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MANILA, Philippines --- President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was not as "warm as the usual" when he met with senators on Thursday, a source said. Instead of convening the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac), the President met separately with the senators and members of the House of Representatives. The source, however, did not say if the President was frustrated over the ongoing feud between the Senate and the House on proposals to amend the 1987 Constitution. "Sabihin na lang natin na (Let's just say that) both walked away not happy," the source said over the phone. Was it because of the postponement of the Ledac meeting? "Dahil sa PI," the source ans...

Keep on reading: Marcos ‘not as warm as usual’ in latest meeting with senators – source

MANILA, Philippines ---A new order from Malacaang directing government agencies to accelerate their implementation of energy efficiency measures could result in up to P2 billion in energy savings for the government, the Department of Energy (DOE) said on Thursday. According to the DOE, its projection on savings was based on 2023 figures. The projected amount of savings is based on the condition that 8,000 identified entities---government buildings and others ---are fully implementing the measures. Last year, the government logged P300 million in energy savings---equivalent to more than 30 million kilowatt-hours--- with the implementation of the Government Energy Management Program ...

Keep on reading: Energy program can ring up P2B in savings

MANILA, Philippines ---Listed Pryce Corp. logged a 31.6-percent growth in earnings last year to end at P2.22 billion on the back of stronger cooking gas sales. According to Pryce, its liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sales climbed by 7.9 percent to 298,499 tons due mainly to improved demand in the Luzon market. Consolidated revenues, meanwhile, slightly went up to P19.26 billion from P18.77 billion last year amid the 21.57-percent drop in the average LPG contract price. LPG prices dipped to $576.46 per metric ton, translating to a decline in domestic prices. "The increase in consolidated revenues could have been higher had it not been for the [contract price] decline," it said i...

Keep on reading: Higher LPG sales boost Pryce Corp 2023 profit

Tesla tumbled over 12 percent on Thursday after CEO Elon Musk warned sales growth would slow this year despite price cuts that have already hurt margins at the world's most valuable automaker and fueled investor concerns about soft demand and Chinese competition. Musk said on Wednesday that growth would be "notably lower" as Tesla focuses on a cheaper, next-generation electric vehicle to be made at its Texas factory in the second half of 2025, which is expected to spark the next boom in deliveries. But he said ramping up production of the new model would be challenging because it would involve cutting-edge technologies. READ: Musk: Chinese EV firms will 'demolish' rivals wit...

Keep on reading: Tesla erases $80B in valuation after Musk’s sales warning

THE HAGUE --- United Nations judges on Friday will rule on South Africa's request for emergency measures against Israel, which is accused at the World Court of state-led genocide for its military operation in Gaza. Friday's ruling at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will not deal with the core accusation of the case -- whether genocide occurred -- but will focus on the urgent intervention sought by South Africa. Among the measures South Africa requested is an immediate halt to Israel's military operation, which has laid waste to much of the enclave and killed more than 25,000 people, according to Gaza health authorities. Israel has asked the court to reject the case ...

Keep on reading: World Court to rule on urgent measures in Gaza genocide case

TOKYO - Core inflation in Japan's capital slowed below the central bank's 2 percent target to hit the lowest level in nearly two years, data showed on Friday, underscoring policymakers' view that cost-push pressures will continue to ease in coming months. The focus shifts to whether wages will rise enough to underpin consumption and help Japan sustainably achieve the Bank of Japan's 2 percent inflation, which it describes as a prerequisite for phasing out its massive monetary stimulus, analysts say. The core consumer price index (CPI) in Tokyo, a leading indicator of nationwide inflation trends, rose 1.6 percent in January from a year earlier, government data showed, slower tha...

Keep on reading: Inflation in Japan’s capital slips below central bank target

Microsoftwill let go of1,900employees atActivisionBlizzardandXboxthis week, it said on Thursday, the latest cuts in the technology sector that has extended massive layoffs over the past years into 2024. The cuts represent about 8 percent of the overallMicrosoftGaming division and will mostly happen atActivisionBlizzard. BlizzardPresident Mike Ybarra and Chief DesignOfficer Allen Adham are also leaving the company, while a previously announced survival game byBlizzardhas been canceled,Microsoftsaid. READ: Tech layoffs continue after 'Year of Efficiency' The news comes months afterMicrosoftclosed its $69-billion deal forActivisionBlizzard, boosting its heft in the videogami...

