(UPDATE) CLOSE to 30 Chinese fishing vessels (CFVs) have been massing at several locations in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Western Command (Wescom) reported on Thursday. The renewed swarming of Chinese boats could further fuel the already volatile situation in the WPS where incursions by Chinese coast guard (CCG) and maritime militia have become more frequent. Escoda Shoal serves as a marker for the approach to Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, where Chinese ships have been shadowing and harassing boats delivering supplies to the Philippine military station there, Wescom said. These activities have been a source of tension in the WPS and have contributed to instability in the region," Wescom said in a statement. The US continues to upgrade the camps as part of the overall plan to beef up the Philippines' defense posture.

Digital art creates new worlds right before our eyes with a blend of reality and imagination. MURAMATSU Ryotaro, a digital artist and projection-mapping pioneer, created his Dandelion Project to connect people worldwide in a prayer for peace. This project sends virtual flowers, a symbol of peace, to locations in various countries by transmitting digital fluff. We see visitors in Kyoto experiencing this project and exchanging fluffs from their smartphones with people around the world in real time, the replies generating beautiful blossoms in Kyoto temples. VIDEO BY MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF JAPANGet the latest newsdelivered to your inbox Sign up for The Manila Times newsletters By signing up with an email address, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

The price of riceThe government recently ordered to set the retail market ceilings for rice prices in an effort to bring down rice price inflation. Rice price ceilings. The government price order is justified under the Price Act, a law passed in 1992 (R.A. 7581) as further amended in 2013 (R.A. 10623). The price ceiling for “regular milled” rice is P41 per kilo while for “well-milled” rice at P45/kilo. In general, the provision of the Price Act is that price ceilings are designed to cover special emergencies and are temporary in character.

Two infected people have died since Aug. 30 in Kerala’s fourth virus outbreak since 2018, forcing authorities to declare containment zones in at least eight Kozhikode villages. “We are focusing on tracing contacts of infected persons early and isolating anyone with symptoms,” state Health Minister Veena George told reporters. The Nipah virus was first identified in 1999 during an illness outbreak among pig farmers and others in close contact with the animals in Malaysia and Singapore. During the 2018 Nipah outbreak, fruit bats from the same area tested positive for the virus. In Kerala’s first Nipah outbreak, 21 of the 23 people infected died.

Jay ClaytonUnderlying US inflation ran at a faster-than-expected monthly pace in August, leaving the door open for additional interest-rate hikes from the Federal Reserve. The so-called core consumer price index, which excludes food and energy costs, advanced 0.3 percent from July, the first acceleration in six months, Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed Wednesday. From a year ago, it increased 4.3 prcent, in line with estimates and marking the smallest advance in nearly two years. Economists favor the core gauge as a better indicator of underlying inflation than the overall CPI. That measure rose 0.6 percent from the prior month, the most in over a year, and 3.7 percent from a year ago, reflecting higher energy prices.

The livestreamer continued on with her trip to Macau after the incident but returned to Hong Kong yesterday. She told fans on interactive livestreaming platform Twitch yesterday she was taking a ferry from Macau to Hong Kong. She took the train to Admiralty after arriving at Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan about 3 pm. But the man kept getting close to her and said: "I am alone, come with me." Although the woman said she was not alone and refused the man, he continued to touch her and pressed her against the wall.

For the first, do we say, "She didn't used to be my trusted associate" ("used" with the "d") or "She didn't use to be my trusted associate" ("use" with no "d")? And for the second, do we say, "The couple didn't used to swim in the community pool" or "The couple didn't use to swim in the community pool"? And for the second, do we say, "Did the couple used to swim in the community pool?" The correct usage for negative "used to" statements is therefore this: "She didn't use to be my trusted associate." For negative "used to" constructions, these grammar contrarians prescribe this form instead: "She used not to be my trusted associate."

A South Korean female live-streamer who was recently sexually harassed while live-streaming in Central has sought help from the consulate and reported the case to the police on Wednesday. The well-known live streamer visited Hong Kong recently and experienced the shocking ordeal on Monday night. She started a live broadcast after arriving in Hong Kong from Macau on Wednesday saying, “I will go to the embassy (the Consulate General of Korea in Hong Kong), they will help me, also I will find the police”. It was learned that she had filed a report to the Central District Police Station. Many netizens encouraged her, noting that the suspect had been arrested and urging her to stay strong, before the live show concluded.

