Nadal to miss French Open with hip injury, may retire next year
FOR months, Rafael Nadal waited for his body to heal. Speaking at a news conference at his tennis academy in Manacor, Spain, the 36-year-old Nadal announced he will miss the clay-court French Open for the first time since making his debut — and, naturally, claiming the trophy — there in 2005. "Even though your head wants to keep going, your body says this is as far it goes." He did not offer a date for his return to the tennis tour, but said it is likely to take months. "I don't deserve," Nadal said, "to end my career like this."
Source:Manila Times
May 20, 2023 04:14 UTC
China’s Xi unveils grand development plan for Central Asia
China’s support for Central Asia also appear to be a counter-weight to U.S. accusations of its coercive diplomacy. He did not mention Ukraine, which like the Central Asian nations, was part of the Soviet Union. “China is ready to help Central Asian countries improve their law enforcement, security, and defence capability construction,” he said. It will encourage Chinese-funded businesses in Central Asia to create more jobs, build warehouses, and launch a special train service aimed at promoting tourism, he added. “To bolster our cooperation and Central Asian development, China will provide Central Asian countries with a total of 26 billion yuan ($3.8 billion) of financing support and grants,” Xi said.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
May 20, 2023 02:25 UTC
Onion price cap set this Monday
Onion price cap set this MondayMANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) will implement a P150 per kilo suggested retail price (SRP) for red onions and P140 for white onions starting Monday to address the spike in prices of the bulbs. He said that during consultation, the operators of cold storage, brokers, traders, retailers and farmers all agreed that there is enough supply of onions as the warehouses are still full. We need to bring down the retail price by next week to remove the pressure to import as importation will be the last resource,” Cainglet added. He noted that it would be up to the BPI to process the possible importation of 8,000 metric tons of white onions as agreed during a hearing in Congress. Cainglet said they also found during the meeting that cold storage operators released limited volumes of the bulbs or sell to wholesalers at higher prices.
Source:Philippine Star
May 19, 2023 22:48 UTC
'Half of world's largest lakes, reservoirs drying up'
More than half of the world's largest lakes and reservoirs are dwindling and placing humanity's future water security at risk, with climate change and unsustainable consumption the main culprits, a study said on May 18, 2023. AFP FILE PHOTOWASHINGTON: More than half of the world's largest lakes and reservoirs are dwindling and placing humanity's future water security at risk, with climate change and unsustainable consumption the main culprits, a study said Thursday. The results: 53 percent of lakes and reservoirs saw a decline in water storage, at a rate of approximately 22 gigatons a year. Increased temperatures from climate change drive evaporation, but can also decrease precipitation in some places. Globally, freshwater lakes and reservoirs store 87 percent of the planet's liquid freshwater, underscoring the urgency of new strategies for sustainable consumption and climate mitigation.
Source:Manila Times
May 19, 2023 22:26 UTC
Life imprisonment ruling upheld as High Court rejects appeals by woman who shot dead relatives
The High Court on Friday rejected the appeal filed by a 49-year-old woman – convicted of murder for shooting dead two relatives in 2018 – and upheld the original life imprisonment sentence. The defendant Ada Tsim Sum-kit, who once worked as a bodyguard, was previously convicted of two counts of murder and two counts of shooting with intent. On June 26, five years ago, Tsim shot dead her 80-year-old aunt and 62-year-old uncle and also wounded another aunt and an uncle at Quarry Bay Park. Tsim was later sentenced to life for the murder charges and 18 years imprisonment for the remaining shooting charges. In the judgment released Friday, Court of Appeal vice-president Andrew Macrae, appeal justices Kevin Zervos and Anthea Pang Po-kam rejected both Tsim’s appeals against the convictions and sentences.
Source:The Standard
May 19, 2023 21:16 UTC
Secretariat's 1973 Triple Crown records took 39 years to become official
The colt not only won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes in 1973 — he finished each in record time. It just took 39 years for that part of his incredible sweep to become official. But the dispute over that time was only beginning, and it wasn't until 2012 when Penny Chenery — Secretariat's owner — finally succeeded in securing her horse's Preakness record. The official time was changed to 1:54 2/5 — not quite good enough to beat Canonero II's 1:54. He concluded that the commission's regulation still mandated that 1:54 2/5 should remain the official time.
Source:Manila Times
May 19, 2023 17:10 UTC
Half world's largest lakes and reservoirs drying up — study
Half world's largest lakes and reservoirs drying up — studyDried up La Mesa dam in Quezon City is pictured in this March 9, 2019 photo. WASHINGTON, United States — More than half of the world's largest lakes and reservoirs are dwindling and placing humanity's future water security at risk, with climate change and unsustainable consumption the main culprits, a study said Thursday. Increased temperatures from climate change drive evaporation, but can also decrease precipitation in some places. Globally, freshwater lakes and reservoirs store 87 percent of the planet's liquid freshwater, underscoring the urgency of new strategies for sustainable consumption and climate mitigation. "If a good chunk of freshwater lakes are drying, then you're going to see the impact come to you one way or the other, if not now in the not too distant future," said Rajagopalan.
Source:Philippine Star
May 19, 2023 12:01 UTC
17 in betting ring busted
Seventeen Hongkongers were arrested as police smashed an illegal gambling syndicate tied to money laundering through HK$240 million laid in bets. To conceal the operation the syndicate rented a 1,000-square-foot flat in an industrial building in the New Territories as a money laundering office. "We believe the syndicate used at least 18 virtual bank accounts to launder some HK$240 million of criminal proceeds from June to April," Chan said. In an operation codenamed Calmorder on Tuesday and Wednesday, the key members were arrested for conspiracy to commit money laundering. Officers also seized HK$760,000 in cash, 16 computers, 80 phones, 270 SIM cards and bank documents and ATM cards.
