Feed aggregator

MEXICO CITY --- Rory McIlroy became the first top player to publicly reject the idea of a proposed new tour, saying he values his choice of where to play over whatever money the Premier Golf League is promising. "I would like to be on the right side of history on this one," McIlroy said Wednesday at the Mexico Championship. McIlroy said the only thing that could change his mind were if all the top players decided to join, and he doesn't see that happening. "I think it's very split at the moment," he said. Talk of a Premier Golf League has been around for about six years and picked up momentum --- along with serious funding, primarily from Saudi Arabia --- in recent months...

Keep on reading: Rory McIlroy delivers strong rejection to proposed new tour

Philippine financial markets saw an exodus of short term investments in the first month of 2020, which the central bank attributed to a slew of adverse economic news both on the international and local fronts, as well as the effects of the ongoing global coronavirus outbreak. In a statement, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said transactions of registered foreign portfolio investments for January 2020 yielded net outflows of $486 million resulting from the $1.7 billion outflows and $1.2 billion inflows for the month. This is higher compared to the recorded net outflows in December 2019 of $321 million. The BSP said these could have been contributed to the outflow---tensions betwe...

Keep on reading: ‘Hot money’ fled PH at start of 2020 due to bad news on local, foreign fronts, says BSP

SEOUL --- South Korea's fight against the coronavirus outbreak entered a new phase of local transmission, with the southern city of Daegu becoming a hot bed of COVID-19 infections with nearly 40 new cases reported in the city within just two days. As of 3 p.m. Thursday, the total number of people infected with the pathogen here stood at 82, with 49 of them in Daegu and nearby North Gyeongsang Province. Most of the cases have been traced to a church in the city that a 61-year-old woman, confirmed as the country's 31st patient on Tuesday, had attended. Vice Health and Welfare Minister Kim Kang-lip said the country is confronting a new situation that requires a different response....

Keep on reading: ‘Coronavirus is spreading locally’ in Korea, says health exec

TACLOBAN CITY ---- The bed shortage in Eastern Visayas' biggest public hospital may soon end. Tingog Partylist Representative Yedda Marie Romualdez said her bill to increase the bed capacity of the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC) was approved at the committee level of the House of Representatives. House Bill 1154 seeks to increase the bed capacity of the EVRMC from 500 to 1,500, upgrade its services and facilities, and increase the number of medical personnel. "We have patients from other parts of the region who come to EVRMC. The hospital is already congested and increasing its bed capacity will help address the problem," said Romualdez in an interview. Romua...

Keep on reading: House bill seeks to expand Eastern Visayas hospital

CEBU CITY ---- Twenty-three live pigs were intercepted by the Cebu Task Force on African Swine Fever in Argao town, south Cebu on Thursday afternoon. Dr. Rose Vincoy said all the pigs were in one truck from Sibulan, Negros Oriental. Eight of the 23 pigs, she said, do not have Veterinary Health Certificate and Veterinary Shipping Permits. "If they (eight pigs) are infected, the other pigs would have also been contaminated," Vincoy said. The pig shipment arrived at the Bato Port in Samboan, Cebu, late afternoon of February 19. When inspectors were in the middle of a headcount of the animals, the driver and its shipper sped away. They were, however, intercepted in Argao t...

Keep on reading: 23 live pigs intercepted in Argao, Cebu

TACLOBAN CITY ---- The Department of Health in Eastern Visayas (DOH-8) has reported a new patient under investigation (PUI) for possible coronavirus (COVID-19) infection. Dr. Minerva Molon, DOH-8 director, said the latest PUI is a 42-year old woman from Southern Leyte province, who has a history of travel to Hong Kong, a Chinese special administrative region with confirmed COVID-19 cases. Molon, in a statement, said the woman arrived in the country on February 11, through Cebu, and arrived in her hometown in Southern Leyte on Feb. 14. On February 18, she complained of body weakness and requested to be admitted to a hospital. The following day, she experienced stomach pains an...

