GUATEMALA CITY — Central America’s most populous nation, Guatemala is scarred by civil war, gang violence and poverty, its people among the streams of migrants headed for the United States. ADVERTISEMENTTroubled pastOnce a center of the Mayan civilization, Guatemala was ruled by Spain from 1524 until its independence in 1821. Spanish remains its official language, but there are also 24 native languages, all but two of Mayan origin. Guatemala’s homicide rate, among the highest in the world, was 17.3 per 100,000 in 2022, according to the UN — about three times the global average. Crime and poverty push thousands to undertake the dangerous migrant journey each to the United States, passing through Mexico.

The Filipino volleybelles blasted the Uzbeks in the first set, but the latter returned the favor in the second to tie the match at 1-1. Faith Nisperos UAAP PHOTO Faith Nisperos UAAP PHOTOSeizing the third set and gaining control anew, the Philippines built a 3-0 lead in the fourth frame following back-to-back aces by Faith Nisperos and went on to gain a 14-10 advantage. The Uzbeks saved two before Ezra Madrigal sealed the win for the Philippines with a quick attack in the battle for seventh match. Maizo-Pontillas chipped in 12 points while Madrigal added nine for the Philippine team made up of the Akari Chargers core. The Philippines defeated two other countries in the tournament in Macau and India.

BIR simplifies VAT refundsBIR commissioner Romeo Lumagui recently issued a revenue memorandum circular and revenue memorandum order that would streamline the documentary requirements and procedures in the filing and processing of VAT refund claims. MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has reduced the requirements that taxpayers need to comply with in order to get their value added tax (VAT) refund. BIR commissioner Romeo Lumagui recently issued a revenue memorandum circular and revenue memorandum order that would streamline the documentary requirements and procedures in the filing and processing of VAT refund claims. Instead, taxpayer claimants availing of the VAT refund are only required to submit the original copies of the said documents. It also committed to simplify verification and procedures in processing VAT refund claims.

Philexport taps e-Konek for export encoding serviceMANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (Philexport) has tapped e-Konek Pilipinas Inc. (EKPI) to give exporters a more convenient option in the lodgment of their export declaration. Philexport said it signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with EKPI to provide encoding and lodgment services through the e-Konek VASP System that connects to the e2m System of the Bureau of Customs (BOC). Philexport president Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. and e-Konek president Theresita Eisma signed the MOA valid for three years last June 20. For its part, Philexport would provide a convenient work area and stable network connectivity for the encoding service as well as prepare and issue EKPI official receipts to the clients. The service fee for the encoding services is P150.

Apart from K-drama (Korean drama), there are various other types of drama from different regions and cultures. But what happens when your boss or manager is addicted to drama? But suppose your business organizations are not as responsive and progressive and still operate with bosses addicted to drama. Bosses addicted to drama are not evil people; they need to be trained in leadership skills to make them more effective in dealing with their people. Those who did not and have learned to cope with bosses addicted to drama through their calm personalities influenced their bosses to improve.

Three men were arrested after they crashed their car into the curb when escaping from police roadblock and were caught keeping about 34 g of cocaine in the car in Tsing Yi. The car reached the police roadblock at Tsing Yi South Bridge at around 1 am on Saturday but the driver ignored officers’ instructions to pull over. The driver instead sped up along Kwai Tsing Road towards Tsing Yi and officers closely followed from behind. The driver and two passengers also threw away the drugs as the vehicle reached Tsing Yi Road. The 36-year-old driver Tang was trapped within and was later rescued by firefighters.

LPG tanker stuck under EDSA footbridgeFirefights douse a leaking LPG tanker with water after the tanker hit a pedestrian footbridge at the intersection of EDSA and Quezon Avenue in Quezon City at past midnight yesterday. MANILA, Philippines — An 18-wheeler tanker carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) became stuck under the EDSA-Quezon Avenue footbridge in Quezon City at past midnight yesterday, causing a traffic buildup that lasted hours. The incident, which occurred along EDSA’s northbound lane at around 12:30 a.m., caused the tanker to leak, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) reported. Personnel from the MMDA, Bureau of Fire Protection and the city government doused the tanker with water to prevent its highly flammable content from igniting. They also tried to gradually deflate the tires of the truck but this move reportedly did not help them get the tanker unstuck.

