MANILA: At a busy tricycle terminal in Manila, driver Edgar Soriano slips a coin into a karaoke machine and belts out his favorite song while waiting for passengers.
Karaoke is wildly popular in the archipelago nation where it’s never too early — or too late — to grab a microphone and sing a tune.
Machines can be found everywhere from cheap bars in far-flung villages to modern KTV joints in the cities, and many families have their own or rent one for parties.
For as little as five pesos (nine US cents) a song, many in the poverty-afflicted country can experience a few minutes of joy in the day.
Soriano, 53, smiles as he stands in a tiny eatery on a hot weekday afternoon singing the lyrics of British musician Albert Hammond’s “When I’m Gone,” which he seems to know by heart.
The karaoke machine is one of six at the terminal, but drivers and passengers waiting for a ride appear unbothered by the competing songs reverberating through speakers.
“I always sing that song, it’s my favorite,” said Soriano, wearing a long-sleeved Jordan top and tracksuit pants.
After consulting a well-thumbed plastic folder of songs, street sweeper Bernardo Aguire, 67, settles on Frank Sinatra’s “My Way,” and pops a coin into the slot.
It is a bold choice in a country where the song has reportedly gotten people killed — allegedly because they sang it poorly.
Aguire, unfazed by the stories that have become an urban legend, finishes his rendition unscathed.
Felomina Hernane, 52, owns the eatery where the karaoke machine cranks up at 8:00 a.m. and doesn’t stop until 10:00 p.m. or later, seven days a week.
She bought the machine to attract customers and it’s been a boon to earnings, bringing in as much as 18,000 pesos a month.
“It’s a huge help for my business,” Hernane said.
Hernane said singing makes the drivers happy.
“It entertains them,” she said.
“It’s a way to relax after driving.”
In a crowded neighborhood in Manila, tricycles deliver karaoke machine casings to stores where they are fitted with speakers, amplifiers and televisions.
Their prices depend on the quality of the electronics inside them, with a basic machine starting at around 19,000 pesos and a premium version topping 46,000 pesos.
Alfred Condez works at a store overflowing with machines in various stages of assembly. It takes several hours for employees to finish wiring one, and customers are often happy to wait.
“We love singing,” said Condez, 40.
As if to prove his point, he picks up a microphone and stands on the footpath to test an assembled machine’s sound quality, his deep voice echoing into the noisy street.
The busiest period for the karaoke assembly business is November and December, when Filipinos hold Christmas and New Year parties, said Condez. His shop sells as many as 10 machines a day in those months.
Karaoke took off in the Philippines in the 1980s, said Krina Cayabyab, a vocal instructor and associate professor in the University of the Philippines’ music department.
But she said the country’s love of singing was deeply rooted in its colonial past, starting with the Spanish and then the Americans, whose music was absorbed by Filipinos.
“It’s really tied into that reproducing and borrowing of stuff that Filipinos would hear,” Cayabyab said.
Singing is one of the few affordable entertainment options for many Filipinos.
In a hardscrabble district of Manila, children and young adults gather outside a small store where the karaoke machine is in high demand.
“My friends and I are just hanging out because it’s boring at home,” said Honey Servito, 24.
“I’m not really a singer, it’s just that when we have nothing better to do at home, my friends and I go here and sing,” she said.
“It takes away my stress and boredom.”
‘We love singing’: Filipinos find joy in karaoke
https://arab.news/jt36k
‘We love singing’: Filipinos find joy in karaoke

- Machines can be found everywhere from cheap bars in far-flung villages to modern KTV joints
- Singing is one of the few affordable entertainment options for many Filipinos
Prosecutors say Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ request for acquittal or new trial should be swiftly rejected

- Prosecutors say in papers filed shortly before midnight Wednesday that Combs masterminded elaborate sexual events for two ex-girlfriends
NEW YORK: Federal prosecutors are urging a federal judge to quickly reject Sean “Diddy” Combs ‘ request that he throw out a jury verdict or order a new trial after a jury convicted the music maven of two prostitution-related charges.
