The BSP and Mayon Volcano are in suspenseTwo unrelated events that have great significance for the country are currently happening at the same time around this time. Mayon Volcano recently displayed unstable behavior. At the moment, Mount Mayon is on level 3 alert, indicating a tendency towards potential hazardous eruption. Luckily, the volcano was not as close to population centers as Taal Volcano in Batangas province or Mount Mayon in Albay province. Taal Volcano is the second most active volcano in the country.

A woman in her 80s who was swept out to sea during her morning swim near the Sai Wan Swimming Shed was safely rescued Tuesday morning. The distress call came in at around 7 am this morning after the woman’s fellow morning swimmers saw her being swept out to the sea. Marine police and firefighters responded to the scene and rescued the elderly woman. She was brought ashore to the pier on Sai Ning Street before paramedics took her to the hospital for a medical check-up. She did not suffer from any injuries.

Police on Monday arrested a 15-year-old student for bringing a brass knuckle to a Tin Shui Wai school he is attending. The force said the call came in at around 12.12 pm yesterday from a teaching staff of the school on Tin Yip Road, with the staff suspecting the 15-year-old of carrying a sharp object. Officers responded to the scene and found the brass knuckle in the student’s possession, and arrested the student for illicit weapon possession. The student was currently detained for further investigation, with the case now handled by the Yuen Long district crime unit.

MANILA, Philippines — Generally fair weather with hot temperatures will prevail throughout the country on Tuesday amid a monsoon break, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa). ADVERTISEMENTA monsoon break occurs when the southwest monsoon, locally known as habagat, is not able to reach the country. “It will still continue to be clear weather in Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao,” Pagasa weather specialist Aldczar Aurelio said in Filipino. So high temperatures will be recorded.”Isolated rain showers, however, may still occur in the afternoon and evening due to localized thunderstorms. No low pressure area or storms, meanwhile, are currently being monitored within and outside the Philippine area of responsibility.

Four people were sent to the hospital on Monday after a three-car collision involving two trucks and one taxi in Tai Po. The accident happened shortly before 2 pm near Tai Po Kau, with one of the trucks flipped on its side. The 34-year-old truck driver, surnamed Wong, a 37-year-old taxi driver, surnamed Tin, and his two passengers suffered either chest pains or scraped their limbs. They were taken to Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital for medical attention. The preliminary investigation showed that the accident was caused by the taxi cutting into lanes indiscriminately.

United Nations, United States — The United Nations accused Russia on Sunday of continuing to block humanitarian aid deliveries to Moscow-controlled areas in eastern Ukraine that have been impacted by the recent Kakhovka dam rupture. The breach of the dam on June 6 inundated huge swathes of the Kherson region under Russian and Ukrainian control, forcing thousands to flee and sparking fears of an environmental disaster. “The UN will continue to do all it can to reach all people – including those suffering as a result of the recent dam destruction – who urgently need life-saving assistance, no matter where they are,” Brown said. “We urge the Russian authorities to act in accordance with their obligations under international humanitarian law,” she added. Kyiv has accused Moscow of blowing up the dam on the Dnipro River, while Russia has blamed Ukraine.

A visit by Antony Blinken, seen shaking hands with Qin Gang, may lead to a meeting between Xi Jinping and Joe Biden. Biden said he hopes to again meet Xi after their lengthy and strikingly cordial meeting in November on the sidelines of a Group of 20 summit in Bali, where they agreed on US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit. It could also set the stage for meetings between Xi and Biden at multilateral summits later in the year. During his stay through today, Blinken is also expected to meet with China's top diplomat Wang Yi and possibly Xi. After heading into a meeting room, neither Blinken nor Qin made comments in front of reporters who were briefly allowed in.

Investor relationsA recently created unit (usually just one person) in listed companies is tasked with providing a basis for investor confidence in the company. Investor Relations (IR) is usually available to explain big movements in the financial statements after disclosure to the PSE. The macro elements above are beyond the control of investor relations, even as they affect the value of a particular stock. Even health issues and feuding groups inside the company can fall on the lap of Investor Relations – she is on paid vacation leave to discover the wonders of Antarctica. Is this also within the purview of investor relations?

