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☆ Philippine dam: A 300-year-old settlement resurfaces as severe drought dries up a reservoir
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Emily Blumenthal | Monica Garrett | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A nearly 300-year-old settlement once submerged beneath a major dam in the Philippines has reemerged as sweltering heat and drought dry up the reservoir. Ezra Acayan/Getty ImagesSome visitors brave the extreme heat to see the dam, where parts of damaged structures still stand. But a drought currently affecting about half of the country’s provinces has pushed the dam’s water levels down, according to AFP. The town of Muñoz near the dam has seen heat index over 41 degrees (106 degrees Fahrenheit) the last five days. On Sunday the temperature felt like 47 degrees (117 degrees Fahrenheit) because of other contributing factors.

Persons: Marlon Paladin, Ezra Acayan, Paladin, climatologist Maximiliano Herrera, ” Organizations: CNN, National Irrigation Administration, PAGASA, AFP, Prediction Locations: Philippines, Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija, Philippine, Southeast Asia, Muñoz, Luzon, El

☆ Supply chains, trade top agenda for Yellen Mexico trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen hosts Leaders from Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity (APEP) countries at the Treasury Department in Washington, DC, on November 3, 2023. WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will travel to Mexico City this week to strengthen economic ties with America's top trading partner, the Treasury Department said Monday. Yellen will meet with Mexican counterparts, including President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, from Dec. 5-7 on creating supply chains spanning the bordering nations to spur job growth and bolster economic security, according to a release. Imports and exports between the U.S. and Mexico reached nearly $600 billion so far in 2023, per the International Trade Administration, and exceeded $850 billion in 2022, according to Treasury. Direct investments between the nations include manufacturing, wholesale trade, real estate and finance and insurance, according to the U.S. Trade Representative.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Yellen, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping Organizations: Americas Partnership, Economic Prosperity, Treasury Department, WASHINGTON —, Mexican, U.S, International Trade Administration, Treasury, U.S . Trade, Jalisco Nueva Generacion, U.S . Locations: Washington ,, Mexico City, Mexico, United States, Jalisco, U.S

☆ In a world of infinite AI, the new luxury item will be humans
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Alistair Barr | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

The same inevitable supply-and-demand dynamic is about to wash over us again with large language models and generative AI. AI models are trained on masses of data from the past. Humans are good at learning quickly from a small amount of data, while AI models need mountains of information to train on. Soon, human content creators will be vying for attention with content generated by AI models. 'Utility, value and signaling'Hartz, a venture capitalist who now chairs Eventbrite's board, says successful technologists will continue to spend heavily on human experiences.

Persons: —, Kevin Hartz, Eventbrite, Taylor Swift, Marc Andreessen, Hartz, John Barone, you'll, Sal Khan, That's, Gates, Michael Larson, Elon Musk's, Morgan Stanley, Jared Birchall, Noam Brown, He's, Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg Organizations: Service, Khan Academy, Menlo School, Sigma, Bloomberg, Meta, OpenAI, Google, Amazon Locations: GPT, Fiji, Palo Alto, Silicon, Menlo

☆ La evolución de Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Lulu Garcia-Navarro | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Algo en lo que me he centrado mucho más es en crear audiencias en lugares alternativos. Pero, incluso ahora, cuando se producen acontecimientos extraordinarios, como las catástrofes naturales en el estado de Nueva York, creo que es importante poder acceder a una plataforma de mensajería en la que la gente pueda confiar. Y habló de lo importante que es tener en el Congreso un número creciente de latinos interesados en la región. Pero dijo algo que me llamó la atención, y que hizo que me preguntara sobre este momento de su carrera. ¿Mover sus ideas a escala internacional, aunque puedan entrar en conflicto con la política exterior del líder de su propio partido?

☆ ‘Sigue tu pasión’ podría ser un mal consejo
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Alina Tugend | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“La gente empieza a considerar el trabajo como simplemente un trabajo y esa es una buena señal”. Antes de la década de 1970, la pasión no era una prioridad para quienes buscaban trabajo, aseveró Cech, autora de The Trouble With Passion: How Searching for Fulfillment at Work Fosters Inequality. Lo importante era tener un sueldo decente, horarios y seguridad laboral y, si había satisfacción, llegaba más tarde, a medida que adquirías más destreza en el trabajo. Eso empezó a cambiar en la década de 1970, con la creciente inestabilidad laboral de los profesionales y un énfasis cultural cada vez mayor en la autoexpresión y la autosatisfacción, un cambio plasmado en el muy popular libro de 1970 ¿De qué color es tu paracaídas? En particular, preocuparte por si el trabajo te va a satisfacer aplica sobre todo al privilegiado mundo de los oficinistas.

