10 hour of rain

MASKED CELEBRATIONS Thousands of devotees turned up at a Mass in Tondo, Manila, during the Feast of the Sto. Niño (Child Jesus) on Jan. 17 this year, wearing masks and face shields. —MARIANNE BERMUDEZ MANILA, Philippines — Christianity was introduced to the Philippines 500 years ago, the faithful have found ways to weave the Filipino culture into their expression of faith, particularly through religious festivals or fiesta — joyous occasions that fill communities with color, hope and a sense of unity. “Although Christianity — the prayers, rituals and devotions — comes from Europe, the past 500 years have shown that the Filipino people have not only embraced Christianity; we have given it a ‘Filipino flavor,’” said former Manila Archbishop Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle. In “Fiesta: Ang Makulay na Pananampalatayang Pilipino,” a documentary film produced by Jesuit Communications to commemorate the 500 years of Christianity in the country, some Filipino festivals and traditions are … [Read more...] about Fiestas survive pandemic albeit on socially distanced, masked or virtual scale

FILE PHOTO: R. Kelly appears for a hearing at Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., June 26, 2019. E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/Pool via REUTERS NEW YORK — R. Kelly deserves no more than 10 years in prison despite his conviction for scheming over decades to recruit women and girls for sex, reflecting how history as an abused child may have led to his adult “hypersexuality,” the R&B singer’s lawyer said. Kelly’s bid for leniency was detailed in a Tuesday filing in Brooklyn federal court, one day before the 55-year-old known for the 1996 smash “I Believe I Can Fly” will be sentenced. “The lion’s share of the conduct alleged [against] the defendant is decades-old, demonstrating that defendant is not currently a risk to the public,” Kelly’s lawyer Jennifer Bonjean wrote. “As Drs. Dietz and Sorrentino confirm, defendant is neither a pedophile nor a sexual sadist.” Prosecutors have said Kelly should spend more than 25 years behind bars, reflecting … [Read more...] about R. Kelly seeks 10 years in prison, the minimum, as sentencing looms in sex case

- A + A KUALA LUMPUR (June 28): United Malacca Bhd recorded a net profit of RM18.72 million for its fourth quarter ended April 30, 2022 (4QFY22), compared with a net loss of RM11.7 million in the same period last year, thanks to higher crude palm oil (CPO) prices. Revenue grew 38.64% to RM147.45 million from RM106.36 million, backed by the group's operations in Malaysia which recorded a plantation profit of RM42.7 million, up 180% from RM15.2 million previously. The group posted earnings per share of 8.92 sen, compared with the loss per share of 5.58 sen seen last year, its bourse filing on Tuesday showed. "Higher earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) in the current quarter were mainly due to higher average CPO price of RM6,034 per tonne compared to RM3,454 per tonne in the preceding year. "[This is in addition to] palm kernel price of RM4,526 per tonne from RM2,549 per tonne in the preceding year even though fresh fruit bunch … [Read more...] about United Malacca’s 4Q profit drops 38% quarter-on-quarter to RM18.8 mil, declares 10 sen dividend

- A + A SINGAPORE (June 28): When Canadian expat Michelle went to renew the lease on her three-story house in Singapore in May, her landlord wanted to raise the rent by almost 40%. Michelle tried to negotiate but the owner wouldn’t budge on the S$10,000 (US$7,200) a month asking price. She’s moving her family into a three-bedroom apartment next month. “I took what I could get,” said Michelle, who asked not to use her full name on concern it may impact her business in the city-state. There’s “a lot of greed at the moment.” Rents are skyrocketing in Singapore, particularly in the prime accommodation favored by expatriate residents, as surging demand from locals and newer arrivals collides with pandemic-induced delays in supply. Rental prices for the private properties leased by expats are rising on average by 20% to 40%, according to 10 real estate agents interviewed by Bloomberg , though some landlords are even asking for double the previous rent. The island’s … [Read more...] about Singapore’s surging rents shock expats and encourage scammers

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Here is a hack that will make you feel more confident in your job search: the interviewer and hiring managers are more nervous than you are. It’s hard to wrap your mind around this concept, as people are indoctrinated to think that job seekers should be the ones who are nervous and anxious going into an interview. They worry about being judged. Job hunters must contend with the shame of not moving onto the next level in the interview process. Even worse, they don’t receive feedback and get ghosted. The hiring process feels—to the job seeker—like the company, human resources, management and internal talent acquisition professionals hold all of the power. What Hiring Managers Obsessively Worry About A supervisor needs to hire. They want to make sure that the applicant possesses all of the requirements listed in the job description. The interviewer also wants to feel that they can click with the candidate and forge a … [Read more...] about Surprise: The Hiring Manager Is More Anxious Than The Job Seeker

