Philippines showers gymnast Carlos Yulo with praises, gifts after double Olympic gold

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Updated 05 August 2024
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Philippines showers gymnast Carlos Yulo with praises, gifts after double Olympic gold

Philippines showers gymnast Carlos Yulo with praises, gifts after double Olympic gold
  • Yulo is the first Filipino to win two golds at a single Olympics
  • Athlete dedicated victory to ‘Filipino people who supported me’

MANILA: From ordinary citizens, government officials to local brands, Filipinos are celebrating gymnast Carlos Edriel Yulo’s historic double gold medal win at the Paris Olympics with high praises and pledges of gifts — including a hero’s parade, a new home and a lifetime supply of ramen.

Yulo earned the Philippines its first-ever Olympic medal in gymnastics when he won the men’s floor exercise final at the Paris Games on Saturday, making him only the second Filipino athlete to win an Olympic gold, after weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz in 2020.

The 24-year-old scooped his second gold medal in as many days after he soared to the top of the podium in the men’s vault event, becoming the first Filipino and Southeast Asian to win two golds at a single Olympics.

“No words can express how proud we are of you, Caloy. You have achieved gold for the Philippines not once, but twice,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Facebook, using the athlete’s nickname.

“Filipinos all over the world stood united, cheering and rooting for you.”

Before this year’s Olympics, Yulo’s accolades had included winning gold in 2019 and 2021 at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championship, five golds at the 2022 Southeast Asian Games and another three at the Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championship.

Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna said on Monday that the city will hold a hero’s parade for Yulo, the date of which will be announced later.

The Philippine government will hand Yulo 10 million Philippine pesos ($172,750) – a reward promised to any gold medalists.

The House of Representatives has also pledged to give the gymnast an additional 6 million pesos in cash incentives, as the speaker of the lower house, Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, called him a “once-in-a-century Filipino athlete.”

He said: “Caloy’s achievements have not only brought glory to the Philippines, but have also highlighted the potential of our athletes to excel in the international arena.

“We will continue to support and invest in our sports programs to nurture and develop more world-class athletes like Caloy. His success is a shining example of hope and a source of inspiration for all of us.”

Private sector companies, big and small, have also announced a flurry of gifts for Yulo, including offers of free lifetime ramen from a Japanese restaurant in Calasiao and free baked mac and cheese for life from a Manila-based eatery.

A real estate firm has promised him a fully furnished, three-bedroom condominium at McKinley Hill, the largest condominium development in the Manila metropolitan area, while a Filipino doctor has pledged free consultation and endoscopic procedures for Yulo when he turns 45, as well as to any patients in need selected by the gymnast.

When he realized he had secured the gold on Saturday, Yulo collapsed to the ground in tears, a scene that has now been replayed millions of times on social media as his name trended on various online platforms over the weekend.

“I don’t know what to say,” he said. “We are a really small country … so, to be able to get a gold medal for us is big for us — huge. I dedicate this to the Filipino people who supported me.”

Yulo, who trained for seven years in Japan due to a lack of opportunity back home, hopes that his historic win will open the door for Philippine youth to take up the sport.

“Hopefully gymnastics in the country will grow,” he said.

For some Filipinos, Yulo’s historic win has filled them with pride.

“It makes me proud to be a Filipino because he carries the Philippine flag … because the Philippine flag was raised twice,” Joelina Picardal, a 23-year-old office administrator in Manila, told Arab News. “All I can say to him is: Keep it up!”

Carmelita Trinidad, a 77-year-old retiree also based in the capital, said that Yulo’s Olympics performance gave her hope for the younger generation.

“I’m very proud (of him). He also comes from a poor background, but he really persevered,” she told Arab News. “I hope that the young people will also be able to achieve what he achieved.”


Crete protesters try to block arrival of Israeli tourists

Crete protesters try to block arrival of Israeli tourists
Updated 5 sec ago
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Crete protesters try to block arrival of Israeli tourists

Crete protesters try to block arrival of Israeli tourists
  • Protesters at the port of Agios Nikolaos waved banners saying “Stop the genocide” as the Israeli cruise ship approached

ATHENS: Greek police used tear gas and made arrests as some 300 people tried to block an Israeli cruise ship on the island of Crete, the latest in a series of protests targeting the vessel.

The protesters at the port of Agios Nikolaos waved banners saying “Stop the genocide” as the Crown Iris approached, according to images on the public broadcaster ERT.

The images also showed police using tear gas to disperse the crowd, allowing several hundred passengers to board buses on the island.