☆ Peru's health minister steps down as dengue death toll jumps
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Sebastian Castaneda/File PhotoLIMA, June 15 (Reuters) - Peru's embattled health minister announced her resignation late on Thursday during a speech in Congress, in the midst of a dengue outbreak already responsible for record-breaking deaths and infections. Lawmakers had summoned Health Minister Rosa Gutierrez to face a motion to remove her from her post before she said she would resign. President Dina Boluarte accepted the resignation and vowed to "redouble" efforts to improve public health in a post on Twitter. Over the past week, deaths are up 24%, as cases jumped by more than 12%. Last week, Boluarte declared a two-month state of emergency in most regions of the country, while most of the fatalities so far have occurred in northern Peru.

Persons: Sebastian Castaneda, LIMA, Lawmakers, Rosa Gutierrez, Dina Boluarte, Boluarte, Marco Aquino, Valentine Hilaire, Lincoln Organizations: Nueva, REUTERS, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Nueva Esperanza, Lima , Peru, El Nino, Peru

☆ Mexican prosecutors say 45 bags of human remains may belong to missing group
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY, June 2 (Reuters) - Human remains discovered in 45 bags in western Mexico appear to resemble the features of several missing call center employees, state prosecutors said in a statement late on Thursday. The Jalisco Prosecutor's Office said the remains found in the municipality of Zapopan were still subject to forensic tests to formally identify the bodies. Authorities made the discovery in a ravine on the outskirts of Jalisco's capital city, Guadalajara, earlier this week as part of a search for seven call center workers in their 20s and 30s who had disappeared. Authorities have been working to determine how many individuals the remains in the bags relate to, their identities, and how they died. The state prosecutor's office said in a statement that the discovery came following a tip-off.

Persons: Rosa Icela Rodriguez, Isabel Woodford, Sharon Singleton, Chizu Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Jalisco Prosecutor's, Authorities, Prosecutors, Jalisco New Generation, Nueva Plaza, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Mexico, Jalisco, Zapopan, Jalisco's, Guadalajara

☆ El espionaje en México cobra una nueva víctima: un aliado del presidente
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Natalie Kitroeff | Ronen Bergman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

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☆ El Salvador forces surround town in north after police killing
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The officer was killed while on patrol in Nueva Concepcion, some 42 miles (67 km) northwest of the capital on Tuesday in an attack by alleged gang members, security authorities said. El Salvador has suspended constitutional rights in a so-called state of exception that allows police to swiftly arrest and jail suspected gang members while suspending their right to a lawyer and court approval of preliminary detention. Human rights groups say some innocent people have been caught up in the policy, including at least dozens who died in custody. Bukele's government has previously launched similar surges of security forces in urban areas considered highly dangerous in an attempt to stop drug trafficking and the movement of gang members. Reporting by Nelson Renteria; Writing by Sarah Morland Editing by Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The Biden administration built a 'digital wall' by requiring asylum-seekers to use a glitchy app in the aftermath of Title 42, immigration experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Azmi Haroun | Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

That's because the Biden administration is handling almost all asylum claims through a glitchy app. Friday marked the official end of Title 42, a public health measure imposed by the Trump administration in March 2020. The catch, immigration advocates said, is that the app is borderline unusable for many migrants who have reached the border. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)Advocates working at the border told Insider that on the day Title 42 expired, the app was not working. The Biden administration did not immediately return Insider's request for comment.

☆ Spanish coal mine operator gets four-year prison sentence for environmental damage
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MADRID, May 5 (Reuters) - Spain's Supreme Court upheld a four-year prison sentence and a 24-million-euro ($26.44 million) fine handed down to a local businessman for environmental damage caused while operating an open-cast coal mine in northern Spain. The court said the mine's activity damaged more than 400 hectares of land and that Alonso made no effort to repair it. Alonso, in a previous court hearing, had said he had not been aware of the extent of the damage caused by his company. Coto Minero Cantabrico was previously known as Minero Siderurgica de Ponferrada. ($1 = 0.9076 euros)Reporting by Emma Pinedo; editing by Charlie Devereux and Susan FentonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Philippines reveals locations of 4 new strategic sites for U.S. military pact
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Karen Lema | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The locations are significant, with Isabela and Cagayan facing north towards Taiwan, while Palawan is near the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, where China has built artificial islands equipped with runways and missile systems. Defence chief Carlito Galvez called the sites "very strategic" and stressed the Philippines had a responsibility to the international community in the South China Sea. "Their locations are in areas where they are needed," said Jay Batongbacal, a South China Sea expert at the University of the Philippines. "It also provides us with coverage not only on the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) but also on the Pacific side," he added. The United States has committed more than $80 million worth of infrastructure at the five existing sites - the Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan, Basa Air Base in Pampanga, Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu and Lumbia Air Base in Mindanao.

