Feed aggregator

The first person to be tried under Hong Kong's sweeping national security law faces life in prison after being found guilty of inciting secession and terrorism in a landmark court ruling. CNN's Kristie Lu Stout reports from the High Court in Hong Kong.

WeChat is suspending all new user registrations until early August, the social messaging app announced on Tuesday.

MANILA, Philippines---Some four hours before President Rodrigo Duterte delivered his final State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday (July 26), his spokesperson said in an interview that his boss had rehearsed his speech at least four times.   "He rehearsed at least four times. The last time was yesterday, last night," said presidential spokesperson Harry Roque in an interview with CNN Philippines a few hours before Duterte delivered his last SONA.   But when Duterte started to deliver his last most important speech before the nation, it became clear that his manner of speaking was not rehearsed at all.   In the course of delivering his final...

Keep on reading: Duterte’s last SONA: Not letting facts get in the way

  MANILA, Philippines---Record set. Reputation broken. For 97 years the Philippines longed for that elusive gold medal in the Olympics and a teary-eyed Hidilyn Diaz fulfilled that nearly century-old dream when she lifted a total of 224 kilograms on Monday at Tokyo International Forum. Diaz's victory, which set an Olympic record for clean and jerk and total weight lifted, not only delivered the country's first gold but also shattered the nation's previous identity of being just a minnow in the world's biggest sporting spectacle. The historic win also made Diaz a two-time medalist in the Olympics making her the second Filipino to become a dual medal winner in the Summer Ga...

Keep on reading: LIST: All Filipino Summer Olympics medalists in history

    HONG KONG -- The first person charged under Hong Kong's national security law was found guilty on Tuesday of terrorism and inciting secession in a landmark case with long-term implications for how the legislation reshapes the city's common law traditions. An alternative charge of dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm was not considered. The High Court will hear mitigation arguments on Thursday and sentencing will be announced at a later date. Former waiter Tong Ying-kit, 24, was accused of driving his motorcycle into three riot police while carrying a flag with the protest slogan "Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times," which prosecutors said ...

Keep on reading: First person charged under HK security law found guilty of terrorism, inciting secession

MARIVELES, Bataan---The more contagious Delta variant of COVID-19 in this province was traced to workers of a construction company contracted by an investment firm at the Freeport Area of Bataan (FAB), authorities said Tuesday, July 27. The workers indicated Orion town as their address during the swab tests since the construction company that hired them holds office in Orion, the Inquirer learned. But the company's project site is inside the FAB in this town. Orion Mayor Antonio Raymundo said the six workers were immediately quarantined but have already recovered from the disease. It was not immediately known how the workers got infected with the Delta variant that originate...

Keep on reading: Delta variant traced to construction workers in Bataan

MANILA, Philippines---More dollars flowed out than entered the Philippines in June as the government paid off maturing loans from foreign creditors. More importantly, however, the latest balance of payments confirmed a trend of deficits that resulted in net outflow of dollars from the local economy in the first half of 2021, reversing a large and unhealthy surplus recorded during the same time in 2020 when economic activity ground to a halt due to the pandemic. In a statement, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said the country's overall balance of payments position posted a deficit of $312 million in June 2021, a reversal from the $80 million net dollar flow surplus recorded in...

Keep on reading: More dollars leave than enter PH for sixth month as gov’t pays foreign debt

MANILA, Philippines --- An inquiry on the working conditions and rights of riders for food delivery services apps is being pushed in the House of Representatives. Under House Resolution No. 1973, the Makabayan bloc said that food and grocery delivery services have become very important especially amid the pandemic where mobility and physical access to shops and restaurants have been limited. "Food and grocery services riders are currently considered as 'freelancers' thereby making them susceptible to unfair and abusive labor practices such as unjust diminution of wages and arbitrary punitive actions," the Makabayan bloc said in the resolution. "There is a need to ensure that...

Keep on reading: House probe on working conditions of food delivery app riders sought

MANILA, Philippines --- Vice President Leni Robredo has appealed for a more compassionate treatment of Filipinos amid the COVID-19 pandemic, citing several examples where the government has berated the public instead of talking and working with them. Speaking during her report to the nation on Tuesday, Robredo said that the government must ask itself why people continue to disregard some of the quarantine restrictions, implying that there may be more to it than just violating the regulations. "Kapag patuloy na lumalabas ang mga kababayan natin kahit pa ECQ, hindi ba mas tamang itanong din natin kung bakit sila nagpipilit lumabas? Baka naman hindi lang sila basta pasaway," Robre...

