerful Long March-5 Y2 rocket failed to launch on a mission to put communication satellites into orbit. That forced the postponement of the Chang'e-5 launch, originally scheduled to collect Moon samples in the second half of 2017. Another robot, the Chang'e-4, landed on the far side of the Moon in January 2019 -- a historic first. Chang'e-5 eventually landed on the Moon in 2020, raising a Chinese flag on the lunar surface and returning to Earth the first lunar samples in four decades. The final module of the T-shaped Tiangong -- which means "heavenly palace" -- successfully docked with the core structure last year. The station carries several pieces of cutting-edge scientific equipment, according to state news agency Xinhua, including "the world's first space-based cold atomic clock system". The Tiangong is expected to remain in low Earth orbit at between 400 and 450 kilometers (250 and 280 miles) above the planet for at least 10 years. The post China to send youngest-ever crew to space station appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
First relief convoy enters Gaza devastated by ‘nightmare’ war
The first aid trucks arrived in war-torn Gaza from Egypt on Saturday, bringing urgent humanitarian relief to the Hamas-controlled Palestinian enclave suffering what the UN chief labelled a "godawful nightmare". Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas after the Islamist militant group carried out the deadliest attack in the country's history on October 7. Hamas militants killed at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians who were shot, mutilated or burnt to death, and took more than 200 hostages, according to Israeli officials. Israel has retaliated with a relentless bombing campaign on Gaza that has killed more than 4,300 Palestinians, mainly civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. An Israeli siege has cut food, water, electricity and fuel supplies to the densely populated and long-blockaded territory of 2.4 million people, sparking fears of a humanitarian catastrophe. AFP journalists on Saturday saw 20 trucks from the Egyptian Red Crescent, which is responsible for delivering aid from various UN agencies, pass through the Rafah border crossing from Egypt into Gaza. The crossing -- the only one into Gaza not controlled by Israel -- closed again after the trucks passed. The lorries had been waiting for days on the Egyptian side after Israel agreed to a request from its main ally the United States to allow aid to enter. UN chief Antonio Guterres warned Friday that the relief supplies were "the difference between life and death" for many Gazans, more than one million of whom have been displaced. "Much more" aid needs to be sent, he told a peace summit in Egypt on Saturday. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed the aid and urged "all parties" to keep the Rafah crossing open. But a Hamas spokesman said "even dozens" of such convoys could not meet Gaza's needs, especially as no fuel was being allowed in to help distribute the supplies to those in need. 'Reeling in pain' Tens of thousands of Israeli troops have deployed to the Gaza border ahead of an expected ground offensive that officials have pledged will begin "soon". As international tensions soar, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was hosting a peace summit in Cairo on Saturday attended by regional and some Western leaders. "The time has come for action to end this godawful nightmare," Guterres told the summit, calling for a "humanitarian ceasefire". The region "is reeling in pain and one step from the precipice", he said. Guterres said "the grievances of the Palestinian people are legitimate and long" after "56 years of occupation with no end in sight". But he stressed that "nothing can justify the reprehensible assault by Hamas that terrorised Israeli civilians". "Those abhorrent attacks can never justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people," he added. Egypt, historically a key mediator between Hamas and Israel, has urged "restraint" and the relaunch of the long-frozen peace process. But diplomatic efforts to end the violence have made little headway, without the participation of Israel and its enemy Iran, a supporter of Hamas and other armed groups. 'Sliver of hope' A full-blown Israeli ground offensive carries many risks, including to the hostages Hamas took and whose fate is shrouded in uncertainty. So the release of two Americans among the hostages -- mother and daughter Judith and Natalie Raanan -- offered a rare "sliver of hope", said Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross. US President Joe Biden thanked Qatar, which hosts Hamas's political bureau, for its mediation in securing the release. He said he was working "around the clock" to win the return of other Americans being held. Natalie Raanan's half-brother Ben told the BBC he felt an "overwhelming sense of joy" at the release after "the most horrible of ordeals". Hamas said Egypt and Qatar had negotiated the release and that it was "working with all mediators to implement the movement's decision to close the civilian (hostage) file if appropriate security conditions allow". Traumatised families with loved ones missing in Gaza demanded more action. "We ask humanity to interfere and bring back all those young boys, young girls, mothers, babies," Assaf Shem Tov, whose nephew was abducted from a music festival where Hamas killed hundreds, said Friday. Devastation Almost half of Gaza's residents have been displaced, and at least 30 percent of all housing in the territory has been destroyed or damaged, the United Nations says. Thousands have taken refuge in a camp set up in the city of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza. Fadwa al-Najjar said she and her seven children walked for 10 hours to reach the camp, at some points breaking into a run as missiles struck around them. "We saw bodies and limbs torn off and we just started praying, thinking we were going to die," she told AFP. In Al-Zahra in central Gaza, Rami Abu Wazna was struggling to take in the destruction wreaked by Israeli missile strikes. "Even in my worst nightmares, I never thought this could be possible," he said. Israel's operation will take not "a day, nor a week, nor a month" and will result in "the end of Israel's responsibilities in the Gaza Strip", Defence Minister Yoav Gallant warned on Friday. Regional tensions flare In Gaza, retired general Omar Ashour said the destruction was "part of a clear plan for people to have no place left to live". "This will cause a second Nakba," he added, referring to the 760,000 Palestinians who were expelled from or fled their homes when Israel was created in 1948. The United States has moved two aircraft carriers into the eastern Mediterranean to deter Iran or Lebanon's Hezbollah, both Hamas allies, amid fears of a wider conflagration. Fire across Israel's border with Lebanon continued overnight, with one Israeli soldier killed, Israeli public radio said. The military said it hit Hezbollah targets after rocket and missile fire. Violence has also flared in the West Bank, where 84 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, according to the Palestinian health ministry. The post First relief convoy enters Gaza devastated by ‘nightmare’ war appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Strike deal only first step in resolving film industry crisis
A tentative deal to end a long-running writers' strike that has paralyzed Hollywood is only a first step in resolving a film industry crisis, as an equally bitter studio stand-off with the actors' union stretches on. The Writers Guild of America, which walked out back in May over demands including better pay and safeguards against the use of artificial intelligence, finally thrashed out a deal with studios including Netflix and Disney on Sunday night. Ratification of that agreement -- first by the WGA board, then by its 11,500 members -- is widely expected to be waved through without any obstacles in the coming weeks. Picketing for writers has been suspended and the guild has indicated that it could allow members to return to work even before the final vote is counted. Late-night TV shows could return to air "within the next two to three weeks," according to Variety, citing industry insiders. But a far thornier issue is the still ongoing strike by Hollywood actors, represented by the SAG-AFTRA union, which is likely to take weeks to resolve and will prevent any return to production in the immediate future. Even after that, with hundreds of film and television shoots backed up, it could take months for Hollywood to clear the logistical logjam and get fully back to work. "There are presumably upwards of 1,500 productions that all want to start as soon as they can," said entertainment lawyer Jonathan Handel. "And so when SAG gives the word, they're all going to be competing simultaneously... it's absolute chaos. "I don't think we're going to see normalcy in the production process until sometime after January or February." 'Huge roadblock' The WGA's deal with studios achieved compromises on minimum wage increases, bonus payments for writers participating in hit shows, and guarantees that scripts using AI will not undercut human writers and their paychecks. Many of these issues overlap with the actors' demands, and SAG-AFTRA negotiators will be poring over the fine details this week, ahead of their own talks with studios. But, Handel warned, many SAG-AFTRA demands go further than those of the writers. These include steeper pay rises to counter rampant inflation, and an actual share of revenue for hit streaming shows. Studios will be wary that whatever they offer to actors is likely to be demanded by other Hollywood professions such as movie set crews and technicians, who have their own contract renewals due next year. "I think basic wages going are going to be a huge roadblock towards the SAG deal in the next few weeks, because of pattern bargaining," said Handel. SAG-AFTRA also has its own specific demands, such as restrictions on the use of remote, self-taped auditions, which became ubiquitous during the pandemic but are disliked by many actors. 