‘Do something:’ Harris’ rapid rise driven by call to action
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Hours before Kamala Harris took the stage for the first time as Joe Biden’s vice presidential pick, she received a text message from a childhood classmate with photos from their school days. FILE – In this Jan. 19, 2018, file photo Sen. Kamala Harris D-Calif., speaks during a rally in support of […]
Newsweek apologizes for op-ed questioning Harris eligibility
NEW YORK — Newsweek has apologized for an op-ed that questioned Sen. Kamala Harris’ U.S. citizenship and her eligibility to be Joe Biden’s running mate, a false and racist conspiracy theory which President Donald Trump has not dismissed. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard) “This op-ed is being used by some as a tool to perpetuate racism […]
Venezuelans brave open sea on tubes, fishing for survival
LA GUAIRA, Venezuela — The biggest fear is a fishhook puncturing the inner tube that keeps them afloat far from shore. Then come sharks grabbing their catch and maybe biting their legs. And the current that threatens to pull them out to sea. Jonny Gomez, a 22-year-old bricklayer by trade, returns to shore after a […]
Bayanihan 2 eases loan payments, telco hurdles
MANILA, Philippines — A joint congressional panel has moved closer to concluding discussions on the proposed Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, or the Bayanihan 2 bill, after adopting, among others, two key provisions—a 60-day extension for loan payments during the pandemic and a three-year suspension of permits to build cell phone towers. The bicameral […]
Lawmakers agree on cash aid for teachers
MANILA, Philippines — Senators and House representatives met in bicameral conference on Friday to reconcile their versions of the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2) and agreed to provide a one-time cash aid to teachers, nonteaching personnel as well as part-time faculty members of state universities and colleges, who did not receive government […]
DepEd: Private, Catholic schools can reopen any time before Oct. 5
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) on Saturday said Catholic and other private schools and those not managed by it may open the school year before Oct. 5, provided they only use “distance learning modalities” and strictly no in-person classes. Education Undersecretary Tonisito Umali made the statement to clarify President Duterte’s order on […]
PGH team: Mass testing attractive but not feasible
MANILA, Philippines — Since the spread of COVID-19 in the country early this year, various groups have urged the government to conduct mass testing to help contain the disease. But based on the experience of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), mass testing as conducted, for instance, among health-care workers has proven to be not as […]
2 former PhilHealth insiders tag doctors, hospitals, banks in scam
MANILA, Philippines — Two individuals formerly connected with Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) tagged corrupt physicians, hospitals and banks in fraudulent schemes over several years, the government’s Inter-Agency Task Force PhilHealth said on Saturday. Undersecretary Markk Perete, spokesperson for the Department of Justice, did not identify the two resource persons nor specify their claims because […]
Peasant group seeks UN probe of Echanis slay
MANILA, Philippines — Peasant group Anakpawis on Saturday called on the Office of the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights (OHCHR) to intervene and look into the murder of its chairperson and peace consultant for the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), Randall Echanis. “We humbly appeal to the office of the High […]
PH Covid cases up to 157,918
THE number of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infections in the country continues to climb, as the Department of Health recorded 157,918 as of Saturday. Of the total, 83,109 are active cases of which 98.5 percent are mild or asymptomatic and 1.5 percent are severe or critical. The 83,109 active cases include 4,351 new ones, 3,235 of […]