Filippine

MANILA, Philippines --- Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana wants to deploy the Philippine Navy's newly-acquired vessel BRP Conrado Yap (PS-39) to Palawan or Sulu if he could have his way. "Kung ako, baka siguro baka Palawan and the Sulu Seas," he told reporters Tuesday on the sidelines of the arrival ceremony for BRP Conrado Yap. "It depends on the Navy how soon they can bring that to the south," he said. Navy chief Vice Adm. Robert Empedrad described its latest acquisition as its "most powerful" ship. The Philippine Navy held a welcome ceremony for its newest asset, BRP Conrado Yap, a warship donated by the South Korean government, and the BRP Davao del Sur (LD-602), whi...

Keep on reading: Lorenzana wants to send new Navy warship to Palawan, Sulu Sea

    MANILA, Philippines--- "Pare, anak ko yan." Dennis Padilla gave those words of caution to actor Gerald Anderson after finding out about the controversy involving him and daughter Julia Barretto. "Nag-text muna ako noong lumabas 'yung issue. Nag-text lang ako," Padilla recalled Tuesday during the press conference of his upcoming film "Sanggano, Sanggago't, Sanggwapo." "Tapos tumawag siya, kinausap ko. Pagkausap ko, ni-remind ko lang sa kanya, 'Pare, anak ko 'yan. "Yun lang. Siguro naman alam niya na ang lalim noon dahil lalaki siya," he continued. Padilla also shared advising Barretto, his daughter with Marjorie Barretto, to take a break from social medi...

Keep on reading: What Dennis Padilla told Gerald Anderson at height of controversy involving daughter Julia Barretto

Manchester United said they "utterly condemn" the racist abuse their World Cup-winning midfielder Paul Pogba received after he missed a penalty in the 1-1 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday. The 26-year-old Frenchman has missed four penalties since the start of last season -- the most by a Premier League player -- while team-mate and fellow penalty-taker Marcus Rashford has converted all four of his attempts in that time. Pogba was assailed on social media, becoming the third player in England to have received racist abuse in the past week due to missing a penalty. United said they were "disgusted" by the abuse and "utterly condemn" it. "The individuals who exp...

Keep on reading: Manchester United ‘disgusted’ by racist abuse of Paul Pogba

  MANILA, Philippines --- The Department of Justice (DOJ) has summoned several leaders and officers of left-leaning groups over charges of trafficking, and child abuse after a female student was reported missing following her alleged recruitment in Anakbayan. Assistant State Prosecutor Christine Perolino issued a subpoena to Bayan Muna chair Neri Colmenares, Anakbayan chairperson Vencer Crisostomo, Kabataan Representative Sarah Elago, and Anakbayan spokesperson Alex Danday, ordering them to appear at preliminary investigation scheduled for August 27, September 10, and September 24. Former Akbayan Representative Tom Villarin was also included among those who were summone...

Keep on reading: DOJ summons left-leaning reps over trafficking, child abuse charges

LISBON, Portugal --- A major, out-of-control wildfire in Spain's Canary Islands was throwing flames 50 meters (160 feet) into the air on Monday, forcing emergency workers to evacuate more than 9,000 people, authorities said. The blaze --- described by the local fire department as "a monster" --- was racing across parched woodlands into Tamadaba Natural Park, regarded as one of the jewels on Gran Canaria, a mountainous volcanic island in the Atlantic Ocean archipelago off northwest Africa. Famous for its beaches and mountains, Gran Canaria and its capital, Las Palmas, are popular European vacation destinations but the blaze was in a rugged inland area known as the central highla...

Keep on reading: Thousands flee from ‘monster’ wildfire on Canary Islands

  MANILA, Philippines---Defending champion San Beda beat Lyceum, 88-73, in a rematch between back-to-back finalists in the NCAA Season 95 men's basketball tournament Tuesday at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan. Calvin Oftana registered a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds to power the Red Lions, who swept the Pirates in the championship round the previous two seasons. Evan Nelle and James Canlas also made their imprint with their all-around brilliance. Nelle was at his best in the fourth quarter, where San Beda pulled away. He finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Canlas, meanwhile, collected nine points, four rebounds and three assists...

Keep on reading: NCAA: San Beda roars to 7-0, whips Lyceum in 1st meeting since finals

WASHINGTON --- A strong majority --- or 74% --- of U.S. business economists appear sufficiently concerned about the risks of some of President Donald Trump's economic policies that they expect a recession in the U.S. by the end of 2021. The economists surveyed by the National Association for Business Economics, in a report released Monday, mostly didn't share Trump's optimistic outlook for the economy, though they generally saw a recession coming later than they did in a survey taken in February. Thirty-four percent of the economists surveyed said they believe a slowing economy will tip into recession in 2021. That's up from 25% in the February survey. An additional 38% of t...

