ATHLETICS-TRINIDAD-Stewart claims silver at World Para Athletics Championships

Trinidad and Tobago’s Akeem Stewart continued his impressive showing at the World Para Athletics Championships by capturing silver in the men’s F44 discus here on Friday.

Competing at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Stewart produced a season’s best throw of 59.64 to finish behind eventual winner, Andres F Mosquera Neira of Colombia, who won gold with a personal best effort of 60.26 metres.

Former Paralympic gold medallist, Dan Greaves of Great Britain was third in 52.42 metres.

The F44 classification is for field athletes, who demonstrate normal functionality with their throwing arm but have lower limb impairments.

During the 2017 edition of the championships, Stewart broke world records in the men’s F44 javelin with a golden effort of 57.32 and in the F44 shot put with a throw measured at 14.08 metres.

CRICKET-IND/WIS-LEAD Jadeja’s all-around brilliance leads India annihilation of West Indies in opening Test

Ravendra Jadeja followed up his unbeaten century with a four-wicket haul as West Indies’ batting capitulated once again to gift India a dominant victory by an innings and 140 runs inside three days in the opening Test here on Saturday.

The all-rounder ended on 104 not out after India declared their innings overnight on 448 for five, leaving the visitors with the mammoth task of having to score 287 runs to make them bat again.

However, Jadeja, who was named Player-of-the-Match, returned to bamboozle the top order with his left-arm spin and help bowl out the West Indies for 146 before tea on the third day and give the home side a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

It was yet another disappointing batting performance by the Windies, and marked the fourth consecutive Test match that they were beaten inside three days, dating back to the three-match Test series against Australia in July.

Left with the unenviable task of having to bat three days to save the match, openers John Campbell and Tagenarine Chanderpaul would have been hoping for lengthy stays at the crease following their failures in the first innings.

But pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj made their short stays at the crease uncomfortable, especially Chanderpaul, who was lucky not to have been dismissed on at least two occasions.

India didn’t have to wait long for the breakthrough though, with Nitish Kumar Reddy pulling off a spectacular catch diving to his left to get rid of Chanderpaul for eight after he skied his pull shot off Siraj to square leg.

Following a similar script from the first innings, Campbell was dismissed soon after when he guided a delivery from Jadeja straight into the hands of Sai Sudharsan at short leg to be out for 14, as West Indies slipped to 24 for two.

Brandon King made just five before his outside edge off Jadeja was snapped up at slip by KL Rahul and the match was all but over when skipper Roston Chase was bewildered by a ball from spinner Kuldeep Yadav that spun past his bat to hit the top of off stump and leave the visitors in tatters at 35 for four.

Sha Hope faced 14 balls for his solitary run before he tried to cut a short delivery from Jadeja and was caught by Yashasvi Jaiswal at short third man to hasten West Indies’ demise at 46 for five.

The pair of Alick Athanaze and Justin Greaves carried their side to lunch without any further losses at 66 for five, but the writing was already on the wall.

They shared a 46-run partnership, the best of the innings, to give West Indies faint hope of possibly pushing the match into a fourth day.

But 12 runs away from a well-deserved half century, Athanaze tried to turn off spinner Washington Sundar into the leg side, but the ball found the leading edge and popped into the air for the bowler to take the simplest of catches.

The Windies then lost the wickets of Greaves for 25 and Jomel Warrican for a duck, in the space of two balls to slump to 98 for eight.

It took the efforts of last man Jayden Seales, who scored a counterattacking 22 off 12 balls, Johann Layne, who scored 14 and Khary Pierre, who ended unbeaten on 13, to get the West Indies up to their eventual total.

The match came to an end when Yadav had Seales caught and bowled, to give India captain Shubman Gill his first Test victory on home soil.

Jadeja ended with figures of 4-54, Siraj took 3-31 and Yadav 2-23.

The second Test match bowls off at Delhi on Friday.

