U.S. PUSHING RELATIONS TO THE BRINK OF A NEW COLD WAR: CHINA
China on Sunday accused the US of pushing the bilateral ties to the brink of
a "new Cold War" by spreading "lies" about the coronavirus and said it was
open to international efforts to identify the source of the deadly virus.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi also said the lawsuits filed against China in the
US demanding compensation for Covid-19 is an attempt to blackmail a victim
with fabricated evidence. Under constant attack from US President Donald
Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over the origin of the coronavirus
and failure to provide timely information, Wang launched a broadside against
Washington in his annual press conference.
PHILIPPINES MEETS GOAL OF 30,000 DAILY COVID-19 TESTS: PALACE
MANILA - The Philippines has achieved its target of increasing its
coronavirus testing to 30,000 per day, Malacañang said Monday.
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said the government even exceeded its
goal last May 20, when it conducted 32,100 polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
tests in a day.
NATION FOCUSES ON QUALITY DEVELOPMENT
China's decision not to set a GDP growth target this year does not mean it has attached less importance to economic growth, but instead shows the authorities are paying greater attention to high-quality development, economists said after Premier Li Keqiang delivered the Government Work Report to the opening of the third session of the 13th National People's Congress on Friday.
POMPEO: CHINA MEASURE A ''DEATH KNELL'' FOR HONG KONG AUTONOMY
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday condemned China''s effort to take
over national security legislation in Hong Kong, calling it a death knell
for the high degree of autonomy" that Beijing had promised the territory.
P1.3 TRILLION ECONOMIC STIMULUS BILL GETS HOUSE SUPPORT
MANILA An overwhelming majority of members of the House of Representatives
have expressed support for the proposed P1.3-trillion economic stimulus
measure to address the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
crisis on livelihood.
NPC OPENS, NO GROWTH TARGET SET FOR 2020
China has not set a GDP growth target for this year and will take a slew of forceful financial measures this year to shore up the economy, which has been dragged down by the devastating COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Government Work Report that Premier Li Keqiang delivered to the opening of the third session of the 13th National People's Congress on Friday.
680,000 MANILA FAMILIES GET 2ND TRANCHE OF CASH AID
MANILA More than 680,000 families in Manila will receive the second
tranche of cash assistance from the city government, Mayor Isko Moreno
announced yesterday.
US SENATE PASSES BILL TO BOOST OVERSIGHT AND DELIST CHINESE COMPANIES FROM
EXCHANGES
The Senate overwhelmingly approved legislation Wednesday that could lead to
Chinese companies such as Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Baidu Inc. being
barred from listing on US stock exchanges amid increasingly tense relations
between the world's two largest economies.
WORLD BANK TO RESCUE WITH $160-BILLION AID TO 100 NATIONS
The Covid-19 pandemic is expected to put over 60 million people into extreme
poverty globally, the World Bank has said as it announced emergency
operations worth $160 billion in 100 developing countries to fight the
deadly virus.
GOVERNMENT TO ENFORCE LOCALIZED LOCKDOWN
MANILA The government may limit lockdowns to barangays or villages with
coronavirus cases instead of resorting to widespread community quarantines,
to minimize the impact of the pandemic on the economy.
SESSIONS TO SHOW WAY AHEAD
As global attention turns to Beijing with the start of China's two sessions on Thursday, experts said that the nation's biggest annual political event will indicate the direction of its socioeconomic development amid the COVID-19 pandemic and will inject confidence into the gloomy world economy.
DONALD TRUMP SHOOTS LETTER TO WHO, THREATENS TO EXIT WORLD BODY
US President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to pull America out of the
World Health Organization (WHO) and permanently stop US funding for the
world body if it did not "commit to major substantive improvements" in the
next 30 days.
GOVT LOOKS AT IMPLEMENTING LOCKDOWNS AT BARANGAY LEVEL AS VIRUS
RESTRICTIONS EASED
MANILA The government may implement lockdowns at the barangay level as it
eases restrictions on movement across the country, the implementer of the
national action plan against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) said.
XI: CHINA TO SHARE VACCINE WITH WORLD
China announced on Monday it will provide $2 billion over two years to help with COVID-19 response and with economic and social development in affected countries, especially developing countries.
FINALLY CHINA GIVES IN, AGREES FOR PROBE INTO COVID-19 ORIGIN, ONCE THE CRISIS IS OVER
China on Monday gave in to mounting international pressure for a probe into the origin of Covid-19 and a review of the World Health Organisation’s response to the pandemic. President Xi Jinping told the World Health Assembly that China had acted with ‘openness, transparency and responsibility’ when the disease, which has impacted billions of people across the world, first broke out.
HOUSE PLENARY RECALLS ABS-CBN FRANCHISE OK
MANILA To pave the way for possible amendments, the leadership of the
House of Representatives recalled yesterday the approval it gave on second
reading to the bill granting ABS-CBN a provisional franchise.
EXPERTS URGE US TO PUT END TO BLAME GAME
The divide between Beijing and Washington amid the COVID-19 pandemic could be a hot topic at the upcoming two sessions−China's biggest annual political event−when lawmakers and political advisers discuss how the country responds to external environment, experts said.
COVID-POSITIVE OFWS FLEE QUARANTINE PCG
MANILA An unknown number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), some of whom
tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), have escaped from
hotels that are being used as quarantine facilities in Metro Manila.
ISRAELI PM PRESENTS NEW UNITY GOVT
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented his new unity government
to parliament on Sunday, ending more than a year of political deadlock but
still facing a trial starting in a week for alleged corruption.
PRIORITIES KEY TO VICTORY OVER BIG CHALLENGES
China is facing large challenges unprecedented in recent times given the grave situation of global disease prevention and the slowdown of the world economy, according to a key Party meeting on Friday.
REQUIRE US TO MEET US HALFWAY: CHINA ON TRUMP`S THREAT TO CUT OFF TIES
China on Friday reacted guardedly to US President Donald Trump's threat to
"cut off" the bilateral relationship between the world's top two economies
and asked America to meet it halfway in the fight against the coronavirus.
Relations between the two countries nosedived after the coronavirus
outbreak, which originated from the central Chinese city of Wuhan, and
spread to other parts of the world.
METRO MANILA STREETS STIR BACK TO LIFE AS MODIFIED LOCKDOWN STARTS
MANILA Several streets around Metro Manila slowly started coming back to
life on Saturday as the Philippine capital shifted to a modified enhanced
community quarantine after two months under lockdown.
Dozens of mask-wearing market-goers shopped for fresh produce in
Blumentritt, Manila.
XI CALLS FOR VIGILANCE TO COMBAT VIRUS
President Xi Jinping instructed local governments on Thursday to keep alert on disease prevention and control to avoid a resurgence of the novel coronavirus outbreak.
'NOT HAPPY RIGHT NOW': TRUMP RULES OUT US RENEGOTIATING TRADE DEAL WITH
CHINA
U.S. President Donald Trump has ruled out renegotiating the trade deal with
China and expressed disappointment over Beijing's handling of the
coronavirus outbreak, which has spread across the world killing over
3,00,000 people, including 80,000 in America.
DUTERTE ORDERS DBM TO PRUNE OTHER BUDGETARY ITEMS TO FUND SAP - ROQUE
MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the budget department to
prune budgetary items that can be realigned to fund the social amelioration
program to poor families in areas still under lockdown, Presidential
Spokesperson Harry Roque said Friday.
XI, LEADER OF ROK SAY TIES GROW CLOSER
Productive cooperation between China and the Republic of Korea in fighting the novel coronavirus has set a model for global disease control, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday.
SCO COMES TO CHINA'S DEFENCE, SEEKS WHO-LED ROLE TO BATTLE COVID
The COVID-19 pandemic along with terrorism against the backdrop of the two
horrific attacks on a maternity hospital and Gurdwara Har Rai Sahab, both in
Kabul, dominated the videoconferencing of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
(SCO) foreign ministers from India, Pakistan, China, Russia and four Central
Asian countries.
HOUSE OKS ABS-CBN PROVISIONAL FRANCHISE
Network may resume broadcast by June Cayetano
MANILA The House of Representatives yesterday passed a bill granting a
provisional franchise to broadcast giant ABS-CBN until Oct. 31 while
Congress deliberates on the networks application for the renewal of its
franchise.
XI: POVERTY RELIEF KEY TO PROSPERITY GOAL
President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of poverty alleviation work to secure the country's development goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects during his two-day inspection tour of Shanxi province that concluded on Tuesday.
CORONAVIRUS: WUHAN DRAWS UP PLANS TO TEST ALL 11 MILLION RESIDENTS
The Chinese city of Wuhan is drawing up plans to test its entire population
of 11 million people for Covid-19, state media report.
The plan appears to be in its early stages, with all districts in Wuhan told
to submit details as to how testing could be done within 10 days.
It comes after Wuhan, where the virus first emerged, recorded six new cases
over the weekend.