FRENCH regulators on Tuesday ordered Apple to halt sales of the iPhone 12 for emitting too much electromagnetic radiation, and to fix existing handsets. PHOTO BY APPLEThe ANFR said it "ordered Apple to remove the iPhone 12 from the French market from September 12 due to the model exceeding the limit" for electromagnetic absorption by the body. ANFR noted that tests that measure the electromagnetic radiation absorbed at a distance of five centimeters was in compliance with the limit of 2.0 watts per kilogram. ANFR said its agents would verify beginning Wednesday that that iPhone 12 models were no longer being offered for sale in France. Regulators in a number of countries have limits on the amount of electromagnetic radiation mobile phones may emit to prevent adverse health effects.

Hard words for Li Jiaqi, dubbed the "Lipstick King" for his ability to get followers to sink billions of yuan into beauty products, followed a furor on social media. "Many internet celebrities and anchors were humble before making money and became very inflated after making money," CCTV said on its website, but they are "disgusting" and will be "eliminated." Li gets a commission from products he promotes on his livestreams. On Sunday a viewer told Li that prices for domestic make-up products, such as a 79 yuan (HK$85) eyebrow pencil he was pushing, were increasingly expensive. Li responded by saying prices were not rising and told the viewer she couldn't afford the eyebrow pencil because she wasn't working hard enough.

That values the British firm at up to $52 billion, a healthy gain on the $32 billion SoftBank spent in 2016 to take control of it. TRYING HIS LUCK Japan’s SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son speaks during a press conference in Tokyo on Nov. 6, 2019. After experiencing several setbacks, Son is hoping the initial public offering of chip designer Arm would turn things around for the better. After experiencing several setbacks, Son is hoping the initial public offering of chip designer Arm would turn things around for the better. Booking a gain from the Arm IPO "will help confirm he can deliver positive returns," said David Gibson of MST Financial.

The South Korean, right, during one of her trips. Previous NextA waiter was being held by police last night for allegedly sexually harassing a visiting South Korean woman when she was live-streaming in Central. The well-known South Korean live-streamer, may5w, was able to live stream her ordeal and the video has gone viral. The MTR said it did not receive the female passenger's report or request for assistance, but it was aware of the video and informed police. The South Korean live-streamer, who has more than 39,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel and 13,600 followers on Instagram, has not made any response to the incident and arrest.

Journalist Maria Ressa and Rappler Holdings Corp. (RHC) have been acquitted of their fifth and last tax evasion case, her latest legal victory over the slew of charges thrown at her by the previous administration of Rodrigo Duterte. In acquitting RHC and Ressa, Tomacruz ruled that the PDR transactions were merely investment activities to raise capital. Her decision mirrored those of the other four tax cases filed with and later dismissed by the Court of Tax Appeals, as these cases were hinged on identical facts. ‘Court system works’Smiling as she exited the court, Ressa told reporters that the decision “strengthens our resolve to continue with the justice system, to submit ourselves to the court despite the political harassment, despite the attacks on press freedom.”“It shows that the court system works and we hope that the remaining cases are dismissed,” said the veteran journalist and 2021 Nobel Peace Prize awardee. In 2019, Ressa was also charged in connection with that partnership for violating the Anti-Dummy Law (Commonwealth Act No.

Ombudsman wants COA to keep initial audit observations privatePresident Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday announced that he has appointed Martires—his first appointee to the Supreme Court—as the country’s new corruption buster, taking the position vacated by Conchita Carpio-Morales. An Audit Observation Memorandum (AOM) is a written notification by the Commission on Audit (COA) to an agency head or concerned officer informing them of deficiencies in the audit of accounts and/or submission of documents. Government agencies are required to share their yearly reports, audited financial statements, COA findings, and statements on their websites. “When a case is filed and the case is dismissed, the problem is it creates an innuendo that the ombudsman earned,” Martires added. The Office of the Ombudsman received P5-million in confidential fund in 2022 and P31 million in 2023.

MANILA, Philippines — For his birthday wish, “a better state of agriculture” is top of mind for President Marcos. Marcos voiced his birthday wish when asked about it during an interview at the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) central office in Quezon City. Also yesterday, President Marcos approved a two-year moratorium on the collection of amortization and interest from agrarian reform beneficiaries. Marcos signed in July Republic Act (RA) 11593 or the New Agrarian Emancipation Act. Marcos said the completion of the IRR of the New Agrarian Emancipation Act is the best birthday gift he could ever receive.