ABUJA/CONAKRY — Coup leaders in Niger are open to diplomacy to resolve a standoff with West Africa’s regional bloc, a group of senior Nigerian Islamic scholars said on Sunday after meeting the junta in Niamey. The group’s meeting with junta leader General Abdourahamane Tiani lasted several hours, said Sheikh Abdullahi Bala Lau, who led the delegation. “He said their doors were open to explore diplomacy and peace in resolving the matter,” Lau said in a statement on Sunday. There was no immediate comment from the junta on the meeting, but Tiani’s reported comments are one of few recent signs he is open to negotiation. In the footage, Doumbouya – who led a coup in Guinea in September 2021 – did not say whether Conakry’s support for the Niger junta would include military backing if ECOWAS decided to use military force.

Hong Kong's Disaster Relief Fund has approved a grant of HK$65 million in total to nine organizations for providing relief to flood victims in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and Northeast China, the SAR government announced on Monday. A spokesman said the government maintained close contact with rescue organizations regarding the disaster situation and related relief support and has promptly processed and approved the disaster relief funding applications from nine organizations under the Fund to offer relief items to the mainland. The nine organizations with approved grants included The HKFTU Disasters Relief Charity Fund; Federation of Hong Kong Beijing Organisations; World Vision Hong Kong; H.K. United Youth Exchange Foundation; The Hong Kong Island Social Services Charitable Foundation; Hua Jing Youth Foundation; Hong Kong CPPCC (Provincial) Members Association Foundation; All-China Women's Federation Hong Kong Delegates Association Foundation and Amity Foundation, Hong Kong. The Disaster Relief Fund was established in 1993 and provides the government with a mechanism to respond to appeals for humanitarian aid in the relief of disasters outside Hong Kong.

A 35-year-old Pakistani volunteer who was charged with wounding after he allegedly slapped a 13-year-old boy repeatedly in a Quarry Bay education center, causing injury to his eyes, was granted bail with his case adjourned to September 25. He was charged with one count of wounding after he unlawfully and maliciously wounded the boy - identified in court as X - at the Quarry Bay education center Madrassa Taleemul Furqan Islamic Union. The magistrate granted the 35-year-old cash bail of HK$50,000. The defendant is also barred from communicating with the prosecution witnesses and entering the learning center where the alleged assault happened. Read more: Teenage boy who suffered eye injury at Islamic learning center over alleged assault prompts police investigation

MISSING Singapore's famous Hainanese chicken rice, laksa fish ball, cheesy chicken chop noodles and kopi? It's time to visit the nearest Nanyang branch. Among the restaurant's must-try, best-selling drinks are iced teh melaka, Milo dinosaur, kopi O and kopi jelly. When preparing the milk tea, Nanyang uses the traditional tarik method by "pulling" the brewed tea. Popularized in Singapore and Malaysia, teh tarik or pulled tea is the base of the popular beverage.

Adding to the challenges: new inspections needed on a class of Airbus planes that may suffer from microscopic "contamination" of metals used to manufacture Pratt & Whitney engines. ‘MICRO CONTAMINATION’ A Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW1100G-JM engine is displayed at the Singapore Airshow in Singapore on Feb. 15, 2012. Adding to the challenges: new inspections needed on a class of Airbus planes that may suffer from microscopic ‘contamination’ of metals used to manufacture Pratt & Whitney engines. The defect could affect 1,200 Pratt engines made between late 2015 and mid-2021. The company is "still assessing the longer-term impact with Pratt & Whitney," said Chief Financial Officer Ursula Hurley.

Pinoys place 2nd in World PokemonJose Miguel Liban, Luis John Felizarte, Michael Vaughn Ocio, Joshua de Leon and Joe Daryl Maghanoy ranked second in the Pokémon World Championships held in Yokohama, Japan from Aug.11 to 13. MANILA, Philippines — Filipino team OMO Abyssinian won a silver medal in the Pokémon Unite World Championship Series 2023 held in Yokohama, Japan on Aug. 11-13. The team, owned by esports group Odd Man Out, bagged $75,000 after competing against Canadian esports group Luminosity Gaming in its final match. “Facing them in the winner’s bracket, we knew they were the best team. OMO Abyssinian’s members include Jose Miguel Liban, Luis John Felizarte, Michael Vaughn Ocio, Joshua de Leon and Joe Daryl Maghanoy.

Kado captures our hearts by simply being there, conveying its message with no need for words or music. The art evolved into many different schools, but the oldest teaches three fundamental styles: Rikka, Shoka and Jiyuka. Shoka, the simplest style, expresses the life energy of the plants. Jiyuka is the most contemporary-looking style, versatile enough to be displayed anywhere and allowing the direct expression of emotions. Still hugely popular, with classes everywhere, Kado represents the Japanese spirit of harmony and respect for nature.

