NTC has no power to block news websites based on ‘mere allegations,’ says IBP
ADVERTISEMENTThe NTC ordered ISPs to block access to 27 websites “affiliated to and are supporting” CPP-NPA-NDF, which the Philippine government designated as terrorist organizations. READ: Telcos ordered to block 27 websites with alleged communist ties“The NTC has no power to restrict access to news websites and members of the press based on mere allegations,” the IBP said in a statement. Such a drastic move can’t be anchored on statements that in court would be treated as hearsay,” the IBP also said. RELATED STORIES:Telcos ordered to block 27 websites with alleged communist tiesHRW denounces order to ban sites tagged as CPP-linkedGroups slam NTC order to block websites linked to terror organizations/MUFSubscribe 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
June 25, 2022 14:45 UTC
US sports stars shocked by ‘terrifying’ abortion decision
LOS ANGELES – Sports stars across the United States reacted with shock and anger on Friday after the Supreme Court’s decision to scrap the right to abortion after nearly five decades. WNBA players and teams led a chorus of outrage over the seismic decision which threatens to result in abortion becoming illegal in nearly half of the 50 US states. ADVERTISEMENTThe WNBA noted that the conservative-leaning Supreme Court’s abortion decision had come just a day after another bombshell ruling that decreed Americans have a right to carry a handgun in public. “Are we in a democracy where guns have more rights than women?” the WNBA statement asked. Several male sports stars also spoke out against the decision.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
June 25, 2022 10:00 UTC
Beijing says will reopen primary, secondary schools as COVID-19 cases recede
SHANGHAI – Beijing’s education commission said on Saturday all primary and secondary school students in the capital can to return to in-person classes from Monday, as COVID-19 cases have receded in recent days. ADVERTISEMENTBeijing shut its schools in early May and asked students to move to online learning amid a spike in locally transmitted COVID cases. Senior year students at middle and high schools were allowed to return to classrooms from June 2. The efforts have brought cases down but have taken a heavy toll on the country’s economy. Shanghai, which endured a two-month lockdown that was lifted on June 1, on Saturday reported no new local cases – both symptomatic and asymptomatic – for the first time since Feb. 23.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
June 25, 2022 05:45 UTC
Asian markets up as traders assess CB moves
HONG KONG: Stocks rose in Asia on Friday following another rally on Wall Street, as investors try to process central bank moves to fight soaring inflation with the growing possibility that those measures will induce a recession. However, analysts said speculation that a recession is on the way has helped push yields down in recent days and led traders to scale back their expectations for the length of rate hikes. In early Asia trade, investors took their cue from Wall Street where all three main indexes closed with healthy gains, including a more than 1 percent advance on the Nasdaq. Hong Kong, Tokyo, Shanghai, Sydney, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei, Manila and Jakarta were well up. Markets are negotiating "a fraught transition from 'front-loaded' synchronized tightening toward demand destruction and peak 'price-pressure,'" Citigroup Inc. strategists William O'Donnell and Edward Acton wrote in a note.
Source:Manila Times
June 25, 2022 04:20 UTC
Lovi Poe truly finds family in ABS-CBN
Lovi Poe as police detective Iris Castillo-del Rosario, her first intense lead role as a Kapamilya. Multitalented actress Lovi Poe couldn't help but turn emotional when looking back on her adjustment period at ABS-CBN. "It's my first project so the transition wasn't the easiest thing but with the help of everyone, I was able to go get past that challenged" a teary-eyed Poe said. I have my moments with the audioman, si Kuya Adler, and our cameraman si Kuya Fred. Get the latest newsdelivered to your inbox Sign up for The Manila Times’ daily newsletters By signing up with an email address, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy"Ang sabi sa akin ni Kuya Adler and ni Kuya Fred, 'Huwag ka mag-alala, nandito kami para sa 'yo.'
Source:Manila Times
June 25, 2022 04:18 UTC
Bus giant rides green wave to hydrogen first
Citybus yesterday got Hong Kong's first tri-axle hydrogen double-decker bus that is tailor-made for the city. It is the SAR's first public bus to be powered by hydrogen. The hydrogen bus is designed and built by Bravo Transport and Wisdom (Fujian) Motor. The bus is a prototype designed to showcase hydrogen fuel cell bus capabilities in meeting what is considered one of the world's most challenging operating environments, comprising steep road gradients, high passenger loadings and consistent use of air-conditioning systems. KMB is also expecting 52 double-decker electric buses from BYD and the UK's Alexander Dennis, to be delivered next year.
Source:The Standard
June 25, 2022 00:55 UTC
Jumbo still afloat near Xisha Islands, but not for long
The Marine Department says the owner of the Jumbo floating restaurant boat has informed it that the vessel remains on the waters off the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea after it capsized. Writing in the statement, the department said they knew nothing of the incident involving the Jumbo prior to media reports. "After learning about the media reports, the Marine Department immediately requested Jumbo's owner to submit a written report. Today, the Marine Department received the written report from the agent appointed by Jumbo's owner,” it wrote. “At present, both Jumbo and the tugboat are still in the waters off Xisha Islands.
Source:The Standard
June 24, 2022 19:34 UTC
Residents at ease despite structural concerns of Jordan building
Even with cracks in the walls and rusted steel bars exposed to naked eyes, residents of Man Yuen Building in Jordan were not too worried that the building would collapse. Concerns were raised after photos showing the poor conditions of a flat on the lower floors of the building circulated on the internet. Concrete fell from the walls and ceiling, allowing the eyes to see the rusted steel bars within. A resident there believed the cracks on the walls were “not a big deal” and there was no evidence that the building could collapse at any moment. Merchants expressed faith in the structure of the building as well and showed little concerns on its impact on businesses.