'Fool's assumption' Still, Sunday's deal means SAG-AFTRA negotiators could meet with unions as soon as next week, for the first time since actors went on strike in July. "The end of the WGA strike will hasten the end of SAG-AFTRA's walkout," predicted Variety. But even "if things go smoothly -- which is a fool's assumption -- I still think it would take two to three weeks to get a SAG deal done... which takes you into October," said Handel. "Then there's the ratification process, which takes another month." That means the clock is ticking for actors to be able to promote big year-end movie releases, such as Disney's superhero sequel "The Marvels." And publicists are desperate for their stars to start campaigning for some of the industry's biggest events -- television's Emmy Awards, and the film industry's Oscars, which take place in January and March respectively. The post Strike deal only first step in resolving film industry crisis appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Chinese youths trade city-living for ceramics
China's "Porcelain Capital" Jingdezhen is attracting droves of young people drawn to the city of artisans in search of an escape from the urban rat race among its ceramics workshops. The picturesque eastern city home to China's best-known porcelain has seen an influx of young professionals seeking to learn an ancient art taught there for more than a thousand years. Times are tough for young people in China, with youth unemployment at record highs, sluggish economic growth and, for many, the opportunities their parents' generation enjoyed are simply not attainable. But in Jingdezhen they find something different: low rent, a slower pace of life and a proximity to nature in a city of just 1.6 million inhabitants, very small by Chinese standards. From her one-bedroom apartment on the seventh floor, He Yun, a 28-year-old illustrator, enjoys a panoramic view of the surrounding green hills for just 500 yuan ($68) a month. She arrived in Jingdezhen in June after being laid off and found a place where she didn't feel "any pressure". "I came because on social media everyone was saying that it was a great place for craft fans, like me, and that there was a scent of freedom," she said. "When I lost my job, I stayed at home and got depressed. But once I arrived here, I found that it's super easy to make friends." "No more need to set the alarm in the morning," she smiled. "I have zero pressure now!" - 'Looking for meaning' - A typical day for He starts with a laid-back breakfast, before heading to a workshop to make her ceramic candle holders and necklaces, which are then fired in one of the city's many kilns. "At the end of the afternoon, we go to the surrounding villages and swim in the streams to relax," she said. "I put my work on Xiaohongshu" -- a Chinese app similar to Instagram -- "where people contact me to buy. But we mainly sell at the market," she said. Between trendy cafes, boutiques and stands offer glasses, bowls, cups, teapots, plates, necklaces or earrings. Chen Jia, 24 with dyed red hair, makes feminist pendants in the shape of sanitary napkins. A music graduate who arrived in June, her first jobs as a piano teacher and in a milk tea shop and cafe weren't to her liking. "I am looking for meaning in my life," she said. "Many young people today no longer want to clock in at work at a fixed time." China's transformative economic rise was built on the backs of a growing middle class, who were promised they could enjoy the trappings of prosperity and give their children a better life if they worked hard enough. But the country's millennials and Gen Z have faced altogether different prospects: youth unemployment has reached a record level, exceeding 20 percent according to official figures, and pay is low. It's in that context that the "tangping" counterculture has thrived. Literally meaning "lying flat", it's come to represent a general rejection of society's expectations, giving up a great career and money to concentrate on a simple life and pleasures. And Jingdezhen has become a haven for those seeking just that. At the Dashu pottery school, around 20 students work with clay on their pottery wheels or chat as they sip iced lattes. Training costs 4,500 yuan a month ($617), a very affordable price. "Many young people cannot find work" explained the 39-year-old director who calls herself Anna. "They come here to reduce their anxiety." "Ceramics are very accessible. In two weeks, they can produce simple works and sell them at markets." - 'New life' - One of them, Guo Yiyang, 27, resigned in March from a well-paid job as a computer programmer. After working overtime for years, he said he wanted to "take a breather". "In big cities... you just work. You don't have your own life," he said, adding he "never again" sees himself working that way. "The desire for another way of life" is also what motivated Xiao Fei, 27, a former interior designer who resigned and came to Jingdezhen in June. "I didn't have time for myself," she said. "I came home tired and I didn't want to talk to others." "I feel happier, more free and I meet people who have the same ideals." According to Chinese media, 30,000 young urbanites lived in Jingdezhen in 2022. Few stay long-term but Xiao already knows that she doesn't want to go back. "After tasting this new life, I don't want to go back to an office job at all." ehl-oho/je/mtp/sn/pbt © Agence France-Presse The post Chinese youths trade city-living for ceramics appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Nina Lim-Yuson — A lifetime of girl scouting
The president of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines, Nina Lim-Yuson, grew up in a family and home of Girl Scouts. Her grandmother, Pilar Hidalgo-Lim, was one of the co-founders of the GSP. “It was actually my Lola Pilar who suggested to Josefa Llanes Escoda, the GSP founder, to go to America to learn about girl scouting.” This tidbit of history, Nina shared in an online interview with the DAILY TRIBUNE. Pilar Hidalgo-Lim became GSP president, and so did Nina’s mother, Estefania Aldaba-Lim, who served as secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. Nina’s sister too, the eminent broadcast journalist, Cheche Lazaro, was a Girl Scout. Coming from a lineage of women achievers, Nina could not have chosen a different path. It was scouting that formally introduced the family to social responsibility, skills development and citizenship. Her brothers were also Boy Scouts. “I started when I was six years old and it was my Lola Pilar who inducted me as a Brownie. It used to be called Brownie because we were still using the American pattern,” she related. She belonged to Troop Number One, the first to be organized by the GSP national headquarters. In high school at the Jose Abad Santos Memorial School of the Philippine Women’s University, she became a junior and later a senior Girl Scout. College would briefly end her Girl Scouting as she focused on her studies. Along the way, she also danced with the Bayanihan Folk Dance Company. It was not unexpected that she would return to scouting, her first love, and her first extra-curricular activity. For the last 36 years, she has been active in various organizations and volunteer work. She founded the Museong Pambata. She is a recipient of The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service and is active in its various social development efforts. What Nina brings to her post is the legacy of leadership that had been passed on to her through generations of women leaders in the family. “My Lola Pilar was my idol. She was such a nice person and I never knew her totally as a president. I knew her more as a loving lola from all the stories she related when we rode up to Baguio. “My mother, on the other hand, was the opposite. She was very career-minded. I learned naman from her a lot of things, like being thrifty and having a list of things to do. In terms of organization, she was like that. Because she was in government. And, you know, when we started Museo, while it was actually my concept, I learned a lot from her. She would call me up at 5 o’clock in the morning and she would rattle off what needed to be done, like ‘number one, number two and so on.’ That was her. And I’m glad that I worked with her for six years in Museo. She was the president and I was the executive director for six years. I took over in 2000 as president and chief executive officer. And then, I stepped down in 2017.” Girl Scouts who read and tell stories Nina was elected president of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines for the term 2021-2024 during its 2021 national convention. From day one, she shared, “My purpose was to reach out to the community-based troops because we have always been school-based. Many young women now have social problems so we need to reach out to the communities through our community-based troops.” Also on top of her priorities is literacy development, a cause that she addressed even in the Museo Pambata. She explained, “My advocacy has always been education. So, I was very concerned because the Asian Development Bank reported in 2022 that the World Bank found out that our Filipino children at ages 9 and 10 cannot read. So, I felt that because girl scouting is all over the country, with 96 local councils, the organization could serve as a vehicle for improving literacy in our country. “We started the Girl Scout Storyteller project because storytelling affects the heart first before the mind. When young people start with storytelling, they will love the stories and then the written word. They would then want to read. “We now have storytelling in economically challenged communities and we have partners. We sent out 2,500 books throughout the country with the help of our partner couriers.” Initially, she sought the help of her family foundation “to give a donation. I also sought the help of Ging Montinola, who is into literacy development. Together, we founded the literacy program. We are building this fund to cover the cost of buying children’s books. We will have a storytelling contest next year.” Raising funds for Camp Escoda Nina then shifted the conversation to another major endeavor that she is spearheading as GSP president — fundraising for the 27-hectare Camp Josefa Llanes Escoda in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija, which was donated by the provincial government during the term of Governor Amado Aleta, the father of consul and civic leader Fortune Ledesma. “Palayan is beautiful because it has rolling hills, but it doesn’t have electrical and water facilities and roadworks. It doesn’t have a swimming pool, and it’s so hot in Nueva Ecija. It also does not have a conference hall. This is a big one-time fundraising project because it’s for the future of the girls who are going to the camp. Because as of now, if you go camping there, you have to walk up the hills to get your drinking water. You have to make buhos to take a bath.” She recalled, “In my time as a young Girl Scout, which was of another era, we had to walk in the dark to fetch water to fill up two drums. I was so scared because there were tuko in Los Baños. That taught me to be courageous. Camps really build up your lifetime skills and attitude. Camping is very integral in girl scouting and boy scouting. So, this camp will serve a purpose. It just needs various basic facilities to make it world-class and convenient with the proper amenities, but the girls will continue to learn all those survival techniques and appreciate nature right on the camp.” She praised architect Pippo Carunungan, “who is an environmental planner. He surveyed the site and drew up everything. It will be a beautiful camp, he said, because it’s a gift of nature.” First Lady as Chief Girl Scout Nina recently led the Girl Scouts in a fundraising ball attended by the “First Lady, Liza Araneta-Marcos, who is our Chief Girl Scout. It’s mandated in the GSP constitution that whoever is the female president of the country or the First Lady is the Chief Girl Scout. In the past, we had Imelda Marcos, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. All the first ladies were all Chief Girl Scouts. “Mrs. Liza Marcos spoke before us and she promised to help. She said, ‘We will make it the best campsite.’ Everyone was excited to see her and she obliged everyone who asked to have selfie with her. She is very friendly. She is really a Girl Scout.” Nina shared, “A generous couple is sponsoring the swimming pool at P6 million, while a gentleman entrepreneur is sponsoring the perimeter fence at P1.5 million. Many other businessmen and leaders have pledged to help build this dream GSP project. “We really need to raise about 50 million to have a very good camp. But when the First Lady heard about it, she said, ‘It has to be P250 million.’ But, really, when we have the funds, we can have deep toilets that have running water instead of tabo-tabo. Since we have a little Pampanga river that runs across the camp, we can build a bridge that crosses it and then the girls can have white-water rafting there in the Pampanga river. “Camp Escoda will be a very important and significant venue for our Girl Scouts to gather, bond, learn new skills and develop as morally upright citizens of the country and the world. It is especially so because camping is integral in any Girl Scout’s life. If you don’t have camping, it’s like half of your scouting life is missing. Every Girl Scout remembers that time of her youth. And being the national camp, it will welcome Girl Scouts representing the 96 councils from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao who will participate in various events and trainings.” Girl Scouts of all ages As GSP president, Nina travels to various parts of the country. “We have regional conferences aside from the meeting of the Central Board when regional heads and executives come to Manila. “I had just come from Baguio where I stayed for two-and-a-half days. I met our young Girl Scout representatives from ages 14 to 18. I enjoyed listening to them and exchanging ideas with them. I am so happy that we have a wealth of intelligent girls who want to serve the country. They are the ones who are going to take over. “It’s amazing that GSP is no longer limited to old people on the board. We finally have young ones on the board. Our Escoda committee is headed by Jade Delgado from Iloilo. Then we have Justine Bautista. She’s a psychometrician. She heads the Program Committee, which is a big committee because when we were in Baguio, we had 86 girls from all the councils throughout the country. Many of them are running for SK. “So, in my 70s now, which I don’t feel at all, I don’t take any medicines or something like that. Being with young people is what inspires me. Because at 15, 16 or 17, they already know that they have some kind of a mission.” Nina proudly shared that the venue of the Baguio conference, 'Ating Tahanan' on the South Drive was bought during the tenure of my Lola Pilar. We have four buildings there, including the houses of Senator and actor Rogelio de la Rosa and Carlos Valdes, the accountant. Lola Pilar, according to Carlos Valdes, twisted his arm to get a low price. I’m so thankful for all those who preceded me because they bought these places. It’s on South Drive which is so valuable. We even have a reserved forest behind us.” As she looks forward to the next camping and gets even busier raising funds for Camp Escoda, Nina feels elated that “every one of us in the Girl Scouts has been together in our various undertakings. The nice thing is we are now intergenerational because we try to bring in the old with experience, institutional memory and their wisdom born of their long life, and the young who are full of enthusiasm, energy and new ideas.” A star scout for a granddaughter While Nina does her part for the bright future of girl scouting in the country, her personal family too has not stopped contributing to the roster of members to this worldwide organization. Today, a granddaughter of hers, seven-year-old Rocio Yuson de Guzman, is a Star Scout. She is the daughter of Nina’s daughter, Nicky. No grandmother could have been prouder. Nina said, “Rufio loves being a star scout. When I arrived from the recent world conference in Cyprus, I came back with some badges and I gave some to Rufio who is very proud of the little badges that I got for her.” For sure, Nina will pass on not just the badges to Rufio. More importantly, she will give her granddaughter the once-in-one’s-childhood experience of being a Girl Scout and learning “the values that are identified in the Girl Scout Promise and Laws. I think that while there is so much to enjoy and learn, it is the inculcation of these values that would mold her into a well-rounded human being. As we all know, a Girl Scout’s honor is to be trusted. A Girl Scout is loyal, thrifty, courteous… and so on. It’s like a mantra -- the values that one lives by. “I have reached that point when it is not about success or what one accumulates in life, whether awards or accomplishments or material things. It is more about what I can share and scouting gives me that honor and privilege — to do my part in helping mold our young girls and making them aware even at an early age that they have a mission and worthy purpose in life. It is not just about being good and outstanding on your own but it is also about helping others to become better in what they’re doing and live better lives. “And I need not look far. As a grandmother, I dote on my Star Scout granddaughter, Rufio. There’s a world out there for her to discover and in which she has a role to play and use the skills and values she will learn from scouting.” The post Nina Lim-Yuson — A lifetime of girl scouting appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Kai’s last chance