ANTIGUA-POLITICS-Antigua and Barbuda, Sri Lanka establish diplomatic relations

Antigua and Barbuda and Sri Lanka have officially established diplomatic relations, following the signing of an agreement on Friday in Washington, D.C.

The agreement was signed by Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders, and Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the United States, Mahinda Samarasinghe, on behalf of their respective governments.

‘The establishment of diplomatic ties between Antigua and Barbuda and Sri Lanka will enhance the existing friendly relations and cooperation in the political, socio-economic and cultural spheres for the mutual benefit of the two countries,’ said a joint statement from the ministries of the two countries.

The agreement comes as Antigua and Barbuda prepares to host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in 2026. Sri Lanka previously hosted the summit in 2013.

‘Antigua and Barbuda and Sri Lanka can work together to ensure the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting is a success for the Organisation and all member states,’ Ambassador Sanders said.

He said that before CHOGM in Antigua and Barbuda, Prime Minister Gaston Browne was ‘working toward establishing diplomatic relations and visa waiver agreements with as many Commonwealth countries with which such arrangements do not already exist’.

Blue Ribbon cancels October 8 hearing on flood-control projects

The October 8 Senate Blue Ribbon hearing to continue the inquiry into corruption in flood control projects has been cancelled ‘until further notice,’, according to panel chairman Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Saturday, citing several reasons.

Only the one for Oct 8 is cancelled, but the inquiry is not being suspended, his office clarified in response to reporters. This, as speculation – with apparently pro-Duterte camps fueling it – swirled anew, there may be attempts by some quarters to shield former Speaker Martin Romualdez from the fallout.

Lacson had earlier vowed there would be no cover-up and no party, no matter how powerful, would be shielded. Former Senate President Chiz Escudero, in a lengthy, scathing speech last week, had denounced what he saw as the apparent direction of all investigations – to stop before it reaches the former speaker. Escudero accused Romualdez of being behind a ‘script’ that would pin down several senators and other personalities in the ghost and substandard flood-control projects that caused billions in tax money to be plundered.

In a text message shared with reporters on Saturday, Lacson said, ‘Initially, I had scheduled a hearing on Wednesday, Oct. 8, upon the request of Sen JV Ejercito to summon former DPWH RD IVB Paçanan.

‘To maximize the discussions, I checked with the DOJ if the supposed ‘tell-all’ affidavit/s of the Discayas were already available. Corollary to that, I also checked with the office of the executive judge of Manila RTC if they have concluded the investigation on the possible violations of the notarized document involving TSgt [Orly] Guteza and Atty Espera,’ Lacson added.

‘Having been informed that both would not be ready within one week, not to mention that the BRC hearing will conflict with the budget and CA [Commission on Appointment] hearings, I informed SP Sotto of the cancellation until further notice,’ the Senate President Pro Tempore said.

The affidavit of Guteza, whose BRC testimony became controversial because he was brought in by Sen. Rodante Marcoleta without even informing Lacson, became the subject of an investigation of the RTC court after the lawyer whose name was listed as the notary public in his statement claimed her name was used without her consent.

Senate sources explained that even if the chamber adjourns for recess as scheduled on October 10, they can still conduct committee hearings. Only the plenary session is suspended.

American educators train Pinoy teachers in AI and literacy tools

ON September 26 and 27, the Embassy of the United States’ Regional English Language Office (RELO) hosted a two-day intensive training in Mactan, Cebu that equipped 48 educators from various regions with innovative strategies for integrating artificial intelligence (AI) in their classrooms.

American English Language fellows Laura Roach, Maryann Miller, and Michael Schapiro facilitated the professional development session. According to the embassy, they are highly-qualified professionals in US TESOL or Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages selected by the US Department of State for 10-month assignments abroad to support public diplomacy and educational capacity building.

