For God or party? China’s Christians face test of faith
ADVERTISEMENTFor decades, he, like many Christians in China, shuttled from one unregistered house church to another, where folding chairs served as pews and coffee tables as lecterns. Chinese Christians say the Bible gives them a sense of right versus wrong and the strength to endure in a country where power often trumps justice. In March, a prominent Chinese house church leader with US permanent residency was sentenced to seven years in prison after he built Christian schools in Myanmar. In Zhengzhou, Henan’s capital, all that is left of one house church is shattered glass, tangled wires and torn hymnbooks, strewn among the rubble of a knocked-down wall. Some congregations now sing the national anthem during services, according to a house church pastor named Liu.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
August 07, 2018 11:15 UTC
Kenya, Tanzania recall 1998 attacks where Al-Qaeda emerged as global player
Kenya and Tanzania on Tuesday marked the 20th anniversary of devastating US embassy bombings in Nairobi and Dar Es Salaam, which signaled Al-Qaeda’s emergence as a deadly player on the global stage. “Twenty years ago today, evil showed its terrible face in Kenya and Tanzania,” US Ambassador to Kenya Robert Godec told the Nairobi gathering. “On that day, the perpetrator’s — Al-Qaeda — appetite and ambition for large-scale attacks grew,” said Martin Kimani, head of Kenya’s National Counter Terrorism Centre. “Since then, large parts of the world have endured repeated attacks by terrorists,” he added. ADVERTISEMENTThe twin attacks introduced the world to Al-Qaeda’s leader Osama bin Laden three years before the September 11 attacks in New York would make him a household name.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
August 07, 2018 11:15 UTC
Tanker explosion in Italy damages homes of 3 Filipino families–DFA
THE tanker explosion near Bologna Airport in Italy on Monday affected three Filipino families or 10 individuals, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Tuesday. Based on the report submitted by the Philippine Consulate General in Milan, the blast damaged the apartment units where the families, including two minors and two infants, were staying. No injuries were reported although the victims were evacuated by authorities and accommodated at a local hotel. Consul General Irene Susan Natividad said that she sent Vice Consul Flaureen Dacanay and Welfare Officer Jocelyn Hapal to Bologna to help the affected families. The two will also seek updates from authorities to determine if there were any Filipinos among those reported injured in the incident.
Source:Manila Times
August 07, 2018 11:03 UTC
PNP accounts over 90% of what it described as high- value targets in drive vs illegal drugs
PNP accounts over 90% of what it described as high- value targets in drive vs illegal drugs 68 SHARES Share it! Share TweetBy Aaron RecuencoThe Philippine National Police (PNP) has accounted more than 90 percent of what it described as high-value targets in the campaign against illegal drugs in the country. Of the 9,866 high-value targets originally listed, he said only 918 of them remain unaccounted as of the second quarter of this year. “Relentless police anti-drug operations accounted for 2,795 high-value targets arrested and are now facing the chilling effect of criminal prosecution and certainty of punishment,” said Albayalde. Based on the latest data, HCUI is now at more than 23,000 although police said only a few of the figure were related to illegal drugs.
