(UPDATE) MELBOURNE: Filipino Canadian Leylah Fernandez bucked a slow start to beat Sara Bejlek of the Czech Republic 7-6 (5), 6-2 to advance to the second round of the 2024 Australian Open on Sunday. Fernandez, who represents Canada, will face American Alycia Parks who defeated qualifier Daria Snigur of Ukraine 2-6, 6-2, 6-4. Fourth seed Jannik Sinner fired up his bid for a maiden Grand Slam title with a hard-fought straight-sets victory over Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp in the men's division. Filipino Canadian Leylah Fernandez serves against Czech Republic’s Sara Bejlek during their women’s singles match on Day One of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024. "Physically I feel good in good shape, the first round is never easy so I can be happy with today."

Customs arrested two sales assistants at a medicine shop after they were suspected of engaging in unfair trade practices involving misleading omission in selling Chinese herbal medicine. However, the store employee was suspected of having misled the customer into believing the unit price of the concerned Chinese herbal medicine was calculated per catty. After the Chinese herbal medicine was ground into powder, the staff members revealed that the medicine was priced per mille, with the charged price being 160 times higher than what was expected. Customs arrested two men aged 31 and 33 of the medicine shop concerned after the investigation. With the Lunar New Year approaching, Customs stated they will continue to step up inspection and enforcement to vigorously combat unfair trade practices.

Hong Kong will play their first Asian Cup match in 55 years on Sunday with their coach admitting that the "gap is very big" to the continent's footballing elite. "I think the gap is very big with these teams," Andersen said. "But football is football. "We are here to enjoy the competition and try our best to show our good performances," said the team's all-time appearance record-holder. "And we will hopefully get some good performances and good results."

WASHINGTON – U.S. President Joe Biden said on Saturday the United States does not support the independence of Taiwan, after Taiwanese voters rebuffed China and gave the ruling party a third presidential term. ADVERTISEMENT“We do not support independence…” Biden said, when asked for reaction to Saturday’s elections. The United States is Taiwan’s most important international backer and arms supplier despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties with the island. China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. In a show of support for the government, Biden plans to dispatch an unofficial delegation to the self-governed island, according to a senior Biden administration official.

The accident, a likely coal and gas explosion described as an "outburst," happened at about 2:55 p.m. in the city of Pingdingshan on Friday, state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) said. READY TO RESCUE Rescuers go into the site of a coal mining accident in the city of Pingdingshan, Henan province, central China on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024. Those in charge of the mine, operated by the Pingdingshan Tianan Coal Mining Co., have been taken into custody by authorities, Xinhua said. Last month, 12 people were killed and 13 injured in a mining accident on the outskirts of the city of Jixi in northeastern Heilongjiang province. Eleven people were killed last November in an accident at another coal mine in the same province.

NEW YORK, United States — Oil prices climbed Friday after US and UK forces launched strikes against Iran-backed Huthi rebels, while global stocks were mixed following the kickoff of corporate earnings season. Crude prices spiked more than four percent before ebbing somewhat after the allies launched deadly strikes following weeks of disruptive rebel attacks on Red Sea shipping. The Huthis have carried out a growing number of strikes on vessels in the Red Sea, a key international shipping route, since the Gaza war erupted in October. The attacks have affected trade flows at a time when supply strains are putting upward pressure on inflation globally. Leading banks were mostly lower following a deluge of quarterly results, while airlines were hammered after Delta's forecast disappointed investors.

Modest financial guide including budget hacks, investment tips for New YearTake time to view your financial status and start setting new goals that you seriously commit to working hard for and achieving this year. Take time to view your financial status and start setting new goals that you seriously commit to working hard for and achieving this year. From investment tips to budgeting hacks, here is a modest financial guide with suggestions from RCBC:Create a budget from scratch. RCBC Credit Card holders aged 18 to 64 may also enroll in the Easy Health Insurance Plan, which is a simple health insurance plan that covers medical expenses such as hospital room and board fees. OneAccount also has add-on features, such as life insurance and personal accident insurance, which you can add or remove as needed.

A 63-year-old man was arrested after customs seized about HK$5 million worth of endangered softshell turtles’ cartilage, weighing about 1,400 kg. Upon examination, officers found the batch of suspected cartilage inside the container. After a follow-up investigation, customs arrested a 63-year-old male director of the consignee company suspected to be connected with the case on Friday. “The investigation is ongoing and the arrested man has been released on bail pending further investigation,” customs said in a statement. Customs reminded that importing or exporting an endangered species without a license is an offense under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance.

HP INC. ushered in a new era of computing with its latest portfolio of PCs, monitors, and peripherals designed to reimagine how we interact and live with technology. "We believe that the best innovations are also the most personal ones," said Kong Meng Koh, managing director, Southeast Asia and Korea, HP. New technologies from HP deliver solutions that allow us to be more personalized than ever, taking advantage of game-changing innovations like AI that will alter the way that technology moves us forward."

With the recent problems faced by the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), GoSolar Philippines President and CEO Bhong Bibi say that solar energy could be a solution. Video and interview by Ezrah Raya

China's ultimate goals in SCSIn Lei's video of Jan. 6, 2024 titled "China's 3 ultimate goals in creating South China Sea conflicts," she addresses an issue of burning importance. In the South China Sea, Beijing has been escalating tensions with the Philippines. The South China Sea therefore is a good testing ground for Beijing to gauge Washington's determination. Therefore, the South China Sea has become a good testing ground." 'In the South China Sea, the most important thing is to break the blind faith in the US military capability.

One worker is in critical condition and one has been pronounced dead after two separate incidents in Kai Tak on Friday afternoon. Around 11 a.m. today, a construction worker was struck down by a piece of rock while working and he lay bleeding on the third-floor platform of Shing Fu Lane, located in Kai Tak. Paramedics took the worker, who had suffered severe neck injuries, to Queen Elizabeth Hospital for urgent medical attention. He was taken to the United Christian Hospital, where he was declared dead after failing to be resuscitated. After a preliminary investigation, it is believed that he died due to extreme fatigue from overworking.

EXPANDED NAVAL FORCE Photo taken on March 10, 2021 shows the commission ceremony of the INS Karanj, India's third Scorpene-class diesel-electric submarine, in Mumbai, India. It showed India "can mount a credible naval presence in the Indian Ocean region when required at short notice," said Bhaskar, who is a retired naval officer. Beijing and New Delhi are vying for influence across the Indian Ocean, and India has previously deployed patrols to the disputed South China Sea and Western Pacific. "We have no ambitions to say that the Indian Ocean is India's ocean." But he was also confident Beijing had "taken note" of India's rapid response, forcing pirates to "run away like rats."

NEW DELHI: Indian IT giants TCS and Infosys both signaled weak revenue growth in quarterly results on Thursday as a client spending slowdown deepened a seasonally weak time for the sector. Both companies, the second- and fifth-biggest in India by market cap, respectively, earn more than 80 percent of their revenue from Western markets and each benefited from a digital services boom during the Covid-19 pandemic.

AP Bren reigns supreme, first team to win on home soilAP Bren is only one of the teams to watch throughout the MLBB world, with more young Filipino players gaining recognition and showing gradual improvement. AP Bren was forced down to the lower brackets to fight for survival after Kiboy and Kairi’s dominating combinations. AP Bren targeted Sensui once more as they pulled him away from his comfort zone by banning the Utility Heroes he was seen prioritizing. But within minutes, AP Bren took the first win as the crowd roared in excitement. After that 1-1 standing, AP Bren went on a rampage in Games 3 and 4, taking both matches that led them to matchpoint.