Shanghai partially restarted public transport Sunday, signaling a gradual reopening after nearly two months sealed off from the outside world. But as new infections have slowed Shanghai has cautiously eased restrictions, with some factories resuming operations and residents in lower-risk areas allowed to venture outdoors. Those who take public transport will have to show a negative Covid test within 48 hours and have a "normal temperature", they added on Saturday. But despite broader attempts to ease curbs, the central Jing'an district returned to a lockdown on Sunday, according to an official notice. Fears have run high that the city may take a similar approach to Shanghai, where the lockdown has denied many adequate access to food and medical care.

IN A reconciliatory gesture, Public Attorney's Office (PAO) chief Persida Rueda-Acosta on Saturday called on Senator-elect Rafael "Raffy" Tulfo to exercise more prudence on his statements regarding public lawyers. He also alleged that the PAO website is inaccessible to the public. "Please stop it Senator-elect Raffy Tulfo, as I don't want to agitate our public lawyers to file an action against you. Let's make peace, let's have coffee in my office or in your place," Rueda-Acosta said. She said that contrary to Tulfo's claim, the PAO website could be quickly accessed through Google.

LONDON — The World Health Organization is working on further guidance for countries on how to mitigate the spread of monkeypox, amid concerns that cases could spike further in the summer months, a senior adviser for the UN agency told Reuters. More than 100 confirmed or suspected cases have been reported, most of them in Europe. Health officials in several countries have warned that cases could rise further at major summer gatherings and festivals. Many of the current cases have been identified at sexual health clinics. He stressed that the monkeypox outbreak did not resemble the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic because it does not transmit as easily.

VARIOUS groups from the Philippines continue to advocate for smoke-free alternatives such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products as other countries in Southeast Asia started pushing for the regulation of smoke-free alternatives to reduce harm from smoking. The proposed Vaporized Nicotine Products Regulation Act or vape bill passed by Congress is awaiting the signature of President Rodrigo Duterte. Nicotine Consumers Union of the Philippines President Anton Israel said that providing alternatives to more people will reduce the harmful effects of smoking. "Asian consumers deserve the same access to smoke-free cigarettes as what consumers in the US and Europe get. The Vape bill was ratified by the Philippine Congress but the Department of Health rallied for the veto of the measure, saying vape products are harmful and not risk-free.

Last of 2 partsWHEN Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (Bongbong or BBM) assumes the presidency on June 30, he will be greeted by a mounting energy crisis. While BBM has already revealed that he will pursue peace negotiations with this communist terrorist group (CTG), we hope that he will reconsider. It should advance, it should support this revolutionary armed struggle as the main form of struggle." The challenge for the BBM presidency is how to elevate the armed forces from legacy to world-class AFP amid a ballooning budget deficit and government's competing priorities. The administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. faces numerous challenges — too complex and too complicated to be discussed in 900 words.

STRESSFUL SITUATION This photo from the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un talking during a ruling party politburo meeting in Pyongyang on Saturday, May 21, 2022. KCNA PHOTO VIA APSEOUL: North Korea said on Saturday it found nearly 220,000 more people showing signs of fever even as leader Kim Jong Un claimed progress in slowing a largely undiagnosed spread of Covid-19 across an unvaccinated population of 26 million. Even while imposing what state media described as "maximum" preventive measures, Kim has stressed that his economic goals should still be met, and state media have described large groups of workers continuing to gather at farms, mining facilities, power stations and construction sites. The virus hasn't stopped Kim from holding and attending important public events for his leadership. State media showed him weeping during Saturday's state funeral for top North Korean military official Hyon Chol Hae, who is believed to have been involved in grooming Kim as a future leader during the rule of his father, Kim Jong Il.

Andrew Redington/AFPTULSA, Oklahoma: South African-born American Aaron Wise said he was sore but all right on Friday (Saturday in Manila) at the PGA Championship after being struck in the head by an errant tee shot. Wise was struck on the right side of his head by a shot from Australian Cameron Smith in the second round on a windy day at Southern Hills. As Wise bent down in the rough on the right side of the seventh hole to identify his ball, Smith blasted his tee shot on the adjacent second hole. Unfortunately, at 300 yards away, the folks on the seventh hole didn't hear the warning. Smith had a line through the trees to return to the second hole and went on to make par.