'MODIFIED' LOCKDOWN SET IN METRO MANILA, 2 OTHER AREAS
MANILA - Metro Manila and 2 other areas will shift to a modified lockdown
until the end of the month while the rest of the country will have fewer
restrictions as the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) lapses on Friday,
Malacañang said Tuesday.
XI EXTENDS BEST WISHES TO NATION'S NURSES
President Xi Jinping encouraged the country's nurses on Monday to make new contributions to promote the building of the Healthy China initiative and maintain the security of global public health.
DUTERTE: WE CANNOT AFFORD ANOTHER WAVE OF CORONAVIRUS INFECTIONS
MANILA - The Philippines cannot afford another wave of coronavirus
infections, President Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday as he prepared the public
for the looming easing of restrictions.
IRAN WARSHIP HIT BY OWN MISSILE, 19 DIE
One Iranian warship accidentally struck another with a missile during an
exercise, killing 19 sailors and wounding 15 others, Iran's navy said on
Monday.
XI: CHINA READY TO SUPPORT DPRK IN VIRUS FIGHT
President Xi Jinping has expressed his confidence in securing a final victory in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic with the joint efforts of China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea as well as the international community.
UK PM UNVEILS 'CONDITIONAL PLAN' FOR NEXT-PHASE COVID-19 RESPONSE
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Sunday announced a phased plan to
ease a nationwide coronavirus lockdown, with schools and shops to begin
opening from June 1 - as long as infection rates stay low.
DUTERTE TO DECIDE ON ECQ TODAY
MANILA President Duterte is expected to decide today on the fate of Metro
Manila and other coronavirus high-risk areas still under enhanced community
quarantine or ECQ.
NATION WILL KEEP UP EFFORT ON ALL FRONTS
China will continue with unremitting epidemic containment measures, adopt concrete measures to reopen businesses and schools and ensure that its poverty alleviation goals will be met this year, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said on Friday.
US, CHINA TRADE OFFICIALS PRESS AHEAD WITH 'PHASE 1' DEAL AFTER OVERNIGHT
CALL
Top US and Chinese trade representatives played down deep differences over
the economic wreckage of the coronavirus pandemic and said they would press
ahead with implementing their "Phase 1" trade deal after an overnight phone
call.
METRO MAYORS TO MEET ON QUARANTINE OPTIONS
MANILA Metro Manila mayors will meet again today via video conference to
finalize details on what to recommend to authorities whether to extend or
downgrade the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the metropolis to curb
the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).?
ROLE OF SCIENCE HIGHLIGHTED IN PANDEMIC FIGHT
Science and technology have played, and will continue to play, a decisive role in mitigating the pandemic, whether it is by discovering new features about the novel coronavirus, looking for new treatment or vaccines or offering expertise in psychological services, experts said.
US 'CONCERNED' OVER ABS-CBN SHUTDOWN
WASHINGTON - The United States on Thursday voiced concern over the
Philippine government-ordered shutdown of the country's top broadcaster
ABS-CBN, which has been targeted by President Rodrigo Duterte.
"We are concerned by the situation regarding ABS-CBN," State Department
spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said.
XI: NATION CANNOT AFFORD COMPLACENCY
A key Party meeting on Wednesday stressed the need to reform China's disease prevention and control system and bolster its monitoring and early warning capacities for outbreaks in a bid to close the gaps and strengthen weak areas exposed in the COVID-19 pandemic.
CORONAVIRUS | WHO WARNS OF NEW LOCKDOWNS IF TRANSITION NOT MANAGED CAREFULLY
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday warned of the
risks of returning to lockdown if countries emerging from pandemic
restrictions do not manage transitions extremely carefully and in a phased
approach.
FIRST SINCE 1998: PHILIPPINES GDP SHRINKS DUE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC
MANILA - The Philippine economy shrank in the January to March period, for
the first time since 1998, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting
lockdown, officials said Thursday.
LONG MARCH 5B ROCKET MAKES MAIDEN FLIGHT
China's Long March 5B carrier rocket made its first flight on Tuesday evening at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province, marking a new chapter in the country's manned space program, according to the China Manned Space Agency.
US HAS FLATTENED CORONAVIRUS CURVE, NOW IN NEXT STAGE OF BATTLE, SAYS TRUMP
Amid the rising coronavirus COVID-19 cases in the US, President Donald Trump
on Tuesday (May 5) said that the US had managed to flattened the curve of
the deadly virus mainly due to the profound commitment of its citizens. He
added that the flattening of curve has helped in saving countless American
lives and the US has now entered the next stage of its fight against the
coronavirus, which includes a a very safe phased and gradual reopening of
the country.
ABS-CBN ORDERED TO GO OFF AIR AS FRANCHISE LAPSES
MANILA Regulators ordered ABS-CBN Corp. to stop airing on Tuesday, a day
after its legislative franchise expired, putting at risk over 11,000 jobs in
the country's biggest network as millions of Filipinos get displaced by the
coronavirus outbreak.
CHINA CRITICIZES OVERTURE BY US TO TAIWAN ON UN
The United States' mission to the United Nations has "gravely" interfered with China's internal affairs by openly supporting Taiwan's participation in the UN, said a spokesperson for the Permanent Mission of China to the UN.
CORONAVIRUS | EUROPE EMERGES FROM VIRUS LOCKDOWN
Millions of Europeans emerged with relief from coronavirus confinement on Monday, with hard-hit Italy leading the way out of the world's longest lockdown.
The search for a cure received a further boost when the European Union hosted a telethon for world leaders aimed at raising €7.5 billion ($8.2 billion) to discover a COVID-19 vaccine.
PHILIPPINE POSTS HIGHEST SINGLE-DAY COVID RECOVERIES AT 101
MANILA The Department of Health (DOH) reported yesterday that 101 more
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients have recovered the highest
ever recorded bringing the total number of survivors to 1,315 as of May 4.
At a press conference, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said,
however, that 16 patients died, raising the death toll to 623.
XI OFFERS YOUTH DAY GREETINGS
President Xi Jinping encouraged China's young people to foster stronger ideals and convictions, build up their capabilities and devote themselves to the course of national development as he greeted youth in a message published on Sunday.
REPORT: CHINA HID CORONAVIRUS' SEVERITY TO HOARD SUPPLIES
U.S. officials believe China covered up the extent of the coronavirus
outbreak and how contagious the disease is to stock up on medical
supplies needed to respond to it, intelligence documents show.
Chinese leaders intentionally concealed the severity of the pandemic from
the world in early January, according to a four-page Department of Homeland
Security intelligence report dated May 1 and obtained by The Associated
Press. The revelation comes as the Trump administration has intensified its
criticism of China, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo saying Sunday that
country was responsible for the spread of disease and must be held
accountable.
CONGRESS RESUMES SESSION TODAY
MANILA Congress will resume session today with lawmakers set to prioritize
measures to help the country recover from the coronavirus disease 2019
(COVID-19) crisis under a new normal that could slow down legislative
proceedings.
NATION MUST STAY VIGILANT AGAINST VIRUS
Hubei province is lowering its level of response to the novel coronavirus outbreak from the highest level on Saturday, but while this measure is taken by China's hardest-hit area, authorities across the nation were urged to remain vigilant against the disease after loopholes were found in epidemic prevention and control in Heilongjiang province.
TRUMP ADAMANT COVID CAME FROM WUHAN LAB
The US has said that China mishandled the situation after the coronavirus
outbreak in its Wuhan city.
But it refrained from giving a definitive answer on retaliatory measures
against Beijing.
Led by the United States, several countries, including Germany, Britain and
Australian, are blaming China for the spread of coronavirus across the
globe.
CORONAVIRUS INFECTED MEDICAL FRONTLINERS IN PHILIPPINES SURGE TO 1,694
MANILA - The Philippines on Friday reported a spike in the number of medical
frontliners who are infected with the coronavirus, worsening the struggle
faced by the country's dilapidated healthcare system that is creaking under
the weight of rising infections.
PRESIDENT SENDS WORKERS GREETINGS FOR MAY DAY
President Xi Jinping extended sincere greetings to the country's workers of all ethnic groups on Thursday, encouraging them to contribute more to combating COVID-19 as well as promoting economic and social development through their hard work.
TRUMP ATTACKS 'CHINA-CENTRIC' WHO; TIES BIDEN TO CHINA
The Trump Administration has launched a probe into the role of the WHO on
coronavirus, and has temporarily suspended the US' financial assistance to
it. "I think that the World Health Organization should be ashamed of
themselves because they are like the public relations agency for China,"
Trump told reporters in the East Room of the White House.
GCQ AREAS REOPEN TODAY
MANILA After two extensions of the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon,
some areas in the country will be placed starting today under a general
community quarantine (GCQ) where certain businesses like those in the
transport sector will be allowed back, though at a reduced capacity.
