MANILA, Philippines — Factory activity in the Philippines slipped into contraction in September, underscoring a rare postpandemic setback for the country’s manufacturers.
The Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), a widely tracked gauge of manufacturing health, fell to 49.9 last month from 50.8 in August, S&P Global said on Wednesday.
A reading below 50 signals a decline in activity.
https://business.inquirer.net/550075/philippine-factory-activity-posts-unusual-postpandemic-decline
Reigning WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson has expressed her support for Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier following Collier’s fiery remarks directed at league leadership.
During a recent statement, Collier criticized the league’s management, specifically targeting Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and her team. Wilson’s backing underscores the growing dialogue among players regarding the direction and leadership of the WNBA.
This moment highlights the ongoing conversations within the league as players advocate for change and greater transparency from those in charge.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/us/wnba/news-she-s-gonna-stand-10-toes-that-a-ja-wilson-voices-solidarity-napheesa-collier-despite-missing-details-cathy-engelbert-blast
Lexie Hull has been vital to the Indiana Fever’s postseason run, contributing significantly both as a defender and a floor spreader. Her impact on the court has helped the Fever advance deep into the playoffs.
On Tuesday, Hull and the Fever visited the Las Vegas Aces for Game 5 of their WNBA semifinals series, facing a crucial matchup in their quest to move forward.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/us/wnba/news-lexie-hull-stats-tonight-how-fever-star-perform-game-5-aces-sept-30
Alcaraz continued to showcase his dominance in men’s tennis with a convincing victory over Fritz.
He secured the win with a straight-sets triumph, finishing the match 6-4, 6-4.
This performance further solidifies Alcaraz’s position as a leading competitor in the sport.
https://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/carlos-alcaraz-fury-at-time-violation-in-japan-open-final-win-over-taylor-fritz-1813031.html
During the monsoon, the area comes alive with a carpet of wildflowers attracting thousands of visitors every year
https://www.mid-day.com/news/opinion/article/make-tourists-aware-of-impact-of-their-behaviour-23596613
President Donald Trump revealed plans to use American cities as training grounds for the armed forces and declared an end to woke culture alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday. The announcement came during an unusual gathering of hundreds of top U.S. military officials who were abruptly summoned to Virginia from around the world.
Mr. Hegseth introduced new directives for troops, including the implementation of gender-neutral or male-level standards for physical fitness. Meanwhile, Mr. Trump highlighted the strength of U.S. nuclear capabilities and warned that America is under invasion from within.
“After spending trillions of dollars defending the borders of foreign countries, with your help, we’re defending the borders of our country,” Mr. Trump said.
The military summit took place at the Marine Corps base in Quantico, near Washington. Mr. Hegseth had called military leaders without publicly revealing the reason until the morning of the event. His address focused heavily on his well-known talking points, painting a picture of a military hampered by woke policies. He further urged military leaders who opposed his new approach to resign, calling it the honorable course of action.
While meetings between top military brass and civilian leaders are common, the suddenness and secrecy surrounding this summit fueled speculation about its purpose. Admirals and generals deployed in conflict zones across the Middle East and elsewhere were summoned for a lecture on race and gender in the military. This underscored how the country’s culture wars have become a central agenda item for Mr. Hegseth’s Pentagon, even amid significant global security concerns.
Mr. Trump, accustomed to boisterous crowds of supporters who laugh at his jokes and applaud his boasts, did not receive the same reaction from the assembled generals and admirals. In keeping with the nonpartisan tradition of the armed services, military leaders remained mostly stone-faced during Mr. Trump’s politicized remarks, a stark contrast to the enthusiastic rank-and-file soldiers who cheered during his summer speech at Fort Bragg.
During his nearly hour-long speech, Mr. Hegseth criticized the military for promoting too many leaders based on race, gender quotas, and historic firsts rather than merit. “The era of politically correct, overly sensitive don’t-hurt-anyone’s-feelings leadership ends right now at every level,” he declared.
