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LOS ANGELES---Actress Bijou Phillips filed for divorce from Danny Masterson less than two weeks after the former "That '70s Show" star was sentenced to at least 30 years in prison for raping two women, US media reported Tuesday, Sept. 19. The model and singer cited "irreconcilable differences" in her petition in a California court, celebrity news website TMZ reported. Masterson, found guilty in May of raping the two women in 2001 and 2003 at his home in the Hollywood Hills area of Los Angeles, was sentenced on Sept. 7 to 30 years to life in prison. The 47-year-old US actor, who has one child with Phillips, will not be able to seek parole until he is 77 years old. Phillips...

Keep on reading: Wife of ‘That ’70s Show’ actor Danny Masterson seeks divorce

TOKYO --- Asian shares declined Wednesday as markets awaited a decision on interest rates by the Federal Reserve. Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 0.6 percent to 33,055.98. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.6 percent to 7,155.10. South Korea's Kospi edged down 0.3 percent to 2,551.95. Hong Kong's Hang Seng dipped 0.3 percent to 17,935.72, while the Shanghai Composite shed 0.3 percent to 3,117.25. Trade data for Japan showed exports fell 0.8 percent last month from a year ago, marking the second straight month of declines, as exports to China lagged, dropping 11 percent. Japan's exports to the U.S. rose 5.1 percent, while exports to Europe surged 12.7 percent. By product category, au...

Keep on reading: Asian shares decline ahead of US Fed decision on interest rates

NEW YORK - Bankrupt crypto exchange FTX on Monday sued the parents of founder Sam Bankman-Fried, saying that Stanford professors Joseph Bankman and Barbara Fried used the company to enrich themselves at the expense of FTX's customers. FTX, now being led by turnaround specialist John Ray, said that company founder Sam Bankman-Fried ran FTX as a "family business" and misappropriated billions in customer funds for the benefit of a small circle of insiders, including his parents. Sam Bankman-Fried has pleaded not guilty to charges that he defrauded FTX customers by using their funds to prop up his own risky investments. He is currently jailed ahead of a trial scheduled to begin Oct...

Keep on reading: FTX sues Bankman-Fried’s parents

MANILA, Philippines --- The two environmental activists' claim that they were abducted by soldiers could be a plot to discredit the military, Philippine Army spokesperson Col. Xerxes Trinidad said on Wednesday. On Tuesday, Jhed Tamano, and Jonila Castro, during a press conference organized by the anti-communist task force itself, claimed that they were abducted by soldiers. The police and military earlier reported that Tamano and Castro surrendered to the Philippine Army's 70th Infantry Battalion in Doa Remedios Trinidad in Bulacan on September 12. But the activists insisted that they were abducted by armed men in Orion, Bataan on September 2. ...

Keep on reading: Army says 2 activists’ abduction claim may plot to discredit military

  MANILA, Philippines --- The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) plans to file perjury complaints against the two pro-environment activists who went missing in early September for recanting their sworn statements, claiming that the military had abducted them during a briefing to present them as rebel surrenderees. During the plenary debates on the Department of National Defense (DND) proposed 2024 budget on Wednesday, Negros Occidental 6th District Rep. Mercedes Alvarez was asked by Kabataan Rep. Raoul Manuel if the AFP admits to abducting Jhed Tamano and Jonila Castro. Alvarez, who was sponsoring and defending the DND budget, said that Tamano and Castro's claims wer...

Keep on reading: 2 environment activists may face perjury raps for recanting statements

Just as he was feeling "unimportant and ignored in one corner," Jed Madela was informed that a class section in a school in Cotabato was named after him, which immediately brought joy to the singer. "In times when I feel so unimportant and ignored in one corner, my Lord picks me up and gives me the tightest hug. I am so honored," he said via his Facebook page on Tuesday, Sept 19, while showing photos of a classroom with a sign that says "GRADE ONE - JED MADELA" on its door. The classroom also has a tarpaulin with a photo of Madela and the phrase "the first Filipino to win the World Championships of Performing Arts [in] 2005." "This is from Albert Einstein School in Cotabato ...

Keep on reading: Jed Madela elated to have school class section named after him

    LAS VEGAS --Two teenagers face murder charges for targeting a bicyclist in Las Vegas and capturing on video the moment they drove into the man as he pedaled along the side of a road, authorities said Tuesday. Las Vegas police said they have tied the teens to at least three hit-and-run incidents on the morning of Aug. 14. They believe the death of 64-year-old Andreas Rene Probst, a former police chief in Bell, California, was the final one. Video shot from the front passenger seat shows the vehicle approaching Probst from behind while he was riding near the curb on an otherwise traffic-free road. As those in the car laugh, the vehicle steers toward Probst a...