Keep on reading: 74% of economists in survey see US recession by end of 2021

A staunch opponent of the death penalty who had in the past successfully blocked legislation restoring capital punishment expressed doubt that devout allies of President Rodrigo Duterte, who are senators now, have fully studied the implications of what he said was "judicial murder." Former senator and human rights fighter Rene Saguisag, in an e-mail interview with INQUIRER.net, said he didn't believe that trusted Duterte allies Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go and Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, who are now senators, have studied death penalty fully. Go was Duterte's long-time and most trusted aide who continues to keep the President company at public events while Dela Rosa was the Pres...

Keep on reading: Saguisag sees no real study by Duterte allies on death penalty

Lee Duck-hee became the first deaf player to win an ATP match on Monday, making a statement with a straight-sets win over Henri Laaksonen in Winston-Salem. "People made fun of me for my disability. They told me I shouldn't be playing," the 21-year-old South Korean said after shrugging off a lengthy rain delay to post a 7-6 (7/4), 6-1 victory. "It was definitely difficult, but my friends and family helped me get through," Lee said. "I wanted to show everyone that I could do this. "My message for people who are hearing impaired is to not be discouraged. If you try hard, you can do anything." Lee, ranked 212 in the world, turned pro at 15 and achieved his best ATP singles ra...

Keep on reading: Deaf South Korean tennis player notches landmark win

BERLIN --- Germany, Europe's industrial powerhouse and biggest economy, with companies like Volkswagen, Siemens and BASF, may be entering a recession, according to a gloomy report from the country's central bank Monday --- a development that could have repercussions for the rest of the eurozone and the United States. A technical recession is defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth, and Germany saw a 0.1% drop in the April-to-June period. In its monthly report, the Bundesbank said that with falling industrial production and orders, it appears the slump is continuing during the July-to-September quarter. "The overall economic performance could decline slightly once...

Keep on reading: Wide implications as Germany teeters toward recession

MANILA, Philippines---University of Perpetual Help escaped Emilio Aguinaldo College, 88-87, in the NCAA Season 95 men's basketball tournament Tuesday at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan. Ben Adamos sealed the game, 88-84, with 46.7 ticks to go as the Altas won their first game minus Frankie Lim, who was reportedly placed on leave after the team's brutal 102-56 beatdown at the hands of San Beda last week. Myk Saguiguit took over as interim coach. Five Altas hit double digits led by Rey Peralta's 19. Adamos posted 11 points and 13 rebounds. The Altas improved to 3-5 but not before fending off the pesky Generals, who came back from 15 down. CJ Cadua paced Emilio Aguinal...

Keep on reading: NCAA: Perpetual Help bags 1st win without head coach Frankie Lim

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil---A gunman is holding as many as 16 bus passengers hostage in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday, officials said. At least six people have been freed from the vehicle that is stopped on a bridge connecting Rio with neighboring city Niteroi. Heavily armed police have surrounded the bus as they negotiate with the gunman, who G1 news reported is armed with a gun and gasoline. The gunman reportedly boarded the bus at 5:30 a.m. (0830 GMT) and began threatening passengers. Traffic on the Rio-Niteroi bridge spanning Guanabara Bay has been paralyzed during the ongoing hostage situation. /kga...

Keep on reading: Gunman in Brazil holds 16 bus passengers hostage

HONG KONG --- On a recent sweltering Saturday, a day now reserved for protest in Hong Kong, a demonstrator named Wayne stepped past a row of plastic barricades, lifted a pair of binoculars and squinted. Four hundred meters away, a line of riot police stood with full-length shields, batons and tear-gas launchers. It was a familiar sight for Wayne after more than two months on the front lines of Hong Kong's turbulent pro-democracy demonstrations. Along with hard hats and homemade shields, face-offs with police have become part of the 33-year-old philosophy professor's new normal. The stories of Wayne and three other self-described "front line" protesters interviewed by The Ass...

