The incident occurred around 11.45 am today when a private car driver was traveling towards Kowloon in Lion Rock Tunnel and spotted another car with the same license plate. The private car driver then filed a police report, and officers from West Kowloon traffic headquarters soon initiated a pursuit. The driver of the suspicious car later found he was being tailed by police and sped up. Yet, the driver hit the gas, rammed the suspicious car into the police vehicle, and crashed into the fence railing on the roadside. Other armed officers soon rushed to the scene to provide backup and aid investigations.

Among the first policy pronouncements he made since taking office is his disinclination to resume “peace negotiations” with the Maoist CPP-NPA-NDF. The matter of the “peace negotiations” requires a more elaborate discussion. By way of disclosure, I served the GRP negotiating team in a very marginal role in the mid-nineties, during the Ramos administration. It was clear from then on that, without a major political concession from the communists, the talks will never be restarted. As the guerrilla units are taken out one by one, the battlefield situation is bound to change dramatically against the communists.

Woman caught smuggling tobacco into BilibidMANILA, Philippines — A woman was reportedly caught attempting to smuggle tobacco products into the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City on Thursday. Leilani Tividad was visiting an inmate in the maximum security compound when prison guards caught her with contraband during mandatory frisking. Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) director general Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. said 32 bars of tobacco inside a black kneepad were seized from Tividad. Apart from the filing of criminal charges, the BuCor has banned Tividad from entering the prison facility again. Angelina Bautista, BuCor deputy director for operations, said they have intensified their campaign to rid the NBP of contraband brought in by visitors and even by their own personnel.

MANILA, Philippines —Evacuation has begun in the town of Camalig in Albay on Friday due to Mayon volcano’s possible eruption, according to the Albay Provincial Information Office (PIO). ADVERTISEMENTFour barangays within Mayon’s permanent six kilometer danger zone have been ordered by Camalig town Mayor Carlos Irwin Baldo Jr. to evacuate. “Immediate mandatory evacuation is ongoing today for barangays Sua, Tumpa, Quirangay, and Anoling with an estimated 1,400 families,” said Albay PIO in a Facebook post. Albay had declared on Friday a state of calamity after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) raised Alert Level 3 on Mayon. According to Phivolcs’ website, this alert level means there is “relatively high unrest.”RELATED STORIES:Mayon: Alert Level 3 up as rockfalls increase; ‘explosive activity’ seen in weeks- PhivolcsLIVE UPDATES: Mayon VolcanoAPLYour subscription could not be saved.

LONG-time swimming patron Michael 'Miko' Vargas was elected president of Philippine Swimming, Inc. (PSI) during the PSI National Congress and Election held on Thursday at the East Ocean Restaurant in Paranaque City. The 11-man Board of Trustees unanimously install the 43-year-old Vargas, the second of the three children of former POC president and Boxing Association chief Ricky Vargas, to lead the association in the 'transition year' before the regular election in 2025. From left: Marie Dimanche, Michael Vargas, Eric Buhain, Jessie Arriola and Bambol Tolentino CONTRIBUTED PHOTO From left: Marie Dimanche, Michael Vargas, Eric Buhain, Jessie Arriola and Bambol Tolentino CONTRIBUTED PHOTO"I'm very happy and proud that you gave me the opportunity to become the head of the swimming association. The new Executive Board was sworn in by POC president Abraham 'Bambol' Tolentino, in the presence of the World Aquatics Electoral Board, Atty. We're very, happy, very democratic everything went through the process, very well represented we really saw the essence of inclusivity," said Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham 'Bambol' Tolentino.

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has expressed confidence that he would be able to report some progress when he delivers his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July. At sa palagay ko naman, meron naman tayo ipapakita (what happened to the plans we mentioned during my first SONA. I think, we will be able to report some progress) and that's what the content of the SONA, I think, will probably be," he added. To recall, it was Marcos who drafted his first SONA delivered at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City on July 25, 2022. In his first SONA, Marcos reported that the state of the nation is "sound," as he had assembled the "best" Filipino minds to help navigate the pandemic.

(UPDATE) THE provincial government of Albay has placed the entire province under a state of calamity due to Mayon Volcano's unrest. Daraga is within the six-kilometer danger zone set by Phivolcs. Meanwhile, the Municipality of Daraga also suspended quarrying activities within the 8-kilometer permanent danger zone around the volcano on Friday. Mayon Volcano is currently under Alert Level 3 by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs). Edcel Greco Lagman ordered a preemptive evacuation for residents within the permanent danger zone.

(CC)China's largest naval training ship sailed for the Philippines on Friday, its last stop of a regional "friendly" tour, amid growing unease over Chinese maritime activities in the South China Sea. At the end of its trip, Qijiguang and its crew of 476 navy students and officers would have passed through the Yellow Sea, East China Sea, South China Sea, Gulf of Thailand and West Pacific. The visit also comes immediately after the first-ever trilateral coast guard exercise involving the Philippines, Japan and the United States that ended on Wednesday. The Philippines has ramped up its military ties with the United States this year, conducting more drills and even allowing U.S. access to local military bases. On May 23-25, the training vessel made port in Vietnam, overlapping with the sailing of a Chinese research ship in Vietnam's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) from May 7-June 6.

