Category: General

LABUAN, The second phase of the Kina Benuwa Mangrove Park Eco-Tourism Development Project here has been completed and handed over to the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture (MOTAC). Labuan Public Works Department (PWD) director Mohd Faizul Mohd Ali Hanapiah said the RM1.68 million project was officially handed over to MOTAC on Sept 25. Mohd Faizul said the PWD, which oversaw the project, is committed to ensuring all developments in Labuan meet high standards for the benefit of the public and the growing tourism sector. ‘The latest phase included repairing signboards, landscaping, upgrading wooden walkways and constructing a floating jetty.

Manila: The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) on Thursday got a commitment from Senator Loren Legarda for its proposed 2025 budget to be increased. This, after Legarda found some of the programs of the agency interesting, particularly the Barangay Information Officers Network of the Philippine Information Agency. “We suspend the briefing but we consider the budget as approved subject to an increase after my study. I will not decrease you,” Legarda said before concluding PCO’s budget deliberation. “If you give me good proposals then I can always increase your budget,” she said. Under the 2025 National Expenditure Program (NEP), the PCO,

MANILA: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday said St. Timothy Construction Corporation (STCC) withdrew from the Miru Joint Venture (JV), election technology provider, amid reports that one of its owners may run in the 2025 polls. ‘The Commission en banc immediately conveyed its sentiment to the joint venture that we will not allow the integrity of the elections to be questioned simply because one of the owners of our contracting partners would run in the 2025 elections,’ Comelec chairperson George Garcia said in a press conference. ‘Two choices only, one that the particular partner will have to withdraw, two

ISTANBUL: Indonesia raised its alert level to Level III as of Thursday due to the eruption of Mount Merapi, the country’s most active volcano, which has already generated 21 significant lava flows. Located on the densely populated island of Java, the volcano”s increased activity presents a heightened risk to surrounding communities, as reported by the Jakarta Globe. “The lava fall may reach a maximum distance of 1,500 meters, (4,921 feet),” said Agus Budi Santoso, head of the Center for Research and Development of Geological Disaster Technology. “Seismic data has recorded 40 instances of cluster earthquakes,” he added. Authorities have advised

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysians have lost a total of US$12.8 billion (RM54 billion) to scams in a year, representing three per cent of the country’s gross domestic product, said trust tech company Gogolook. In a joint statement today, according to the State of Scam Report 2024, it said 70 per cent of scam victims did not report their cases to the authorities, representing a five per cent drop from the previous year. ‘This highlights the growing skepticism regarding the effectiveness of reporting processes. From those surveyed, 32 per cent of the respondents have experienced loss of money from scams,’ it said.