“I had a sore throat from the tear gas and had to leave the demonstration,” Elena Toutoudaki, a teacher in her fifties, told AFP.

Three people were arrested before being released, according to a local police source.

Protesters have targeted the Crown Iris, with around 600 mostly Israelis on board, in other Greek islands.

On Monday, protesters scuffled with police who made eight arrests as it docked in Rhodes, media reports said, while last week 200 people protested in Syros as the ship approached.

Police had insisted passengers could disembark on Syros, but the Times of Israel reported that the ship’s owners decided to skip the island.

Greek Minister of Citizen Protection Mihalis Chryssohoidis subsequently said anyone who “prevents a citizen of a third country from visiting our country will be prosecuted under the anti-racism law.”

Numerous demonstrations against the Israeli war on Gaza have taken place in Athens and other cities across Greece.


Philippines to ‘seek help’ securing release of Houthi-held sailors

Philippines to ‘seek help’ securing release of Houthi-held sailors
Updated 52 min 17 sec ago
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Philippines to ‘seek help’ securing release of Houthi-held sailors

Philippines to ‘seek help’ securing release of Houthi-held sailors
  • Philippine Foreign Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega confirmed the Houthis were holding nine Filipino seafarers
  • “We’re not going to talk directly with the Houthis. We’re going to seek help from friendly countries,” he added

MANILA: The Philippines said Tuesday it would ask “friendly countries” to help secure the release of nine Filipino sailors being held by Yemen’s Houthis.

The Iran-backed Houthis released footage on Monday of crew members missing after attacks on the Eternity C and Magic Seas cargo ships, claiming in an accompanying statement to have “rescued” the mariners.

Last week, Human Rights Watch said the Houthis were unlawfully detaining the crew and that their attacks on shipping amounted to war crimes. The United States has accused the Houthis of kidnapping.

Philippine Foreign Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega confirmed the Houthis were holding nine Filipino seafarers.

“I do not want to use the term hostage. At least we know they are alive,” he told AFP.

“We’re not going to talk directly with the Houthis. We’re going to seek help from friendly countries,” he added.

The European Union’s Operation Aspides naval task force told AFP that 15 of the 25 people onboard the Eternity C were still missing — with four presumed dead.

Cosmoship, the owner of the Eternity C, urged the Houthis on Tuesday to release its crew members “at the earliest opportunity.”

In a statement, the company expressed relief that “ten of our missing crew members, as well as one of the vessel’s security guards (11 in total), are alive and appear to be receiving care,” after viewing the footage released by the militia.

“We continue to work through every available channel to support their continued care and to facilitate their safe and swift return home to their families,” it added.

The Philippines Department of Migrant Workers, which has overseen efforts to bring the survivors home, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Houthis sank the Magic Seas and Eternity C in separate Red Sea attacks this month, after a temporary hiatus in their campaign against maritime traffic.

The Houthis launched attacks on ships in the trade route soon after the start of the Gaza war in October, claiming solidarity with Palestinians.

The sinking of the Magic Seas was their first attack since late last year, with the Eternity C facing a similar fate soon after.

In its statement, the Houthis said they rescued 11 crew members, including two injured, and also recovered a body from aboard the ship before it sank.

The video appeared to show the moment the mostly Filipino crew were pulled from the sea wearing life jackets.

A man the Houthis said was an electrician was shown lying in bed and speaking in English. Aspides had said a Russian electrician onboard the ship had lost his leg.

De Vega said one of the nine Filipinos had suffered an unspecified injury, and that one of the non-Filipino personnel was also injured.

Two weeks ago, eight other Filipino crew members who survived the Eternity C attack were flown back to the Philippines. All 17 Filipino seafarers from the Magic Seas have likewise been flown home.

Previously, the Houthis held the mostly Filipino crew of the Galaxy Leader merchant ship for more than a year, before releasing them in January.

Filipino sailors make up as much as 30 percent of the world’s commercial shipping force. The nearly $7 billion they sent home in 2023 accounted for about a fifth of the remittances to the archipelago nation.


UK plans to recognize Palestinian state in September unless Israel meets conditions, Starmer says

UK plans to recognize Palestinian state in September unless Israel meets conditions, Starmer says
Updated 29 July 2025
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UK plans to recognize Palestinian state in September unless Israel meets conditions, Starmer says

UK plans to recognize Palestinian state in September unless Israel meets conditions, Starmer says
  • Government statement: ‘He (Starmer) said that the UK will recognize the state of Palestine in Sept., before UNGA, unless Israel takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza’
  • Statement: ‘He (Starmer) reiterated that there is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas and that our demands on Hamas remain’

LONDON: Britain will recognize the state of Palestine in September unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the “appalling situation” in Gaza and meets other conditions, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told cabinet on Tuesday according to a government statement.

