Philippines COVID-19 positivity rate down 18.6 percent – OCTAMANILA, Philippines — The nationwide COVID positivity rate continued to decrease, the OCTA Research group said on Saturday. OCTA fellow Guido David said the COVID positivity rate dropped to 18.6 percent on Saturday from 19.4 percent on June 2. The Department of Health (DOH) recorded 1,337 new COVID cases on June 3. Provinces and regions that posted the most COVID cases were Metro Manila with 389; Cavite, 88; Bulacan, 76; Laguna, 66; Rizal, 58, and Iloilo with 52. Yesterday, the DOH posted 1,272 new COVID cases nationwide.

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Fourteen people were killed and five are missing following a landslide in southwestern China's Sichuan province on Sunday, the local government said. "As of 3:30 pm, the remains of 14 victims have been recovered, while five people remain missing," it said. Landslides are a frequent danger in rural and mountainous parts of China, particularly during the rainy summer months. A 7.9-magnitude quake in 2008 left more than 87,000 people dead or missing, including 5,335 school pupils. And around 40 people were working underground when a gold mine in the northwestern Xinjiang region collapsed in December.

The World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have offered to finance the Marcos administration's food stamp program that aims to support one million "food-poor" families from 2024 to 2027, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said Saturday. The "Walang Gutom (No Hunger) 2027" program will require an annual budget of P40 billion to provide the targeted beneficiaries P3,000 worth of food stamps per month. "But since we have discussions with development partners such as ADB, there are others, like the World Bank. Punay said the DSWD will pilot the program from July to December with a $3 million (P168 million) technical assistance from the ADB. Punay said the credits are not convertible to cash and cannot be withdrawn from an automated teller machine, like the cash grants under the "Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program," a conditional cash transfer program.

The train derailment in eastern India that killed more than 300 people and injured hundreds more was caused by an error in the electronic signaling system that led a train to wrongly change tracks, India’s railways minister said Sunday. The train entered another line, known as the loop line, and crashed into a goods train parked there, PTI said. In 1995, two trains collided near New Delhi, killing 358 people in one of the worst train accidents in India. In 2016, a passenger train slid off the tracks between the cities of Indore and Patna, killing 146 people. Most train accidents in India are blamed on human error or outdated signaling equipment.

China's defence minister warned Sunday against establishing NATO-like military alliances in the Asia-Pacific, saying they would plunge the region into a "whirlpool" of conflict. Li's comments echoed long-held Chinese criticism of the United States' efforts to shore up alliances in the region and counter China's rise. The United States is a member of AUKUS, which groups it with Australia and Britain. Li sought to paint the United States as the trigger of regional instability, and China as seeking to ease tensions. "It cannot be denied that if a fierce conflict or confrontation occurs between China and the United States, it would bring unbearable pain for the world," he said.

Philippines receives over 390K bivalent COVID doses from LithuaniaThe first batch of bivalent COVID-19 vaccine doses, which were donated by the Lithuanian government, arrived in the Philippines late Saturday evening on June 3, 2023. MANILA, Philippines — The first batch comprising 390,000 COVID-19 bivalent doses arrived in the country late Saturday evening, the Department of Health said. Bivalent vaccines are meant to target both the original COVID-19 strain and its Omicron subvariants, which caused a wave of COVID-19 infections in the country late last year. READ: Bivalent jabs to become 3rd booster for HCWs, seniorsThe DOH said it will release separate guidelines for the rollout of the bivalent vaccine to the general population. The latest data available on the DOH website showed that the government has administered over 179.046 million COVID-19 vaccines as of March 19.

Watchdog calls for regulation of 'colored smokes' after 20 students fall ill in BacolodMANILA, Philippines — The EcoWaste Coalition called on the government to test and regulate smoke-producing devices called "colored smokes" or "smoke bombs" to ensure public health and safety following an incident in Bacolod City. At least 20 students from Bacolod City College felt dizziness and hyperventilation after colored smoke was used as props during a Physical Education culmination in Bacolod City College (BCC) on Monday. "Regulating colored smokes will help in avoiding smoke inhalation and chemical exposure incidents, which can be dangerous, especially for children and youth, the elderly and people with asthma and chemical sensitivities." One of the students reportedly purchased the product online as props for their performance inside BCC’s activity center. "It is essential that chemicals used to produce colored smoke are non-toxic and are clearly identified on the label.

