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Fully decked out PROLED XDR MacBook Pro is more than P1M

Apple has recently announced the new MacBook Pro PROLED XDR Display that comes with something many users have been wanting – a touch screen.

Available in 14- and 16-inch models, the new MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display features up to 2000 nits peak HDR and SDR brightness, 10,000,000:1 contrast ratio, a 120Hz variable refresh rate, and a wider color gamut covering both P3 and Adobe RGB.

Touch screen for the first time

The new MacBook Pro features Touch for the first time. Users can scroll through a webpage with a swipe; pinch to zoom in on a photo; drag and drop slides from one presentation to another; and double-tap a window to fill the screen, or flick to tile it into place. The touch sensor is built directly into the display panel – not layered on top of it – reducing latency so users feel like they’re touching the content itself.

Fully decked out

Just for kicks we decked out the new touch screen MacBook Pro with the highest chipset, memory, storage, and apps. The total cost ramped up to more than 1 million pesos. We chose the M5 Max Chip with the 18-core CPU and 40-core GPU, a display with Nano-texture glass that bumps the cost up by almost P10,000, 128GB of unified memory. 16TB of storage, abd copies of both Final Cut Pro (P19,990) and Logic Pro (P12,990) preinstalled. There’s also the option for Apple Care protection plan to insure your P1M device.

Joking aside, the base model of the PROLED XDR Display MacBook Pro is roughly 1/5 of that cost starting at P203,990 with the Education plan.

Nature Is Our Natural Insurance: The Economic Value of Forests, Wetlands and Mangroves

When a cyclone approaches a coastline, most people think about concrete: sea walls, drainage canals, reinforced roofs. Fewer think about the belt of mangroves standing quietly at the water’s edge, or the marsh behind the town that soaks up rain before it reaches anyone’s doorstep. Yet these living systems do some of the most valuable work in the economy, and yes, they do it all free of charge.

Protection that grows on its own

Insurance is something we pay for in the hope we never need it. Healthy ecosystems work like a policy that renews itself. Mangrove forests slow incoming waves with their dense tangle of roots and trunks. Studies have found that a wide, healthy mangrove belt can cut wave height dramatically, which means less erosion and less damage to homes, roads, and farmland behind it. Mangroves protect millions of people from flooding each year and prevent tens of billions of dollars in property damage worldwide.

Compare that with the alternative. Building and maintaining a hard sea wall is expensive, and the cost climbs every time the sea level rises or a storm damages a section. A wall also does nothing for fish or birds, and it does not grow stronger with age. A mangrove forest, once established, repairs itself, traps sediment and can even build land upward as the water rises.

Sponges, filters and shock absorbers

Wetlands do something equally useful inland. Marshes, floodplains and paddy lands behave like enormous sponges. During heavy rain, they hold water and release it slowly, which softens flood peaks downstream. When towns fill in wetlands for housing or industry, the water has nowhere to go, and it ends up in streets and living rooms instead. Many cities have learned this the hard way. Colombo’s low-lying marshes, for example, have long served as a buffer for the capital, and the flooding that follows when such areas are built over shows what that buffer was worth.

Wetlands also filter pollutants and improve water quality, which lowers the cost of treating drinking water. A town that protects the forest and wetland above its reservoir often spends far less on treatment than one that lets the catchment decay.

Forests add their own layer. Tree roots hold soil on slopes, reducing landslides and keeping silt out of rivers and tanks. Canopies slow rainfall and let it soak into the ground. Hill country communities in Sri Lanka know the cost of bare slopes all too well, because every monsoon brings reminders of what happens when vegetation is stripped away.

Carbon in the bank

There is also the climate argument. Forests, peatlands and mangroves store huge amounts of carbon in their trees and soils. Coastal ecosystems are especially interesting, because the waterlogged mud beneath mangroves and seagrass can lock carbon away for centuries. When these places are cleared or drained, that carbon is released back into the atmosphere. Protecting them is one of the cheapest ways to keep emissions out of the air, and in some countries it can even generate income through carbon markets, as long as the projects are honest and well monitored.

