Latest news with #PhilippineSenate
Perth Now
6 days ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
'Non-stop action': boxing great Pacquiao primed again
Manny Pacquiao is promising fight fans an all-action, triumphant comeback when he returns to the ring chasing yet more boxing history in Las Vegas. Almost four years after his 62nd, and what most thought was his last bout, the legendary eight-division world champ will take on Mexican Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight belt on Saturday night (Sunday AEST). The Pacquiao-Barrios showdown shares top billing with Australian superstar Tim Tszyu's WBC super-welterweight world-title rematch with Sebastian Fundora on what US promoters are spruiking as the card of the summer in America. "I'm pretty sure that this coming Saturday there's going to be a lot of action and the fans will be happy, and that's my goal to make the fans satisfied," Pacquiao said. "I know Mario is a champion. He's a good fighter also, but on Saturday night our job is to give fans entertainment, like a real fight." The 46-year-old Filipino feels rejuvenated and insists ring rust won't be a factor. "I'm enjoying training camp as much as I did when I was 26 or 29 years old. The motivation to train hard and the discipline are the same," Pacquiao said. "I mean, it's because I've been away from boxing why I'm still interested and passionate about fighting." The vaunted veteran retired from boxing in 2021, had a stint in the Philippine Senate from 2016 to 2022 and an unsuccessful 2022 presidential bid. His remarkable record, as well as his status as the only eight-division world champ, also includes being the oldest welterweight strap holder at age 40 in 2019. Sunday's blockbuster will mark Pacquiao's 16th time headlining at the iconic MGM Grand. "I cannot imagine that I am still fighting here in the Grand Arena after 24 years. It's a blessing," Pacquiao (62-8-2) said while embracing his rare underdog tag. "In so many of my fights I was the underdog, and I surprised them. Manny always brings surprises." Barrios (29-2-1) has only respect for Pacquiao but says there will be no sentiment shown once the bell goes. "Manny is a very likeable person. I can't think of anything bad to say about him other than he's facing me for my title," the 30-year-old said. "At the end of the day, he's just another man in there. He's another opponent trying to take my title, regardless of everything he's accomplished and given to the sport. "I believe I'm in my prime right now and I'm trying to show that come Saturday, so you know. "I've been preparing for 12 rounds of non-stop action." With Reuters. This AAP article was made possible by support from No Limit Boxing.
Straits Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Boxing-Pacquiao ready to spring surprise as he targets Barrios' belt in comeback fight
Former world champion Manny Pacquiao is embracing his underdog status as he gets ready to turn back the clock when he steps out of retirement to face WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios in their Saturday showdown at the MGM Grand. The 46-year-old Filipino feels rejuvenated after four years away from the ring and said he was returning for another opportunity to make history. "I'm enjoying training camp as much as I did when I was 26 or 29 years old. The motivation to train hard and the discipline are the same," Pacquiao said at Wednesday's press conference. "I mean, it's because I've been away from boxing why I'm still interested and passionate about fighting." The veteran fighter retired from boxing in 2021. He had a stint in the Philippine Senate from 2016 to 2022 and an unsuccessful 2022 presidential bid. His remarkable record includes championships in eight weight divisions, a first in boxing history, and he was the oldest welterweight world champion at age 40 in 2019. "I cannot imagine that I am still fighting here in the Grand Arena after 24 years. It's a blessing, a favour from God, and I'm so thankful to be here, still fighting and putting on a good show for the fans," he said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Over 600 Telegram groups in Singapore selling, advertising vapes removed by HSA Singapore 2 weeks' jail for man caught smuggling over 1,800 vapes and pods into Singapore Opinion AI and education: We need to know where this sudden marriage is heading Singapore Coffee Meets Bagel's Singpass check: Why I'll swipe right on that Singapore Jail for man who fatally hit his daughter, 2, while driving van without licence Sport 'Like being in a washing machine with 40 deg C water': Open water swimmers brave challenging conditions Singapore Primary 1 registration: 38 primary schools to conduct ballot in Phase 2A Singapore ComfortDelGro to introduce new taxi cancellation, waiting fee policy The Filipino is also enjoying being the underdog: "In so many of my fights I was the underdog, and I surprised them... Manny always brings surprises," he added. Standing in his path is Barrios, a Mexican-American with 29 wins (18 by knockout) and two defeats in 32 bouts, who remains confident despite facing a boxing great. "You know, Manny is a very likeable person. I can't think of anything bad to say about him other than, you know, he's facing me for my title," Barrios said. "At the end of the day, he's just another man in there. He's another opponent trying to take my title, regardless of everything he's accomplished and given to the sport," the 30-year-old added. REUTERS
Hamilton Spectator
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
China sanctions former Filipino lawmaker over South China Sea claims
