Mixed signals on riceBBM’s administration is giving mixed signals on rice policy, a gut issue of importance to the masa. Perez, a lawyer rather than an agriculturist or economist, said the DA was consulted regarding the rice tariff reduction before the NEDA Board approval. A cabal of rice traders who provide logistics and financing to farmers, use farmers for political cover to protect their interests. That will lead to a significant decline in world rice prices. The government should also keep the rice traders guessing, something a variable tariff system makes possible.

US, other nations condemn China’s ‘aggressive actions’ in WPSA China Coast Guard ship (R) sailing past a Philippine fishing boat with volunteers from the civilian-led mission Atin Ito (This Is Ours) Coalition on board, in the disputed South China Sea on May 16, 2024. On Monday, the National Security Council said that China’s coast guard and maritime militia engaged in “dangerous maneuvers” which included “ramming and towing.”It also said that China's actions put at risk the lives of the personnel and damage the PCG's boats. The U.S. State Department also called China’s actions "escalatory" and emphasized that the 72-year-old mutual defense treaty between the U.S. and the Philippines includes "armed attacks" on its Coast Guard "anywhere in the South China Sea." In a separate statement, France, Japan, Germany, Finland, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands denounced China’s actions and called for the recognition of the ruling of the 2016 arbitral tribunal of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. “The EU opposes coercion and intimidation in the South China Sea, or anywhere.

Senator bares papers suggesting Alice Guo was born in ChinaIn this May 7, 2024 Facebook post shows Mayor Alice Guo of Tarlac, Bamban. MANILA, Philippines — New documents obtained by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian indicate that suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo first entered the Philippines when she was already a teen, contrary to her claim and her birth certificate that she was born in Tarlac. The documents Gatchalian sent to reporters came from the Board of Investments from the Guo family's application for Special Investors Resident Visa (SIRV) and the Bureau of Immigration. For Gatchalian, these new documents could strengthen the filing of a quo warranto case against the Bamban mayor. Guo also said in the letter that her shortcomings are due to a "lack of knowledge" and not intentional wrongdoing.

A cargo train rammed into a passenger train in India's eastern state of West Bengal yesterday, killing at least nine people and injuring dozens. Doctors and ambulances rushed to the accident site in the Darjeeling, a tourist spot nestled in the Himalayan foothills, soon after the collision. Three of the nine dead were railway personnel, said Northeast Frontier Railway spokesman Sabyasachi De. The cargo train's driver, who was among the dead, disregarded a signal and caused the collision, he said. Four compartments at the rear of the passenger train derailed due to the impact, he said, adding that most of the cars were carrying cargo while one was a passenger coach.

KOLKATA, India — At least eight people were killed in eastern India on Monday when the driver of a train carrying goods missed a signal and slammed into an express passenger train from behind, police and railway officials said. MORBID FASCINATION People gather at the scene of a collision between an express passenger train and a train containing goods in Nirmaljote, near Rangapani station in West Bengal state, eastern India, on June 17, 2024. The dead included the driver and his co-driver, who missed the signal, as well as a train guard and five passengers, she added. 'Tragic'The crash took place in the Phansidewa area of the state's Darjeeling district, when the Kanchenjunga Express train was hit by the goods-carrying train. In that crash, a packed passenger train was mistakenly diverted onto a loop line and slammed into a stationary train loaded with iron ore.Three railway employees were later charged with culpable homicide and destruction of evidence.

Probe sought on harm caused by US' secret anti-vax campaign in the PhilippinesThis June 22, 2021 photo shows individuals lining up at a mall in Manila to receive their COVID-19 vaccine. "It is imperative that we ascertain the extent of the damage caused by this secret campaign and hold those responsible accountable," the House deputy minority leader said. Sinovac vaccines were the first COVID-19 jabs made available in the Philippines. Reuters also noted that the Pentagon launched the influence operation against China "as payback for Beijing's efforts to blame Washington for the pandemic." Advocacy group Pilipinong Nagkakaisa para sa Soberanya (P1NAS) has called on the Philippine government to summon the US ambassador to explain the secret campaign by the Pentagon.

OVERSEAS Filipino worker (OFW) remittances hit $2.86 billion in April, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) data showed on Monday, 3.1 percent higher compared to the year-earlier $2.77 billion. AdvertisementThe US accounted for the biggest share (41.1 percent) of personal remittances, followed by Singapore (7.0 percent), Saudi Arabia (6.0 percent), and Japan (5.1 percent). "For the coming months, single-digit/modest growth in OFW remittances could still continue as OFW families/dependents still need to cope up with relatively higher prices/inflation locally," he added. Cash remittances accounted for $33.5 billion, 2.9 percent more than the year-earlier $32.54 billion and hitting the BSP's target for the year. The central bank is targeting 3.0 percent growth in cash remittances this year.