Echoing this sentiment, Mr. Trump stated, “The purpose of America’s military is not to protect anyone’s feelings. It’s to protect our republic. We will not be politically correct when it comes to defending American freedom. And we will be a fighting and winning machine.”
Mr. Hegseth also announced a loosening of disciplinary rules and a reduction in hazing protections, emphasizing the removal of many guardrails put in place after numerous military scandals and investigations. He ordered a review of the Department of Defense’s definitions of toxic leadership, bullying, and hazing to empower leaders to enforce standards without fear of retribution or second-guessing.
Additionally, the defense secretary called for changes regarding the retention of adverse information in personnel records. His goal is to allow leaders with forgivable, earnest, or minor infractions to avoid being burdened by those mistakes indefinitely.
“People make honest mistakes, and our mistakes should not define an entire career,” Mr. Hegseth said. “Otherwise, we only try not to make mistakes.”
This policy shift comes amid ongoing concerns over bullying and toxic leadership, which have been linked to numerous military suicides in recent years. Notably, the suicide of Brandon Caserta, a young sailor who took his life in 2018, was tied to belligerence and brash leadership from his supervisors, according to a Navy investigation.
Throughout the address, Mr. Hegseth criticized environmental policies and transgender troops, emphasizing the military’s renewed focus on the warrior ethos and peace through strength. He dismissed previous administrations’ emphasis on diversity as an “insane fallacy,” referencing dizzying diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and LGBTQE+ statements.
“They were told females and males are the same thing, or that males who think they’re females is totally normal,” he said, also calling out policies such as electric tanks and COVID vaccine mandates as mistakes.
Regarding physical standards, Mr. Hegseth stressed that jobs requiring physical power in combat must maintain high and gender-neutral standards. “If women can make it, excellent,” he said. “If not, it is what it is. If that means no women qualify for some combat jobs, so be it. That is not the intent, but it could be the result.”
Mr. Hegseth’s remarks come at a critical time as the country faces a potential government shutdown this week. Having emphasized a focus on lethality, he has made several unusual and unexplained decisions, including ordering cuts to the number of general officers and the firing of other top military leaders.
Under the Trump-Hegseth administration, the military has also played an active role in domestic security efforts, including securing the U.S.-Mexico border, deploying to American cities as part of law enforcement surges, and conducting strikes on boats in the Caribbean targeting drug traffickers.
As the Pentagon shifts its agenda towards traditional military priorities and away from social policies, the recent summit at Quantico highlights the ongoing tensions between cultural issues and national security within the U.S. armed forces.
https://www.breakingnews.ie/world/trump-reveals-plan-to-use-us-cities-to-train-military-and-end-woke-culture-1813111.html
The Trump administration is pulling a federal watchdog off the beat in Washington, effective Wednesday, stripping funding from the Council of Inspectors General (CIGIE). Removing the council’s funding will further hollow out the work of federal inspectors general and internal government investigators who are supposed to root out waste, fraud, abuse, and misconduct in the administration.
The council, which is an independent entity within the executive branch, is tasked with addressing “integrity, economy and effectiveness issues that transcend individual Government agencies,” according to the council’s website.
The Trump administration argues the inspectors general are “corrupt.” A spokesman for the White House Office of Management and Budget told CBS News in a statement, “Inspectors general are meant to be impartial watchdogs identifying waste and corruption on behalf of the American people. Unfortunately, they have become corrupt, partisan, and in some cases, have lied to the public. The American people will no longer be funding this corruption.”
Often referred to as CIGIE, the council helps train, equip, and provide investigative expertise to the dozens of federal inspectors general. Its staff operates hotlines for tips, hosts websites for the inspectors, and provides data analysis and investigative tools to help with probes. According to a former CIGIE official, the council supports nearly 14,000 federal investigative employees.
Mark Greenblatt, a former inspector general for the Interior Department and a former CIGIE chair, posted a statement Tuesday warning about the impact of the cuts. “Without this infrastructure, I fear the individual inspectors general will be isolated, their effectiveness diminished, and their ability to protect taxpayer interests severely compromised,” Greenblatt said.