Keep on reading: Microsoft to lay off 1,900 Activision Blizzard, Xbox staff

The United Kingdom's Ministry of Defense announced the successful test firing of its high-powered DragonFire laser weapon against an aerial target. The institution hasn't revealed its power and range, but an official statement says it can hit a "1 coin from a kilometer away." Soon, the country will deploy its new weapon to the battlefield. Most believe laser weapons are only possible in science fiction stories like Star Wars. Contrary to popular belief, the United Kingdom, the United States, and China have been testing laser armaments for the next evolution of warfare. More importantly, it is a testament to how far laser technology has progressed that it is turning sci-fi into realit...

Keep on reading: UK laser weapon down aerial target

Spanish football club Sevilla uses IBM's Generative Artificial Intelligence platform to pick promising players. Their partnership led to the development of the Scout Advisor AI tool, which enhances recruitment and competitiveness. It lets scouters receive a curated candidate list based on specific player characteristics.  Artificial intelligence guides our decision-making, so seeing a sports team use this technology for recruitment is unsurprising. Soon, other sports will deploy the same application to improve their teams. As a result, it might improve the performance of your favorite groups, especially if they haven't been winning championships lately! This article will disc...

Keep on reading: Football AI picks player candidates

LONDON - Majorcentralbankshave likely come to the end of what has been the most aggressive tightening cycle in decades, but some are pushing back against market expectations forratecutssoon. The EuropeanCentralBank (ECB) on Thursday left interestrates steady and reiterated its commitment to fighting inflation. The Bank of Canada on Wednesday said its focus was shifting to when it can start easing. READ: European Central Bank leaves key interest rate at a record high Majorratesetters have hiked borrowing costs by 4,015 basis points (bps) so far this cycle, with Japan expected to end its negative interestratepolicy soon. Here's how they stand, in terms of the scale ofratehikesi...

Keep on reading: Central banks navigate tricky path from rate hikes to cuts

MANILA, Philippines --- State meteorologists predicted Friday no tropical cyclones would enter or develop within the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) until the end of the month. State weather agency expert Benison Estareja, however, said in a public report that overcast skies and rain may occur in several areas of the country due to the prevailing influence of the shear line and northeast monsoon (locally known as amihan). "Wala naman tayong inaasahang bagyong papasok ng ating Philippine area of responsibility and low chance na magkakaroon pa tayo hanggang sa matapos ang buwan na ito," said Estareja, of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Ad...

Keep on reading: Pagasa: No tropical cyclone may be expected until end of January

FRANKFURT - European Central Bank chief ChristineLagardeplayed down the significance of asurveyin which a majority of ECB employees said she was not the right person toleadthe bank, saying its mission of price stability was more important. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm irrelevant," she told reportersafterthe bank's policy-setting meeting on Thursday. "As long as I deliver onleading this institution of talented people who are driven to do their job, the rest - me as a person - irrelevant," she said. READ: At halfway point, next challenges loom for ECB's Lagarde The tradeunionrepresenting ECB staff said earlier this week a majority of employees thinkLagardeis not the best p...

Keep on reading: Lagarde says ‘proud, honored to lead ECB’ after bleak union survey

CAMBRIDGE, England --- Two laboratories in Britain and South Africa, which were at the forefront of tracking new coronavirus variants during the pandemic, have teamed up to keep the focus on genomic surveillance globally as the COVID emergency recedes. The teams said they were worried governments and funders may pull back from such surveillance, despite its potential to better monitor many infectious diseases, from malaria to cholera. "One of the big benefits that came from the pandemic was this huge global investment in infrastructure," said John Sillitoe, director of the Genomic Surveillance Unit (GSU) at the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Cambridge, one of the two partners. ...

Keep on reading: COVID and beyond: Labs unite to boost genomic surveillance globally

NBA Scores, News, Schedules   DALLAS--- Another contentious Dallas-Phoenix meeting for Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic went beyond the court Wednesday night. The four-time All-Star was responsible for a fan being ejected in the third quarter after the Suns supporter yelled that Doncic was tired and needed to get on a treadmill. Phoenix beat Dallas 132-109 after outscoring the Mavericks 43-20 in the third quarter. Doncic made headlines early in the 2021-22 season when retired Hall of Fame guard Reggie Miller, a TV analyst, said during a telecast of a Mavericks game that Doncic looked overweight. Dallas coach Jason Kidd conceded as much later in the season by sayin...