The workshop ‘The Educator’s Edge: Mastering Literacy, AI, and Critical Thought,’ focused on creating an integrated learning module that guides learners from basic language skills to critical thinking skills. The module will serve as a tool for the educators to utilize in their own classrooms and share with their colleagues, creating a multiplier effect in enriched pedagogical practices.

The training also provided hands-on experience to implement American-developed instructional technology. Educators were given a showcase and hands-on experience with six US AI and education technology tools designed to personalize learning and increase classroom efficiency. These will enable teachers to streamline tasks like content creation, assessment, and differentiation, allowing them to focus more on student interaction and critical thought development.

The US Embassy’s Regional English Language Officer Jeff McIlvenna framed the initiative as an investment in a critical bilateral relationship: ‘The paradigm of this activity was specifically designed by our American trainers for the professional development of Filipino educators. This program is a concrete example of the robust bilateral cooperation and shared values [with the Philippines, providing revolutionary techniques, and showcasing American excellence in English teaching in the country].’

The program is the latest in a series of initiatives by the US Embassy’s RELO to support education in the Philippines. American English Language fellows are currently teaching and assisting in projects at Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Southern Leyte State University, and Mariano Marcos State University, actively building long-term collaborations in education.

Coursera sets up tailored, data-backed solution for skills devt across teams

LEADING global online learning platform Coursera Inc. has launched Skill Tracks-a data-backed learning solution mapped to specific occupations that guides learners from foundational knowledge to expert proficiency through verified skill paths.

Powered by Coursera’s Career Graph, which uses millions of labor market data points, third-party competency frameworks, and a proprietary skills taxonomy, Skill Tracks precisely maps the relationships between jobs, skills, and learning content, ensuring organizations can close skill gaps quickly.

Four Skill Tracks are currently available: Software and Product, IT, Data, and GenAI, with more to follow. Each offers a structured learning experience that clearly defines the vital skills and courses employees need at each role and experience level. The solution integrates expert content, hands-on practice, and skills verification, enabling employees to apply new skills immediately and drive measurable business outcomes faster.

With Coursera Skill Tracks, leaders can ensure their teams have the right skills to boost innovation, productivity, and retention.

‘Companies are deploying new technology faster than their people can keep pace, and they need learning solutions that are adaptive and personalized,’ said Coursera CEO Greg Hart. ‘Coursera Skill Tracks deliver a learning experience built around occupations and job tasks, [being a major step in] helping learners master the right skills to grow their careers. By blending technical skills with institutional expertise, hands-on practice, and skill verification, Skill Tracks ensure training is relevant and immediately applicable.’

Skill Tracks are available to existing Coursera customers with access to the full catalog. New customers can purchase Skill Tracks individually or bundled with the full catalog. To learn more about how Coursera Skill Tracks can accelerate skills development, technology adoption, or workforce transformation, visit coursera.org/enterprise.

DepEd grateful for amended & higher fund for education sector

EDUCATION chief Juan Edgardo ‘Sonny’ Angara lauded lawmakers for approving amendments to the proposed 2026 budget that would significantly expand resources for priority education programs.

In a statement, Angara said the additional funding would help ensure the delivery of priority programs and advance quality and inclusive education.

He issued such after the House Committee on Appropriations’ Budget Amendments Review Sub-Committee approved increases aligned with the Department of Education’s (DepEd) budget wishlist, including a P22.5-billion boost for Basic Education Facilities to fast-track the construction, completion, and rehabilitation of classrooms, as well as the procurement of school furniture.

The new allocation also authorizes local government units (LGUs) and public-private partnerships (PPP) to serve as partners in classroom construction.

In Filipino, the Education secretary thanked Congress for increasing the budget for education, highlighting its significance in adding more classrooms, chairs, and feeding programs to improve the situation in our schools.

The School-Based Feeding Program also received P1.88 billion in additional funds, on top of the P11.8 billion under the National Expenditure Program. It will provide nutritious meals to millions of learners in public schools and improve learning outcomes.