CIGIE also helps review possible misconduct by federal inspectors general themselves, serving a “policing the police” type of mission. Greenblatt alleges the organization is being defunded because of its prior review of a federal inspector appointed during the first Trump term.
Mike Ware, the former inspector general for the Small Business Administration, says the council’s defunding could cripple the ability of federal watchdogs to monitor the administration’s actions. Ware explained that nearly 30 inspectors general offices depend on CIGIE to host their websites, which are “essential for transparency and public accountability.”
“It would also dismantle critical cross-agency collaboration by eliminating shared data analytics platforms that help expose waste, fraud, and abuse,” Ware said.
“Just as concerning, it would strip away the training and professional development infrastructure that sustains the 14,000 oversight professionals dedicated to safeguarding taxpayer dollars.”
The move has sparked rare bipartisan criticism. GOP Senators Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Susan Collins of Maine criticized the Trump administration’s decision in a letter this week.
“Absent immediate action, [CIGIE] will need to furlough staff and terminate important functions that help prevent and detect waste, fraud, and abuse throughout the government,” they wrote.
In their letter, Grassley and Collins requested, “We urgently request an explanation for these actions and ask that you promptly reverse course,” to allow CIGIE to continue its “important oversight work uninterrupted.”
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-defunding-council-of-inspectors-general/
It’s never a bad day when a device you own receives a software update that adds awesome new features. Today, we’re excited to share a surprise update for the Pixel Buds Pro 2 that brings a huge quality of life improvement.
The update was spotted by 9to5Google, revealing that the Pixel Buds Pro 2 can now display the battery percentage for individual components. Even better, this detailed battery information can be shared across any Pixel device that has previously connected with the earbuds.
To experience this new feature, you’ll need to update your Pixel Buds Pro 2 to the latest firmware version 4.467. After updating, activate the Pixel Battery widget on your compatible Pixel device. Once set up, you’ll be able to see the battery life for each separate component—the charging case and each individual earbud.
This enhancement is a big deal, as it provides more detailed insight into your earbuds’ charge levels. No longer will you have to guess which component needs charging, and you won’t always need to check one specific device to monitor the battery status.
Additionally, if you’ve paired your Pixel Buds Pro 2 with multiple Pixel devices, you can view the charging status from any of those devices. The earbuds don’t have to be continuously connected to each device to see their battery levels, making this feature incredibly convenient.
Google’s Pixel Buds continue to improve with every update. Be sure to install the latest firmware to enjoy this and other enhancements.
https://www.androidpolice.com/the-pixel-buds-pro-2-charging-indicator-change/
For years, people with prediabetes have been told that losing weight is the best way to lower their risk of type 2 diabetes. But new research from Germany suggests that keeping blood sugar levels within a healthy range may be even more important than the number on the scale.
The study, published in *Nature Medicine* and led by scientists at the University Hospital of Tubingen, Helmholtz Munich, and the German Center for Diabetes Research, shows that people who manage to normalize their blood sugar levels—even if they don’t lose weight—cut their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by more than 70%.
### Understanding Prediabetes
Prediabetes affects an estimated one in ten adults worldwide, though the real number is likely higher since the condition often goes unnoticed. In prediabetes, blood sugar levels are above normal but not yet high enough to be classified as diabetes.
This condition occurs when the body becomes resistant to insulin, the hormone that helps move sugar out of the blood and into cells for energy. Over time, this resistance pushes blood sugar levels higher, greatly increasing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
### The Global Impact of Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is one of the world’s most common chronic diseases, affecting more than 460 million people. It can lead to serious complications, including heart disease, stroke, and even certain cancers.
Preventing the disease in people with prediabetes is therefore a major public health goal. Until now, most prevention guidelines have focused on weight loss through healthy eating and exercise. But the new Tubingen study suggests this approach may be too narrow.