Prosecutors said in papers filed shortly before midnight Wednesday that Combs masterminded elaborate sexual events for two ex-girlfriends between 2008 and last year that involved hiring male sex workers who sometimes were required to cross multiple state lines to participate.
A jury in July exonerated the Bad Boy Records founder of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges that carried the potential penalty of a mandatory 15 years in prison up to life behind bars. But it convicted him of two lesser Mann Act charges that prohibit interstate commerce related to prostitution.
The Mann Act charges each carry a potential penalty of 10 years behind bars. Combs has been denied bail despite his lawyers’ arguments that their client should face little to no additional jail time for the convictions. Prosecutors said he must serve multiple years behind bars.
Combs has been in a federal jail in Brooklyn since his September arrest at a Manhattan hotel. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 3.
Prosecutors wrote that Combs’ attorneys were mistaken when they contended in a submission to the judge late last month that the Mann Act was unduly vague and violates his due process and First Amendment rights.
“Evidence of the defendant’s guilt on the Mann Act counts was overwhelming,” prosecutors wrote.
They noted that the multiday, drug-fueled sexual marathons that Combs demanded of his girlfriends involved hiring male sex workers and facilitating their travel across multiple states for what became known as “freak-offs” or “hotel nights.”
Prosecutors said he then used video recordings he made of the sexual events to threaten and coerce the girlfriends to continue participating in the sometimes weekly or monthly sexual meetings.
“At trial, there was ample evidence to support the jury’s convictions,” prosecutors said.
They said Combs “masterminded every aspect” of the sexual meetups, paying escorts to travel across the country to participate and directing the sexual activity that took place between the men and his girlfriends “for his own sexual gratification” while sometimes joining in.
Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, an R&B artist who dated Combs from 2008 through 2018, testified during the trial that Combs sometimes demanded the sexual meetups with male escorts every week, often leaving her too exhausted to work on her music career. She said she participated in hundreds of “freak-offs.”
A woman who testified under the pseudonym “Jane” said she participated in “hotel nights” when she dated Combs from 2021 to last September and that the events sometimes lasted multiple days and required her to have sex with male sex workers, even when she was not well.
Both women testified that Combs had threatened to release videos he made of the encounters as a way of controlling their behavior.
“During these relationships, he asserted substantial control over Ventura and Jane’s lives. Specifically, he controlled and threatened Ventura’s career, controlled her appearance, and paid for most of her living expenses, taking away physical items when she did not do what he wanted,” prosecutors wrote.
“The defendant similarly paid Jane’s $10,000 rent and threatened her that he would stop paying her rent if she did not comply with his demands,” they said.
In their submission requesting acquittal or a new trial, Combs’ lawyers argued that none of the elements normally used for Mann Act convictions, including profiting from sex work or coercion, existed.
“It is undisputed that he had no commercial motive and that all involved were adults,” the lawyers said. “The men chose to travel and engage in the activity voluntarily. The verdict confirms the women were not vulnerable or exploited or trafficked or sexually assaulted.”
The lawyers said that Combs, “at most, paid to engage in voyeurism as part of a ‘swingers’ lifestyle” and argued that “does not constitute ‘prostitution’ under a properly limited definition of the statutory term.”
‘South Park’ targets federal takeover of DC police in latest episode

- The new episode on Comedy Central Wednesday addressed the federal takeover of the Washington, D.C.
- he White House has attacked “South Park” as a fourth-rate, irrelevant show
NEW YORK: “South Park” continued its cartoon assault on the Trump administration Wednesday, with an episode that addressed the federal takeover of Washington, D.C.’s police department.
The latest installment on Comedy Central depicted the recurring character “Towelie” — a walking, talking towel — riding in a bus past landmarks like the Supreme Court building and the Capitol as armed troops marched in the streets. A tank rolled by in front of the White House.
The half-hour episode, which primarily satirized artificial intelligence, also roasted world leaders and tech CEOs for kowtowing to President Donald Trump. Eventually Towelie ended up with the president in the Oval Office.
“South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone recently signed a reported $1.5 billion, five-year deal with Paramount for new episodes and streaming rights to their series, which began its 27th season this summer.
