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HONG KONG --- On a recent sweltering Saturday, a day now reserved for protest in Hong Kong, a demonstrator named Wayne stepped past a row of plastic barricades, lifted a pair of binoculars and squinted. Four hundred meters away, a line of riot police stood with full-length shields, batons and tear-gas launchers. It was a familiar sight for Wayne after more than two months on the front lines of Hong Kong's turbulent pro-democracy demonstrations. Along with hard hats and homemade shields, face-offs with police have become part of the 33-year-old philosophy professor's new normal. The stories of Wayne and three other self-described "front line" protesters interviewed by The Ass...

Keep on reading: Hong Kong’s ‘front line’ protesters explain their stance

GENEVA --- China's Syria envoy said Tuesday that "terrorist organizations," including the Islamic State group, are being revived in the war-ravaged country, urging the international community not to ignore the "early warning" signs. Xie Xiaoyan, Beijing's point man for the Syrian conflict, made the comments after meeting in Geneva with the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir O. Pedersen. "There is now a danger of terrorist organizations like ISIS being revived," Xie told reporters, using another acronym for IS. "The international community should pay attention." IS overran large parts of Syria and Iraq in 2014, proclaiming a "caliphate" there but offensives in both countries reclaimed...

Keep on reading: China warns revival of terror groups, including IS, in Syria

SHENZHEN, China --- The founder of Chinese tech giant Huawei said Tuesday he expects no relief from U.S. export curbs due to the political climate in Washington but expressed confidence the company will thrive because it is developing its own technology. Ren Zhengfei also said he doesn't want relief from U.S. sanctions if it requires China to make concessions in a tariff war, even if that means his daughter, who is under house arrest in Canada on U.S. criminal charges, faces a longer legal struggle. In an interview with The Associated Press at Huawei's sprawling, leafy headquarters campus in the southern city of Shenzhen, the 74-year-old Ren said Huawei expects U.S. curbs on mo...

Keep on reading: Huawei expects no relief from US sanctions but is confident

CAMP GEN. ALEJO SANTOS - A 29-year-old policewoman allegedly shot herself to death during a drinking spree with her boyfriend in Donya Remedios Trinidad (DRT) town, Bulacan province, police said. Police Cpl. Claire Sagampod, who was assigned in DRT police station, was found dead inside her house in Barangay Pulong Sampalok and with a gunshot wound in the temple. Investigators said Sagampod was with her boyfriend, Juli Acedera, 31, a Philippine Army soldier, and their friend Rizal Ocampo, 24, during the incident. DRT police received a call from a concerned citizen informing that the policewoman committed suicide. An investigation is ongoing to determine if there was a foul...

Keep on reading: Female cop in Bulacan dies after reportedly shooting self

  LOS BAOS, Laguna - Hundreds of students at the University of the Philippines Los Baos (UPLB) walked out of their classes Tuesday afternoon here as part of the UP system-wide walkout to protest campus militarization. The students started the walkout at around 4 p.m. in front of the Humanities building and proceeded to several other buildings to encourage other students to join them. The contingent then proceeded to the Carabao Park, near the UPLB gate and held a short program. "We are opposing the recent attacks of the government on the youth. Like in the Senate hearing, progressive students are being attacked, and Senator Ronald 'Bato' Dela Rosa is pushing for the militar...

Keep on reading: UPLB students walk out to protest campus militarization

Negative colleagues can be a real drag in the office. Not only can they hurt productivity and morale, their attitudes are contagious.

MANILA, Philippines--F2 Logistics eliminated Foton with a 25-19, 25-23, 17-25, 25-19 win Tuesday and booked its fourth straight finals appearance in the Philippine Superliga All-Filipino Conference Finals. The Cargo Movers, who held a twice-to-beat edge, leaned on Kalei Mau and Aby Marano to boot the Tornadoes, who were led by Jaja Santiago and Dindin Santiago-Manabat, out of contention. "Foton was a big challenge. But entering the Finals will be our biggest test. This is unfinished business for us," said F2 Logistics head coach Ramil De Jesus, whose team last won the All-Filipino title in their debut in 2016. Mau reached her first PSL finals after leading F2 Logistics with ...

Keep on reading: F2 Logistics ousts Foton, books PSL All-Filipino Finals ticket

Artist Carol Prusa remembers looking out of her window at the night sky as a child and feeling the "overwhelming immensity" of space. Decades later, that same feeling still informs her art -- absorbing paintings and sculptures that explore the boundary between light and dark.

HONG KONG --- Facing pressure to end months of anti-government protests, Hong Kong's leader pledged Tuesday to open up a dialogue with city residents in an effort to narrow differences. However, Chief Executive Carrie Lam offered no concessions to the protest movement and a key organizer of the mass rallies dismissed her plan to immediately set up a "communication platform," underlining the challenge in resolving the semiautonomous Chinese city's political crisis. The movement held a massive but peaceful rally on Sunday after earlier protests had been marked by violence. The government has conditioned dialogue on the leaderless protest movement remaining peaceful. Lam didn't...