Other approved amendments include the Alternative Learning System and Flexible Learning Program: P306 million, Special Needs Education Program: P193 million, Indigenous Peoples Education Program: P79.6 million, and the Madrasah Education Program: P26.25 million.

Under the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning Program or ‘ARAL,’ lawmakers also approved additional support for public-school teachers, including P579.5 million for overload pay and P984 million for the compensation of non-DepEd tutors.

The ARAL program is DepEd’s recovery initiative to support struggling learners through tutorial services.

With additional funds in place, Angara underscored the importance of ensuring swift and proper implementation to deliver immediate results.

He said that the key is to properly implement the programs so that DepEd can catch up with delayed projects that will allow learners and teachers to immediately feel the results.

REVIEW | How far can vivo V60’s telephoto lens really take you?

Mobile photography is no longer a luxury but a basic and essential feature of every modern smartphone. The combination of a main camera, ultra-wide lens, and selfie camera is now standard across most devices, providing users with an immediate entry into photography.

But with the advent of the telephoto lens-a concept gaining new life in the mid-range market-a new horizon of possibilities has opened up. The question remains: How far can a telephoto lens really take you?

As the calendar’s third quarter wraps up, vivo Philippines is signaling a strong finish, launching its latest camera-centric device, the vivo V60, following the release of the V50 just last February.

Known as the company’s dedicated line for imaging innovation, the V60 promises to build on the success of its legacy model. It features a ZEISS-powered camera system, enhanced battery life, and smart AI capabilities designed to elevate the user experience.

After spending a week with the phone, here is my initial review of the vivo V60’s performance.

Design and Build Quality

The Berry Purple variant is, without a doubt, an aesthetic highlight. Its back panel features a frosted matte glass finish-a deliberate choice that emphasizes elegance and sleekness through simplicity, entirely foregoing distracting patterns or gradients. While the finish still catches light smudges when held, they aren’t very evident from a distance.

Coming from a smaller device, the V60’s dimensions of 163.53 × 76.96 × 7.65 mm initially felt substantial in the hand. However, the phone’s weight and balance quickly become manageable. While the width might make one-handed use challenging for some users, the overall grip comfort is excellent and is certainly not a dealbreaker.

The durability of the device is enhanced with the top-grade IP68 and IP69 dust and water resistance ratings. This ensures the phone is resilient against everything from dust exposure and accidental water splashes to rain and even high-pressure water jets, bringing peace of mind for daily use.

Screen and audio experience

As someone who enjoys media consumption on a phone, the vivo V60’s display is surprisingly a highlight of the user experience. The wide-screen ratio, paired with ultra-narrow bezels and a 120 Hz refresh rate, makes the viewing experience fluidly responsive and highly immersive.

The V60’s AMOLED panel delivers high quality thanks to two key technologies: the P3 Cinema-Grade Wide Color Gamut, which provides a significantly broader palette of vivid, accurate colors, and HDR10+ Certification.

This combination ensures content is displayed with a high dynamic range, providing clear detail even in deep blacks and bright highlights, which is crucial for an enjoyable viewing experience of any series or video, supporting up to 4K resolution.

Furthermore, the V60 now boasts an impressive 5,000 nits of peak brightness, a substantial upgrade over its predecessor. This powerful brightness ensures the screen remains perfectly visible even under direct sunlight.

The immersive display is well complemented by the vivo V60’s Dual Stereo Speakers, which offer good audio performance. With speakers positioned on both the top and bottom of the device, the sound output is more even and balanced.

When watching content like live music performances, the sound quality truly shines, delivering good bass response, clear details in harmonies and vocals, and precise separation of instrument tracks.

Crucially, even when the volume is maxed out, the audio quality remains clear and uncompromised, avoiding any harsh or ‘blown-out’ distortion.

