Author: admin

Calls for Mindanao’s secession from the Philippines have erupted anew after a sitting lawmaker released a viral video echoing rhetoric once championed by former president Rodrigo Duterte, in a move analysts warn risks inflaming tensions and destabilising an already volatile political landscape.Observers say the renewed push, amplified by the ex-president’s allies and a network of online influencers, appears aimed at deflecting attention from corruption scandals and an ongoing International Criminal Court investigation into Duterte’s bloody war on drugs, while shoring up support among his family’s base.The latest controversy stems from a video posted over the weekend by Cavite congressman Francisco…

With the Apec summit in South Korea just days away, the nuclear-armed North fired a ballistic missile on Wednesday in an apparent bid to remind the world of its growing arsenal.The launch, occurring against the backdrop of deepening military ties between North Korea and Russia, has reignited fears of escalating provocations and their implications for global stability.Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that the missile, presumed to be a Hwasong-11da-4.5, was launched from North Hwanghae province at around 8.10am local time.The short-range tactical ballistic missile, an advanced iteration of the radar-evading KN-23 – known as the “North Korean Iskander” after…

PARIS (AP) — The Louvre reopened Wednesday morning, three days after thieves forced open a window and stole French crown jewels in a daring, daylight raid on the musuem.The Apollo Room where the theft occurred remained closed to visitors, while crowds — hundreds deep — waited outside the museum’s glass pyramid entrance. The Louvre is normally closed on Tuesday and had been shut since the theft for investigation. No arrests have been announced, and the stolen jewels remain missing. The Paris prosecutor said Tuesday that the stolen crown jewels were worth an estimated 88 million euros ($102 million), not including…

Hong Kong stocks fell on Wednesday, tracking weakness on Wall Street as a recent rally lost momentum, while gold and silver extended their pullback from record highs.The Hang Seng Index declined 0.7 per cent to 25,842.83 as of 10am local time. The Hang Seng Tech Index fell 1.2 per cent.On the mainland, the CSI 300 Index lost 0.4 per cent and the Shanghai Composite Index dropped 0.2 per cent.Online-game provider NetEase slumped 3.3 per cent to HK$232.40 while e-commerce firm Alibaba Group Holding dropped 2.3 per cent to HK$161.30 and search-engine giant Baidu retreated 2 per cent to HK$115. Gold…

Hong Kong stocks fell on Wednesday, tracking weakness on Wall Street as a recent rally lost momentum, while gold and silver extended their pullback from record highs.The Hang Seng Index declined 0.7 per cent to 25,842.83 as of 10am local time. The Hang Seng Tech Index fell 1.2 per cent.On the mainland, the CSI 300 Index lost 0.4 per cent and the Shanghai Composite Index dropped 0.2 per cent.Online-game provider NetEase slumped 3.3 per cent to HK$232.40 while e-commerce firm Alibaba Group Holding dropped 2.3 per cent to HK$161.30 and search-engine giant Baidu retreated 2 per cent to HK$115. Gold…

OpenAI unveiled its first artificial intelligence-powered web browser, putting the ChatGPT maker in competition on a new front with Alphabet’s Google.The browser, called ChatGPT Atlas, is designed to be a more personalised web experience and also field tasks such as booking flights and editing documents on a user’s behalf.Each time a user visits a website within the browser, they will see an “Ask ChatGPT” that pulls up a sidebar to engage with what is on the page. The user might, say, open up a movie review, then ask ChatGPT to summarise it, or find a recipe and ask ChatGPT to…

The ongoing dispute between China and the Netherlands over chipmaker Nexperia has highlighted how geopolitical tensions can disrupt an otherwise smooth global supply chain, according to analysts.Based in Nijmegen, Netherlands, Nexperia exemplifies a typical multinational company with front-end fabrication plants in Hamburg, Germany, and Manchester, UK, as well as back-end assembly facilities across Asia, including Dongguan, China; Laguna, the Philippines; and Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.The company is also supported by a worldwide network of sales offices and research labs. Thanks in part to its global presence, Nexperia ships more than 110 billion products a year to a diverse customer base that…

New World Development (NWD) denied market speculation that it is conducting a liability-management exercise involving its perpetual bonds or other debt securities and seeking equity financing from investors, according to an exchange filing on Tuesday.The Hong Kong-based property developer, which has been battling liquidity problems for the past three years, made the statement in response to media reports that said the firm was in the process of preparing for these moves.“Shareholders, holders of the debt and other securities, and potential investors are advised not to rely on market rumours in relation to the group,” NWD said in the filing.A liability-management…

Japan Post has scrapped a controversial practice of forcing delivery workers involved in minor accidents to complete their rounds by bicycle – even in extreme heat – after admitting the measure “could be perceived” as workplace harassment.The decision followed an internal investigation into an incident involving a delivery worker who was instructed to continue his rounds by bicycle for two weeks during a summer heatwave, despite daytime temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit), the company confirmed on Friday.Labour advocates say the episode reflects both the mounting strain on Japan’s delivery sector and a broader shift in public awareness…

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia launched a massive drone and missile attack on Ukraine’s capital on Wednesday, killing at least two people, Ukrainian officials said.Emergency services rescued 10 people after a fire caused by drone debris hit the sixth floor of a 16-story residential building in the Dnipro district of the capital. Kyiv, where two people were found dead, local authorities reported. The attack also blew out windows of a medical facility and debris was found at another residential building, Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko reported on his Telegram channel.In the Darnytskyi district of the capital emergency services were responding after…