Their second episode of the season depicted Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem shooting puppies, a reference to a story from the former South Dakota governor’s biography where she said she killed the family dog because of its behavioral issues. Noem was also depicted being trailed by a team of beauticians having to reattach her face.
“It’s so easy to make fun of women for how they look,” Noem told Glenn Beck in response to the episode.
The season premiere mocked Trump’s body in a raunchy manner and depicted him sharing a bed with Satan. That scenario reappeared in Wednesday’s episode.
The White House has dismissed “South Park” as a fourth-rate, no-longer-relevant show. But it has been attracting attention; Comedy Central said the Noem episode had the highest audience share in the show’s history, a reference to the percentage of people with televisions on watching the cartoon.
Prince William's new home sows doubt over Buckingham Palace's future

LONDON: Britain's future king Prince William and his family are moving to a new home on the royal Windsor estate, prompting uncertainty about the future of Buckingham Palace.
They will reportedly move into Forest Lodge, an eight-bedroom mansion dating to the late 18th century, larger than their current four-bedroom home on the estate, west of London.
William and his wife Catherine, the Princess of Wales, are said to regard the property as their "forever home", according to The Sun newspaper which broke the story, citing a source close to the couple.
A Kensington Palace spokesperson confirmed to AFP "the Wales family will move house later this year", without giving further details.
The Sun added that the couple were paying for the renovations, the move and the rent themselves, as insiders told the daily they were hoping for a "fresh start" following Kate's 2024 cancer diagnosis and treatment.
William and Catherine's three children George, 12, Charlotte, 10, and Louis, seven, all attend a nearby school.
But the family putting down permanent roots at Windsor has cast uncertainty over Buckingham Palace's future as the official London residence of the monarch.
"It would be a disaster if Buckingham Palace were sidelined," royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told AFP.
"It is an iconic building, comparable only to the White House and known worldwide," he said.
Sovereigns have lived at Buckingham Palace since 1837.
Located in the heart of London, not far from parliament and Number 10 Downing Street, it is also the venue for numerous royal events from summer garden parties to state banquets.
During the summer months, parts of the 755-room palace are open to the public.
But King Charles III, 76, does not live there currently and will not do so for the foreseeable future amid an ongoing £369 million ($429 million) renovation.
The extensive work, which also saw the late queen Elizabeth II relocating to Windsor Castle before her death in 2022, is not due to be completed until 2027.
Charles, who announced in early 2024 that he had been diagnosed with cancer, does plan to make Buckingham Palace his London base after the work is finished.
But he is widely reported to prefer the more homely Clarence House where he has lived since 2003.
"It is the intention of King Charles and Queen Camilla to do so (move to Buckingham Palace) although given that he is battling cancer, this may well not happen," Fitzwilliams said.
Like Charles, William is said to be keen to open up the vast palace to more tourists and expand royal events there, according to The Daily Mail.
It is just one of a string of properties used by the royal family, either owned privately or by the Crown.
The late queen's preferred homes were Windsor Castle and Balmoral Castle in Scotland, to which she would retreat every summer.
Christmases were spent at Sandringham House in eastern England.
Charles meanwhile lavished attention on Highgrove House in western England, where he transformed the gardens, and he resides at Birkhall on the Balmoral estate when in Scotland.
Other royal properties include the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.
William and Catherine also enjoy a number of homes.
Holidays are spent at Anmer Hall on the Sandringham estate and they have use of the vast apartment 1A at Kensington Palace in west London.
"There is the danger the monarchy is perceived to have too many homes," Fitzwilliams said.
But he added "those who criticise the monarchy's costs should note that the Buckingham Palace renovation is on schedule and not exceeding its budget".
Buckingham Palace would always have a vital role to play, he added.
"It absolutely must remain the centre of the monarchy, whether or not William and Catherine actually live in it," he said.
Daily Mail columnist Amanda Platell, however, cautioned about a less visible future king not being in residence at Buckingham Palace.
A YouGov poll last year found that only a third (35 percent) of 18- to 24-year-olds wanted to maintain the monarchy, compared to "fairly broad" support in the population overall.