Camera performance

The camera system is arguably the highlight of the vivo V60 experience. It is now equipped with a powerful quad-camera array featuring ZEISS-optimized lenses: a 50MP ZEISS OIS Main Camera, a 50MP ZEISS Super Telephoto Camera, an 8MP ZEISS Ultra Wide-Angle Camera, and a 50MP ZEISS Group Selfie Camera.

The 50MP Main Camera delivered consistently high-quality, clear photos in bright conditions, capturing subjects with impressive crispness and detail. As expected, low-light performance saw some compromises; while images remained visible at night, details occasionally appeared softened or pixelated.

The 8MP Ultra Wide-Angle Camera is useful for capturing large groups or expansive landscapes, producing images with good, necessary detail. However, users should note that the ultra-wide sensor, common to most phones, is not the optimal choice for low-light environments, as image details tend to diminish significantly.

The 50MP ZEISS Super Telephoto Camera is the main highlight and a true game-changer in the mid-range category. Leveraging its optical zoom, I was able to capture clear and sharp photos of a volleyball match from a lower box section of the arena.

Pushing the zoom further to 100x still produced decent and recognizable images of the players and their teams from my distant seat. To manage expectations, remember that image quality inherently compromises as the digital zoom level increases, resulting in greater image wash-out and loss of detail.

The telephoto lens is also responsible for the phone’s dedicated Telephoto Portrait feature that introduces new 85mm and 100mm focal lengths. The portraits produced using these settings are noted for their sharpness and crisp details.

The 50MP ZEISS Group Selfie Camera is capable of capturing high-quality individual portraits with clear detail. For group selfies, however, there is a tendency for some faces on the edges to lose sharpness and appear slightly washed out.

Taking videos with the vivo V60 is equally efficient, providing clear visual quality and good accompanying audio.

Battery and Performance

Beyond the fluid 120Hz refresh rate, the vivo V60 delivers responsive and high-performance operation thanks to the powerful Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 processor. This chipset promises a 27% faster CPU and a 30% stronger GPU, which is further supported by a 12GB + 12GB Extended RAM configuration.

In practical use, intensive tasks pose no challenge. Playing graphically demanding games like Mobile Legends with settings maximized to ultra-high graphics was seamless. Furthermore, running multiple applications simultaneously resulted in no noticeable hiccups or lags.

To maintain optimal function during heavy use, the device incorporates an Ultra Large VC Smart Cooling System, which effectively ensures the phone’s temperature remains low during high-performing tasks.

When it comes to battery life, the vivo V60 is powered by a massive 6,500 mAh BlueVolt Battery, offering exceptional longevity regardless of user habits. In a test involving substantial usage-a total of 3 hours and 15 minutes of screen-on time, including 1 hour and 57 minutes of video playback, 19 minutes of gaming, and 26 minutes of camera use-the phone only consumed 30% of its total battery capacity from a full charge.

When it comes to recharging, the V60 proved to be fast, running from 0% to 100% in just 1 hour and 9 minutes.

Smart AI features

Adding more depth to the phone’s overall functionality, the vivo V60 integrates several subtle but useful Smart AI features designed to enhance photography and streamline content creation.

For post-processing, the V60 offers two powerful editing tools. The first is AI Erase 3.0, which allows users to seamlessly remove unwanted objects, people, or imperfections from photos with enhanced precision. The second is AI Magic Move, which enables creative manipulation and movement of elements within the image for easy composition changes directly on the device.

Meanwhile, the V60 also features the AI Image Expander, allowing you to intelligently widen your photos’ surroundings. Complementing this is the AI Four-Season Portrait, which lets you instantly transform the seasonal backdrop of your portraits for added ambiance effects.

In terms of capture assistance, the V60 features the AI Aura Light. Though slightly smaller than the one on its predecessor, the V50, this intelligent lighting system still effectively analyzes the scene and adjusts the intensity and color temperature of the rear flash.

