North Korean troops massed in Russia to enter Ukraine war 'soon' — Pentagon chief
SYDNEY, Australia — The United States expects that thousands of North Korean troops massing in Russia will "soon" enter combat against Ukraine, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said Saturday. About 10,000 North Korean soldiers were believed to be based in the Russian border region of Kursk, Austin said, where they were being "integrated into the Russian formations". "Based upon what they've been trained on, the way they've been integrated into the Russian formations, I fully expect to see them engaged in combat soon," Austin told reporters during a stopover in Pacific nation Fiji. Austin said he had "not seen significant reporting" of North Korean troops being "actively engaged in combat" to date. Kyiv has warned that Moscow, alongside the North Korean soldiers, has now amassed a 50,000-strong force to wrest back parts of the border region seized by Ukrainian forces.
Source:Philippine Star
November 23, 2024 18:14 UTC
PAGASA forecasts fair, hot weather
PAGASA forecasts fair, hot weatherTemperatures in Metro Manila will range between 24 to 33 degrees Celsius. MANILA, Philippines — Fair and hot weather is forecast for Metro Manila and most parts of the country today, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). This comes as the northeast monsoon, which brings cold and dry air, is only affecting extreme Northern Luzon. The start of the northeast monsoon season was declared on Tuesday, which signals colder days for the country. The state weather bureau added that there is currently no weather disturbance inside the Philippine area of responsibility.
Source:Philippine Star
November 22, 2024 17:33 UTC
SFA Semicon to proceed with voluntary delisting
SFA Semicon to proceed with voluntary delistingThe listed semiconductor company said that a total of 192.77 million common shares, which represent approximately 9.43 percent of the company’s total issued and outstanding shares, were validly tendered to and accepted by SFA Korea during the tender offer period from Oct. 14 to Nov. 12. MANILA, Philippines — SFA Semicon Philippines Corp. (SSP) is set to push through with its voluntary delisting from the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) following the successful completion of a tender offer by its parent company SFA Semicon Co. Ltd. (SFA Korea). SSP said the tendered shares were crossed by way of a special block sale through the facilities of the PSE on Nov. 21, which caused the minimum public float of the company to fall to approximately 0.59 percent. SFA Korea, which previously held 89.98 percent stake in SSP, raised its stake to 99.41 percent of the listed company’s total issued and outstanding common shares. The PSE has implemented a trading suspension on the shares of SSP following the execution of the block sale due to non-compliance with the rule on minimum public ownership requirement.
Source:Philippine Star
November 22, 2024 17:32 UTC
Singapore raises forecast for 2024 economic growth to around 3.5%
With economic growth in the third quarter of this year exceeding the projected rate, Singapore has raised its growth forecast for the whole year 2024 to around 3.5%. Illustrative photo (Photo: philstar.com)Hanoi (VNA) – With economic growth in the third quarter of this year exceeding the projected rate, Singapore has raised its growth forecast for the whole year 2024 to around 3.5%. This figure brings the average growth rate of the first nine months of the year to 3.8%. With this result, Singapore forecasts that its economic growth will reach about 3.5% in 2024, higher than the previously announced forecast of 2-3%. However, MTI forecasts growth in 2025 to be at 1-3% due to unpredictable factors of the global economy./.
Source:Philippine Star
November 22, 2024 15:34 UTC
China advisers call for steady 2025 growth goal
BEIJING — Chinese government advisers are recommending that Beijing should maintain an economic growth target of around 5.0 percent for next year, pushing for stronger fiscal stimulus to mitigate the impact of expected US tariff hikes on the country's exports. Four of the six advisers who spoke with Reuters favor a 2025 target of around 5 percent. A Reuters poll this week predicted China will grow 4.5 percent next year but also tipped that tariffs could impact growth by up to 1 percentage point. Economists outside China do not believe that goal is realistic, but it still influences domestic policy discussion. "To meet the 2035 goals, we need to achieve economic growth of around 5 percent in 2025," said a second government adviser.
Source:Manila Times
November 22, 2024 04:12 UTC
Indian magnate Adani charged in US
NEW YORK — Billionaire Indian industrialist Gautam Adani has been charged with paying hundreds of millions of dollars of bribes and hiding the payments from investors, US prosecutors said on Wednesday. With a business empire spanning coal, airports, cement and media, the chairman of Adani Group has been rocked in recent years by corporate fraud allegations and a stock crash. CHARGED Chairperson of Indian conglomerate Adani Group, Gautam Adani, addresses a gathering in Gandhinagar, India, on Jan. 10, 2024. Adani has been charged with bribing and hiding payments from investors, US prosecutors said on Nov. 20, 2024. A self-described introvert, Adani keeps a low profile and rarely speaks to the media, often sending lieutenants to front corporate events.
Source:Manila Times
November 21, 2024 22:13 UTC
'Can you kill crime without spilling blood?'
De Leon postCan you kill crime without spilling blood? I ask these questions as someone born and raised in Davao City, a place that, for better or worse, is synonymous with one man: Rodrigo Duterte. Over the years, I've seen people debate his extrajudicial killings, his war on drugs and the looming shadow of an ICC investigation. I spent a decade as the punching bag for a man whose mind had been hijacked by meth. But once meth got its claws in, the kind man I knew turned into a ticking time bomb.
Source:Manila Times
November 21, 2024 22:11 UTC
Expensive food
Expensive foodAccording to the World Bank, domestic food price inflation remains high in many low- and middle-income countries. In real terms, food price inflation exceeded overall inflation in 59.8 percent of the 164 countries where data are available. It is projected that food prices will decrease by four percent in 2025 before stabilizing in 2026. The latest Hunger Hotspots Report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the World Food Program (WFP) warns of worsening acute food insecurity in 16 hunger hotspots (covering 22 countries and territories) that will require urgent action between now and May 2025. The Alliance has developed the publicly accessible Global Food and Nutrition Security Dashboard, which provides timely information for global and local decision-makers to help improve coordination of the policy and financial response to the food crisis.
