U.S. stocks fell broadly in midday trading Wednesday as central banks around the world cut interest rates and increased fears that global growth is being crimped by the U.S.-China trade war. Every major U.S. index fell and put stocks back on a course for losses after briefly breaking a six-day losing streak on Tuesday. The losses eased as the day progressed, though investors remained in a defensive mode and headed for relatively safe holdings. Bond prices spiked again, sending the yield on the 10-year Treasury down to 1.64% from 1.74% late Tuesday, a large move. Yields are at their lowest level in nearly three years. That benchmark yield has retreated from its recent high of 3.2...Keep on reading: Fear on Wall Street of an Economic Slowdown

MANILA, Philippines --- The investigation conducted by the Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC) on the accident that led to the death of veteran actor Eddie Garcia found that no safety officer was present when the incident happened. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, who ordered the OSHC to probe the accident, said this in a chance interview with reporters after a press forum on Wednesday. READ: Labor group hails probe of actor Eddie Garcia's death «There was lack of compliance with the requirement that in every activity there should be a safety officer,» Bello, speaking partly in Filipino, said when asked what the findings were. "They didn't have one. Otherwise, E...Keep on reading: Probe: No safety officer when Eddie Garcia had accident

MANILA, Philippines --- The House ways and means committee is expected to approve the imposition of higher taxes on alcoholic drinks early next week, Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda said. Speaking at a weekly press forum on Wednesday, Salceda cited Section 48 of the House rules which enables committees to immediately refer bills --- which have been approved in third and final reading in the previous Congress --- for plenary deliberations even after only one meeting. "A bill that has gone through third reading is considered reported out by approval of the majority of a quorum of the committee. In short, please expect that the alcohol taxes will be approved on Tuesday on the fir...Keep on reading: Liquor tax hike to get House panel nod next week – solon

MANILA, Philippines --- Sen. Manny Pacquiao on Wednesday night said he would have «no problem» with being elected as president of ruling party Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) if a leadership change should happen. «There's no problem. That's up to Koko [Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III]. For me, I will do what I can to help as a member of the party,» Pacquiao, speaking in Filipino, told reporters at a victory party organized for him by PDP-Laban to celebrate his win against American boxer Keith Thurman. Pimentel, who is the party president, said that there was no assurance yet that a leadership change would indeed happen. "We will listen to the voice of memb...Keep on reading: Pacquiao: ‘No problem’ if I become PDP-Laban president

Lana Del Rey is teasing a new song entitled «Looking For America,» which the pop artist said she penned in response to the recent spate of deadly mass shootings. «I'm still looking for my own version of America / One without the gun, where the flag can freely fly / No bombs in the sky / Only fireworks when you and I collide / It's just a dream I had in mind,» she sings as producer Jack Antonoff strums a guitar, in a clip Del Rey posted on Instagram. "Now I know I'm not a politician and I'm not trying to be so excuse me for having an opinion- but in light of all of the mass shootings and the back to back shootings in the last couple of days which really affected me on a cellular lev...Keep on reading: Lana Del Rey’s new song responds to mass shootings

MANILA, Philippines---San Miguel Beer made the most out of a gaping hole within TNT's manpower late to carve out thrilling 127-125 victory in double overtime and level the PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals at 1-1 Wednesday night at Araneta Coliseum in Cubao. Limited throughout the contest, June Mar Fajardo knocked down both his freebies to bring the Beermen up by two with 32 ticks to play. Chris Ross, then, made a crucial stop on in the next sequence for a cushion. «We had a lot of lapses, mistakes. But a win is a win,» said SMB coach Leo Austria, who drew five twin-digit scoring performances from its crew, including Terrence Romeo's finest yet in a San Miguel Beer uniform. Jayson Castr...Keep on reading: San Miguel Beer outlasts TNT in 2OT, ties PBA Finals at 1-1

  JORDAN, Guimaras, Philippines --- Bad weather forced President Rodrigo Duterte to cancel his trip on Wednesday, Aug. 7, to Guimaras to meet with families of fatalities in three boat accidents that happened on Saturday, Aug. 3, in the Iloilo Strait. «He tried to get here twice [on board a helicopter] but you can see how bad the weather is,» Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said at the Guimaras Capitol Gymnasium here in Jordan, where the caskets of nine out of 10 fatalities from this province were brought and the families were waiting for his arrival. He was supposed to meet with families of nine fatalities as well as survivors and Guimaras officials at the gym. ...Keep on reading: Duterte’s trip to Guimaras canceled due to bad weather

