TOKYO - A Japanese minister Sunday defended a surprise visit to North Korea by one of the prime minister's aides which Washington and Seoul said could not help efforts to forge a united front against Pyongyang.   Akira Amari, state minister of economic revitalization, said the four-day trip by Isao Iijima reflected Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's resolve to have North Korea come clean on its kidnapping of Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s.   "Japan has an extremely important case, the abduction issue, which is separate from interests of other countries," Akira Amari, the state minister of economic revitalization, said in a talk show on public broadcaster NHK...

Keep on reading: Japan defends PM aide’s surprise North Korea trip

KATHMANDU - Saudi woman Raha Moharrak reached the summit of Nepal's Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, in a first for the conservative Muslim kingdom where women's sports are severely restricted, tourism officials said Sunday. The 25-year-old reached the 8,848-metre (29,029-foot) summit early Saturday morning with a party of foreign mountaineers and Nepalese guides. "She reached the peak with 12 other members of the expedition," Gyanendra Shrestha, an official with Nepal's tourism ministry, told AFP from Everest Base Camp. "We have been able to contact her and she is very exhausted and now resting," Hassan Moharrak, the climber's father, told AFP, adding that the famil...

Keep on reading: Saudi woman tops Everest as country warms to women in sports

WASHINGTON - Americans by the droves plunked down their cash Saturday for a chance at fulfilling a feverish dream: winning an estimated $600 million Powerball lottery jackpot. The winning numbers -- 10, 13, 14, 22, 52 and a Powerball of 11 - were drawn just before 11:00 pm eastern time (0300 GMT Sunday) but contest organizers did not immediately declare if there had been a winner. If there is no winner, the jackpot could rise to close to $1 billion by the next scheduled draw on Wednesday. The $2 tickets are sold at supermarkets, corner stores and gas stations. The jackpot is "the largest in the 21-year history of the game," the Iowa state lottery agency said in a statement. ...

Keep on reading: Lotto fever strikes US as jackpot swells

INDIANAPOLIS  - Lance Stephenson scored a career playoff-high 25 points on Saturday to lead the Indianapolis Pacers to a 106-99 victory over the New York Knicks and into the NBA Eastern Conference finals. The Pacers withstood 39 points by Knicks star Carmelo Anthony to win the best-of-seven Eastern Conference second-round series four games to two and will now battle reigning NBA champions Miami for a place in the NBA finals. The Pacers reached the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since falling in 2004 to Detroit. Last year they fell to the Heat in a bitterly fought six-game second round series. The Heat, led by NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James, finished off...

Keep on reading: Pacers hold off Knicks to reach Eastern finals

BAGUIO CITY—The ballots have been counted in many provinces, giving fresh mandate to new leaders by July.   But malfunctioning precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines and defective compact flash (CF) cards in some provinces, like Pampanga and Nueva Ecija, had delayed the canvass, with winning candidates proclaimed only on Wednesday and Thursday.   Pampanga   In Pampanga, reelectionist Gov. Lilia Pineda, despite leading by wide margin over former priest and Gov. Eddie Panlilio late Monday night, was proclaimed winner only on Thursday afternoon.   Pineda’s proclamation came after the provincial board of canvassers (PBOC) approved the ...

Keep on reading: Proclamations put period to Luzon election contests

BOAC, CATANDUANES – Mother and daughter Carmencita and Regina Reyes were proclaimed anew as winners in the gubernatorial and congressional races in Marinduque on Friday, this time by a reconstituted provincial board of canvassers (PBOC) headed by the regional election supervisor of Mimaropa. The proclamation of the Reyeses as winners came after the provincial board of canvassers, headed by Commission on Elections regional director Emmanuel E. Ignacio, completed the canvass of election returns (ER) from all the six towns of Marinduque. The proclamation Wednesday of Carmencita as the reelected governor, Regina as first district congressional race winner and Romulo A. Bacorro as vic...

