AP Top News at 8:45 p.m. EST
US: Biden agrees to meet Putin if he halts Ukraine attackKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — President Joe Biden has agreed “in principle” to a meeting with Russia's President Vladimir Putin as long as that country holds off on what U.S. officials believe is an imminent assault on Ukraine. Canada's protests settle down, but could echo in politicsTORONTO (AP) — The streets around the Canadian Parliament are quiet now. Cindric wins Daytona 500 to celebrate Penske's 85th birthdayDAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Roger Penske had one rule at the Daytona 500 for his drivers: Do Not Wreck Each Other. Being the 1st: What it's like to make Supreme Court historyWASHINGTON (AP) — Sandra Day O'Connor was nervous when she joined the Supreme Court in 1981 as the nation's first female justice. AP PHOTOS: Life in Ukraine on the edge amid war fearsKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ordinary Ukrainian civilians take part in military drills to prepare for possible war, handling automatic rifles or advancing in formation as the country lives under the threat of a feared Russian invasion.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
February 21, 2022 00:53 UTC
Pacific Cross amps up travel insurance with Covid coverage
Make sure you’re #Covid19 covered with Pacific Cross. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOPACIFIC Cross Philippines, one of the leading medical and travel insurance providers, launches Travelsafe Tripguard with Covid-19 coverage to keep clients protected as travel restrictions gradually ease. As the latest offering from Pacific Cross, Travelsafe Tripguard with Covid-19 Coverage has enhanced benefits for safety and protection. "We want to ensure that our clients enjoy worry-free travels by providing them with the coverage they can count on," shares Pacific Cross President and Chief Executive Officer Vic Tanjuakio. Pacific Cross also offers Travel Insurance Plans for foreign nationals, who are traveling to the Philippines for business or tourism purposes are required by government agencies to obtain, prior to arrival, travel insurance for Covid-19 treatment costs with a minimum coverage of $35,000 for the duration of their stay.
Source:Manila Times
February 20, 2022 23:36 UTC
Wife of Pharmally exec pleads for his release
Wife of Pharmally exec pleads for his releasePharmally director Linconn Ong is detained at the Senate on September 21, 2021, after being cited in contempt again by the Blue Ribbon Committee for evading questions from senators. MANILA, Philippines — The wife of a detained executive of Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. vowed the full cooperation of her husband with the Senate inquiry into the alleged multibillion-peso anomalies in the procurement of COVID-19 supplies by the Duterte administration. “I also wish to thank Sen. Richard Gordon and the Blue Ribbon committee in advance for whatever consideration they are willing to provide for my husband Linconn Ong,” she added. Ong reiterated her assurance that her husband, together with his family, is ready and will continue to face “whatever may come” with regard to the Pharmally issue. Last week, Ong’s wife appealed to the Senate to free her husband for humanitarian reasons.
Source:Philippine Star
February 20, 2022 22:53 UTC
Second group of mainland medical experts arrives in Hong Kong
HONG KONG — The second group of medical personnel from the Chinese mainland on Saturday arrived in Hong Kong via the Shenzhen Bay Checkpoint, to share their expertise in treating patients with severe COVID-19 symptoms and help the city increase its testing capacity for the coronavirus. Among them are four experts with rich clinical expertise treating COVID-19 patients. They will share their experience with their Hong Kong counterparts in treating patients on the mainland, especially those with severe symptoms. On Saturday, Hong Kong recorded 6,063 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with about 7,400 preliminary positive cases. A team of eight virus-testing personnel arrived in the city on Friday.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
February 20, 2022 22:41 UTC
CSMC launches latest cancer treatment innovation in PH
The Linac machine in the radiation oncology section of Cardinal Santos Medical Center is the ‘bread and butter’ of the unit. While certain booster vaccines offer to cancer patients stronger protection against the coronavirus, these shots do not mean that cancer treatment should be deprioritized, as cancer patients are still considered a vulnerable population. Cardinal Santos Medical Center (CSMC)'s Cancer Center aims to find a good balance between Covid and cancer treatment. CSMC's radiation oncology section dubs the Linac Machine as the "bread and butter" of the unit, as it allows treatment of conventional techniques of radiation treatment as well as the new advanced radiation therapy techniques, namely stereotactic radiation therapy, image-guided radiation therapy and volumetric arc radiation therapy. For more information about these advanced radiation techniques, about the new Linac machine and about other services, please visit http://cardinalsantos.com.ph/.