Speaker: Express gratitude to fathersMANILA, Philippines — Speaker Martin Romualdez yesterday paid homage to fathers on Father’s Day, calling them “heroes of our home.”“Building a home, keeping it a safe space for dreams and aspirations to grow, and inspiring our families to be productive members of the community are just as important to nation-building as any other duty, responsibility or calling,” he said. Romualdez said being a father gave him the motivation to be a better person and legislator. “To all the fathers out there, this is your day. Let us all express gratitude to all fathers who continue to be our role models that inspire us to reach greater heights,” the Leyte congressman added.

CELEBRATE Father's Day at Paradise Dynasty, the "Legend of Xiao Long Bao," and get a surprise gift today, June 18. With locations at Conrad S Maison, SM Aura Premier, and The Podium, Paradise Dynasty is known for its first eight international-flavored xiao long bao or soup dumplings, which is one of the dining place's famous innovations. Celebrate Father’s Day today at Paradise DynastyFoodies can enjoy the signature original, ginseng, crab roe, foie gras, black truffle, cheese, garlic, and Szechuan flavors. To immerse in the imperial culture and savor the exquisite flavors, visit @paradisedynastyph (Facebook and Instagram) or http://paradisedynasty.ph so as to be awed by the experience.

Filipino Olympic gymnast Carlos Yulo topped the parallel bars final to capture his third gold medal in the Men's Senior Artistic Gymnastics Asian Championships at the OCBC Hall in Singapore on Sunday, June 18. Carlos Yulo PHOTO BY RIO DELUVIOYulo, 23, scored 15.266 points to score his third gold after his conquest of the vault final earlier the floor exercise yesterday. Shinnosuke Oka of Japan finished second to Yulo in parallel bats with 15.133 points while Yin Dehang of China placed third with 15.100 points.

One person was killed and at least 25 others were missing in flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains that battered east Nepal, officials said on Sunday, the first known fatality since the annual rains began last week. Heavy rains washed away a hydroelectric project under construction on the Hewa River in Sankhuwasabha district in eastern Nepal where 16 workers have gone missing, said Bimal Paudel, a government official. Nine people were also missing in flash floods and landslides in neighbouring Taplejung and Panchthar districts, bordering India in the east, officials said. Gaurav Dhakal of the Panchthar district said overnight rains damaged two bridges on the Mechi highway, cutting off the road link to remote Taplejung district where four people were missing. Hundreds are killed or go missing in rains which spark floods inundating villages, crops and damaging infrastructure every year in mostly mountainous Nepal, nestled between China and India.

A driver had to jump out of his burning vehicle when it ignited after he collided with a barrier in Tuen Mun this morning. A sedan was heading to Tsuen Wan via the Tuen Mun Road at 10 am today when it suddenly lost control near Ting Kau and crashed into a barrier. The car started to smoke and burst into flames, and the driver was able to climb out of his vehicle in time. He was not injured, and the cause of the incident is still under investigation.

NEW DELHI — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written to the leaders of the G20 nations proposing the African Union be given full, permanent membership of the diplomatic group at its upcoming summit in India, an official source said. Modi’s proposal to grant the African Union full membership in the G20 demonstrates India’s commitment to strengthening Africa’s representation and partnership in shaping global affairs, the source said. “This will be a right step towards a just, fair, more inclusive and representative global architecture and governance,” the source said of the African Union proposal. “(The) prime minister is a strong believer in having a greater Voice of the Global South countries on international platforms, particularly of African countries.”The African Union (AU) is a continental body consisting of 55 member states. India began its year-long presidency of the G20 in December last year and will host the summit later this year.

Philippines again meets US standards in ending human traffickingMANILA, Philippines — Although it failed to “vigorously investigate or prosecute” labor trafficking crimes, the Philippines was able to retain its Tier 1 status in the Trafficking in Persons report released by the US State Department. “The government approved a new NAP (National Action Plan against human trafficking) and consulted survivors during its development. Although the government meets the minimum standards, it did not vigorously investigate or prosecute labor trafficking crimes that occurred within the Philippines,” it added. Every year, the US classifies countries into four groups based on efforts to address human trafficking based on standards set by its Trafficking Victims Protection Act. Recently, the BI was the first to raise concerns about a human trafficking scheme that targeted Filipinos, enticing them to work in pseudo-call centers abroad, only to fall victim to a crypto scam ring.