Up to now, Kai Sotto’s stint in the FIBA Basketball World Cup remains unclear. Sure, he has been in the country for over two weeks and has been attending some Gilas Pilipinas events, but the fact that he has yet to actually train with his teammates is making Chot Reyes anxious. Sotto is tipped to play a crucial role in the Gilas squad. His 7-foot-3 frame, athleticism and feathery shooting touch from the perimeter will be needed when the Filipinos battle the best players in the world in the prestigious basketball spectacle from 25 August to 10 September. But it will be impossible for Reyes to involve Sotto in his game plan if he has yet to actually see him banging bodies with his fellow big men like World Cup veterans June Mar Fajardo and Japeth Aguilar, as well as rising star AJ Edu. It is no secret that Sotto’s dream is to make it to the National Basketball Association. He was still a gangly kid when he started joining the Junior NBA program before moving to Ateneo de Manila University and eventually donning the national colors in various age-group events — the biggest and most prestigious was the 2019 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup in Greece. A lot of offers came his way, including a chance to play for prestigious European clubs like Alba Berlin, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Baskonia, but Sotto, then 17, decided to bring his talent to the United States — not to enter play at the collegiate level — but to make a daring leap straight into the NBA. After training at The Skill Factory, he joined Team Ignite, a developmental team in the NBA G League that aims to prepare athletes for the NBA. At Team Ignite, Sotto showed some promise as he played for former Los Angeles Lakers coach Brian Shaw together with future NBA players Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Daishen Nix, and Isiah Todd. But when Team Ignite was about to start its season and enter the G League bubble in Orlando, Sotto shockingly flew home and joined Gilas in the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers. Ignite eventually dropped Sotto, prompting him to look for other ways to realize his dream of becoming the first full-blooded Filipino to make it to the NBA. He found one in Australia. He played for the Adelaide 36ers in the National Basketball League and had some measure of success. In fact, he was able to gauge his prowess when the 36ers played against Chris Paul, Devin Booker, DeAndre Ayton and the Phoenix Suns in an NBA preseason match. After a couple of seasons in Australia, he moved to Japan to play for the Hiroshima Dragonflies in the B League. He had some impressive games, but it wasn’t enough to earn the attention of NBA coaches, scouts, and talent evaluators. Still, he joined the NBA Summer League. Playing against veteran free agents, journeymen, and incoming rookies looking to earn spots on the opening-day rosters of NBA teams, Sotto rode the Orlando Magic bench in their first three games before making his debut against the Portland Trail Blazers, recording six points, four rebounds and three blocks in their 71-88 loss. Sotto tried to play in his fifth game, but he was slowed down by a back injury. His return to Manila was surrounded by controversy as he failed to join the Gilas squad that was set to go to China for the final leg of its preparations for the World Cup. He opted to stay home to “rest and recover” from his back injury. Until when? It’s something that only Sotto and his American handlers know. But Sotto should realize that the doors of the NBA are slowly closing on him. He already made a bad decision by snubbing the invitations of top European clubs as well as prestigious American collegiate programs like Kentucky, Georgia Tech and Auburn that could have helped him develop his game and gain confidence while playing against kids his age. Instead of staying patient and working on his game away from the prying eyes of NBA scouts, he rushed the process by signing up with Team Ignite before committing another massive blunder of flying back to Manila just before the G League season tipped off. Now he has only one chance — the FIBA Basketball World Cup. A lot of Filipinos ranging from Johnny Abarrientos to Aguilar, Kiefer Ravena and Ray Parks all tried — and failed — to make it to the NBA. On the contrary, Sotto is being presented with a rare opportunity to display his talent and carry the torch in a world-class event. Sadly, despite repeatedly saying that he is ready, his body language suggests that he is reluctant to step up to serve as the hero of this basketball-crazy nation. The clock is ticking for Sotto. The doors of the NBA are slowly closing right before his very eyes. He has to lace his sneakers, grab that Gilas jersey, and play his heart out for the country in the FIBA Basketball World Cup before he becomes another “what if” in the history of Philippine basketball. The post Kai’s last chance appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Clock ticking on Gilas
There’s only almost a month left before the FIBA Basketball World Cup but Gilas Pilipinas has yet to train with a complete roster. Various problems have hounded the national squad. In fact, barely a few days after the announcement of the 21-man pool, rising star Carl Tamayo pulled out, saying that he needed to rest following a grueling campaign in the Japan B League. Injuries further marred the formation of the squad with Roger Pogoy, Calvin Oftana, Ray Parks, and naturalized player Justin Brownlee begging off from the training camp at the Inspire Sports Academy in Laguna, while AJ Edu showed up hobbling with an ankle sprain that he sustained in a workout in Brisbane. Still, Gilas, with a depleted roster, left for Estonia and Lithuania. Their training went well where they faced top collegiate, national, and club teams from Ukraine, Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Lithuania. But shortly before flying back to Manila, Scottie Thompson, one the team’s most versatile players, crashed with yet another injury as he hurt his finger in the final stretch of the camp. The injury was so severe that it could take six to eight weeks for him to recover, practically reducing him to a mere spectator when the World Cup unwraps on 25 August. Then, shortly after their return from Europe, gunner Jordan Heading also withdrew due to a nagging back injury that needs therapy in the United States. But coach Chot Reyes never lost hope. After all, Kai Sotto had returned to the country following a two-game stint in the National Basketball Association Summer League, while Jordan Clarkson was scheduled to arrive based on his earlier commitment that he will join Gilas training six weeks before the World Cup fires off. But as of last Friday, both Sotto and Clarkson had yet to play a single minute with Gilas Pilipinas as it heads for a crucial four-nation pocket tournament in China next week. Their continuous absence is not only a major concern for Reyes, but also for their teammates, who are obviously getting impatient and demoralized for training with a crippled roster for over a month now. There is no doubt that Sotto and Clarkson are the best Filipino players in the world right now. But Sotto seems too busy chasing his dream of becoming the first Filipino to play in the NBA, while Clarkson just signed a new contract with the Utah Jazz that would make him richer by more than $50 million in the next four years. When Sotto showed up to Gilas training on Thursday, he just talked to Reyes and asked for a few more days of rest as he sustained a back injury in his final game in the Summer League. Meanwhile, Clarkson’s initial agreement with the federation appears to have fizzled out as Gilas Pilipinas team manager Butch Antonio admitted that they were still in the “middle of negotiations,” something that should have been done three or four months ago. Reyes has to make a decision quickly. The World Cup is coming up and time is no longer on his side. He has to devise a backup plan — a Plan B — before the support of this basketball-crazy country for this massive and very expensive mission completely erodes. If he has to drop Sotto and Clarkson from his plan, so be it. The important thing is that he comes up with a solid preparation and a game plan that is built around those who have been training regularly. At this point, what Reyes and Gilas Pilipinas need are not the best dribblers, the best passers, or the best defenders. They don’t even need the tallest or the quickest players. What they need are players who are committed. Players who are willing to play for the flag and put the country ahead of their personal goals and ambitions. Players who are armed with big fighting hearts. The clock is ticking on this Gilas squad. Reyes should grab the ball and deliver the dagger before the time expires. The post Clock ticking on Gilas appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
China’s top diplomat tells EU not to ‘vacillate’
The European Union must not "vacillate" and needs to "clarify" its strategic relationship with Beijing, top diplomat Wang Yi said during a meeting with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, China's foreign ministry said Saturday. Germany, Europe's leading economy on Thursday, announced plans to "de-risk" ties with China. Other EU leaders, weary of China's growing assertiveness and cozy relationship with Russia, have pushed to reduce reliance on Beijing. "The EU side should... clarify the positioning of the strategic partnership between the two sides, and promote China-EU relations to move forward," Wang told Borrell when they met on the sidelines of Southeast Asian talks in Jakarta on Friday, according to the Chinese foreign ministry statement. "It should not vacillate, let alone encourage words and deeds that turn the clock back," Wang said. Some EU member states worry about antagonizing China and starting a trade war, while others argue now is the time to act to protect the bloc's economic security. Brussels wants to define its own approach to Beijing that balances concerns over relying too much on China with maintaining ties with the world's second-largest economy. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in January described the EU's approach to China as "de-risking rather than decoupling" since the bloc still sought to work and trade with Beijing. "There is no conflict of fundamental interests between China and the EU," Wang said. On Ukraine, he added: "China supports the establishment of a balanced, effective and sustainable European security architecture," and that Beijing is "committed to promoting peace talks". The post China’s top diplomat tells EU not to ‘vacillate’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Arcilla turns back clock
Johnny Arcilla recalled his fierce form coming off a recent setback, pounding out a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Eric Jed Olivarez to rule the Lanao del Norte National Open at the MCC courts in Tubod last Thursday......»»
