NEW DELHI — Prime Minister Narendra Modi's chief rival Rahul Gandhi was nominated on Saturday to lead India's opposition in parliament after an election result that rescued his Indian National Congress party from the political wilderness. 'CONGRESS' MAN Indian National Congress leader Rahul Gandhi speaks at a press conference at his party’s headquarters in the capital New Delhi on June 4, 2024. AFP PHOTOA meeting of the Congress leadership on Saturday voted unanimously to recommend Gandhi's election as India's official opposition leader, a post that had been left vacant since 2014. If elected as expected, he will be recognized as India's official opposition leader when the new parliament sits, which local media reports suggest will happen as soon as early next week. Parliamentary regulations require the opposition leader to come from a party that commands at least 10 percent of the lawmakers in the 543-seat lower house.

A 35-year-old mother has been arrested for child abuse after a video circulated online showing her slapping her daughter at Po On Road Public Library in Sham Shui Po. Sham Shui Po police said they arrested the mother, surnamed Lau, for ill-treatment or neglect of a young person around 8 pm on Friday after an investigation as the video – recorded on Thursday – came to their attention. The online video is about three-and-a-half minutes and shows the mother helping her daughter and son together at the table in the library. As the scene switches to the stairwell, the mother is seen slapping the girl numerous times again while the girl remains silent and only wipes her tears. Sources said Lau admitted and regretted treating her daughter violently, saying she was extremely anxious about her daughter’s study.

An unconscious man with multiple bruises on his body was left at the door of North District Hospital early Saturday morning and later died, prompting police to launch an investigation. Police received a report from a citizen around 5.49 am, who saw a man in his 20s collapsed right outside the hospital on Po Kin Road in Sheung Shui. According to live sources, a private car pulled up outside the hospital around 5.45 am. It is understood that the citizen who filed the report spotted a vehicle stopped at the traffic lights when crossing the road and found the unconscious man nearby as the car left. This morning, a large number of officers returned to the crime scene and cordoned off the area for investigation.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was "hit" on Friday by a man in a Copenhagen square, her office said, with EU chiefs quickly condemning the attack. "Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was hit by a man Friday evening on Kultorvet in Copenhagen. Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen holds a speech during the 175th anniversary of the first Danish Constitution in the Landsting Hall at Christiansborg, Copenhagen, on June 5, 2024. AFP PHOTO Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen holds a speech during the 175th anniversary of the first Danish Constitution in the Landsting Hall at Christiansborg, Copenhagen, on June 5, 2024. Copenhagen police confirmed that an incident involving the prime minister had occurred but did not provide further details.

ADVERTISEMENT“It is within the right of the lawmakers to talk about a ban on Pogos. “In Batangas, there are no Pogos,” Recto added, referring to his home province where he started his political career as a congressman. ‘Doing something else’“Today, a lot of Pogos are not really Pogos. In February 2020, when he was still a senator, Recto filed a bill imposing a 30-percent income tax and a 5-percent franchise tax on Pogos. In a January 2024 interview, however, Tengco rejected calls for a full ban on Pogos, saying it could put about 68,000 Filipinos out of work.

LIVE updates: Kanlaon Volcano restivenessResidents harvest vegetables near their house at the foot of Mount Kanlaon volcano covered in thick clouds in a village in Canlaon, Negros Occidental province, central Philippines on June 4, 2024, a day after the volcano erupted. MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised on June 3 the status of Kanlaon Volcano on Negros Island to Alert Level 2 due to "increasing unrest." According to state seismologists, the shallow magmatic activity is causing unrest, which could lead to more explosive eruptions or a hazardous magmatic eruption. Here are the latest updates on the volcano's activity and related events. (Can't view the updates below?

Medicine is one of the fields that requires practitioners to be ethical at all times. In reinforcing ethical behavior, some entities should be praised for taking the initiative in this regard. The Philippines has become a signatory to the Mexico City Principles, which clearly state how healthcare professionals and pharmaceutical companies should be ethical in dealing with patients. The fact that the cost involved for the pharma company in such cases is small does not make it ethical. Medical professionals must be transparent about their financial interests and must adhere to the ethical maxim that the patients’ interests must always come first over personal gains.