Keep on reading: New patient under probe for new virus reported in Southern Leyte

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio --- John Beilein stood in front of the Cavaliers and emotionally explained why he's leaving. This was goodbye. But even on his way out, the admired coach gave his players one last lesson. He showed them honesty, dignity and vulnerability. He admitted the losing had beaten him. Beilein said he couldn't go on. "It took a real man to do that today," Cavs forward Kevin Love said. "Everybody you talk to will say they respected the hell out of him." One of college basketball's most successful coaches over the past two decades, Beilein didn't make it through one NBA season. He resigned Wednesday after just 54 games with the rebuilding Cavaliers, who can't seem...

Keep on reading: John Beilein resigns as coach, says emotional goodbye to Cavs

Two people were killed Wednesday in a massive car pileup that shut down a major highway just outside Montreal, according to Quebec police.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) will first review legislators' alleged realignments in the P4.1-trillion 2020 national budget before it releases funds, but only for projects ready for rollout. In a statement, the DBM said budget provisions that were introduced by legislators but were not part of President Rodrigo Duterte's proposals "will be subjected to compliance with documentation requirements" and approval by Duterte before the release of funds. This was the DBM's response to Sen. Panfilo Lacson's claimlast Wednesday (Feb. 19) that the executive had withheld the release of at least P80 billion in funds earlier realigned by some legislators to "pet projects" in the...

Keep on reading: Solons’ pet projects inserted in 2020 budget to be reviewed first before funding, says DBM

  MANILA, Philippines --- Elimination of immigration officers' overtime pay in 2016 gave birth to the so-called "pastillas" scam at the airport.   This was according to immigration officer Allison Chiong, who was Senator Risa Hontiveros' informant on the corruption scheme allegedly involving airport and immigration personnel that she exposed during a Senate hearing early this week.   Based on Hontiveros' expos, Chinese citizens pay P10,000 each to get "VIP treatment" by immigration employees who facilitate their smooth arrival in the country to mostly work in the Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGOs). This shady system, she said, was named "pasti...

Keep on reading: Removal of BI staff’s overtime pay spawned ‘pastillas’ racket – whistleblower

  MANILA, Philippines --- Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Jaime Morente has recommended the relief of its official, who earlier claimed no knowledge about the so-called "pastillas" modus at Philippine airports.   Morente revealed this during Thursday's hearing of the Senate committee on women headed by Senator Risa Hontiveros.   "On Feb. 19, I sent a memorandum to SOJ (Secretary of Justice), requesting for the confirmation of the relief of the acting port division chief as the investigation is presently ongoing," he said.   "He should be assigned in the admin as well," Morente added.   At this point, Hontiveros clarified if ...

Keep on reading: BI chief recommends relief of acting port chief amid ‘pastillas’ controversy

LIGAO CITY ---- The regional office of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Bicol will be constructed soon in Sta. Cruz village, beside the Philippine National Police provincial office and the Land Transportation District Office. The city government donated the lot, around 2,500 square meters, for it. The deed of donation was executed between Representative Fernando Cabredo, Mayor Patricia Gonzalez- Alsua, BFAR director Nelson Bien with city environment natural resource officer Sol Prea, and Sangguniang Bayan members. "The advantages of having the BFAR regional office (are it) will strengthen the fight against illegal fishing and promotion of marine and aquati...

Keep on reading: BFAR regional office to rise in Albay

TOKYO --- A test event for the Tokyo Olympics scheduled for later this month that would have involved some non-Japanese athletes is being revamped because of fear of the spreading virus from China. It's now limited to only Japanese athletes with the Olympics just over five months away. The two-day test event opens at the new Ariake Arena on Feb. 28 and is relatively obscure --- a Paralympic test for boccia, a precision ball sport similar to bocce and related to lawn bowling. It's the first of 19 remaining test events before the Olympics are to open on July 24. They will be watched closely, as will the start of the torch relay on March 26 in Fukushima, a prefecture devast...

Keep on reading: Coronavirus limits next Tokyo Olympic test event to Japanese-only

LEGAZPI CITY ---- Authorities and agriculture officials confiscated about five tons of undocumented meat and processed foods in an operation from Wednesday night to Thursday morning in Sta. Elena town in Camarines Norte province. Major Elezaldy Calingacion, Sta. Elena police chief, said various passenger buses and trucking service vehicles were inspected through a checkpoint in the quarantine area of the agriculture office in Barangay Tabugon. "All of the vehicles were inspected in the quarantine area along with the campaign against African Swine Fever," Calingacion said. He said the agriculture team immediately buried the confiscated items, believed to be transported from Metro...

