THE peso fell for a third straight day on Wednesday, hitting a fresh 19-month low, while the stock market rebounded following lower-than-expected May inflation. The currency weakened by 7 centavos to P58.78 to the dollar, its lowest close since Nov. 3, 2022's P58.80. The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index, meanwhile, returned to the 6,400 level with a 54.9-point or 0.86-percent gain to 6,441.32. Managing Director Luis Limlingan, meanwhile, said "Philippines shares rebounded from prior losses, mirroring the move of the US equities in its last session and shrugging off the uptick in headline inflation this morning." Mining and oil, and industrials were the only decliners, down 0.57 percent and 0.05 percent, respectively.

At least six crewmembers of the F/B King Bryan, a fishing boat, are killed when an explosion and a fire hit their vessel nearly 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) off Cebu, coast guard officials said on June 6, 2024. Six others were rescued, including the skipper. They were still being treated at a hospital or were too traumatized to tell investigators what set off the explosion and fire onboard the vessel on June 5 off Naga city in Cebu. VIDEO COURTESY OF PHILIPPINE COAST GUARDGet the latest newsdelivered to your inbox Sign up for The Manila Times newsletters By signing up with an email address, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Narendra Modi insists he would be able to continue his agenda despite the shock election result. AFPIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi faced the prospects of a far tougher-than-expected third term after his party failed to secure an outright majority for the first time since sweeping to power a decade ago. BJP secured 240 seats in parliament, far less than the 303 from five years ago, and 32 seats short of a majority. In a remarkable turnaround, the main opposition Congress party won 99 seats, almost double its 2019 tally of 52. "The country has said to Narendra Modi 'We don't want you'," opposition leader Rahul Gandhi told reporters.

Here are 6 tech recos you can score this 6.6MANILA, Philippines — Are you into tech and want to upgrade your devices soon? With Amazon Echo Dot, Alexa can respond to your voice commands for weather updates, music, almost anything under the sun. More than hands-free convenience, the 5th Gen Echo Dot also uses recycled materials—smart and sustainable! The Echo Dot is a budget-friendly option that can help you stay organized and increase your productivity without breaking the bank. It’s lightweight and has possibly has eye-friendly display that reduces eye strain during long reading sessions.

The need for an alternative international systemBoth the United States and China share the same ambition to remake the world, except that they have different images of what the world should be like. Both nations rely on trying to build a network of alliances but the United States has been much more successful than China. A 2023 PEW Research Center study surveyed attitudes towards China and the United States in 24 countries on six continents. In contrast, according to Chinese officials, the United States advances its cultural objectives through what has been described as pop culture. But no one, including China and the United States, has created an acceptable and compelling alternative.

Rice inflation rate slowed down in May 2024 — PSAWorkers are unloading truck load of rice at the warehouse of the National Food Authority (NFA) in suburban Manila on October 7, 4014. MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported a slow growth in rice inflation between April and May 2024, as well as a slight decrease in its retail prices. “Continuously, bumababa ang average world price of rice halimbawa sa Thailand and Vietnam (Continuously, the average world price of rice have been declining in countries such as Thailand and Vietnam),” he said during the press briefing. “'Pag bumaba ang presyo ng bigas due to tariff, bababa ang price and inflation which would trigger a reduction in inflation moving forward. (If the rice prices go down due to tariff, price and inflation will go down and would trigger a reduction in inflation moving forward),” Balisacan said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gestures as he arrives at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters in New Delhi, India, June 4, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan AbidiIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was set to meet his allies on Wednesday to discuss forming the government, a day after his Hindu nationalist party lost its outright majority in parliament in a surprise election verdict. Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 240 seats on its own in the general election, 32 short of the halfway mark in the 543-member decision-making lower house, according to official results announced late on Tuesday. The opposition INDIA alliance led by Rahul Gandhi's centrist Congress party won 230 seats, more than forecast. The INDIA alliance was also expected to meet on Wednesday in New Delhi, and discuss a future course of action.