"I fear a future part-time king hiding away in Forest Lodge... could result in an even greater collapse of support among his subjects," she wrote.
har/jkb/js
Daily Mail
Menendez brothers face parole hearings after decades in prison for parents’ 1989 murders

- The California state parole board will determine whether they should be released nearly 30 years after they were convicted of murdering their parents
- Erik Menendez will have his hearing Thursday morning, followed by Lyle Menendez on Friday
LOS ANGELES: The Menendez brothers will make their cases for parole starting Thursday, marking the closest they’ve been to winning freedom from prison since their convictions almost 30 years ago for murdering their parents.
Erik and Lyle Menendez were sentenced in 1996 to life in prison for fatally shooting their father, Jose Menendez, and mother, Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989. While defense attorneys argued the brothers acted out of self-defense after years of sexual abuse by their father, prosecutors said the brothers sought a multimillion-dollar inheritance.
They became eligible for parole after a Los Angeles judge in May reduced their sentences from life in prison without the possibility of parole to 50 years to life, making them immediately eligible under California law because they were under the ages of 26 when they committed their crimes.
But even if the board grants their parole, it could be months before the brothers walk free — if at all.
A panel of parole hearing officers will evaluate the brothers individually. Erik Menendez will have his hearing Thursday morning, followed by Lyle Menendez on Friday. They will appear over videoconference from prison in San Diego.
The board will assess whether the brothers pose an “unreasonable risk of danger to society” if released, considering factors such as criminal history, motivation for the crime, signs of remorse, behavior while in prison and plans for the future, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
If the board grants each brother’s parole, the chief legal counsel has 120 days to review the case. Then Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has 30 days to affirm or deny the parole. Newsom had previously ordered the state parole board to conduct a risk assessment of the brothers in response to a clemency request. He hasn’t said if he’s likely to support parole, but he has denied recommendations in high-profile cases in the past — most notably for Sirhan Sirhan, who assassinated presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy in 1968.
Erik and Lyle Menendez have the support of their relatives, who are expected to deliver statements at their hearings.
“For more than 35 years, they have shown sustained growth,” their family said in a statement. “They’ve taken full accountability. They express sincere remorse to our family to this day and have built a meaningful life defined by purpose and service.”
The case has captured the attention of true crime enthusiasts for decades and spawned documentaries, television specials and dramatizations. The Netflix drama ” Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story ” and a documentary released in 2024 have been credited for bringing new attention to the brothers. A greater recognition of the brothers as victims of sexual abuse has also helped amass a legion of supporters who seek their release. Some have flown to Los Angeles to hold rallies and attend court hearings.
The previous LA County district attorney first opened the door to possible freedom for the brothers last fall by asking a judge to reduce their sentences. The judge’s decision to ultimately resentence the brothers followed months of pushback from current prosecutors.
LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said ahead of the parole hearings that he opposes parole for the brothers because they have “not demonstrated full insight into their crimes,” comparing them to Sirhan. Newsom denied him parole in January 2022 because of his “deficient insight.”
Insight means taking full responsibility for a crime and understanding the factors that led you to commit the crime, such as anger, inability to handle stress, and substance abuse, said Michael Beckman, a lawyer specialized in parole hearings.
Erik and Lyle’s college degrees, participation in volunteer programs and support groups, and the fact that Lyle has not been in a single fight in prison are all positive factors for their release, he said.
But recent rules violations could have major consequences for the brothers. In May, Hochman revealed details from a confidential risk assessment report that said Lyle was cited for having a cellphone several times in 2024, and Erik was found with a cellphone this January.
“The board is really big on the philosophy that if you can’t follow the rules in prison, you can’t follow the rules in free society,” Beckman said. “Add to that that cellphones are one of the three big bad rules violations along with violence and substance abuse.”
Ultimately, Beckman noted that parole decisions come down to individual commissioners, who might weigh the brothers’ cases based on factors like their celebrity status or family members’ support.
The state corrections department has selected one media representative to view the proceedings virtually and share notes with the rest of the press at set intervals.