A one-meter distance between public transportation passengers, for example,
would be strictly implemented in areas where the quarantine measures are
relaxed, Malacañang said yesterday.
XI: EFFORTS SECURE DECISIVE OUTCOME
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said on Wednesday that after arduous efforts, China has secured a decisive outcome in containing the spread of COVID-19 in Hubei province and its capital, Wuhan, the country's hardest-hit region.
The Panama Canal has announced a temporary adjustment to its reservation system, a move that it says will provide customers with added flexibility and relief during the COVID-19 pandemic.
35 US STATES RELEASE FORMAL OPENING PLANS AMID CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
As many as 35 of the 50 American states have released formal opening plans,
as U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday exuded confidence that much
better days are ahead for the country that has seen more than 61,000 deaths
over the past two months due to COVID-19.
STILL TOO EARLY, RISKY TO SAY WE REACHED COVID-19 PEAK, SAYS DOH AS TESTING
EXPANDS
MANILA - The Department of Health on Thursday acknowledged that it would be
quite risky to say that the Philippines has reached the peak of its
COVID-19 cases.
This as some have speculated that the country is close to flattening or
plateauing the curve.
TRUMP SAYS US CONDUCTING 'SERIOUS INVESTIGATIONS' INTO CHINA'S ROLE IN
COVID-19
The US is carrying out a "very serious" investigation against China,
President Donald Trump has said, indicating that his administration is
looking at a bigger compensation from Beijing than the USD 140 billion being
sought by Germany over the coronavirus pandemic.
DUTERTE SAYS GOV'T COMING UP WITH GUIDELINES ON GENERAL COMMUNITY QUARANTINE
MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said the Philippine government
is coming up with guidelines to ensure the effective implementation of the
general community quarantine (GCQ) amid the coronavirus disease 2019
(COVID-19) pandemic.
Duterte made the statement days after he ordered the easement of quarantine
protocols in parts in the country that are considered under moderate to low
risk of COVID-19.
XI: STRENGTHS SHOULD BE PUT TO GOOD USE
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, emphasized on Monday the importance of making good use of the country's institutional strengths in responding to risks and challenges in an increasingly severe and complicated environment for development.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged his lockdown-weary nation to be
patient Monday, arguing that easing social and economic restrictions too
soon would create a second deadly spike of coronavirus infections.
On his first day back at work in three weeks after a bout of COVID-19 that
left him dangerously ill, Johnson said Britain had reached the moment of
"maximum risk" in its outbreak.
DUTERTE WANTS FDA, DOST TO INCREASE WORKFORCE, OPERATE 'DAY AND NIGHT'
MANILA President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the Food and Drug Administration
and the Department of Science and Technology to increase their workforce as
the country continues to battle the coronavirus outbreak.
The chief executive also wanted the two government agencies to extend their
operations to 24 hours.
NATION RESOLUTE IN MEETING POVERTY GOAL
The COVID-19 pandemic will not compromise China's goal to lift all its rural population out of poverty by the end of this year, officials and experts said, with the country scaling up its response measures in job creation and helping with sales of agricultural products.
The country's top leadership, led by President Xi Jinping, has called for resolute policy action to minimize the shock from the pandemic and win the battle against absolute poverty as this year is the final one for China to finish building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.
NATIONS BEGIN TO MAP OUT EXIT FROM LOCKDOWN
<https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/european-countries-begin-to-ma
p-out-exit-from-lockdown-1.4238409>
Boris Johnson returns to work for the first time in a fortnight with one key
item at the top of his in-tray: when will he let Britain do so?
The prime minister will chair the government's Monday morning meeting to
coordinate efforts to tackle the virus. He spent the last two weeks
recuperating at home, after contracting Covid-19 himself and spending three
nights in intensive care.
PHILIPPINES TIPPED FOR RECESSION THIS YEAR, REBOUND IN 2021: BSP
MANILA -- Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said Monday
the economy was poised to slide into a recession in 2020, contracting by 0.2
percent for the full year due to an extended lockdown to stop the COVID-19
pandemic.
First quarter growth will be lower than expected, followed by 2 successive
quarters of negative growth, before bouncing back in the fourth quarter,
Diokno told ANC.
XI: BUILD 'GREAT SPACE POWER'
President Xi Jinping extended greetings to elder scientists who participated in the country's first satellite program 50 years ago and said he expected space industry workers to learn from their predecessors' spirit and strive to build the nation into a stronger space power.
TRUMP SAYS SPOKE 'SARCASTICALLY' ABOUT INJECTING DISINFECTANTS
U.S. President Donald Trump's musings on whether injecting disinfectants
might treat COVID-19 have horrified medical professionals and raised fresh
concerns that his stream-of-consciousness briefings could push frightened
people to poison themselves with untested treatments.
IRAN PROMISES 'TO CRUSH' US FORCES IF SHIPS ATTACKED IN GULF <https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/iran-vows-crush-forces-ships-attacked-gulf-200423065439347.html>
Iran will destroy U.S. warships if its security is threatened in the Gulf, the head of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards told state TV on Thursday, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump warned Tehran over ”harassment” of U.S. vessels.
COVID-19 INFECTION RATE IN INDIA HAS SLOWED DOWN: GOVT
One month into the national lockdown, the coronavirus outbreak has spread to
more than half the total number of districts across the country, but remains
concentrated in the same areas, an analysis of official figures show.
The figures show that while districts on the COVID-19 map have more than
doubled in the last three weeks - from 211 districts on April 1 to 429 on
April 22 - the heavy load remains confined to 12 administrative districts
that recorded over 200 cases each.
DUTERTE EXTENDS PHILIPPINES LOCKDOWN UNTIL MAY 15, CHANGES COVERAGE
MANILA President Rodrigo Duterte extended Friday the Philippines' lockdown
to May 15 and changed the areas covered by movement restrictions that
shuttered businesses for weeks.
The so-called enhanced community quarantine will remain in Metro Manila, the
Southern Tagalog and Central Luzon regions, Mindoro island, and the
provinces of Pangasinan, Benguet, Catanduanes, and Albay.
PRESIDENT CONFIDENT OF ACHIEVING POVERTY RELIEF GOAL
Despite the influence of the novel coronavirus pandemic on the country's economy, President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday that he was confident of achieving the goal of eliminating poverty in China by the end of this year.
While visiting a community in the town of Laoxian in Shaanxi province's Pingli county, Xi instructed local officials to make substantial efforts to promote employment so that the people will have a stable life.
CEBU CITY EXTENDS COVID-19 LOCKDOWN UNTIL MAY 15
MANILA - The lockdown of hundreds of thousands of residents in Cebu City is
extended until May 15 to stem the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mayor
Edgardo Labella said Thursday.
Local officials extended the lockdown after some 123 detainees at the city
jail and around 136 residents in the densely populated Sitio Zapatera raised
the city's total COVID-19 cases to 312 as of Wednesday night, he said.
XI'S TOUR FOCUSES ON POVERTY, ECOLOGY
President Xi Jinping inspected poverty alleviation work in Shaanxi province on Tuesday amid the nation's efforts to overcome the impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic and improve people's livelihoods.
TRUMP IMMIGRATION BAN TO LAST 60 DAYS, TARGET THOSE SEEKING PERMANENT
RESIDENCY
President Donald Trump said on April 21 his new U.S. immigration ban would
last for 60 days and apply to those seeking "green cards" for permanent
residency in an effort to protect Americans seeking to regain jobs lost
because of the coronavirus.
NO TOTAL LOCKDOWN; DUTERTE DECIDES ON ECQ TOMORROW
MANILA With the end of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) just eight
days away, expect no total lockdown to follow, presidential spokesman Harry
Roque said yesterday.
He said a total lockdown was not among the preferred scenarios raised by
health experts specifically former secretaries of the Department of Health
(DOH) during their meeting with President Duterte on Monday.
MORE POLICIES ANNOUNCED TO BOOST ECONOMY
China announced new debt financing plans and additional rate cuts after the quarterly economic contraction in order to limit the effects of the novel coronavirus pandemic and ensure that the economy is better placed to recover, according to officials and analysts.
US OIL PRICES TURN NEGATIVE AS DEMAND DRIES UP
The price of US oil has turned negative for the first time in history.
That means oil producers are paying buyers to take the commodity off their
hands over fears that storage capacity could run out in May.
Demand for oil has all but dried up as lockdowns across the world have kept
people inside.
TRUMP OFFERS ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE TO DUTERTE
MANILA In a recent phone call with President Rodrigo Duterte, US President
Donald Trump offered additional assistance to the Philippines as it deals
with the deadly coronavirus disease, which first emerged in China late last
year.
The US Embassy in Manila confirmed that Duterte spoke with Trump last
Sunday.
REGIONAL COOPERATION VITAL FOR VIRUS RESPONSE
The novel coronavirus pandemic could help China and neighboring countries step up nontraditional security cooperation for a stronger community with a shared future as President Xi Jinping has been committed to promoting neighborhood diplomacy based on the principles of friendship, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, experts said.