Keep on reading: Reyeses proclaimed anew in Marinduque

MANILA--When Fil-Ams come back to the Philippines, it’s usual for us to stay with relatives, visit tourist sites (Baguio City or the beaches) and indulge in the delicious cuisine. But seldom do we engage in the political process. A college student in the Seattle, Washington area, I came this year as an International observer for the 2013 mid-term elections, via Compact-IOM. I found myself witness to a lively aspect of Filipino culture that is a space for both struggle and celebration.   As one of 30 international observers, four of us from the U.S., I was asked to document any instances of political violence and intimidation, vote buying and various illegal practices as ...

Keep on reading: Notes of a Fil-Am election observer

PARIS— David Beckham has been named Paris Saint-Germain's captain for Saturday's game against Brest in the French League, his final home match before retiring at the end of the season.   PSG clinched the league title last weekend, making Beckham the first English player to win the championship in four different countries after title success with Manchester United, Real Madrid and the Los Angeles Galaxy.   Beckham was given a rousing reception at Parc des Princes, with fans breaking out into chants of "Merci, David" (Thank You, David) when his name was read out over the stadium speaker.   The 38-year-old former England captain announced on Thursday t...

Keep on reading: Beckham captains PSG in last home game

PARIS— David Beckham hugged his teammates with tears in his eyes, then walked off the pitch to a standing ovation — for the last time in front of a home crowd at a football game.   A clearly emotional Beckham was mobbed by his teammates on the field when coach Carlo Ancelotti decided to substitute him in the 81st minute of a 3-1 win over Brest on Saturday, giving him a customary sendoff in his last ever home game before retiring. Even goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu ran out to congratulate the former England captain on his career, while Brazil winger Lucas bowed in reverence.   As the crowd rose to its feet — including former President Nicolas Sarkozy — Beck...

Keep on reading: Beckham walks off in tears after last home game

BACOLOD CITY—The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) has filed charges against Pulupandan Mayor Magdaleno Peña and four others for illegal possession of firearms, ammunition and explosives, and for harboring a criminal.   The charges were filed at the Department of Justice in Manila on May 15, according to Senior Supt. Jose Mario Espino, head of the Philippine National Police-CIDG Anti-Organized Crime Division.   Named respondents along with Peña were Florante Divinagracia Pondales, Joey Yungue, Rolly Escaran and Diego Anciano.   The charges stemmed from the alleged recovery of 90 high-powered firearms, thousands of rounds of ammunition ...

Keep on reading: Negros town mayor faces illegal gun charges

Economic losses from disasters worldwide have gotten “out of control,” totalling $2.5 trillion in the past decade, which is more than 50 percent over previous United Nations (UN) estimates, according to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s special representative for disaster risk reduction. In a statement, a copy of which was furnished the Inquirer, Margareta Wahlstrom reported that “a review of new data by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction indicates that direct economic losses from disasters so far this century are 50 percent higher than previous estimates.” “They are in the range of $2.5 trillion,” said the Geneva-based UN official, citing the UN’s Third...

Keep on reading: Global disasters cost P2.5T in last decade, topping UN estimates

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—The Liberal Party’s quest to become the ruling party for the 2016 presidential election is going to be a much longer and harder journey, as far as central and northern Luzon are concerned.   The party could not muster support from provinces where they invested resources on congressional and gubernatorial candidates, based on the outcome of the May 13 midterm elections in the northern regions.   Of 22 northern and central Luzon gubernatorial posts, LP only won five—three of these in the remote upland provinces of Kalinga, Abra and Apayao in the Cordillera.   Of 46 north and central Luzon representatives elected to Congress, 1...

Keep on reading: LP can’t gain Luzon foothold

MANILA, Philippines—Members of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) whose premium payments are not up to date would no longer have their access to benefits and privileges suspended, especially since the fault was not theirs but the agencies they work for.   Robert G. Vergara, GSIS president and general manager, said in a statement the new policy will take effect beginning July.   “It’s wrong that these employees lose their access to GSIS loan windows and dividends when their social insurance contributions are mandatorily deducted from their salaries,” Vergara said.   The GSIS considers as delinquent those government agencies that fail to...

