Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia holds a press conference on the Task Force Against Premature Campaigning for the Barangay and Sanggunian Kabataan Elections (BSKE) at the Comelec office in Intramuros, Manila, on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023. PHOTOS BY RENE H. DILANSo far, a total of 626 BSKE candidates have been issued show cause orders (SCOs) by the poll body in the past four days. As of Friday, September 15, Garcia said the poll body has yet to receive any response from concerned BSKE aspirants. "As such, the removal of all election materials will continue in public places," the memorandum stated. During the election campaign period, any candidate, either alone or in collaboration with other contenders, is allowed to conduct peaceful online political gatherings, rallies, or similar events.

Three packs of mushrooms imported from a regulated prefecture in Japan have been marked and sealed by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department for the sake of prudence after the importer was suspected of breaching the food safety order. The mushrooms from Tochigi Prefecture were found during the food label inspection by the Centre for Food Safety on Friday. The products were not accompanied by a radiation certificate and exporter certificate, which is required to prove that the radiation levels do not exceed the limited levels and are safe for consumption. According to the food safety order, all vegetables, fruits, milk, milk beverages, and dried milk originating from Chiba, Tochigi, Ibaraki, and Gunma prefectures are allowed to be imported into Hong Kong only if they are accompanied by a radiation certificate and an exporter certificate issued by the Japanese authority. The Centre is following up on the case and will take appropriate action, including informing the Japanese authorities and suing the concerned importer if needed.

There was no negligence involved in the original inspection of the three luxury homes on the Redhill Peninsula in Tai Tam, said the Development Secretary Bernadette Linn Hon-ho on Saturday, after unapproved building works were uncovered due to the recent heavy rains. In a RTHK interview, the minister said authorities are gathering evidence and will file criminal charges based on it. High-end residential estates were not included in proactive inspections, but those near hillsides and the sea will be given priority, Linn added. "Because for houses built on the slope, if there are any unauthorized building works, there will be a slope stability angle. According to Mak, 2,300 applications have already been submitted from residents and merchants who have suffered losses from the storm.

A driver was nearly hit by a vehicle in Cheung Sha Wan on Friday morning while rushing to avoid getting ticketed. As traffic police continue to step up their work for illegal parking, many drivers attempt to avoid getting ticketed by any means possible. Suddenly, a man in a green shirt rushed onto the road, with the driver blaring his horn to warn the hurried man. Fortunately, the man was not hit by the vehicle. The driver who posted the clip stated that the rushing man should take care of his life and said money is not the main thing he should be worried about.

AT least six countries are interested in having their navies carry out joint patrols with the Philippines in the tension-shrouded South China Sea. But Brawner said Germany, Canada and France are also open to joint patrols. Brawner said joint patrols are "definitely in our plan and right now we are in the process of working with the other countries." Brawner said Canada and France also supported the idea of joint patrols during the recent Defense Chiefs' meeting in Fiji last July. He said at least three other countries are also carrying out joint patrols.

A 20-year-old man died in the early hours of Friday after he stumbled into a moving train leaving University Station. The man was said to be hit in the head by the moving train and bounced back onto the platform. He suffered severe injuries to his head and was certified dead on the scene after paramedics arrived. After reviewing CCTV footage, officers said the man could be seen a little unsteady on his feet before he lost his balance and fell onto the side of the moving train. Officers are now investigating whether the man had consumed alcohol before the incident happened.

GINZA is a district close to the center of Tokyo. Almost every store has a spot in Ginza, even souvenirs are available, so there are tons of possibilities for pasalubong. This district might be gaining popularity, but not a lot of people know the secret side of Ginza. Instead of a shopping district, walking through the streets is like sneaking a peek into someone's closet. All in all, Ginza is one of the places in the world that lives up to the hype.

8 cops in Jemboy killing dismissedPeople pay respects to 17-year old Jerhode Jemboy Baltazar in his wake in Navotas City on August 11, 2023. MANILA, Philippines — Eight police personnel involved in the killing of 17-year-old Jemboy Baltazar have been dismissed due to evidence showing they attempted to escape accountability over the incident. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez approved the dismissal of eight police officers due to “substantial evidence” that they were “administratively liable” for Baltazar’s killing in August. RELATED: ‘Buhay pa sana anak ko’: Cops barred Jemboy Baltazar's father from retrieving his bodyCarpio and dela Cruz were dismissed for serious grave neglect of duty because they did not personally supervise their team during the operation, the resolution read. Once dismissed, the police officers will lose their benefits, and they will be permanently barred from holding any other government positions.

