China plots fresh military exercises in South China Sea
Beijing, China — China will hold naval exercises in the South China Sea on Saturday, its maritime authority said, after a week of recrimination from Western powers over its military ambitions across the Pacific region. The exercises, set to take place in the sea less than 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) off the coast of south China’s Hainan province, come as the United States leads warnings over China’s growing military and economic presence in an area spanning from the South China Sea to the Pacific Islands. China routinely conducts similar drills in waters near its shores, with an exercise in another area of the sea near Hainan scheduled for next week, as well as multiple others along the country’s eastern coastline. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday accused Beijing of raising tensions over Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory. China has in turn vowed to defend its national interests over Taiwan, warning Washington not to “underestimate” Beijing’s resolve and capabilities on the issue.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
May 27, 2022 10:33 UTC
Govt to continue hand out free Covid test kits to elderly till end of June
The government announced on Friday that it will continue to provide free rapid Covid-19 antigen tests (RAT) to people aged 60 or above till the end of June to encourage them to self-test regularly. A total of around 6 million RAT kits have been distributed by the authorities through relevant channels since the launch of the distribution arrangement in mid-April. Some 680 places – including district health centers, elderly social centers, and elderly daycare centers – will hand out free kits to their members or service recipients. The elderly persons should bring along documents for proof of age, such as identification documents, Senior Citizen Cards, or JoyYou Cards, for verification purposes. According to the government statement, recipients should not collect on behalf of other persons nor collect the RAT kits repeatedly on the same day.
Source:The Standard
May 27, 2022 10:25 UTC
Suspect in Laos drug shipment nabbed
Authorities have arrested the alleged consignee of illegal drugs worth P7.4 million from Laos. Meanwhile, BOC Port of Manila (POM) seized P100 million worth of counterfeit goods after inspecting a warehouse in Pasay City on Wednesday. Found inside the warehouse were various counterfeit shoes, bags and clothing apparel bearing the brands Gucci, Havaianas, Marvel, Nike, Adidas, among others. The BOC said investigation is ongoing for the warehouse owner’s possible violation of the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines (Republic Act No. —Tina G. SantosREAD: BOC seizes P20-M worth of cars with consignee previously linked to smugglingRead Next
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
May 27, 2022 06:26 UTC
6.1-magnitude quake strikes off East Timor, tsunami advisory issued
JAKARTA, Indonesia – A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of East Timor on Friday, the US Geological Survey said. A tsunami advisory group said the earthquake “may be capable of generating a tsunami affecting the Indian Ocean region”. ADVERTISEMENTUSGS said the quake struck at a depth of 51.4 kilometres (32 miles) off the eastern tip of Timor Island, which is split between East Timor and Indonesia. The Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (IOTWMS) issued the tsunami warning for the region. In February, a 6.2-magnitude quake killed a dozen people when it struck neighbouring Indonesia’s North Sumatra.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
May 27, 2022 05:08 UTC
Senegal hospital fire claims nearly dozen babies
Visitors stand in front of the Mame Abdoul Aziz Sy Dabakh Hospital, where 11 newborn babies died in a fire reportedly caused by a short circuit, in Tivaouane, Senegal on Thursday, May 26, 2022. AFP PHOTODAKAR: Nearly a dozen newborn babies died in a hospital fire in Senegal's western city of Tivaouane, the leader of the West African country said on Wednesday night (Thursday in Manila). Just before midnight in Senegal, President Macky Sall announced on Twitter that he learned "with pain and dismay about the deaths of 11 newborn babies in the fire at the neonatal department of the public hospital." According to local media, the Mame Abdou Aziz Sy Dabakh Hospital was newly inaugurated. In the northern town of Linguere in late April, a fire broke out at a hospital and four newborn babies were killed.
Source:Manila Times
May 26, 2022 23:04 UTC
Male TV presenters wear masks in protest against Taliban
The feared Ministry for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice ordered women television presenters to follow suit. Male presenters are broadcasting programs on air wearing black medical masks, sometimes jointly with female colleagues. The network's male presenters and employees wear masks while women dress in full-body-covering hijabs. "Many male presenters are now worried that there will be restrictions on them regarding how to dress. While there are no female presenters at state television, male anchors are now airing programs wearing traditional Afghani shalwar kameez.
Source:Manila Times
May 26, 2022 22:25 UTC
Spain’s monkeypox case tally rises to 84, Health Ministry says
MADRID — Spanish health authorities reported 25 new cases of monkeypox on Thursday, bringing the total tally of infections in one of the main hot spots of the recent outbreak to 84. The Health Ministry, which now considers all non-human-origin pox infections as monkeypox after a positive test while before only counting those confirmed by sequencing, also said there were 73 suspected cases. Spain’s neighbor Portugal confirmed nine new infections on Thursday, bringing the total to 58. Portugal’s health authority DGS said the country was taking steps to establish a vaccine reserve through the European mechanism and was considering vaccinating the contacts of confirmed cases and health professionals. RELATED STORY:WHO working on more monkeypox guidance as cases riseExplainer: How concerned should we be about monkeypox?