Bong Go: Food, hotel stay, reimbursement for inconvenienced flyers
Senator Christopher “Bong" Go on Wednesday called on airlines to provide passengers affected by canceled or delayed flights with food and water, alternative flights, accommodation in nearby hotels, and prompt reimbursement of expenses they incurred from disrupted trips. The senator made the call during the Senate inquiry on passenger complaints against Cebu Pacific, including the airline's overbooking, offloading, and online booking glitches. Senator Nancy Binay chaired the hearing of her Committee on Tourism. Earlier, she filed Senate Resolution 575 that called for the investigation after her office compiled at least 3,000 complaints from passengers from social media platforms. Binay emphasized the need to identify problems and immediately craft strategies to prevent similar complaints in the future. Go told the Committee that even former president Rodrigo Duterte experienced a flight scheduled at five o'clock but changed to 9:30 last Saturday. The senator also cited his own experience that caused him to celebrate his birthday on an airplane at midnight of 14 June. "Last Saturday, I have an 11:25 p.m. flight. I received the boarding time on my cellphone at 10:40 p.m. It means you have to get ready. Then all of a sudden, when you are in the door, you will be told that the airplane has not yet arrived?" he said in another instance of delayed flight. "Why is that? What the online advisory said was different, that the plane was already there when the truth was that it was not there. Passengers should be given proper information to have a comfortable travel." Go added, "The situation is also difficult for our OFWs who are working tirelessly abroad to support their families. Delayed or canceled flights may jeopardize their employment and livelihood." He also lamented the practice of selling more airline tickets than available seats, which has led to situations where passengers with confirmed reservations have been denied boarding, disrupting their plans and causing immense inconvenience. "The airline should compensate affected passengers for their inconvenience," Go said. During the hearing, several Cebu Pacific passengers complained about apparent website errors that resulted in them being charged multiple times for transactions, yet it appeared to be unsuccessful. Cebu Pacific chief marketing and customer experience officer, Candice Iyog, told the committee that the airline is already working on “a fix or an enhancement” to the interface of the website, which will likely be ready at the end of this month. Iyog said they recently reminded their customer service agents to allow passengers to get back to their original flight or to remove add-ons that were “accidentally added.” The post Bong Go: Food, hotel stay, reimbursement for inconvenienced flyers appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Desperate search for sub near Titanic with about 40 hours of oxygen left
Rescue teams raced against time Tuesday to find a deep-diving tourist submersible that went missing near the wreck of the Titanic with five people on board and an estimated 40 hours of oxygen left. All communication was lost with the 21-foot (6.5-meter) Titan craft during a descent Sunday to the Titanic, which sits more than two miles (nearly four kilometers) below the surface of the North Atlantic. The submersible was carrying three fee-paying passengers -- British billionaire Hamish Harding, and Pakistani tycoon Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman. The US and Canadian Coast Guards have deployed ships and planes in an intensive search for the vessel, which was attempting to dive near the wreck of the Titanic some 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. Coast Guard Captain Jamie Frederick told reporters that the rescue efforts over an area of 7,600 square miles, larger than the US state of Connecticut, "have not yielded any results." "There's about 40 hours of breathable air left based on that initial report," he said referring to the sub's capacity to hold up to 96 hours of oxygen. A P-3 plane from Canada dropped sonar buoys in the area of the Titanic wreckage to listen for any sound from the small sub. The search, initially restricted to the ocean's surface, was expanded underwater on Tuesday. France's oceanographic institute said it was sending a deep-sea underwater robot to aid efforts. In an Instagram message posted just before the dive, Harding said a mission window had opened after days of bad weather. Among the crew he named was Paul-Henry Nargeolet, a veteran diver and expert on the Titanic wreck. Unconfirmed reports said the fifth person on board was Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate Expeditions which operates the tourist dives. The Titan lost contact with the surface less than two hours into its descent, according to authorities. "We are exploring and mobilizing all options to bring the crew back safely. Our entire focus is on the crewmembers in the submersible and their families," OceanGate said in a statement. Mike Reiss, an American television writer who visited the Titanic wreck on the same sub last year, told the BBC the experience was disorientating. The pressure at that depth as measured in atmospheres is 400 times what it is at sea level. "The compass immediately stopped working and was just spinning around and so we had to flail around blindly at the bottom of the ocean, knowing the Titanic was somewhere there," Reiss said. Legendary explorers He told the BBC that everyone was aware of the dangers. "You sign a waiver before you get on and it mentions death three different times on page one" OceanGate Expeditions charges $250,000 for a seat on the Titan. Harding, a 58-year-old aviator, space tourist, and chairman of Action Aviation, is no stranger to daredevil antics and has three Guinness world records to his name. A year ago, he became a space tourist through Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin company. In his Instagram post, Harding said how proud he was to be part of the latest mission. "Due to the worst winter in Newfoundland in 40 years, this mission is likely to be the first and only manned mission to the Titanic in 2023," he wrote. "The team on the sub has a couple of legendary explorers, some of which have done over 30 dives to the RMS Titanic since the 1980s including PH Nargeolet," the post added. Shahzada and Suleman Dawood hail from one of Pakistan's richest families that runs an investment and holding company headquartered in Karachi. Shahzada is the vice chairman of the subsidiary company Engro, which has an array of investments in energy, agriculture, petrochemicals, and telecommunications. Clock is ticking The Titanic hit an iceberg and sank in 1912 during its maiden voyage from England to New York with 2,224 passengers and crew on board. More than 1,500 people died. It was found in 1985 and remains a lure for nautical experts and underwater tourists. Without having studied the lost craft itself, Alistair Greig, professor of marine engineering at University College London, suggested two possible scenarios based on images of the Titan published by the press. He said if it had an electrical or communications problem, it could have surfaced and remained floating, "waiting to be found" -- bearing in mind the vessel can reportedly be unlocked from the outside only. "Another scenario is the pressure hull was compromised -- a leak," he said in a statement. "Then the prognosis is not good." There are few vessels able to go to the depth to which the Titan might have traveled. "The clock is ticking... going undersea is as, if not more, challenging than going into space from an engineering perspective," said University of Adelaide associate professor Eric Fusil in a statement. The post Desperate search for sub near Titanic with about 40 hours of oxygen left appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Rescue teams search for missing submersible near Titanic wreck
Rescue teams raced against time on Tuesday in their search for a tourist submersible that went missing near the wreck of the Titanic with five people on board. One of the passengers has been identified as British businessman Hamish Harding, whose aviation firm had posted on social media about his expedition. Prominent Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, who is vice-chairman of the conglomerate Engro, and his son Suleman were also on board, a family statement said. The 21-foot (6.5-meter) craft, operated by OceanGate Expeditions, began its descent to the wreck on Sunday but lost contact with the surface less than two hours later, according to authorities. "As of now, contact has been lost with their submersible craft and there is limited information available," the Dawood family statement said. "We are very grateful for the concern being shown by our colleagues and friends and would like to request everyone to pray for their safety," it added. The US Coast Guard had launched two planes to survey the remote area in the North Atlantic, while its Canadian counterparts had sent a plane and a ship. Time is a critical factor. The vessel has a range of 96 hours for the crew of five, and US Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger said Monday afternoon that he believed it still had 70 or more hours of oxygen remaining. "It is a challenge to conduct a search in that remote area, but we are deploying all available assets to make sure that we can locate the craft and rescue the people on board," Mauger told reporters in Boston on Monday. But with no reported sightings of the vessel or communication signals throughout the day, the US Coast Guard halted its flights for the day. It said search