Arsenic contaminates groundwater in 9 Batangas localities
LUCENA CITY, Quezon, Philippines — The groundwater in a city and eight towns in Batangas province have been found positive for arsenic contamination. The level of arsenic in these areas was above the normal level of 10 parts per billion, the report added. The presence of arsenic in the groundwater was first detected after the eruption of Taal Volcano on Jan. 12, 2020, according to the PIO. According to health experts, arsenic is naturally occurring and can contaminate water and soil. Health authorities in the province have been conducting continuous monitoring of arsenic levels in the groundwater in these localities and the provincial government has allotted P3.5 million for regular water testing.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
June 06, 2022 03:07 UTC
At least 50 killed in massacre at Catholic church in southwest Nigeria
LAGOS – Gunmen attacked a Catholic church in southwest Nigeria during mass on Sunday, killing at least 50 people including women and children, according to a hospital doctor and media reports. ADVERTISEMENTThe gunmen shot at people outside and inside the church building, killing and injuries worshippers, said Funmilayo Ibukun Odunlami, police spokesperson for Ondo state. She did not say how many people were killed or injured at St Francis Catholic Church in the town of Owo but added police were investigating the cause of the attack. “It is so sad that while the Holy Mass was going on, unknown gunmen attacked St Francis Catholic Church…leaving many feared dead and many others injured and the Church violated,” said Catholic Church spokesman in Nigeria, Reverend Augustine Ikwu. A doctor at a hospital in Owo told Reuters that at least 50 bodies had been brought into two hospitals in the town from the attack.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
June 06, 2022 01:36 UTC
PH faces challenges in digital sustainability – TCS study
GLOBAL IT services, consulting and business solutions organization Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), together with the University of Auckland Business School, published its study on Digital Sustainability Index where it presented key challenges faced by business enterprises in their pursuit for digital sustainability. In the study, 87 percent strongly agreed that Digital Sustainability will help deliver a competitive advantage in the years to come. Based on the study, Philippine companies feel leadership of non-tech personnel is their "primary inhibitor" in adapting to digital sustainability. Philippine companies have accepted, embraced and adapted to digital sustainability. The study done by TCS and University of Auckland suggests companies within the Asia Pacific can leverage on digital sustainability to ensure knowledge and expertise revolving around digital concerns.
Source:Manila Times
June 05, 2022 22:33 UTC
Boracay pins hope on Marcos admin to finish island rehab
ILOILO CITY, Iloilo, Philippines — Business owners and residents of Boracay Island have something to look forward to in the next six years: better government support. They were hopeful that the victory of President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Boracay Island would translate to a lot of government assistance to help the island recover from the massive slump due to the COVID-pandemic, said Mayor-elect Frolibar Bautista of Malay town in Aklan, where the island is located. ADVERTISEMENTMarcos won by 593 votes against Vice President Leni Robredo in Boracay Island in the May 9 elections. “We hope that programs for Boracay Island under the Duterte administration will be continued by the next administration because many voters here voted for Marcos because he promised continuity,” Bautista told the Inquirer in a telephone interview. Recovery modeBusiness owners also hoped the new administration would help the island regain its prepandemic tourism activity levels.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
June 05, 2022 22:14 UTC
Undermining the rule of law only leads to more crime
Drug pushers and users, criminals, even elected officials and policemen with suspected links to drug syndicates have been liquidated on a scale that indicates state policy and involvement of law enforcement people. But murder is murder, the ultimate crime and should never be tolerated as a response to crime. Facing charges in court are four policemen in active service at the time they committed the crime, and one dismissed cop. The cleansing of PNP and other law enforcement agencies is not simply about getting rid of some rotten apples. Rather it's about making sure that professionalism, transparency and, not least, adherence to the rule of law constitute a solid foundation of the organization.
Source:Manila Times
June 05, 2022 20:28 UTC
Glitch disables HSBC's ATM and online banking services
HSBC customers were unable to carry out transactions at the ATMs and online banking service on Sunday for several hours due to a system malfunction. HSBC said the system was repaired and the services resume gradually. Starting in the afternoon, some residents had trouble trying to use online banking services, mobile apps, or ATMs to withdraw or transfer money. The screen of the ATMs and the apps showed “Temporarily out of services” as the photo circulated online showed. It was understood that the ATMs services resume gradually from 1.00 pm.
Source:The Standard
June 05, 2022 17:14 UTC
Indian Embassy launches 'Kwentong Jataka' podcast
Ambassador of India to Philippines Shambhu Kumaran delivers a talk at the launch of ‘Kwentong Jataka.’The Embassy of India proudly launches "Kwentong Jataka" — a podcast series in Filipino based on the educational Jataka Tales. Kwentong Jataka is composed of stories from the Jataka Tales — a collection of folk stories from India about Buddha's life and his path to enlightenment. They are universal stories that bring out universal truths," said Indian Ambassador Shambhu Kumaran. The Jataka tales, as it turns out, are also incorporated in the Indian educational system. Moreover, the Embassy hopes Kwentong Jataka can further strengthen India-Philippine relations, by making Indian culture accessible to Filipino audiences and, in turn, enhance cultural understanding.
Source:Manila Times
June 05, 2022 16:11 UTC
Man dies after falling off cliff in Sai Kung
A man fell off a cliff when hiking in Sai Kung and died after being taken to the hospital. At about 3 pm on Sunday, the 62-year-old man surnamed Lau went shoreline trekking with five men and three women at Wang Chau Kok Arch in Sai Kung. He was later found floating in the sea 10 meters away by his friends, suspected of falling from the cliff. Rescuers found Lau on the shore soon after, he was already unconscious and transported to Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital by a helicopter. He was given first aid on the helicopter but was certified dead in the hospital later.
