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  MANILA, Philippines --- Some errors mar the Maharlika Investment Fund Bill even as it had secured the final approval of Congress. Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel weighed in on the issue Wednesday, noting that fixing a measure that should have been perfected on the chamber's floor "may even amount to a crime." Pimentel, a fierce critic of the proposed MIF, made the statement after Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva said the Secretariat of both chambers of Congress are still correcting errors in the bill before it can be endorsed and transmitted to the Malacaang. "Oh, they shouldn't do that. It is 'not okay' and may even amount to a crime if words are change...

Keep on reading: Fixing errors in Congress-approved Maharlika bill may amount to a crime – Pimentel

  The state of Florida on Tuesday acknowledged a role in sending two flights of migrants to California, saying all of them traveled voluntarily. California officials have reported two such flights arriving without warning in the capital Sacramento in recent days, and said the migrants carried documents indicating their transportation involved the state of Florida. The migrants apparently never passed through Florida, but were moved from Texas to New Mexico and then flown to Sacramento. Sixteen South American asylum seekers arrived on Friday, and another 20 migrants on Monday. In a similar incident last year, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis arranged to transport dozens ...

Keep on reading: Florida says migrants flown to California went voluntarily

MANILA, Philippines---Farm Fresh coach Jerry Yee assured that handling the new Premier Volleyball League team won't be an additional load on top of his coaching gigs with NCAA champion College of Saint Benilde and Adamson in the UAAP women's volleyball tournament. The Foxies on Tuesday evening officially named the two-time NCAA champion as their head coach, who is making his return to the professional league after a year. Yee bared that the team will be composed of the core of the Lady Blazers when they see action in the PVL Invitational Conference starting on June 29. "Technically, it's not an added load [for me] because Farm Fresh will have the same core as Benilde," said ...

Keep on reading: Veteran Jerry Yee to coach new PVL team Farm Fresh

TOKYO -Oil extended losses on Wednesday as concerns over global economic headwinds deepened, erasing the price gains booked after top crude exporter Saudi Arabia's surprise weekend pledge to deepen output cuts. Brent crude futures were down 40 cents, or 0.5 percent, at $75.89 a barrel at 0456 GMT. The U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell 35 cents, also 0.5 percent, to $71.39 a barrel. Both benchmarks had jumped more than $1 on Monday, boosted by Saudi Arabia's decision over the weekend to reduce output by 1 million barrels per day (bpd) to 9 million bpd in July. "The fears of recession, as more and more somber economic readings point towards a slowdown, have kept a li...

Keep on reading: Oil extends losses as economic slowdown concerns return

MANILA, Philippines---Eli Ramos flashed a glimpse of his potential in Adamson's dominant 108-63 win over Faith College Batangas on Wednesday in the Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup in San Juan. Now holding a 5-4 win-loss record, the Soaring Falcons bolstered their quarterfinal hopes in dominant fashion thanks to significant contributions from Ramos. Ramos posted eight points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals. He made both of his attempts from long range. The 6-foot-3 guard is the younger brother of Gilas Pilipinas mainstay Dwight, whom Eli looks up to and attributes where he is now. "My brother's my role model. He taught me everything I know, I talk to him every da...

Keep on reading: Adamson’s Eli Ramos flashes potential, grateful to brother Dwight

  The United Kingdom will explore ways to make obesity drugs more accessible to people outside hospital settings and cut NHS waiting lists in a new 40 million pound ($50 million) two-year pilot programme, the government announced on Wednesday. While British Prime Minister Sunak has said cutting hospital waiting lists is one of his priorities, the National Health Service in England endured a tough winter, with waiting lists hitting record highs, and staff striking for higher pay amid double-digit inflation. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is also considering potential NHS use of the drug Tirzepatide, which is "currently licensed to treat diab...

Keep on reading: UK to explore wider access to obesity drugs in $50 million pilot

MUMBAI/NEW DELHI - Starbucks is revamping its strategy to lure Indians, including children, with smaller, cheaper beverages as it looks to expand in small towns amid a fierce challenge from domestic startups in one of its fastest-growing markets. Among the first foreign coffee brands to enter tea-loving India, the U.S. giant has taken almost 11 years to open 343 stores, in contrast with private equity-backed chains Third Wave and Blue Tokai that opened about 150 in the last three years. "As you grow in size, you need to get new consumers," said Sushant Dash, the chief executive of Starbucks in India, adding that the chain's "pricing play" would help shatter a perception that it...