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
May 26, 2022 22:12 UTC
HKers granted testing and quarantine exemptions as Japan resumes tourism
Hong Kong visitors have been categorized into the group “Blue”, which will be granted testing and quarantine exemptions. It will take some time before foreign visitors can come to Japan for individual tourism, Shimoaraiso said. The government's decision will set the stage for reviving inbound tourism for the first time in about two years. Since Tuesday, the transport and tourism ministry has been inviting travel company employees from Australia, Singapore, Thailand and the United States for small-scale test tours of Japan. But the country has closed its borders to foreign tourists since the early stage of the pandemic in 2020.
Source:The Standard
May 26, 2022 18:27 UTC
Worker dies in ImmD new headquarters industrial accident
A worker died on Thursday after being hit by a collapsed working platform at the construction site of the new Immigration Headquarters in Tseung Kwan O. The construction site at Tong Yin Street near Chi Shin Street saw a 2-meter-high working platform suddenly collapse at 2pm, trapping a 48-year-old male worker. The case was listed as an industrial accident and under police investigation. The construction site concerned was the new headquarters building of the Immigration Department, which has been contracted to Hip Hing Construction Company. Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims said the victim was a welder and had two school-age children with his wife.
Source:The Standard
May 26, 2022 18:27 UTC
19 children, 2 teachers dead in US shooting
HEARTBREAK A girl cries, comforted by two adults, outside the Willie de Leon Civic Center where grief counseling will be offered in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 (May 25 in Manila). Over a dozen children woundedThe gunman was killed by responding officers, the officials said, adding later two teachers also died in the attack. "Right now there's 19 children that were killed by this evil gunman, as well as two teachers from this school," DPS spokesman Lt. Chris Olivarez told NBC News. It was the deadliest such incident since the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting in Connecticut, in which 20 children and six staff were killed. On May 14, an 18-year-old self-declared white supremacist shot 10 people dead at a Buffalo, New York grocery store.
Source:Manila Times
May 26, 2022 06:06 UTC
UK readies for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee
LONDON — Britain brings out the bunting next week for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, with four days of public events to mark her 70 years on the throne. The British Beer and Pub Association estimated that 90 million pints will be sold, giving a 105-million-pound ($132 million, 124 million euros) boost to the trade. “If we don’t see the queen over the jubilee, there’ll be millions of people disappointed,” veteran royal photographer Arthur Edwards told AFP recently. Participants in a giant public parade that tops off the events on Sunday will be familiar to anyone acquainted with British popular culture since 1952. The most recent YouGov poll gave the queen a 75-percent approval rating, maintaining her position as Britain’s most favored royal.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
May 26, 2022 05:05 UTC
Drug suspect in Antipolo yields P19K shabu, gun
LUCENA CITY––Police arrested a suspected drug pusher who yielded more than P19,000 worth of shabu (crystal meth) and an illegal firearm in a buy-bust operation Thursday in Antipolo City. ADVERTISEMENTAuthorities confiscated from Quirona two sachets of shabu with a street value of P19,652, an undocumented caliber .38 gun, and five bullets for a caliber 9-mm pistol. Big-time drug suppliers were providing guns to some of their favored pushers for protection, aside from giving them free shabu for personal use as incentives. The suspect faces charges of violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy PolicyRead Next
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
May 26, 2022 04:40 UTC
Asia still 'most dynamic' region
"The growth last year was the fastest in Southeast Asia and East Asia... To address these issues, Park said the developing Asia must mobilize taxes for development and foster digitalization for "inclusive" recovery. "We believe that developing Asia should sustain growth dynaminism and stay committed to regional and global economic integration to create greater economic opportunities," he said. Investing in digitalization, green energy transition, and education and workers' skills should be given the top priority by the countries in Asia, Park noted. "Despite all of these challenges, Asia remains the most dynamic region...
Source:Manila Times
May 26, 2022 04:22 UTC
The smart way to fill K-Pop cravings
‘Armies’ can watch their favorite K-Pop bands perform live anywhere in the world through select SM Cinemas. ‘Armies’ can watch their favorite K-Pop bands perform live anywhere in the world through select SM Cinemas. ‘Armies’ can watch their favorite K-Pop bands perform live anywhere in the world through select SM Cinemas. Now, a smarter way not miss the bandwagon as it happens is made possible by SM Cinema. In partnership with Smart Communications, "armies" can watch their favorite K-Pop bands in real time as they perform live anywhere in the world.
Source:Manila Times
May 26, 2022 04:00 UTC
FACT CHECK: No rice priced at P20-level per kilo in Davao City
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1584241/bongbong-marcos-vows-to-bring-down-price-of-riceThe variation of the misleading posts, which were posted in different Facebook pages, claimed that the price of local regular-milled rice in outskirt Calinan District went down to as low as P24 per kilo. MindaNews checked rice stores in front of GMall Calinan on Wednesday, 25 May. Prices of rice at the Calinan Public Market on Wednesday, 25 May 2022. Following the circulation of the fake posts, rice stores in Calinan were bombarded with at least 15 inquiries per day about the false cheap price of rice. As with all our other reports, MindaNews welcomes leads or suggestions from the public to potential fact-check stories.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
May 26, 2022 03:27 UTC