Fish, tourism and daily livelihoods

Mangroves and seagrass beds act as nurseries for fish, prawns and crabs. Take away the nursery and the catch offshore declines a few seasons later.

Tourism tells a similar story. Visitors travel to see coral reefs, rainforests, lagoons and wildlife. A clean beach backed by green vegetation is worth far more to a hotel than one eroded and littered with debris. Boat safaris through mangrove channels, birdwatching in wetlands and hiking in cloud forests all depend on the health of the places being sold. Damage the scenery, and you slowly damage the business.

The cost of losing it

The world has been losing these natural assets for decades. Roughly a third of the world’s mangroves have disappeared over the past half century, cleared for shrimp farms, ports, resorts and firewood. Wetlands have declined even faster in many regions. The losses rarely appear in national accounts. A cleared mangrove is counted as a gain for the shrimp farm, while the lost flood protection, lost fisheries and lost carbon storage show up later, spread across other people, often poorer ones.

That accounting gap explains why short-term profits keep beating long-term value. The person who clears the forest earns the money. The community downstream pays for the floods. Without a way to make that cost visible, the damage looks cheap.

Restoration pays back

The encouraging part is that restoration works, and often at a good price. Replanting mangroves can cost far less than building engineered defences, and the benefits arrive in several forms at once: safer shorelines, better fish catches, new tourism opportunities and stored carbon. Projects that involve local people tend to last longest, because communities who earn from a healthy mangrove or wetland have good reasons to guard it. Success also depends on small details, such as choosing the right species and restoring natural water flow rather than just pushing seedlings into unsuitable mud.

Governments and businesses can help by counting nature in their budgets, protecting wetlands from reckless development, and rewarding landowners who keep ecosystems intact. Insurers and banks are beginning to ask whether a project damages the natural defences that lower its own risk.

Nature will not rescue us from every storm. But it is the cheapest, most flexible and most durable form of cover we have, and unlike most policies, it improves the longer we keep it.

SELF disburses Sh138 billion in loans, supports 262,000 jobs

The state-owned SELF Microfinance Fund has disbursed Sh138 billion in loans over the past three years, reaching more than 130,000 Tanzanians and supporting over 262,000 jobs.

The fund says it combines direct lending with partnerships and local microfinance institutions to reach small traders and entrepreneurs who often struggle to access conventional bank financing.

Its loan repayment rate stood at 95.5 percent at the end of September 2026, exceeding its target of 95 percent. However, its portfolio at risk was eight percent, reflecting challenges associated with lending to businesses whose earnings can fluctuate. Speaking yesterday at a meeting with editors and journalists from various media houses, Chief executive officer Santiel Manongi said the fund was working with local microfinance institutions to reach borrowers in areas where it had no branches. The approach allows SELF to work with lenders familiar with local businesses and economic activities instead of establishing offices in every location.

‘Instead of travelling to Mbinga, for example, we can identify a financial institution operating there that knows the people and their economic activities,’ he said.

Bajajis create opportunities for young entrepreneurs

SELF is also using asset financing to help young people establish income-generating businesses, particularly those without substantial collateral or established credit histories.

Ms Manongi said the fund finances three-wheeled vehicles, commonly known as bajajis, which borrowers can use to generate income while the vehicles serve as security for their loans.

Management cited a borrower in Iringa who financed six bajajis and closely monitored the operators to ensure repayments were made.

The programme forms part of a broader lending strategy supporting employment in agriculture, trade and other economic activities. Management clarified that the reported 262,000 jobs span several sectors and are not attributable to bajaji financing alone.

Agricultural loans face repayment challenges

Despite the reported repayment performance, management acknowledged that some borrowers struggle to meet their obligations when businesses underperform or agricultural harvests fall short of expectations.

Mbeya was cited as one of the areas facing challenges with agricultural loan repayments, partly because farmers’ ability to repay depends on their harvests.

