Author: Vidya Saras

THE PHILIPPINE ECONOMY likely grew by 6% in the third quarter as declining inflation may have fueled a rebound in consumer spending, Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto said. “I’m still hoping 6%, more so that inflation is declining,” Mr. Recto told reporters on the sidelines of an event late on Tuesday. “The biggest [driver] would be household consumption, which is 75% of the economy,” he added. For as long as household consumption grows by 6%, Mr. Recto said, the economy would likely grow by 6%.  Economic managers are targeting 6-7% growth this year.  In the second quarter, gross domestic product…

Bentonite clay: I brush my teeth with it, use it in deodorant, and I’ve even washed my hair with it! This unassuming clay has gained popularity for many reasons. Some love it for its natural origin. Others appreciate bentonite clay for skin, health challenges, and promoting overall wellness.  People have used clay for centuries to promote healthy skin, draw out toxins, and provide essential minerals. However, bentonite clay stands out from kaolin, rhassoul, and other clays due to its strong detoxifying abilities. Bentonite clay is also excellent for promoting healthy skin. What is Bentonite Clay? Bentonite clay is essentially volcanic…

The other day, I was browsing a nicely designed “About” page, and, like many other sites, it had the familiar pattern of a fixed logo at the top while scrolling. This is quite common, but sometimes the logo ends up overlapping with the text, making things a bit hard to read. You might see this as a quirk of brutalist design, but it got me thinking: what if we hide the logo during those moments when it intersects with the text? And what if we hide it with an animation? That opens up a whole range of creative possibilities to…

The Black Series Yoda Force FX lightsaber is still 40% off in this last-minute Prime Day lightsaber deal. If you’re looking to save credits as Prime Day comes to an end, this could be what you’re looking for as The Black Series sabers make numerous entries into our best lightsabers guide.Save 40% on The Black Series Yoda Force FX lightsaber when you grab it on Amazon before Prime Day ends. The 40% discount means you save $100, which is the lowest price we’ve ever seen on this model but as it’s a Prime Day (known as Big Deal Days in…

But Salakhutdinov says that having a wealth of information about how users go about common and important tasks like shopping might be a crucial ingredient for getting them to stay on track. “Data is going to be very important,” he says.Ship ItAmazon’s agents are, of course, likely to be more focused on helping customers find and buy whatever they need or want. A Rufus agent might notice when the next book in a series someone is reading becomes available and then automatically recommend it, add it to your cart, or even buy it for you, says Rajiv Mehta, a vice…

Fall Report Joe Healy – October 9, 2024 Dealing with the fallout from Hurricane Helene dumping rain all throughout the weekend in Cincinnati, Xavier found itself having to be flexible with its fall schedule. Specifically, an exhibition game against West Virginia on Saturday, September 29 that was set to be played more or less at home in nearby Mason, Ohio, ended up being moved to Morgantown at the last minute to avoid what would have been a washout otherwise. The end result saw WVU win both of the nine-inning games between the teams by 5-4 and 9-4 scores, but as is…

ReutersHurricane Helene – the deadliest US storm since Katrina in 2005 – killed at least 225 people and caused billions of dollars’ worth of damageAbout 14 tropical storms develop over the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico each year, according to the United States Weather Service.Out of these storms, seven will become hurricanes.Not all of these will make landfall – most will remain over the ocean. But some, such as Hurricane Milton, which is expected to hit the Florida coast on Wednesday evening, end up striking land, with huge life-threatening impacts.A storm needs tropical conditions to develop into…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.Former business secretary Kemi Badenoch and ex-immigration minister Robert Jenrick will go head to head in the final of the Tory leadership contest, after James Cleverly was knocked out in a surprise result on Wednesday.A moderate Tory, Cleverly had been increasingly viewed as the frontrunner in recent days, having gained momentum during last week’s party conference and secured the most votes on Tuesday.His departure leaves two rightwing contenders in the run-off, a result that could help the party fend off the threat…

A haunting set of maps from NASA’s Earth Observatory reveal the incredibly warm gulf waters that gave rise to Hurricane Milton, which is set to make landfall on western Florida tonight. Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30, and describes when the coastal Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico warm up, causing hurricanes. Hurricanes are nothing new, but in the last year and change the waters in the Mexican gulf and the Atlantic Ocean around Florida have been much warmer than usual—we’re talking bathtub temperatures—which can be a breeding ground for intense hurricanes. Lo and behold: two Category…

Hulu/Disney+(Credit: Hulu/Disney+)The TV adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s bonkbuster is full of “terrible people” and “inappropriate jokes” – it’s also brilliant fun.If you’re not yet familiar with the fictional worlds of British author Dame Jilly Cooper, then the opening sequence of Rivals – the new Disney+/ Hulu adaptation of one of her best-selling “bonkbusters” – gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect.Seconds into the first episode we’re confronted with a man’s bare buttocks furiously humping away in an airplane toilet, as his partner at the mile-high club grinds her red stilettoed heel into the bathroom wall. The ecstatic intro…