Source:The Standard
May 19, 2023 07:11 UTC
Sounding the alarm on the rise of chatbots
"I think if this technology goes wrong, it can go quite wrong, and we want to be vocal about that. These cases are alarming because more chatbots are finding their way into the workplace. The sharp focus on the dark side of chatbots has for the moment obscured the benefits derived from AI. One research has predicted that by 2023, consumers and businesses will be saving over 2.5 billion customer service hours because of chatbots. Some countries have taken the initiative to tackle the long-term risks from the rise of chatbots.
Source:Manila Times
May 19, 2023 02:17 UTC
It's all in how you express love as hundreds rush to exchange vows on special day
It is because 520 [or May 20] sounds like "I love you" in Putonghua. Last year, about 400 couples married on May 20, while there were some 200 on the same day in 2021 during the peak of Covid. According to the Immigration Department, 68 applications were received from new couples who intend to wed at marriage registries. To ensure smooth operation and solemnization of the marriage ceremonies, the department officer said "sufficient manpower resources will be deployed to marriage registries." Some young couples said the cost of raising a child and the city's competitive culture - which begins at toddler levels - have caused emotional stress and financial burden.
Source:The Standard
May 19, 2023 01:13 UTC
Philippines, Vietnam vow to work for 'substantive' South China Sea code
Philippines, Vietnam vow to work for 'substantive' South China Sea codeMANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and Vietnam vowed to strengthen their collaboration on maritime issues in regional and multilateral bodies, with the conclusion of a “substantive” Code of Conduct on the South China Sea among their priorities. China’s sweeping nine-dash-line claim overlaps with the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam and the Philippines. Both countries have had incidents with Chinese vessels either intercepting or harassing their fisherfolk in their waters. “They committed to work together to protect their rights and legitimate interests under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and enhance confidence-building measures between relevant agencies.”China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are still working on the South China Sea Code of Conduct. China has stressed that tension in the region should be addressed through bilateral dialogues and engagement with countries in the South China Sea — a rebuke at involvement by the US, which it has accused of stirring up trouble from afar.
Source:Philippine Star
May 19, 2023 01:12 UTC
Ayala putting up $1 billion data center, biggest in Philippines
Ayala putting up $1 billion data center, biggest in PhilippinesMANILA, Philippines — The Ayala Group and its Singaporean partner are investing at least $1 billion to build the largest data center in the Philippines as they prepare for the entry of tech giants locating here. ST Telemedia Global Data Centers (STT GDC) Philippines will spend about $1 billion to put up STT Fairview, a 124-megawatt data center in Quezon City, to support the country in its pursuit to become a hyperscale hub. STT GDC Philippines president Carlo Malana said STT Fairview would start running by 2025 with an initial capacity of 28 MW that can be scaled up depending on incoming demand. According to think tank Oxford Economics, a 20-MW data center bolsters the economy by up to $5.3 billion and creates over 28,000 jobs. With this, Uy said DICT is educating students on data center management to supply the manpower for future investors.
Source:Philippine Star
May 18, 2023 23:27 UTC
DSWD, DoJ sign implementing rules for law vs sexual abuse online of children
SOCIAL Welfare Secretary Rexlon "Rex" Gatchalian and Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla signed implementing rules and regulations of a law passed to protect children against sexual abuse online. The IRR was crafted for Republic Act (RA) 11930 or the Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) and the Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials Act. Gatchalian welcomed the signing of the IRR as a significant step toward better protecting children from online abuse. "It is the responsibility of all, from the government to everyday citizens, to protect the innocence and well-being of our future: the Filipino children," Remulla said. The IRR presents comprehensive standards and strategies to address OSAEC, ranging from effective reporting to effective international collaboration.
Source:Manila Times
May 18, 2023 22:22 UTC
Maternity benefits pushed for women workers in informal sector
According to a report by the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), most of the female workers in the informal economy are home-based business owners, home-based subcontract workers, and street vendors. However, there were not enough data on the informal economy, except for the percentage of private household workers (3.9 percent), paid family workers (0.4 percent), self-employed (27.9 percent), and unpaid family workers (8.3 percent). But in the report published by the CHR, which cited a more recent data from the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), there were 8 million female workers in the informal economy in 2012. The bill stated that providing a maternity benefit to women workers in the informal economy equivalent to about $350 for every mother is paltry compared to the potential economic benefits of improving breastfeeding rates at population level. al., a non-contributory maternity cash transfer to informal sector workers could provide health benefits by helping mothers meet their breastfeeding goals.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
May 18, 2023 19:36 UTC
Hongkonger among 35 injured in Phuket speedboat crash
Thirty-five people, including one from Hong Kong, were injured after the tour speedboat hit a channel marker on the Thai holiday island of Phuket on Wednesday. The accident occurred when the speedboat was bringing 21 Russians, nine Kazakhstan nationals, one Hong Kong visitor, one Chinese national and one Ukrainian back from the Phi Phi islands to Chalong Bay at about 5.30pm. The boat smashed into the channel marker located about 700 metres from the Chalong pier and sustained heavy damage. It was learned that the injury included a 20-year-old Hong Kong citizen surnamed Lai. An initial investigation found that the boat driver might have dozed off, said Natchaphong Pranit, Chief of the Phuket Marine Office.
Source:The Standard
May 18, 2023 17:37 UTC