Source:The Standard
June 24, 2022 18:04 UTC
Experts: Policy key to manufacturing boom
EXPERTS from the government and private sector believe an industrial policy will boost the growth of the manufacturing sector and the Philippine economy as a whole. The DTI is developing a program called Securing Manufacturing Revitalization and Transformation to provide fiscal and non-fiscal support to industries that will adopt Industry 4.0 technologies. Under its initial proposal, a total of P30 billion fiscal support will be allotted for manufacturers of electric public utility vehicles, buses, trucks, 2- and 3-wheelers, passenger cars, batteries, auto electronics and charging stations. The DTI also proposed a P53-billion fiscal support for buyers of e-jeepneys, motorcycles and tricycles. Aldaba reported that the manufacturing sector grew by 8.8 percent in 2021.
Source:Manila Times
June 24, 2022 12:25 UTC
12 dead as police clash with gang suspects in western Mexico
Agents of the Jalisco Attorney stand guard at the site where four police officers and eight members of the organized crime were killed, and six others were wounded, in a confrontation in El Salto, Jalisco state, Mexico, on June 23, 2022. AFP PHOTOGuadalajara, Mexico: A gun battle left four police officers and eight suspected gang members dead in Mexico's western state of Jalisco, authorities said Thursday (Friday in Manila). The clash happened on Wednesday night at a house in El Salto on the outskirts of the city of Guadalajara and, according to witnesses, lasted for more than an hour. Eight suspects were killed and three others seriously injured, Jalisco Governor Enrique Alfaro said. More than 340,000 people have been killed in a spiral of bloodshed in Mexico since the government deployed the army to fight drug cartels in 2006.
Source:Manila Times
June 24, 2022 09:15 UTC
Spotify launches 'K-Pop ON! Track'
Spotify has launched a site dedicated to all things K-Pop, bringing fans closer to the music they love and the artists who create it. Track" will provide anyone from the K-Pop curious to bonafide K-pop stans a home base for all of Spotify's K-Pop news, as well as exclusive artist interviews, happenings within the industry, up-and-coming trends and more. Spotify’s dedicated site for K-Pop celebrates the talent behind the tracks and the fans at the forefront. Track comes as Spotify continues to see momentum of K-Pop streams around the globe. The newly named K-Pop flagship playlist K-Pop ON!
Source:Manila Times
June 24, 2022 05:01 UTC
Thailand lifts ban on officials traveling overseas due to COVID-19
BANGKOK — A Thai government order from 2020 prohibiting officials from traveling abroad, except on important missions, due to the Covid-19 situation was revoked by a Cabinet resolution on Tuesday, a news source informed on Thursday. The order, implemented since March 17, 2020, stipulated that government officials, civil servants, and employees of state enterprises must not travel overseas except for important missions in a bid to contain the spread of Covid-19. ADVERTISEMENTThe source said the meeting of the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) last month had informed the Cabinet that the Covid-19 situation in Thailand and globally is improving with decreasing number of domestic infections and deaths, as well as significant drop in cases from overseas. The CCSA then proposed to the Cabinet to consider easing the restriction on overseas travel for government officials. On Thursday Thailand recorded 2,299 Covid-19 cases (five imported) and 18 deaths, while 1,783 patients were cured and allowed to leave hospitals.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
June 24, 2022 00:33 UTC
Taliban, groups struggle to help quake survivors
The takeover led to a cutoff of vital international financing, and most of the world has shunned the Taliban government. Rescuers rushed in by helicopter, but the relief effort could be hindered by the exodus of many international aid agencies from Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover last August. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid wrote on Twitter that eight trucks of food and other necessities from Pakistan arrived in Paktika province. The quake was centered in Paktika, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) southwest of the city of Khost, according to neighboring Pakistan's Meteorological Department. The death toll reported by the Bakhtar news agency was equal to that of a quake in 2002 in northern Afghanistan.
Source:Manila Times
June 23, 2022 22:19 UTC
One out of 5 Filipinos gets 3rd jab vs Covid
Only one out of five Filipinos eligible for a first booster or around 14.85 million have received the third jab against Covid-19, the Department of Health (DoH) said Thursday. A second booster or fourth dose using the currently available vaccines is meant for those who have weaker immune systems that are not providing enough protection from the first booster," the agency said. Health care workers are given the second booster in consideration of their high-risk exposures to patients. HTAC considers the best available evidence, including the need for a World Health Organization recommendation, as required by Republic Act 11525 or the "Covid-19 Vaccination Program Act." Around 14.8 million have received their first booster shot and more than 682,000 health care workers, senior citizens, immunocompromised and individuals with comorbidities have received their second booster.
Source:Manila Times
June 23, 2022 22:19 UTC
Monkeypox ‘emergency’ decision due from WHO sparks African criticism
LONDON — The World Health Organization (WHO) will decide on Thursday whether to declare monkeypox a global health emergency, stirring criticism from leading African scientists who say it has been a crisis in their region for years. However, Nakounde said if the WHO declares a “public health emergency of international concern”, – its highest level of alarm – it would still be an important step. They will make a recommendation to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who makes the ultimate decision over whether to call the emergency. But the WHO is in a precarious position after COVID, said Clare Wenham, a global health assistant professor at the London School of Economics. If the WHO declares an emergency and countries do not act, it could undermine the agency’s role in controlling global disease, she said.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
June 23, 2022 19:13 UTC