With its smooth display, optimized performance, and exceptional battery life, the vivo V60 is already a strong value-for-money contender in the midrange market. However, its versatile set of cameras might just set this phone apart from its competitors. The Super Telephoto lens not only takes you far by capturing sharp details from extreme distances, but it also elevates your entire mobile photography experience, pushing capabilities far beyond typical midrange expectations.

The vivo V60 phones are priced at Php 28,999 for the 12 GB+256 GB variant, and Php 30,999 for the 12GB+512GB variant. Both are available for purchase at authorized Vivo stores nationwide. You can also check out online via the vivo e-store, Shopee, and TikTok Shop.

Globe Business G Fair 2025: Accelerating growth of new generation of Filipino entrepreneurs

AS part of Globe’s 10th year of 917 GDay celebrations, Globe Business hosted G Fair 2025, a two-day event that celebrated Filipino craftsmanship while elevating its commitment to local entrepreneurs. Held at the BGC Amphitheater in Taguig from September 19 to 20, the fair drew thousands of attendees and served as a dynamic platform where commerce and learning seamlessly intertwined.

Now in its third year, G Fair has evolved into a comprehensive program that goes beyond a traditional pop-up market. This year, the event was enhanced with a strong focus on empowering entrepreneurs for the future, providing valuable resources for digital transformation and sustainable growth through a dedicated SME Consultation Booth and a series of upskilling talks and learning sessions.

‘This year’s G Fair was built on the momentum of past years by creating an ecosystem that empowers entrepreneurs with tools, knowledge and networks to thrive,’ said KD Dizon, head of Globe Business. ‘It’s a space to celebrate homegrown talent while equipping them to succeed in the digital economy.’ This two-pronged mission was evident across the fairgrounds, from the bustling retail space to the dedicated learning hub. Attendees enjoyed interactive activities and exclusive raffle prizes, all while directly supporting local talent.

Meanwhile, the G Fair Business Hub served as the central point for entrepreneurial empowerment. Business owners had the invaluable opportunity to consult with and learn from a diverse group of experts. This included partners from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Go Negosyo, as well as tech industry leaders GCash, Lazada, and TikTok. Discussions centered on how SMEs can scale through fintech, e-commerce, and social media, while merchant panels offered insights on balancing heritage with innovation and turning passions into sustainable livelihoods.

Following last year’s strong turnout, G Fair 2025 further cemented its role as a catalyst for Filipino SMEs to grow and connect with wider audiences. It stands as a testament to the power of supporting homegrown talent and ensuring they are equipped to succeed in the digital economy.

Fortinet named leader in 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Hybrid Mesh Firewall

THE global cybersecurity leader driving the convergence of networking and security, Fortinet has been recognized as a Leader in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Hybrid Mesh Firewall (HMF) and was positioned highest for Ability to Execute.

As a leader in the inaugural Gartner Magic Quadrant for Hybrid Mesh Firewall, Fortinet is now recognized in 12 Gartner Magic Quadrant reports. Powered by custom-built ASICs for accelerated performance, and FortiOS, a single operating system unifying hardware and virtual deployments, Fortinet solutions comprise a truly converged networking and security platform. Fortinet appliance, virtual, and cloud-native firewalls are built for today’s network complexity, securing environments that span data centers, clouds, remote edges, and constantly shifting workloads.

‘Being recognized as a leader in the inaugural Gartner Magic Quadrant for Hybrid Mesh Firewall and placed highest in Ability to Execute, validates our commitment to delivering convergence and best-of-breed security with FortiOS everywhere. With FortiAI innovations, integrated SOC, and early adoption of post-quantum cryptography, Fortinet continues to set the standard for protecting organizations across hybrid, dynamic environments,’ said Nirav Shah, senior vice president of products and solutions at Fortinet.

Customers can confidently partner with Fortinet, knowing they are investing in a vendor that combines long-standing leadership with forward-looking advancements in AI-driven automation and quantum-resistant security. Fortinet FortiGate firewalls deliver integrated security, AI-powered innovation, and flexible licensing to help organizations confidently secure hybrid environments.