Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv MANILA - Lowering tariffs on basic food items to address temporary inflation is nonsensical since it would hurt farmers, an advocate said Friday. Reducing tariffs should only be done if it's for the purpose of global competitiveness, Ernie Ordoñez, convenor of Agricultural Fisheries Alliance told ANC. "The tariffs have long been studied. To bring it down, it means it would affect the farmers and fisherfolks. I’m not in not in favor of bringing tariffs down to solve inflation," he said. "Just for this temporary inflation you’re going to destroy the economic equation? This is non-sensical," Ordoñez, a former trade official, said. Removing tariffs on agricultural products could mean "war" against domestic agricultural producers, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque earlier said, quoting Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol. Meanwhile, imposing zero-tariffs on meat is "totally ridiculous," Ordoñez … [Read more...] about News Lower tariffs on basic food items to fight inflation ‘nonsensical,’ says ex-DTI official
Fighting quotes and sayings
Player like Messi born only once in 50 years, says Conte
Hailing FC Barcelona star Lionel Messi for his superlative display against Chelsea, manager Antonio Conte said his kind of player is born only once every 50 years. Barcelona thumped Chelsea 3-0 in the second leg of the round of 16 Champions League tie at Camp Nou, qualifying for the quarter finals 4-1 on aggregate. Messi scored twice to take his tally to 100 goals in the competition and also set up Ousmane Dembele to open his Barcelona account. At the final whistle Chelsea coach Conte was seen marching onto the pitch to congratulate Messi on his display. "We are talking about a player who can move the final result for every team, for any team he is playing in," Conte was quoted as saying by ESPNFC. "He started to play with Barcelona and for sure he will finish his career in Barcelona. Many teams can hope to have him in their team, but it won't be possible. "This is a great story for Barcelona and Messi. This type of player is born [once] in 50 years. We are talking about one single … [Read more...] about Player like Messi born only once in 50 years, says Conte
Facebook, Google making profits from ‘pop-up’ brothels, says report
Britain's National Crime Agency (NCA) has accused Facebook and Google of raking in profits from "pop-up" brothels on their platforms.According to a report in The Sunday Times, "Pop-up" sex clubs were discovered in Cornwall, Cambridge, Swindon and holiday cottages in the Peak district.The NCA accused Google and Facebook of "making profits" from the trafficking of vulnerable women.According to the agency, web companies have become the "key enabler for the sexual exploitation of trafficked victims in the UK"."People are using the Internet and social media sites to enable sexual exploitation and trafficking," Will Kerr, the NCA's Head of Vulnerabilities, was quoted as saying."It is clear that the internet platforms which host and make a profit out of this type of material need to do more to identify and stop these forms of exploitation," Kerr added.The British government is seeking new laws that make internet firms responsible for content on their platforms. The US government is already … [Read more...] about Facebook, Google making profits from ‘pop-up’ brothels, says report
Black Panther’s exciting fight scenes incorporate silat and muay thai
The cast of Black Panther, starring Chadwick Boseman (left) and Michael B Jordan (right), were trained in various martial arts styles including silat. Disney It is one of the biggest movies to show in a long time, quickly scaling up the charts with one of the US’ best-ever box office openings at $192 million over just three days. Starring Chadwick Boseman, Black Panther has captured the entertainment world with its unbelievably good ratings. Not only has it been hailed as a the first superhero blockbuster to feature an almost all-black cast, the Disney film is also being lauded for its reference to the rich cultures of Africa ,and for its nail-biting fight scenes which feature both women and men in powerful roles. There is good reason why the fight scenes in Black Panther are not like any others in the usual superhero movies. In a report by The Straits Times, 40-year-old Boseman said that a lot of Afro-centric research was behind the details portrayed. And when it comes to fight … [Read more...] about Black Panther’s exciting fight scenes incorporate silat and muay thai
Phone chat distracts from corruption fight
Two weeks ago, the Public Health Ministry had no choice but to pull its announcement banning staff from using state office resources for personal reasons, including charging their personal mobile phones. Such a reverse was understandable. The ministry received a barrage of criticism saying the measures were ''out of touch with reality". The backlash was strong enough to force public health permanent secretary Jessada Chokdamrongsuk, who signed the announcement on Dec 29, to retract it on Jan 6, just a week later. Mr Jessada explained the ministry will review whether the ban is a suitable policy or not.The ban on charging personal mobile devices was just a small part of the announcement's content which also banned 4,000 ministry staff from various other activities, citing the need to set clear boundaries to prevent conflicts of interest.For example, the ban also covered the personal use of office equipment, materials and supplies; personal use of ministry vehicles; assigning officials … [Read more...] about Phone chat distracts from corruption fight