CORONAVIRUS DID NOT COME FROM US: WUHAN LAB
A laboratory in the Chinese city at ground zero of the global COVID-19
outbreak has rejected U.S. theories that it spawned the pandemic.
The denial came as world governments were debating how and when to ease
lockdowns that have kept more than half of humanity - 4.5 billion people -
confined to their homes and crippled the global economy.
GOVERNMENT EYES PHASED, TARGETED LIFTING OF COVID QUARANTINE
MANILA The government is eyeing a phase-by-phase lifting of the Luzon-wide
enhanced community quarantine as it considers heeding the advice of the
World Health Organization (WHO) against abruptly lifting lockdowns around
the world to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Members of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious
Diseases will meet today to discuss possible scenarios and measures to be
enforced once quarantine ends.
KEY MEETING: GET NATION BACK TO WORK
A key Party meeting on Friday pledged greater efforts to expand domestic demand, increase investment and help small and medium-sized enterprises survive the COVID-19 pandemic with normalized containment measures in place.
NO MARTIAL LAW, JUST ITS STYLE OF DISCIPLINE
MANILA, Philippines The imposition of martial law would be unlikely
without invasion or rebellion in the country, Cabinet Secretary Karlo
Nograles said yesterday.
What President Duterte wants is to impose strict disciplinary procedures
similar to martial law, to compel people to abide by community quarantine
measures meant to contain the coronavirus pandemic, Nograles explained.
CHINA DENIES COVER-UP AS WUHAN CORONAVIRUS DEATHS REVISED UP 50%
In face of international criticism over under-reporting coronavirus data,
China Friday denied these allegations made by other countries of covering up
the extent of its pandemic outbreak on Friday.
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson acknowledged, as reported by PTI,
that the virus's rapid spread had contributed to undercounting that resulted
in China raising its death toll earlier Friday, however, he added "there has
never been any concealment, and we'll never allow any concealment."
XI: COOPERATION, SOLIDARITY KEY TO CONTAGION FIGHT
As the novel coronavirus pandemic has run rampant globally, President Xi Jinping's unremitting call for solidarity and cooperation to stem the spread of the contagion has greater relevance to coping with the common threat the world is facing, officials and experts said.
TRUMP UNVEILS HIS 3-PHASE PLAN TO REOPEN A STALLED ECONOMY AMID CORONAVIRUS
As Covid-19 continues to spread across the US, President Donald Trump has
given governors guidance on reopening state economies in the coming months.
The guidelines for "Opening up America Again" outline three phases in which
states can gradually ease their lockdowns.
Mr Trump promised governors they would be handling the process themselves,
with help from the federal government.
DUTERTE WARNS OF MARTIAL RULE DISCIPLINE vs VIOLATORS
MANILA With an average of 4,000 quarantine violators being accosted daily,
President Duterte warned last night that he would make the police and
military enforce social or physical distancing just like in martial law to
contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
In a televised address to the nation, Duterte talked about employing the
martial rule style of discipline amid reports that people are increasingly
returning to the streets and breaking quarantine rules.
IMF FEARS WORST RECESSION SINCE 1930S
With the International Monetary Fund predicting on Tuesday the worst global downturn since the 1930s, China has deployed an additional policy response to address the slowdown caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic and facilitate economic recovery through incentivizing bank lending and stabilizing corporate hiring.
PH RECORDS MORE COVID-19 RECOVERIES; 230 NEW CASES REPORTED
MANILA - New coronavirus disease or COVID-19 recoveries in the Philippines
reached another record-high, with 58 new recoveries announced Wednesday.
This brings the number of COVID-19 recoveries in the country to 353, the
Department of Health (DOH) said in its update.
CHINA HID TRUTH ABOUT COVID-19 PANDEMIC FROM ITS PEOPLE FOR ALMOST A WEEK
In the six days after top Chinese officials secretly determined they likely
were facing a pandemic from a new coronavirus, the city of Wuhan at the
epicenter of the disease hosted a mass banquet for tens of thousands of
people; millions began travelling through for Lunar New Year celebrations.
President Xi Jinping warned the public on the seventh day (January 20). But
by that time, more than 3,000 people had been infected during almost a week
of public silence, according to internal documents obtained by and expert
estimates based on retrospective infection data.
XI URGES JOINT EFFORT IN VIRUS FIGHT
China will prioritize efforts to restore and raise the production capacity of medical supplies and epidemic containment materials to further contribute to international cooperation in halting the spread of the novel coronavirus and stabilizing global economic growth, President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday night.
TRUMP HALTS WHO FUNDING OVER HANDLING OF CORONAVIRUS; NOT THE TIME, SAYS
UN CHIEF
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he has instructed his administration
to halt funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) over its handling of
the coronavirus pandemic while his administration reviews its response to
the global crisis.
Trump, at a White House news conference, said the WHO had failed in its
basic duty and it must be held accountable. He said the group had promoted
China's disinformation about the virus that likely led to a wider outbreak
of the virus than otherwise would have occurred.
DUTERTE URGES ASEAN COUNTERPARTS TO ACT COLLECTIVELY, SUPPORT EACH OTHER
President Rodrigo Duterte highlighted four major areas wherein ASEAN members
can support each other in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, IATF
spokesperson Karlo Nograles said.
In a virtual meeting with his Southeast Asian counterparts, Duterte
emphasized the need to boost the production and intra-ASEAN trade of medical
equipment to address shortages.
XI CALLS FOR RENEWED FRIENDSHIP WITH INDONESIA
President Xi Jinping called on Monday for solidarity between China and Indonesia to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and enrich the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership as the two countries celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties.
CORONAVIRUS | NEW YORK GOVERNOR ANDREW CUOMO SAYS 'WORST IS OVER'
The coronavirus outbreak could reach its peak in the United States this
week, a top U.S. health official said on Monday as New York Governor Andrew
Cuomo declared "the worst is over" for his state, the U.S. epicenter of the
virus.
DUTERTE SAYS LIKELY TO LIFT LUZON LOCKDOWN IF PH GETS ANTIBODY TREATMENT VS
COVID-19
MANILA -- President Rodrigo Duterte late Monday said that he is likely to
lift the lockdown in Luzon if the country can get an antibody treatment for
the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
"Kung nandiyan na 'yong antibody, available na sa market dito and it is
being sold in quantity, in number, then I'm inclined to at that time to
maybe lift the lockdown," Duterte said.
“Mayroon nang medisina, antibody, ang isang giant pharmaceutical (company)
pero hindi galing sa tao. Sabi by May, they would start to market it,” he
added.
“Kung meron na ‘yan, tapos makita ko na ginagamit ng tao, ili-lift ko. Tutal
kung magkasakit kayo, may antibodies naman tayo mabili. Ngayon kung wala ka
mabili, problema mo na ‘yan kasi tapos na yung lockdown,” Duterte said.
US drugmaker Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. said in March it has identified
hundreds of antibodies that could treat or prevent COVID-19, and was
preparing to begin clinical trials.
The company will select the top 2 antibodies to develop a "cocktail"
treatment and scale up its manufacturing to produce 200,000 doses per month
by the end of summer in the US.
AMBASSADOR CHALLENGES CLAIMS CHINA HID VIRUS COUNT
China's top diplomat in the United States refuted the claims that his country has underreported the number of COVID-19 cases and related deaths, suggesting instead that the accusers usually have things under their "dirty carpet".
Ambassador Cui Tiankai, in an interview with Ian Bremmer at the weekly digital and broadcast show Gzero World, also said that the majority of the several million people believed to have left Wuhan before the capital of Central China's Hubei was locked down on Jan 23 to combat the novel coronavirus had actually remained within China, instead of traveling elsewhere and spreading the virus.
OPEC+ APPROVES HISTORIC OIL DEAL AMID CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
Opec producers and allies have agreed a record oil deal that will slash
global output by about 10% after a slump in demand caused by coronavirus
lockdowns.
The deal, agreed on Sunday via video conference, is the largest cut in oil
production ever to have been agreed.
Opec+, made up of oil producers and allies including Russia, announced plans
for the deal on 9 April, but Mexico resisted the cuts.
MANILA STARTS TARGETED COVID-19 MASS TESTING
MANILA - The city of Manila can now conduct localized, targeted coronavirus
mass testing to slow the spread of the contagion in the Philippine capital
and allow authorities to isolate infected residents.
Six district hospitals and the Delpan quarantine facility can conduct 232
swab tests each day or 1,624 tests per week, the city's public information
office said Monday. Manila has so far conducted 934 swab tests.
COVID-19: ARE WE TESTING ENOUGH? HERE'S HOW INDIA FARES VERSUS OTHERS
The global tally of Covid-19-positive cases now stands at over 1.5 million, and the number of fatalities is nearly 83,000. With countries upping their testing capabilities to stem a surge in coronavirus infections, more than 11 million tests have been conducted across the globe so far.