Source:Manila Times
February 20, 2022 19:01 UTC
Vaccine hesitancy down to 10%
Vaccine hesitancy down to 10%People queue to receive COVID-19 vaccine at a drugstore along Bayan-Bayan Ave. in Marikina City during the pilot implementation of the government’s “Resbakuna sa mga Botika” program on Jan. 20, 2022. MANILA, Philippines — Vaccine hesitancy among Filipinos is now down to just 10 percent, according to the Department of Health (DOH). “At the start, since last year, there was (vaccine) hesitancy with about 30 percent (of Filipinos). Vega gave assurance that the government is still looking for ways to convince vaccine-hesitant Filipinos to get inoculated against COVID-19. “The vaccine is a weapon, not the enemy,” acting presidential spokesman Karlo Nograles said in Filipino at a press briefing last Friday.
Source:Philippine Star
February 20, 2022 18:39 UTC
PDP-Laban to back bet who will continue Duterte’s programs
PDP-Laban to back bet who will continue Duterte’s programsEnergy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, PDP-Laban faction president, said yesterday that it is important for the ruling party that the candidate it supports to be the next president continues Duterte’s legacy programs of the last five years. MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte’s Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) will be endorsing a presidential candidate committed to seeing through an “11-point Agenda for Continuity” aligned with the administration’s “legacy programs.”Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, PDP-Laban faction president, said yesterday that it is important for the ruling party that the candidate it supports to be the next president continues Duterte’s legacy programs of the last five years. “We will only endorse the presidential candidate who is fully committed to the continuity of President Duterte’s programs, advocacies and vision for the Philippines. Cusi was responding to Aksyon Demokratiko standard-bearer and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno’s appeal to earn PDP-Laban’s support. The ruling party is fielding a total of 6,592 national and local candidates in the May 9 national and local elections, most of them incumbent governors, congressmen and mayors.
Source:Philippine Star
February 20, 2022 17:25 UTC
Once-taboo ketamine booms for US at-home mental care
WASHINGTON — Americans are paying to get a star of the psychedelic medicine movement –- ketamine -– shipped to them for at-home mental health treatments that are being called both a breakthrough and a gamble. In this context, recent years have seen an uptick in clinics offering in-person intravenous ketamine treatments for depression, anxiety or chronic pain, though regulations and practices vary across American states. Its CEO Juan Pablo Cappello estimated it has served over 3,000 ketamine patients so far. “We have very, very little evidence for our understanding of how effective ketamine is for depression at scale,” he added. Yet for people like 36-year-old New Yorker Philip Markle, who underwent an at-home treatment with a company called Mindbloom, ketamine is a profoundly useful tool.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
February 20, 2022 15:12 UTC
US reaffirms Russia could attack Ukraine ‘at any time’
WASHINGTON — Russia could launch an attack on Ukraine “at any time,” the White House reaffirmed Saturday, as Western politicians gathered in Munich to discuss the crisis. ADVERTISEMENTPsaki said Biden was briefed on meetings at the Munich Security Conference, where Western representatives, including Vice President Kamala Harris, gathered to discuss the mounting tensions. The president’s national security team “reaffirmed that Russia could launch an attack against Ukraine at any time,” she added. US State Department spokesman Ned Price on Saturday warned: “We are seeing more evidence of Russian disinformation being used as a pretext for a potential Russian attack on Ukraine. The warning came as Russian state media published unverifiable reports of violent acts in eastern Ukraine.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
February 20, 2022 04:31 UTC
UK, Germany agree Russia needs punishing if Ukraine invaded
LONDON — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met on Saturday and agreed on the need for more diplomacy to stop Russian leader Vladimir Putin from ordering an invasion of Ukraine, and strong responses if Russia does attack. “The Prime Minister and Chancellor Scholz resolved to redouble efforts to reach a diplomatic resolution to prevent unnecessary bloodshed,” Johnson’s office said in a statement. ADVERTISEMENT“Should President Putin make the catastrophic miscalculation to further breach Ukrainian sovereignty, allies must put in place a comprehensive response which strikes at the heart of Russia’s strategic interests,” the statement added. RELATED STORY:Putin oversees nuclear drills, US says Russian forces ‘poised to strike’ UkraineWorld Bank readies $350M Ukraine disbursement, pledges more supportSubscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy PolicyRead Next
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
February 20, 2022 04:04 UTC
Diplomacy a better option in dealing with rising China
The keen interest is mainly focused on China, with whom the Philippines has competing territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) or South China Sea, as others refer to it. The Philippines cannot ignore China, a rising superpower and one of our closest neighbors. Because of these, our national interests should discourage foreign policies based solely on our disputes with China. The Philippines need a game plan to assert our rights and sovereignty, while also looking after the economic interests of our fishermen. Like trade agreements, a fisheries treaty can be multilateral or bilateral, which is likely to be preferred by China.