operations through the night would be led by the US National Guard and the mission's operator. The Coast Guard added that searches by Canadian aircraft, which were using buoys to scan underneath the surface, would continue on Tuesday morning. An OceanGate Expeditions spokesperson told AFP in a statement late Monday that "for some time, we have been unable to establish communications with one of our submersible exploration vehicles which is currently visiting the wreck site of the Titanic." "Our entire focus is on the wellbeing of the crew and every step possible is being taken to bring the five crew members back safely." The company uses a submersible named Titan for its dives to the Titanic wreck, with seats priced at $250,000, according to its website. Harding, a 58-year-old aviator, space tourist and chairman of Action Aviation, had posted Sunday on his Instagram account that he was proud to join OceanGate's Titanic mission. "Due to the worst winter in Newfoundland in 40 years, this mission is likely to be the first and only manned mission to the Titanic in 2023," he wrote. Paul-Henry Nargeolet, a veteran diver and expert on the Titanic wreck, was also part of the Titan crew, Harding said in his post. "The team on the sub has a couple of legendary explorers, some of which have done over 30 dives to the RMS Titanic since the 1980s including PH Nargeolet," the post says. Action Aviation posted Sunday on Twitter that "the sub had a successful launch and Hamish is currently diving," and included several photographs of Harding and mission staff on the surface. - 'Clock is ticking' - The Titanic hit an iceberg and sank in 1912 during its maiden voyage from England to New York with 2,224 passengers and crew on board. More than 1,500 people died. The wreckage is in two main pieces 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, some 13,000 feet underwater. It was found in 1985 and remains a source of fascination and a lure for nautical experts and underwater tourists. Without having studied the craft itself, Alistair Greig, professor of marine engineering at University College London, suggested two possible theories based on images of the vessel published by the press. He said if it had an electrical or communications problem, it could have surfaced and remained floating, "waiting to be found." "Another scenario is the pressure hull was compromised -– a leak," he said in a statement. "Then the prognosis is not good." While the submersible may still be intact during its dive, "there are very few vessels" able to go to the depth to which the Titan might have traveled. "The clock is ticking, and any submariner/submersible deep divers know how unforgiving the Abyssal domain is: going undersea is as, if not more, challenging than going into space from an engineering perspective," said University of Adelaide associate professor Eric Fusil in a statement. iba/nro/mlm/des/dhw/sco © Agence France-Presse Add to cart Print Download Share this document The post Rescue teams search for missing submersible near Titanic wreck appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Stephen Hawking’s last collaborator on physicist’s final theory
When Thomas Hertog was first summoned to Stephen Hawking's office in the late 1990s, there was an instant connection between the young Belgian researcher and the legendary British theoretical physicist. "Something clicked between us," Hertog said. That connection would continue even as Hawking's debilitating disease ALS robbed him of his last ways to communicate, allowing the pair to complete a new theory that aims to turn how science looks at the universe on its head. The theory, which would be Hawking's last before his death in 2018, has been laid out in full for the first time in Hertog's book "On the Origin of Time", published in the UK last month. In an interview with AFP, the cosmologist spoke about their 20-year collaboration, how they communicated via facial expression, and why Hawking ultimately decided his landmark book "A Brief of History of Time" was written from the wrong perspective. The 'designed' universe During their first meeting at Cambridge University in 1998, Hawking wasted no time in bringing up the problem bothering him. "The universe we observe appears designed," Hawking told Hertog, communicating via a clicker connected to a speech machine. Hertog explained that "the laws of physics -- the rules on which the universe runs -- turn out to be just perfect for the universe to be habitable, for life to be possible." This remarkable string of good luck stretches from the delicate balance that makes it possible for atoms to form molecules necessary for chemistry to the expansion of the universe itself, which allows for vast cosmic structures such as galaxies. One "trendy" answer to this problem has been the multiverse, an idea that has recently become popular in the movie industry, Hertog said. This theory explains away the seemingly designed nature of the universe by making it just one of countless others -- most of which are "crap, lifeless, sterile", the 47-year-old added. But Hawking realised the "great mire of paradoxes the multiverse was leading us into", arguing there must be a better explanation, Hertog said. Outsider's perspective A few years into their collaboration, "it began to sink in" that they were missing something fundamental, Hertog said. The multiverse and even "A Brief History of Time" were "attempts to describe the creation and evolution of our universe from what Stephen would call a 'God's eye perspective'," Hertog said. But because "we are within the universe" and not outside looking in, our theories cannot be decoupled from our perspective, he added. "That was why (Hawking) said that 'A Brief History of Time' is written from the wrong perspective." For the next 15 years, the pair used the oddities of quantum theory to develop a new theory of physics and cosmology from an "observer's perspective". But by 2008, Hawking had lost the ability to use his clicker, becoming increasingly isolated from the world. "I thought it was over," Hertog said. Then the pair developed a "somewhat magical" level of non-verbal communication that allowed them to continue working, he said. Positioned in front of Hawking, Hertog would ask questions and look into the physicist's eyes. "He had a very wide range of facial expressions, ranging from extreme disagreement to extreme excitement," he said. "It's impossible to disentangle" which parts of the final theory came from himself or Hawking, Hertog said, adding that many of the ideas had been developed between the pair over the years. 'One grand evolutionary process' Their theory is focused on what happened in the first moments after the Big Bang. Rather than an explosion that followed a pre-existing set of rules, they propose that the laws of physics evolved along with the universe. This means that if you turn back the clock far enough, "the laws of physics themselves begin to simplify and disappear", Hertog said. "Ultimately, even the dimension of time evaporates." Under this theory, the laws of physics and time itself evolved in a way that resembles biological evolution -- the title of Hertog's book is a reference to Darwin's "On the Origin of Species". "What we're essentially saying is that (biology and physics) are two levels of one grand evolutionary process," Hertog said. He acknowledged that it is difficult to prove this theory because the first years of the universe remain "hidden in the mist of the Big Bang". One way to lift this veil could be by studying gravitational waves, ripples in the fabric of space time, while another could be via quantum holograms constructed on quantum computers, he said. The post Stephen Hawking’s last collaborator on physicist’s final theory appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Biden says ‘hopeful’ on US debt deal within hours
President Joe Biden said Friday he is "hopeful" for a resolution within hours to the US debt ceiling standoff between Democrats and Republicans, raising hopes of an imminent end to the threat of default by the world's biggest economy. "It's very close and I'm optimistic," Biden told reporters at the White House. "I'm hopeful we'll know by tonight whether we're going to be able to have a deal." The Democratic president said he hoped for a resolution to the standoff "before the clock strikes twelve." It was by far the strongest indication that the drama in Washington might end, allowing the government to borrow and avoid a default likely to trigger a recession, mass job losses, and recession. Earlier, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the dreaded X-date, when the government runs out of money unless it can borrow, will now be June 5, not June 1. Yellen, however, warned that the deadline extension does not change the urgency. "Waiting until the last minute to suspend or increase the debt limit can cause serious harm to business and consumer confidence, raise short-term borrowing costs for taxpayers, and negatively impact the credit rating of the United States," she said in a letter to the Republican leader of the House of Representatives, Speaker Kevin McCarthy. According to unconfirmed US media reports, the deal taking shape would include an agreement to extend the government's borrowing authority for two years, meaning no repeat of the current drama before the 2024 presidential election. Democrats, however, would have to offer concessions on Republican demands for sweeping spending limits on social safety and other domestic programs. McCarthy told reporters that negotiators had "made progress" but added: "Nothing is agreed to until it's all agreed to." IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva cited new data that she