“He said that the UK will recognize the state of Palestine in September, before UNGA (United Nations General Assembly), unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, reaches a ceasefire, makes clear there will be no annexation in the West Bank, and commits to a long-term peace process that delivers a Two State Solution,” the statement said.

“He reiterated that there is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas and that our demands on Hamas remain, that they must release all the hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, accept that they will play no role in the government of Gaza, and disarm.”


Ukraine to let over 60s into armed forces amid shortages

Ukraine to let over 60s into armed forces amid shortages
Updated 29 July 2025
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Ukraine to let over 60s into armed forces amid shortages

Ukraine to let over 60s into armed forces amid shortages
  • The law will allow them to sign a one-year contract for non-combat roles
  • Ukraine has launched several initiatives to attract more people into the armed forces

KYIV: President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday signed a law allowing Ukrainian people over 60 to join the armed forces, which are struggling to find recruits as the Russian invasion drags through a fourth year.

The law will allow them to sign a one-year contract for non-combat roles if they pass medical tests, according to an explanatory note on the parliament’s website.

“A significant number of citizens aged 60 and over have expressed a strong desire to voluntarily join the defense of the state,” the note said.

“It is necessary to involve a larger number of people who wish to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” it said.

Ukraine has launched several initiatives to attract more people into the armed forces — including with a one-year contract and financial incentives for people aged 18 to 24.

It also lowered the mobilization age from 27 to 25 in April 2024 — resisting calls from the US administration to lower it to 18.


Netherlands bars two hard-line Israeli ministers

Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (L). (File/AFP)
Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (L). (File/AFP)
Updated 29 July 2025
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Netherlands bars two hard-line Israeli ministers

Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (L). (File/AFP)
  • Smotrich responded on X, saying European leaders had succumbed to “the lies of radical Islam that is taking over” and “rising antisemitism”
  • Ben-Gvir said he would continue to act for Israel, even if he was banned from entering “all of Europe”

AMSTERDAM: The Netherlands has declared Israel’s finance and national security ministers persona non grata for inciting violence and urging ethnic cleansing in Gaza.

In June, the Netherlands backed a failed Swedish proposal to impose EU sanctions on Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

“They repeatedly incited settler violence against Palestinians, promoted illegal settlement expansion, and called for ethnic cleansing in Gaza,” Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp told parliament in a letter released late Monday.

Smotrich responded on X, saying European leaders had succumbed to “the lies of radical Islam that is taking over” and “rising antisemitism.”

Ben-Gvir said he would continue to act for Israel, even if he was banned from entering “all of Europe.”

“In a place where terrorism is tolerated and terrorists are welcomed, a Jewish minister from Israel is unwanted, terrorists are free, and Jews are boycotted,” he wrote on X.

Veldkamp said the Netherlands wanted to “relieve the suffering of the population in Gaza” and was exploring further ways to contribute to humanitarian aid.

“Airdrops of food are relatively expensive and risky,” he said.

“This is why the Netherlands is also taking steps to further support land-based aid delivery.”

Aid drops resumed in Gaza on Sunday as Israel announced temporary humanitarian pauses in parts of the besieged territory.

Around 2.4 million Palestinians in Gaza are facing what UN aid agencies have warned is a deadly wave of starvation and malnutrition.

The UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Initiative (IPC) said on Tuesday that famine is unfolding across much of Gaza, with thresholds breached and over 20,000 children treated for acute malnutrition since April.

Veldkamp said the Netherlands would push to suspend the trade element of the EU-Israel Association Agreement if Israel fails to meet its humanitarian obligations.

“The summons will also be used to remind Israel to comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law,” he said.

After speaking by phone with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said the government’s position was “crystal clear.”

“The people of Gaza must be given immediate, unfettered, safe access to humanitarian aid,” he said.

Israel’s foreign ministry said Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Sa’ar had summoned the Dutch ambassador Marriët Schuurman to Jersualem for a formal reprimand on Tuesday afternoon.

“The conversation will take place in light of the Dutch government’s decisions to take measures against Israel, including against its right to defend itself and against ministers in its government,” the ministry said in a statement.

The war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed 59,921 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.