True to its secretive nature, Apple hasn't provided any advance details about Monday's event being held at the company's Cupertino, California, headquarters. Both Google and Samsung already have released smartphone models touting AI features as their main attractions. Ives believes infusing more AI into the iPhone, iPad and Mac computer will translate into an additional $450 billon to $600 billion in market value for Apple. Advertisement"Apple's early reticence toward AI was entirely on brand," Forrester's Chatterjee wrote in a preview of the developers conference. Going that route also would help protect Apple's profit margins because AI technology through the cloud is far more expensive than when it is run solely on a device.

Armed police fail to arrest Quiboloy at KOJC compoundMANILA, Philippines — Controversial preacher Apollo Quiboloy evaded arrest on Monday after armed police personnel stormed the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) compound in Barangay Buhangin, Davao City and did not find him there. The arrest warrant was served inside the KOJC compound past 5 a.m. after four teams composed of six personnel were allowed to enter. At one point, police had to use ladders to attempt to get inside the KOJC compound due to the crowd of Quiboloy's supporters blocking their entry. Video footage posted by SMNI, the media network connected to KOJC and Quiboloy, showed that the gate of the compound was destroyed in the commotion. This arrest warrant is different from the pending arrest warrant issued by the Senate in connection to Quiboloy's refusal to attend Senate hearings on the sexual abuse allegations that hound him and his church leaders.

India's heatwave longest ever, worse to comeA woman with her face covered walks past air coolers kept on display outside a shop during a hot summer day amid severe heatwave in Varanasi on May 30, 2024. NEW DELHI — India's heatwave is the longest ever to hit the country, the government's top weather expert said Monday as he warned people will face increasingly oppressive temperatures. The mercury is expected to fall as the annual monsoon rains move north this month, but Mohapatra cautioned worse will follow. "We constituted an expert committee, which observed readings for the next two days and found there were problems with the sensor," Mohapatra said. "We inspect the AWS (automatic weather stations) every six months," he said.

A 32-year-old male suspect was arrested in connection with the suspicious death of a man who was found dead after a job interview in Sheung Shui, police said on Monday. This came after the officers found a sedan in Pat Heung last night that was suspected of being involved in the murder case. The case was revealed in Sheung Shui last Saturday (Jun 8) morning after Wong, 23, was found lying on the pavement outside the North District Hospital. Police said Monday that the suspect, with a triad background and claimed to be unemployed, was arrested in Tin Shui Wai on suspicion of murder. As for the sedan involved, it was installed with a fake license plate and a taser was found in the cabin.

The bus was carrying pilgrims to the base camp of the famed Hindu temple Mata Vaishno Devi when it came under attack in the region’s Reasi district. (AP)Suspected militants in Indian-controlled Kashmir’s Jammu province fired at a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims on Sunday and at least nine were killed after the vehicle fell into a deep gorge, officials said. The bus was carrying pilgrims to the base camp of the famed Hindu temple Mata Vaishno Devi when it came under attack in the region’s Reasi district, senior administrative officer Vishesh Mahajan said. A police officer said some of the victims had gunshot wounds and blamed the attack on Muslim militants who are fighting against Indian rule in Kashmir. Nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan each administer part of Kashmir, but both claim the territory in its entirety.

Small steps go a long way: Small Laude shares beauty tipsMANILA, Philippines — Socialite and YouTuber Small Laude has added another feather to her cap: skincare brand owner. At the re-opening of personal store chain Watsons Philippines’ SM Mall of Asia main mall branch, Small shared some beauty tips for her fans. “Skincare tips, of course, always wash your face, make it clean every day, and use Small Steps Skin,” she said of her new beauty brand with products made in Korea. Small and her family were among the special guests of the newly re-opened store, which boasts of over a thousand products in its around 900-sq.-m. retail space. — Video by Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo; video editing by Martin RamosRELATED: No small feat: Small Laude launches own skincare brand in Watsons SM MOA

This brings the total of Vietnam's overall dredging and landfill (including both landfill and harbor/channel dredging) in disputed areas of the South China Sea to approximately 2,360 acres — roughly half of China's 4,650 acres. Currently, Vietnam's only airstrip in the Spratly Islands is a 1,300-meter runway on the eponymous Spratly Island. Trenches and coastal defense emplacements typical of Vietnam's Spratly outposts can be seen underway in several features. And temporary helipads have appeared across many of the expanding features, including Discovery Great Reef, Ladd Reef, Tennent Reef and South Reef." Advertisement[Among the 11 articles that I've written on the Vietnam threat are the following: "Vietnam: The more serious threat?," "Vietnam's militarization of the Spratlys (Kalayaan)," and "The lie-low but dangerous claimant in the South China Sea."]

