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PNP chief: Mga tiwaing pulis sisibakin at kakasuhan agad!

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MAYNILA. Tatanggalin agad ni Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief PGen Rommel Francisco Marbil sa pagka-pulis ang sinumang durungis sa pangalan ng organisasyon.

Ayon kay Marbil, nag-iisa lang ang PNP kaya marapat lamang na protektahan ang imahe nito. Aniya, “Agad na tatanggalin sa pagkapulis ang mga tiwali naming miyembro bago pa makasuhan sa korte.”

Ito ang naging pahayag ni Marbil sa kanyang pagpunta sa National Capital Regional Police Office kahapon ng umaga, Hunyo 13. Ipinahayag din niya ang kanyang seryosong hangarin na linisin ang hanay sa kapulisan.

Magugunitang makailang beses nang nadawit ang pangalan ng PNP sa mga katiwalian at anomalya na kinasangkutan ng ilang opisyales nito. Ngayon, sa ilalim ng liderato ni Marbil, inaasahan ang mas mahigpit na pagpapatupad ng disiplina at paglilinis sa organisasyon.

“We are committed to ensuring that the PNP maintains its integrity and trust with the public,” ani Marbil. Patuloy na nakatutok ang pamunuan sa mga hakbang upang mapanatili ang kalinisan at dangal ng PNP sa kabila ng mga hamon at pagsubok na kinakaharap nito.

Hamas leader says proposed changes to Gaza ceasefire ‘not significant’

DOHA. The changes requested by Hamas to a U.S.-proposed Gaza ceasefire are “not significant” and include the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip, a senior Hamas leader told Reuters on Thursday.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on Wednesday that Hamas had suggested numerous changes to the U.S.-backed proposal, some of which were deemed unworkable, but emphasized that mediators were committed to bridging the differences. While the U.S. has indicated that Israel has accepted its proposal, Israel has not made a public confirmation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently maintained that Israel will not cease its campaign until Hamas is eliminated.

The senior Hamas leader revealed that the group had demanded the release of 100 Palestinians serving long sentences in Israeli jails. The Israeli proposal excluded these prisoners and limited releases to those with less than 15 years remaining on their sentences. “There are no significant amendments that, according to Hamas leadership, warrant objection,” said the Hamas leader.

Hamas’s demands also include the reconstruction of Gaza, lifting the blockade, opening border crossings, allowing the movement of people, and transporting goods without restrictions, according to the senior leader.

Negotiators from the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar have been working for months to mediate a ceasefire in the conflict, which has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians and caused widespread devastation in the densely populated enclave. They are also seeking the release of hostages, with over 100 believed to remain captive in Gaza.

Global powers are intensifying efforts to de-escalate the conflict to prevent it from expanding into a broader Middle East war, with rising tensions along the Lebanese-Israeli border being a major flashpoint.

The current conflict in Gaza began on October 7 when militants led by Hamas crossed the border, killing 1,200 Israelis and taking over 250 hostages, according to Israeli reports. Israel’s subsequent air and ground offensive has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians, displaced the majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, and severely damaged housing and infrastructure, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

Joey Chestnut, Takeru Kobayashi to face off in Netflix hot dog-eating competition

LOS ANGELES. In response to Joey Chestnut’s absence from this year’s Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog-eating contest due to a deal with a rival brand, Netflix has swiftly announced a new showdown featuring Chestnut and his long-time rival, Takeru Kobayashi.

Chestnut, a 16-time hot dog-eating champion, will go head-to-head with Kobayashi in a live Netflix special titled “Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef” on Sept. 2, as announced by the streaming giant on Wednesday.

The competition comes after Major League Eating (MLE), which oversees the Nathan’s contest, cited an exclusivity issue with Chestnut’s new brand deal. George Shea, an MLE event organizer, commented, “He made the choice,” emphasizing that it was Chestnut’s decision to step back from the competition he’s dominated since 2005.

However, Chestnut refuted this claim on the social platform X, asserting that Nathan’s and MLE had made the decision, expressing disappointment at depriving fans of the traditional holiday joy.

Mayor Eric Adams of New York City joined the conversation via X, urging Nathan’s and MLE to resolve the issue, stating, “It would be ‘impossible’ to have this year’s Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest without Joey Chestnut.”

In Netflix’s announcement, Chestnut expressed eagerness for the competition, stating, “Through all my years in competitive eating, Kobayashi stands out as my fiercest rival.”

Kobayashi, rumored to be retired, declared his intent to take down Chestnut once more, saying, “This rivalry has been brewing for a long time.”

The upcoming event marks Netflix’s latest foray into live TV and sports programming, showcasing its commitment to expanding its entertainment offerings.

Stay tuned for the live showdown between Chestnut and Kobayashi, promising to be a thrilling spectacle for fans worldwide!