To address the risks, SELF said it was strengthening credit assessments and providing financial education to borrowers before loans were issued.

Management also urged borrowers to maintain good credit histories, warning that unpaid digital loans could affect their records with credit reference bureaus and limit access to future financing.

Where borrowers encounter difficulties, the fund may extend repayment periods or restructure loans before resorting to selling collateral, management said.

Portfolio at risk measures loans that have fallen overdue for a specified period and require closer monitoring. The eight percent recorded at the end of September does not necessarily mean that all the loans involved have been lost.

Fund reports Sh3.19 billion profit

SELF reported cumulative net profits of Sh3.19 billion over the three-year period from 2023 to 2026 and paid Sh490 million in dividends to the Treasury Registrar.

The institution has also been allocated part of the government’s Sh200 billion special microcredit initiative, with disbursements expected to begin in the next financial year.

The fund faces the challenge of extending credit to more underserved entrepreneurs while maintaining repayment discipline and ensuring public funds continue to support viable businesses and sustainable employment.

PCG logs over 80,000 passengers at ports nationwide ahead of Undas

More than 80,000 passengers passed through ports nationwide on Thursday, as Filipinos traveled ahead of the observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported.

In its latest tally covering noon to 6 p.m., the PCG recorded 40,503 outbound passengers and 43,593 inbound passengers.

The PCG said it deployed a total of 6,082 frontline personnel to ensure the safety in ports amid the expected surge of passengers during Undas.

It added that it already inspected 526 vessels and 441 motor bancas.

All PCG districts, stations, and sub-stations have been placed on heightened alert from Oct. 29 to Nov. 3.

According to the Philippine Ports Authority, more than 1.9 million passengers are expected to pass through ports across the country to head to their home provinces for the long weekend

Man dead in Bataan blaze

A 29- year old man died when he failed to escape from his burning house in Barangay Wakas, at Pilar town in Bataan province on Thursday noon (Oct. 29).

Police said the victim’s 69-year-old father who is also a person with a disability was lucky enough to rush out of the burning house.

Reports said the fire originated from burning garbage near the house.

Days earlier, residents said a snake was spotted in a pile of trash composed of dried leaves and wood but they failed catch the reptile prompting them to set the area on fire.

The Bureau of Fire Protection personnel declared the hour-long fire had been put out despite having difficulties penetrating the crowded residential area.

OYSIEC releases final list of candidates for council polls

The Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) on Tuesday released the final list of candidates for the December 29 local government elections.

The list was presented at a meeting with Electoral Officers (EOs) and Assistant Electoral Officers (AEOs) at the commission’s headquarters in Ibadan.

OYSIEC Chairman, Dr Afees Adeniyi, directed that the list be displayed immediately at the commission’s offices across the state.

Adeniyi said the commission had made significant progress towards conducting the third consecutive council elections under the present administration.

‘Nine out of the 15 activities in the final revised election timetable and schedule of activities for the election have been carried out successfully,’ he said.

He assured stakeholders that they would be involved in the electoral process to ensure successful conduct of the elections.

Adeniyi spoke while responding to questions and observations raised during the meeting.

He commended Governor Seyi Makinde for his interest in the elections and approval of funds for the exercise.

‘This meeting is to brainstorm and ensure there is no communication gap between us.

‘The commission has worked on the final list of candidates submitted by political parties accordingly,’ he said.

The Chairman of the Electoral Officers Forum, Dr Olusegun Odekunle, pledged the commitment of electoral officers to the successful conduct of the elections.

Odekunle commended the commission for its efforts on allowances and other welfare packages for electoral officers and their assistants, as approved by the state government.

Taking medicines without medical advice? 10 common drugs you should not misuse

Medicines are meant to treat illness, relieve symptoms and improve quality of life. But when they are taken without proper advice, used for too long or taken in higher doses than recommended, they can cause serious problems.