Source:The Standard
June 05, 2022 11:19 UTC
Explosions rock Ukrainian capital Kyiv, mayor says
KYIV – Kyiv was rocked by several explosions early on Sunday, the mayor of the Ukrainian capital said, a day after officials said troops had recaptured a swath of the battlefield city of Sievierodonetsk in a counter-offensive against Russia. “Several explosions in Darnytskyi and Dniprovskyi districts of the capital,” Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote on the Telegram messaging app. The Ukrainian claim on Sievierodonetsk could not be independently verified, and Moscow said its own forces were making gains there. Sievierodonetsk Mayor Oleksandr Stryuk said street fighting continued during the day on Saturday, with both sides exchanging artillery fire. In the diplomatic sphere, Kyiv rebuked French President Emmanuel Macron for saying it was important not to “humiliate” Moscow.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
June 05, 2022 06:54 UTC
Acer launches product performance enhancement with latest Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition
Bringing glasses-free, stereoscopic three-dimensional (3D) display to the world of gaming, computer giant Acer announced its newest additions, Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition gaming laptop as well as other thin gaming laptop and monitors. The new Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition. The display of the Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition gaming laptop consists of a 15.6-inch UHD 2D panel with a liquid crystal lenticular lens optically bonded on top of it. Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition 3D gaming laptopThe display of the Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition gaming laptop consists of a 15.6-inch UHD 2D panel with a liquid crystal lenticular lens optically bonded on top of it, together forming an innovative module that can be switched back and forth between 2D and stereoscopic 3D views. Other laptop and gaming monitorsAlongside the 3D gaming laptop, Acer also announced the Predator Triton 300 SE thin gaming laptop, and the Predator XB273K LV and Acer Nitro XV272U RV gaming monitors.
Source:Manila Times
June 05, 2022 06:26 UTC
UN: Taliban faces threat from IS, new resistance groups
COMEBACK KIDS This Aug. 15, 2021 file photo shows Taliban militants in Mehtarlam, capital of Laghman province in eastern Afghanistan. In their report to the UN Security Council, the experts said that with the onset of better weather, fighting might escalate as both IS and resistance forces undertook operations against Taliban forces. Nonetheless, the presence of these two groups, as well as "many other terrorist groups and fighters on Afghan soil" is raising concerns in neighboring countries and the wider international community. There are also concerns about the Taliban's inability to keep its promise not to allow terrorist groups to operate in Afghanistan. To counter IS, the report quoted an unidentified country as saying the Taliban had created three battalions of special forces called "red units."
Source:Manila Times
June 05, 2022 04:56 UTC
Transforming health tech in Asia
I COVERED the Asia Tech x Singapore (ATxSG), Asia's flagship technology event from June 1 to 3. The topic "Transforming Health Tech in Asia'' tackled a big-picture conversation about the transformative power of health technology and access to health care in Asia. Pfizer is looking at micro-financing, reimbursement and various go-to-market models to improve drug access to emerging markets in Asia. Another panel of experts also discussed how the Covid-19 pandemic became a major enabler of technology in health care Covid-19 and trust is the key in ensuring continued progress. The Strait Times reported Singapore Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, his Malaysian counterpart Khairy Jamaluddin, Chief Financial Officer of Doctor Anywhere Edwin Basuki, and Jessica Tan, co-chief executive of financial services firm Ping An Group from China, comprised the panel.
Source:Manila Times
June 05, 2022 04:09 UTC
Ukraine says it pushed back Russian troops in battlefield city
KYIV – Ukraine said on Saturday it had recaptured a swathe of the battlefield city of Sievierodonetsk, where intense fighting continued, in a rare counter-offensive against Russia’s main assault force that had been steadily advancing in the east. The Ukrainian claim could not be independently verified, and Moscow said its own forces were making gains there. ADVERTISEMENTSerhiy Gaidai, the Ukrainian governor of Luhansk province, which includes Sievierodonetsk, said overnight that Ukrainian forces previously in control of just 30% of the city had mounted a counter-attack, recapturing another 20% of it. “The situation remains very difficult in Sievierodonetsk, where street fighting is ongoing,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an evening address Saturday. Kyiv says two monks and a nun were killed at the site on Wednesday when it was struck by Russian shells.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
June 05, 2022 00:05 UTC
DA issues rules for rabbit importation
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) has issued guidelines on the importation of rabbits as an alternative to pork, which many local farmers have stopped producing. The DA said an importer must apply for an import clearance through the DA’s intercommerce services. ADVERTISEMENTOnly certified rabbit farms and authorized exporters endorsed by the source country will be accepted. The DA may allow the entry of vaccinated and unvaccinated rabbits, subject to certain protocols. The imported rabbits must be at least 60 days of age and not pregnant during the time of travel.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
June 04, 2022 22:40 UTC
BTS calls for racial equality, moral values
South Korean band BTS appears at the daily press briefing in the Brady Press Briefing of the White House in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, May 31, 2022. The president of the United States turns to BTS to help project his message in support of Asian Americans, including Filipinos. His open support for white supremacy groups in the United States made Asian Americans targets of racial attacks. It was a wise move by President Joe Biden, a devoted Catholic, to invite the boy band BTS to the White House. From the White House podium, they had this to say, "We were devastated by the recent surge in hate crimes, including Asian American hate crimes.
Source:Manila Times
June 04, 2022 13:28 UTC