Did you find it hard to choose what to wear today? Or what to eat for breakfast? If so, you’re not alone. According to the American Psychology Association , 32% of adults are so stressed they struggle to make everyday decisions. advertisement advertisement Much has changed over the past two years. From hoarding and unprecedented DIY projects to supply chain disruptions and mass unemployment, to social unrest and the Great Resignation, the pandemic has radically altered our outlook in many ways. The issue of mental space existed well before COVID-19 hit, but the barrage of events over the last two years has made it even more challenging for people. As the APA study indicates, a large number of us simply have less headspace available than we did before the pandemic. It’s a significant shift, and one that prompts profound questions for those leading brands. Perhaps it’s time to declare a ceasefire in the decades-long battle for mindshare and find a new … [Read more...] about Forget capturing mindshare. It’s time for brands to start giving customers space

Forget about Ping-Pong tables , free meals , and weekly happy hours . Boxed , an e-commerce platform that sells bulk groceries and household products at wholesale prices, is now paying for all full-time employees' weddings. Here's the back story. Marcel Graham, a 26-year-old Boxed employee who works at one of the company's fulfillment centers in New Jersey, was racing against time. Graham's mother is gravely ill and he wanted to get married to his fiancée as soon as possible so his mother could participate in the ceremony. Graham worked seven days a week, two shifts a day, to save his money. But the math suddenly wasn't adding up--he wasn't making enough to pay for his mother's medical bills and save for the wedding. At his work station earlier this month, Graham couldn't hold it in any longer and broke down. Chieh Huang, CEO and cofounder of Boxed, which is valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars, decided to do something. "F--- it, I'm gonna do … [Read more...] about Why Boxed Decided to Pay for Employee Weddings

Between the start of this year and last Sunday, June 26, just over 2 million foreign travellers were stamped into Thailand at immigration points, mostly at 2 airports – Suvarnabhumi and Phuket. During this time the impediments to arrival in Thailand also became less restrictive. This Friday, July 1, there will be an official declaration that Thailand is now in “post pandemic” mode. The word endemic is being avoided as Thai officials believe it will be up to the World Health Organisation to make that call. Arrivals from overseas have seen some newer demographics taking up the slack since the Russian and Chinese tourists are currently in short supply. It should be noted that these numbers are TOTAL travellers arrivals, not a list of tourist numbers. • India – 220,962 There has been a renewed push for tourists out of India, a country of nearly 1.4 billion and the fastest growing middle class in the world. And only 3.5 – 5 hours flight time from Thailand airports. With the … [Read more...] about Welcome to Thailand’s Post Pandemic Day – July 1. What will change?

Analiza Perez-Amurao (The Jakarta Post) Salaya, Thailand   ● Fri, February 21, 2020 2020-02-21 16:19 858 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2065d78be 3 Opinion Hong-Kong,domestic-worker,migrant-workers,migrant-protection,economy,coronavirus,Wuhan-coronavirus Free Among those identified as "vulnerable" amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak are migrant workers, particularly low-skilled workers. Overseas workers across the region are among the many who are bearing the brunt of the impacts from the global health emergency. Hong Kong’s foreign domestic workers, for example, have a number of complaints. International Migrants Alliance chairperson Eni Lestari said that many domestic workers in the Chinese territory were not allowed to take a day off and were still tasked with going out to the market to shop for household items. This is despite the fact that the Hong Kong Labour Department has called on foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) to remain indoors on their … [Read more...] about The coronavirus outbreak and the plight of migrant workers

BCCI President Sourav Ganguly (Image: Reuters) In cricket, the importance of timing is well documented. And even if most of the current Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officials haven’t played any first-class match, they are luckily being led by Sourav Ganguly, the president, who, during his playing days, was known for his impeccable timing while batting. The timing of the BCCI email, just after the staggering windfall from the IPL e-auction got over, regarding the increase in monthly pensions of former cricketers and umpires is a classic example. However, this decision is only the first run of a ‘big welfare innings from the BCCI’. Doubtless, there is no sports federation which comes even remotely closer to the BCCI in terms of professionalism and self-sustainable and enviable economic model. Yet, there is still so much to be done by the BCCI itself. With great power and bigger money pool, perhaps, it is not inappropriate to expect a bigger responsibility … [Read more...] about After the IPL windfall at least, will BCCI give a bow to the billion cricket fans?