Three workers injured after striking underground electricity cable in Lau Fau Shan
Three construction workers suffered burn injuries on Monday after an underground electricity cable was accidentally damaged during excavation work. The incident occurred at around 10 am this morning when a male worker struck and damaged a power cable at the Ching Tai Street site. It is understood that workers were repairing a manhole cover and accidentally struck the cable, leading to the explosion. The man suffered burns, while two other workers were also injured. Police have classified the case as an industrial accident and are investigating whether it was caused by human negligence.
Source:The Standard
November 20, 2023 17:16 UTC
Philippines vows not to surrender 'square inch' of territory
Philippines vows not to surrender 'square inch' of territoryPhilippines Presdient Ferdinand Marcos Jr delivers remarks during the Philippines 123 Signing Ceremony during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Week in San Francisco, California, on November 16, 2023. MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos insisted his country would not give up "a single square inch of our territory", as Manila seeks to counter Beijing's growing assertiveness in the South China Sea. "As I have said before and I will say again, the Philippines will not give up a single square inch of our territory to any foreign power," Marcos said. "We will insist on the preservation of the sovereignty and integrity of the country while working closely with international partners." During their meeting last week, Marcos and Xi agreed that their disputes in the South China Sea should not be the "defining element" of their relationship, Marcos said earlier.
Source:Philippine Star
November 20, 2023 15:48 UTC
Comelec probing Smartmatic’s alleged meeting with a candidate’s team in 2022
Comelec probing Smartmatic’s alleged meeting with a candidate’s team in 2022This file photo shows the Commission on Elections headquarters in Manila. This came after Sen. Koko Pimentel asked the Comelec whether it had been informed of the alleged incident between Smartmatic and the unnamed electoral candidate. Pimentel asked: “There are allegations that a certain camp of a certain candidate met with the owner of Smartmatic during the election period of 2022. Has this report reached the Comelec and has the Comelec investigated this report?”Marcos, who was speaking for the Comelec, answered in the affirmative: “Yes.”“The Comelec is saying that there is a pending disqualification case against Smarmatic from bidding in any Comelec exercise. I believe it also includes the allegations and charges against former Comelec Chair Andy Bautista,” Marcos said.
Source:Philippine Star
November 20, 2023 15:14 UTC
China says military operates lawfully after Australia sonar accusation
HMAS Toowoomba (File Photo)China said Monday its military has always operated in accordance with international law, after Australia said sonar pulses emitted by a Chinese warship "likely" injured navy divers. Canberra accused Beijing over the weekend of "unsafe and unprofessional" conduct at sea around the HMAS Toowoomba, a long-range frigate that had been supporting United Nations sanctions enforcement efforts within Japan's exclusive economic zone. But Beijing's foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning on Monday said "the Chinese military has strict discipline and has always conducted professional operations in accordance with international law and international practices". The Diving Medical Advisory Committee, an independent London-based organisation, has warned that sonar sound waves can cause divers to suffer dizziness, hearing damage and organ damage. The HMAS Toowoomba -- commissioned in 2005 -- is a long-range frigate packed with advanced surveillance capabilities and "world class" weapons systems, according to the Australian navy.
Source:The Standard
November 20, 2023 12:13 UTC
MAD
MADOK, who started that naughty talk about the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte? The constitutional provision has triggered speculation that some folks want VP Sara’s position, which is just a heartbeat away from the presidency. Certainly, the House super majority has the numbers to send an impeachment complaint against VP Sara to the Senate. This can render the impeachment of the VP into a move leading to MAD – mutually assured destruction – of the warring Duterte and Marcos / Romualdez clans. So perhaps the House denials of the impeachment talk are genuine, and the idea was floated simply to annoy the Dutertes.
