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Sue Ramirez (left) as Kim and JC Santos as Bob in “Boyfriend No. 13” Just like her, I think I was put in this world to love.” Thus said Sue Ramirez about her character Kimverly Santillan in the WeTV Original romantic comedy series “Boyfriend No. 13.” “I can’t blame her because—I won’t deny it—I love the feeling of being in love, too. Ako’y marupok at mapagmahal,” she said, laughing, during the recent virtual media conference organized by the streaming app WeTV. In “Boyfriend No. 13,” Ramirez plays Kimverly (Kim, for short), a romance novelist who lives her life “according to the cards, the stars and her superstitions.” Her every move is calculated to avoid misfortune. She would read her horoscope daily, wear her lucky charms to ward off bad luck and consult her fortune teller regularly. When she meets the tall and charming doctor, Don Lee (JC De Vera), all signs indicate that he is her destiny. On the other hand, there’s the roguish and rugged officemate Bob (JC … [Read more...] about Stars of ‘Boyfriend No. 13’ check zodiac signs for matters of the heart

If you're looking for capitulation in 2022, it's in the bond market. And that tells you that investors' confidence in the global economy is very low. Inside the stock market, it's all about defense. Defensive stocks, which include big healthcare companies and dividend-paying value stocks, have been driving the gains. An index of global defensive stocks put together by Goldman Sachs, which is heavy in healthcare giants, has climbed to more than an 18-month high relative to the MSCI AC World Index. Inside the U.S., the defensive ETF ticker DEF has been outperforming the Spider ETF SPY all last week and all year. For market watchers, this feels a whole lot like a recession trade. While investors in the capital markets are battening the hatches for a recession, money in the private markets is also drying up. The value of venture capital deals in the U.S. dropped more than 25% in the second quarter to just $1 trillion, according to Dealogic . M&A activity in the United States … [Read more...] about What the Business Cycle is Telling us About a Recession

Passengers queue inside the departures terminal of Terminal 2 at Heathrow Airport in London, Britain, June 27, 2022. - A + A LONDON (June 28): London's Heathrow Airport will have to lower landing fees over the next four years after Britain's aviation regulator responded to pressure from airlines over the cost of flying at the hub. Heathrow wanted to double the fee it charges airlines in order to provide a better service to customers while retaining the support of its owners, but the plan drew fury from the likes of British Airways and Virgin Atlantic who said the airport was already among the most expensive in the world. The dispute reflects the pressures in the aviation industry as it recovers from the pandemic, and more broadly the need to limit consumer price rises at a time of soaring inflation while still investing to modernise services. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said on Tuesday that the average maximum price per passenger would fall to £26.31 … [Read more...] about UK to cut Heathrow charges after airline protests

A Sri Lanka Air Force member checks the tokens of people queueing for fuel due to fuel shortage, amid the country's economic crisis, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, June 27, 2022. - A + A COLOMBO (June 28): Sri Lanka will allow companies from oil-producing countries to import and sell fuel, the power and energy minister said on Tuesday, ending a duopoly as it tries to overcome a shortage of petrol and diesel that is exacerbating an economic crisis. The Cabinet decision came as the minister, Kanchana Wijesekera, headed to Qatar and a ministerial colleague was due to arrive in Russia on Sunday for talks on energy deals. Sri Lanka is suffering its worst economic crisis since its independence, with foreign exchange reserves at a record low of US$1.92 billion, according to the Central Bank, though analysts estimate a lower level of useable funds. The island of 22 million people is struggling to pay for essential imports of food, medicine and, most critically, fuel. Sri … [Read more...] about Cash-starved Sri Lanka to end fuel duopoly to ease shortages