Source:Manila Bulletin
August 07, 2018 11:03 UTC
Senate approves 3 bills increasing bed capacity of gov’t hospitals
The Senate on Tuesday approved on third and final reading three bills seeking to increase the bed capacity of three government hospitals in Zamboanga City, Surigao del Sur, and Mountain Province. HBN 6114 would double the bed capacity of Luis Hora Memorial Regional Hospital in Bauko, Mt. Province to 200 from its 100 beds, while HBN 6742 would increase the bed capacity of Zamboanga City Medical Center in Zamboanga City at 800 from its current 500 beds. ADVERTISEMENTLikewise, HBN 6621 would increase the bed capacity of Adela Serra Ty Memorial Medical Center in Tandag City, Surigao del Sur for a period of five years as determined by the Department of Health. Ejercito said that the increase in hospital bed capacity “is an increase in the trust of our people in our public hospitals.”He also noted that the country needs an additional 42,856 hospital beds to achieve the ideal ratio between hospital beds and the population.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
August 07, 2018 11:03 UTC
Gas truck explodes on Italian highway; 1 dead, scores hurt
On Tuesday, the carabinieri referred questions about the accident’s death toll to highway officials, who said just one person was killed.] MILAN — A tanker truck carrying a highly flammable gas exploded Monday after rear-ending a stopped truck on a crowded highway near the northern Italian city of Bologna. ADVERTISEMENTPolice said the accident and subsequent fire and explosion injured between 60 and 70 people, some with severe burns. Highway police said only the tanker driver died in the crash, revising earlier reports by the carabinieri that there were two dead. Aerial photos showed a gaping hole left in the raised highway.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
August 07, 2018 10:57 UTC
National ID system to benefit law enforcement — DND, AFP
The Department of National Defense (DND) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday welcomed the signing into law of the national ID system, saying it will benefit law enforcement. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in a statement that the system will have “beneficial effects” on their law enforcement operations. ADVERTISEMENTLorenzana said the system will also help the government address the gaps in the identification of citizens entitled to receive government services. READ: Duterte signs national ID lawThe new law, signed on Tuesday by President Rodrigo Duterte, will establish a single national identification system in the country. Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay, meanwhile, dismissed the new system as “a wolf in sheep’s clithing.”“The national ID system will be an underhanded maneuver to screen and monitor people.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
August 07, 2018 10:41 UTC
PTV apologizes for wrong photo in PH Navy story
The state-run People’s Television on Tuesday apologized for running a story on the Philippine Navy using a wrong photo. In its newscast last Sunday, PTV used a photo of a Chinese frigate instead of a Philippine Navy ship for its story on President Rodrigo Duterte’s plan to send a warship to rescue Filipino workers abducted by terrorists in Libya. PTV had used a photoshopped image of a People’s Liberation Army Navy Type 054A Jiangkai-II class frigate with a flying Philippine flag. PTV uses Chinese frigate photo for PH Navy storyThe network apologized for the “inadvertent use of wrong photos as support video for its story.”“Said photos were downloaded from the internet by an Ulat Bayan video editor,” PTV explained. “Moving forward, we shall take more diligent measures to deliver straightforward and accurate news to the Filipino people,” the network assured the public.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
August 07, 2018 10:18 UTC
Back to ‘happy pork barrel days’ if proposed P3.757-T GAA not checked — Lacson
Back to ‘happy pork barrel days’ if proposed P3.757-T GAA not checked — Lacson 55 SHARES Share it! Share TweetBy Mario CasayuranSen. Panfilo M. Lacson served notice Tuesday that the proposed P3.757 trillion General Appropriations Act (GAA or national budget) would be mangled to give way to the appropriation of pork barrel projects for congressmen in their respective legislative districts. ‘’If not checked, we will be back to the happy ‘pork barrel’ days of legislators in spite of the Supreme Court ruling outlawing the same,’’ Lacson said. Members of the Senate finance committee were briefed yesterday by government finance and economic managers on the National Expenditure Program (NEP). Lacson has time and again disclosed ‘’pork barrel’’ appropriations hidden in the GAA but has been rebuffed by his colleagues, particularly the head of the Senate and House finance or appropriations committees.