☆ Philippines, U.S. hold live-fire exercises focused on territorial defence
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Adrian Portugal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] A High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) is fired during a live fire exercise with Philippine and U.S. troops at the three-week joint military drills "Salaknib" in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija, Philippines, March 31, 2023. REUTERS/Eloisa LopezFORT MAGSAYSAY, Philippines, March 31 (Reuters) - Philippine troops staged live-fire exercises with their U.S. counterparts in the Southeast Asian country's largest military camp as part of army-to-army drills aimed at enhancing Manila's defence capabilities against external threats. More than 3,000 Filipino and U.S. soldiers participated in the three-week long annual exercises called Salaknib, which on Friday featured anti-tank and small-arms live-fire exercises, and the firing of High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (Himars). "We are now transitioning from internal security operations to territorial defence operations," Philippine army training officer Lt. Col. Tara Cayton, said in a news conference. Fort Magsaysay will also host the biggest ever joint military drills between the Philippines and the United States next month, which highlight improved ties with the Western power under Marcos.

☆ A Spanish firm wants to kill one million octopuses a year using 'ice slurry' baths at first-ever factory farm
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A proposed commercial octopus farm is sparking outrage among experts and animal rights campaigners. The farm would slaughter roughly one million octopuses each year by submerging them in icy water. In a report released Thursday, the activist group said that Nueva Pescanova intends to slaughter around one million octopuses each year by submerging them in a freezing "ice slurry." In particular, it said, the slaughter of the octopuses "involves proper handling that avoids any pain or suffering to the animal." "To kill them with ice would be a slow death," Dr. Peter Tse, who studies octopus cognition at Dartmouth, told the BBC.

☆ Philippines, US kick off joint drills amid China concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Adrian Portugal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Lisa Marie DavidFORT MAGSAYSAY, Philippines March 13 (Reuters) - The Philippines and United States launched army-to-army exercises on Monday, with a focus on enhancing the Southeast Asian nation's ability to protect and defend its territory from external threats. "The scenarios would involve the defence of the Philippine archipelago from potential foreign aggressors," Philippines Army Chief Lieutenant General Romeo Brawner told reporters following the opening ceremony. "Since this is an army-to-army exercise, we will focus on defence operations such as air defence and also our defence from the shorelines," he added. Under the agreement, the United States can use the bases for joint training, pre-positioning of equipment and building of facilities such as runways, fuel storage and military housing, but not to maintain a permanent presence. China has slammed the expanded agreement, calling it "part of U.S. efforts to encircle and contain China through its military alliance with this country".

☆ A Senate hearing on drug trafficking shows how meaningless the world 'cartel' has become
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Steven Dudley | Insight Crime | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

During a recent Senate hearing on fentanyl trafficking, lawmakers and officials used the word "cartel" 90 times. InSight Crime analysisA Sinaloa Cartel leadership chart from November 2015 with "El Chapo" Guzmán and two of his sons, Ivan Archivaldo and Jesus Alfredo. The Sinaloa Cartel, for instance, has at least three major poles of power, each of which is controlled by different leaders. Sinaloa cartel chief Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman arrives in New York after his extradition in January 2017. Milgram, for instance, pointed to the DEA's laser focus on the Sinaloa Cartel and the CJNG as the path to success.

Elected last June, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has struggled to fulfil campaign promises to bring down inflation, which hit 8.7% in January, driven by an 11.2% jump in food prices, the biggest since 2009. Imported onions, bought mostly from India and China, require sanitary and phytosanitary permits for quarantine and biosecurity purposes. Steep price rises for eggs and sugar have also whacked up the cost of putting food on the table. Reuters Graphics Reuters Graphics'UNSOLVED' SUPPLY PROBLEMSOfficials say the high inflation was transitory and should ease once supply issues are addressed. Philippines' onion demand and supply($1 = 54.52 Philippine pesos)Additional reporting by Karen Lema and Eloisa Lopez; Editing by Simon Cameron-MooreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ A top general said the US could use balloons in the Middle East, where the US military has seen suspected Chinese spy balloons
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A top US general said the US military could use balloons for surveillance in the Middle East. His comments come after the US downed a Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina. A Thunderhead High-Altitude Balloon System, launched by US Army Pacific Soldiers takes flight during Balikatan 22 on Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija, Philippines, April 1, 2022. The general's comments come a little over a week after the US shot down a high-altitude Chinese surveillance balloon that had crossed over the continental US, fueling tensions between Washington and Beijing. The Pentagon later revealed that the Chinese balloon is part of a broader global network that Beijing operates.

☆ Ovidio Guzmán's arrest may be the start of a campaign against El Chapo's sons and the Sinaloa cartel
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Chris Dalby | Insight Crime | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Mexican authorities arrested Ovidio Guzmán, son of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzmán, earlier this month. The US has demanded action on fentanyl, and Ovidio's arrest may prompt Mexico to continue a targeted campaign. Ovidio Guzmán López is one of the four sons of Joaquín Guzmán Loera, alias "El Chapo," who is seeking to continue their father's legacy. Vehicles torched during a January 5 operation to arrest Ovidio Guzman in Culiacan on January 7. In the last couple of years alone, they have mounted targeted operations at rivals within the Sinaloa Cartel and beyond.