India has conducted around 160,000 tests (as on April 8), according to ICMR data. And the country’s tally of positive cases stands at 6,237 (at 6 pm on April 9) – implying 3.8 per cent of the tests yielded positive results for coronavirus.
The US, by comparison, has conducted 2.2 million tests – the most among all countries – and seen a fifth of all those tests throwing up positive results.
PHILIPPINES LAUNCHES COVID-19 TRACKING, EMERGENCY RESPONSE ONLINE PLATFORM
MANILA - The Philippines launched an online and mobile platform that can
help the government track people exhibiting symptoms of the coronavirus
disease and conduct more efficient contact tracing.
Manila-based developer Multisys created StaySafe.ph, which "encourages
people to report their health condition as well as those of their family
members," the National Task Force against COVID-19 said in a statement.
Users will be asked during the online registration process if they manifest
COVID-19 symptoms such as fever, cough, fatigue, muscle pain, runny nose,
sore throat, shortness of breath and diarrhea. The platform will then
generate a result indicating mild, moderate or severe depending on the
number of symptoms the user is experiencing.
XI URGES COMMUNITY WORKERS TO KEEP UP VIRUS PREVENTION
President Xi Jinping encouraged community workers to continue their epidemic prevention efforts to secure the final victory in the battle against COVID-19 on Thursday.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a letter replying to community workers at a neighborhood which he inspected during his visit last month to Wuhan, the hardest-hit city by the outbreak and the capital of Hubei province.
COVID-19 CASES IN PHILIPPINES RISE TO 3,870, DEATHS NOW AT 182
Too early to tell if cases are decreasing,' DOH official says
MANILA For the second consecutive day, the number of new coronavirus cases
in the Philippines was below the 200-mark after health authorities reported
106 additional infections Wednesday.
COVID-19: TRUMP SAYS WOULD LIKE TO REOPEN US ECONOMY WITH A 'BIG BANG'
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would like to reopen the US
economy with a "big bang" but that the death toll from the coronavirus needs
to be on the down slope before that can happen.
Trump did not give a timeframe on when he would like to reopen the economy,
but his chief economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, said on Tuesday it was
possible this could happen in four to eight weeks.
UP AND DELHI SEAL HOTSPOTS UNTIL APRIL 15
The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday decided to seal coronavirus
hotspots in 15 districts until April 15 as part of a cluster containment
exercise, where only medical services and home delivery of essential items
would be allowed.
While entire districts will not face such stringent lockdown measures,
movement of people will be completely curbed in these hotspots, and all
shops will be shut.
TRUMP SETS STAGE FOR UNSC MEET ON COVID-19 ON APRIL 9; PANS W.H.O, CHINA
After US President Donald Trump virtually blamed the World Health
Organisation for playing the Chinese side on the coronavirus pandemic, heat
will now mount on Beijing at an informal discussion on the virus outbreak in
the UN Security Council on Thursday, April 9, at 3 pm EST (April 10 12.30
am). The informal discussion will be preceded by a briefing by the UN
Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
MODIFIED 'LOCKDOWN' PROPOSED
IATF extends Luzon quarantine to April 30
MANILA - As Luzon braces for an extended enhanced community quarantine, a
"modified lockdown" should be considered to ensure smoother delivery of
basic goods and allow some businesses to reopen and serve communities,
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said yesterday.
CHINA-US MUTUAL SUPPORT NEEDED RIGHT NOW
Beijing's top envoy in Washington expressed solidarity on Monday with people in the United States, saying China is doing its best to support the US and other countries in their battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.
"In the fight against the virus, we stand together with the people of New York and America," Cui Tiankai, Chinese ambassador to the US, said in an opinion piece published in The New York Times on Sunday.
"We are facilitating the US government's purchase of personal protective equipment made in China."
Cui's comments echoed remarks made on Friday by US Ambassador to China Terry Branstad, who said his embassy was "working closely" with Chinese government officials to facilitate the shipment of crucial supplies of protective equipment from China.
In addition, Branstad said, "No one country can fight this battle alone, and I am confident that our two countries will continue to find ways to jointly cooperate to combat this common enemy that threatens the lives of all of us."
In his opinion piece, Cui conceded that there has been "unpleasant talk" between the two nations about the disease. He apparently was referring to the politicizing of the pandemic issue and the blame game regarding origin of the virus.
"But this is not the time for finger-pointing," he said. "This is a time for solidarity, collaboration and mutual support."
The Chinese embassy in the US said on Monday that it had conducted a survey regarding arrangements for charter flights to bring home Chinese students studying abroad, and a decision was taken to give priority to primary and secondary school students.
According to the announcement on the embassy's website, primary and secondary Chinese students younger than age 18 who have stayed in the US either short- or long-term without their parents are now able to register for flights home.
Around 1.6 million Chinese students are studying abroad, and 410,000 of them are in the US, according to the Ministry of Education. An earlier survey found that over 60 percent of the Chinese students in the US would like to return immediately due to the growing number of infections reported in the US.
With summer vacation approaching, it is likely that an increasing number of Chinese students would like to come home, the embassy said.
The US reported more than 330,000 infections, with the death toll creeping toward 10,000 on Sunday.
US President Donald Trump has warned the country to brace for a "horrific" next few weeks.
"The next week and a half, two weeks, I think they're going to be very difficult," Trump said.
US Surgeon General Jerome Adams warned on Sunday, "This is going to be our Pearl Harbor moment, our 9/11 moment."
Trump, who made his remark during the White House Coronavirus Task Force news briefing, also said that by Tuesday, 3,000 military and public health workers would be deployed across the nation to cope with the pandemic.
US VIRUS FATALITIES PASSES GRIM NUMBER AS UK DEATHS SPIKE
The U.S. and Britain braced for what could be one of their bleakest weeks in
memory on Monday as the human and financial toll of the coronavirus outbreak
mounted. But new deaths and infections appeared to be slowing in Italy,
Spain and France, suggesting that lockdowns and social distancing are
working.
DUTERTE APPROVES LUZON-WIDE COMMUNITY QUARANTINE UNTIL APRIL 30
MANILA - The enhanced community quarantine in Luzon is extended until April
30, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said Tuesday.
In a late night address Monday, President Rodrigo Duterte's late night
address where he said the government is "inclined to extend the lockdown up
to April 30."
CORONAVIRUS: TRUMP VOICES HOPE FOR 'LEVELLING-OFF' IN US HOTSPOTS
President Donald Trump has expressed hope coronavirus cases were "levelling
off" in US hotspots, saying he saw "light at the end of the tunnel".
On Sunday, New York, the epicentre of the US outbreak, reported a drop in
the number of new infections and deaths.
Mr Trump described the dip as a "good sign", but warned of more deaths as
the pandemic neared its "peak" in the US.
"In the days ahead, America will endure the peak of this pandemic," Mr Trump
said at his daily coronavirus briefing.
COVID CASES JUMP TO 3,246; DEATHS AT 152
MANILA The number of confirmed coronavirus disease (COVID) cases
nationwide yesterday jumped to 3,246 while fatalities rose to 152, according
to the Department of Health (DOH).
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said 152 new cases pushed the
total to 3,246 and eight new deaths brought to152 the number of fatalities.
Vergeire also reported that seven additional recoveries brought to 64 the
number of patients who recovered from the illness.
PRESIDENT XI ATTENDS THE NATIONAL MOURNING FOR COVID-19 VICTIMS
President Xi Jinping on Saturday attended the national mourning period for martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak and compatriots who died of the novel coronavirus pneumonia.
Xi and other leaders joined all the Chinese people and observed three minutes of silence to mourn for the deceased at the central leadership compound of Zhongnanhai. Air raid sirens and horns of automobiles, trains and ships wailed in grief.
UNGA ADOPTS RESOLUTION ON COVID-19, CALLS FOR GLOBAL COOPERATION TO FIGHT
PANDEMIC
The United Nations General Assembly has unanimously adopted a resolution,
co-sponsored by 188 nations including India, on COVID-19, calling for
intensified international cooperation to defeat the pandemic that is causing
severe disruption to societies and economies.
COVID-19 TASK FORCE: NO DECISION YET ON EXTENSION OF LUZON QUARANTINE
MANILA Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles on Saturday said the Inter-Agency
Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases has not yet reached a decision on
whether to extend the quarantine across Luzon and parts of the Visayas and
Mindanao.
XI: COLLECTIVE EFFORTS KEY TO FIGHTING VIRUS
The international community should make joint efforts to fight against the novel coronavirus, which is the common enemy of all mankind, President Xi Jinping said on Thursday.
Xi made the remarks in telephone conversations with Belgian King Philippe and Indonesian President Joko Widodo.
In his phone conversation with the Belgian king, Xi said that the virus recognizes no borders or races and only through making collective efforts will the international community prevail over the outbreak.