Keep on reading: Hong Kong’s leader vows to narrow rifts, but no specifics

  ILOILO CITY --The Panay Electric Company (Peco) will not allow the takeover of its distribution assets by a rival company owned by billionaire Enrique Razon Jr. unless the Supreme Court upholds the constitutionality of provisions of the law granting its rival a franchise to distribute electricity in Iloilo City. Lawyer Estrella Elamparo, legal counsel of Peco, said the court order of the Iloilo Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 37 granting the issuance of a writ of possession in favor of More Power Electric Corp. (More Power) is "completely void and ineffective." She said there was no need for Peco to petition for the issuance of a restraining order against the implementa...

Keep on reading: Panay power firm to fight Razon takeover of its distribution assets

BEIJING --- China warned Tuesday that the testing of a medium-range cruise missile by the US would start a new "arms race", after a launch off the coast of California. "This measure from the US will trigger a new round of an arms race, leading to an escalation of military confrontation, which will have a serious negative impact on the international and regional security situation," said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang. Geng said that the US should "let go of its Cold War mentality" and "do more things that are conducive to... international and regional peace and tranquillity." The missile was launched from the US Navy-controlled San Nicolas Island off the coas...

Keep on reading: US missile test will trigger a new ‘arms race,’ says China

Happy Tuesday. A version of this story first appeared in CNN Business' Before the Bell newsletter. Not a subscriber? You can sign up right here.

Known as the White Phoenix because it's been destroyed and rebuilt so many times, Belgrade is a city that's always evolving.

MANILA, Philippines --- Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Monday welcomed President Rodrigo Duterte's directive to require foreign warships to seek permission when entering Philippine territorial waters. "It's a very good development because now we have some authority to enforce our laws within our territorial waters," he said in a press briefing. Lorenzana and the military in recent weeks have questioned the unauthorized transits of Chinese warships in Philippine territorial waters. This time around, it's not over the contested West Philippine Sea but in the southern Philippines. The government had earlier protested the presence of Chinese warships and survey ships passing thro...

Keep on reading: Lorenzana hails Duterte order on foreign warships passing PH waters

Actor Ben Unwin, who made his name playing Jesse McGregor in Australian TV soap "Home and Away," has died at the age of 41.

MANILA, Philippines - Former Calauan, Laguna Mayor Antonio Sanchez, the convicted rapist and murderer of two University of the Philippines Los Baos students, may be released soon, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Tuesday. "Mayor Sanchez's good conduct time allowance is being recomputed pursuant to the new law and a recent Supreme Court ruling," Guevarra said. However, Guevarra clarified that not only Sanchez but over 10,000 inmates would benefit from Republic Act 10592 or the law that increased the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) given to inmates. RA 10592 expanded the application of good conduct time allowance (GCTA) for prisoners even during preventive suspension...

Keep on reading: Antonio Sanchez, more than 10k other inmates to get out of prison ‘soon’

MANILA, Philippines---Filipino-Indonesian Aziz Calim has never been to the Philippines but he hopes to finally make his first visit and fight in front of his hometown crowd before the year ends. ONE Championship is set to stage another show in Manila in November for ONE: Masters of Fate, an event Calim wishes to be included in. "There's still one event in Manila this November and I hope to be part of that card," said Calim, who speaks fluent Filipino. "I have Filipino blood, but I've never been to the Philippines, so that will be the best welcome party for me if my wish will be granted." The 21-year-old Calim is coming off a submission loss in the first round to Ryuto Sawada. Cali...

Keep on reading: Fil-Indonesian Aziz Calim eyes ONE Manila debut despite Bangkok loss

MANILA, Philippines --- The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed on third and final reading a bill that will gradually increase excise tax rates on liquor and heated tobacco and vapor products.   Some 184 congressmen approved House Bill No. 1026 championed by President Rodrigo Duterte's allies, while two opposed it and one abstained. This is the first bill that got the chamber's nod under the 18th Congress.   The approval of the priority tax bill was swift as the House committee on ways and means greenlighted it last Aug. 13, followed by the plenary's second reading approval last Aug. 15.   READ: House approves on 2nd reading new sin taxes | House p...

Keep on reading: House OKs bill hiking taxes on alcohol, e-cigar, vape products on final reading

MANILA, Philippines -- Pork barrel mastermind Janet Lim Napoles has filed another motion, this time asking the prosecution to clarify its stand on the absence of the main plunderer issue.   In the urgent ex-parte motion submitted by Napoles' camp to the Fifth Division, they urged the anti-graft court to require the prosecution to submit their Memorandum of Authorities so that the court may be guided on whether their bid to dismiss the cases should really be dropped.   "It is most respectfully submitted that the Memorandum of Authorities herein requested will clarify the position of the prosecution on the matter of the sufficiency of the allegations in the Inform...

Keep on reading: Napoles to Sandiganbayan: Require prosecution to reveal stand on main plunderer issue

MANILA, Philippines --- Is P100,000 an insignificant gift for public servants? Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde said it depends on the person who will receive the money. Albayalde explained that the value of P100,000 will differ from the monthly salary and integrity of a government worker. For instance, he said, such an amount may appear small for millionaires, but may look like a bag of gold for those with lower salaries. "It depends on the person, on the integrity of the person. It depends on who is saying this and that," he said in a press briefing at Camp Crame in Quezon City. The PNP chief was commenting on the remark of Presidential Anti-Corruption Com...

Keep on reading: P100K minor gift for gov’t workers? Depends on a person – Albayalde