President Marcos to visit India from August 4 to 8
According to Malacañang, the President will begin his visit in New Delhi before traveling to Bangalore for a series of official engagements.
During the trip, President Marcos is expected to meet with Indian government officials and key figures from the business sector to strengthen bilateral and economic ties between the two countries.
He will also hold a separate gathering with the Filipino community in New Delhi.
The visit takes place ahead of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and India, which will be commemorated in 2025. Related Articles
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Middle East Eye
13 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Reform UK candidate descended from top Muslim scholar rues racist abuse in campaign
A Muslim candidate in Nigel Farage's Reform UK who came second in a recent local election has revealed to Middle East Eye that he faced a storm of Islamophobic and racist abuse during his campaign - and that he wished the party had addressed it publicly. Siddiq Mahmood Malik, widely known as "Sidney", stood in the 24 July byelection in Llanrumney, a predominantly working-class ward in Cardiff in Wales. Malik, a Cardiff resident and descendant of the renowned 19th-century Indian Muslim thinker Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, received 630 votes and lost to a Labour incumbent who received 755. This week, Malik told MEE he faced a barrage of online abuse over his 'Muslim identity' during the campaign. On 6 July, an anonymous X account with over 100,000 followers posted a photo of Malik with the caption: 'Why do Reform keep choosing Muslims for candidates?' New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The post had received over 600,000 views and over 800 comments at the time of writing, many of which were racist and Islamophobic in nature. Malik is descended from the famous Aligarh founder Sir Syed Ahmed Khan Far-right activist Tommy Robinson's X account shared the post and commented 'I hope people can see it now' in a post that received over 500 comments. Numerous comments also directed anti-Muslim abuse at Reform's former chairman and current head of the its department of government efficiency, Zia Yusuf. 'During my candidacy, I encountered significant challenges, primarily related to my Muslim identity,' Malik told MEE. 'Reform UK was supportive throughout my campaign, and I'm grateful for that,' he added. 'However, I did hope there would be some public acknowledgement of the negative commentary directed at me online - particularly from figures like Tommy Robinson.' MEE asked Reform UK for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication. Malik added that his ethnic background was 'clearly a point of contention, even among some within the online Reform UK community". "I'm still a member of Reform UK and may remain involved in the future," he said. But, he added: 'I found Reform UK still faces serious challenges with its relationship with Muslim communities and other minority communities. All communities play a role in British national cohesion, our great multiculturalism and contribute to how we're perceived globally.' Sir Syed Ahmed Khan's legacy During the campaign, a spokesperson for Reform UK Wales said that Malik 'is passionate about Reform. It runs in his family as he is a descendant of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, the 19th-century Muslim reformer and scholar'. Khan was an Indian modernist thinker and Anglophile who founded the Aligarh Mohamedan Anglo-Oriental College, modelled on Oxford and Cambridge, after the fall of the Mughal Empire. Khan was an Indian modernist thinker and Anglophile who founded the Aligarh Mohamedan Anglo-Oriental College (Wikimedia Commons) He was avowedly loyal to the British empire and was revered by later generations of Indian Muslim thinkers. Renowned 20th-century philosopher Sir Muhammad Iqbal said of Khan: "The real greatness of the man consists in the fact that he was the first Indian Muslim who felt the need of a fresh orientation of Islam and worked for it." Khan's university exists today in India as the Aligarh Muslim University and has produced many of the subcontinent's most famous politicians. In the early 20th century, it was considered the main recruiting ground for the All-India Muslim League, the party which would found Pakistan in 1947. 'I'm deeply proud of my heritage and of Sir Syed,' Malik told MEE, describing him as 'the first British Muslim knight, and a reformer of education, science, and integration during a time of deep division'. 'In many ways, he inspired me to stand,' he said. Reform's complex relationship with Muslims Opinion polls consistently indicate that Reform, which advocates for the mass deportation of illegal immigrants and has four MPs in parliament, is the most popular party in Britain. It has often been accused of stoking bigotry against Muslims and other minorities, which the party strenuously denies. On the other hand, far-right activists, including Tommy Robinson, have often accused the party of being too pro-Muslim. UK: Nigel Farage blames riots on Andrew Tate and online misinformation Read More » In June Zia Yusuf, who describes himself as a 'British Muslim patriot', resigned as the party's chairman in a shock move following a public row with Reform MP Sarah Pochin after she urged a ban on women wearing the burqa in a parliamentary debate. Party leader Nigel Farage suggested Yusuf quit because he received relentless abuse online from the 'very hard extreme right'. 'When Zia says anything you cannot believe the absolute tirade of personal racist abuse that he gets,' Farage said. 'And I just think he snapped.' But Yusuf rejoined the party just days later, saying his resignation had been a mistake. Malik, while disheartened at the abuse he faced during his own campaign, said he was 'proud to have come a very close second to Labour' in the recent byelection. He said the result signalled that 'many are ready, open-minded, and willing to support my candidacy and hope to one day lead meaningful change on the national stage'. He also said he is working on 'the first British VR [virtual reality] feature film', entitled Once Upon a Time In Britain. 'I aim to empower underrepresented voices and foster understanding through storytelling.'
Al Etihad
13 hours ago
- Al Etihad
Why has India vowed to protect its farmers in the face of tariff threats?