With the industrial accidents, including three fatal ones occurring on the same day, these statistics sounded the alarm for the construction industry. “The biggest risks on construction sites have always been people’s attitude and safety culture,” Ho observed. In underscoring CIC’s zero tolerance to industrial accidents, Ho pointed out that safety culture is at the heart of the whole industry. “Complacency is the greatest obstacle in our concerted effort to achieve industrial safety," he emphasized. But it is incumbent on all industry stakeholders to take up the responsibilities to enhance construction safety and 'Say No to Danger' together.

With an aging population keen on enjoying riches, more fulfilling retirement years, Japan has long pioneered technologies aimed at the elderly. A revolutionary design of floor protects frail bones from fractures by deforming instantly to absorb and cushion the shock of a person falling. Friendly, humanoid robots are now used at many care facilities, with artificial intelligence that lets them memorize over 100 faces and names and hold natural conversations geared specifically to the person they are talking to. We also see a seal-shaped robot designed to create a healing effect, like a pet animal, that has now been certified as a medical device in over 30 countries. VIDEO BY MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF JAPAN

(UPDATE) FILIPINA volleyball player Julia "Jia" Morado-de Guzman has shared her first photos for Japanese side Denso Airybees on her Instagram on Tuesday. Brazilian legend Thaisa Menezes (left) and Jia Morado PHOTO FROM MORADO’S IGShe met Brazilian Olympic silver medalists Rosamaria Montibeller and Gabriela Guimarães, as well as two-time Olympic champion Thaisa Menezes Daher, while in Japan. "I've always been a student of the game, taking in every opportunity to learn what I can. Montibeller will be Morado's teammate on the Airybees, and Morado said she looks forward to playing with her soon. See you soon," commented the Brazilian player on the Instagram post.

SIM cards from POGOs contain P1 billion in e-walletsMANILA, Philippines — Around 28,000 Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards confiscated from Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) in Pasay City last month were used to siphon P1 billion from the e-wallets of online fraud victims, according to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). “We checked the SIM cards one by one and we accessed their e-wallets. “The POGOs used these SIM cards to steal and load the money in their respective e-wallets. Prior to the POGO raid in August, authorities also confiscated more than 80,000 SIM cards in a Las Piñas facility in June. Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Investigation’s Anti-Cybercrime Division arrested three suspects in Pasay and Las Piñas over the sale of registered SIM cards.

A 46-year-old Indian man who was arrested on suspicion of indecently assaulting a Korean live streamer in Central was granted bail on Thursday. The man, Amit, was brought to the Eastern Magistrates' Courts today on one count of indent assault. The well-known South Korean live-streamer, may5w, was able to live stream her ordeal and the video has since gone viral. The footage showed the woman being followed by a man from a tram stop to the Central MTR station. She could be seen repeatedly resisting his advances, before he forcefully pressed her against a wall halfway down the Central station staircase.

NEW DELHI– Experts have fanned out in India’s southern state of Kerala to collect samples of fluid from bats and fruit trees in a region where the deadly Nipah virus has killed two people and three more have tested positive. Samples of bat urine, animal droppings and half-eaten fruit were collected from Maruthonkara, the village where the first victim lived, set beside a 300-acre (121-hectare) forest home to several bat species. Fruit bats from the area had tested positive for the Nipah virus during an outbreak in 2018, the state’s first. ADVERTISEMENTOutbreaks are sporadic and previous infections in South Asia were traced to consumption of items contaminated with bat excreta. Kerala’s first Nipah outbreak killed 21 of the 23 infected, while subsequent outbreaks in 2019 and 2021 killed two people.

(UPDATE) SEVEN out of 10 Filipinos believe that the country is heading toward the right direction, a survey by OCTA Research Group has shown. In its Tugon ng Masa survey conducted from July 22 to 26, 2023, 72 percent of respondents said the Philippines is on the correct path. Only 65 percent of Visayas respondents said they were optimistic about the country's direction, a significant decline compared to March, wherein 87 percent said the country was on the right track, and 9 percent said otherwise. Class ABC, at 74 percent, was also highly optimistic of the country's direction, followed by Class D with 74 percent and Class E with 70 percent. Adult Filipinos in Class E are the highest in terms of being uncertain about the country's direction than any other socioeconomic class at 21 percent.