With much of the United States, Mexico, India and the Middle East suffering through blistering heat waves, worsened by human-caused climate change, several doctors, physiologists and other experts explained to The Associated Press what happens to the human body in such heat. AdvertisementDr. Neil Gandhi, emergency medicine director at Houston Methodist Hospital, said during heat waves anyone who comes in with a fever of 102 or higher and no clear source of infection will be looked at for heat exhaustion or the more severe heat stroke. The usual first suspect is heat stroke — critical increases in body temperature that cause organs to fail. But the bigger killer in heat is the strain on the heart, especially for people who have cardiovascular disease, Jay said. "Humid heat waves kill a lot more people than dry heat waves," Kenney said.

June 23, 2024 04:07 UTC

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Sunday his country is not in the business of instigating wars and will always aim to settle disputes peacefully, amid escalating maritime confrontations with China. "In the performance of our duties, we will not resort to the use of force or intimidation, or deliberately inflict injury or harm to anyone," Marcos said. Beijing's actions during a routine Philippine resupply mission have been condemned by the United States, Britain and Canada. China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual shipborne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague said China's claims had no legal basis, a decision Beijing has rejected.

June 23, 2024 03:58 UTC

A 31-year-old man was arrested in Fanling during an anti-narcotic operation by police on Friday, in which officers seized 27 kg of suspected ketamine worth HK$12 million in the packaging of whey protein. Police said officers first intercepted the man surnamed So in a building at Luen Wo Hui and seized about 90 g of ketamine on him. They later escorted him to the unit he rented and further seized 27 kg of the drug. He will face two counts of drug trafficking and will appear at Fanling Magistrates’ Courts next Monday (Jun 24). Police warned that drug trafficking is a serious offense and the maximum penalty carries a HK$5 million fine and life imprisonment.

June 22, 2024 22:41 UTC

MANILA, Philippines — In response to the government’s upcoming concert dedicated to health workers, the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) emphasized on Saturday that their sector requires solutions to pressing issues rather than just recognition and entertainment. ADVERTISEMENTREAD: Health workers give Marcos a ‘failed’ rating for first year in officeIn a statement, AHW Secretary General Cristy Donguines thanked President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos for the praise and recognition given to health workers. Health workers need immediate salary hike, job security, mass hiring of regular health workers to augment the severe understaffing in both public and private hospitals and release the unpaid benefits like Performance-Based Bonus (PBB) and Health Emergency Allowances (HEA) for private and LGU health workers,” Donguines said. She added that it is “crucial” for health workers to have their issues and concerns addressed, particularly amid the challenges brought by the recent COVID-19 pandemic and other health emergencies. ADVERTISEMENT“Organizing such concerts is a manifestation that Marcos Jr. administration is not taking seriously the people’s health and health workers’ welfare,” Donguines said.

June 22, 2024 20:19 UTC

Citizens are at the center of the energy issueConversations about energy have the tendency to sound technical and businesslike. Renewable energy, however, is a relatively new technology, thus expensive, inconsistent, and uneven across societies. Achieving an efficient way to produce renewable energy remains a challenge especially for economies like the Philippines. All these efforts to lower our carbon emissions and gradually increase our use of renewable energy hinge on the fact that extreme weather conditions affect vulnerable populations. To address these challenges effectively, there is a need for the immediate passage of the Philippine Downstream Natural Gas Industry Development Act and the Midstream Natural Gas Industry Development Act.

June 22, 2024 17:48 UTC





WASHINGTON, D.C. — Apple on Friday said it would delay the rollout of its recently announced AI features in Europe because of "regulatory uncertainties" linked to the EU's new landmark legislation to curb the power of big tech. Apple earlier this month unveiled "Apple Intelligence," its suite of AI features for its coveted devices as it looks to reassure users that it is not falling behind on the AI frenzy. AdvertisementIn an effort to instill fair competition in Europe, the DMA sets out a list of dos and don'ts for the specially designated internet gatekeepers that include Apple. "Gatekeepers are welcome to offer their services in Europe, provided that they comply with our rules aimed at ensuring fair competition," the EU added. I was very surprised that we would have such suspicions of Apple being non-compliant," Vestager told CNBC.

June 22, 2024 17:31 UTC

TAIPEI — Taiwan's defense ministry said Saturday it had detected 41 Chinese military aircraft around the island in a 24-hour window, a day after Beijing said "diehard" advocates of Taiwan's independence could face the death penalty. China claims self-ruled democratic Taiwan as part of its territory and has said it would never renounce the use of force to bring it under Beijing's control. On Saturday, Taipei's defense ministry said it had detected 41 Chinese military aircraft and seven naval vessels operating around Taiwan during the 24-hour period leading up to 6:00 am (2200 GMT). "32 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait," the ministry said in a statement, referring to a line bisecting the 180-kilometre (110-mile) waterway that separates Taiwan from China. On May 25, Taiwan detected 62 Chinese military aircraft around the island in a 24-hour window, the highest single-day total this year, as China staged military drills following the inauguration of Lai, who Beijing regards as a "dangerous separatist".