A CONSORTIUM of Japanese businesses, led by NTT Docomo Inc. (NTT Docomo) and Space Compass Corp. (Space Compass), together with Mizuho Bank Ltd. and the Development Bank of Japan Inc., has committed to invest $100 million in Aalto HAPS Ltd. (Aalto), which manufactures and operates the stratospheric, solar-powered Zephyr high-altitude platform station (HAPS). The investment will be made through the Japanese Consortium's investment vehicle, HAPS Japan Corp. As a payload-agnostic platform, Zephyr can transform into a multifunctional tower in the sky to provide low latency 5G direct-to-device mobile connectivity services. Members of the high-altitude platform station (HAPS) Japan consortium, Aalto HAPS Ltd. and Airbus sign the Tokyo Stratospheric Declaration on May 29, 2024. In photo are (from left) Akihiro Hikuma of NTT Docomo Inc., Shigehiro Hori of Space Compass Corp., Samer Halawi of Aalto HAPS Ltd., and Jean-Brice Dumont of Airbus Defence and Space.

THE Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute (DoST-SEI), in collaboration with the Philippine S&T Development Foundation-Manila Inc. (PhilDev), has launched the Scholars Technopreneurship Training Program (STTP) in Cagayan de Oro City. Spanning from May to November 2024, this seven-month capacity-building initiative aims to equip DoST-SEI scholars with essential skills in technopreneurship, design thinking and innovative business, and venture planning. The culmination of the program in November features a pitching competition where participants will present their startup plans to industry experts and potential investors. AdvertisementVince Manglicmot of PhilDev delivered an engaging talk on the history and landscape of technopreneurship in the Philippines. Erica Cago, director of the Northern Mindanao Association of DoST-SEI Scholars, was also present to join the discussion.

The overall number of complaints about poor taxi services received by the Transport Department is on the rise for a third consecutive year, with a total of 1,006 cases in 2023 - a 75 percent increase compared to the previous year. The department said on Wednesday that the number of complaints received by the Transport Department against taxi drivers involved those of a more serious nature. They include overcharging, refusing hire and driving to a destination other than by the most direct practicable route. Complaints of various types have increased compared to the previous two years, with complaints of overcharging increasing by 1.2 times annually. In 2022 and 2021, the department received 574 and 464 complaints respectively, meaning the figure in 2023 has more than doubled compared to 2021.

Native garlic to raise local sufficiency to 20 percentAgriculture Undersecretary Cheryl Marie Natividad-Caballero said the DA is aggressively pushing garlic as one of the banner high value crops programs given its growing demand, both for household and processing use. “We want to bring back garlic as the ‘white gold’ of Ilocos region,” Caballero, who oversees the DA’s high value crops program, told reporters. The agriculture department is currently working out on its financial plan to determine the budgetary support requirement for the local garlic industry, Caballero said. The country’s garlic output last year declined by two percent to 5,765 MT from 5,884 MT in 2022, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. About two-thirds of the annual garlic production in the Philippines comes from the Ilocos region, making it the country’s top producer of garlic.

ADVERTISEMENTREAD: Tariff cut on imported rice: A gamble local farmers won’t takeAlthough rice prices would not drop drastically due to increasing world prices, Balisacan said the new tariff rates on rice and other products would “benefit everyone.”“With the tariff reduction from 35 percent, everyone will benefit from that, and this is crucial because world prices are still increasing. If we don’t reduce the tariff, with the increasing world prices compounded by the 35-percent tariff over and above that, prices and inflation will remain to be a very serious problem. With this, we expect those upward pressures and rice prices to ease,” Balisacan noted. READ: More cuts to rice tariffs urged to tame inflationInflation rose to 3.8 percent in April, of which nearly half (1.75 percentage points) was due to rice, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed. “Reduced rice tariffs paved the way for more rice imports, and yet rice prices have only gone up,” Cainglet said in a Viber message.