OIL PRICES SKYROCKET AS TRUMP CLAIMS RUSSIA, SAUDIS PLAN TO SLASH OUTPUT
Oil prices rocketed Thursday after US President Donald Trump said Russia and
Saudi Arabia planned to end their price war by slashing output.
But gains for Brent North Sea crude of nearly 46 percent cooled to around 20
percent as Russia denied it had spoken with Saudi Arabia, the world's
biggest exporter of crude.
After Trump tweeted that Saudi and Russia could slash production by up to 15
million barrels, Brent hit $36.29 per barrel, up almost 46 percent.
West Texas Intermediate soared around 35 percent to $27.39.
NATIONAL DEATH COUNT FROM TABLIGH MEETING NOW 15 — AND ALMOST A FIFTH OF TOTAL CASES
The Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi last month has emerged as the biggest hotspot, accounting for about one-fifth of the COVID-19 positive cases across the country so far. At least 15 across the country have been linked to the gathering.
WEARING MASKS NOW MANDATORY
MANILA For better protection against the coronavirus disease 2019
(COVID-19), Malacañang ordered yesterday all those living in areas under
enhanced community quarantine to wear face masks or other forms of
protective equipment when they go out to buy essential items.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, who is also spokesman of the Inter-Agency
Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), said
the call was part of the governments intensified efforts to contain the
COVID-19 outbreak.
XI'S TRIP TO ZHEJIANG BOOSTS CONFIDENCE
President Xi Jinping has offered a confidence boost to the market and businesses with his four-day inspection trip to Zhejiang province, in which he underlined the importance of turning crisis into opportunities and fostering new growth engines amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, started his trip with a visit to the Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan, the world's busiest in terms of cargo tonnage and the world's third-largest container port.
U.S. INTEL: CHINA COVERED UP EXTENT OF CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK
<https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/04/u-s-intel-china-covered-up-extent-o
f-coronavirus-outbreak.html>
China has concealed the extent of the coronavirus outbreak in its country,
under-reporting both total cases and deaths it's suffered from the disease,
the U.S. intelligence community concluded in a classified report to the
White House, according to three US officials.
DUTERTE WARNS GROUPS DISRUPTING QUARANTINE; PNP TOLD: SHOOT THEM DEAD
MANILA Shoot them dead.
President Duterte ordered the police and the military last night to shoot
dead those who will continue to hold protests that disrupt peace and order
during the enhanced community quarantine.
Duterte issued the order after members of the left-leaning urban poor group
Kadamay reportedly instigated a protest that turned violent over food
distribution in Quezon City.
XI STRESSES GREEN MODEL OF GROWTH
President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of environmental protection during his inspection tour of eastern China on Monday at a village where he unveiled his theory of ecological civilization 15 years ago.
G20 NATIONS AGREE TO KEEP MARKETS OPEN, TACKLE SUPPLY DISRUPTIONS
Group of 20 trade chiefs pledged to try to keep supply chains open as the
world fights to contain the coronavirus pandemic and limit the economic
fallout. The G-20 commerce ministers also vowed to "guard against
profiteering and unjustified price increases" during a conference call on
Monday devoted to the trade and investment implications of the health scare.
"We will continue to work together to deliver a free, fair,
non-discriminatory, transparent, predictable and stable trade and investment
environment, and to keep our markets open," the ministers said in a joint
statement released by Saudi Arabia, current holder of the G-20's rotating
presidency. "We will explore ways for logistics networks via air, sea and
land freight to remain open."
PHILIPPINES RECORDS 538 NEW CASES, NATIONAL TALLY BREACHES 2,000-MARK
The Department of Health confirmed 538 new COVID-19 cases in the
Philippines, bringing the national tally to 2,084.
The health department also reported that an additional 10 COVID-19 patients
died in the country, raising the number of deceased to 88.
Seven new recoveries have been recoded, bringing the total number of
recoveries to 49.
XI VOWS AID FOR SMALLER BUSINESSES
President Xi Jinping pledged on Sunday to take measures to protect small and medium-sized companies from being seriously impacted by the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak.
Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remark while inspecting an industrial park producing auto parts and molds in Ningbo, Zhejiang province.
BRENT TUMBLES TO LOWEST SINCE 2002, US CRUDE DIPS BELOW $20 PER BARREL
Global oil benchmark Brent crude plunged to its cheapest in almost 18 years
on Monday and US crude briefly tumbled below $20 per barrel on growing fears
the global coronavirus shutdown could last months and demand for fuel will
decline further.
With Saudi Arabia and Russia set to flood the market with oil next month,
producers and shippers have been scrambling to lock oil up in storage as
demand falls.
100,000 EMPLOYERS AWAITING CASH RESCUE DURING COVID-19 LOCKDOWN: LABOR DEPT
MANILA - Some 100,000 employers are awaiting cash aid from government, the
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said Tuesday, as workers reeled
from Luzon's month-long lockdown.
The agency has so far disbursed P5,000 cash each to several workers in Metro
Manila, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon, Assistant Secretary Dominique Rubia
Tutay said.
NO PLAN TO EXTEND 21-DAY LOCKDOWN: GOVT
The government on Monday said that there was no immediate plan to extend the
21-day lockdown amid fears that shutdown of businesses across the country to
counter the spread of coronavirus might trigger severe economic and social
distress.
XI'S CALL SETS RIGHT TONE FOR BATTLE
Amid the mounting risks the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak has brought to the world, President Xi Jinping's call for "an all-out global war" against the pandemic at the recent G20 Extraordinary Leader's Summit on COVID-19 has great relevance to addressing the global public health crisis.
NETHERLANDS RECALLS DEFECTIVE MASKS IMPORTED FROM CHINA
Dutch officials have recalled tens of thousands of masks imported from China
and distributed to hospitals battling the coronavirus outbreak because they
do not meet quality standards.
They received a delivery of masks from a Chinese manufacturer on March 21,
the health ministry said in a statement.
8 PERISH AS TOKYO-BOUND PLANE CATCHES FIRE AT NAIA
MANILA An aircraft caught on fire at the Ninoy Aquino International
Airport late Sunday as it was about to take off, killing eight people, the
Manila International Airport Authority confirmed.
According to a source, Lionair RPC5880 had eight people on board: Six
Filipino crew members and two passengers. The passengers were a Canadian and
an American.
XI-TRUMP CALL HELPS EASE TENSIONS
President Xi Jinping on Friday urged united efforts between China and the United States to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a phone conversation with US President Donald Trump, Xi said bilateral relations are now at a critical juncture, and both nations stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation and that cooperation is the only correct choice for both sides.
IMF CHIEF KRISTALINA GEORGIEVA: WE HAVE ENTERED RECESSION
The head of the International Monetary Fund said Friday it is clear that the
global economy has now entered a recession that could be as bad or worse
than the 2009 downturn. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said the
189-nation lending agency was forecasting a recovery in 2021, saying it
could be a "sizable rebound." But she said this would only occur if nations
succeed in containing the coronavirus and limiting the economic damage.
With the worldwide economic sudden stop, Georgieva said the funds
estimate for the overall financial needs of emerging markets is $2.5
trillion.
GDP GROWTH SEEN TO SLOW BELOW 1.1%
Worse than during global financial crisis in 2008
MANILA Analysts are not discounting the possibility that the Philippine
Economy will be worse off this year than during the global financial crisis
in 2008.
In separate reports, bank economists said they expect the Philippines to
book a slower gross domestic product (GDP) growth due to the impact of the
novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.
XI STRESSES KEY ROLE OF G20
Members of the G20 should enhance their coordination in macroeconomic policies to prevent a global recession resulting from the novel coronavirus outbreak, President Xi Jinping said on Thursday.
Xi made the remark while delivering a speech during the G20 Extraordinary Leaders' Summit on COVID-19. The summit, in the form of a videoconference, is the first of its kind under the G20 framework.
3.3 MILLION AMERICANS APPLY FOR UNEMPLOYMENT
More than 3 million people filed for unemployment benefits last week,
sending a collective shudder throughout the economy that is unlike anything
Americans have experienced.
The report, released by the Labor Department on Thursday, provides some of
the first hard data on the economic toll of the coronavirus pandemic, which
has shut down whole swaths of American life faster than government
statistics can keep track.
GOV'T PREPARES TO EXHAUST FISCAL LEEWAY, POLITICAL CAPITAL IN DUTERTE'S 'YOLANDA MOMENT'
MANILA A decade of fiscal discipline and record popularity are now being
put to good use by President Duterte vowing to do whatever it takes to
sufficiently counter the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) outbreak,
setting aside growth ambitions for a crucial crisis response that can make
or break his legacy.
PRESIDENT CONTINUES WITH BUSY DIPLOMATIC AGENDA
President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday that China is willing to bolster coordination and cooperation with all other nations to send a message of solidarity and unity in fighting COVID-19 and to shore up global confidence.
