MOST of us feel comfortable with the form "used to + verb" when used to mean a past condition or habitual practice, as in "They used to be very close friends" and "She used to jog early in the morning." For the first, do we say, "They didn't used to be very close friends" ("used" with the "-d") or "They didn't use to be very close friends" ("use" without the "-d")? And for the second, do we say, "She didn't used to jog early in the morning" or "She didn't use to jog early in the morning"? The strongly recommended usage for negative "used to" statements is therefore this: "They didn't use to be very close friends." For negative "used to" constructions, these grammarians recommend this form instead: "They used not to be very close friends."

Sport climber Praj dela Cruz on winning Asia Cup, Olympic dreamSport Climbing isn’t a mainstream sport but is one that is fast gaining ground, especially since it’s now an Olympic Sport, and will be included in France 2024! It has been popular in the Philippines for quite some time, mainly for the youth since some regard this as an extreme sport. One name who is making waves is Praj dela Cruz, who brought honor to the country by winning in the recent Asia Cup. I’m the only kid in the competition, so if I win there it will be a great accomplishment. But the sport I’m progressing in is climbing, so it looks like I'm sticking to this sport.

MANILA, Philippines — The appointment of Defense Secretary Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro came in the midst of increased territorial tensions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). A political analyst and a lawmaker believe Teodoro has the legal expertise to tackle the issues. Salceda believed the new Defense chief’s civilian status was an edge. “Gibo carries with him a resolutely civilian – and therefore broader – perspective on the country’s defense situation,” he said. “As a middle-power in global affairs, our national defense is necessarily more complex than simply (about) military firepower,” he added.

Continuing the world's love for this genre, Netflix will be introducing six new Korean romance series over the upcoming five months. "See You in My 19th Life," premiering June 17. Netflix will be introducing six new Korean romance series in the next five months. NETFLIX PHOTOS Netflix will be introducing six new Korean romance series in the next five months. Their relationship starts out as one of mutual misunderstanding and dislike, and grows over time into one of love and trust.

DAKAR: A Senegalese Quran teacher suspected of raping 27 of his female students was arrested on Monday after several weeks on the run, a police source told Agence France-Presse (AFP). The man is accused of assaulting the students at his school in the holy city of Touba in central Senegal, a local police official said. The suspect went missing after the accusations emerged earlier this year following a complaint from alleged victims who produced medical certificates, the source added. The source said the teacher was accused of "raping 27 students," but did not provide precise details on the dates of the alleged crimes or the age of the complainants. Touba is considered a holy city by the Mourides, a major Islamic brotherhood in the Muslim-majority West African country.

“That is the most logical, if you are going to have a basis, it [should] be the rest of the government.”However, Veloso said it was ultimately up to Congress to structure the MUP pension system. The executive branch likewise recommended that the MUP pension system reforms cover both active personnel and new entrants, with all of them making contributions for their pension — a move opposed by uniformed personnel who argued that the new pension system should be applied only to new entrants. The MUP system is fully funded by the national government, unlike the GSIS and the Social Security System whose members contribute part of their monthly salary to the retirement fund. Veloso said the GSIS was also preparing to manage funds from the prospective MUP system. However, Veloso noted that each of the entities under the MUP system had different policies.

Rune claims epic winNo sweat for swiatekPARIS – Holger Rune and Beatriz Haddad Maia triumphed in marathon French Open epics which took almost eight hours to complete on Monday while Iga Swiatek required just 31 minutes to move into the quarterfinals. 6 Rune reached a second successive quarter-final in Paris with his first ever five-set win. Rune was jeered by the Court Philippe Chatrier crowd for hitting the ball on a double bounce in the fourth game of the third set. Rune finished the match with 48 winners and 73 unforced errors. Haddad Maia battled from a set and 3-0 down to defeat Sara Sorribes Tormo in three hours and 51 minutes.

The Maharlika Investment FundThe last day of May marked the enactment of the law creating the Maharlika Investment Fund. Purpose of the Maharlika Fund. The Maharlika Investment Fund is a sovereign wealth fund. By their nature, investment funds suffer from volatilities of some kind. From the looks of it, the MIF will be generally a conservative investment fund, primarily because of its public functions.

A mother who allegedly killed her three young daughters has been taken to hospital after complaining of discomfort on Tuesday. The 29-year-old mother was arrested yesterday on suspicion of murder and has allegedly confessed to suffocating her three young daughters with a pillow in their subdivided flat in Sham Shui Po. The woman, of Indian ethnicity, earlier told police her husband killed their three daughters with a knife. The subdivided flat at 115 Kweilin Street where the alleged murder occurred was unsealed at around 2 pm today. The door to the flat was left unlocked, with the girls’ school bags and shoes still seen sitting inside the apartment.