Source:Philippine Star
November 21, 2024 22:06 UTC
CSC opens application for March 2025 career service exam
MANILA, Philippines — The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has opened the application for the March 2025 Career Service Examination for professional and subprofessional levels. In a statement on Thursday, the CSC said the application period for the March 2 exam is set from November 19, 2024 to January 3, 2025. The commission reminded the public that applicants will only be accepted on “a first-come, first-served basis,” adding that regional offices “may stop receiving applications any time before the deadline once it has reached the target number of applicants.”Article continues after this advertisementCSC offices will accept limited applications from December 16-27, 2024 “to give way to the preparation and submission of year-end reports and program or project evaluation reports.”According to the commission, those who seek to take the exam must meet the following qualifications:Filipino citizen;At least 18 years old on the date of filing of application;Of good moral character;Has not been convicted by final judgment of an offense or crime involving moral turpitude, disgraceful or immoral conduct, dishonesty, examination irregularity, drunkenness, or addiction to drugs; andHas not been dishonorably discharged from military service or dismissed for cause from any civilian position in the government. Applicants should not have taken the same level of the Career Service Examination, either through PPT or Computerized Examination, within three months before the date of the exam, or from December 2, 2024, to March 1, 2025Regardless of their educational attainment, those who meet the qualifications need to submit the following requirements:Fully accomplished application form (CS Form No. 100, Revised 2023 – Career Service-Professional/Career Service-Subprofessional) available in CSC Regional/Field Offices, or can be downloaded from the CSC website and printed on legal size bond paper;Four copies of passport-size ID pictures with handwritten name tag legibly showing signature over printed full name;Original and photocopy of any of the valid ID cards accepted for the civil service exam; andExamination fee of P500
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
November 21, 2024 19:50 UTC
Time better spent
Time better spentI was recently invited to be a guest on a news and current affairs program to talk about the ongoing investigations of the quad comm. Go over the two impeachments conducted by Congress, the “imprisonment” of two presidents, controversial brown bag pay-offs, etc. At the end of the day, it was either a grab for power or political vendetta while true legislation is left lacking! They actually had their own version of “citing Nehemiah in contempt,” sent false reports and actively generated disinformation. In hindsight, the walls of Jerusalem that Nehemiah rebuilt was meant to keep the enemies out.
Source:Philippine Star
November 21, 2024 16:41 UTC
Fernandez on IAS removal from PNP: They’ll only conspire with each other
Fernandez, who chairs the House committee on public order and safety, said this would avoid cover-ups among policemen since the IAS is tasked to investigate the irregularities committed by PNP members. Article continues after this advertisementREAD: PNP Internal Affairs probes officers linked to Barayuga slay case“Kasi kasalukuyan po yung ating IAS, nandun po yan sa loob ng PNP. That IAS should be outside or brought to DILG or DOJ, because if it remains a PNP unit, they may only conspire with one another.) “[A]ng pagkakasabi nya po sa ‘kin, kailangan talagang ihiwalay na ang IAS doon po sa PNP,” Fernandez said. Article continues after this advertisement(He told me the IAS should already be separated from the PNP.)
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
November 21, 2024 05:03 UTC
10.8M numbers blacklisted, 2.3M SIM cards deactivated
“The good thing is that the NTC managed to block a lot of SIM cards and prevented spamming and scamming from happening,” he added. “But text scams pretending to be messages sent by banks and e-wallets persist,” Hontiveros lamented. To prevent fraudulent registration, Gatchalian said the NTC required mobile phone users to upload live selfie pictures to validate their SIM cards. Public advisoriesThe DICT earlier reported an increase in scam messages that now imitate legitimate advisories from popular e-wallet services such as GCash and Maya. Remember: Think before you click to avoid falling victim to text scams,” she said.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
November 21, 2024 05:02 UTC
America is ‘profoundly committed’ to PH’s defense – Austin
00:00 The behavior of the PRC has been concerning. 00:07 When it comes to what we will do, I won't make a speculative statement about any hypotheticals. 00:14 When it comes to our mutual defense treaty, what we have emphasized and you heard me emphasize00:21 a couple of minutes ago, that we remain committed to the treaty. I won't speculate on what the next administration will be. 00:34 What I can tell you is what I know.
Source:Manila Bulletin
November 20, 2024 20:37 UTC
‘No storm next week’
‘No storm next week’MANILA, Philippines — No cyclone is expected to enter or form within the Philippine area of responsibility next week after six consecutive cyclones battered parts of the country recently, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration. PAGASA said it has not monitored any tropical cyclone-like vortex until Nov. 26, which means that a potential cyclone threat is unlikely by next week. However, there is a low to moderate chance that a cyclone may form by the first week of December. The combined damage of Pepito, Nika and Ofel to the agriculture sector in five regions has reached P265.74 million, according to the Department of Agriculture. Agriculture Assistant Secretary and spokesman Arnel de Mesa said total rice imports as of Nov. 19 have surpassed the total rice imports of 3.6 million MT in 2023.
Source:Philippine Star
November 20, 2024 19:17 UTC
SpaceX launches giant Starship rocket, but aborts attempt to catch booster with mechanical arms
00:45 As well as the operators on console have been actively evaluating the commit criteria for that return to the launch tower. 00:54 And unfortunately, we did not have a pass on those commit criteria. 00:59 So we are no go for tower catch. 01:06 And what an incredible view of splashdown that we got today. 01:19 What a great reorientation by Starship.
Source:Manila Bulletin
November 20, 2024 04:39 UTC