Inquirer

    SEOUL — North Korea is on the path to “finally defuse” a crisis stemming from its first acknowledged outbreak of COVID-19, the state news agency said on Monday, while Asian neighbors battle a fresh wave of infections driven by Omicron subvariants. The North says 99.98% of its 4.77 million fever patients since late April have fully recovered, but due to an apparent lack of testing, it has not released any figures of those that proved positive. “The anti-epidemic campaign is improved to finally defuse the crisis completely,” KCNA said. It added that the North had reported 310 more people with fever symptoms. The World Health Organization has cast doubts on…

Keep on reading: North Korea says it is nearing end of COVID-19 crisis as Asian neighbors fight resurgence

MANILA, Philippines — TheInternational Criminal Court(ICC) should decide “once and for all” on what it wants do on the cases lodged before it against then President Rodrigo Duterte for his bloody war on drugs, Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said on Monday. “The ICC is an independent international organization. We should allow them to decide autonomously. Pero wag na kasi sila urong-sulong,” Pimentel III said in a text message, when asked about the possible resumption of the Hague-based ICC’s investigation of the Philippines’ war on illegal drugs. Pimentel was the former chairman of the Senate committee on foreign relations during the last Congress. “Yan ang advice ko…

Keep on reading: ‘Wag urong-sulong’: Pimentel urges ICC to decide on PH drug war probe

Give yourself time to cry and rant; allow yourself to feel tired. Once you’re done with all these, take a deep breath and reflect on the real reason you are doing things.” Thus said actor Seth Fedelin as a way of paying tribute to young family breadwinners like him. “Be proud of yourself, especially those of you who weren’t forced, but personally chose to help your families financially. I salute you! On your own, you’ve learned the importance of being able to provide a better life for your families,” the 20-year-old pointed out. “But just like everyone else, you’re only human. It’s normal for you to feel tired, to feel hurt, or angry. Allow yourself to feel these emotions. A…

Keep on reading: Seth and Andrea on the challenges of being their families’ breadwinners

While they both had personal issues to deal with when shooting started for their upcoming game show, “TiktoClock,” Pokwang and Rabiya Mateo knew better than to let whatever emotional baggage they had weigh down their hosting jobs. Pokwang, who recently revealed that she and her husband, Lee O’Brian, have been separated for seven months now, said in a video conference for the said GMA 7 program: “We have to make the viewers at home happy. Our goal is to spread joy. Whatever sadness you’re feeling, let’s leave that behind, because the viewers have nothing to do with it—they just want to laugh. And we will give them that.” Rabiya didn’t explicitly confirm rumors that she and Jer…

Keep on reading: ‘Loveless’ Pokwang and Rabiya put work ahead of romance

  MANILA, Philippines — The southwest monsoon or “habagat” will continue to dump rain over parts of the country on Monday, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa). https://youtu.be/Hruvut1EqCY “Bukas ang epekto ng habagat maaasahan pa rin sa ilang bahagi ng Southern Luzon. Palawan at Bicol Region, may pagulan pagkidlat at pagkulog,” said Pagasa seniorweather specialist Chriz Perez. (Tomorrow the effect of the southwest monsoon can still be expected in some parts of Southern Luzon. Palawan and Bicol Region will have rain, lightning and thunder.) “Metro Manila at natitirang bahagi ng Luzon, generally maaliwala…

Keep on reading: Habagat to dump rain over parts of PH on Monday – Pagasa

MANILA, Philippines–Meralco hit two birds with one stone on Sunday night with an 89-86 clipping of mighty San Miguel Beer in the 2022 PBA Philippine Cup at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao. The Bolts returned to the win column and then secured a playoff spot on the end-game shooting of Allein Maliksi and Aaron Black who combined for the club’s final 10 points to dispose of the Beermen. “We have guys whom we believe in. And looking at the quality of shots, the shots are good. As long as we’re doing the right things on offense, we’re in the proper spots and the decision-making is good, it will fall for Allein,” said Luigi Trillo, who continued to fill in for head coach Norman Bla…

Keep on reading: PBA: Meralco clinches playoff berth, nips top seed San Miguel

MANILA, Philippines–Ernie Gawilan’s monotonous daily routine of pool-dorm-dining area trips for the past six weeks inside a training bubble at Philsports Complex in Pasig City has only made the most prolific Filipino para swimmer more thirsty for gold medals in the coming 11th Asean Para Games. “All of us (para athletes) feel an irresistible urge to win medals in the Asean Para Games,” said Gawilan in Filipino, who won seven gold medals in three previous editions of the APG. The craving to compete in the international arena is quite understandable since the last edition of the Asean Para Games was held in 2017 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia because of the COVID-19 pandemic which f…

Keep on reading: Ernie Gawilan has chance to quench thirst for success in Indonesia

MANILA, Philippines–Arellano University topped Jose Rizal U, 19-25, 25-20, 27-25, 25-17 to make it to the NCAA women’s volleyball Finals for the fourth straight season Sunday at Filoil Flying V Centre. The Lady Bombers simply ran out of gas in the fourth set, as the Lady Chiefs raced to a 24-12 advantage and never looked back. Up next for four-peat seeking Arellano is unbeaten College of Saint Benilde in the best-of-three championship series starting Wednesday. The Lady Blazers jumped straight to the Finals after completing a nine-match sweep of the eliminations, including a 25-15, 25-15, 25-14 romp of the Lady Chiefs last July 19. “This is a good challenge for us,” said…

Keep on reading: NCAA volleyball: Arellano back in finals after ousting JRU

  LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte — Dengue cases in the Ilocos region from January to July 5 reached 1,198, the latest data from the regional Department of Health (DOH) showed. At least 583 of the cases were traced to Pangasinan, followed by Ilocos Sur (248), Ilocos Norte (235), La Union (99), and Dagupan City (33). At least six patients were reported to have succumbed from the mosquito-borne infection, with two each in Ilocos Sur and La Union and one each in Ilocos Norte and Dagupan City. The data were reported by the different disease reporting units in the region, according to the DOH. Last month, the regional DOH issued a warning to residents to not be “complacent”…

Keep on reading: Ilocos region logs over 1,000 dengue cases since January

    MANILA, Philippines — A magnitude 4.4 earthquake rocked Surigao del Norte on Sunday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported. The tectonic quake hit 78 kilometers northeast of Burgos town, Surigao del Norte at 5:59 a.m. The quake had a 21-kilometer depth of focus, Phivolcs said. No intensities were reported from the quake. Damage and aftershocks are also not expected, according to Phivolcs . RELATED STORIES: Manila, Pasay residents report earthquake Magnitude 5.1 quake recorded off Batanes 4.1 magnitude quake jolts parts of Leyte province   /MUF  …

Keep on reading: Magnitude 4.4 quake hits Surigao del Norte