300-year-old violin to star at UK music festival

- The violin, known as the Carrodus, is one of only around 150 made by Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesu
- Guarneri was one of the most important violin makers of all time, alongside Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari
LONDON: One of the most valuable violins in the world, crafted three centuries ago and once owned by composer Niccolo Paganini, is to be played at a top UK classical music festival.
The violin, known as the Carrodus, is one of only around 150 made by Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesu known to have survived down the centuries, and was acquired by a philanthropic group for $20 million in June.
It was crafted in 1743 in Cremonia, northern Italy, and will be played for the first time as part of the BBC Proms by South Korean violinist Inmo Yang.
The violin once owned by Italian virtuoso Paganini will be seen on August 28 at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
“I can’t believe how lucky I am to have this instrument. This is easily one of the greatest instruments ever made,” Yang, who is also making his debut at the Proms, told AFP.
“I feel a duty to take good care of the instrument and make a beautiful sound, so that people know that it’s worth playing these instruments rather than having them in a vault in a museum.”
The Stretton Society, a network of philanthropists, patrons and sponsors that has loaned the violin to Yang, seeks to acquire rare and valuable instruments to lend to the world’s leading musicians.
Guarneri was one of the most important violin makers of all time, alongside Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari, said the society’s co-founder Stephan Jansen.
Whereas Stradivari made instruments for the Church and the nobility, Guarneri’s violins were made for musicians, and they became renowned for their deep and sonorous tones, Jansen said.
“Inmo is one of the finest musicians of his generation,” Jansen told AFP.
“When he came to my house and I showed him the fiddle, it was clear from the very first second that this is a match,” he said. “Because in the end, it’s also about chemistry, you know?“
Yang will perform Pablo de Sarasate’s “Carmen Fantasy,” which he described as “a virtuoso piece for the violin.”
The broad palette of the violin adds the “strong, at times flirty character of the Carmen character,” said Yang.
The instrument’s sound is also “quite unpredictable,” he said, and “this kind of capricious nature really gives more liveliness to the piece.”
“Thinking that Paganini used this instrument is kind of spiritual, and I think people also want to hear Paganini’s music played on his own violin,” Yang added.
mct/jkb/jxb
One of the most valuable violins in the world, crafted by an Italian maker three centuries ago and once owned by composer Niccolo Paganini, is to be played at a top UK classical music festival.
The violin, known as the Carrodus, is one of only around 150 made by Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesu known to have survived down the centuries, and was acquired by a philanthropic group for $20 million in June.
It was crafted in 1743 in Cremonia, northern Italy, and will be played for the first time as part of the BBC Proms by South Korean violinist Inmo Yang.
The violin once owned by famed Italian composer and violin virtuoso Niccolo Paganini will be seen on August 28 at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
“I can’t believe how lucky I am to have this instrument. This is easily one of the greatest instruments ever made,” Yang, who is also making his debut at the Proms, told AFP.
“I feel a duty to take good care of the instrument and make a beautiful sound, so that people know that it’s worth playing these instruments rather than having them in a vault in a museum.”
The Stretton Society, a network of philanthropists, patrons and sponsors that has loaned the violin to Yang, seeks to acquire rare and valuable instruments to lend to the world’s leading musicians.
Guarneri was one of the most important violin makers of all time, alongside Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari, said the society’s co-founder Stephan Jansen.
Whereas Stradivari made instruments for the Church and the nobility, Guarneri’s violins were made for musicians, and they became renowned for their deep and sonorous tones, Jansen said.
“Inmo is one of the finest musicians of his generation,” Jansen told AFP.
“When he came to my house and I showed him the fiddle, it was clear from the very first second that this is a match,” he said. “Because in the end, it’s also about chemistry, you know?“
Yang will perform Pablo de Sarasate’s “Carmen Fantasy,” which he described as “a virtuoso piece for the violin.”
The broad palette of the violin adds the “strong, at times flirty character of the Carmen character,” said Yang.
The instrument’s sound is also “quite unpredictable,” he said, and “this kind of capricious nature really gives more liveliness to the piece.”
“Thinking that Paganini used this instrument is kind of spiritual, and I think people also want to hear Paganini’s music played on his own violin,” Yang added.