Lagman: Divorce bill nai-submit na sa Senado

MAYNILA. Isinumite na sa Senado upang pagtibayin ang absolute divorce bill na inaprubahan ng Kamara sa ikatlo at huling pagbasa noong Mayo 22, ayon kay Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman nitong Miyerkules.

Sinabi ni Lagman na ang House Bill No. 9349 “was finally transmitted to the Senate as contained in a letter dated June 10, 2024, from House Secretary General Reginald S. Velasco to Senate President Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero.”

Ayon kay Lagman, ito ay alinsunod sa kanyang hiling bilang pangunahing may-akda ng divorce bill. “This means that the transmittal to the Senate will not wait for the plenary action of the House when the sessions start on July 22, 2024, as previously announced by Velasco,” giit ni Lagman.

Nauna nang inilahad ni Lagman na ipinagpaliban ng Office of the Secretary General ang transmittal ng panukala sa Senado. “The purported reason for the delay is that there is a need to report for the plenary’s action the corrected affirmative votes from 126 to 131,” wika ni Lagman sa isang liham noong Mayo 29.

“I beg to disagree. There is no need to wait. Whether the affirmative margin was 126 against 109, as initially reported by the staff of the Office of the Secretary General, or 131 to 109, as subsequently corrected on the same day, the irreversible fact is that the affirmative votes got the majority of those who voted with the presence of a quorum and without the abstentions being counted,” giit niya.

Binanggit ng mambabatas na kahit na may pagbabago sa bilang ng affirmative votes, hindi mababago ang resulta ng botohan.

Ang pagpapadala ng divorce bill sa Senado ay isang mahalagang hakbang patungo sa posibleng pagpapatibay ng batas na magbibigay-daan sa absolute divorce sa bansa.

Kuwait building fire claims 49 lives, injures dozens

MANGAF CITY, Kuwait. A devastating fire engulfed a six-storey building housing workers in Mangaf city on Wednesday, resulting in the tragic loss of 49 lives and leaving dozens injured, local authorities confirmed.

The fire, which originated in a kitchen on the ground floor, quickly spread through the building, which housed approximately 160 workers from a single company. Witnesses reported seeing desperate individuals jumping from the fifth floor in an attempt to escape the flames, many of whom did not survive the fall.

The blaze was reported to authorities at 6 a.m. local time (0300 GMT). Major General Eid Rashed Hamad disclosed that the building was densely populated with workers, complicating rescue efforts. “The building in which the fire occurred was used to house workers, and there was a large number of workers there. Dozens were rescued, but unfortunately there were many deaths as a result of inhaling smoke from the fire,” a senior police commander informed state TV.

Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Fahad Yusuf Saud Al Sabah, who visited the site, criticized real estate owners for violations and greed, attributing these factors to the tragedy. He described the incident as a “real disaster.”

According to Onmanorama, the victims included 10 Indian nationals, five of whom were from Kerala. The building, owned by the NBTC group and Malayali businessman KG Abraham, housed workers from various regions, including Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “The fire in Kuwait City is saddening. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their near and dear ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest. The Indian Embassy in Kuwait is closely monitoring the situation and working with the authorities there to assist the affected.”

India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar also commented on the tragedy: “Deeply shocked by the news of the fire incident in Kuwait city. There are reportedly over 40 deaths and over 50 have been hospitalized. Our Ambassador has gone to the camp. We are awaiting further information.”

The Indian Embassy in Kuwait has issued a helpline number and confirmed that the fire involved several Indian workers, pledging all possible assistance. The Indian Ambassador in Kuwait reported that over 30 Indian workers injured in the fire have been admitted to local hospitals.

Major General Eid Al Oweihan, Director General of Criminal Evidence, initially confirmed 35 fatalities, with six more victims succumbing to their injuries in the hospital. The interior ministry later updated the death toll to 49.

A source from the General Fire Department revealed that the victims primarily succumbed to suffocation from the smoke, which rapidly filled the building after the fire broke out on the ground floor.

Elon Musk drops lawsuit against OpenAI after email revelations

NEW YORK. Elon Musk has dropped his lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, concluding a months-long legal battle between the co-founders of the artificial intelligence startup. Musk, who co-founded OpenAI in 2015, had sued the company in February, accusing it of deviating from its original nonprofit mission by reserving advanced AI technology for private customers.

The lawsuit sought a jury trial and demanded that OpenAI, Altman, and co-founder Greg Brockman return any profits earned from the business. However, OpenAI quickly countered Musk’s claims, labeling them “incoherent” and “frivolous,” and urged the court to dismiss the case. In a blog post, OpenAI published several of Musk’s emails from the company’s early days, which appeared to show Musk acknowledging the necessity for significant funding to support its AI ambitions. This contrasted sharply with his lawsuit’s allegations that OpenAI was improperly pursuing profit.