Source:Philippine Star
November 20, 2023 05:37 UTC
'Big Three' auto workers ratify overhauled contracts
NEW YORK: Members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) have ratified the in-principle labor agreements promising sweeping pay increases that were reached with US car companies Ford, Stellantis and General Motors, a union source told Agence France-Presse (AFP) Saturday. "All three are ratified," the source said of the agreements, which were reached after an unprecedented strike that lasted more than six weeks. According to information published on the union's website Thursday, around 55 percent of hourly staff at GM voted in favor of the four-year contract. The striking workers returned to work after the agreements-in-principle were announced, rather than following the usual process of waiting for their ratification. The union had demanded a 40-percent salary increase over four years, to keep up with corporate compensation over the same period.
Source:Manila Times
November 20, 2023 04:26 UTC
180 families affected by Magnitude 6.8 Davao Occidental quake — NDRRMC
180 families affected by Magnitude 6.8 Davao Occidental quake — NDRRMCInvestigators are examining the location where Danny and Jane Ginung were caught under debris from a concrete fence damaged by the earthquake on Nov. 17, 2023. As of 3 p.m. on Sunday, the NDRRMC said that a total of 1,509 individuals have been affected in Davao Occidental, Davao Oriental, South Cotabato and Sarangani. Sarangani has four fatalities while South Cotabato and Davao Occidental have three and one, respectively. The NDRRMC also reported that 12 roads were affected by the tremor. The NDRRMC also listed a total of 54 damaged houses and 71 damaged infrastructures in the mentioned areas.
Source:Philippine Star
November 19, 2023 20:41 UTC
9,000 cops deployed for transport strike
9,000 cops deployed for transport strikeGovernment, police, and military officials attend the personnel and resources turnover ceremony at Camp Crame on October 23, 2023. MANILA, Philippines — Around 9,000 police personnel and 920 mobility assets will be deployed today for the transport strike, according to the Philippine National Police (PNP). In an interview with The STAR, Floranda identified 19 areas in Metro Manila that will be impacted by the transport strike. According to LTFRB’s spokesperson, LTFRB Chairman Teofilo Guadiz III will personally monitor the first day of the transport strike at Commonwealth Avenue eastbound. Floranda expressed hope that the transport strike would reach President Marcos, who is still in the United States.
Source:Philippine Star
November 19, 2023 20:35 UTC
Two arrested at airport for trafficking drugs worth over HK$10 million
Police arrested two people at the Hong Kong International Airport for drug trafficking. The duo were arrested on suspicion of trafficking in dangerous drugs. The arrested man is a 19-year-old Thai teenager born and raised in Hong Kong; the other is an 18-year-old local woman. The two are currently remanded under police custody for investigation and were charged with trafficking in dangerous drugs. The reward for drug trafficking and its original source are still under investigation.
Source:The Standard
November 19, 2023 15:56 UTC
Montebon hits game-winner as Adamson nips UE to force a playoff against Ateneo for last semis berth
MANILA, Philippines: Matthew Montebon drained a game-winning triple as Adamson nipped UE, 63-61, at the Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday, November 19 to force a playoff against Ateneo for the last Final Four berth in the UAAP Season 86 men's basketball tournament. Following a Jack Cruz-Dumont trey in the last 6.4 seconds that gave the Red Warriors a 61-60 lead, Montebon retaliated for the Soaring Falcons with a tough stepback corner triple for a two-point lead with 2.7 seconds left. Adamson’s Matthew Montebon (left) UAAP PHOTOCruz-Dumont had a chance to win the game for UE but he missed badly in his last-ditch triple off a timeout. Adamson and Ateneo, tied at no. 4 with identical 7-7 slates, thus battle for that last semis slot on Wednesday, November 22.