Source:Manila Bulletin
August 07, 2018 10:18 UTC
Zarate: New tax reform measures ‘insensitive’ to consumers’ plight
Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate has criticized the approval of the substitute bill to the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) package two, calling it insensitive because the inflation rate for the month of July just reached 5.7 percent. “The approval of TRAIN 2 bodes ill for consumers since any tax or cancellation of tax incentives of companies would be passed on to consumers,” Zarate said in a statement on Tuesday. “Its approval is also insensitive especially now that inflation for July has reached a staggering 5.7 percent, and prices continue to increase,” he added. ADVERTISEMENT“With TRAIN 2, more goods and services would have price increases, and would drive the inflation rate to higher levels. The supposed measures to lower inflation would also be useless if TRAINS 1, 2, and up to 5 are approved and implemented,” Zarate said.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
August 07, 2018 10:07 UTC
Senate committee seeks measures to cushion effects of soaring inflation
The Senate Committee on Economic Affairs will give priority to identifying measures to mitigate the impact of the soaring inflation. “In response to this, the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs will hold another hearing to tackle potential inflation mitigation measures. One critical matter to be discussed will be measures aimedat slowing the steady increase of food prices,” Gatchalian said in a statement on Tuesday. ADVERTISEMENTCiting the PSA, Gatchalian said inflation continues to be driven primarily by the acceleration in food and non-alcoholic beverage prices, currently pegged at 7.1 percent. For each solution suggested, the committee will look for the answer to two key questions.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
August 07, 2018 10:07 UTC
Damages due to ‘habagat’ rise to more than P4.3 B — NDRRMC
Damages due to ‘habagat’ rise to more than P4.3 B — NDRRMC 11 SHARES Share it! Share TweetBy Francis WakefieldThe National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Wednesday said damages to infrastructure and agriculture due to the effects of the southwest monsoon or “Habagat” rose to more than P4.3 billion. Jalad said that of the total number of families affected, 87,589 families or 382,733 persons are being served inside and outside evacuation centers. Jalad said a total of 131 road sections and seven bridges were also affected in Regions 1, 3, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, 6, and CAR. He added that to date, 939 areas have experienced flooding in Regions 1, 3, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, CAR and NCR.
Source:Manila Bulletin
August 07, 2018 09:56 UTC
Wife of missing Japanese journalist makes tearful appeal
TOKYO — The wife of a Japanese journalist believed to have been kidnapped in Syria made a tearful appeal for his release Tuesday, speaking out publicly for the first time since he went missing more than three years ago. Using her stage name Myu, the wife of Jumpei Yasuda told a news conference that her husband is no enemy of the Middle East. “So, I appeal to you, the people in the Middle East. “I heard from him that people in the Middle East value family, that their family bond is tight and they love family very much. ADVERTISEMENTYasuda started reporting on the Middle East in the early 2000s.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
August 07, 2018 09:56 UTC
World’s oldest fishing net sinkers, 29,000 years old, found in South Korea
Archaeologists excavating a cave in South Korea have found evidence that suggests human beings were using sophisticated techniques to catch fish as far back as 29,000 years ago, much earlier than experts previously thought. Carbon dating procedures on the fourteen limestone sinkers, unearthed in the eastern county of Jeongseon in June, have pushed back “the history of fishing by nets by some 19,000 years”, Yonsei University Museum director Han Chang-gyun told AFP. ADVERTISEMENT“This discovery suggests humans in the Upper Paleolithic era were actively catching fish for their diet”, he added. Researchers also found fossilized bones belonging to fish and other animals, as well as stone tools and flakes, inside the Maedun cave, he said. Prior to the South Korean find, the oldest fishing implements were believed to be fishing hooks, made from the shells of sea snails, that was found on a southern Japanese island and said to date back some 23,000 years.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
August 07, 2018 09:45 UTC
House approves revised agricultural tariffication bill on 2nd reading
The House of Representatives has approved on second reading a bill seeking to replace quantitative restrictions (QRs) on imported rice with tariffs or taxes. The lower chamber approved House Bill (HB) 7735 or the “Revised Agricultural Tariffication Act” via “viva voce voting,” where House members respond orally, on Tuesday. 8178, also known as the Agricultural Tariffication Act of 1996. “From 1994 up to the present, rice prices steadily increase from P13 per kilogram to P38 per kilogram, on regular milled rice or a whopping 192% increase. Last July, even at the delivery of the 250, 000 metric tons imported rice, prices remained on an increasing trend,” he said in a statement.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
August 07, 2018 09:33 UTC