Three men and three women were arrested by the national security department of the police on Tuesday on suspicion of forging signatures and doing acts with seditious intention. Investigation revealed that the six arrested, aged between 33 and 64, were suspected of conspiracy to forge signatures on documents. Among them, a 33-year-old man and a 64-year-old woman were also suspected of publishing seditious content on social media platforms which brought hatred against the central government and the SAR government, advocated Hong Kong independence, and incited violence. Some electronic communication devices and related documents were seized after officers searched the arrested persons' residences. All of the arrested are being detained for further enquiries.

Professor Anna Malindog-Uy (left), vice president of Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies, and University of the Philippines Professor Bobby Tuazon, director for Policy Studies and in-house policy analyst of the Center for People Empowerment in Governance, talk about Chinese diplomacy in Ukraine, Saudi Arabia and Iran at the Pandesal Forum in Quezon City on Tuesday, June 6, 2023. PHOTO BY ISMAEL DE JUANProfessor Anna Malindog-Uy (left), vice president of Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies, and University of the Philippines Professor Bobby Tuazon, director for Policy Studies and in-house policy analyst of the Center for People Empowerment in Governance, talk about Chinese diplomacy in Ukraine, Saudi Arabia and Iran at the Pandesal Forum in Quezon City on Tuesday, June 6, 2023. PHOTO BY ISMAEL DE JUANProfessor Anna Malindog-Uy (left), vice president of Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies, and University of the Philippines Professor Bobby Tuazon, director for Policy Studies and in-house policy analyst of the Center for People Empowerment in Governance, talk about Chinese diplomacy in Ukraine, Saudi Arabia and Iran at the Pandesal Forum in Quezon City on Tuesday, June 6, 2023. PHOTO BY ISMAEL DE JUANProfessor Anna Malindog-Uy (left), vice president of Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies, and University of the Philippines Professor Bobby Tuazon, director for Policy Studies and in-house policy analyst of the Center for People Empowerment in Governance, talk about Chinese diplomacy in Ukraine, Saudi Arabia and Iran at the Pandesal Forum in Quezon City on Tuesday, June 6, 2023. PHOTO BY ISMAEL DE JUAN

Nuclear-armed Pakistan has been unsettled since Khan was ousted from office as prime minister in 2022 and launched street protests for fresh elections. Full-blown campaignNearly 5,000 of Khan’s aides and supporters have been arrested since May 9, according to Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah. Of the many pro-Khan parliamentarians arrested in the weeks-long crackdown, several have been re-arrested after securing bail from the courts. The first of the key aides to quit Khan’s party was former Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari, who was a close confidant of Khan. People from Khan’s party have said, like her, many of the others arrested in the crackdown were held in similar, if not worse, conditions.

SWEARING IN President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. swears into office Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro in Malacañang, on Tuesday, June 6, 2023. He also asked Herbosa to prioritize the full implementation of the Universal Health Care Law, as "[t]he Covid-19 pandemic exposed the vulnerabilities of our public health system." Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri also welcomed the appointments of Teodoro and Herbosa"I welcome and fully support the President's appointments of Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro and Health Secretary Ted Herbosa. And we are happy to see the Department of Health helmed by an experienced public health expert. NEW CABINET SECRETARIES President Ferdinand Marcos administers the oath of office to Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro and Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa in Malacanang on Tuesday, June 6, 2023.

From this definition, the term “other expenditures” has been specified to pertain to costs that are indispensable to the registered project or activity, or those without which the registered project or activity cannot proceed. Thus, local purchases of the above-mentioned services and goods related to these services are generally subject to VAT. In addition to the negative list of purchases, RR 3-2023 also simplifies the process for availing of the VAT zero-rating incentive for registered export enterprises. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the taxpayers to determine whether their local purchases of goods and services qualify for a VAT zero-rating. Taxpayers must ensure that proper documentation is in place to support the VAT zero-rating of their local purchases as contemplated under existing rules.

SEC sues companies for 'unauthorized' investment schemeThe SEC’s Enforcement and Investor Protection Department already filed a criminal complaint against Astral Fuel and Apollo on June 2 for soliciting investments without a license. The regulator noted this was in violation of Republic Act No. MANILA, Philippines — The Securities and Exchange Commission filed a criminal complaint against four companies for soliciting investments. The regulator noted this was in violation of Republic Act No. The SEC noted they received complaint-affidavits that indicated that Astral Fuel and Apollo solicited investments in social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, and Google.