The Japanese-style drums called Wadaiko have a history going back over 1,300 years. They have always been played at festivals, and at shrine and temple rituals, and have an essential role in traditional performing arts like Gagaku and Kabuki. These drums produce a characteristically strong reverberating sound thanks to a special way of carving their interior surface. Wadaiko drumming is a very popular hobby today, and regardless of your age it's easy to find a place to learn. The way the drummer puts their whole body and spirit into each strike makes both playing and watching Wadaiko so uniquely compelling.

Wynn Macau (1128) returned to profit with a net income of US$61 million (HK$475.8 million) in the first half of 2023, compared to a loss of US$271 million in the same period last year. During the period, the total operating income amounted to HK$770 million, a increase of 557 percent year-on-year. In the second quarter, the rise in operating revenues was primarily attributed to increments of US$409.7 million from Wynn Palace and US$243.0 million from Wynn Macau, mainly due to increased gaming activity, higher hotel occupancy rates and more dining patrons. Meanwhile, Wynn Palace reported an adjusted property earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and restructuring or rent costs of HK$156.6 million, compared to a loss of HK$50 million in the second quarter of 2022. As for Wynn Macau, its adjusted property EBITDAR stood at HK$89.6 million, in contrast to a loss of HK$40.4 million in the second quarter of 2022.

NEW DELHI: India's opposition leader Rahul Gandhi condemned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's inaction over deadly ethnic conflict in the country's northeast on Wednesday, in his first parliamentary speech since his defamation conviction was suspended. Modi's administration is being forced this week to defend its conduct over violence in Manipur state that has killed at least 120 people. You threw kerosene in Manipur, and lit a spark," Gandhi said, with cheers from supporters and jeers from rival lawmakers. "India's army can bring in peace in one day but you're not using it," Gandhi told fellow lawmakers. Gandhi, 53, is the son, grandson and great-grandson of three former prime ministers, beginning with independence leader Jawaharlal Nehru.

Mistaken identity: IAS probes teen’s slayIAS inspector general Alfegar Triambulo said the fact-finding probe would take at least three days followed by a pre-charge investigation of the police officers believed to be responsible for the killing of Jerhode Jemboy Baltazar. MANILA, Philippines — The Internal Affairs Service (IAS) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) yesterday started its investigation into the death of a 17-year-old boy in a case of alleged mistaken identity in Navotas City. “After seven days, the case would be elevated for summary hearing,” Triambulo said in a text message. Based on the IAS timeline, the summary hearing of the case will last for about 20 days. The IAS vowed to resolve the case by Sept. 6 and forward its recommendations to the National Capital Regional Police Office.

Infotech experts refute Comelec chief’s claimsMore and more info-technologists are questioning Comelec and Smartmatic’s use of a secret private IP address in the 2022 election count. Fraudulent.”Rio added: “Telcos may use non-routable private IP addresses, but only within own networks, not shared to their subscribers. Please refer to http://www.iana.org/abuse/answers.”Sumague concluded: “Comelec used a private IP address because owners of public ones are identifiable. Private IP address users aren’t registered so it’s very hard to find ownership.”“No sour grapes here,” presidential bet Panfilo Lacson texted. What more the use of a sole private IP address?”* * *Catch Sapol radio show, Saturdays, 8 to 10 a.m., dwIZ (882-AM).

Smuggled goods worth HK$18 million have been seized by Hong Kong customs in an anti-smuggling operation in Tai O, but the smugglers managed to escape in a speedboat. A Customs spokesman said the case on Tuesday saw a group of men transferring goods in plastic bags from a car to a boat in Lung Shing Street in Tai O. The men jumped aboard the speedboat and headed toward mainland waters after they spotted the Customs officers approaching. Officers later seized a lorry and four seven-seater vehicles found to be carrying smuggled goods near the scene. The batch of smuggled goods seized included frozen Wagyu beef, dried shark fins and used tablet computers.

(UPDATE) DEFENSE Secretary Gilberto "Gibo" Teodoro Jr. has embarked on a series of visits to military bases and identified Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) locations to discuss security matters with local officials, Department of National Defense (DND) spokesman Arsenio Andolong said. The DND spokesman said Teodoro is expected to visit other military bases and EDCA sites in the next few weeks. These were Antonio Bautista Air Base (Palawan), Basa Air Base (Pampanga), Benito Ebuen Air Base (Cebu), Fort Magsaysay (Nueva Ecija) and Lumbia Airport (Cagayan de Oro). Last April, the Philippine government announced the four additional EDCA sites considered "suitable and mutually beneficial" for both the Philippines and the US. Both officials pledged to fast-track pending defense initiatives, such as the conclusion of the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA).