BANGKOK (AP) — China sanctioned a former Filipino lawmaker Tuesday over legislation that marks out the Philippines' territorial claims in the disputed South China Sea. Francis Tolentino, who has just finished serving his term as majority leader of the Philippine Senate, is prohibited from entering China as well as the territories of Hong Kong and Macau, according to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 'For some time, some anti-China politicians in the Philippines have adopted a series of malicious words and deeds on issues related to China for their own selfish interests, which have harmed China's interests and undermined China-Philippines relations,' said the statement. 'The Chinese government is determined to defend its national sovereignty, security and development interests.' In a statement on X Tuesday, Tolentino said he will 'continue to fight — for what rightfully belongs to our nation,' adding the sanction was a badge of honor and that no foreign power could silence him. Tolentino sponsored a bill called the Philippine Maritime Zones act, which was signed into law last November . That law and a second one called the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes act, reaffirmed the extent of the country's maritime territories in the South China Sea and right to resources from these areas. The laws drew quick condemnation and dismissal of their legitimacy from China, which claims virtually all of the South China Sea. 'Any objections from China must be met with unwavering defense of our sovereign rights and adherence to lawful arbitration outcomes,' said Tolentino at the time. The Philippines and China have been engaged in verbal and physical clashes over their claims in the offshore region. Confrontations between Chinese and Philippine coast guard and naval forces in the disputed sea have become increasingly common in the past two years, with the Philippine side publicizing videos of Chinese boats firing water cannons . Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Washington Post
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
China sanctions former Filipino lawmaker over South China Sea claims
BANGKOK — China sanctioned a former Filipino lawmaker Tuesday over legislation that marks out the Philippines' territorial claims in the disputed South China Seas. Francis Tolentino, who has just finished serving his term as majority leader of the Philippine Senate, is prohibited from entering China as well as the territories of Hong Kong and Macau, according to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Star
26-06-2025
- Politics
- The Star
AI fakes duel over Sara Duterte impeachment in Philippines
MANILA: Days after the Philippine Senate declined to launch the impeachment trial of the country's vice president, two interviews with Filipinos arguing for and against the move went viral. Neither were real. The schoolboys and elderly woman making their cases were AI creations, examples of increasingly sophisticated fakes possible with even basic online tools. "Why single out the VP?", a digitally created boy in a white school uniform asks, arguing that the case was politically motivated. The House of Representatives impeached Sara Duterte in early February on charges of graft, corruption and an alleged assassination plot against former ally and running mate President Ferdinand Marcos. A guilty verdict in the Senate would result in her removal from office and a lifetime ban from Philippine politics. But after convening as an impeachment court on June 10, the senior body immediately sent the case back to the House, questioning its constitutionality. Duterte ally Senator Ronald dela Rosa shared the video of the schoolboys - since viewed millions of times - praising the youths for having a "better understanding of what's happening" than their adult counterparts. The vice president's younger brother Sebastian, mayor of family stronghold Davao, said the clip proved "liberals" did not have the support of the younger generation. When the schoolboys were exposed as digital creations, the vice president and her supporters were unfazed. "There's no problem with sharing an AI video in support of me. As long as it's not being turned into a business," Duterte told reporters. "Even if it's AI... I agree with the point," said Dela Rosa, the one-time enforcer of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte's drug war. The video making the case for impeachment - also with millions of views - depicts an elderly woman peddling fish and calling out the Senate for failing to hold a trial. "You 18 senators, when it's the poor who steal, you want them locked up immediately, no questions asked. But if it's the vice president who stole millions, you protect her fiercely," she says in Tagalog. Both clips bore a barely discernible watermark for the Google video-generation platform Veo. AFP fact-checkers also identified visual inconsistencies, such as overly smooth hair and teeth and storefronts with garbled signage. The man who created the fish peddler video, Bernard Senocip, 34, told AFP it took about five minutes to produce the eight-second clip. Reached via his Facebook page, Senocip defended his work in a video call, saying AI characters allowed people to express their opinions while avoiding the "harsh criticism" frequent on social media. "As long as you know your limitations and you're not misleading your viewers, I think it's fine," he said, noting that - unlike the Facebook version - he had placed a "created by AI" tag on the video's TikTok upload. While AFP has previously reported on websites using hot-button Philippine issues to generate cash, Senocip said his work was simply a way of expressing his political opinions. The schoolboy video's creator, the anonymous administrator of popular Facebook page Ay Grabe, declined to be interviewed but said his AI creations' opinions had been taken from real-life students. AFP, along with other media outlets, is paid by some platforms including Meta, Google and TikTok for work tackling disinformation. Using AI to push viewpoints via seemingly ordinary people can make beliefs seem "more popular than they actually are", said Jose Mari Lanuza of Sigla Research Center, a non-profit organisation that studies disinformation. "In the case of the impeachment, this content fosters distrust not only towards particular lawmakers but towards the impeachment process." While some AI firms have developed measures to protect public figures, Jose Miguelito Enriquez, an associate research fellow at Nanyang Technological University, said the recent Philippine videos were a different animal. "Some AI companies like OpenAI previously committed to prevent users from generating deepfakes of 'real people', including political candidates," he said. "But... these man-on-the-street interviews represent a grey area because technically they are not using the likeness of an actual living person." Crafting realistic "humans" was also getting easier, said Dominic Ligot, founder of Data and AI Ethics PH. "Veo is only the latest in a string of rapidly evolving tools for AI media generation," he said, adding the newest version produced "smoother, more realistic motion and depth compared to earlier AI video models". Google did not reply when AFP asked if they had developed safeguards to prevent Veo from being used to push misinformation. For Ligot, guardrails around the swiftly evolving technology are a must, warning AI was increasingly being used to "influence how real people feel, pressure decision-makers and distort democratic discourse". - AFP