1 Aug 2025 14:13 MUMBAI (REUTERS)US President Donald Trump on Thursday slapped a 25% tariff on Indian goods after prolonged talks that got bogged down over access to India's labour-intensive agricultural sector, which New Delhi has pledged to protect. Why is India opposing the products the US is lobbying for? The United States is pressing India to open its markets to a wide range of American products, including dairy, poultry, corn, soybeans, rice, wheat, ethanol, fruits and nuts. While India is willing to provide greater access for US dry fruits and apples, it is holding back on corn, soybeans, wheat, and dairy products.A key reason for this resistance is that most US corn and soybeans are genetically modified (GM), and India does not permit the import of GM food crops are widely perceived in India as harmful to human health and the environment, and several groups affiliated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are opposing their introduction. The commercial cultivation of a high-yielding GM mustard variety that India developed itself is currently not allowed due to an ongoing legal GM crops, dairy is also a highly sensitive issue, as it provides a livelihood for millions of farmers, including many who are landless or smallholders. The dairy industry helps sustain farmers even during erratic monsoon seasons, which can cause significant fluctuations in crop India, where a large proportion of the population is vegetarian, food choices are strongly influenced by cultural and dietary preferences. Indian consumers are particularly concerned that cattle in the U.S. are often fed animal by-products - a practice that conflicts with Indian food is self-sufficient in most farm goods, with the exception of vegetable oils. After liberalising cooking oil imports over three decades ago, the country now has to import nearly two-thirds of its supply to meet demand. India does not want to repeat this mistake with other basic foods, which account for nearly half of its consumer price agriculture makes up just 16% of India's nearly $3.9 trillion economy, it is the lifeblood for nearly half the country's 1.4 billion people. Four years ago, this powerful voting bloc forced Modi's government into a rare retreat on a set of controversial farm in power fear a flood of cheaper US imports would bring down local prices. New Delhi is also worried that a trade deal with the US could force it to open its agricultural sector to other countries. How does farming in India and the US differ? The vast disparity in the scale of farming makes it difficult for Indian farmers to compete with their US average Indian farm is 1.08 hectares (2.67 acres), compared to 187 hectares in the US. For dairy farmers, the difference is even more dramatic - a small herd of two or three animals versus hundreds or more in the Indian farmers also rely on traditional, unmechanised techniques, while American agriculture has developed into a highly efficient, tech-driven industry. Why is India hesitant to use US ethanol in its biofuel programmeOne of India's key goals with its Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme is to reduce energy imports and support domestic farmers by using sugarcane and corn for biofuel production. Indian companies have invested heavily in new distilleries, and farmers have expanded corn cultivation to meet the rising demand. India recently achieved its ambitious target of a 20% ethanol blend in petrol. With state assembly elections approaching in Bihar - a major corn-producing state in the east - allowing US ethanol imports would lower local corn prices. This would probably anger farmers and also undermine the growing distillery sector.
Filipino Times
15 hours ago
- Filipino Times
Pag-IBIG Fund net income jumps 15% to ₱28B in H1 2025, highest in 45 years
Pag-IBIG Fund reported double-digit year-on-year growth in its income for the first half of 2025, marking the highest earnings for the period in the agency's 45-year history, top officials announced on Friday (August 01). From January to June, the agency's gross income reached ₱44.39 billion, rising by 11.65 percent or ₱4.63 billion compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, Pag-IBIG Fund's net income grew by 15.25 percent or ₱3.71 billion to reach ₱28.04 billion. This is the highest net income recorded since the agency was founded in 1980. Officials attributed the growth to strong collections and higher earnings from Pag-IBIG Fund's housing and short-term loan portfolios. 'This performance shows how excellently we are managing the funds that our members have entrusted to us. With our strong fiscal standing, we remain capable of continuing to deliver our members' benefits and are in a solid position to finance more homes under the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino, or Expanded 4PH Program, in line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to empower more Filipinos achieve better, more dignified lives,' said Secretary Jose Ramon P. Aliling of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, who also chairs the 11-member Pag-IBIG Fund Board of Trustees. Higher investment returns also contributed to the income growth. The agency's income from investments surged by 51.79 percent year-on-year to ₱4.27 billion. This was driven by strategic placements in bonds and other debt securities, money market instruments, equities, and investment properties. Investment income accounted for 5.56 percent of the agency's total gross income in the first half of the year. Pag-IBIG Fund Chief Executive Officer Marilene C. Acosta, meanwhile, emphasized the strength of the agency's financial position. As of June 2025, Pag-IBIG Fund's total assets stood at ₱1.14 trillion, reflecting a 7.02 percent or ₱74.90 billion increase from the year-end 2024 figure of ₱1.07 trillion. Acosta further stated that the agency's strong performance directly benefits its members. Under its charter, the agency returns at least 70 percent of its annual net income to members in the form of dividends, which are credited to their savings every year. 'Pag-IBIG Fund is owned by its members — the Filipino workers. It is our duty to grow and protect their savings,' Acosta said. 'Guided by President Marcos Jr.'s call for government institutions to deliver responsive social benefits, we continue to ensure that our members enjoy competitive earnings on their savings and gain access to affordable home financing. We are committed to sustaining our strong performance to help uplift the lives of more Filipino workers,' she added.
