Inquirer

HONG KONG — Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators crammed into Hong Kong’s streets on Sunday, their chants echoing off high-rises, in a mass show of support for a protest movement that shows no signs of flagging as it enters its seventh month. Chanting “Fight for freedom” and “Stand with Hong Kong,” a sea of protesters formed a huge human snake winding for blocks on Hong Kong Island, from the Causeway Bay shopping district to the Central business zone, a distance of more than 2 kilometers (1 1/4 miles). The crowds were so large and dense that the march ground to a standstill at times. Protesters spilled into narrow side streets, crying “Revolution in our times.” One proteste…

Keep on reading: Thousands march as Hong Kong protests near half-year mark

NEW DELHI — Indian authorities were investigating the cause of a devastating fire that killed at least 43 people in a factory in central New Delhi early Sunday, as relatives of the workers who were trapped inside waited outside a hospital mortuary to identify the dead. Firefighters had to fight the blaze from 100 meters away because it broke out in one of the area’s many alleyways, tangled in electrical wire and too narrow for vehicles to access, authorities said. A resident of the area, Mohammed Naushad, said he was woken by people wailing at around 4:30 a.m. He went outside to find smoke and flames shooting out of a building near Sadar Bazaar, New Delhi’s largest wholesale …

Keep on reading: Devastating factory fire kills at least 43 in Indian capital

American musician Billie Eilish has just unveiled a short video for a track taken from her recent album “When We All Fall Asleep”. The pop prodigy returns with a video forher single “xanny” which she directed herself. The visual begins with the young woman sitting on a bench in a completely white room. Thereafter there are disturbing scenes in which she remains passive while anonymous hands stub out cigarettes in her face.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZyybvVx-js   This latest video concludes a remarkable year for the 17-year old singer, who recently won theNew Artist of the Year and the Favorite Artist — Alternative Rock titles at the American Music A…

Keep on reading: WATCH: Billie Eilish makes directorial debut with video for ‘xanny’

Robbie Williams on Friday equaled Elvis Presley’s record for the most United Kingdom No. 1 albums by a solo artist, with his new collection of festive songs. “The Christmas Present” was the British pop star’s 13th No. 1 solo album. The Beatles hold the overall record with 15. Williams also scored four chart-topping albums with his old band Take That, taking his personal haul to 17. Only Beatles members Paul McCartney (22) and John Lennon (18) have scored more number ones in total across their careers, with Williams drawing level with the band’s lead guitarist George Harrison on 17. “It’s an incredible achievement and means more to me than any of the other albums that I’ve…

Keep on reading: Take that, Elvis! Robbie Williams equals UK album chart record

CLARK FREEPORT, Philippines — Korean Air (KE) has drawn more travelers to the Clark International Airport (CRK) since it mounted daily flights here on Oct. 27, an official said. KE has sold up to 71% of seats in its A330-300 aircraft, which can carry up to 276 passengers, according to Cheol Lee, KE Manila regional manager. The plane is the biggest aircraft being used in CRK so far. It arrives from Incheon International Airport (ICN) at 11:10 a.m. and leaves CRK at 1:10 p.m. Lee expects sales in CRK to further increase due to KE’s very short connection time to cities in the United States, Europe and China, which he describes as the airline’s biggest advantage. The shortes…

Keep on reading: Korean Air’s seat sales in Clark rise to 71%

“Adore You” will appear on Harry Styles’ upcoming sophomore solo album, “Fine Line”, which will arrive on Dec. 13. Ahead of the album release, the former One Direction member unveiled the cinematic video for his latest single, which was directed by Grammy Award-winning filmmaker Dave Meyers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=yezDEWako8U&feature=emb_logo The video, narrated by none other than Spanish sensation Rosala, tells the story of an outcast boy in the fictional island of Eroda, who is ostracized because of his dazzling smile. “The Boy was peculiar from the moment he entered the world. No one ever meant to be mean towards him, but in a town grown us…

Keep on reading: WATCH: Harry Styles in fictional island Eroda for video of ‘Adore You’

MANILA, Philippines(Updated) — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced on Sunday that “water jeepney” rides will be free for one month starting on Dec. 9 (Monday). In a statement, DOTr said the water jeepney rides for the route for Cavite-Manila and vice versa is free from Dec. 9 this year to Jan. 31, 2020. The route is from Cavite City to Manila Ferry Service in Lawton, Manila. DOTr earlier announced that the free rides will run for one month from Dec. 9 to Jan. 9, 2020. But after negotiations by Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade to stakeholders, free rides were extended until Jan. 31. https://twitter.com/DOTrPH/status/1203499428725714944 This was made possib…

Keep on reading: DOTr: Free ‘water jeepney’ rides from Cavite-Manila on Dec. 9 to Jan. 31

NEW CLARK CITY — The Blu Girls delivered the gold medal in women’s softball with a clean sweep of all their opponents for their 10th Southeast Asian Games title. The Nationals have won every single time softball was played in the biennial meet. On Sunday, they capped their yet another run with an 8-0 rout of Indonesia at The Villages in Mabalacat. “Of all the softball titles by the Blu Girls this is the easiest and the sweetest,” said team manager Randy Dizer. “It’s because we played in our home court, that’s the biggest thing.” Dizer also thanked Philippine Sports Commission and the Amateur Softball Association-Philippines which helped grant them foreign exposures. …

Keep on reading: SEA Games: PH Blu Girls sweep their way to softball gold

LUCENA CITY — A gun-wielding suspected drug pusher and his companion were arrested in a police operation in Sariaya town in Quezon province on Saturday night, police said Sunday. Anti-illegal drugs operatives nabbed Rodolfo Manalo Jr., 46, and Jaime Calison, 43, after the two sold “shabu” (crystal meth) to a police agent in Barangay (village) Sto. Cristo around 9:20 p.m. The third suspect, Rowin Abu, managed to escape and evade arrest. The arrested suspects yielded two plastic sachets of shabu worth P1,880 in the street. Authorities reportedly seized a caliber .45 pistol and one magazine with four bullets from Manalo. Police said drug syndicates were supplying firearms to so…

Keep on reading: 2 suspected drug pushers fall, yield firearm in Quezon

VIENNA — The powerful Opec group of oil producers and its allies reached a deal Friday to cut production by 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) in a bid to stem prices which have been under pressure from abundant reserves and weak global economic growth.   Friday’s so-called Opec+ meeting included Russia, the world’s second-largest oil producer and not a member of the cartel.   It ended with a deal for a cut effective as of Jan. 1 which sets an output target 1.7 million barrels per day lower than October 2018 levels, with Saudi Arabia and Russia making almost half the additional reductions between them.   In a surprise move, the bloc also announced that sever…

Keep on reading: Opec makes deeper cuts in oil production