VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis defended Friday the Catholic Church's recent approval of blessings for same-sex couples while attempting to soothe his conservative critics. In December, the Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, its department for Roman Catholic doctrine, said priests could bless "irregular" and same-sex couples under certain circumstances. IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER Pope Francis delivers his blessing during his weekly general audience in the Paul 6th Audience Hall in the Vatican on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024. "These blessings ... do not require moral perfection in order to be received," the pope said during an audience with members of the dicastery. ""What Cardinal Fernandez considers as the unique value of this document is that 'it offers a specific and innovative contribution to the pastoral meaning of blessings, permitting a broadening and enrichment of the classical understanding of blessings,'" said David.

7 missing passengers rescued after boat capsizes off Palawan watersPhoto of search and rescue operations by the Philippine Coast GuardMANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has rescued seven individuals on Friday after their motorbanca capsized in the vicinity waters off Isla Verde, Roxas, Palawan. The boat capsized at around 12:15 p.m. on Thursday, with the PCG's BRP Melchora Aquino (MRRV-9702) leading a search and rescue operation. "Coast Guard personnel provided immediate medical assistance to those rescued individuals with injuries," said the Coast Guard on Friday. The rescued individuals went missing on January 25 after strong winds and rough seas tumbled their boat while underway from Barangay Calandagan en route to Poblacion, Araceli, Palawan. Before this, four other residents were rescued also due to the bad weather off the western island of Palawan.

UN rapporteur visits 3 red-tagged political prisoners in TaclobanIrene Khan, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, waves during a visit at the Department of Justice in Manila on January 24, 2024. The rights group reiterated the call for the release of Cumpio, Abinguna and Domequil. "But, as with the Marcos Jr. administration, they have exposed themselves as responsible for the sorry state of human rights in the country." Marielle's mother also penned a separate letter, saying that her daughter is a staunch human rights defender of human rights. Our demand is clear: free Tacloban 5, free all political prisoners."

An anti-smuggling operation by customs saw officers seize HK$4 million worth of frozen venison tails and dried shark fins in Tung Chung on Friday. Customs conducted the operation in Ma Wan Chung early Friday morning and spotted a light goods vehicle heading towards a waterfront. Officers then discovered another light goods vehicle which was loaded with suspected smuggled goods in a nearby car park. The suspected smuggled goods included 24 carton boxes of frozen venison tails, 10 bags of suspected scheduled dried shark fins, and 14 carton boxes of aquarium animals. An investigation is ongoing, customs said, adding that they will continue to take stringent enforcement actions against cross-boundary smuggling activities.

MANILA, Philippines: Filipina tennis ace Alex Eala and Latvian partner Darja Semenistaja have clinched the doubles title in the International Tennis Federation Necc-Deccan Women's Tennis Tournament at the Deccan Gymkhana Club in Pune, India on Saturday. Alex Eala PHOTO FROM EALA’S FB PAGEAt the doubles finals, the pair defeated the top-seeded duo of Fanny Stollár of Hungary and Naiktha Bains of Great Britain in two sets, 7-6, 6-3. During the doubles tournament, Eala and Semenistaja first defeated Eri Shimizu of Japan and Li Yu-Yun of Taiwan in the round of 16 in three sets, then later prevailed over Jessie Aney of the United States and Lena Rüffer-Papadakis of Germany in three sets during the quarterfinals. The pair would face off against each other in the women's singles' quarterfinals, where top-seeded Semenistaja defeated Eala in two sets before reuniting to defeat the Japanese pair of Saki Imamura and Naho Sato on Friday. This marks Eala's first doubles title in her professional career.

About half of vocational education institutions in the country are worried that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) may suppress creativity and critical thinking skills among students who would use the technology for their schoolwork. ADVERTISEMENTThe results of the survey, which covered 115 schools, were released on Wednesday. More than half, or 56 percent, of the surveyed schools crafted “light guidelines,” while 35 percent enforced “stricter” regulations. Between the schools’ administrative personnel and the teachers, the former are “more likely” to be more receptive to AI tools (34 percent) than the latter (30 percent). Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte had earlier cited the “uncertainties” of AI use in digital education, despite the technology’s potential and increasing popularity.

Eala, partner best Japanese foes to enter W50 Pune finalsMANILA, Philippines – Alex Eala and her partner, Latvia's Darja Semenistaja, are heading into the finals of the W50 Pune women's doubles tourney after dominating the Japanese duo of Saki Imamura and Naho Sato, 7-6(5), 6-3 Friday. Eala and Semenistaja, the fourth-seeded pair of the tournament, had to work and dig deep to secure the first set. The Filipino-Latvian pair won 38 service points compared to 36 for Imamura and Sato. The Japanese duo, however, won 33 receiving points against 31 for Eala and Semenistaja. Earlier in the day, Eala was defeated by Semenistaja in the women's singles quarterfinals.