Keep on reading: Las Vegas teens face murder charges in hit-and-run they captured video

ZURICH - Switzerland's economy is expected to grow by 1.3 percent this year, the government said on Wednesday, significantly below the country's long-term average as industry struggles with weak demand abroad and a strong Swiss franc. The forecast was a slight upgrade from the previous expectation for growth at 1.1 percent, but still lower than Switzerland's long-term average growth rate of 1.7 percent. The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) also cut its growth forecast for 2024 to 1.2 percent from the 1.5 percent expectation it gave in June. The tepid growth in one of Europe's more resilient economies is expected despite strong consumer demand at home and growth in t...

Keep on reading: Switzerland economic growth seen ‘significantly below average’

    UNITED NATIONS --- El Salvador President Nayib Bukele trumpeted the success of his gang crackdown during his speech at the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, crediting his administration's will against international criticism over human rights violations. Bukele said that if El Salvador had listened to external critics --- including some at the United Nations --- the tiny Central American country would again be the murder capital of the world. "Today, I come to tell you that that debate is over," Bukele said. "The decisions we took were correct. We are no longer the world death capital and we achieved it in record time. Today we are a model of security and no...

Keep on reading: El Salvador leader defends gang crackdown at UN: ‘It was the right thing’

Sharon Cuneta disclosed that her husband, former senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, as well as their children Kakie, Miel, and Miguel, won't be attending her reunion concert with ex Gabby Concepcion, as she noted that it's a mutual decision between them. The singer-actress made the confirmation during the press conference for her upcoming "Dear Heart" show with Gabby Concepcion, per Inquirer Bandera, while explaining that she wants to protect Pangilinan and their three children from controversy. "Pinag-usapan na namin ni Kiko (Kiko and I talked about it). I want to shield them from anything that people might say. [They] are solid Sharon-Gabby fans up to this day," she said. ...

Keep on reading: Sharon Cuneta’s family won’t attend her reunion concert with Gabby Concepcion

KYIV, Ukraine --- Blinded by a Russian mortar shell, Ukrainian veteran Ivan Soroka couldn't see his bride when she walked into his family home in a shoulderless white dress, a bouquet of white flowers in her right hand. But when Vladislava Ryabets, 25, stepped toward him, Soroka wept with joy at the new chapter of life starting months after enemy artillery stole his sight. "The first thing I said after I was wounded was, who will want me now?" said Soroka, 27, sitting inside his family home in a village in the outskirts of Kyiv. "I succeeded in rebuilding myself," he said. "I am seeing with my feelings, with my emotions." Dozens sat around a garden table in Bortnychi vi...

Keep on reading: Blinded Ukrainian soldier couldn’t see his wedding. But he cried at new love

MANILA, Philippines --- The Philippine men's volleyball team swept Afghanistan, 25-23, 25-16, 25-12, to earn its first win in the Asian Games after 49 years on Wednesday at Deqing Sports Gymnasium in Hangzhou, China. Bryan Bagunas and Steve Rotter formed a potent combo to lead the Filipino Spikers' historic win and prove that they belong in the continental competition after staying in contention for the Round of 12 with a 1-1 record in Pool F. Bagunas, a member of the silver medal team in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, was part of another milestone in Philippine men's volleyball as he dropped 16 points on 14-of-20 attacking clip to go with a block and an ace. Rotter, the Fi...

Keep on reading: PH spikers post historic Asian Games win, sweep Afghanistan

BANGKOK - Thailand's new government plans to borrow about 2.4 trillion baht ($66.4 billion) for the fiscal year 2024 starting Oct. 1, up about 9 percent from the current year, according to market sources briefed by the finance ministry. The government plans to sell up to 272 billion baht ($7.53 billion) of government bonds in the October-December period, said three sources with knowledge of the bond plan, who participated in a virtual meeting that took place on Tuesday. Asked about the plan, the finance ministry's public debt management office earlier on Wednesday did not provide details but said a quarterly schedule for bond auctions would be released next week. The sources, wh...

