Rescuing the sinking peso. Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:35 AM January 12, 2026
The Philippine peso plunged to its weakest level of 59.355 against the United States dollar last Jan. 7, no thanks to the perfect storm of weak consumer and investor sentiment locally as a direct result of the widening corruption scandal and rising geopolitical risks abroad that have frozen investors on the sidelines.
Analysts and economists believe that given these factors that will cast a pall of lingering gloom on the country, the peso is on track to further depreciate to the 60-levels.
This further clouds the economic growth outlook for this make-or-break year for the Marcos administration, which is running against time to establish a positive legacy before the Philippines gets caught up in the frenzy ahead of the 2028 national elections.
A weak peso impacts the Philippines in different ways, although mostly negative in the current context.
Meanwhile,
A new animal study has found that 59 non-human primate species engage in same-sex activity. The primates in question include bonobos, chimpanzees and macaques.
Study author Vincent Savolainen said: “What we found shows that same-sex is not like something bizarre, aberrant or rare. It’s everywhere, it’s very useful, it’s very important.”
For the study, 491 primate species were reviewed in terms of male-male and female-female interactions, which “predominantly involved mounting, ventral-ventral or ventral-dorsal, as well as genital touching and fellatio”.
It was found that same-sex behavior was more common when animals were subjected to harsh environmental conditions, were at risk of being eaten or when competition for resources was higher, and the species needed social cohesion to survive.
Lastly, Another Review from The Top TV Show of 2025:
“Heated Rivalry” might be a sign that audiences still have an appetite for sex scenes—when they actually serve a purpose, Faith Hill writes: https://theatln.tc/Fv0ZpdfY
The show follows rival hockey stars: Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov. “They’re supposed to hate each other—but then they start secretly sleeping together, which gets in the way of the animosity a bit,” Hill continues.
“‘Heated Rivalry’ has become an absolute phenomenon,” Hill writes. “People kept telling me that it was fun, sweet, and addicting. Most of all, they emphasized that it was really smutty.” But “Heated Rivalry” “knows the value of good sex scenes—not for thrills or laughs or snapshots of a fleeting moment but for illustrating how the characters’ relationship develops, touch by touch, over time. It takes sex seriously in an era when few shows do.”
“When I first started watching, I was surprised to find that it wasn’t explicit in quite the way I’d imagined,” Hill writes. There’s no full-frontal nudity, though one does glimpse a generous amount of butt cheek. “What feels unique about ‘Heated Rivalry,’ rather, is that it lets its sex scenes play out, sometimes sticking with its characters nearly from the beginning of their encounter until the end in real time. Even without showing everything, the series communicates the nitty-gritty of what’s going on: which acts, how long they take, who’s leading whom, whether the lovers are gentle or giggly or a little combative and when that tone subtly shifts.”
“A frank sex scene can provide a wealth of information about two characters and the dynamics between them,” Hill continues. Ilya and Shane don’t see each other frequently during their yearslong affair, and a lot about their relationship changes with each hook up. “If the viewer knew only that sex happened on these occasions, they’d be missing so much of what’s unfolded between Shane and Ilya—especially because these men are extremely bad at talking openly about their situation.”
Some surveys have shown that audiences have little appetite for sex scenes, yet “perhaps ‘Heated Rivalry’ is a sign that many people are game for sexy content when it’s done creatively or thoughtfully,” Hill continues.
: The Atlantic. Source: Sabrina Lantos / HBO Max.My Reel of the Day:
Lastly, the the top five news of the Day:
1. U.S. Justice Department probes Minnesota officials
A notable new investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice targets Minnesota public officials amid protests and clashes with federal agents, marking a significant escalation in federal oversight.
2. Federal judge limits ICE in Minneapolis protests
A federal judge has restricted ICE and federal law enforcement from using force against peaceful demonstrators in Minneapolis as unrest continues over a fatal police shooting.
3. Uganda opposition leader reportedly abducted
Uganda’s army denies abducting opposition presidential candidate Bobi Wine, despite reports he was taken by helicopter following contested elections — a flashpoint in the country’s political crisis.
4. U.S.–Venezuela talks reportedly began before raid
Reuters reports that U.S. diplomatic talks with Venezuela’s hardline minister Diosdado Cabello began months prior to a recent raid, shedding light on behind-the-scenes negotiations.
5. AI platform X still allowing sexualized AI images
Despite announced restrictions, X (formerly Twitter) continues to allow users to post sexualized AI-generated images — raising ongoing concerns about content moderation.
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