Musk’s legal team did not provide a reason for the dismissal request in their Tuesday filing. A hearing on OpenAI’s motion to dismiss had been scheduled for Wednesday.

The decision to drop the lawsuit followed a series of critical posts by Musk on his social media platform, X, where he criticized OpenAI’s handling of user data after Apple announced a partnership to integrate ChatGPT with its digital assistant, Siri. Musk declared, “If Apple integrates OpenAI at the OS (operating system) level, then Apple devices will be banned at my companies. That is an unacceptable security violation.” Apple assured that user queries sent to ChatGPT would not be stored by OpenAI.

The Musk-OpenAI legal dispute underscored the diverging visions for the future of the AI industry. Musk accused OpenAI of racing to develop powerful “artificial general intelligence” technology to “maximize profits.” In contrast, OpenAI accused Musk of being envious of the company’s success since his departure in 2018, following an unsuccessful bid to have Tesla acquire the startup.

While OpenAI dismissed Musk’s claims as “fiction,” the company has faced its own challenges. Last year, a leadership crisis led to Altman’s temporary ouster amid board members’ concerns about AI risks. Microsoft, a major investor, intervened, and Altman was reinstated, signaling a win for those advocating the commercialization of AI technology.

More recently, several high-profile safety leaders left OpenAI, publicly criticizing the company for prioritizing product rollouts over safety. In response, OpenAI established a new committee to provide safety and security recommendations to its board.

This legal saga highlights the complex and often contentious dynamics within the rapidly evolving AI industry, as stakeholders navigate the balance between innovation, safety, and profit.

Over 1.5 million pilgrims arrive in Mecca for annual Hajj pilgrimage

MECCA, Saudi Arabia. More than 1.5 million foreign pilgrims have already arrived in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, for the annual Hajj pilgrimage, according to Saudi officials. This influx marks the return of the pilgrimage to its monumental scale.

By Tuesday, most of the pilgrims had arrived by air from around the world. The number is expected to grow as hundreds of thousands of Saudis and residents of Saudi Arabia join them for the official start of Hajj on Friday. Saudi authorities predict this year’s pilgrimage will surpass the 1.8 million participants of 2023, approaching the pre-pandemic figure of 2.4 million in 2019. The kingdom regulates pilgrim numbers through quotas, allowing one pilgrim per thousand Muslim citizens from each country.

Among the early arrivals were 4,200 Palestinians from the occupied West Bank. However, Palestinians from the Gaza Strip were unable to travel due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.

“We are praying for Palestine to be free and for Palestinians to liberate their land and live in peace,” said Ibrahim al-Hadhari, an Algerian pilgrim, as he awaited evening prayers in the Grand Mosque courtyard.

On Tuesday, the Grand Mosque was crowded with pilgrims performing Tawaf, the ritual of walking seven times around the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest site. Many were seen sweating heavily in the intense heat, with temperatures reaching 42 degrees Celsius (107 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday and 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday. Some carried umbrellas for shade.

“I was relieved when I arrived at the Al-Masjid Al-Haram and saw the Kaaba,” said Rabeia al-Raghi, a Moroccan pilgrim who traveled with her husband and daughter. “I am very happy.”

Mohammad Abdel-Baset, an Iraqi pilgrim, expressed his joy at participating in Hajj. “We congratulate the great crowd and thank God for gathering us from all regions, globally and not just from the Arab world,” he said.

At night, the marble court around the Kaaba was packed with worshippers walking shoulder to shoulder, often navigating around security barricades directing the massive flow of people.

The Tawaf ritual is performed upon arrival in Mecca and continues into the first day of Hajj. On Friday, pilgrims will journey to the Mountain of Arafat for a daylong vigil, followed by a move to Muzdalifah, where they will collect pebbles for the symbolic stoning of the devil in Mina.

Hajj, one of the world’s largest religious gatherings, is a pillar of Islam, obligatory for all Muslims who are physically and financially able to undertake it. Pilgrims view the journey as an opportunity to strengthen their faith, atone for past sins, and begin anew.

Van sumalpok sa 10-wheeler truck: 2 criminology students patay, 14 sugatan

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COTABATO CITY. Dalawang criminology student ang nasawi habang 14 pa nilang kasamahan ang malubhang nasugatan nang bumangga ang kanilang sinasakyang van sa isang nakaparadang 10-wheeler truck sa Malungon, Sarangani nitong Linggo.

Ayon sa mga ulat ng Malungon Municipal Police Station at ng Police Regional Office-12 nitong Lunes, pauwi na sa Kidapawan City mula sa Rover Scouting Event sa Glan, Sarangani ang mga biktima na sina Christian Mark Cordero at Allan Peniero, kasama ang 14 pang estudyante, nang sumalpok ang kanilang van sa isang nakaparadang 10-wheeler truck sa gilid ng highway sa Purok Agdao, Barangay Talus, Malungon, Sarangani.