In Nigeria, it is not uncommon for people to keep medicines at home and use them whenever a familiar symptom returns. A person may take an antibiotic for a fever, continue a painkiller for weeks because the pain has not gone away, or use a steroid cream repeatedly because it worked on a previous skin problem.

The fact that a medicine is commonly used does not mean it is harmless.

Some medicines can damage the liver or kidneys when misused. Others can cause stomach bleeding, nerve problems, serious infections or dependence. Antibiotics can also contribute to antimicrobial resistance when they are taken unnecessarily.

In this article, Tribune Online explores 10 common medicines that should not be taken casually or used beyond recommended instructions.

Paracetamol

Paracetamol is one of the most widely used medicines for pain and fever. It is generally safe when taken at the recommended dose, but taking too much can cause severe liver damage and, in serious cases, liver failure or death.

One problem is that people may unknowingly take paracetamol from more than one medicine. Some cough, cold and flu preparations also contain paracetamol, so taking them together with additional paracetamol tablets can result in an overdose.

People should therefore check the active ingredients of medicines before combining them. A person who thinks they have taken more paracetamol than recommended should seek medical help promptly, even if they feel well. Symptoms of overdose may not appear immediately.

Diclofenac

Diclofenac is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug commonly used for pain and inflammation.

It can be effective, but taking high doses or using it for a prolonged period can increase the risk of serious side effects, including stomach ulcers and bleeding. NSAIDs can also cause kidney problems in some people.

People with kidney disease, stomach ulcers, certain heart conditions or other risk factors may need to avoid diclofenac or use it only under medical supervision. It is also not advisable to combine diclofenac with other NSAIDs such as ibuprofen or naproxen unless specifically advised by a healthcare professional.

Using more painkillers because the original dose is no longer relieving the pain may simply mask an underlying condition while increasing the risk of harm.

Ibuprofen

Ibuprofen is another popular painkiller used for headaches, toothache, body pains and inflammation. Although it is available without prescription in many places, it can cause problems when taken inappropriately. High doses or prolonged use can increase the risk of stomach ulcers or bleeding and kidney problems.

The risk may be greater in people who already have kidney disease, stomach problems or certain other medical conditions. Taking ibuprofen together with another NSAID can also increase the risk of side effects. People should therefore check with a pharmacist or doctor before combining pain medicines.

Omeprazole

Omeprazole reduces stomach acid and is commonly used for heartburn, acid reflux and some stomach conditions. Because it is effective, some people continue taking it for months or years without reviewing whether they still need it. Long-term proton pump inhibitor use has been associated with low magnesium levels in some patients. Severe low magnesium can cause muscle spasms, seizures and abnormal heart rhythms.

Long-term use has also been linked in some studies and regulatory reviews with bone fracture risk, although the risk appears to be much less of a concern when over-the-counter treatment is used as directed for short periods. People who have been taking omeprazole for a long time should discuss continued use with a healthcare professional rather than stopping or continuing it indefinitely on their own.

Metronidazole

Metronidazole is used to treat certain bacterial and parasitic infections. It is not a general-purpose medicine for every stomach upset, diarrhoea or infection. One reason it should not be taken casually is that prolonged use has been associated with peripheral neuropathy, which can cause numbness, tingling, burning sensations or weakness.

Unnecessary antibiotic use can also contribute to antimicrobial resistance, making some infections harder to treat in the future. People should not keep leftover metronidazole and use it whenever they develop diarrhoea or abdominal discomfort. The cause of such symptoms needs to be established before treatment is chosen.

Ciprofloxacin

Ciprofloxacin belongs to a group of antibiotics called fluoroquinolones. These medicines can cause serious adverse effects, including tendinitis and tendon rupture. They have also been associated with peripheral neuropathy, which may cause pain, burning, tingling, numbness or weakness. In some cases, these effects can be long-lasting or irreversible.

The risk of tendon problems is particularly important in older people and in people taking corticosteroids, among other risk groups. Ciprofloxacin should therefore not be treated as an ordinary medicine for every infection. Antibiotics should be selected according to the suspected or confirmed infection and professional medical advice.