SYDNEY — Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison admitted defeat in national elections Saturday after a “difficult night” for his conservative government. “Tonight I have spoken to the leader of the opposition and the incoming prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and I have congratulated him on his election victory,” Morrison said. ADVERTISEMENTThe 54-year-old outgoing leader noted that voter support for major parties had fallen in the election. Morrison’s voice cracked with emotion as he thanked his wife Jennifer and his daughters, “the loves of my life”. “I have no doubt under strong leadership of our coalition, three years from now I am looking forward to the return of a coalition government.”/MUF

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has remained a “silent epidemic” amid the threat of the coronavirus disease, an HIV-AIDS advocate has said. ADVERTISEMENTShe said they are alarmed that COVID-19 has overshadowed HIV-AIDS since a national health emergency was declared by the government in 2020. HIV is a virus that attacks the immune system and AIDS, the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, is a term that can only be used when HIV has caused severe damage to the immune system. Even with the concerted efforts to reduce the number of Covid-19 cases, she said the HIV information and education campaign must be sustained. For more information on COVID-19, call the DOH Hotline: (02) 86517800 local 1149/1150.

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LUCENA CITY—Two motorcycle riders died in a road crash in Mulanay town, Quezon province early on Saturday (May 21), according to police. Mulanay police identified them as John Keneth Deraya and John Kevent Macunat, who rode in the back. ADVERTISEMENTPolice said the victims’ motorcycle collided with a van driven by Argie Atibagos on a national road at a village in the town. Deraya and Macunat died on the way to the Bondoc Peninsula District Hospital in neighboring Catanauan town. The report did not state whether the victims were wearing crash helmets, which is required by Republic Act No.

OCTA said there were 71 cases a day during that week, higher than the 59 cases during the previous week. Despite the rise in cases, the positivity rate remained at 1.2 percent, and the health care utilization rate and the intensive care unit utilization also stayed under low risk. OCTA's indicators are different from that of the Department of Health (DoH), which relies on CovidActNow figures used by the Harvard School of Public Health. In a statement, the DoH said that the slight rise in cases did not translate to increased admissions or utilization rates. Close to 55 million Filipinos should have been given booster shots by now, she said.

A NONGOVERNMENT organization has raised concerns over reported incidences of a mysterious liver disease that has afflicted children in Europe, the United States and Indonesia. The report also stated that the first cases were reported in the UK, where 114 children had been stricken by the disease. Twenty of the children who have been afflicted with the liver disease had tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). Childhope also quoted a report from CBS News, where three children in Indonesia have died in hospitals from liver disease. Parents should take children to hospital immediately if the kids are suffering from nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or abdominal pain," Galvez-Tan added.

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso: Two suspected jihadist attacks on Thursday (Friday in Manila) killed at least seven soldiers and one civilian in Burkina Faso, security and local sources told Agence France-Presse (AFP). An assault on a military unit in the east left at least seven soldiers dead, while another attack on a bus killed a civilian and wounded a dozen passengers in the north. "The provisional toll is seven soldiers killed and significant material damage." On Saturday, around 40 people -- many of them civilian volunteers with the army -- were killed in three suspected jihadist attacks in the same regions. Burkina Faso has been battered by jihadist raids since 2015, with movements linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

SANTIAGO — Easter Island, one of Chile’s biggest tourist attractions, will reopen to visitors starting Aug. 1 after access was restricted at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chile’s government said on Friday. Easter Island, over 2,000 miles (3,219 km) from the coast of Chile, has over a thousand stone statues, giant heads that were carved centuries ago by the island’s inhabitants, which have brought it fame and UNESCO World Heritage Site status. The government said it will improve health infrastructure to handle eventual coronavirus cases in the remote island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean known for its stone Moai statues. Residents of the island protested the presence of tourists when the pandemic started in March 2020, even taking over the airport to stop flights from the mainland. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy PolicyRead Next