(From right) Mr Alex Lee, General Manager of Miramar Travel; Mr Daniel Freihofer, Consul General of Switzerland in Hong Kong; Ms Florence Pasquier, Chief Commercial Officer of Rail Europe. In response, Miramar Travel has partnered with Rail Europe to launch a series of exclusive European railway tours aimed at promoting sustainable tourism initiatives. Through its partnership with Rail Europe, Miramar Travel is introducing a new ‘European Rail Series’ of itineraries that allow travelers to explore Switzerland, France, Italy, and the UK by train. Beyond the convenience, Alex also pointed out several other benefits offered by railway travel. To further enhance its rail travel offerings, Miramar Travel is also launching an online flagship store this summer.

Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela said coast guard and navy boats were harassed by Chinese vessels, despite having informed them the operation was of a medical nature. "The barbaric and inhumane behaviour displayed by the China Coast Guard has no place in our society," Tarriela said in a statement. Tarriela said the Chinese coast guard "engaged in dangerous manoeuvres and even intentionally rammed" a navy boat while it was transporting the sick personnel. Another attempt was made the next day with the help of the Philippine coast guard and the soldier was successfully evacuated, Brawner said. China routinely accuses the Philippines of encroachment while Manila and its allies have condemned what they calls aggression by Beijing.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the annual meeting of the stockholders of Jollibee Foods Corporation (the "Corporation") shall be held on Friday, June 28, 2024 at 2:00 in the afternoon. Only stockholders of record as of May 28, 2024 are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, this meeting. In the interest of public health and safety, there will be no physical meeting. The Corporation shall conduct the meeting virtually and the stockholders may attend and participate via remote communication and by voting in absentia or by appointing the Chairman of the meeting as their proxy. The deadline for registration to vote in absentia shall be until 12:00 P.M. of June 21, 2024.

MANILA: The El Nino phenomenon has ended, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) announced on Friday (June 7). The Pagasa El Nino Southern Oscillation Alert and Warning System (ENSO) was also lowered to inactive (ENSO-neutral), while the La Nina watch remains in effect. The El Nino phenomenon, according to Pagasa, is a “large-scale oceanographic/meteorological phenomenon that develops in the Pacific Ocean and is associated with extreme climatic variability” such as devastating rains, winds, and drought. “DOST [Department of Science and Technology]-Pagasa announces the end of El NiNo, as the conditions in the tropical Pacific have returned to El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-neutral levels. “DOST-Pagasa will continue to closely monitor any significant developments in this climate phenomenon,” Pagasa said.

Kelly KongOver a third of women seeking help from the Hong Kong Federation of Women's Centres are experiencing mental health issues that are often rooted in domestic violence and relationship problems. That pandemic period caused a worsening of interpersonal relationships and financial situations and increased parent-child communication issues. Self-esteem risks are 150 to 288 percent higher for women at the receiving end of domestic violence, stalking, gender discrimination, or family status discrimination. Despite friends and family members trying to stop her, she left home. May got help fortifying her mental resilience after coping with bouts of depression at an asylum center.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the annual meeting of the stockholders of Jollibee Foods Corporation (the "Corporation") shall be held on Friday, June 28, 2024 at 2:00 in the afternoon. Only stockholders of record as of May 28, 2024 are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, this meeting. In the interest of public health and safety, there will be no physical meeting. The Corporation shall conduct the meeting virtually and the stockholders may attend and participate via remote communication and by voting in absentia or by appointing the Chairman of the meeting as their proxy. The deadline for registration to vote in absentia shall be until 12:00 P.M. of June 21, 2024.

On buy and sell platform Carousell, iPhone ranks among the top five searched keywords. Among the most frequently-purchased secondhand phones are the iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 13, iPhone 14, and iPhone 15. This highlights the sustained popularity of older Apple products in the secondhand market. Meanwhile, Samsung asserts its position as the preferred Android brand within the Mobile Phones &andGadgets category. This trend underscores the value proposition of the secondhand mobile market, where consumers can access premium devices without the premium price tag.

Pinoys urged to reduce plastic useOn this World Environment Day, we urge every Filipino to take action: reduce plastic use, participate in cleanup drives and support sustainable practices,” said Makakalikasan-Nature Party Philippines national spokesperson Geraldine Lanusa Perez. MANILA, Philippines — Filipinos should reduce plastic use as the country remains a top contributor to ocean plastic pollution, producing at least 2.7 million metric tons of plastic waste annually, an environmental group said yesterday. “On this World Environment Day, we urge every Filipino to take action: reduce plastic use, participate in cleanup drives and support sustainable practices,” said Makakalikasan-Nature Party Philippines national spokesperson Geraldine Lanusa Perez. The Philippines has demonstrated its commitment to global climate action by submitting its climate adaptation plan to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, she said. Comprehensive natural resource management strategies are necessary to address these crises, she maintained.