- A + A BERLIN/BRUSSELS (June 28): Leaders of the world's most advanced economies have agreed to start a Climate Club in which members agree on joint rules and standards in the fight against global warming with the hope that it will avoid spats over green tariffs. The Group of Seven (G7) nations reached a deal on the issue at a three-day summit in Bavaria, Germany that ended on Tuesday. It is a significant achievement for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who has made better coordination on climate protection measures a key theme of his G7 presidency. "We note with concern that currently neither global climate ambition nor implementation is sufficient to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement," the final G7 leaders said in a statement. The Climate Club will address that by "accelerating climate action and increasing ambition, with a particular focus on the industry sector". Scholz has argued that the Climate Club would help eliminate a chaotic patchwork of national … [Read more...] about G7 launches Climate Club in attempt to avoid green trade wars

- A + A NEW YORK (June 28): The lukewarm reception for Polestar Automotive Holding, the latest electric-vehicle (EV) company to go public in the US, is sending an ominous message to other start-ups: The purge is not over. Yes, the auto industry is due for a transformation as oil prices soar and the need for cleaner transportation becomes increasingly apparent. But, runaway inflation and a looming economic downturn are making investors leery of speculative investments, which include EV makers despite the allure of the coming revolution. Polestar's tepid welcome — the stock jumped 16% on its first day of trading on Friday and then dropped 15% on Monday — is the latest evidence of that scepticism. The Swedish electric-car maker went public after merging with blank-cheque company Gores Guggenheim Inc. The company's market valuation stood at about US$24 billion as of Monday's close. "EV stocks benefitted greatly from the abundance of liquidity that had been sloshing … [Read more...] about Polestar IPO’s meh greeting a troubling signal for EV makers

FILE PHOTO: A medical worker takes care of a patient suffering from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), inside the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) ward at the Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) hospital, in Greater Noida on the outskirts of New Delhi, India, May 21, 2021. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi/File Photo NEW DELHI — India’s information technology (IT) ministry has written to all social media companies asking them to take down any content that refers to an “Indian variant” of the coronavirus, according to a letter issued on Friday which was seen by Reuters. The World Health Organization said on May 11 that the coronavirus variant B.1.617, first identified in India last year, was being classified as a variant of global concern. The Indian government a day later issued a statement saying media reports using the term “Indian Variant” were without any basis, saying the WHO had classified the variant as just B.1.617. In a letter to social media companies on Friday, the IT … [Read more...] about India asks social media firms to remove reference to ‘Indian variant’ of coronavirus

Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts after losing a point against Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina. AP SHANGHAI — Top-ranked Rafael Nadal was eliminated in the semifinals of the Shanghai Masters on Saturday, losing 6-2, 6-4 to Juan Martin del Potro. The fifth-ranked Del Potro overpowered Nadal with his deep, punishing groundstrokes, breaking the Spaniard twice at the start of the match to race out to a 4-0 lead. The Argentine broke Nadal again to start the second set, and saved all six break points he faced to get his first victory over the Spaniard in four years. Del Potro will try to win his first Masters title on Sunday against top-seeded Novak Djokovic, who defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the other semifinal, 6-2, 7-5. Nadal was playing his first tournament since regaining the No. 1 ranking from Djokovic on Monday. Get the hottest sports news straight into your inbox … [Read more...] about Nadal ousted by del Potro in Shanghai Masters

Naga City, Camarines Sur map LEGAZPI CITY — Anti-narcotics operatives arrested a big-time drug suspect and seized P3.4 million worth of “shabu” (crystal meth) in a buy-bust operation in Naga City in Camarines Sur province on Tuesday afternoon. Police Master Sergeant Tobias Bongon, Naga City police spokesperson, said in a report that Eymard Rey Batan, 43, was arrested in Barangay (village) Peñafrancia at around 2:05 p.m. Authorities recovered two knot-tied plastic bags containing 500 grams of shabu, a rolled aluminum foil with traces of shabu and a lighter. Mark Anthony Viray, provincial officer of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Camarines Sur, said Batan, who got his drug supply from Muntinlupa, was operating in the city and the nearby towns of Camaligan and Calabanga. Viray said the suspect previously surrendered to the police during the “Oplan Tokhang” or anti-illegal drugs campaign of the government. Now arrested, Batan will face a charge of violating the … [Read more...] about P3.4 million ‘shabu’ seized in Naga City

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