Fighting for the forestsSocial media has been flooded with photos of visitors posing on the recently completed Philippine Eagle statue in Barlig, Mountain Province. After all, Barlig hosts one of the last old-growth forests in the country, from mystical mossy forests to dipterocarps with critically endangered hardwood trees and the elusive rafflesia, the biggest flower in the world! But with the road project, who knows how much longer these ecological services will last? Costa Rica has been pioneering ecotourism to restore forests and protect ecosystems while generating income for the communities. The past has shown us the devastation that can happen should we continue to destroy our forests and nature as a whole.

Eleven people were injured on Cathay Pacific’s flight CX880 at the Hong Kong International Airport early on Saturday after the carrier aborted its take off due to a technical issue, Cathay said in a statement. The flight, from Hong Kong to Los Angeles, was carrying 17 crew and 293 passengers at around 1 am. It was understood that five men and 13 women were injured during their evacuation. The other 10 women and a man aged 29 to 77 were sent to North Lantau Hospital and Princess Margaret Hospital. “We understand that 11 passengers are being treated at the hospital with injuries sustained during the evacuation process.

U.S. intelligence agencies found no direct evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic stemmed from an incident at China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology, a report declassified on Friday said. ADVERTISEMENT“The Central Intelligence Agency and another agency remain unable to determine the precise origin of the COVID-19 pandemic, as both (natural and lab) hypotheses rely on significant assumptions or face challenges with conflicting reporting,” the ODNI report said. U.S. President Joe Biden in March signed a bill declassifying information related to the origins of the pandemic. As of March 20, four other U.S. agencies still judged that COVID-19 was likely the result of natural transmission, while two were undecided. For more information on COVID-19, call the DOH Hotline: (02) 86517800 local 1149/1150.

WASHINGTON — Narendra Modi’s denial that discrimination against minorities exists in India contradicts thorough documentation by rights advocates, according to activists disappointed by President Joe Biden’s embrace of the Indian prime minister. Rights advocates said that by not publicly calling out the human rights situation in India, Biden had lost their trust. He failed on his campaign promises of promoting human rights,” said Raqib Hameed Naik, the founder of Hindutva Watch, a group that monitors reports of attacks on Indian minorities. India also leads the list for the highest number of government-imposed internet shutdowns globally for five consecutive years. The U.N. human rights office described a 2019 citizenship law as “fundamentally discriminatory” for excluding Muslim migrants.

Booking a ride on the small submersible Titan set back adventurers a quarter of a million dollars each. A frantic rescue effort involving research ships and at least two unmanned submarines were mobilized. From Sunday to the discovery of the debris field Thursday, the massive rescue effort grabbed the world’s attention. At the depth where the Titan imploded, water pressure is about 300 times what it is on the surface. Spain, Italy and Greece have deployed nearly full-time maritime assets to rescue migrants in distress.

Man caught sneaking shabu into jail gets life“We will have a case build-up and they will be subjected to anti-illegal drugs operations,” PNP Public Information Office head Brig. BAGUIO CITY , Philippines — A man who tried to sneak shabu into the city jail here has been sentenced to life imprisonment. Jail guards discovered the illegal drugs upon inspection. It cited the testimonies of the jail guards and other witnesses who identified Pinto as the man who brought the illegal drugs. Police said the suspect was behind the distribution of illegal drugs in Datu Anggal Midtimbang and nearby towns.

(UPDATE) PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed Monetary Board member Eli Remolona as the new governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), Malacañang announced on Friday. Remolona will replace Felipe Medalla, whose term will end on July 2. Photo from BSP website Eli M. Remolona. "His work focused on crucial issues such as financial stability, capital market development and asset management for Asia-Pacific central banks," Garafil said. "As the newly appointed governor, Mr. Remolona is expected to leverage his extensive knowledge and experience to guide the BSP in promoting financial stability, implementing effective monetary policies and fostering a robust banking sector," Garafil said.

Paris: The Olympic torch has been into space, deep underwater and even scaled Mount Everest. The flame is lit during the opening ceremony of the Special Olympics World Games at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin on June 17, 2023. Heated protestsThe torch relay has been the target of several protests, most notably during the run-up to Beijing 2008 as demonstrators took China to task over its Tibet policy. In Japan, monks at an ancient Buddhist temple pulled out of hosting a torch ceremony because of the Chinese crackdown in Tibet. The torch relay set the tone for the subdued games, with public sections of the relay scrapped in areas where virus cases were spiking, including the final leg in Japan's capital.