CITY OF CALAPAN, Oriental Mindoro, Philippines --- A woman's body was found in a river in Bulalacao town in Oriental Mindoro on Wednesday morning, police said. Cap. Freddie Seno, acting chief of the Bulalacao Municipal Police Station, said the body was found in Cavillan River in Barangay Nasucob at around 8:40 a.m. He said the woman, who has not been identified, could have drowned. The body was taken to the Bulalacao Municipal Health Office for autopsy....Keep on reading: Woman’s body found in river in Mindoro town

While he declined to go into detail about the controversy Gerald Anderson---one of his best friends---is currently embroiled in, pop-R&B singer Young JV said he wished nothing but the best for all parties involved. «I'm out when it comes to their personal lives. I just hope everything turns out OK for them, because I know it's stressful for them,» he told reporters at the recent National Sisters Day show mounted by Megasoft Hygienic Products at Starmall Alabang. «I don't want to say anything more,» added Young JV, who's set to release a new single and star in an upcoming thriller. «Malaki na sila and I respect everyone.» Gerald has been in hot water as of late, following...Keep on reading: Young JV’s advice on ‘ghosting’

MANILA, Philippines---The first two games of the PBA Commissioner's Cup finals ended in polarizing ways. TNT grabbed Game 1 fairly easily, 109-96, while San Miguel scratched and clawed its way to victory in Game 2, 127-125, after two overtimes and yet there was still a glaring similarity in those two outings with the Beermen pestering KaTropa big man Terrence Jones. Game 1 saw Jones get into a tussle with Chris Ross that got the players from both teams into a shoving match that resulted to TNT earning a team technical in the process. Game 2 provided the sequel of the Jones-Ross feud that led to an ejection of the TNT import. Jones was already called with a technical foul in the thi...Keep on reading: Ejected in Game 2, Jones shrugs off mind games by Ross

      MANILA, Philippines --- Ruling party Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) on Wednesday night hosted a victory party for Senator Manny Pacquiao over his recent win against American boxer Keith Thurman. Among those present at the party were Pacquiao, party president Aquilino «Koko» Pimentel III, and neophyte senators Francis Tolentino and Ronald «Bato» dela Rosa. https://twitter.com/NAMercadoINQ/status/1159076188192571392 The victory party was held amid reports of several party members transferring to other political parties such as the National Unity Party (NUP). As of Tuesday, a source said only 50 of the more than 80 PDP Laban...Keep on reading: Amid reports some of its members jumping ship, PDP-Laban holds victory party for Pacquiao

A homeowner's toilet exploded after lightning struck her home's septic tank during a thunderstorm in Florida, United States, last Sunday, Aug. 4. MaryLou Ward, who was relaxing with her husband and three dogs, was roused out of bed when they heard a loud noise, NBC-affiliate WFLA-TV reported on Monday, Aug. 5. Ward discovered that her toilet has exploded to pieces when she went inside the master's bathroom. «It was the loudest noise I've ever heard it just went BOOM,» Ward was quoted as saying. «We got out of bed and came over here, and the toilet was laying on the floor.» Ward sought the help of a plumbing service, A-1 Affordable Plumbing Inc., to determine the cause of the...Keep on reading: LOOK: Toilet explodes after lightning hits septic tank

  MANILA, Philippines---The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said the recent survey showing that majority of Filipinos were satisfied with the conduct of the recent May 13 elections attest to the poll body's declaration that the midterm elections were a success. In a survey released Wednesday, Pulse Asia reported that 87 percent of Filipinos nationwide were satisfied with the conduct of the automated elections, up from 83 percent satisfaction rating reported for the 2016 Presidential elections. It also found out that 84 percent of voters reported having «big trust» in the results of the elections, while 91 percent said they would like to see automated voting in future ...Keep on reading: Comelec: Public satisfaction confirms May elections’ success

MANILA, Philippines --- The Duterte Youth party-list group still tagged Ronald Cardema as its first nominee in a new certificate of nomination that it filed on Tuesday with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) although the poll body had already junked his nomination. In the certificate, Cardema was followed by his wife Ducielle Cardema tagged as «2nd nominee.» Ronald's name was just inserted above his wife's and tagged as «1st nominee.» Other nominees of the Duterte Youth party-list includes Guillermo Villarreal, Jr., Krizza Reyes, and Robert Garcia. Under the law, anyone who intends to run as a representative of a youth sector should only be between 25 to 30 years old. ...Keep on reading: Cardema still Duterte Youth’s 1st nominee despite Comelec ruling