QUITO — The political party of Ecuador’s assassinated presidential hopeful, Fernando Villavicencio, picked his would-be vice presidential candidate to replace him as the party standard-bearer on Saturday, just a week before the election. Villavicencio’s Build party, or Construye in Spanish, announced on social media it had tapped Andrea Gonzalez to replace the slain 59-year-old in the Aug. 20 vote. ADVERTISEMENTLater on Saturday, the deceased candidate’s widow criticized the party’s replacement as unlawful. Sarauz described the party decision to tap Gonzalez as “arbitrary” and said it breaks a law that forbids the vice presidential candidate from stepping down. While ballots have already been printed, by law votes for Villvicencio will automatically transfer to the party candidate.

THE rain might have delayed her momentum but it could not deny Alex Eala's rampage towards another finals appearance in an ITF tournament. Alex Eala PHOTO FROM EALA’S FACEBOOK PAGETaking down the third seed in the tournament, sixth seed Eala was set to face third seed Russian-Aussie Arianne Hartono in the final on Sunday evening. A victory in the said match would give Eala her fourth ITF singles title. After earning a hard-fought first set win, Eala found herself down in the second frame, 1-4. Eala then broke Hartono's serve in the seventh game to win the match.

When we don’t understandIn all this, Job did not sin in what he said. — JOB 2:10“I don’t understand His plan. “ ‘Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?’ In all this, Job did not sin in what he said” (v. 10). By God’s strength, may our trust in and reverence for Him remain, even when we can’t understand how He’s at work during life’s difficult days. Father, help me to trust You and honor You when I can’t see Your hand or understand Your plan.

Benedicta Du-Baladad, president of the Management Association of the Philippines, who spoke about the many projects and concerns of MAP. Many college graduates can’t find jobs and many employers can’t find qualified/experienced graduates for specific businesses and industries. The suggestion was for the education sector to audit or review the available menu of college courses, the level of employability of graduates and compensation in order to determine the relevance and usefulness of those courses. Adding to the mismanaged offerings of college courses, the majority of Filipino students can’t afford a four-year course. What we also want to reduce is the wasted money on a four-year college education that does not even give parents and graduates a respectable ROI in terms of wages and benefits in the future.

(UPDATE) HIGH prices of nutritious food are the main reason for the rising cases of malnutrition and stunting among Filipino children, the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) said. The MAP's Campaign Against Malnutrition and Child Stunting (Camacs) aired the concern during their general membership meeting Thursday. Despite the high awareness, high food prices make it difficult for most Filipino families to access nutritious food for their children. Barriers obstruct the transition from knowledge to implementation, evident in understanding malnutrition, stunting and the importance of a child's first 1,000 days," the MAP said. Last June, MAP called on the government to declare malnutrition and child stunting top national agenda.

Four people were hospitalized after a sedan mounted a pavement in Tai Po on Sunday. At around 2 pm, a driver lost control of his BMW sedan as it swerved left into Nam Shing Street, crashing into the road signs and ramming into the rear of a minibus. The sedan then rear-ended a seven-seater before mounting up the sidewalk, which led it to nearly crash into a pharmacy nearby. The 62-year-old driver, surnamed Chan, his 63-year-old wife, 86-year-old mother, and 32-year-old son were all sent to Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital. The police have cordoned off the area for investigation.

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved the adoption of the National Security Policy (NSP) 2023-2028 to effectively address national security challenges, Malacañang announced Saturday. "There is a need to harmonize the national security efforts of the government and ensure that they are responsive and complementary to the development goals and objectives set forth in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028," Marcos said. The NSP 2023-2028 was formulated in coordination and consultation with key government agencies and instrumentalities, with the participation of various stakeholders, to provide guidance and a comprehensive approach to improving security sector governance to effectively address national security challenges. All national security-related strategies and the plans and programs of all national government agencies and instrumentalities, including GOCCs and LGUs, are aligned with the NSP 2023-2028 for its successful whole-of-government implementation. EO 37, which was released to the public on August 12, shall take effect immediately upon publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

KYIV — Ukrainian border guards placed a new sign on Snake Island this weekend, recalling the early hours of Russia’s invasion when a comrade on the strategic Black Sea outcrop used a choice phrase to refuse to surrender to a warship. ADVERTISEMENTTiny Snake Island became synonymous with Ukrainian resistance in the first hours of the Feb. 24, 2022 invasion, when Russian officers on the Black Sea Fleet flagship Moskva radioed Ukrainian guards stationed there and ordered them to surrender or die. The strategic island overlooks sea lanes to Odesa, Ukraine’s main Black Sea port. On April 14, 2022, two Ukrainian missiles struck the Moskva, the biggest warship sunk in combat for 40 years. On June 30, Russia abandoned Snake Island after taking heavy losses trying to defend it.