Keep on reading: Starbucks brews up cheaper India drinks as domestic rivals expand

  MANILA, Philippines --- The five governors of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) have affirmed their commitment to strengthen joint efforts in promoting the rule of law, peace and order, and inclusive governance and development in the region. The BARMM Governors Caucus (BGC) was officially launched in Cagayan De Oro City on June 6, 2023, as a platform to address common issues faced by the Local Government Units (LGUs) in the BARMM and engage in dialogues with other stakeholders. Formed after a series of consultative talks, the BGC comprises the provincial governors of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi. "The BG...

Keep on reading: BARMM governors push for lasting peace, stronger rule of law in region

  MANILA, Philippines --- The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) on Wednesday afternoon temporarily suspended operations at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) due to a red lightning advisory. According to the MIAA, its Airport Ground Operations and Safety Division issued a Lightning Red Alert at 1:53 p.m. "Flight and ground operations at the NAIA are suspended. The alert is a safety measure taken to prevent untoward incidents from happening when lightning is prevalent in the immediate area and may endanger personnel, passengers and even flight operations," MIAA said. The state weather bureau's earlier forecast for Wednesday indicated partly clou...

Keep on reading: Naia temporarily suspends operations amid red lightning alert

The Philippine Azkals have brought back Michael Weiss to once again call the shots in the latest coaching move ahead of the team's two international friendly matches this month at home. Weiss' reappointment was announced Tuesday by the Philippine Football Federation as the German becomes the fourth Azkals coach in the last 12 months. He will be at the touchline when the Azkals host Nepal on June 15 and Chinese-Taipei on June 19, both to be held at Rizal Memorial Stadium. It's the second Azkals stint for Weiss, who coached the national squad from 2011 to 2013. https://www.facebook.com/TheAzkalsPH/posts/pfbid02sV5zA83km9YmkQDNpzou7yhud1dhYTpaSjNmtRD5RoG8BQor9yRMSzjWKeYfKa9z...

Keep on reading: Michael Weiss returns as PH Azkals coach

  Not much, but more than enough to reignite excitement for her upcoming film, Kathryn Bernardo gave a glimpse of what's happening in the ongoing shoot of "A Very Good Girl." In her Instagram post last Monday, June 5, Bernardo posted a photo of herself holding a clapperboard. The update mirrored Star Cinema's post last month when it announced that the film, co-starring Golden Globe nominee Dolly de Leon, has already started filming. While the "La Luna Sangre" actress kept mum on any development regarding the movie (she simply captioned her post with a zipper-mouth emoji), some fans were very vocal about their enthusiasm for the highly-anticipated Petersen Vargas feature...

Keep on reading: Kathryn Bernardo teases behind-the-scenes of movie ‘A Very Good Girl’

    The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is fully committed to combating the alleged illicit trade of vapor and tobacco products in the country. It is particularly zeroing in on possible trade malpractices found in the platforms of e-retailers like Lazada, Shopee, and Facebook Marketplace. DTI's statement of commitment was in response to a letter from the Philippine Medical Association (PMA). The letter appealed to the government to take action against the alleged illicit sale of cigarettes and vapes on the internet. "We are bedazzled why these non-compliant, unregistered and possible non-tax paid tobacco and vapor products are allowed to be openly a...

Keep on reading: DTI fights illicit online selling of vapes, tobacco on Shopee, Lazada

MANILA, Philippines---Prepping up for the Olympic qualification set to kick off next month, Ernest John Obiena began the groundwork with a podium performance in a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meet. The world's No. 3 vaulter grabbed the bronze medal after clearing 5.72 meters at the 2023 Irena Szewinska Memorial in Bydgoszcz, Poland on Wednesday (Manila time). Chris Nilsen of the United States ruled the event with a 5.92-meter effort while Poland's Piotr Lisek cleared 5.82m for the silver medal. Coming off a record-shattering, gold-medal output in the recent Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia, Obiena raised the bar to 5.82 meters, but couldn't hurdle the height on thr...