A man from Cornwall, United Kingdom, is no longer able to fly out of his country due to his surname being deemed «too rude» to be on a passport. The 33-year-old man, Kenny Kennard, changed his surname to 'Fu-Kennard' as a joke years ago, as per the Mirror last Monday, Aug. 5. Despite successfully applying for a driver's license with his new name, his request to renew his passport has been denied. The U.K.'s Home Office claims that his surname «may cause offense.» The government office rejected his application three times this year, as per report, citing its policy on changing names. The guidelines list a series of «names that may cause outrage or offense» and that could be clas...Keep on reading: Man with ‘rude’ surname denied passport

MANILA, Philippines --- The May 2020 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections could be postponed and instead be held either January or February 2023, Senator Imee Marcos said Wednesday. During the hearing of the Senate committee on electoral reforms, Marcos said there was a consensus to defer the barangay and SK polls but they have yet to agree on the date. Marcos is the chairman of the panel. For Minority Senator Franklin Drilon, the Barangay and SK elections can be postponed to May 2021, to give the Commission on Elections (Comelec) ample time to prepare for the 2022 national and local elections. "Hindi pa nagkakasundo sa date pero mukhang lahat sang-ayon na i-postpone na 'y...Keep on reading: Marcos eyes barangay and SK polls in January or February 2023

BEVERLY HILLS, California --- The next chapter of FX's «American Crime Story» will dramatize Bill Clinton's impeachment with a focus on Monica Lewinsky, Linda Tripp, and other women central to the scandal. The miniseries will air within weeks of the 2020 presidential election. Lewinsky, who was a White House intern when she had an affair with Clinton, will be a producer on the project, FX Networks CEO John Landgraf said in announcing the project at a Television Critics Association meeting Tuesday. Clinton initially denied the affair before admitting to it in 1998. The series is scheduled to air on September 27, 2020, about five weeks before the November 3 election. Landgraf, asked w...Keep on reading: Clinton impeachment is FX’s next ‘American Crime Story’

MEXICO CITY --- Gunmen raided the federal mint's headquarters in Mexico City and looted valuable items from a vault Tuesday, authorities said. City Public Security Secretary Jess Orta Martnez told news station Telediario that three armed men disarmed security guards at the offices and «went straight to the vault, which was open.» The official said the gunmen got away with gold coins, commemorative watches, and other valuables. He didn't put a value on the loss, but local media said the stolen items were worth up to 50 million pesos ($2.5 million). Mexico's old 50-peso gold coins were first minted in 1921 to commemorate the first 100 years of independence and are now bought and sol...Keep on reading: Gunmen raid Mexican mint headquarters, loot open vault

  MANILA, Philippines --- Who is the real La Greta? Gretchen Fullido or Gretchen Ho?   Apparently, the two media personalities were taggedfor the recent Bea Alonzo-Julia Barretto spat over Gerald Anderson.   READ: Julia Barretto to Bea Alonzo: 'You have charged everybody to destroy me FOR YOU'   After Julia called out Alonzo for «charging everyone» to destroy her for the latter, Gretchen Barretto pointed out that her niece's recent Instagram post wasallegedly penned by a ghostwriter.   The actress-socialite, also known by her nickname as La Greta, also showed support for Alonzo, saying she was «Team Bea all the way.»   RE...Keep on reading: Gretchen Fullido, Gretchen Ho get humorous messages over Julia-Bea spat

HIROSHIMA ---About 50,000 people attended the peace memorial ceremony in Hiroshima on Tuesday to honor victims of the atomic bombing in 1945. As the era has shifted from Showa to Heisei to Reiwa, the number of people still alive who were harmed by the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki has dropped below 150,000 for the first time, raising the issue of how to hand down experiences and lessons learned from the attacks to the younger generations. In his Peace Declaration, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui touched on the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons passed at the United Nations in 2017, and went on to urge the government to display leadership toward "a world free from n...Keep on reading: World free of nuclear weapons urged at Hiroshima ceremony