AP PHOTOThe US has been expanding its activities around the Indo-Pacific to counter sweeping territorial claims from China, including regularly sailing through and flying over the Taiwan Strait and in the South China Sea. He added that "China has indisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea islands and the adjacent waters." China and the Philippines have conflicting claims over parts of the South China Sea which Manila calls the West Philippine Sea as it falls within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and was affirmed by an arbitral ruling in 2016. "Because it is a dispute between China and the Philippines only the two countries should talk," Mamba quoted Sun as saying. "They told me once China opens up [after the pandemic], I will be one of the priorities," Mamba said.

His most important contribution to Denver's first win in the franchise's first appearance in the NBA Finals — well, take your pick. Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, center, dunks against the Miami Heat during the first half of Game 1 of basketball's NBA Finals on Thursday, June 1, 2023, in Denver. He can pull up and get to the rim," said Heat guard Haywood Highsmith, describing the grueling challenge of trying to slow Murray. "Loved his pace tonight, just the pace that he played all night long," Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon said. He poses threats in different ways and he's relentless," said Miami guard Gabe Vincent.

(UPDATE) FOR the first time, a Filipino has been named to the FIBA Hall of Fame. The 2023 FIBA Hall of Fame class with Philippine basketball legend Carlos 'Caloy' Loyzaga (center left). PHOTO FROM FIBA FACEBOOK PAGE The 2023 FIBA Hall of Fame class with Philippine basketball legend Carlos 'Caloy' Loyzaga (center left). PHOTO FROM FIBA FACEBOOK PAGEKnown as the "Big Difference," Loyzaga is the first Filipino to be named into this year's Hall of Fame class by the FIBA. Loyzaga and all the other inductees will formally be recognized in a ceremony before the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Manila.

BAHANAGA, India — At least 288 people have died in India’s worst rail crash in over two decades, officials said on Saturday after a passenger train went off the tracks and hit another one in an accident a preliminary report blamed on signal failure. The death toll has reached 288, said K. S. Anand, chief public relations officer of the South Eastern Railway. Its coaches then fell onto the tracks on either side, also derailing the Howrah Superfast Express,” he said. Video footage showed derailed train coaches and damaged tracks, with rescue teams searching the mangled carriages to pull the survivors out and rush them to the hospital. India’s deadliest railway accident was in 1981 when a train plunged off a bridge into a river in Bihar state, killing an estimated 800 people.

(UPDATE) PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: The Philippines settled for the silver medal after bowing to Thailand, 7-15, in the men's 3x3 wheelchair basketball final of the 12th Asean Para Games at the Morodok Techo National Stadium's Elephant Hall 2 on Saturday. 3x3 is a fast-paced game, so whoever blinks would be in deep trouble and unfortunately, it was us. The men's squad duplicated its 2022 performance, the same as the women's team which finished fourth. "For the women's team, our performance in the battle for bronze was way much better than yesterday (Friday). Almost the same story with the men's team.

(UPDATE) FILIPINO gymnast Jasmine Ramilo bagged a bronze medal in the 19th Junior Rhythmic Gymnastics Asian Championships Club Final at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Ramilo notched 27.30 points to finish third and give the Philippines its only medal in the four-day competition. Jasmine Althea Ramilo gets the bronze medal in the 19th Junior Rhythmic Gymnastics clubs finals at Ninoy Aquino Stadium on June 3, 2023. PHOTO BY RIO DELUVIO Jasmine Althea Ramilo gets the bronze medal in the 19th Junior Rhythmic Gymnastics clubs finals at Ninoy Aquino Stadium on June 3, 2023. Ramilo, however, did not make the podium in the ribbon final where she tallied 24.95 points and placed fifth.

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved the Tarlac- Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) extension project, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan announced Friday. Marcos, who heads the NEDA board, greenlit the project in a meeting with Balisacan and its other members in Malacañang. At a Palace press briefing, Balisacan said this is considered the "fastest, unsolicited proposal approval," saying that it was submitted on March 17, 2023 and approved Friday. Balisacan said the 59-kilometer, 4-lane expressway will connect the Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, and Metro Manila and is expected to stimulate economic activity and alleviate road congestion. The TPLEX extension project will be implemented through a public-private partnership under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), with an estimated cost of P23.4 billion, he added.