☆ Final farewell: From Sidney Poitier to Pope Emeritus Benedict a look back at the influential figures who died in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +55 min

Other world leaders who died in 2022 include former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who died in August. The final days of 2022 saw the loss of some exceptionally notable figures, including Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2022 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available):___JANUARY___Dan Reeves, 77. A Cuban-born artist whose radiant color palette and geometric paintings were overlooked for decades before the art world took notice. A prolific character actor best known for playing villains and tough guys in “The Manchurian Candidate,” “Ocean’s Eleven” and other films.

☆ In 'Wildcat', Amazon fauna helps heal emotional wounds of war
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Rollo Ross | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Their triumphs and travails are at the heart of "Wildcat", a documentary filmed deep in the rainforest that premieres on Amazon's Prime Video on Friday. Then they get a call from a friend that an ocelot kitten was found by loggers and little Keanu helps Turner out of his grief. The documentary came about after Zwicker shot videos documenting Khan's upbringing, hoping it would help other conservationists return cats to the wild. Directors Trevor Frost and Melissa Lesh came on board to document the lives of Turner, Zwicker and their animals after receiving Keanu. With proceeds from the reported $20 million Amazon Studios paid for the documentary, Zwicker is building up her conservation program Hoja Nueva, while Turner has set up his own charity, Emerald Arch.

☆ Philippine artist creates paintings using his own blood
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Adrian Portugal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Filipino artist Elito Circa, 52, paints with his own blood in his studio in Nueva Ecija province, Philippines November 29, 2022. REUTERS/Eloisa LopezMANILA, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Philippine artist Elito Circa has blood on his hands, literally - but only to create art with. Using blood taken from his own veins, the 52-year old produces canvas paintings that have drawn both praise and criticism because of his unusual choice of medium. Born in a low-income household with little access to school supplies and art materials, Circa explored different mediums, including plums and tomatoes, but it was when he scraped himself as a young boy that his fascination with using blood began. "Every time I got scraped, I would use my own blood since bloodstains are also hard to remove," said Circa, while dabbing a white canvass using a paint brush dipped in blood.

☆ Cuban singer-songwriter Pablo Milanés dies at 79
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

“The culture in Cuba is in mourning for the death of Pablo Milanes,” Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz tweeted Monday night. Milanés and Rodríguez in particular became close, touring the world’s stages as cultural ambassadors for the Cuban Revolution, and bonding during boozy sessions. “If Silvio Rodríguez and I got together, the rum was always there,” Milanés told El Pais in 2003. Cuba’s aging leaders “are stuck in time,” Milanés told Spanish newspaper El Mundo. “These freedoms have been seen in small doses, and we hope that with time they will grow,” Milanés told The Associated Press.

☆ The DEA says drug cartels are putting fentanyl in candy to sell to kids. Cartel operatives say it's 'actually the opposite.'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Luis Chaparro | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Two operatives in the Sinaloa Cartel told Insider they're actually trying to do the opposite. But operatives in the Sinaloa Cartel, the Mexican criminal organization behind the biggest shipments of fentanyl to the US, told Insider their intention is actually the opposite. US authorities began their campaign several months before Halloween, warning of alleged attempts by Mexican drug cartels to entice kids into drugs by selling rainbow-colored fentanyl pills and adding fentanyl to Halloween candies. "Rainbow fentanyl — fentanyl pills and powder that come in a variety of bright colors, shapes, and sizes — is a deliberate effort by drug traffickers to drive addiction amongst kids and young adults," Milgram said. The Sinaloa Cartel operative denied that his organization is targeting kids or young adults in the US as their final users.

☆ Lacklustre United States held to 0-0 draw by Saudi Arabia
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Soccer Football - International Friendly - Saudi Arabia v United States - Estadio Nueva Condomina, Murcia, Spain - September 27, 2022 Sergino Dest of the U.S. in action with Saudi Arabia's Nawaf Al Abid REUTERS/Pablo MoranoMURCIA, Spain, Sept 27 (Reuters) - The United States were held to a 0-0 draw by Saudi Arabia in Murcia, Spain on Tuesday as they again struggled to create chances in their final friendly before the World Cup. A pair of brilliant saves from Matt Turner kept out a low shot in the first minute from Sultan Al Ghannam and a 70th-minute effort by Haitham Asiri. The U.S. will play in Group B with England, Iran and Wales at the tournament which begins on Nov. 20. Saudi Arabia face Group C rivals Argentina, Mexico and Poland in Qatar. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Toby Davis and Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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