Xi made the remark in a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel ahead of the G20 special summit on the pandemic.
WHITE HOUSE, US CONGRESS AGREE ON $2 TRILLION RESCUE BILL
The White House and Senate leaders of both major political parties announced
agreement early Wednesday on unprecedented emergency legislation to rush
sweeping aid to businesses, workers and a health care system slammed by the
coronavirus pandemic.
The urgently needed $2 trillion pandemic response measure is the largest
economic rescue measure in history and is intended as a weekslong or
monthslong patch for an economy spiraling into recession and a nation facing
a potentially ghastly toll.
PHILIPPINES HAS ECONOMIC 'FIREPOWER' TO FIGHT CORONAVIRUS, SAYS IMF
MANILA -- The Philippines has the economic "firepower" to fight the
coronavirus pandemic and can draw from the International Monetary Fund's
emergency financing, the Washington-based lender said Thursday.
Manila has high international reserves, low public debt, and fiscal space
both to spend more and increase liquidity in the banking system, said IMF
representative to the Philippines Yongzheng Yang.
XI TO ATTEND VIRTUAL G20 SUMMIT ON CORONAVIRUS
President Xi Jinping will attend in Beijing on Thursday an extraordinary virtual G20 leaders' summit on coping with the novel coronavirus, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying announced on Wednesday.
WORLD ON LOCKDOWN: BUSINESS ACTIVITY COLLAPSES AT RECORD PACE
Business activity has collapsed from Australia and Japan to Western Europe
at a record pace, as measures to contain the coronavirus hammer the world
economy, with data for the United States later on Tuesday expected to be
just as dire.
"The coronavirus outbreak represents a major external shock to the macro
outlook, akin to a large-scale natural disaster," analysts at BlackRock
Investment Institute said in a note.
WITH WORLD BUSY FIGHTING CORONAVIRUS, CHINA QUIETLY BUILDS INSTALLATIONS ON PHILIPPINE-CLAIMED REEFS
MANILA While the rest of the world is busy battling the coronavirus
pandemic, China, where the virus originated, has taken advantage of the
countries preoccupation by building new facilities on Philippine-claimed
territories in West Philippine Sea.
On Friday, government-funded Chinese Academy of Sciences launched two
research stations on Fiery Cross (Kagitingan) and Subi Reefs in Spratly
Islands to help scientists expand their research into deep sea ecology,
geology, environment, material sciences and marine energy, state-run Xinhua
reported.
PM ADDRESSES THE NATION, DECLARES 21-DAY NATION-WIDE LOCKDOWN
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a complete lockdown across
the country for 21 days from midnight, asserting that social distancing is
the only way out for the country to fight a decisive battle against
coronavirus outbreak.
In his second national broadcast in a week on the pandemic raging across
much of the world with the number of infections rising in India, Modi made a
fervent appeal to the countrymen not to cross the 'lakshman rekha' of their
homes for the next three weeks.
CHINA OFFERS GLOBAL HELP IN COMBATING COVID-19
President Xi Jinping and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke over phone on Monday night and voiced support for the role of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
On behalf of the Chinese government and people, Xi extended sincere sympathies to the British government and people over their fight against the coronavirus disease. Upon request, he introduced China's epidemic prevention and control measures.
GLOBAL LOCKDOWN TO FIGHT THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday said, "The
pandemic is accelerating," Tedros said. "It took 67 days from the first
reported case to reach the first 100,000 cases, 11 days for the second
100,000 cases and just four days for the third 100,000 cases."
More than 6,000 Italians have now died from COVID-19, nearly double the
confirmed number of deaths in China where the virus first emerged late last
year.
Some 1.7 billion people have been asked to stay home in over 50 countries
and territories around the world as governments battle the COVID-19 pandemic
sweeping the globe.
AS COVID-19 GROUNDS CRUISE SHIPS, SOME 10,000 FILIPINO SEAFARERS NEED TO BE
REPATRIATED
MANILA – Some 10,000 Filipino seafarers are in need of repatriation after
COVID-19 halted the operation of cruise ships worldwide, a crew service
agency said Tuesday.
Magsaysay Maritime Corp. is chartering flights for the repatriation of the
seafarers, its chairman Marlon Rono said.
“Naguumpisa na po ang repatriation. Asahan po natin sa darating na mga araw
ay marami po ang uuwi diyan,” he told radio DZMM.
“They are floating in some areas. Alam mo naman ang cruise ship may sariling
doctor, may sariling ospital. They are taken cared of kung may symptoms na
nangyayari.”
XI'S DIPLOMACY PRIORITIZES SOLIDARITY, COOPERATION
President Xi Jinping has used head-of-state diplomacy to call for the building of a community of common health for mankind amid the mounting global public health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, observers said.
China's experiences on epidemic control and its aid to the contagion-affected countries are boosting the confidence of the international community as it strives to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, and it helps them cope with the challenges arising from the disease, they said.
ABE: OLYMPICS COULD BE POSTPONED
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said postponing the Olympic Games
could become an option if it was not possible to hold it in its "complete
form".
He said the country might have "no option but to consider postponing the
games", but added that cancellation was not an option.
This is a dramatic shift from what he had said earlier last week. He had
then confidently announced that Japan would "overcome the spread of the
infection and host the Olympics without problem".
The Olympics are due to be held in the capital Tokyo this July.
SPECIAL CONGRESS SESSION ON COVID-19
MANILA Congress is meeting on Monday, March 23, for a special session to,
according to a letter from the Palace, "authorize the president to exercise
powers necessary to carry out urgent measures to meet the current national
emergency relating to the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)."
According to a leaked draft bill, Congress may grant the chief executive the
power to take over the operations of any privately-owned public utility or
business affected with public interest.
CHINA SECURITIES WATCHDOG LAUNCHES INDEX SYSTEM FOR STAR BOARD
China's top securities watchdog launched an evaluation index system of science and technology innovation for the country's Nasdaq-style sci-tech innovation board, or the STAR market, to facilitate the innovation-driven economic transformation on Friday.
The launch of the index system aims to better support and encourage enterprises with "hard technology" to be listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange's sci-tech innovation board, according to the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC).
With a structure including three regular indices and five exception clauses, the system will help speed up the application of the country's scientific and technological achievements in production.
The design of the system is both highly operable and flexible, reflecting the direction of the reform on enhancing the inclusiveness of the capital market to technological innovation enterprises, said the CSRC.
US BLAMES CHINA, RUSSIA AND IRAN FOR SPREADING 'DISINFORMATION' ON
CORONAVIRUS
S Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has blamed Russia, China and Iran for
spreading "disinformation" on COVID-19 and carrying out coordinated efforts
to "disparage" American attempts towards containing the fast-spreading
coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking at the White House on Friday, Pompeo described the disinformation
campaigns as being "pretty diffused" and urged Americans to ensure that they
are getting their information from a reliable source and not a "bad actor"
trying to create and flow information that they know is wrong.
"I wanted to talk about the disinformation the people are seeing both on
Twitter and around the world. Some of it coming from government, some of it
coming from other individuals," Pompeo told reporters.
HOUSE SETS HISTORIC TEXT VOTING AT SESSION
MANILA - For the first time, House members are set to vote via text
messaging and online video conferencing to replace floor deliberations to
pass legislation needed to address the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
pandemic.
The House leadership has approved the proposal of Cavite Rep. Elpidio
Barzaga Jr. to allow lawmakers to cast their votes by text during the
special session when they are either currently in self-quarantine or in
their provinces due to the enhanced community quarantine, The STAR learned
yesterday.
He made the proposal, saying it is "impossible for members who are in Bicol,
Visayas or Mindanao to go to Batasan physically."
Barzaga, who heads of the National Unity Party, said he could manage the
long-distance plenary participation of NUP members in the House.
"If a House member questions that before the Supreme Court, I don't think it
will prosper," he added.
NATION SHOWS STRENGTH IN PANDEMIC BATTLE
The strength of China's system, which enables it to pool all available resources to solve major problems, has helped the country address the health crisis caused by the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak, observers said.
The all-of-government and all-of-society approach that China has adopted in combating COVID-19 has won international acclaim as it has proved effective and efficient in curbing the spread of the virus, they said.
As China battles the novel coronavirus, its model of central leadership and regional partnerships has functioned well.
Since the start of the outbreak, President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has acted as commander-in-chief in the people's war on the epidemic.
OLYMPIC FLAME ARRIVES IN JAPAN AS CORONAVIRUS THROWS TOKYO GAMES INTO
GROWING DOUBT
A plane carrying the Olympic torch from Greece arrived on Friday on Japan's
northwestern coast ravaged by a 2011 tsunami, but the welcome ceremony will
have no spectators, amid worries the Games could be cancelled over the
coronavirus pandemic.