Residents within Mayon danger zone evacuatedThis handout photo made available by Kristin Moral shows Mount Mayon spewing white smoke as seen from Camalig on June 8, 2023. MANILA, Philippines — The mandatory evacuation of residents within Mayon Volcano’s six-kilometer-radius permanent danger zone due to the threat of a “hazardous” eruption is ongoing, the provincial government of Albay said. Around 10,578 people living within the six-kilometer PDZ were evacuated Friday morning, according to the Albay Provincial Information Office. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology placed Mayon under Alert Level 3 Thursday, which indicates the volcano is exhibiting an “increased tendency toward a hazardous eruption.”In the event Phivolcs raises Mayon’s status to Alert Level 4, around 16,000 residents living within the extended seven-kilometer danger zone will be evacuated. PDCs are mixtures of volcanic rock, volcanic ash (pulverized rock, glass, and crystals), and gas that can travel at great speeds.

A 14-year-old boy who was charged with molesting a female classmate pleaded not guilty to his charges Friday morning. He was granted bail with his trial adjourned to June 16 upon the prosecution’s request. The defendant appeared at the Tuen Mun juvenile court this morning, where he pleaded not guilty to two charges of indecent assault and attempted indecent assault, along with another two counts of common assault. The boy was also charged with allegedly attacking the girl outside a toilet at the school in July or August of the same year. On or around August 8, 2022, the teenager was said to have molested his classmate near a staircase on the school’s seventh floor before assaulting her again near the campus entrance.

‘Job reskilling needed amid AI threat’CEBU, Philippines — The country’s largest private sector employer has vowed to upskill and reskill its workers to save them from getting replaced by cheap and efficient artificial intelligence. Concentrix Philippines country leader Amit Jagga told reporters their company is carrying out programs to expand and improve the skills set of customer service representatives. Meanwhile, the Philippine Institute of Cybersecurity Professionals (PICSPro) warned that using generative AI may be detrimental to several industries. Generative AI refers to programs that can create images, texts and videos based on available data. The letter warned that allowing developers to expand the knowledge of AI may lead to a swamp of misinformation online and replace jobs with automation.

One of the workshops, scheduled to start on June 15, 2023, is an online Nihongo Language Workshop for kids ages 9 to 13. The workshop will have 15 sessions conducted on Mondays and Thursdays, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.Learning a new language is good for a child’s brain development so enroll now in the online Nihongo language workshop. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Learning a new language is good for a child's brain development so enroll now in the online Nihongo language workshop. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOPauline Toledo, who has been teaching Nihongo for over four years, both online and in-person, will conduct the workshop. Get the latest newsdelivered to your inbox Sign up for The Manila Times’ daily newsletters By signing up with an email address, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyTo enroll and for further details, visit http://www.sunshineplaceph.com/ and email [email protected] Follow Sunshine Place online: Facebook (@SunshinePlace56Jupiter), Instagram (@sunshineplaceph), and YouTube (Sunshine Place: Senior Recreation Center).

(UPDATE) ABOUT P141 billion will be needed to upgrade and modernize the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). NAIA can handle around 33 million passengers annually. In 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic, nearly 48 million passengers passed through NAIA. Lim clarified that privatizing NAIA does not mean that the government is selling it. The airport is managed by the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority and operated by the GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation.

Israel awaits cues from Philippines’ Horizon 3 in defense assistanceMANILA, Philippines — Israel said they are ready to help the Philippines to modernize its military—from the armed forces, to the navy, and the airforce—but Tel Aviv is still waiting for Manila's priorities for the Horizon 3 part of its military modernization program. Manila is in the process of modernizing the capabilities of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The project is now into Horizon 3 until 2028, which focuses on procuring defense equipment such as missile systems, submarines, and multi-role fighters. READ: Enhancing defense relations, Israel shares anti-drone expertise with PHLThe Philippine Navy recently acquired two new missile-capable Shaldag Mk. During Cohen’s visit, the Philippines and Israel agreed to collaborate more on areas such as water management, agriculture, and environmental protection.

Previous NextA mall in Tsim Sha Tsui has rented three floors to a dining and entertainment group for about HK$7 million per month - the biggest lease by size and value since the pandemic ended, according to a report. Visitor numbers increased from fewer than one million in January to almost 3 million in April, according to the Hong Kong Tourism Board. Leases in Tsim Sha Tsui fell 41 percent between 2019 and 2022, according to a survey by commercial property firm Cushman & Wakefield. Tsim Sha Tsui has overtaken Causeway Bay as the city's most-expensive retail district, the survey showed. The French fashion house has committed to a three-year lease for the ground-level retail space at Capitol Centre, according to government records.