General

Bangkok: Filipino FIDE Master Christian Gian Karlo Arca settled for a draw with Indian Grandmaster Surya Shekhar Ganguly in Round 8 of the 22nd Bangkok Chess Club Open at the Royal Orchid Sheraton Riverside Hotel in Thailand last Sunday. Arca, playing the white pieces, split the point with Ganguly after 43 moves of the Catalan Opening, gaining 6.0 points and securing his third and final International Master (IM) norm. According to Philippines News Agency, Arca is tied for sixth place with eight others, including his final round opponent, British GM Nigel Short, a former World Championship challenger. The 16-year-old from

Manila: The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology-Western Visayas (BJMP-6) has reiterated its strict policies against illegal drugs and contrabands after a sachet of shabu was intercepted from a female visitor at Victorias City Jail in Negros Occidental on Sunday. ‘We will continue to strengthen our measures and policies in detecting and confiscating illegal contrabands in order to prevent its entry inside our jails,’ BJMP-6 Regional Director Chief Supt. Simeon Dolojo Sr. said in a statement on Monday. According to Philippines News Agency, the BJMP-6 reported that a female visitor attempted to smuggle a heat-sealed plastic sachet of shabu inside

Manila: Malaca±ang on Monday welcomed the appearance of the West Philippine Sea (WPS) label on Google Maps, saying the recognition affirms the country’s sovereign rights and brings pride to the Filipino people. In a Palace press briefing, Press Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the move by the global mapping platform is a cause for celebration, especially amid continued disputes over the country’s maritime claims. According to Philippines News Agency, the Philippines, under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., continues to take a firm stance on upholding its sovereignty in the WPS, repeatedly calling for respect of

Manila: A multimedia exhibit highlighting Baguio’s resilience during World War II and its liberation from Japanese forces is set to inspire even the younger generation. ‘We see the importance of the World War II stories for the next generation, the stories we grew up in from our parents, (and) grandparents who witnessed the war. We were lucky that we were able to hear from them their actual stories, their lives, (and) how they lived. But as time passes, the eye witnesses will no longer be here to tell the same stories to the next generation and I am afraid that

Manila: The country’s gross international reserves (GIR) level at end-March 2025 remained healthy even as the balance of payment (BOP) last month recorded a USD2-billion deficit. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported Monday that the GIR level at end-March 2025 slightly declined to USD106.7 billion from USD107.4 billion in February. According to Philippines News Agency, this latest GIR level provides a robust external liquidity buffer, equivalent to 7.4 months worth of imports of goods and payments of services and primary income, as stated by the BSP. Additionally, it covers approximately 3.6 times the country’s short-term external debt based on