Source:Manila Times
February 20, 2022 02:33 UTC
FLAG: Family of arrested community doctor granted access, but details on case still unclear
FLAG: Family of arrested community doctor granted access, but details on case still unclearMANILA, Philippines (Updated 3:25 p.m.) — Two sisters of arrested community doctor Maria Natividad Castro were able to spend time with her in Agusan del Sur yesterday, though no documents relevant to the arrest have yet been issued by local police, the Free Legal Assistance Group said Sunday. "As the records of the case are still not available to FLAG because the courts are closed until Monday, FLAG and Doc Naty are still unaware of the exact circumstances of the case that has allegedly been filed against her and the reason for her arrest," FLAG said. To recall, Castro was taken from her home in San Juan on Friday, denied access to her family or counsel, and transported without notifying her family or counsel. A separate statement from the UP Manila community, this time from its Department of Family and Community Medicine, also condemned what it said was the "wrongful and baseless" arrest of Castro. "Dr. Castro did nothing but live up to the ideals of a doctor that the country invested in.
Source:Philippine Star
February 20, 2022 01:40 UTC
Free future skills courses on technology
As new technology enables the IT-BPM sector to move up the value chain, the shift to higher-level skills would continue. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOTHE Philippines is a global leader in the IT-BPM sector and remains at the forefront of voice and non-voice BPM as well as IT services. As new technology enables the sector to move up the value chain, the shift to higher-level skills would continue. Free core tech, workplace skills coursesIBM, through its SkillsBuild program, has today provided those looking to upskill or cross skill with more than 1,800 free online, self-paced courses in technology and professional skills, as well as project-based learning, credentials and coaching. Explore and build future skills for free at https://skillsbuild.org.
Source:Manila Times
February 19, 2022 22:13 UTC
Activist doctor accused of kidnapping now detained in Agusan del Sur
MANILA, Philippines — A doctor and a human rights advocate accused of kidnapping with serious illegal detention is now being detained in Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported on Saturday. ADVERTISEMENT“After proper documentation and booking procedure upon her arrest in San Juan City on Friday morning, she was immediately flown to Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur where she is presently detained,” the PNP said. Police alleged that Castro was a member of Communist Party of the Philippines’ (CPP) central committee and head of the New People’s Army’s National Health Bureau. They also accused Castro of being involved in the kidnapping of a member of Civilian Active Auxiliary, detained the victim in an unidentified location, and threatened him in December 29, 2018, in Barangay Kolambungan, Sibagat, Agusan del Sur. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy PolicyRead Next
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
February 19, 2022 19:45 UTC
Duterte skips PMA Alumni Homecoming
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte skipped this year’s Alumni Homecoming of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA). ADVERTISEMENTDuterte was represented by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana during the annual event at the PMA in Fort Del Pilar in Baguio City on Saturday. “My warmest greetings to the alumni of PMA on the occasion of your homecoming. INQUIRER.net asked acting presidential spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles for the reason behind Duterte’s absence but has yet to receive a reply as of posting time. RELATED STORIES:Duterte generals in Cabinet are awardees in 2021 PMA alumni homecomingPMA alumni declare ‘unwavering support’ for Duterte/MUFSubscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
February 19, 2022 19:02 UTC