As Kris Aquino proudly shared son Bimby's excellent grades, she revealed that he will spend his high school years studying abroad. Aquino posted her youngest child's Grade 6 performance on Instagram on Tuesday, Aug. 6, with none of the subjects he took going below 90. «[Sixth] grade has to be capped off with me sharing how super proud I am,» she wrote. «Inalagaan po n'ya ko, marami kaming pinagdaanan, pero na-maintain ang grades (He took care of me, we have been through a lot, but he maintained his grades).» https://www.instagram.com/p/B0zzhgsFMkb/ She then shared that she and Bimby, 12, discussed that he will be homeschooled until 8th grade, after which he can study abroad "to ful...Keep on reading: Kris Aquino says Bimby to study abroad for high school

MANILA, Philippines --- A lawmaker from the National Unity Party (NUP) denied on Wednesday that the group is grooming a national candidate for future polls with presidential son and Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno in the party.   NUP Vice Chairman for Internal Affairs and Antipolo 1st District Rep. Roberto Puno answered in the negative when asked this question in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel.   Despite the denial, Puno, who is also House Deputy Speaker, however praised the younger Duterte whom he predicted will become a «great congressman» after going through the «school of hard knocks,» citing Duterte's three-year job in a g...Keep on reading: With Paolo and Isko in party, NUP not grooming a bet for national polls

The massacre that killed 22 people at a Walmart in El Paso struck a city that has long been the cradle of Mexican American culture and immigration and suffered through bloody episodes of racial violence in the past. The white gunman apparently wrote an anti-Hispanic rant before opening fire with an AK-47-style rifle on Walmart shoppers -- many of them Latino -- rattling a city that has helped shape Mexican American life across the U.S. for generations. Many Mexican Americans in Los Angeles, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, and beyond can trace their families' roots to El Paso, sometimes called the «Ellis Island» of the border. The city served as a port of entry where immigrants from the ...Keep on reading: El Paso, with deep Mexican American past, rallies amid pain

MELBOURNE, Australia --- Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons has explained a social media post that seemed to imply he'd been racially profiled by security staff at a Melbourne casino by saying he and his friends felt «singled out.» Simmons posted a video on Instagram in which he asked why he and two black friends were asked for identification but another person in their group who is white was not. He deleted the post Tuesday morning, when it started making news and after the casino issued a statement saying its security staff routinely did ID checks on anyone who appears younger than 25. The 23-year-old Simmons, who recently became the highest-paid Australian athlete when he ...Keep on reading: Ben Simmons says he was ‘singled out’ trying to enter casino

TOKYO - Asian shares were mostly lower Wednesday as markets calmed after China's decision to stabilize its currency.   Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 dipped 0.8% to 20,421.93. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 0.3% to 6,497.60 in morning trading. South Korea' Kospi slipped 0.2% to 1,913.43.   Hong Kong's Hang Seng dipped 0.8% to 25,758.83, while the Shanghai Composite was little changed, inching down less than 0.1% to 2,776.91.   Wall Street regained its footing a day after its biggest decline in a year, which had been set off by news that China allowed its currency to depreciate against the dollar to its lowest level in 11 years.   The S&...Keep on reading: Asian shares mostly lower after China stabilizes currency

MANILA, Philippines - Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte on Wednesday said he is willing to join other political parties following his adoption by the National Unity Party (NUP), one of the biggest parties in the House of Representatives. READ:Paolo Duterte now a member of National Unity Party   In a statement, the presidential son said that his main task as House deputy speaker for political affairs is to «unify all members of Congress towards a common goal» to improve the lives of the Filipino people.«   »To all other political groups out there, I am still up for adoption! If being adopted by most, if not all, political parties is to be of service to th...Keep on reading: Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte willing to join other political parties

MANILA, Philippines - President Rodrigo Duterte has declared the fourth week of November every year as National Science and Technology Week.   Duterte signed Proclamation No. 780 on August 2, amending Proclamation No. 169 issued in 1993, which declared the third week of July every year as National Science and Technology Week.   The President said he moved the date «to ensure the maximum participation of school, students, stakeholders and the public during the week-long celebration, considering the change in the academic calendar of most universities, schools and educational institutions.»   He said the celebration "provides an opportunity to give national...Keep on reading: Duterte moves Science & Technology Week to last week of November