Source:Manila Times
November 19, 2023 15:41 UTC
Driver run over by his minibus and died after forgot to put on the handbrake
A minibus driver died after the vehicle rolled forward and pinned him underneath in Ho Man Tin Saturday night, as he forgot to put the handbrake on after getting off. The accident happened around 10.45 pm near Sheung Lok Street and Sheung Wo Street as the green minibus skipped forward and knocked down the 75-year-old driver, surnamed Chong. A taxi driver, surnamed Lee, said he brought food for Chong and arranged the pick up on Sheung Wo Street. He said Chong parked it at the back of the cab and met him next to the taxi, but the minibus suddenly rolled forward. Chong tried to stop the minibus with his bare hands and was eventually pinned underneath the vehicle.
Source:The Standard
November 19, 2023 12:28 UTC
US chip curbs trip up China's tech giants
SHANGHAI: US restrictions on advanced computer chips are forcing China's tech giants to rethink their ambitious artificial intelligence (AI)-powered projects, analysts say. The curbs now also target cloud computing to prevent Chinese companies from accessing powerful AI chips hosted elsewhere. "China's tech champions face an uncertain future in the wake of the October 17 controls." 'Recalibrate their bombasts'The US chip controls are yet another blow to China's tech sector, which was already suffering from the economic impact of the Covid pandemic and Beijing's regulatory crackdown against some of the country's biggest firms. But the impact of the sanctions has been brought into sharp focus by the cloud spin-off scrapping by Alibaba, and China's once high-flying tech companies are facing major uncertainty going forward.
Source:Manila Times
November 19, 2023 04:10 UTC
LTFRB again plays down transport strike
Several transport groups in Central Visayas said they would not join the nationwide strike that would run from Monday to Wednesday, LTFRB Chair Teofilo Guadiz III said in a statement on Saturday. ADVERTISEMENTGuadiz disclosed that Regional Director Ed Montealto of LTFRB’s regional office in Central Visayas submitted to his office copies of manifestos from different transport groups showing their commitment not to join the transport strike. “We firmly believe that joining the transport strike or any form of activity that will impede the mobility of our services is not in the best interest of our organization, the community, and the overall transportation system,” said the manifestos of transport cooperatives under Kaluha Twin Trading & Services Corp., LUTG Lapu Lapu City United Transport Group, and the Federation of Cebu Transport Cooperative. But on Saturday, Piston president Mody Floranda stood firm that the three-day strike would push through despite the appeal from the LTFRB to call it off. He said some 100,000 members of Piston and their local federations would participate in the transport strike to protest the Dec. 31 deadline for the franchise consolidation of the government’s public utility vehicle modernization program.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
November 18, 2023 23:12 UTC
Philippines' Marcos meets China's Xi to find ways to reduce South China Sea tensions
The Philippines and China need to continue to communicate, with the meeting a key part of the process to maintain peace, and keep open sea lanes and airways over the South China Sea, Marcos told reporters on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in San Francisco. "We tried to come up with mechanisms to lower the tensions in the South China Sea," Marcos said, without elaborating. Marcos said he and Xi were in agreement that geopolitical problems should not be the defining element of the two countries' relationship. Marcos granted the United States greater access to its military bases, including in provinces facing the South China Sea and democratically-ruled Taiwan, drawing the ire of Beijing. China claims almost the entire South China Sea, ignoring a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration that invalidated Beijing's expansive claim.
Source:The Standard
November 18, 2023 19:01 UTC
Indian tunnel rescue efforts paused over cave-in fears
DEHRADUN, India: Indian rescuers said on Saturday they had paused efforts to reach 40 men trapped in a collapsed road tunnel after a cracking sound created a "panic situation" over the possibility of a further cave-in. Excavators have been removing debris from the road tunnel in the northern Himalayan state of Uttarakhand since last Sunday after a portion of the tunnel the workers were building collapsed. WAITING FOR WORD People stand near the entrance to the site of an under-construction road tunnel that collapsed in Uttarakhand state, northern India on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023. Rescuers have been communicating with the trapped men using radios. Engineers are trying to drive a steel pipe about 90 cm (nearly 3 ft) wide through the debris — wide enough for the trapped men to squeeze through.
Source:Manila Times
November 18, 2023 17:59 UTC