SHANGHAI — As temperatures in China soar, pet owners are looking for novel ways to protect their four-legged friends from the heat, buying up cooling mats, clothes and miniature sun hats for dogs and cats. Mi Jiayi, a public relations professional in Shanghai, spent more than 500 yuan ($70.04) on a cooling vest for Mary, a small mixed-breed dog that she adopted. Record-breakingJacqueline Cha, another Shanghai resident who has three small dogs and owns a pet care business, said this was the first summer she felt the need to use sun protection shirts on her pooches. ADVERTISEMENTHowever, she added the best treatment was not any product but simple prevention: keeping pets indoors on superhot days. Last year, a report by Euromonitor and Asia Pet Alliance Institute forecast China’s population of dogs and cats would reach 190 million in 2023, up from about 170 million in 2018.

MANILA, Philippines — At least 12,000 decommissioned combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) were either given cash aid or have attended skills training and basic education, Special Assistant to the President Secretary Antonio Ernesto Lagdameo Jr. said Saturday. ADVERTISEMENTThe Palace official also said that 35,000 birth certificate applications of former MILF combatants have been processed under the Normalization Program. Lagdameo likewise confirmed that aside from the continuation of the MILF Decommissioning Phase 3, other aspects of the government’s Normalization Program under the Bangsamoro peace agreement have been resumed. The decommissioning program is part of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), which was signed in 2014 between the Philippine government and MILF. RELATED STORIESOver 1,000 MILF fighters set for deactivation starting AugustBangsamoro leaders laud promise of peaceBARMM governors want MILF decommissioning tackled in Cabinet discussionskgaYour subscription could not be saved.

Touchless technology using AI and sensors to operate devices without physical contact, is being widely adopted in Japan for its public hygiene and security benefits. A new innovation is the 'aerial display' – a technology that makes images appear in the air. It doesn't just look like an SF movie effect, but you can use it as a virtual touch panel as well. This technology opens up a new world of contactless applications, from suppressing infectious disease to enhancing all kinds of entertainment. VIDEO BY MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF JAPAN

WASHINGTON, D.C.: The American economy has generated at least 200,000 new jobs for a record 30 straight months and the streak likely continued into July. On Friday, August 4, 2023, the US government reports the labor market generated more jobs at a steady pace. On Friday, August 4, 2023, the US government reports the labor market generated more jobs at a steady pace. AP PHOTOThe US economy and job market have repeatedly defied predictions of an impending recession. In response to a cooling labor market, wage pressures have eased, but they remain too intense for the Fed's comfort.

SAN FRANCISCO: Amazon and Apple on Thursday reported earnings that topped market expectations, aiming for even better days ahead with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). The e-commerce giant said it made a profit of $6.7 billion in the recently ended quarter, eclipsing earnings forecasts. "It was another strong quarter of progress for Amazon," the company's chief executive Andy Jassy said in an earnings release. "AWS has continued to add to its meaningful leadership position in the cloud with a slew of generative AI releases." "What we're doing is democratizing access to generative AI; lowering the cost of training and running models," Jassy said.

DowngradedFitch Ratings this week downgraded US debt by a notch. The headline inflation rate decelerated from 5.4 percent in June to 4.7 percent in July. The headline inflation rate reflects items of expenditure that are more volatile. The average inflation rate from January to July is still at an elevated 6.8 percent. The headline inflation rate for the NCR is 5.1 percent while the number is 6.8 percent outside the capital region.

Cuthbert took the fevered boy in his arms, prayed for him, and kissed his forehead. “Do not fear,” he told her, “for no one else of your household will die.” The boy reportedly lived. Jesus once took a small boy into his arms to give a lesson on greatness, saying, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me” (Mark 9:37). True greatness resides in serving the smallest and lowliest (v. 35). How can you pursue Jesus’ kind of greatness today?

