THE stock market fell below 6,000 during intraday trade and closed at a new low for the year on Wednesday as investors anticipated an off-cycle Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) rate hike. The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index, meanwhile, tumbled to as low as 5,974.17 during the day and ultimately shed 36.01 points, or 0.60 percent, to end the day 6,018.49. Managing Director Luis Limlingan said "the street widely expects that the briefing would be an announcement of an off-cycle interest rate hike." "As a result, market participation was weak, with a net value turnover of P2.90 billion, lower than the year-to-date average of P5.05 billion. Volume was thin with just over 428.33 million shares worth some P3.06 billion having changed hands.

FRANKFURT: German carmaker Mercedes-Benz said on Thursday that its profits fell in the third quarter due to a drop in vehicle deliveries amid shortages of some parts. Net profits came in seven percent lower, at 3.7 billion euros ($3.9 billion), in the July to September period, the company said in a statement. It was slightly better than a prediction by analysts surveyed by financial data firm FactSet, who had forecast a figure of 3.4 billion euros. Revenue fell 1.4 percent to 37.2 billion euros, partly because passenger car sales were around five percent lower in the quarter due to a shortage of some parts. There was some good news, with higher prices for cars and a rise in sales of premium vans.

Comelec precinct finder now accessibleVoters may scan the QR code or access the precinct finder through this link: precinctfinder.comelec.gov.phMANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) Precinct Finder is now accessible to those who will be casting their votes for the Oct. 30 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE). Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the Department of Information and Communications Technology gave its go signal for the relaunching of the Precinct Finder, which was slightly delayed because of the recent cyberattacks on government websites. Comelec has ordered the disqualification of 100 candidates in the upcoming BSKE and the approval of a resolution suspending the proclamation of 500 BSKE candidates. Garcia said the Comelec suspended the proclamation of the BSKE candidates with pending cases ranging from premature and illegal campaigning to vote buying. The order to suspend the proclamation, Garcia said, is just a “stop gap” measure in case the Comelec is unable to resolve all pending disqualification cases.

Five people were taken to two hospitals on Thursday morning after two taxis collided at the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort located in Penny's Bay. The rear of the hybrid taxi was heavily damaged, and the front of the other taxi was also dented, with nearby road signs destroyed and the iron fences dented. The taxi driver lost consciousness inside the vehicle, while the driver of the hybrid taxi and three passengers were trapped inside the vehicle. Rescue workers were alerted to the scene and rescued the trapped passengers, taking them to North Lantau Hospital and Princess Margaret Hospital separately for medical attention. The driver, who lost consciousness, was taken to North Lantau Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Police said officers arrested a 16-year-old boy on Wednesday after a video of him bashing and kicking a girl out on the streets in Tsim Sha Tsui went viral. The force said the arrest came after they noticed the undated video circulating online showing the boy assaulting a girl at 85 Kimberley Road in Tsim Sha Tsui. The teenage boy was arrested in Tsim Sha Tsui yesterday for assault occasioning actual bodily harm, an offense punishable by up to three years' imprisonment. As seen in the video, the boy in white clothing slapped and threw punches at the girl, before she went down to the floor on her knees. The video ended showing the girl lying on the floor.

Today in HistoryOn October 26, 2007, President Gloria Arroyo pardoned former President Joseph Estrada who was convicted by the Sandiganbayan antigraft court on September 12, 2007 of plunder and imposed a penalty of reclusion perpetua. He is hereby restored to his civil and political rights. The forfeitures imposed by the Sandiganbayan remain in force and in full, including all writs and processes issued by the Sandiganbayan in pursuance hereof, except for the bank account(s) he owned before his tenure as President. Mr. Estrada is the first former president ever convicted of any crime in Philippine history. References: Philippines News Agency archivesArroyo grants pardon to Estrada, http://newsinfo.inquirer.net(Filed By JR AMIGO/AI/MNM)

Himo LiuLenovo (0992) and Nvidia have announced a plan to partner for hybrid AI solutions, broadening their alliance to empower channel partners to offer AI capabilities to a more extensive range of businesses than ever before. The two firms will work closely together to provide fully integrated systems, extending artificial intelligence-powered computing from edge to cloud, making it easier for businesses to implement custom generative AI applications, fostering innovation and transformation across various industries. Lenovo chairman and chief executive Yang Yuanqing, along with Nvidia founder and chief executive Jensen Huang, introduced these offerings during the annual global Lenovo Tech World keynote, highlighting the demand of businesses for comprehensive solutions that combine accelerated systems, AI software and expert services to efficiently develop and deploy customized AI models based on their own data. With support from Lenovo's AI Professional Services Practice, these solutions enable enterprises to utilize a hybrid cloud approach, building custom AI models through Nvidia's cloud service and deploying them on on-premises Lenovo systems equipped with Nvidia's latest hardware and software for generative AI. Shares of Lenovo surged by 7.33 percent to HK$8.93 yesterday.

