The accident, a likely coal and gas explosion described as an "outburst," happened at about 2:55 p.m. in the city of Pingdingshan on Friday, state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) said. READY TO RESCUE Rescuers go into the site of a coal mining accident in the city of Pingdingshan, Henan province, central China on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024. Those in charge of the mine, operated by the Pingdingshan Tianan Coal Mining Co., have been taken into custody by authorities, Xinhua said. Last month, 12 people were killed and 13 injured in a mining accident on the outskirts of the city of Jixi in northeastern Heilongjiang province. Eleven people were killed last November in an accident at another coal mine in the same province.

January 13, 2024 22:12 UTC

NEW YORK, United States — Oil prices climbed Friday after US and UK forces launched strikes against Iran-backed Huthi rebels, while global stocks were mixed following the kickoff of corporate earnings season. Crude prices spiked more than four percent before ebbing somewhat after the allies launched deadly strikes following weeks of disruptive rebel attacks on Red Sea shipping. The Huthis have carried out a growing number of strikes on vessels in the Red Sea, a key international shipping route, since the Gaza war erupted in October. The attacks have affected trade flows at a time when supply strains are putting upward pressure on inflation globally. Leading banks were mostly lower following a deluge of quarterly results, while airlines were hammered after Delta's forecast disappointed investors.

January 13, 2024 22:01 UTC

Modest financial guide including budget hacks, investment tips for New YearTake time to view your financial status and start setting new goals that you seriously commit to working hard for and achieving this year. Take time to view your financial status and start setting new goals that you seriously commit to working hard for and achieving this year. From investment tips to budgeting hacks, here is a modest financial guide with suggestions from RCBC:Create a budget from scratch. RCBC Credit Card holders aged 18 to 64 may also enroll in the Easy Health Insurance Plan, which is a simple health insurance plan that covers medical expenses such as hospital room and board fees. OneAccount also has add-on features, such as life insurance and personal accident insurance, which you can add or remove as needed.

January 13, 2024 17:34 UTC

A 63-year-old man was arrested after customs seized about HK$5 million worth of endangered softshell turtles’ cartilage, weighing about 1,400 kg. Upon examination, officers found the batch of suspected cartilage inside the container. After a follow-up investigation, customs arrested a 63-year-old male director of the consignee company suspected to be connected with the case on Friday. “The investigation is ongoing and the arrested man has been released on bail pending further investigation,” customs said in a statement. Customs reminded that importing or exporting an endangered species without a license is an offense under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance.

January 13, 2024 17:20 UTC

HP INC. ushered in a new era of computing with its latest portfolio of PCs, monitors, and peripherals designed to reimagine how we interact and live with technology. "We believe that the best innovations are also the most personal ones," said Kong Meng Koh, managing director, Southeast Asia and Korea, HP. New technologies from HP deliver solutions that allow us to be more personalized than ever, taking advantage of game-changing innovations like AI that will alter the way that technology moves us forward."

January 13, 2024 16:06 UTC





With the recent problems faced by the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), GoSolar Philippines President and CEO Bhong Bibi say that solar energy could be a solution. Video and interview by Ezrah Raya

January 13, 2024 07:03 UTC

China's ultimate goals in SCSIn Lei's video of Jan. 6, 2024 titled "China's 3 ultimate goals in creating South China Sea conflicts," she addresses an issue of burning importance. In the South China Sea, Beijing has been escalating tensions with the Philippines. The South China Sea therefore is a good testing ground for Beijing to gauge Washington's determination. Therefore, the South China Sea has become a good testing ground." 'In the South China Sea, the most important thing is to break the blind faith in the US military capability.

January 13, 2024 04:54 UTC

One worker is in critical condition and one has been pronounced dead after two separate incidents in Kai Tak on Friday afternoon. Around 11 a.m. today, a construction worker was struck down by a piece of rock while working and he lay bleeding on the third-floor platform of Shing Fu Lane, located in Kai Tak. Paramedics took the worker, who had suffered severe neck injuries, to Queen Elizabeth Hospital for urgent medical attention. He was taken to the United Christian Hospital, where he was declared dead after failing to be resuscitated. After a preliminary investigation, it is believed that he died due to extreme fatigue from overworking.