said showed the "US economy has proven resilient," but urged a "speedy resolution" to avoid the first default in US history. "We think of the US Treasury market as an anchor for the global financial system, and this anchor needs to hold," she said. With the country getting a three-day Memorial Day holiday weekend, members of Congress were leaving Washington on their own 10-day recess. Even Biden -- to the consternation of some in his own party -- headed to his Camp David retreat, then his home in Delaware. Yet Wally Adeyemo, the deputy Treasury secretary, told CNN that both Biden and McCarthy were focused on avoiding catastrophe. "The president decided, the speaker has said it, and we have to get something done before June," Adeyemo said. "The president is committed to making sure that we have good faith negotiations with the Republicans to reach a deal because the alternative is catastrophic for all Americans." The debt ceiling raise is an annual accounting maneuver that usually passes with relatively little notice. It simply allows the government to keep borrowing money to pay for bills already incurred through the budget. This year, the increasingly hard-right Republican Party has decided to turn the debt ceiling into leverage to force Biden to roll back favorite Democratic spending priorities. Republicans call this taking responsibility for the $31 trillion national debt. The White House accuses the opposition party, which controls the House of Representatives, of taking the economy hostage. Democratic minority leader Hakeem Jeffries slammed the Republicans from the House floor on Thursday, accusing them of risking "a dangerous default in a crisis that they've created." Economists have spent months raising the prospect of economic catastrophe should the government default, and top military brass added their own dire prognosis Thursday, warning that the crisis would have a "significant negative impact" on troops. "Readiness clearly would be impacted," Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters. McCarthy has pointed to a recent CNN poll showing 60 percent support for a debt ceiling hike if accompanied by cuts, although 51 percent of respondents in a new Monmouth University survey said they wanted the two issues to be separated. Although lawmakers are on recess, McCarthy has said they will get 24 hours' notice if they are required to return for a vote. The post Biden says ‘hopeful’ on US debt deal within hours appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
China claim record 13th Sudirman Cup badminton title
China claimed a record 13th Sudirman Cup title on Sunday, defeating South Korea on home soil at the first major sporting event in the country since the lifting of pandemic restrictions. Cheered on by a raucous crowd brandishing red and white thundersticks and loud horns in the eastern city of Suzhou, China made short work of the Korean side, beating them 3-0. Chen Yufei defeated world number two An Se Young, 21-16, 22-20, in the women's singles to seal the victory, prompting the packed stadium to erupt in cheers and the entire Chinese team to rush onto the court to dance in a circle. The mixed team event is one of badminton's most important tournaments, and the stakes were higher than usual this year because performances will count towards qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics. "I am very happy to play at home," men's singles player Shi Yuqi said. "When you can feel that the audience is cheering you on, your own state will also be mobilized very well." Virtually all international sports events ground to a halt in China after the coronavirus pandemic emerged there in late 2019, with the notable exception of last year's Beijing Winter Olympics which were held in a virus-secure "bubble". China had come through a tricky semi-final against Japan on Saturday, with the men's doubles pair of Liu Yuchen and Ou Xuanyi saving four match points before finally prevailing. "Watching the game yesterday gave me a stomach ache and a little dizziness, so I didn't sleep until after two o'clock," Shi said. South Korea beat Malaysia 3-1 on their way to the final on Saturday. On Sunday, Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong lost the opening game of the mixed doubles but pulled it back in a tense point-for-point second game to eventually triumph 18-21, 22-20, 21-8. A jubilant Zheng jumped up and down in excitement, ripped off his shirt, and threw it into the crowd. His partner Huang threw her racket to a delighted spectator. Asked afterward about how they were preparing for the Olympics, they said, "Let's just get the (qualification) points first". South Korea's Lee Yun Gyu was easily outmatched in the men's singles, unable to deal with Shi's powerful smashes and laser focus. The long rallies between Chen and An drew gasps from the crowd, with the world number two looking increasingly frustrated as the match wore on. But Chen managed to get the upper hand, ensuring that China defended its title yet again. The post China claim record 13th Sudirman Cup badminton title appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Guess who brought the fun back
It was early March and I just returned from a quick trip to celebrate my wedding anniversary with my hubby. I wasn’t as sad as I usually am when returning to Manila, because I had my dear friend’s birthday party marked in my calendar. At the time, despite the pandemic still looming over our lives, I was pretty convinced that Covid-19 no longer existed. In fact, I wasn’t the only one who thought so. Almost everyone I know was so ready to party like rock stars after taking a long cumbersome break. So last 10 March, Nicole Whisenhunt — our very own "hostess of the mostest," and one of Manila’s most sought-after jewelry designers, gathered all her friends to do just that. She celebrated at Leon Gallery with the simplest goal of making everyone happy, and WOW! She sure did bring the fun back from the good old pandemic-free days when friends would come together to celebrate and enjoy life, worry-free. It was no doubt a night to remember! [caption id="attachment_132227" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Photographs Courtesy of Dara Roa | (from left) Sheila Romero, the columnist and Bubbles Bermudez.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_132222" align="aligncenter" width="525"] with the birthday celebrator Nicole Whisenhunt.[/caption] The party invite said eight o’clock but getting ready on time is something I need to re-master. But I sure am glad I arrived at 10 p.m. It was the perfect time to get to the party. The band was playing while everyone was in a state of love and happiness. Entering the party was a high in itself as my date (the hubby — Daniel) and I were showered with hugs, merry greetings, and lingering handshakes from friends we haven’t seen in a while. In the middle of this heartwarming entrance, I saw Nicole barefoot and beaming in bliss! I immediately gave her a hug and greeted her, “Happy Birthday.” What a sight! My first instinct from that experience was to head to the bar, while Daniel (my hubby) went straight to the buffet. I must say, we were such a great tandem as there was no time to waste. We had to catch up! The first person I saw after grabbing our drinks was Loralee Soong, and we never separated since then. Daniel and I naturally gravitated towards the lounge set up on the right side of the band. We settled on that spot with our group of friends who have claimed that space before everyone else had. Daniel enjoyed the food and drinks while he chatted with friends. I, on the other hand, barely even sat. The band made it impossible for me to do so. They played '90s music that we all sang along with and danced to. The dance floor became my home. [caption id="attachment_132226" align="aligncenter" width="525"] with Camille Ongpauco.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_132225" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Vania Romoff and Jerika Ejercito.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_132224" align="aligncenter" width="525"] with Loralee Soong.[/caption] Everyone was filled with euphoric energy that brought about loads of laughter, chatter, singing, dancing, and togetherness. The atmosphere didn’t have an ounce of negativity in it. It was that kind of night. To top it all off, our bellies were spoiled by the delicious dishes of Happy Ongpauco. If only we all had bottomless pits as our tummies, we could’ve eaten more. But there was no feeling guilty over what we ate since we definitely worked on our calories dancing the night away to the tunes of the Yellow Lane band. The party ended, but all the guests talked about it for about a week. We laughed at all the stories that popped up from our conversations with most of them extremely funny. I will always remember this birthday party to be a time when I truly felt like we were finally enjoying ourselves without worry. Just like the good old days. It left me hopeful for the future and more confident that only good things will come our way. The post Guess who brought the fun back appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
GUESS WHO BROUGHT THE FUN BACK