Keep on reading: EJ Obiena bags bronze in Poland ahead of Olympic qualifier

Cuba Gooding Jr. reached a settlement on Tuesday with a woman who sued him for $6 million on an accusation that he raped her a decade ago, with the agreement coming minutes before jury selection was set to being in Manhattan federal court. The eleventh-hour deal means the Oscar winning "Jerry Maguire" star will avoid having details of the alleged assault aired in court, while his accuser will not be forced to reveal her identity after U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty ruled that week that she could not go to trial anonymously. Gooding has denied the allegations and said the sex was consensual. His lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment. No details about...

Keep on reading: Cuba Gooding Jr settles civil sex abuse case moments before trial

DAVAO CITY -- A man fishing along the waters off the coastline of Aplaya Beach in Lanang in this city died on the spot after lightning struck him shortly before midnight of Tuesday, June 6. Police Major Jake Goles, Sasa police station chief, said Sofronio Pal Taneo, 65, a resident of Sitio Bolakan, Barangay Aquino of Agdao here, was hit by lightning and was immediately rescued by acertain Armand Alcociba, who saw the incident from the window of his house in Barangay Lizada. Alcociba told the police that he immediately called his brother and friends to rescue the fisherman. But although they retrieved Taneo's body and brought him to the shore, their attempts to resuscitate hi...

Keep on reading: Fisherman dead after lightning hit him in Davao City waters

MANILA, Philippines --- The deal with a South Korean agriculture machinery company for a cooperative partnership puts the Philippines a step closer to mechanization of the industry and a higher productivity, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said. According to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), Marcos lauded the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Korea Agricultural Machinery Industry Cooperative (KAMICO) on Tuesday, as it would boost efforts towards food security. Marcos, who graced the ceremonial signing in Malacaang, is the concurrent Agriculture Secretary. "We all recognized very clearly the importance...

Keep on reading: Palace: Deal with Korean firm a step closer to agri mechanization, higher productivity

  MANILA, Philippines--- A total of 200,000 goods have been prepositioned by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in regions vulnerable to the Taal and Mayon volcanoes, which have been exhibiting "increasing unrest." READ: 'Increasing unrest' in Mayon, Taal; residents relocated DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian announced on Wednesday that 100,000 goods have been stocked in the Bicol Region alone, while another 100,000 have been distributed to areas vulnerable to Taal. Gatchalian added that he has coordinated with Albay governor Edcel Greco Lagman to provide assistance to the province. "We'll continue to stockpile and make sure na--- kung may mangyar...

Keep on reading: DSWD readies packed goods in case situations in Taal, Mayon escalate   

PARIS - Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka said on Tuesday at the French Open that she did not want her country to be in any conflict and did not support the war in Ukraine, distancing herself from President Alexander Lukashenko. The world number two did not attend her last two press conferences in Paris, citing mental health reasons after being grilled about Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a "special military operation", and Belarus being used as a staging ground for Russian troops. "I don't want my country to be in any conflict, I don't support the war," Sabalenka told reporters after her quarterfinal victory over Ukraine's Elina Svitolina. "I don't support war, m...

Keep on reading: Aryna Sabalenka: I don’t support the war or Belarus president Lukashenko

In light of several cybersecurity breaches and alleged hacking incidents in the Philippines in the past, more businesses are being encouraged to improve on their data privacy and data management practices. With this, Klik 'N Fly Travel held another forum last June 1, 2023 at the Heritage Hotel Manila to discuss "Tourism in the post-pandemic era: Reinventing Tourism and Data Privacy Awareness." The forum was a follow-through of their previous seminar last April 12 that centered on visa processing updates. The data privacy forum had Rajah Travel Corporation Chairman and President Aileen Clemente and Ivannovich Dmitriv Agote of the Department of Tourism-NCR Tourism Regulation Divi...

Keep on reading: Data Privacy best practices urged in tourism; ‘Reinvented Tourism’ pushed

  KUALA LUMPUR -- A Paris court has upheld the Malaysian government's challenge against enforcing a partial award to the heirs of a former sultan who won $15 billion in an arbitration over a colonial-era land deal, Malaysia said late on Tuesday. The win for Malaysia implies the final award will be annulled and the descendants' efforts to seize Malaysian assets will end, the government said. "This decision, which is final and binding, is a decisive victory for Malaysia in its ongoing pursuit of legal remedies, which Malaysia is confident will result in comprehensive defeat for the claimants and their funders," said Law Minister Azalina Othman Said. The claimants said ...

Keep on reading: Malaysia wins appeal against partial award in $15 billion claim by Sulu sultan’s heirs