According to a study done in 2015 and submitted to the UP Diliman Journals, the probability of celebrities winning if they seek election to public office was highest among the poor. But the number of voters belonging to upper economic strata was much lower than those in the lower rung of the economic ladder. If I am really determined to enter politics, I have to serve the people. Dolphy died in 2012 staying true to his commitment to shun politics. Election winSome popular figures, however, are staying away from the political circus.

BENGALURU, India — An Indian passenger aircraft was diverted on Wednesday after the latest in a string of hoax bomb threats made to airline companies involving the country. The Akasa Air flight, which was flying from India's capital New Delhi to the southern city of Bengaluru, "received a security alert" and the flight was ordered to return as a "precaution". Akasa Air said emergency response teams were monitoring the situation and that the captain had followed "all required emergency procedures for a safe landing in Delhi". Singapore scrambled fighter jets on Tuesday to escort an Air India Express plane after an email warning about a possible bomb on board, the city-state's defense minister said. Air India also said on Tuesday one of its planes from New Delhi to Chicago had to make an emergency landing in Canada because of "a security threat posted online".

MANILA, Philippines — A Quezon City court has junked the criminal case filed against a private school teacher who shared on social media last year a video of a police officer identifying Vice President Sara Duterte as the “VIP” behind the closure of a portion of Commonwealth Avenue, causing heavy traffic in the area. Verdo Pantollano, identifying Duterte as the supposed VIP who caused the closure of a portion of the busy thoroughfare to allow her convoy to pass through. In his motion filed through his lawyer, Chel Diokno, Munar pointed out that the amended complaint filed by Pantollano remained “defective” as it still did not contain a specific offense as the original complaint. Upon learning who the “VIP” was, the motorist’s curiosity turned to irritation as he panned his camera to show rows of cars and motorcycles caught in heavy traffic. Subscribe to our daily newsletter SIGN ME UPThe QCPD, for its part, immediately relieved Pantollano, who was reinstated a week after the incident.

A High Court Jury has found a self-proclaimed Taoist practitioner to be guilty of murdering an intellectually impaired woman, while the victim's mother was convicted of aiding and abetting the indecent assault against her daughter. The 54-year-old defendant Dunsany Cheung Chi-choi was found guilty of murdering 21-year-old Ng Yan-yu in September 2019. Ng was discovered dead in a village house in Sai Kung. Meanwhile, Ng's 57-year-old mother Ng Ma Yu-kang was found guilty of aiding and abetting Cheung to carry out his acts. Both Cheung and the mother were remanded until their next court appearance on Friday for sentencing.

Marcos Jr. seeks more investments in disaster risk reductionPresident Marcos is joined by Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction head Kamal Kishore, UNDRR Regional Office for Asia-Pacific chief Marco Toscano Rivalta, and ministers and heads of delegation attending the 2024 Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction at the grand staircase of the PICC yesterday. MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos yesterday called on countries in the Asia-Pacific region to increase investments and funding in disaster risk reduction measures in the face of more destructive disasters brought by climate change. In his speech during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) in Pasay City, Marcos emphasized that facing calamities and disasters is a common struggle across the region. The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 gave the international community profound guidance in their disaster risk reduction efforts, according to the President. Highlighting the theme of this year’s conference, “Surge to 2030: Enhancing ambition in Asia-Pacific to accelerate disaster risk reduction,” the President said nations are called to lead the global effort to reduce disaster and climate risks, protect the people and build sustainable economies.

We too get scratched or bruised, but they are the “wounded warriors” fighting the different types of cancer, the “one in a million disease,” the heart disease from birth, the genetic imperfection, the mental health challenge, visual impairment or loss of sight, that those in the “normal” world don’t see, don’t know and can’t understand. The reason is because we don’t talk enough about it, we are uncomfortable discussing such grave, life-threatening medical issues. I don’t know how many patients’ organizations there are in the Philippines but what I discovered is that most of them are DIY, set up by patients or family. We deplore all forms of vaccine misinformation and disinformation that has affected vaccine confidence to the detriment of Filipino children. * * *When I wrote about doctors and leaders in public health deciding to join the 2025 elections as candidates, I mistakenly placed Dr. Minguita Padilla as a senatorial aspirant.

