Good day. Here are the top stories of The Manila Times for Monday, July 15, 2024.
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READ: Trump survives assassination try
BUTLER, Pennsylvania — Former president Donald Trump was the target of an assassination attempt Saturday at a Pennsylvania rally, days before he was to accept the Republican nomination for a third time. A barrage of gunfire set off panic, and a bloodied Trump, who said he was shot in the ear, was surrounded by Secret Service and hurried to his SUV as he pumped his fist in a show of defiance. Trump's campaign said the presumptive GOP nominee was doing "fine" after the shooting, which he said pierced the upper part of his right ear. The FBI early Sunday identified the shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. The agency said the investigation remains active and ongoing. Secret Service agents fatally shot Crooks, who attacked from an elevated position outside the rally venue at a farm show in Butler, Pennsylvania, the agency said. One attendee was killed, and two spectators were critically injured, authorities said. All were identified as men. The attack was the most serious attempt to assassinate a president or presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981. It drew new attention to concerns about political violence in a deeply polarized US less than four months before the presidential election. And it could alter the tenor and security posture at the Republican National Convention, which will begin Monday in Milwaukee.
READ: Global leaders express concern
HONG KONG — Global leaders have expressed concern Sunday over an assassination attempt targeting former US president Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania that left one attendee dead and critically injured two others, with many condemning the violence that shocked the world. Trump's campaign said the presumptive Republican nominee was doing "fine" after being whisked off the stage, though the shooting pierced the upper part of his right ear. The Secret Service said it killed the suspected shooter who attacked from an elevated position outside the rally venue. As heads of state condemned the attack, a Russian foreign ministry spokesman said American lawmakers should use the money allocated to supply weapons to Ukraine "to finance the American police" so as to "ensure law and order." President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. extended his well wishes to Trump moments after learning about the alleged assassination attempt against him.
READ: Over half of Filipinos prefer 'habal-habal,' survey shows
CLOSE to 60 percent of Filipinos prefer the legitimization of the "habal-habal" or the unregulated motorcycle transport service, a recent survey showed. Motorcycle hailing application Angkas cited the recently published study of the WR Numero Philippine Public Opinion Monitor, a "pioneering and innovative public opinion research initiative," that showed 58 percent of Filipinos "agree with or strongly support" the legalization of the service, with 78 percent considering having an advocate in Congress being essential to the cause. Angkas said this underscores the need for motorcycle taxis in the lives of Filipinos. Angkas said their chief executive officer, George Royeca, championed job opportunities for habal-habal riders and provided legitimate options for commuters. It said Congress is working on regulatory laws for motorcycle taxis that are structured according to the Department of Transportation-Technical Working Group's recommendations after conducting a feasibility study on the platform with three players participating, including Angkas. Meanwhile, the same survey also revealed that awareness of the Angkas platform was "notably high," with 48 percent of Filipinos recognizing it. In addition, 45 percent of Filipino participants in the study use the habal-habal as a transportation method, with 14 percent using it regularly and 11 percent using the platform two to four times a week. Since its inception in 2016, Angkas has worked to dispel the belief that using motorcycles to ferry passengers is unsafe, proving that with proper training and education, motorcycle taxis can be a viable and safe alternative form of transportation.
The Manila Times runs the final installment of Filipino athletes who made it to the Olympics. They are boxers Eumir Marcial, Nesthy Petecio, Aira Villegas, Carlo Paalam and Hergie Bacyadan. Read the full story on The Manila Times' print and online editions and online.
In Business
READ: BSP, other central banks expected to delay easing
EXCHANGE rate volatility, stable inflation and uncertainty over the US Federal Reserve rate cuts will likely keep emerging market (EM) central banks from lowering interest rates for now, Moody's said. Despite having signaled an easing as early as next month, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) will be among those to "hold for longer," the debt watcher said in a report issued last week. Latin American central banks, which were the first to start lowering interest rates last year, are particularly expected to slow the pace of easing along with others in emerging markets elsewhere. "In Asia (excluding China), central banks are unlikely to start cutting rates anytime soon given largely stable inflation, solid economic growth and a related increase in credit access, coupled with uncertainty around the US Fed's policy path and exchange rate volatility risks," Moody's said. The central banks of Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and India are expected to join the BSP in keeping interest rates higher for longer. BSP Governor Eli Remolonha, who first raised the prospect of an August easing in May, has continued to insist that the move is warranted given better-than-expected inflation in June. Consumer price growth slowed to 3.7 percent in June, breaking four consecutive months of increases. As for the impact on the peso, which fell to P58:$1 territory in May and continues to trade at that level, Remolona has said that the BSP has enough resources to address any volatility.
Topping Sports
READ: DEDICATES TITLE TO LATE MENTOR NOVOTNA
LONDON — Barbora Krejcikova clinched her second Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon on Saturday and paid an emotional tribute to her childhood mentor, former champion and late coach Jana Novotna for the advice that "changed my life." Czech 31st seed Krejcikova battled past seventh-ranked Jasmine Paolini of Italy 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 to add the 2024 All England Club crown to her 2021 French Open victory. Her win comes 26 years after Novotna, who died of cancer in 2017 at the age of 49, claimed the Wimbledon title after two runners-up finishes. Speaking on Centre Court immediately after her win, Krejcikova recalled how she once dropped a letter off at Novotna's house seeking direction on her tennis career from her fellow Czech.On Saturday, the 28-year-old Krejcikova had to survive a nervy final game to secure the title, taking victory on a third championship point after fighting off two break points.
READ: Mojdeh sweeps 5 individual events in Palaro
CEBU CITY — Micaela Jasmine Mojdeh completed a sweep of five individual events she participated at the 64th Palarong Pambansa capped by a girls secondary 400-meter (m) individual medley conquest at the Cebu City Sports Center on Sunday. Representing Calabarzon, Mojdeh registered a time of 5:12.18 as she emerged as the clear winner after the third split of the event. The 18-year-old started her golden sweep by ruling the 200-m butterfly event on July 11 when she broke her own 2019 Palaro record of 2:22.69, submitting a time of 2:19.72 this time around. She then registered a new high in the 200-m breaststroke with a time of 2:41.75 on July 12, beating the previous record of 2:43.78 submitted by now national seniors team member Xiandi Chua of NCR. On the same day, Mojdeh collected her third gold medal by topping the girls secondary 200-m individual medley as she submitted a time of 2:26.68. The following day (July 13), Mojdeh topped the 100-m butterfly event with a time of 1:03.82.
READ: Opinion
Tapping non-wood forest products as revenue earners is this Monday's editorial. Read the full version on print or digital or listen to the Voice of the Times. Featured columnists on the front page are Rigoberto Tiglao, Fr. Ranhilio Aquino and Francisco Tatad. Tiglao says the bidding process for power must be changed, Aquino on why choir matters and Tatad on a very bad political joke.
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