Keep on reading: Thailand plans to borrow $66B for fiscal year 2024 – markets sources

MANILA, Philippines --- All government agencies must respond to simple business requests and applications within three days, otherwise, it violates the law, said Anti-Red Tape Authority (Arta) Director General Ernesto V. Perez on Wednesday. Such is in line with Republic Act No. 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act. "Alam po ba ninyo na under the Ease of Doing Business Law, dapat po they must respond within three days -- kapag simple request lang; at kapag hindi po sila nag-respond, that is already a violation of the Ease of Doing Business Law," said Perez in the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing. (You know, under the Ease of...

Keep on reading: Arta to gov’t agencies: Late replies to business queries deemed unlawful

MUMBAI - India's banking system liquidity deficit is at its widest in over four years ago, amid tax outflows and the lack of any major inflows, traders said on Wednesday. Banking system liquidity deficit jumped to 1.47 trillion rupees ($17.67 billion) as on September 18, the highest single day shortfall since April 23, 2019, while banks have borrowed a record 1.97 trillion rupees from the central bank's Marginal Standing Facility window. Advance tax payments took place last week, while outflows towards Goods and Services tax will be completed by Wednesday, with bankers estimating aggregate outflows of up to 2.50 trillion rupees. The impact has magnified as the twin outflows ...

Keep on reading: India’s banking system liquidity deficit jumps to over 4-year high

MANILA, Philippines --- The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has exempted the fuel subsidy program for public utility vehicles (PUVs) along with other transportation projects from the 2023 barangay and sangguniang kabataan elections (BSKE) spending ban. In a memorandum dated Sept. 20, Comelec Chairman George Garcia approved the recommendation of then Comelec Law Department to exempt the Department of Transportation and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board's Fuel Subsidy Program, PUV Service Contracting Program and PUV Modernization Program. The Comelec said the petition to exempt the programs was filed by the DOTr on Tuesday. Befo...

Keep on reading: PUV fuel subsidy program exempted from poll spending ban

  MANILA, Philippines --- 615 out of 1,841 examinees passed the September 2023 Agricultural and Biosystems Engineers licensure examination, the Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) announced on Monday. The exams were administered on September 14 and 15. Lee Castro of the Bataan Peninsula State University topped the examination with a rating 84.03 percent , followed by Trixie Teodoro from the University of the Philippines - Los Baos (82.70 percent) and Jesriel Casinillo from the Visayas State University - Baybay, (82.38 percent). Two universities were named as the top-performing schools for this year: the Central Bicol State University of Agriculture -...

Keep on reading: PRC: 615 pass Agricultural, Biosystems Engineers board exam

SINGAPORE - Oil prices fell nearly $1 on Wednesday ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve's interest rate decision, with investors uncertain when peak rates will be hit and how much of an impact it will have on energy demand. Prices fell despite a bigger-than-expected draw in U.S. oil stockpiles and weak U.S. shale output that indicated tight crude supply for the rest of 2023. Global benchmark Brent crude futures were last down 88 cents, or 0.9 percent, at $93.46 a barrel by 0650 GMT. Brent hit $95.96 on Tuesday, its highest since November. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures shed 1 percent, or 97 cents, to $90.23 a barrel, after climbing to a 10-month high of $93.74 a barrel ...

Keep on reading: Oil falls $1 ahead of Fed rate decision

MANILA, Philippines --- The two remaining priority bills of the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac) will be approved by the House of Representatives before September ends, Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said on Wednesday. In a statement, Romualdez said he presented a report to President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. during the Ledac meeting at Malacaang earlier, stating that the House had approved 18 of the 20 bills marked as priority by the council. The two remaining bills are House Bill No. 8969, or the proposed Military and Uniformed Personnel Pension (MUP) System Act, and the consolidated version of the proposed Anti-Agr...

Keep on reading: 18 of 20 Ledac priority bills OKd; 2 others by Sept. – Romualdez

Runaway Formula One championship leader Max Verstappen will be determined to roar back at Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix after his record streak of 10 straight wins ended in Singapore. The Dutchman finished fifth under the Marina Bay lights after starting 11th on the grid, meaning he will not be able to clinch his third straight world title at Suzuka. But Verstappen, who has won 12 of the 15 races so far this season, can move to the cusp of retaining his crown while his Red Bull team can seal the constructors' championship. The 25-year-old told reporters after struggling with Singapore's street circuit, where overtaking is all but impossible, that "this track is so different t...

Keep on reading: Verstappen primed to roar back at ‘old school’ Japan Grand Prix