Keep on reading: NBA: Luka Doncic plays role in fan’s ejection after catcalls

NBA Scores, News, Schedules MIAMI --- The Memphis Grizzlies were wildly short-handed. And the Miami Heat still couldn't handle them. Vince Williams Jr. scored a career-high 25 points, GG Jackson added 17 off the bench and the Grizzlies --- who had only nine available players because of injuries --- spoiled Terry Rozier's debut in Miami by topping the Heat 105-96 in the NBA on Wednesday night. Scotty Pippen Jr. and Jaren Jackson Jr. each scored 15 for Memphis, which led for the entire second half. John Konchar had 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Grizzlies. "Just be authentic to who you are, understand the reality and every single day I think our group's maintained a great ...

Keep on reading: NBA: Grizzlies hand Heat 4th straight loss, spoil Terry Rozier’s debut

SYDNEY - Australia on Thursday launched a wide-ranging review into pricing and competition in its supermarket sector as the government unveils a series of policies to improve household finances and boost its flagging popularity. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) will be tasked with the 12-month inquiry, the first since 2008, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a joint ministerial statement on Thursday. The ACCC will examine how competition in the sector has changed since the last review in 2008, how prices are set across the supply chain, in particular between farms and supermarkets, and "impediments" to competitive pricing, the release said. "My ...

Keep on reading: Australia launches competition, pricing review in supermarket sector

USA Basketball says it wants the best for Draymond Green, which is why the federation does not have him in its plans for the Paris Olympics. Green's omission from the pool of 41 players who are now candidates to play for the United States at the Paris Games was explained Wednesday by men's national team managing director Grant Hill, who spoke highly of the Golden State forward's history with the national team and how he helped the Americans win Olympic gold in 2016 and 2021. But it was Green's recent history --- two suspensions for on-court conduct this season --- that Hill and USA Basketball couldn't ignore. "We all understand and certainly have great respect and sensitivit...

Keep on reading: Draymond Green not part of Paris Olympic pool

In line with the implementation of the Department of Education's MATATAG curriculum, Vibal Group will conduct around 50 learning summits across the county. The series of summits will kick off this January, at the Sisters of Mary School, Silang, Cavite. Emphasizing core competencies such as literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional skills, the MATATAG curriculum aligns with the educational vision of the present administration encapsulated in the mantra "Bansang Makabata, Batang Makabansa." With a dedicated focus on fostering competence, readiness for the workforce, and the development of active, responsible, and patriotic citizens, the MATATAG Curriculum unveils a set of impactful progra...

Keep on reading: Vibal to hold ‘MATATAG’ learning summits for private schools

NBA Scores, News, Schedules MILWAUKEE --- Doc Rivers is finalizing a deal to take over as the Milwaukee Bucks coach a day after the firing of Adrian Griffin, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press on Wednesday. Rivers and the Bucks were still negotiating on Wednesday, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because no contract had been completed. ESPN, where Rivers has worked this season an analyst, reported that Rivers has agreed to a deal in principle. ESPN's public relations department released a statement on social media from head of event and studio production David Roberts saying, "We wish Doc well and we look ...

Keep on reading: NBA: Doc Rivers finalizing deal to take over as Bucks coach

NBA Scores, News, Schedules DETROIT --- Bojan Bogdanovic scored 34 points and Jalen Duren's dunk in the final minute punctuated a late 10-2 run, helping the Detroit Pistons to a 113-106 win over the Charlotte Hornets in the NBA on Wednesday night. Bogdanovic hit a game-tying 3-pointer with 1:46 left. Duren finished with 14 points and eight rebounds, and Alec Burks scored 15 for Detroit, which snapped a three-game losing streak and won for the third time in 41 games. "Yesterday, we talked about competing, poise and execution," Pistons coach Monty Williams said. "We had done those three things, but we hadn't closed. Tonight, we closed." Brandon Miller led the Hornets with 23 ...

Keep on reading: NBA: Pistons rally past Hornets