REYKJAVIK — Tens of thousands of women in Iceland, including the prime minister, walked off the job on Tuesday to demand equal pay and protest violence against women. Organizers of the movement said this meant men were expected to take charge of the unpaid work that often falls to women. The average wage gap between men and women was 10.2 percent in 2021, according to Statistics Iceland. Around 90 percent of Iceland’s women took part in the first protest in 1975, “which was momentous,” Rognvaldsdottir said. Raising awarenessBut she said they would continue to protest until women enjoyed “equal rights in full.”The strikers also wanted their protest to raise awareness of gender-based violence.

The company has recently moved its Suzuki Auto 3S (sales, spare parts and service) Shop to a more convenient and accessible location within the province. The newly relocated Suzuki Auto 3S Shop in Cordon, Isabela is larger, more accessible and customer-centric, benefiting an expanded customer base in Isabela and neighboring provinces. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOSuzuki Auto Isabela 3S Shop's previous site at Barangay Batal in Santiago City has been replaced by the new 2,000-square-meter shop in Barangay Malapat, Cordon. The new Suzuki Auto Isabela facility boasts a four-unit display area, perfect for showcasing iconic Suzuki models such as the New Ertiga Hybrid, S-Presso AGS, XL7, Jimny and other high-value Suzuki vehicles. The Suzuki Auto Isabela showroom and service shop are open from Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Three Filipinos remain in Gaza City amid Israel-Hamas warThis picture taken from Israel's southern city of Sderot shows damaged buildings in the northern Gaza Strip on October 22, 2023, amid ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian group HamasMANILA, Philippines — Three Filipino nationals remain in Gaza City, the Department of Foreign Affairs Wednesday, as Israel continued its bombardment of the Palestinian enclave. Gaza City is the largest and most populous in the besieged Palestinian territory. Gaza City and the northern part of the enclave have been hit especially hard by air strikes, and Israel’s military has told civilians to relocate to the south. The Philippine government earlier ordered the mandatory evacuation of 131 Filipinos in Gaza. Meanwhile, two Filipinos remain missing in Israel after Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked the nation’s southern towns on October 7.

ONCE upon a time in our fledgling democracy, people who sought elective office assiduously cultivated a public life of honor, dignity and excellence. They became larger-than-life presences because of their personal magnetism, eloquence, and deep understanding of the imperatives of public office and governance. Broadcast media appearance and noise became a very effective substitute for the assiduously cultivated public life. From then on, aspirants for elective public office no longer needed to possess the intellectual capacity and aptitude it requires. All one has to do is to get sustained exposure on broadcast media, preferably television.

Some mothers-to-be welcomed the newborn baby bonus announced in the Policy Address, while kindergarten principals said this could stimulate births along with addressing the under-enrolment issue. The birth rate has declined in recent years, resulting in kindergartens cutting staff and being at risk of ceasing operations due to under-enrolment. However, some experts said boosting the fertility rate requires a comprehensive plan rather than relying on a single measure. Yip added that the current fall in the birth rate is attributed to people marrying late or choosing not to marry. He suggests encouraging young couples to marry is also a way to improve the general fertility rate.

Castro to Paolo Duterte: Don’t downplay death threats as criticismMANILA, Philippines — Rep. Paolo Duterte (Davao City, 1st District) is the latest member of the Duterte family to trade barbs with critics after Rep. France Castro (ACT Teachers) clapped back at her House colleague for labeling his father’s alleged death threats against her as mere criticism. Calling out Paolo Duterte — the eldest son of former president Rodrigo Duterte — for appearing to take exception with the grave threats case she filed against his father, Castro said that “we have to draw the line” at death threats broadcasted on national television. “Death threats and red-tagging aired on television must be stopped because they endanger the lives of people. It is far different from criticisms and should not be tolerated because it fosters the state of impunity,” Castro said. Criticism is different from death threats," Castro added.

Xi Jinping made his first known visit to the central bank yesterday. BLoomberg, Reuters Previous NextMainland stocks and the yuan outperformed their Asian counterparts after a new round of support from a state fund, as President Xi Jinping reportedly visited the country's central bank for the first time. The vice premier also visited the nation's sovereign wealth fund, the people added. The onshore yuan rebounded 75 basis points to 7.3075 per US dollar, the highest for nearly two weeks. However, other Asian regions underperformed with markets in Japan and Taiwan inching up by 0.2 percent and 0.4 percent respectively.

WASHINGTON, D.C.: US and Chinese officials held a "productive" first meeting on Monday of a new economic working group, the Treasury Department said, as both countries seek to steady ties. The economic working group was set up after US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visited Beijing in July, where she met high-level officials including Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. While the United States has said it now sees China as its top geopolitical rival, China has pushed back over what it calls a US policy of containment and encirclement against it in the Pacific and elsewhere. US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said on a visit to China in August that the United States was seeking a more normalized relationship with the world's second-biggest economy. Last week, the United States accused China of orchestrating a "concerted" campaign of dangerous and provocative air force maneuvers against US military planes in international airspace, warning such moves could spark inadvertent conflict.