3-day transport strike begins todayTraditional transport jeepneys wait for passengers at a terminal on Pedro Gil Street corner Agoncillo Street in Manila on January 2, 2024. MANILA, Philippines — The three-day transport strike begins today following assurance by Manibela president Mar Valbuena that various mobilization centers will be established, even as unconsolidated public utility jeepneys (PUJs) have asked the government to allow them to operate for at least one year. Valbuena added that Manibela strike centers are situated in Novaliches, Alabang, Parañaque, Marikina and Quezon City. “Our members contested the apprehension made by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority as they failed to present a memo on the unconsolidated (PUJs). He added that many drivers are still hoping that they can ply their routes with the one-year extension so that unconsolidated jeepneys can still operate.

A September start to cuts would likely increase the gap between the Fed and the European Central Bank (ECB), which began easing monetary policy rates last week. After two days of debate, the Fed will publish its interest rate decision on Wednesday afternoon, US time, and will also update its economic forecasts from March. Fed chair Jerome Powell has repeatedly insisted that the Fed is "data-dependent" and will not be swayed by politics. Cutting backFutures traders see almost no chance of a rate cut before September, according to data from CME Group. AdvertisementThis marks a dramatic shift from late last year, when the financial markets were pricing in as many as six interest rate cuts for 2024, with the first of them coming as early as March.

The Executive Secretary confirmed that they had received the resignation letter of MB member V. Bruce Tolentino. Online media platform Bilyonaryo, however, had reported on Thursday night that MB member Anita Linda Aquino had already submitted her resignation. Diplomatic farewellsAt the Swedish National Day celebration, Swedish Ambassador Annika Thunborg announced that she would be leaving her post after serving three and a half years as Sweden’s top envoy in the Philippines. Also departing is Italian Ambassador Marco Clemente who will be saying his farewell to President Marcos on June 11. During his three year stint in the Philippines, Ambassador Clemente had worked tirelessly to introduce Italian opera to Filipino youth, including those in underprivileged communities.

Israel named the rescued hostages as Noa Argamani, 26, Almog Meir Jan 22, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 41. The spokesperson for Hamas' armed al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Ubaida, said some hostages were killed during the rescue operation. Fresh airstrikes in the southern city of Rafah hit homes later on Saturday, residents and Hamas officials said. U.S. President Joe Biden welcomed the return of the four Israeli hostages rescued in Gaza. "To free four people, Israel killed dozens of innocent civilians," he said.

One passenger died and five others were injured following a crash involving a seven-seater and a sedan in Tai Po on Sunday afternoon. The accident happened at around 1.15 pm when a seven-seater was driving along Sam Mun Tsai Road towards Sam Mun Tsai Village and crashed head-to-head with a Tesla that was driving towards Tai Po. The 52-year-old driver and the four passengers - aged between 18 and 81 - on the seven-seater were injured in the collision. The 34-year-old female driver of the Tesla was also injured. The seven-seater driver was arrested for dangerous driving.

(Reuters)The Philippines will continue to maintain and supply its outposts in the South China Sea without seeking permission from any other country, the country's national security adviser said. The Philippines national security council said on Saturday it reaffirmed its commitment to uphold its sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the Second Thomas Shoal. But the Philippines remains open to dialogue and peaceful negotiations to resolve disputes in the entire South China Sea, the council said. The Philippine coastguard on Friday accused its Chinese counterpart of blocking efforts to evacuate a sick member of its armed forces in the South China Sea. It was the latest dispute in a longstanding territorial spat with China, which claims almost all of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than US$3 trillion in annual ship commerce.

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has been elected as deputy member to the governing body of the International Labor Organization (ILO), Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma announced on Friday. The election took place during the ongoing 112th International Labor Conference in Geneva, Switzerland. ADVERTISEMENTREAD: PH 1st in Asia to ratify ILO accord vs workplace violence, harassmentThe Philippines and other elected member-states will serve a three-year term until June 2027. The governing body is the executive arm of the ILO and plays a crucial role in determining the organization’s agenda, budget, and electing the ILO director general. —Jerome Aning

China maritime forces harass Philippine scientists anewA China Coast Guard inflatable boat collides with a PCG boat, which tried to stop the Chinese from interfering with UP scientists diving at Escoda Shoal during a coral health survey last Tuesday. “If China continues to prevent our research work, the damage and the decline and the slow recovery of corals can be due to China,” Anticamara said. Last May 19, a Philippine Navy speedboat carrying a sick soldier from the BRP Sierra Madre had to make evasive maneuver as Chinese vessels apparently were attempting to stop the medical evacuation. China considers almost the entire South China Sea its territory, but the claim has been invalidated by an arbitral court ruling inn 2016. The Chinese vessels include a training ship with bow number 83 and an amphibious transport dock with bow number 999.