Keep on reading: GSIS members to have benefits, perks restored

CANNES—If Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” had Kim Novak, Lino Brocka’s “Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag” had Hilda Koronel.   Both vintage films are featured in the world’s biggest festival, specifically in the Cannes Classics section, currently going on in this coastal city in the south of France.   The fest website reported that Novak would be the guest of honor in the premiere of “Vertigo” on May 25.   Not to be outdone, the Philippine contingent made sure that it also had a classic beauty at its own red-carpet event—the grand debut of the digitally restored version of Brocka’s 1975 film held last Friday night at the Salle Buñu...

Keep on reading: Hilda Koronel, Lino Brocka take Cannes by storm once again

MANILA, Philippines—The New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) has lauded the Philippine government for the conviction of the hired killer of environmentalist Gerry Ortega—the first conviction of an extrajudicial killing since President Benigno Aquino III came to office in 2010.   But it also urged the government to prosecute the mastermind and other accomplices in the killing of Ortega in Palawan in 2011.   HRW, an international nongovernmental organization, said it was nevertheless pleased with the first conviction for an extrajudicial killing.   On May 7, 2013, a court convicted Marlon Recamata for the Jan. 24, 2011, murder of Ortega and meted...

Keep on reading: Conviction of Ortega gunman draws int’l watchdog’s praise

MANILA, Philippines—The 15-member Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) board led by chair Jose Pardo and president Hans Sicat has obtained a fresh mandate from stockholders for another one-year term as guardians of the bullish local stock market.   This is the third term for the Pardo-Sicat tandem whose board has been elected every year. All 15 board members ran unopposed for a second straight year.   “We had a pretty straightforward annual stockholders meeting. All of the current directors were reelected to another term,” said Sicat in a press briefing after the PSE’s annual stockholders meeting on Saturday.   “We’re quite happy with the results o...

Keep on reading: Elated stakeholders reelect stock exchange board

KIDAPAWAN CITY—Former North Cotabato Gov. Emmanuel Piñol, who had earlier announced that he was conceding to reelectionist Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza, has reversed himself, saying that massive fraud has forced him to protest the results of the balloting.   Piñol conceded the contest after the provincial canvass showed on Tuesday that he was trailing by at least 40,000 votes behind Mendoza, who garnered 176,795 votes.   At the time, he said he suspected that fraud had played a major role in his defeat but he knew when to accept his fate.   “I have to be man enough to accept defeat, never mind if it was dealt in a manner which did not follow the rul...

Keep on reading: Candidate concedes, then changes mind

NAGA CITY—Agitated by the long wait for the results of the elections in the fourth congressional district of Camarines Sur, supporters of Aga Muhlach attacked the municipal hall of Tigaon just hours before the actor’s opponent, Felix William “Wimpy” Fuentebella, was proclaimed winner.   The riot started at 7:30 p.m. when Muhlach’s supporters accused the military of breaching an agreement between their leaders and Aga’s elder brother, Albert, and Lt. Col. Lenart Lelina, head of the 42nd Infantry Battalion.   At least 2,000 supporters of Muhlach kept vigil at the town hall to show their indignation at the slow canvassing of the votes which they alleged wer...

Keep on reading: Aga Muhlach backers riot in CamSur

MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang has formed a team from the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (Meco) in Taipei to ensure protection for Filipino workers in Taiwan after reports of harassment and attacks by Taiwanese angry over the fatal shooting of one of their fishermen by Philippine coast guards last week.   Vice President Jejomar Binay, President Aquino’s adviser on migrant workers’ affairs, on Saturday urged the government of Taiwan to protect Filipino workers on the island.   “We heard and we read in the papers that they have been hit with bats and four have been hospitalized,” Binay said.   “We are appealing to the Taiwanese people ...

Keep on reading: PH urges Taiwan to protect Filipino workers

The National Youth Commission (NYC) on Friday launched a nationwide profiling system for out-of-school youth in a bid to bring them back to school—either the formal or alternative kind.   The government, through the barangays, will be making a list of 16 to 30-year-olds who never graduated from elementary and high school.   It is estimated that there are around four million out of school youth throughout the country, said Leon Flores III, NYC chair.   The enlisting program, entitled “Abot-Alam” is the first step in the effort to reintegrate them into the education system, the NYC said.   The database will be a tool to identify who they ar...

Keep on reading: 4M youth to get second chance at education