Keep on reading: 5 tons of meat, processed food seized in Camarines Norte

SINGAPORE --- Three new cases of the coronavirus disease, or Covid-19, were confirmed on Wednesday (Feb 19), bringing the total number infected to 84. Two of the new cases were linked to existing clusters - one was linked to Grace Assembly of God church and one was linked to The Life Church and Missions. The third case has no links to travel to China or previous cases and was first warded as a dengue patient. The 57-year-old Singaporean woman went to the emergency department at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH) last Thursday and Saturday, and was admitted as a dengue patient in a general ward last Saturday. Subsequent tests confirmed she had a coronavirus infection on Tuesday a...

Keep on reading: COVID-19: 3 new cases in Singapore, including one first warded as dengue patient

The Senate version of the Duterte administration's second tax reform package for corporate income may still pass before Congress takes a Holy Week break on March 13. This likelihood was seen as the Senate committee that hammered out its report on the bill was able to address foreign businessmen's fears that a review and reform of tax incentives could lead to capital flight and job losses. Sen. Pia Cayetano, chair of the ways and means committee at the Senate, last Wednesday (Feb. 19) sponsored the committee report for Senate Bill No. 1357 on the Senate floor. It was the chamber's version of the Corporate Income Tax and Incentives Reform Act (Citira). Finance Secretary Carlos G. Doming...

Keep on reading: Hope springs eternal: Citira may still pass before Congress’ Holy Week break

SEOUL --- South Korea reported 31 new cases of the new coronavirus Thursday, bringing the total number of infections here to 82, with most new cases centered on the southeastern city of Daegu. This week's surge in the number of infected people, increasing the nation's total infections by more than 50, came as the health authorities declared that the virus has begun spreading locally. Vice Health and Welfare Minister Kim Kang-lip told reporters that, "At this stage, (the government) judged that COVID-19 is spreading locally with a limited scope." The government has been adjusting its quarantine and prevention work to cope with local transmission, Kim said. The health autho...

Keep on reading: S. Korea’s COVID-19 cases soar to 82 amid fears of community spread

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol ---- Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Archie Gamboa on Wednesday visited the Bohol Provincial Police Office to honor a policeman who was killed during an anti-drug operation in Barangay Mambaling in Cebu City. "We are mourning his (Senior Master Sergeant Maximiano Macua Jr.) death," said Gamboa, who arrived at the headquarters at past 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 19. Brigadier General Albert Ignatius Ferro, director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas, and Police Colonel Jonathan Cabal, chief of the Bohol provincial police welcomed Gamboa. Gamboa lauded Macua's "bravery." "Macua gave up his life during the operation. His ...

Keep on reading: Gamboa honors Bohol cop slain in Cebu City anti-drug operation

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY ---- Police have filed charges against four armed men who figured in a shootout that killed two people, one of them a policeman, in Libertad town, Misamis Oriental Monday night. Lieutenant Colonel Mardy Hortillosa, regional police spokesperson, said charges of murder, frustrated murder, illegal possession of firearms and explosives, and illegal drugs were filed against four persons on Wednesday. But except for a certain Richard Perez, who was arrested by pursuing police officers in Barangay Poblacion on Tuesday, all three suspects remained at large. The shootout started when a police team conducting a checkpoint in Barangay Poblacion, Libertad on Monday night, flag...

Keep on reading: Cops file case vs 4 armed men in Misamis Oriental shootout

    MANILA, Philippines --- The immigration officer who blew the whistle on the alleged corruption in the entry of Chinese into the country has identified former officials and current employees of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in the so-called "pastillas" racket.   According to Allison Chiong, who surfaced Thursday at the Senate to testify on the corruption scheme, BI's former officials and present personnel are the ones leading "syndicated groups" that facilitate the smooth entry of Chinese who arrive in the county mostly to work in Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGOs).   Senator Risa Hontiveros early this week bared the scam, wherein ...

Keep on reading: Whistleblower tags BI’s ex-officials, current staff in ‘pastillas’ scheme