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At least seven Filipinos have died in New York due to COVID-19, Philippine Consul General Claro Cristobal said on Friday at a press briefing. Cristobal said there were "several dozen" others who were infected with COVID-19. He did not elaborate. New York state has recorded more than 92,000 COVID-19 cases, with New York City accounting for nearly 52,000. The diplomat said most of the 143,000 Filipinos in New York are immigrants. ---Jerome Aning...

Keep on reading: 7 Pinoys die in New York of COVID-19

A bus driver in Detroit shared a video expressing his frustration with a passenger who was not taking proper precautions to prevent the spread of any illnesses. Days later, that bus driver, Jason Hargrove, died.

The streets of Ecuador's western city of Guayaquil are deserted, with few residents in sight -- and a few dead, as bodies are being left in the streets of this overwhelmed place.

Bill Withers, the legendary performer who defined 1970s soul with timeless hits like "Ain't No Sunshine" and "Lean on Me" has died, his family said in a statement. He was 81 years old. The Grammy-winning artist succumbed to heart complications, according to his family, which said it was "devastated" over the loss. "A solitary man with a heart driven to connect to the world at large, with his poetry and music, he spoke honestly to people and connected them to each other," they said. "In this difficult time, we pray his music offers comfort and entertainment as fans hold tight to loved ones." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOZ-MySzAac The youngest of six who was born in...

Keep on reading: ‘Lovely Day’, ‘Lean on Me’ singer Bill Withers passes away at 81

CNN Newsroom anchor Brooke Baldwin has tested positive for coronavirus.

President Donald Trump has long cast OPEC as an evil force ripping Americans off by not pumping enough oil. Now he's pleading with Saudi Arabia and Russia to stop pumping so much oil.

  MANILA, Philippines --- As the #OustDuterte trended on social media amid the COVID-19 crisis, President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday night reiterated that the military and the police can simply ask him to step down from office if they feel he is no longer fit to hold the position.   "'Pag sinabi ng chief ng Army, Navy, Air Force, pati police, 'pag sinabi nila silang apat mag punta dito, sinabi nila, 'Duterte, bumaba ka na,' ngayon na agad," Duterte said in a late-night public address. (When the chiefs of the Army, Navy, Air Force and even the police, when all of them go here and say Duterte step down, right now.) "Hindi na 'yang oust, oust Duterte. Tutal ang...

Keep on reading: Duterte on #OustDuterte: Let military, police do it

Jazz legend Ellis Marsalis died Wednesday, April 1, at the age of 85 after contracting the coronavirus, his son Branford said. The acclaimed American pianist and teacher, who featured on dozens of records over a musical career spanning several decades, was the father of trumpeter Wynton and saxophonist Branford. "It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of my father, Ellis Marsalis Jr., as a result of complications from the coronavirus," Branford said in a statement published on his website, adding he was admitted to hospital on Saturday. "My dad was a giant of a musician and teacher, but an even greater father," Branford said. "He poured everything he had into m...

Keep on reading: Jazz great Ellis Marsalis dies aged 85 after virus ‘complications’

Bill Lapschies and his family have a lot to celebrate this year. The Oregon veteran has recovered from Covid-19 and he just celebrated his 104th birthday.

Two top administration officials last year listed the threat of a pandemic as an issue that greatly worried them, undercutting President Donald Trump's repeated claims that the coronavirus pandemic was an unforeseen problem.

  MANILA, Philippines --- President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday night said he has ordered the Philippine Navy to convert the presidential yacht BRP Ang Pangulo into a quarantine facility for COVID-19 patients.   "Ang Philippine Navy inalert ko, sabi ko 'yung mga barko ninyo na magaganda, 'yung Ang Pangulo, 'yung barko ng Presidente ng Pilipinas---maganda 'yan ang loob niyan parang hotel," Duterte said in an unannounced public address.   (I alerted the Philippine Navy, I told them your ships are nice, the Ang Pangulo, the sea craft of the President of the Philippines--that is really nice inside, it's like a hotel.) "Sabi ko sa Navy gawaing ospita...

Keep on reading: Duterte wants Presidential yacht converted into COVID-19 quarantine area

Perhaps half the world's population is living under some form of restriction to help curb the spread of coronavirus. Many are starting to wonder when and how these tough limits on everyday activities will end.

Bill Withers, the singer-songwriter whose soulful hits "Lean On Me," Ain't No Sunshine" and "Lovely Day" became part of the soundtrack for a generation, has died.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrrXJN3t7XE   MANILA, Philippines --- President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday night accused veteran human-rights lawyer Chel Diokno and members of the opposition for supposedly resorting to black propaganda as the government grapples with solutions to combat the COVID-19 outbreak.   Duterte spent a chunk of his unannounced late-night public address slamming and hurling invectives at Diokno who has taken on the case of a netizen who was being summoned by the National Bureau of Investigation for airing his sentiments against the government on social media particularly on the alleged misuseof government funds.   The Pres...

Keep on reading: Duterte hits ‘buck-toothed’ Diokno, opposition for ‘black propaganda’

  The last time Rick Price held court in Manila (his Valentine concert in 2019), he noticed that among his usual audience were a good number of "younger generation fans singing along" to his songs. That sight promptly sparked an idea. "We decided that it would be cool to rerelease some new versions of two of my most well-known songs as a way to say thank you," the Australian singer-songwriter told the Inquirer in a recent email interview. Through Sony Music, Rick was able to breathe new life to his well-loved ballads by having Filipino artists on board: Morissette Amon in "Heaven Knows" and Regine Velasquez in "Nothing Can Stop Us Now." "I was so delighted when bo...

Keep on reading: Rick Price collaborates with 2 Pinoy artists to breathe new life into his well-loved hits

  The image of a happy and a sad masks side by side has long been the symbol of show business. As we battle the pandemic, show biz people are living up to that symbol. While we are rejoicing about the recovery of Iza Calzado and Christopher de Leon from Covid-19, we're also mourning the loss of Mulatto singer Joey Bautista and seasoned actor Domingo "Menggie" Cobarrubias due to the raging virus. I got to meet Tito Menggie on the set of "Mano Po 5," where I had a cameo role. He struck me as a mild-mannered and respectable man. His demise serves as an alarm that the virus has gatecrashed into the glitzy world of show biz. The virus doesn't get starstruck to veer away from...

Keep on reading: Remembering Menggie

Sailors aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier cheered for Capt. Brett Crozier as he disembarked the ship for the last time, an overwhelming show of support for their leader who was relieved of his command after issuing a stark warning about a coronavirus outbreak onboard.

Google (GOOGL) is publicly releasing the data it's already collecting about people's movements during the coronavirus pandemic.