Betamethasone

Betamethasone is a corticosteroid used in different forms to control inflammation and certain skin conditions. The problem begins when people use steroid medicines without knowing what is causing their symptoms. A steroid may reduce redness, itching or swelling while allowing an underlying infection to continue.

Repeated or prolonged use can also cause other steroid-related problems, depending on the strength, formulation, amount used and part of the body treated.This is particularly important with steroid creams.

A person may see an itchy skin rash improve temporarily and assume the condition has been cured, when the steroid has only suppressed the inflammation. Steroids should therefore be used for the condition they are intended to treat and for the duration recommended by a healthcare professional.

Clonazepam

Clonazepam belongs to a group of medicines called benzodiazepines. It may be prescribed for conditions including certain seizure disorders, panic disorder and muscle spasms.

It can cause drowsiness and, when used for longer periods, the body can become dependent on it.

People who have taken clonazepam for more than a few weeks may need a gradual reduction in dose rather than stopping suddenly. So longer use of clonazepam is capable of causing addiction.

Stopping it abruptly after prolonged use can cause withdrawal symptoms. Clonazepam can also interact with other medicines that cause drowsiness, including some strong painkillers. Alcohol can further increase its sedative effects. It should never be borrowed from another person or used simply because someone feels anxious or is having difficulty sleeping.

Amoxicillin

Amoxicillin is a commonly prescribed antibiotic and is useful for certain bacterial infections.

However, it does not treat viral illnesses such as most common colds and many cases of flu. Taking it whenever someone has a fever, cough or sore throat is therefore not a safe approach.

Unnecessary antibiotic use exposes the person to possible side effects without providing a benefit. It also contributes to antimicrobial resistance, which occurs when bacteria become less responsive to medicines used against them.

Another problem is keeping unfinished antibiotics and using them later for a different illness. The correct antibiotic, dose and duration depend on the infection and the individual patient.

Steroid tablets

Prednisolone and similar corticosteroids can be very useful in treating inflammation, allergic reactions and several other medical conditions.

But they are powerful medicines and should not be taken casually.

Prolonged or repeated steroid use can affect the body’s normal immune and hormonal functions. It can also make a person more vulnerable to infections and cause other complications depending on the dose and duration of treatment.

Another important issue is stopping suddenly after prolonged treatment. Some people need their dose reduced gradually under medical supervision rather than stopping abruptly.

Steroids should therefore be taken only for an appropriate medical reason and according to the prescribed instructions.

Halloween with MELBET: Spin the Mystical Wheel and Catch Prizes!

On Halloween, everyone’s out hunting ghosts again. Why waste your time when there are prizes from MELBET? Spin the Mystical Wheel in the Halloween Lucky Spin promo and win an iPhone 17 Pro Max! The pumpkins won’t be the only things turning green with envy this Halloween; even Michael Myers will be jealous.

Go to the promo page on the website or in the app,

Click Take Part,

and replenish your account.

That’s how the excitement begins. Want to try your luck at slots? Select Casino/Fast Games. Are you better at reading the game than anyone else? Spin Sports. You can switch wheels after every spin. Spin one, then move on to another. The wheels won’t be jealous.

What you can win

The grand prize is an iPhone 17 Pro Max 256 GB. It’s hidden in the super sector. Each wheel has a super sector. There’s a different set of prizes around it on each wheel:

Sports: free bets ranging from pound 1 to pound 10 and 50 to 500 bonus points for the Promo Code Store;

Casino/Fast Games: free bets in Fast Games ranging from pound 1 to pound 5, 1 to 5 Lucky Wheel spins, and 20 to 50 FS in the Casino.

There’s also a Haunted sector, which is empty. Ghosts – what can you expect from them?

How many chances will you get?

In the Halloween Lucky Spin, MELBET gives you up to five chances a day: one spin per hour. The larger your deposit, the more spins you receive.