Police are hunting down a man in his 30s after pushing a pedestrian off the sidewalk and into a moving bus as it was departing from a bus stop in San Po Kong. Police received a report around midnight on Tuesday that a 49-year-old man was pushed onto the road by a man outside 638 Prince Edward Road East. The man slammed into the door of the departing bus and fell to the ground, injuring his face and hand. He remained conscious and was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The case was identified as assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

A RECENT news cycle turned out the following news headlines:– More than 16 million families consider themselves poor– 11,000 OFWs ignore pleas to evacuate Lebanon– Rice-for-All selling rice at P43 per kilogram. On the surface, the three recent news headlines reported on issues that appear to be disparate and unrelated. Thirteen percent of Filipino families rated themselves as "borderline poor," a data point that suggests a nation overwhelmed by poverty. Rice at P43 per kg is not cheap, but the only thing cheaper than that is plastic rice, which is for subhumans. You can segue from stories on massive poverty to staying put in war-torn Lebanon to selling P43 per kg rice at Kadiwa stores seamlessly without missing a connecting thread.

SINGAPORE — Asian stocks swung between gain and loss on Monday as investors struggled to reach a consensus view on China's broad economic stimulus promises made over the weekend which were light on specifics. "Most onshore investors believe Beijing's decision to restructure local government and housing debt using central government funds is more significant than many foreign investors believe," said analysts at Morgan Stanley in a client note. US stock futures similarly edged lower, with S&P 500 futures losing 0.06 percent while Nasdaq futures fell 0.18 percent. Brent crude futures were last down 1.2 percent at $78.09 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell 1.22 percent to $74.64 per barrel. A reading on UK inflation is due later this week, as is an interest rate decision from the European Central Bank.

Saicome, one of Hong Kong’s pioneering manufacturing companies, specializes in rechargeable power tools and battery products of wide acclaim that have effectively responded to technological advancements and market dynamics. For higher management levels such as business development and engineering, professional methods such as Gantt charts and SWOT analysis are used. Based on its corporate philosophy of “Doing the best”, Saicome has nurtured a strong corporate culture of unity and dedication among its staff. The feedback from these comprehensive ‘body-checks’ by industry leaders provides helpful advice from multi-faceted perspectives to enhance quality management. Quality management will always remain at the heart of Saicome’s success, reflecting not only the company’s commitment to excellence, agility and resilience, but also first-class products and happy, satisfied customers.

Special duties fund seen growing fasterMANILA, Philippines — The earmarked fund for the development of local industries affected by imports is likely to increase as the government imposes additional duties on new products, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said. Tiu Laurel told The STAR that he decided to impose special safeguard duties (SSG) on four new agricultural products because the trigger prices have been breached. “The trigger prices of these (products) under the (World Trade Organization) agreements have been triggered. We will use the collected duties for the competitiveness enhancement measures fund (CEMF) to help the local industry affected,” Tiu Laurel said. Chicken MDM is a vital raw ingredient used by meat processors to manufacture items like meat loaf and hotdogs.

The fuel price spike reflects the rise in crude oil prices globally. The most proximate cause for that spike is the possibility a full-scale regional war could break out in the Middle East. By contrast, presidential contender Donald Trump has urged Tel Aviv to go ahead and bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities. While we await, with great suspense, the exact nature of Israel’s response, global oil prices will likely remain at their present elevated levels. In which case, the greater anxieties these spawns will push oil prices much higher – perhaps close to the $100 per barrel level.

A few months later, I couldn't resist switching to the Speed Twin 1200, captivated by its stunning looks. The Triumph Speed Twin 900. Just last week, I had the chance to take the 2023 Speed Twin 900 for a test ride. Once known as the Street Twin, the 2023 Speed Twin 900 reminded me of my old 1200 in terms of handling and riding style. Whether you're new to motorcycling or a seasoned rider, the Speed Twin 900 is worth considering for your next ride.

Thick black smoke was seen billowing in Tai Kok Tsui after a fire erupted at the New Yau Ma Tei Public Cargo Working Area. The fire was later upgraded to a No.3 alarm as the flame spread from an open area to a docked vessel by 6 p.m. The dark smoke reached tens of meters in height, visible from afar and even captured in the Hong Kong Observatory's real-time meteorological images. Firefighters are currently using two jets and mobilized two breathing apparatus teams to fight the blaze. The fire is suspected to have been triggered by miscellaneous materials, and an ambulance is on standby at the scene.

Online attacks vs young Filipino activists spilling into real worldIn this 2020 file photo, activists troop to University of the Philippines Diliman to protest passage of the Ant-Terrorism Act. MANILA, Philippines — Persistent online attacks against young human rights defenders in the Philippines have created a climate of fear and mistrust that ripples through families and communities, according to a new report by a human rights watchdog. The study by Amnesty International, released on Monday, October 14, draws from interviews with 41 young human rights activists between ages 19 and 28, extensive desk research, and analysis of social media content. The practice was led by National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, whose red-tagging legitimized threats against young rights defenders. Mia Tonogbanua, a former member of Amnesty International Philippines' youth board, said young activists like her are indiscriminately targeted regardless of their advocacies.