It was early March and I just returned from a quick trip to celebrate my wedding anniversary with my hubby. I wasn’t as sad as I usually am when returning to Manila, because I had my dear friend’s birthday party marked in my calendar. At the time, despite the pandemic still looming over our lives, I was pretty convinced that Covid-19 no longer existed. In fact, I wasn’t the only one who thought so. Almost everyone I know was so ready to party like rockstars after taking a long cumbersome break. So last 10 March, Nicole Whisenhunt — our very own "hostess of the mostest," and one of Manila’s most sought after jewelry designers, gathered all her friends to do just that. She celebrated at Leon Gallery with the simplest goal of making everyone happy, and WOW! She sure did bring the fun back from the good old pandemic-free days when friends would come together to celebrate and enjoy life, worry-free. It was no doubt a night to remember! [caption id="attachment_132227" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Photographs Courtesy of Dara Roa | (from left) Sheila Romero, the columnist and Bubbles Bermudez.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_132222" align="aligncenter" width="525"] with the birthday celebrator Nicole Whisenhunt.[/caption] The party invite said eight o’clock but getting ready on time is something I need to re-master. But I sure am glad I arrived at 10 p.m. It was the perfect time to get to the party. The band was playing while everyone was in a state of love and happiness. Entering the party was a high in itself as my date (the hubby — Daniel) and I were showered with hugs, merry greetings and lingering handshakes from friends we haven’t seen in a while. In the middle of this heartwarming entrance, I saw Nicole barefoot and beaming in bliss! I immediately gave her a hug and greeted her, “Happy Birthday.” What a sight! My first instinct from that experience was to head to the bar, while Daniel (my hubby) went straight to the buffet. I must say, we were such a great tandem as there was no time to waste. We had to catch up! The first person I saw after grabbing our drinks was Loralee Soong, and we never separated since then. Daniel and I naturally gravitated towards the lounge set up on the right side of the band. We settled on that spot with our group of friends who have claimed that space before everyone else had. Daniel enjoyed the food and drinks while he chatted with friends. I, on the other hand, barely even sat. The band made it impossible for me to do so. They played '90s music that we all sang along with and danced to. The dance floor became my home. [caption id="attachment_132226" align="aligncenter" width="525"] with Camille Ongpauco.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_132225" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Vania Romoff and Jerika Ejercito.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_132224" align="aligncenter" width="525"] with Loralee Soong.[/caption] Everyone was filled with euphoric energy that brought about loads of laughter, chatter, singing, dancing and togetherness. The atmosphere didn’t have an ounce of negativity in it. It was that kind of night. To top it all off, our bellies were spoiled by the delicious dishes of Happy Ongpauco. If only we all had bottomless pits as our tummies, we could’ve eaten more. But there was no feeling guilty over what we ate since we definitely worked on our calories dancing the night away to the tunes of the Yellow Lane band. The party ended, but all the guests talked about it for about a week. We laughed at all the stories that popped up from our conversations with most of them extremely funny. I will always remember this birthday party to be a time when I truly felt like we were finally enjoying ourselves without worry. Just like the good old days. It left me hopeful for the future and more confident that only good things will come our way. The post GUESS WHO BROUGHT THE FUN BACK appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Ice’ Trae: Young nails last-gasp stunner as Hawks beat Celtics
Trae Young nailed a last-gasp three-pointer as the Atlanta Hawks stunned the Boston Celtics 119-117 to keep their Eastern Conference playoff series alive on Tuesday. Young drained a 29-footer with just 1.8 seconds remaining to silence Boston's TD Garden and ensure a game six back in Atlanta on Thursday. Young, who finished with 38 points, 13 assists and four rebounds, said the Hawks had been determined to extend the series following the suspension of key guard Dejounte Murray. Murray was suspended after a clash with a referee after game four on Sunday. "We were missing a big piece of ours and we want him to play game six, so we want to go back home and have him with us," Young said of Murray. "I didn't feel there was any pressure on me. Obviously we were without (Murray) but we all had to step our game up another level -- not just me, we all did tonight. Total team win." The Celtics, leading the series 3-1, had looked to be cruising to victory after dominating for most of the second half to lead by 13 points midway through the fourth quarter. But with Boston poised to wrap up a 4-1 series victory, Young and the Hawks took over with a startling late rally in the closing minutes that whittled away the Celtics lead. Young nailed back-to-back three-pointers to level the scores at 111-111 with 2:42 remaining and then hit three free throws to help Atlanta take a 114-113 lead. Robert Williams handed Boston a one-point advantage to make it 115-114 to the Celtics with 25.6 seconds left on the clock. But a rash foul by Boston's Marcus Smart presented Young with two more free throws to edge the Hawks into a 116-115 lead. Young then had a nervous moment after conceding a foul on Derrick White, who shot two free throws to put the Celtics 117-116 ahead with 7.3 seconds left on the clock. Young however responded superbly, calmly bringing the ball up court before launching a pullup three-pointer to give Atlanta a 119-117 lead before Boston's final desperate last attack fizzled. Young's 38-point tally included 16 in the fourth quarter, while John Collins provided offensive backup with 22 points. Bogdan Bogdanovic finished with 18 points. Boston's scoring was led by Jaylen Brown with 35 points while Jayson Tatum added 19. Four other Boston players finished in double figures. The post ‘Ice’ Trae: Young nails last-gasp stunner as Hawks beat Celtics appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
UK deputy PM resigns after most bullying claims upheld
UK Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab announced his resignation on Friday after bullying claims against him were upheld in a report, a fresh political shock for Britain's Conservatives. Raab's resignation gives Prime Minister Rishi Sunak a headache some two weeks before local elections at which the Conservatives are expected to lose seats. He is also battling to claw back a chasm of lost ground to the main opposition Labor Party before a general election next year. Raab, who stood in for former prime minister Boris Johnson as he battled Covid in 2020, had promised to quit if any claims against him were upheld. But even though he was cleared of most of the allegations, he blasted the conclusions of a lawyer-led inquiry. "Whilst I feel duty-bound to accept the outcome of the inquiry, it dismissed all but two of the claims leveled against me," he wrote in a resignation letter. "I also believe that its two adverse findings are flawed and set a dangerous precedent for the conduct of good government." The bar for bullying was set so low, he said, that "it will encourage spurious complaints against ministers and have a chilling effect on those driving change". Raab also resigned from his post as justice secretary, where he has had to battle a backlog in criminal cases caused by years of under-funding and disruptions caused by the pandemic. He previously served as Brexit minister and foreign secretary but was moved from that post after being criticized for failing to return from holiday as Afghanistan fell to the Taliban. Sunak, who succeeded the short-lived Liz Truss in October last year, vowed to restore "integrity, professionalism, and accountability" in government after Johnson's rollercoaster tenure. He previously sacked Nadhim Zahawi as Conservative party chairman over his tax affairs. Gavin Williamson, a former defense secretary who kept a tarantula on his desk while in charge of party discipline in parliament, quit over expletive-laden messages. Low bar Former lawyer Raab, a karate black belt, has denied bullying civil servants working for him and in his letter rejected allegations of an overbearing manner with colleagues. He insisted in his letter that ministers "must be able to exercise direct oversight with respect to senior officials over critical negotiations conducted on behalf of the British people". Not to do so, he said, would mean the loss of "the democratic and constitutional principle of ministerial responsibility". He also maintained ministers "must be able to give direct critical feedback on briefings and submissions to senior officials in order to set the standards and drive the reform the public expect of us". "Of course, this must be done within reasonable bounds," he went on. Sunak appointed senior employment lawyer Adam Tolley to look into the claims in November and he submitted his report to Sunak on eight allegations on Thursday. The report has yet to be published. But Raab said Tolley "concluded that I had not once, in four and a half years, sworn or shouted at anyone let alone thrown anything or otherwise physically intimated anyone, nor intentionally sought to belittle anyone". "I am genuinely sorry for any unintended stress or offense that any officials felt, as a result of the pace, standards, and challenge that I brought to the Ministry of Justice," he added. "That is, however, what the public expects of ministers working on their behalf." The post UK deputy PM resigns after most bullying claims upheld appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Soltones seeks return to prime with Petro Gazz Angels
Under new head coach Oliver Almadro, the former NCAA MVP looks to turn back the clock and play her best at 27-years-old......»»