### Key Findings from the Study
The researchers followed more than 1,100 people with prediabetes over several years. After one year of lifestyle changes—such as eating a healthier diet and being more physically active—about 22% of participants who had not lost weight, or had even gained some, managed to bring their blood sugar levels back into the normal range.
When researchers tracked these participants for up to nine more years, they found that this group was 71% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes compared with those who did not achieve normal blood sugar.
Strikingly, this reduction in risk was nearly identical to that seen in participants who lost weight (73%).
### The Role of Fat Distribution
One key difference, however, was in fat distribution. People who normalized their blood sugar without losing weight tended to have less visceral fat—the deep fat around abdominal organs that is strongly linked to insulin resistance—than those who remained in the prediabetes range.
Unlike the fat that lies just beneath the skin, visceral fat is biologically active, releasing substances that drive inflammation and disrupt hormone balance.
### Changing the Approach to Diabetes Prevention
According to Professor Andreas Birkenfeld, who led the study, the findings should reshape how doctors think about diabetes prevention.
“Restoring a normal fasting blood sugar level is the most important goal in preventing type 2 diabetes and not necessarily the number on the scale,” he said. “Exercise and balanced eating help regulate blood sugar, even if weight stays the same. Losing weight can still help, but it is not the only path to protection.”
The researchers argue that future diabetes guidelines should focus more on blood sugar control and fat distribution rather than weight alone.
### What This Means for People with Prediabetes
For people living with prediabetes, the message is clear: healthy lifestyle habits remain the foundation of prevention, but the main milestone to aim for is normal blood sugar levels—not necessarily dramatic weight loss.
Maintaining a balanced diet, staying physically active, and monitoring blood sugar regularly can provide strong protection against type 2 diabetes and improve overall health.
—
*References:*
– University Hospital of Tubingen
– Helmholtz Munich
– German Center for Diabetes Research
– Nature Medicine (Study Publication)
https://knowridge.com/2025/10/why-blood-sugar-control-matters-more-than-weight-loss-in-preventing-diabetes/
A couple deliberately starved their three-year-old daughter to death over many months, a UK court has heard.
Jaskiret Singh Uppal, 36, and Manpreet Jatana, 34, appeared at the Old Bailey in London on Tuesday charged with the murder of Penelope Chandrie.
Prosecutor Philip McGhee stated that the prosecution’s case is that the defendants mistreated their daughter over an extended period and deliberately starved her, leading to her death.
The London court heard that the couple failed to register Penelope’s birth, provide her with GP care or education, as they isolated themselves from the wider world. When the child died, it is alleged that they initially considered cremating the body in the back garden of their home in Hayes, west London, before contacting a funeral director.
On December 17, 2023, police found Penelope’s very emaciated body wrapped in a sheet, with bruising to her neck, the court was told. An examination of her body found the cause of death to be malnutrition. Pathological findings indicated starvation over a prolonged period of many months, culminating in fatal ketoacidosis, Mr McGhee explained.
There were also marks on her neck consistent with the use of bindings, and injuries to her hands consistent with a sharp object such as a knife, the court heard.
At the time Penelope died, officers found the defendants’ home to be in poor condition. The family’s vegetarian diet mainly consisted of yoghurt, lentils, and butter, Mr McGhee added. What appeared to be a ligature was found attached to the bannisters on the stairs.
The defendants, who met at university, had not worked for some time and lived in a house belonging to Uppal’s father.
On Tuesday, Uppal appeared in the dock at the Old Bailey, while Jatana appeared via videolink from Bronzefield prison. Both spoke only to confirm their identities.
In addition to the murder charge, the defendants are accused of manslaughter, causing or allowing the death of a child, and abandoning a child or causing them unnecessary suffering or injury.
Judge Lynn Tayton KC set a timetable for the case, with a plea hearing scheduled for December 16. A provisional trial date will be confirmed later. She remanded the defendants into custody.
https://www.breakingnews.ie/world/couple-deliberately-starved-three-year-old-daughter-to-death-court-told-1813133.html