Adult Filipinos are relying less on Facebook and other legacy social media platforms for news, increasingly turning to video-centric TikTok amid changing news consumption habits. The trend mirrors the global decline in traditional social media usage for news as detailed in the Reuters Institute Digital News Report (DNR) released on June 17. Facebook has been the dominant social media platform in the Philippine digital space with a 94.6% monthly login rate among active social media users, according to Meltwater, an online media monitoring company. DNR 2024 also found Filipinos shifting away from other traditional social media platforms for news: YouTube down to 45% (-10 points), Facebook Messenger to 26% (-7 points) and X, formerly Twitter, to 9% (-7 points). The reduction is higher for social media alone, with the share of news users falling 7 points over the past year to 63%.

Hong Kong’s education chief said on Monday that people who sing the national anthem louder mean they are prouder of who they are. The Education Bureau previously criticized pupils and teachers for singing the national anthem too softly, with its “Inspection Annual Report 22-23” noting that “teachers and students sang the national anthem together, but the singing was a little soft.” The bureau also suggested that “schools must boost students’ confidence and habit in singing the national anthem.”Read more: No student disciplined for singing the national anthem too softly, Tai Po school clarifiesSpeaking in an interview on her two-year anniversary in office, Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin said it is important for the Chinese to understand Chinese culture, also noting that Westerners lack the values of "filial piety." The official said although a recent review of schools’ national education did not focus merely on students’ singing of the national anthem, she noted that the volume people sing reflects their emotions and their level of engagement. A case in point is that teachers encourage students to sing louder in music lessons, which is normal, said Choi. She believes it is appropriate for authorities to remind students to be engaged during ceremonies and to sing louder regardless of the song, adding that schools would not feel pressured by such a suggestion.

The Consumer Council tested ten air purifiers on the market and found that some manufacturers claimed that larger air purifier-applicable areas would have stronger purification capabilities, but the test results showed that the two are not necessarily directly proportional. The Council purchased ten models of air purifiers from different retailers and conducted the test in collaboration with the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD). Priced between HK$1,798 and HK$7,880, all tested models came with High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters, which claim to effectively filter cigarette smoke, dust, viruses, bacteria, etc. The Consumer Council pointed out that the applicable room area test standards and calculation methods claimed by manufacturers are different, making direct comparison difficult. It is recommended that manufacturers instead use the value of clean air volume to show the air purification ability of the product.

EVEN though the median pay package of chief executive officers (CEOs) in the United States last year was nearly 200 times more than a worker in the middle of their company pay scales, Elon Musk's record-setting Tesla compensation dwarfs them by comparison. Tesla CEO Elon Musk leaves the Tesla Gigafactory in Berlin, Germany, on March 13, 2024. Here's how the package compares:With median CEO payThe median pay package for an S&P 500 CEO in the United States last year was $16.3 million, according to data analyzed for The Associated Press by Equilar. But he stands to get even richer if his pay package goes through. According to the company's proxy filing this year, the median annual pay of a non-CEO Tesla employee last year was $45,811.

Since 2019, the two companies have worked in cooperation to explore the NEV market. Their partnership exemplifies the growing integration between Chinese and foreign companies in the NEV industry, encompassing production cooperation, stake acquisitions, and market expansion both domestically and internationally. These closer partnerships come as an increasing number of foreign companies in the industry seek to capitalize on the booming market. AdvertisementChina remains the most promising market for the global automotive industry, especially in the NEV market, Tao said. Its NEV tire output for this year is projected to grow by over 30 percent compared to 2023.

"Hello from the 'Melodi' team," Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a video posted to social media on Saturday, waving next to her fellow right-wing leader Modi, beaming a wide grin. The duo have a close public friendship, seen during the G20 summit in India last year and the COP28 climate talks in Dubai. He wrote he had meetings with Meloni to bolster ties "in areas like commerce, energy, defense, telecoms and more." AdvertisementAI-generated videos watched by millions show Modi crooning a love song every time Meloni appears with a political leader other than him. "Like other women in high offices, Meloni is being seen through a male prism — hot or not?"

The Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races were held in Tsim Sha Tsui on Sunday, with the famous "Fancy Dress Competition" also making a comeback, which saw patients who had recovered from breast cancer winning first place by dressing as clowns. The Fancy Dress contest that many people look forward to is also held today. The Fancy Dress Competition ended with the Dragons Abreast Hong Kong team, who wore clown costumes and won the championship. Award presenter Anson Cheung Ho-yin, Vice President of the Hong Kong China Dragon Boat Association, emphasized the team's strong unity and collaboration, embodying the true spirit of the competition. In addition to exploring Hong Kong, international tourists can take a short ferry ride to the vibrant city of Macao.

Zelensky seeks internationally agreed peace planUkranian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at Malacañan on June 3, 2024. In his opening remarks, Zelensky told the assembly: “We must decide together what a just peace means for the world and how it can be achieved in a lasting way. ‘Capitulation’The summit comes as Ukraine is struggling on the battlefield, where it is outmanned and outgunned. On June 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded Ukraine’s effectively surrender if it wanted to even begin peace talks. “Just as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was unlawful and unacceptable, the unilateral appropriation of Russian assets is equally unlawful,” Ruto said.