Keep on reading: Hong Kong’s ‘front line’ protesters explain their stance

GENEVA --- China's Syria envoy said Tuesday that "terrorist organizations," including the Islamic State group, are being revived in the war-ravaged country, urging the international community not to ignore the "early warning" signs. Xie Xiaoyan, Beijing's point man for the Syrian conflict, made the comments after meeting in Geneva with the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir O. Pedersen. "There is now a danger of terrorist organizations like ISIS being revived," Xie told reporters, using another acronym for IS. "The international community should pay attention." IS overran large parts of Syria and Iraq in 2014, proclaiming a "caliphate" there but offensives in both countries reclaimed...

Keep on reading: China warns revival of terror groups, including IS, in Syria

SHENZHEN, China --- The founder of Chinese tech giant Huawei said Tuesday he expects no relief from U.S. export curbs due to the political climate in Washington but expressed confidence the company will thrive because it is developing its own technology. Ren Zhengfei also said he doesn't want relief from U.S. sanctions if it requires China to make concessions in a tariff war, even if that means his daughter, who is under house arrest in Canada on U.S. criminal charges, faces a longer legal struggle. In an interview with The Associated Press at Huawei's sprawling, leafy headquarters campus in the southern city of Shenzhen, the 74-year-old Ren said Huawei expects U.S. curbs on mo...

Keep on reading: Huawei expects no relief from US sanctions but is confident

CAMP GEN. ALEJO SANTOS - A 29-year-old policewoman allegedly shot herself to death during a drinking spree with her boyfriend in Donya Remedios Trinidad (DRT) town, Bulacan province, police said. Police Cpl. Claire Sagampod, who was assigned in DRT police station, was found dead inside her house in Barangay Pulong Sampalok and with a gunshot wound in the temple. Investigators said Sagampod was with her boyfriend, Juli Acedera, 31, a Philippine Army soldier, and their friend Rizal Ocampo, 24, during the incident. DRT police received a call from a concerned citizen informing that the policewoman committed suicide. An investigation is ongoing to determine if there was a foul...

Keep on reading: Female cop in Bulacan dies after reportedly shooting self

  LOS BAOS, Laguna - Hundreds of students at the University of the Philippines Los Baos (UPLB) walked out of their classes Tuesday afternoon here as part of the UP system-wide walkout to protest campus militarization. The students started the walkout at around 4 p.m. in front of the Humanities building and proceeded to several other buildings to encourage other students to join them. The contingent then proceeded to the Carabao Park, near the UPLB gate and held a short program. "We are opposing the recent attacks of the government on the youth. Like in the Senate hearing, progressive students are being attacked, and Senator Ronald 'Bato' Dela Rosa is pushing for the militar...

Keep on reading: UPLB students walk out to protest campus militarization

MANILA, Philippines--F2 Logistics eliminated Foton with a 25-19, 25-23, 17-25, 25-19 win Tuesday and booked its fourth straight finals appearance in the Philippine Superliga All-Filipino Conference Finals. The Cargo Movers, who held a twice-to-beat edge, leaned on Kalei Mau and Aby Marano to boot the Tornadoes, who were led by Jaja Santiago and Dindin Santiago-Manabat, out of contention. "Foton was a big challenge. But entering the Finals will be our biggest test. This is unfinished business for us," said F2 Logistics head coach Ramil De Jesus, whose team last won the All-Filipino title in their debut in 2016. Mau reached her first PSL finals after leading F2 Logistics with ...

Keep on reading: F2 Logistics ousts Foton, books PSL All-Filipino Finals ticket

HONG KONG --- Facing pressure to end months of anti-government protests, Hong Kong's leader pledged Tuesday to open up a dialogue with city residents in an effort to narrow differences. However, Chief Executive Carrie Lam offered no concessions to the protest movement and a key organizer of the mass rallies dismissed her plan to immediately set up a "communication platform," underlining the challenge in resolving the semiautonomous Chinese city's political crisis. The movement held a massive but peaceful rally on Sunday after earlier protests had been marked by violence. The government has conditioned dialogue on the leaderless protest movement remaining peaceful. Lam didn't...

Keep on reading: Hong Kong’s leader vows to narrow rifts, but no specifics

  ILOILO CITY --The Panay Electric Company (Peco) will not allow the takeover of its distribution assets by a rival company owned by billionaire Enrique Razon Jr. unless the Supreme Court upholds the constitutionality of provisions of the law granting its rival a franchise to distribute electricity in Iloilo City. Lawyer Estrella Elamparo, legal counsel of Peco, said the court order of the Iloilo Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 37 granting the issuance of a writ of possession in favor of More Power Electric Corp. (More Power) is "completely void and ineffective." She said there was no need for Peco to petition for the issuance of a restraining order against the implementa...

Keep on reading: Panay power firm to fight Razon takeover of its distribution assets