ADVERTISEMENTThe government of Tianjin, a port east of Beijing, said 35,000 people were evacuated from near the swollen Yongding River. Some areas reported as much as 90 millimeters (3 1/2 inches) of rainfall per hour. Some 13 rivers exceeded warning levels in the Haihe Basin, which includes Beijing, Tianjin and Shijiazhuang, Xinhua said, citing the Ministry of Water Resources. About 42,000 people were evacuated from areas of Shanxi province to Hebei’s west, it reported, citing emergency officials. Meanwhile, in the eastern Shandong province, authorities also warned of flooding risks as water levels on the Zhangwei River continued to rise.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. "For me, my concern is the Philippine national interest and national security and we will have to put bases, not necessarily EDCA, throughout our archipelago," he added. Last April, the Philippine government announced the locations of the four additional EDCA sites considered as "suitable and mutually beneficial" for both the Philippines and the United States. Teodoro said the Philippine government is "pursuing an archipelagic doctrine with baselines" and part of it is establishing additional EDCA sites. "The paranoia of other people may be rightly so, [and] is taken into consideration but national security is paramount," he added.

Two people on a bike were injured after being struck by a seven-seater van on Friday afternoon. The motorcycle lost control and fell over, leading both the father and daughter to fall onto the road and suffer injuries. After the accident, the van did not stop and instead drove off from the scene of the accident. The driver and passenger suffered injuries to their arms and legs and were both taken to the hospital for medical attention. Police are currently investigating to determine the identity of the van owner and are hunting for the driver.

Edo Kiriko is a cut glass craft dating back about 200 years, to the period when Tokyo was called Edo. These glass artworks are decorated with gorgeous patterns, of which there are over a dozen types, each having its own traditional meaning. Each piece is hand crafted in a highly skilled process. Currently, there are about 100 active Edo Kiriko artisans, ranging from youngsters to veterans, many of whom have become known for fresh and individual designs that are helping to maintain the appeal of this craft. VIDEO BY MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF JAPAN

An elderly woman was taken to the hospital after tripping and falling from an escalator in a Tuen Mun mall on Friday afternoon. Around 2 pm today, an elderly woman lost her footing while on the escalator and fell inside Leung King Plaza located in Tuen Mun. Witnesses who saw the incident immediately contacted the police for assistance. Paramedics arrived and took the elderly woman to Tuen Mun Hospital for medical attention. According to a photo online, the mall security guard was seen at the site, understanding the situation, while the elderly woman was seen lying on the ground next to a middle-aged woman, with multiple paramedics bracing her head.

Zubiri denies that he and the rest of the super majority watered it down by making it just one of several options open to the executive. Now the Department of Foreign Affairs, which was consulted on the drafting of the Senate resolution along with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, has said it will “carefully assess and calibrate” the options presented. For Senator Risa, it was good enough that her proposal was approved at all as one of several options. On The Chiefs, Ambassador Yu reiterated her government’s support for the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. “We never actually looked at this as a simple Philippines versus China issue,” Ambassador Yu told The Chiefs.

(UPDATE) THREE major dams in Luzon, including the Ipo Dam in Norzagaray, Bulacan, have been releasing excess water as continuous rain raised their water level to almost full. One gate of the Ipo Dam was opened at 0.15 meters (m) to release excess water, Caringal said. 43, just -0.26m water below the normal high water level (NHWL). "We have to open their gates and release water before they reach their NHWL," Caringal said. In its latest monitoring, Pagasa said La Mesa's reservoir water level (RWL) is at 79.58 m or 0.18 m lower than its 80.15 m NHWL.

DOH cautions vs marketing Philippines as hub for heated tobacco productsThis photo illustration shows a customer smoking at a vape store in Manila on November 20, 2019MANILA, Philippines — Marketing the Philippines as a manufacturing hub for e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTPs) may exacerbate the tobacco epidemic in the country, the Department of Health cautioned Thursday. The Philippine News Agency reported the Department of Trade and Industry urged HTP manufacturers to make the Philippines the next destination for their factories as local demand for heated tobacco devices increases. Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Act lapsed into law in July 2022. The measure mandates the DTI to regulate vaporized nicotine and non-nicotine products. Only duly-registered vaporized nicotine and non-nicotine products with the applicable graphic health warnings are allowed to be sold, advertised or distributed.