June 22, 2024 16:53 UTC

The amount of money flying around in these markets has, at times, rivaled that of real-world markets, which is obviously puzzling to most observers. For example, during the Dot-com Bubble just before the turn of this century, a lot of internet startups were fueled by ridiculously high stock prices. There are absolutely no fundamentals of utility underlying any of these things, yet they have soaring prices and have generated big, active trading markets. In a new video last week, he presented an idea that explains the insanity that seems to drive much of the world's markets. The ideology "views the entire system as a scam" and that financial markets should only be regarded in the same light as casinos.

June 22, 2024 16:27 UTC

Plane fares are expected to become cheaper next month after the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) brought down the fuel surcharge for the first time since February. In its latest advisory, CAB announced that the fuel surcharge for July would be Level 5. ADVERTISEMENTThe last time the regulator implemented a Level 5 fuel surcharge was in February. READ: Plane tickets to get cheaper in FebruaryUnder Level 5, airlines are allowed to collect fuel surcharges of P151 to P542 for domestic flights while those flying outside the country will pay additional P498.03 to P3,703.11 each. Fuel surcharges are additional fees by airlines to help them recover fuel costs.

June 22, 2024 14:16 UTC

Philippines' John Ray Onifa and Cara Dacnis show endurance in the Vertical Uphill Climb after clinching silver medals in Day 1 of the Southeast Asian Trail Running Cup 2024 here in Bontoc, Mountain Province on June 21, 2024. Nanda Yusri of Indonesia took the gold while Thailand's Kianchaipaaiphana Jantaraboon copped the bronze. In the women's division, Thailand's Phitchanan Mahachot bagged the gold while Singapore's Chan Yumei clinched bronze. VIDEO BY NICOLE ANNE D.G. BUGAUISANGet 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 Policy

June 22, 2024 04:51 UTC

ILYA Sutskever, one of the founders of OpenAI who was involved in a failed effort to push out Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman, said he is starting a safety-focused artificial intelligence (AI) company. AP PHOTOThe three said Safe Superintelligence is an American company with roots in Palo Alto, California, and Tel Aviv, "where we have deep roots and the ability to recruit top technical talent." At OpenAI, Sutskever jointly led a team focused on safely developing better-than-human AI known as artificial general intelligence, or AGI. When he left OpenAI, he said that he had plans for a "very personally meaningful" project, but offered no details. OpenAI later announced the formation of a safety and security committee, but it's been filled mainly with company insiders.

June 22, 2024 04:13 UTC

The company said the 1,800-horsepower Tourbillon car is now in its "testing phase" and that deliveries of the 250 planned cars would start in 2026. The car, with its carbon body and 3D-printed parts, has three electric motors and one newly designed 1,000-horsepower fuel engine. The electric battery only has an autonomy of 60 kilometers, however, said the company which is owned by Porsche and Croatian company Rimac. Also going against the grain of the rest of the car industry, the Tourbillon has only a small screen for digital indicators. Made at a factory in Molsheim in eastern France, the Tourbillon has a "starting price" of 3.8 million euros ($4.1 million), the company said.

June 22, 2024 04:11 UTC

Three alleged hackers were arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Wednesday for hacking private and government websites, banks, and Facebook accounts. One has been a Manila Bulletin data officer for the past five years, another was a cybersecurity researcher in a company in Taguig City, and the third was a graduating student. ADVERTISEMENT‘Details of exploit’Inquirer.net, a sister company of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, reported that Samaniego denied the data officer’s allegations. According to the Bulletin data officer, one of the recent instructions Samaniego allegedly gave was to check the vulnerability of the 1Sambayan mobile app. ‘Vulnerability tests’Roren Marie Chin, chief of the NPC’s Public Information and Assistance Division, told the Inquirer that the investigation was connected to the case of Samaniego.

June 22, 2024 02:13 UTC

BANGKOK — Thailand's Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira will discuss the inflation target with the central bank governor, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on Friday, adding additional stimulus measures would be announced next week. The government has been at loggerheads with the central bank for months over interest rates, with the prime minister calling for a rate cut to boost Southeast Asia's second-largest economy. The Bank of Thailand bank held its key interest rate steady at 2.50 percent at a review earlier this month. In May, when Pichai assumed office, he said he would review the inflation target of 1 percent to 3 percent with the central bank. The central bank has previously said that interest rates and the inflation target were suitable.

June 21, 2024 22:17 UTC

Philippines calls for prompt implementation of ceasefire plan in GazaA smoke plume erupts over Khan Yunis from Rafah in the southern Gaza strip during Israeli bombardment on December 26, 2023, amid continuing battles between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas militant group. MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, has reiterated its call for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, urging the United Nations Security Council to promptly implement its proposed ceasefire deal to end the war. "The Philippines reiterates its call for an immediate ceasefire, the safe release of hostages, and the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. “The Philippines remains committed to supporting efforts aimed at achieving a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Gaza. Whether Israel and Hamas agree to the ceasefire plan remains in question, but the resolution’s strong support in the UN’s most powerful body puts added pressure on both parties to approve the proposal.

June 21, 2024 20:21 UTC