Keep on reading: Robredo: Gov’t must be more compassionate to Filipinos amid pandemic

    BEIJING -- Antibodies triggered by Sinovac Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine declined below a key threshold from around six months after a second dose for most recipients, although a third shot had a strong booster effect, according to a lab study. Chinese researchers reported the findings from a study of blood samples from healthy adults aged between 18-59 in a paper published on Sunday, which has not been peer reviewed. Among participants who received two doses, two or four weeks apart, only 16.9% and 35.2% respectively still had neutralizing antibodies above what researchers regard as a detectable threshold level six months after the second shot, the paper said....

Keep on reading: Antibodies from Sinovac’s COVID-19 shot fade after about 6 months, booster helps–study

MANILA, Philippines --- The Senate on Tuesday honored weightlifting champ Hidilyn Diaz for elevating the country to "great heights of joy" by winning the Philippines' first gold medal in the Olympics after its 97-year pursuit. In adopting Senate Resolution No. 793 congratulating and commending Diaz, senators emphasized that Diaz was the product of modest origins. "There is a Tagalog saying that goes, 'Walang mailap na pangarap sa taong pursigidong makamit ang tagumpay.' This, perhaps, is our key takeaway from Hidilyn's journey to victory," Senate President Vicente Sotto III said. (There is a Tagalog saying that goes, 'For someone determined to succeed, there is no elusiv...

Keep on reading: From ‘homemade barbells’ to ‘historic gold:’ Senate honors Diaz for Olympic win

MANILA, Philippines --- More people have died due to COVID-19, as the health department reported Tuesday the death of 72 patients which raised the country's coronavirus casualties to 27,318. The Department of Health (DOH), however, explained that from the total 1,562,420 confirmed COVID-19 cases the case fatality rate was only at 1.75 percent. It also noted that of the total case count, 56,477 remain active, of which 2.3 percent are severe and 1.3 percent are critical that are at higher risk for death. Meanwhile, 93.8 percent of the active cases are mild, 1.1 percent are asymptomatic, and 1.58 percent are moderate. The DOH reported an average of 68 deaths in its case bull...

Keep on reading: COVID-19 kills 72; death toll now at 27,318 – DOH

  MANILA, Philippines --- The Senate on Tuesday honored weightlifting gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz for uplifting the nation to "great heights of joy" as she ended the country's 97-year quest for the elusive Olympic gold medal. In adopting Senate Resolution No. 793 congratulating and commending Diaz, senators noted the humble beginnings of the Zamboanga native. "There is a tagalog saying that goes, 'Walang mailap na pangarap sa taong pursigidong makamit ang tagumpay.' This, perhaps, is our key takeaway from Hidilyn's journey to victory," Senate President Vicente Sotto III said. (There is a tagalog saying that goes, "There is no elusive dream to someone who is determined...

Keep on reading: From ‘home-made barbells’ to ‘historic gold:’ Senate honors Diaz for Olympic win

At the ages of just 24 and 25 respectively, Anders Mol and Christian Sørum are at the top of their game.

United States pop star Pink has offered to pay a "sexist" fine levied on Norway's women's beach handball team after they refused to wear bikini bottoms during a game in the Euro 2021 tournament. The European Handball Federation (EHF) ordered the team to cough up 1,500 euros ($1,768) after they wore shorts instead of the regulation swimwear in their bronze-medal match loss to Spain in Varna, Bulgaria. Pink, a three-time Grammy Award winner, said on Twitter she would cover the fine, berating the organization and encouraging the players to carry on covering up. "I'm VERY proud of the Norwegian female beach handball team FOR PROTESTING THE VERY SEXIST RULES ABOUT THEIR 'uniform,...

Keep on reading: Pink offers to pay bikini fine for Norway beach handball team

MANILA, Philippines --- The Department of Health reported Tuesday the COVID-19 infection of 7,186 more, pushing nationwide active cases to 56,477. According to the DOH, the additional fresh COVID-19 cases likewise increased the country's total confirmed coronavirus infections to 1,562,420. Some 5,672 patients have recovered from the disease, the DOH also reported, driving the number of recovered persons to 1,478,625. On the other hand, the health agency said 72 patients failed to survive the serious respiratory illness, raising the death toll to 27,318 since the pandemic hit the Philippines in 2020. The DOH said 13.2 percent of the 30,016 tested for SARS-CoV-2 were found pos...

Keep on reading: DOH reports COVID-19 infection of 7,186 more; active cases now at 56,477