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 34 areas across the country registered “dangerous” peak heat indices or above 42ºC (degrees Celsius), said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) on Tuesday. According to Pagasa, heat index refers to the “measure of the contribution that high humidity makes with abnormally high temperatures in reducing the body’s ability to cool itself.”ADVERTISEMENTA heat index ranging from 42ºC to 51ºC is considered part of the “danger category.”Once it reaches this point, the risk for various heat-related illnesses such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and even heat stroke during continued exposure increases. Based on Pagasa’s latest computed heat index, Maasin, Southern Leyte registered the highest peak heat index on Tuesday at 49ºC. In Metro Manila, Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) in Pasay City logged a peak heat index of 43ºC. Based on Pagasa’s latest computed heat index, the following areas registered a heat index of or above 42ºC:Maasin, Southern Leyte – 49ºC Virac (Synop), Catanduanes – 47ºC Roxas City, Capiz – 47ºC Catarman, Northern Samar – 46ºC Dumangas, Iloilo – 45ºC Dagupan City, Pangasinan – 44 Bacnotan, La Union – 44ºC ISU Echague, Isabela – 44ºC Iba, Zambales – 44ºC Sangley Point, Cavite – 44ºC Alabat, Quezon – 44ºC Cuyo, Palawan – 44ºC Iloilo City, Iloilo – 44ºC Catbalogan, Samar – 44ºC Tacloban City, Leyte – 44ºC Borongan, Eastern Samar – 44ºC Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur – 44º Calapan, Oriental Mindoro – 43ºC Puerto Princesa City, Palawan – 43ºC Aborlan, Palawan – 43ºC Daet, Camarines Norte – 43ºC Legazpi City, Albay – 43ºC Masbate City, Masbate – 43ºC Juban, Sorsogon – 43ºC Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte – 43ºC Naia Pasay City, Metro Manila – 42ºC Laoag City, Ilocos Norte – 42ºC CLSU Muñoz, Nueva Ecija – 42ºC Baler (Radar), Aurora – 42ºC Casiguran, Aurora – 42ºC Cubi Pt., Subic Bay Olongapo City – 42ºC Ambulong, Tanauan Batangas – 42ºC San Jose, Occidental Mindoro – 42ºC Mactan International Airport, Cebu – 42ºCREAD: Red Cross reminds public to stay hydrated amid high heat indexIn cases of emergency, Pagasa reminded the public to do the following:Move the person to a shady spot and lie him/her down with legs elevatedIf conscious, have them sip cool waterRemove clothing, apply cool water to the skin and provide ventilationApply ice packs to the armpits, wrists, ankles, and groinBring to a hospital immediately

Congress party supporters cheer as they follow proceedings of vote counting at their party headquarters in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, June 4, 2024. Some four hours into the counting, early leads reported by the Election Commission showed Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party comfortably ahead of the main opposition Congress party. Modi's National Democratic Alliance group was leading in 287 constituencies, while the opposition INDIA alliance, led by the Congress party and its main campaign leader, Rahul Gandhi was leading in 225. Meanwhile, supporters at the Congress party headquarters appeared upbeat and chanted slogans praising Gandhi, the party’s campaign face. His opposition, the INDIA alliance led by the Congress party, has attacked Modi over his Hindu nationalist politics.

Divorce or D-groupWhen it comes to separation or divorce, the most convincing argument or appeal are tears combined with stories of betrayal, mental abuse or years of unrequited love and self-sacrifice. Legislators and activists would want us to believe that divorce is the only solution to a hopeless situation. Just look into the history of divorce in the US and Europe and you realize that it’s not as simple as filling in the blanks and filing a request for divorce. Churches and city halls conduct millions of marriage ceremonies but very few and regular free seminars on marriage, family planning and finance. The rich won’t let divorce come true, so let’s fix the marriages, the system and families instead.