Marcos’ two-day visit to Vietnam set on January 29-30MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is set to fly to Vietnam for a two-day state visit on January 29 where he will be discussing a range of regional affairs with leaders of the Philippines’ only strategic partner in the ASEAN bloc. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced on Friday that Marcos and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos will be visiting Vietnam next week upon the invitation of Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong. Marcos’ trip to Vietnam — the president's first visit to the country since he took office in 2022 — also caps off the Philippines’ five-year action plan to strengthen bilateral relations with Vietnam, which was signed in 2019. Marcos' visit aims to prompt an "in-depth discussion" on the agricultural cooperation between the Philippines and Vietnam, which has been the Philippines’ top supplier of rice in recent years, according to a Presidential Communications Office (PCO) release. The Philippines and Vietnam also have various areas of cooperation, including defense and security, maritime, agriculture and people-to-people relations, the PCO added.

A man was arrested on Wednesday after being busted for making and trafficking drugs worth HK$3.1 million in a residential unit in Cheung Sha Wan. The Tsuen Wan district police conducted an in-depth investigation, locking on to a private housing unit on Sham Shing Road in Cheung Sha Wan, which was suspected to be a drug manufacturing and storage facility. In the unit, officers were able to seize 2.6 kilograms of suspected cocaine and crack cocaine, along with tools used for manufacturing and packing the drugs. The officers immediately arrested a 28-year-old local man, surnamed Ho, on suspicion of manufacturing dangerous drugs and trafficking in dangerous drugs. Police believe that the facility has been operating for about a month and is mostly used to supply drugs to entertainment establishments around West Kowloon.

BERLIN, Germany: The German Protestant Church on Thursday acknowledged it did not do enough to protect children after an independent study revealed thousands of cases of sexual abuse within the organization. The study estimated that the number of minors who fell victim to church ministers and staff may be as high as 9,355. The German Protestant Church on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, acknowledged it did not do enough to protect children after an independent study revealed thousands of cases of sexual abuse within the organization. The study is an indictment for the German Protestant Church (EKD), which had long managed to avoid the sort of scandal that engulfed the Catholic Church. The German Protestant Church said it would in November present an "action plan" based on the results of the abuse study.

LUCKNOW, India: Indians queuing in long lines for jobs in Israel as the war with Hamas grinds on say the risks to their safety are preferable to hunger at home. Recruiters are aiming to fill a labor shortage in Israel, exacerbated by nearly four months of fighting against Palestinian militants in Gaza. Long lines of Indian men queued on January 25, applying for jobs in Israel as recruiters seek to plug employment gaps with the conflict against Hamas in Gaza now in its fourth month. For the hundreds of Indians in line, almost all men, the chance of a skilled construction job in Israel — and wages up to 18 times higher — outweighs their fears. Indian workers provide one way to fill the gap.

A bus collision injured at least 14 people and caused a major traffic jam at the Western Harbour Crossing on Friday noon. The incident, which occurred at around 12.01 pm inside the Island-bound section of the cross-harbor tunnel, involved two double-decker KMB buses. It is understood that 14 passengers suffered minor injuries due to the collision. The Transport Department reminded members of the public that traffic is busy in the vicinity. “Due to [a] traffic accident, part of the lanes of Western Harbour Crossing (Hong Kong Island bound) near tunnel entrance is closed to all traffic.

Speaker Martin Romualdez denies he is behind the People's Initiative campaign to amend the 1987 Constitution amid allegations by Sen. Imee Marcos on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. In a press conference in Makati City after a meeting, Romualdez challenges his cousin to "prove it" as he dismissed her claims as "gossip." Video from Office of Speaker Romualdez Media Bureau

Senior citizens should demand a 32-percent discount when buying food and other basic needs to fully avail themselves of the benefits of Republic Act No. 9994, or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act, a party list lawmaker representing their sector said on Thursday. ADVERTISEMENTComputation“Business establishments should be aware of this privilege to seniors and honor it because it is law. “So what we are telling the businesses is to just peg the discount at 32 percent, so that seniors would not have to make computations. Under the law, she stressed, seniors are entitled to 20-percent discount for services at hotels, restaurants, spas, beauty and massage parlors, domestic travels, and concerts.

A privilege, not a rightThis is a disbarment case filed by the girlfriend of a lawyer whom we shall name Mila. Ramos promised Mila that he knows a judge in a province who could issue a judgment of annulment for a fee. Thus, Danny paid P90,000 to Atty. The right to practice law is not a natural or constitutional right but a privilege or franchise. Ramos should be disbarred from the practice of law and his name stricken off the Roll of Attorneys.