Halloween isn’t scary. What’s frightening is missing out on our fiery promo. The offer runs from October 24 through October 31. Join in and see what prizes are hiding on the other side!

Nickel production likely to stay flat this year

Philippine nickel producers expect production to remain relatively unchanged this year, as erratic weather conditions and subdued global prices continue to impact the country’s mining industry.

Philippine Nickel Industry Association (PNIA) president Dante Bravo said the sector is unlikely to see a significant increase in output in 2026, partly because unpredictable rainfall is disrupting mining activities.

In 2025, the volume of nickel ore meant for direct shipping rose 5.6 percent to 37.81 million dry metric tons (DMT), while the value of nickel ore output fell 18.1 percent to P69.36 billion.

Additionally, both volume and value improved significantly in the first half of 2026, with nickel direct shipping ore output up 25.6 percent to 19.24 DMT and its value surging 47.5 percent to P42.18 billion.

Asked whether nickel production could surpass its 2025 level, Bravo said he was uncertain but expected output to remain broadly stable. ‘I’m not sure of that one. Because the weather is erratic,’ he told reporters.

Consequently, nickel prices have also remained under pressure, Bravo said, limiting the industry’s prospects for stronger production growth.

He added that competition among buyers could help support prices, particularly as Indonesia continues to expand its processing capacity.

‘If you’re just going to China, then the tendency is that there are situations in the past where they can control the price. But now if there’s competition between two countries, the price is stable,’ he said.

Beyond raw ore exports, PNIA is pursuing closer cooperation with Indonesian mining groups to attract investments in domestic nickel processing.

Furthermore, Bravo said the proposed collaboration could allow Philippine miners to produce semi-finished nickel products for further processing in Indonesia, where lower energy costs and established industrial facilities provide an advantage.

At the same time, initial discussions have included sharing market information and developing training opportunities for Filipino engineers and metallurgists.

Meanwhile, the industry is also seeking to attract investors from other countries looking to secure reliable access to critical minerals, particularly for batteries and other advanced technologies.

However, Bravo stressed that such investments would depend on their commercial viability and a predictable regulatory environment.

Still, the Philippines holds an estimated $170 billion in nickel deposits, among the largest in Southeast Asia. The country has approximately 4.8 million metric tons of nickel reserves. Most of the companies export nickel as raw ore.

Davao de Oro military ready to help police hunt Bato dela Rosa

The Philippine Army’s 10th Infantry Division (10ID) said on Thursday it is ready to help police arrest Sen. Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa, whose one-week ultimatum to surrender ends on Friday.

The former national police chief is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity during the bloody war on drugs during the Duterte administration.

Maj. Ruben Gadut, 10ID spokesperson, said their division is prepared to provide critical intelligence and logistical support to the Philippine National Police (PNP) in the high-stakes pursuit of dela Rosa,

The 10ID’s area of operation (AOR) covers the Davao Region, where dela Rosa is a native.

In a Viber message to the Inquirer, Gadut deferred operational specifics to police leadership while confirming no sightings of dela Rosa in the Davao Region.

‘This is a matter of law enforcement. The PNP should be the appropriate agency to release statements [on the manhunt],’ Gadut said.

He corroborated statements made by the Police Regional Office-11 (PRO-11) during a media briefing at the Mandaya Hotel in Davao City on Wednesday.

‘About sightings, PRO-11 stated yesterday in a media presscon at the Mandaya Hotel that there were no sightings in their AOR. I think that would suffice, coming from the PNP,’ Gadut added.

Last October 23, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla gave dela Rosa one week to surrender. He also announced a P50 million reward for the senator’s arrest.

Dela Rosa’s camp – led by legal counsel Israelito Torreon – warned that the P50-million bounty could spur vigilante action against the senator.

Torreon also assailed the bounty, saying that the senator is not wanted under Philippine laws.

Dela Rosa’s former commander-in-chief, ex-President Rodrigo Duterte, remains detained at the ICC Detention Center in The Hague, awaiting the opening of his trial on November 30 over the deadly war on drugs