Two burglars were caught on clear surveillance video trying to break into a residential flat in Tai Po on Wednesday, with a watchful neighbor calling the security guard in time to stop the attempted burglary. The neighbor, whose doorbell camera caught the act on tape, posted the videos on Facebook yesterday night. According to the post, the attempted burglary happened at around 3.52 pm yesterday at a residential building of Yat Nga Court in Tai Po. The burglars were said to have failed opening the wooden door by force, while at the same time, the neighbor’s mother, who was at home by then, heard the noises and called the security guard. After the security guard arrived at the scene, the burglars were said to have hidden themselves behind the fire-resistant doors of the stairwell, but they were eventually spotted by the guard.

Hong Kong’s national security police on Thursday arrested 10 people said to be linked to the "612 Humanitarian Relief Fund" - a fund set up during the 2019 protests to assist local democracy protestors. According to sources, four men and six women, aged between 26 to 43, were arrested this morning on suspicion of conspiring to collude with foreign forces and inciting a riot. Police said all 10 were being remanded and the possibility of further arrests has not been ruled out. Sources said pro-democracy activist Bobo Yip Po-lam, a former staff of the fund, was among those arrested this morning. Four months later, the five trustees, along with the former secretary of the fund Sze Ching-wee, were fined up to HK4,000 each after they were found guilty of failing to register their fund as a society.

(UPDATE) THREE Philippine taekwondo jins have clinched three gold medals at the Chuncheon Korea Open International Championships in South Korea. In the men's individual poomsae G2 under 30, Ian Matthew Corton took gold after defeating Lee Hak-jun of South Korea, 8.25 to 8.17. In the freestyle team event, Juvenile Crisostomo, Patrick King Perez, Kobe Macario, Zyka Santiago and Yape received the gold medal with a score of 7.570. Jang Young-keun of South Korea won the gold medal with a score of 7.870. Get the latest newsdelivered to your inbox Sign up for The Manila Times newsletters By signing up with an email address, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyThe Chuncheon Korea Open International Championships is taking place at the Hoban Gym at Chuncheon, South Korea and runs until August 14.

It’s boiling, says Antonio Guterres, the secretary general of the United Nations. UN chief Guterres, quoting scientists, blames humans for the earth apparently reaching its boiling point. The era of global warming has ended; the era of global boiling has arrived,” he says, with hyperbole. • Global average sea surface temperatures continued to rise, after a long period of unusually high temperatures since April 2023, reaching record high levels in July. • For July 2023 as a whole, global average sea surface temperatures were 0.51°C above the 1991-2020 average.

She now insists the Philippine government committed to remove the rusting hulk of the BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal. No document could be produced showing the Philippines promised to remove the BRP Sierra Madre – which will likely remain grounded until rusting causes it to crumble. But the BRP Sierra Madre, no matter its lack of seaworthiness, is an asset of the Philippine Navy. When the convoy materialized, the Chinese ships maneuvered to throw them off course and bombarded the resupply vessels with water. We will not pull out the Sierra Madre.

The Philippines maintains a handful of troops aboard the World War Two-era Sierra Madre at the Second Thomas Shoal, known by Manila as Ayungin shoal, which is located inside its 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ). "For all intents and purposes, it is a figment of their imagination," Malaya said, challenging China to produce evidence of the promise. China and the Philippines have been embroiled for years in on-off confrontations at the shoal, the latest on Saturday. The Philippines accused China's coast guard of using water cannon to impede a resupply mission to the Sierra Madre. China has built militarised, manmade islands in the South China Sea and its claim of historic sovereignty overlaps with the EEZs of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.

Academic Mobility – Part 4GLOBALIZATION has increasingly installed internationalization as a key feature of higher education. The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) urges Philippine higher education institutions to strive for internationalization. Sending faculty members and students for exchange or studies offshore is the usual mode to hasten internationalization at a university. Some alternatives could be availed of — through Internationalization at Home (IaH). In this case, university officials must be on the lookout for internationalization opportunities and make the most of them.

(UPDATE) PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday insisted that there is no existing agreement between the Philippines and China to remove BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin or the Second Thomas Shoal. China's foreign ministry claimed that the Philippines had earlier promised to withdraw the dilapidated BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal. National Security Council (NSC) Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya also on Wednesday belied claims by China that the Philippines has agreed to remove the BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal. Beijing, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has accused Manila of trying to overhaul the military ship BRP Sierra Madre to "permanently occupy" Ren'ai Jiao or Ayungin Shoal. The Chinese Embassy spokesman said the US has been inciting and supporting the Philippines' attempts to overhaul and reinforce BRP Sierra Madre.