January 12, 2024 16:52 UTC

EXPANDED NAVAL FORCE Photo taken on March 10, 2021 shows the commission ceremony of the INS Karanj, India's third Scorpene-class diesel-electric submarine, in Mumbai, India. It showed India "can mount a credible naval presence in the Indian Ocean region when required at short notice," said Bhaskar, who is a retired naval officer. Beijing and New Delhi are vying for influence across the Indian Ocean, and India has previously deployed patrols to the disputed South China Sea and Western Pacific. "We have no ambitions to say that the Indian Ocean is India's ocean." But he was also confident Beijing had "taken note" of India's rapid response, forcing pirates to "run away like rats."

January 12, 2024 16:24 UTC

NEW DELHI: Indian IT giants TCS and Infosys both signaled weak revenue growth in quarterly results on Thursday as a client spending slowdown deepened a seasonally weak time for the sector. Both companies, the second- and fifth-biggest in India by market cap, respectively, earn more than 80 percent of their revenue from Western markets and each benefited from a digital services boom during the Covid-19 pandemic.

January 12, 2024 16:10 UTC

AP Bren reigns supreme, first team to win on home soilAP Bren is only one of the teams to watch throughout the MLBB world, with more young Filipino players gaining recognition and showing gradual improvement. AP Bren was forced down to the lower brackets to fight for survival after Kiboy and Kairi’s dominating combinations. AP Bren targeted Sensui once more as they pulled him away from his comfort zone by banning the Utility Heroes he was seen prioritizing. But within minutes, AP Bren took the first win as the crowd roared in excitement. After that 1-1 standing, AP Bren went on a rampage in Games 3 and 4, taking both matches that led them to matchpoint.

January 12, 2024 13:47 UTC

Suzuki welcomes 2024 with big cheers, big deals for Ertiga Hybrid and S-PressoDon't miss out on Suzuki’s January promo and drive home your dream car! Suzuki Philippines is kicking off 2024 with unbeatable offers on two of their standout cars—the Ertiga Hybrid and the S-Presso. According to Norihide Takei, Suzuki Philippines director and general manager for the automobile division, “We understand that owning a car is a top priority for many Filipino families. For more information, check out any authorized Suzuki Auto dealerships nationwide or visit http://suzuki.com.ph/auto/. For daily updates on Suzuki, please like Suzuki Auto PH’s Facebook page, follow them on Twitter and Instagram at @suzukiautoph.

January 12, 2024 12:42 UTC

The Vatican declaration restated traditional church teaching that marriage is a lifelong union between a man and woman. But it allowed priests to offer spontaneous, non-liturgical blessings to same-sex couples seeking God’s grace in their lives, provided such blessings aren’t confused with the rites and rituals of a wedding. READ: Vatican says no heresy in allowing blessings for same-sex couples after pushback by some bishopsIn his statement, Ambongo said it wasn’t appropriate for African priests to offer such blessings because of the scandal and confusion it would create. READ: EXPLAINER: How can Catholic priests bless same-sex unions? He admitted that it may not apply to some parts of the world and that further “pastoral reflection” might be necessary.

January 12, 2024 05:57 UTC

A man was arrested in a suspected money laundering case involving about HK$7.4 million after a follow-up investigation on a live coral smuggling case identified in 2022 by customs. The man was arrested for money laundering. Customs detected a sea smuggling case in July 2022, with three men arrested and seized a batch of goods including suspected scheduled live corals that worth around HK$800,000. The funds, about HK$7.4 million in total, were suspected to be crime proceeds connected with the smuggling case. The man arrested today has been released on bail pending investigation.

January 12, 2024 01:01 UTC

China views Taiwan as a renegade province and has never renounced the use of force to take it one day. In a statement on Thursday, China's Taiwan Affairs Office said if Lai "comes to power, he will further push for 'Taiwan independence' separatist activities [and create] turbulence in the Taiwan Strait." Lai, who had once called himself a "pragmatic worker for Taiwan's independence," has taken a softer line on the issue on the campaign trail. "Accepting China's 'one-China' principle is not true peace," he added, referring to Beijing's doctrine that Taiwan is a part of China. Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a recent address that unifying Taiwan with China was an "inevitability."

January 11, 2024 22:13 UTC