MANILA, Philippines - Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Wednesday said invoking religion and the name of Jesus in the discussions on the proposed reimposition of the death penalty must be stopped.     «Please avoid invoking Jesus in the Death Penalty bill,» Sotto said.   «The Bible is a good source of insights. Buttrying tochange the story of Redemption is not fairish,» he added.   Sotto issued the appealafter Senate debates on the bill got off the wraps on Tuesday.   Senator Manny Pacquiao opened the deliberations on the floor when he delivered a privilege speech, urging the Committee on Justice to prioritize the hearings on th...Keep on reading: Sotto: Stop invoking Jesus in death penalty bill debates

  MANILA, Philippines --- Contrary to the arguments of the religious sector and other critics, Senator Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday said divorce will actually uphold the dignity of the family as an institution and marriage.   Interviewed on ABS-CBN News Channel, Hontiveros said she believes that instead of veering away from talks on divorce, Filipinos will recognize that divorce is actually a way to show that marriages should be a «setting where love, commitment, taking care of each other, and the mutual growth of both spouses happens.»   "Kapag naging toxic and irreparably broken 'yung relationship, kapag immersed sa toxic environment hindi lang 'yung mag-a...Keep on reading: Hontiveros: Divorce to uphold the dignity of family, marriage

MANILA, Philippines---A significant majority of Filipinos were satisfied with the conduct of the May 2019 elections and would want to see automated voting in future elections, a Pulse Asia survey showed Wednesday. Among the respondents, 91 percent said they would like to see automated voting continued in future elections with only 7 percent of answering «no» to the use of automated voting in the future. Meanwhile, 94 percent of respondents said they found the May elections orderly, 4 percent found it disorderly and 3 percent can answer on the orderliness of the polls. The May 13, 2019 polls have been marred with technical glitches involving the malfunctions of VCMsand SD cards. ...Keep on reading: Pulse: 9 out of 10 Filipinos want automated voting in future elections

The evil that's gripping the country, the deadly mix of guns and white supremacy, American Filipinos have seen it before. It's definitely in our history. Just remember the name Fermin Tobera. In the 1930s, when Filipinos were brought to America as 100 percent legal, colonized U.S. nationals primarily to work the fields in California, they routinely mixed with white women in dance halls to the chagrin of white males. Among nativist whites, it was known as the «Filipino problem.» It spawned a virulent ethnic white purity movement that targeted Filipino men, who were seen as the precursors to the villains we know as «Mexican rapists,» «MS-13 gang members,» or «invaders.» On ...Keep on reading: Filipinos have seen when guns and white supremacy mixed

On August 2, 2019, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced its plan to terminate the program or the FWVP. This program was conceived almost 3 years ago during the Obama Administration and is set to terminate in 2021. Will the announcement last week pre-terminate the program? What will happen to the families of Filipino veterans who have pending or approved FWVP?   Understanding the FWVP   Upon hearing the news of the USCIS plan to terminate the FWVP, several veterans' advocates in our community were alarmed by its adverse impact on our elderly Filipino veterans and their families. Indeed, this FWVP was conceived by former President Obama as part ...Keep on reading: Trump ending WWII Filvets parole–what it means to veterans’ families

  DALY CITY, California -- This town has been known as a safe harbor for those fleeing calamity, be it the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco or the Marcos dictatorship in the Philippines, among geo-political temblors.   Now more than ever -- with avowed white supremacists targeting people of color at mass shootings -- the town leadership wants to dispel any doubt that the city remains open to all, especially people seeking safety from adversity.   When the City Council meets on August 12, the biggest item on the agenda is a resolution declaring Daly City as a «Welcoming City» to residents, workers and visitors.   The proposed resolution comes a...Keep on reading: Daly City to officially welcome all immigrants after ‘isolated incident’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNWSyZP-qbk   https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1151052/walangpasok-class-suspensions-for-wednesday-august-7...Keep on reading: Pagasa: Hanna slightly intensifies as it moves northwest

MANILA, Philippines --- Several local government units have suspended classes for Wednesday, August 7, due to bad weather whipped up by Severe Tropical Storm Hanna. MIMAROPA Occidental Mindoro San Jose, all levels; public and private Magsaysay, all levels; public and private Sablayan, all levels; public and private Romblon Romblon (municipality), all levels; public and private San Agustin, all levels; public and private https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1151047/pagasa-hanna-slightly-intensifies-as-it-moves-northwest...Keep on reading: #WalangPasok: Class suspensions for Wednesday, August 7