Dinala na sa ospital ang mga sugatang kasamahan nina Cordero at Peniero, na kapwa mga criminology students sa Central Mindanao College sa Kidapawan City, Cotabato, at miyembro ng Alpha Phi Omega fraternity.

Ayon kay Brig. Gen. Percival Augustus Placer, director ng PRO-12, patuloy pang iniimbestigahan ng mga awtoridad ang sanhi ng aksidente.

US claims Hamas seeks ceasefire modifications; Hamas denies new proposals

DOHA, Qatar. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Wednesday that Hamas has suggested numerous changes to a U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal with Israel in Gaza. However, Hamas has firmly denied introducing any new ideas.

During a press conference in Doha, Blinken stated that some of the proposed changes from Hamas were deemed unworkable, although mediators remain focused on bridging the differences. “Our aim is to bring this process to a conclusion. Our view is that the time for haggling is over,” emphasized White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.

Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan, speaking to pan-Arab Al-Araby TV, refuted Blinken’s claims, maintaining that it is Israel rejecting the proposals. He accused the U.S. administration of siding with its close ally, Israel. “We have not heard any Israeli official confirm this acceptance,” Hamdan asserted.

Despite these conflicting statements, two Egyptian security sources informed Reuters that Hamas seeks written guarantees from the U.S. on the ceasefire plan. In a statement released on Wednesday, Hamas expressed its “positivity” in the negotiations, urging the U.S. to pressure Israel into agreeing to a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, full withdrawal from the enclave, reconstruction, and the release of Palestinian prisoners.

Sullivan mentioned that many of Hamas’ proposed changes were minor and expected, while others significantly diverged from the U.N. Security Council resolution passed on Monday. This resolution backed the ceasefire plan put forward by U.S. President Joe Biden on May 31.

Biden’s proposal outlines a truce and a phased release of Israeli hostages in Gaza in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel, aiming ultimately for a permanent end to the conflict.

At a joint press conference with Qatar’s Prime Minister in Doha, Blinken highlighted that some of Hamas’ counter-proposals sought to alter terms previously accepted in earlier negotiations. The ongoing discussions underscore the complexities and the urgent need for a resolution to the prolonged conflict.

This latest exchange of statements between the U.S. and Hamas underscores the challenging road ahead for achieving lasting peace in the region.

Blackpink’s Jennie stuns in runway debut at Jacquemus show in Capri

BAY OF NAples, Italy. Blackpink’s Jennie Kim made a dazzling entrance into the fashion world with her surprise runway debut at the Jacquemus show in Capri, Italy. Dressed in minimalist chic, she captivated the audience and added another accomplishment to her impressive portfolio as a singer, rapper, actor, and fashion icon.

Jennie, channeling Brigitte Bardot from Jean-Luc Godard’s 1963 film “Le Mépris” (“Contempt”), was featured in a series of vignettes posted by Jacquemus on Instagram. The scenes showcased her lying on terracotta tiles in a towel, strolling bare-shouldered along the rugged Capri coastline, and gazing out at the sea from Casa Malaparte, where the iconic movie was filmed. Just as Bardot was to Godard, Jennie was the muse for designer Simon Porte Jacquemus on the runway.

In her runway debut, the 28-year-old closed the show in a stunning backless halter dress, accessorized with a turquoise shoulder bag and zebra-print heels. This appearance bolstered her status as a global fashion icon and Chanel brand ambassador, further cementing her influence in both the music and fashion industries.

K-pop stars have increasingly become the fashion world’s favorites, with their global popularity making them highly sought-after by luxury brands. Their presence draws significant crowds and adds glamour to fashion shows worldwide.

However, fans would have found it challenging to attend this exclusive runway event. Casa Malaparte, commissioned by Italian writer Curzio Malaparte, is perched on a cliff overlooking the Gulf of Salerno and accessible only by foot or boat. The house, and Godard’s “Le Mépris,” inspired Jacquemus when he launched his label 15 years ago, making this show a “full-circle moment,” according to the brand.

Models paraded up and down the rooftop staircase of Casa Malaparte in architectural ensembles described by Jacquemus as emerging “with absolute lightness and sensuality,” featuring designs that cascade, peel back, curve low down the sides, or reveal through sheer mousseline like a layer of water.

“I decided to create my brand after watching ‘Le Mépris’ by Jean-Luc Godard, being inspired by the beauty and modernity of his vision,” Jacquemus shared on Instagram.

Jacquemus is renowned for his scenic runway shows. In June last year, he presented an eveningwear collection at Versailles, inspired by Princess Diana and Jacques Demy’s 1970 film “Peau d’Ane” (“Donkey Skin”). For his 10th-anniversary show, he ventured into the lavender fields of Provence, continuing his tradition of blending fashion with breathtaking landscapes.