The flame arrived at Japan Air Self-Defense Force's Matsushima base and will
tour the Tohoku region hit by the tsunami and earthquake, in what the
organizers call a "recovery flame" tour until the official kick-off ceremony
in Fukushima on March 26.
Organizers have repeatedly said the Games, set to run from July 24 to Aug.
9, will go ahead, but as the rapid spread of the virus brings the sports
world to a virtual standstill, fears are growing that the Olympics may be
postponed or cancelled.
DUTERTE TO LGUS: STAND DOWN, FOLLOW GUIDELINES
MANILA President Duterte has appealed to the nation to follow the
guidelines laid down by the national government for addressing the new
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and for local government units to be
united in the implementation of measures to contain the disease, including
restricting the movement of people as part of an enhanced community
quarantine.
The entire Luzon is now in the stage of a lockdown, meaning everyone
should stay home and avoid unnecessary travel outside their residences,
Duterte said after a meeting with members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for
the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases at Malago Clubhouse in
Malacañang late Thursday evening.
MORE RETURNEES INDICATE OUTBREAK IN CONTROL
Despite the sudden jump in imported infections in the past few days, the number of inbound trips has been 120,000 on average a day since the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus outbreak a pandemic on March 11, which is an 80 percent drop year-on-year, according to the National Immigration Administration.
That a number of Chinese living abroad are returning to China regardless of the huge economic cost and difficulties involved reflect the effectiveness of the prevention and control measures. Compared with its foreign counterparts, the Chinese government's resolute and comprehensive response has met the expectations of the Chinese people.
Therefore, the returnees' choice should be respected provided they fulfill the prevention and control requirements of both China and their host country.
The wrongdoings of a few returnees who hid their symptoms at airports and thus forced their close contacts into quarantine, too, should not prompt the government to close the door to its own people. Albeit the stricter border health and quarantine regulations that criminalize those acts are expected to help prevent such cases.
ITALIAN DEATH TOLL OVERTAKES CHINA AS CORONAVIRUS SPREADS
The death toll in Italy from the coronavirus overtook china’s on Thursday in
a stark illustration of how the outbreak has pivoted toward Europe and the
United States.
Italy, with a population of 60 million, recorded at least 3,405 deaths, or
roughly 150 more than in China a country with a population over 20 times
larger.
The cumulative positive cases reached 41,035 according to new data released
by the Civil Protection Department.
A lockdown imposed on 12 March in Italy has been extended beyond the
original 25 March end date. Nearly all Italians have been told to stay at
home.
NATIONAL GOVERNMENT CALLS THE SHOTS IN A CRISIS, NOT LGUS DUTERTE
MANILA President Rodrigo Duterte in a public address on early Friday
morning asserted the authority of the national government over local
government units in times of crisis.
In his address, the president appealed to local government units to abide by
the directives set by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management
of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Though he did not mention any names, Duterte also warned that noncompliance
on the part of local government officials could lead to administrative and
even criminal cases filed against erring officials.
"We are in a critical time [and] the national government needs your help
during this time. Do not make this quarantine more difficult for our people
than it already is," the chief executive said.
"You are setting your own standards and making this lockdown more difficult
for all," he added.
XI CALLS FOR COOPERATION IN VIRUS FIGHT
China will strengthen international cooperation on novel coronavirus epidemic control and continue to provide assistance within its ability to countries affected by the epidemic, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said on Wednesday.
Xi made the remark when presiding over the meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in which members analyzed the epidemic situation at home and abroad and its challenge to economic development.
Given that the epidemic is spreading across the world, Xi said that China should work closely with the World Health Organization, intensify analysis and prediction on global epidemic development, improve measures for dealing with the risk of imported infections and strengthen exchanges and cooperation with other countries.
Globally, the pandemic had caused 194,029 cases of infection as of Wednesday, according to the WHO.
CHINA REPORTS ZERO NEW DOMESTIC VIRUS CASES FOR 1ST TIME
BEIJING - China on Thursday marked a major milestone in its battle against
the coronavirus pandemic as it recorded zero domestic infections for the
first time since the outbreak emerged, but a spike in imported cases
threatened its progress.
The stark reversal comes as nations across the world have shut down in a
desperate effort to contain the pandemic, with more people now infected and
having died abroad than in China.
There were no new cases in Wuhan -- the central city where the virus first
emerged in December -- for the first time since authorities started
publishing figures in January, according to the National Health Commission.
Wuhan and its 11 million people were placed under strict quarantine on Jan.
23, with more than 40 million other people in the rest of Hubei province
entering lockdown in the following days.
The rest of China also enacted tough measures to limit public gatherings.
There were 8 more deaths in China -- all in Hubei -- raising the nationwide
total to 3,245, according to the commission.
A WORD ABOUT HERD IMMUNITY
Last week, the UK’s Government Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance hinted at a strategy that would allow the novel coronavirus to infect 60% of the country’s population so that a degree of “herd immunity” could be achieved. Following widespread criticism, and with Imperial College London projecting a dire scenario if the pandemic remains uncontrolled, the UK has now retracted — and is looking at self-isolation for the elderly.
Herd immunity refers to preventing an infectious disease from spreading by immunising a certain percentage of the population. While the concept is most commonly used in the context of vaccination, herd community can also be achieved after enough people have become immune after being infected.
The premise is that if a certain percentage of the population is immune, members of that group can no longer infect another person. This breaks the chain of infection through the community (“herd”), and prevents it from reaching those who are the most vulnerable.
However, the discussion on herd immunity to fight COVID-19 in the UK has not been based on this conventional definition. The UK government had wanted the entire population to be exposed to the novel coronavirus infection, so that the majority could develop immunity to COVID-19.
U.S. AND CHINA EXCHANGE BARBS OVER COVID-19
A spat between the U.S. and China over COVID-19 escalated on Tuesday as
President Donald Trump angered Beijing by referring to the pathogen as the
"Chinese Virus."
The two countries have sparred over the origin of the virus for days, with a
Chinese official promoting conspiracy theories claiming it was brought to
China by the U.S. Army and American officials using terms seen as
stigmatising a nation.
"The U.S. will be powerfully supporting those industries, like Airlines and
others, that are particularly affected by the Chinese Virus," Mr. Trump
tweeted on Monday night.
He doubled down on the comment on Tuesday while Tweeting about how U.S.
States were being affected, saying: "Some are being hit hard by the Chinese
Virus, some are being hit practically not at all."
Mr. Trump's allies had previously referred to the pandemic as "Chinese
coronavirus", but Beijing said on Tuesday it was "strongly indignant" over
the phrase, which it called "a kind of stigmatisation".
The U.S. should "immediately stop its unjustified accusations against
China," Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said.
FULL SALARIES, BUT NO EARLY RELEASE OF 13TH MONTH PAY FOR GOV'T WORKERS — DBM
MANILA — The country's biggest employer, the national government, is taking
the lead on sustaining its workers as business got essentially shut off the
main Luzon island under a month-long community quarantine.
"All national government employees are receiving their full salaries even if
they are working from their homes," Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado said in
a text message to Philstar.com.
Contractors and casuals covered by job orders will also get paid as
scheduled, he added.
The assurance from the budget chief to more than 1.36 million state workers
as of May 2019 is a welcome reprieve to employees wary about the potential
repercussions the lockdown brings to their source of income.
The relief is more felt by 159,935 casuals and contractors who according to
data from the Civil Service Commission typically receive fixed payments,
depending on work done, but whose job is currently halted by the lockdown.
Government offices are currently working on skeletal force, meaning not
everyone are required to report to their offices, as a social distancing
measure meant to prevent the further spread of coronavirus disease- 2019
(COVID-19).
PRESIDENT BACKS ITALY'S FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19
China firmly supports Italy's efforts to fight the novel coronavirus pneumonia epidemic and is fully confident that Italy will win the battle against the virus, President Xi Jinping said. He made the remark in a phone call with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Monday.
The Italian government has taken a series of resolute measures to prevent and control the epidemic, he said. Xi said that China feels Italy's worry as its own and will send additional expert medical teams to Italy and provide assistance such as medical supplies within its ability.
ANGER IN GERMANY AT REPORT TRUMP SEEKING EXCLUSIVE VACCINE DEAL
German ministers have reacted angrily following reports US president Donald
Trump offered a German medical company “large sums of money” for exclusive
rights to a Covid-19 vaccine.
“Germany is not for sale,” economy minister Peter Altmaier told broadcaster
ARD, reacting to a front page report in Welt am Sonntag newspaper headlined
“Trump vs Berlin”.
The newspaper reported Trump offered $1bn to Tübingen-based
biopharmaceutical company CureVac to secure the vaccine “only for the United
States”.
The German government was reportedly offering its own financial incentives
for the vaccine to stay in the country.
The report prompted fury in Berlin. “German researchers are taking a leading
role in developing medication and vaccines as part of global cooperation
networks,” foreign minister Heiko Maas told the Funke Mediengruppe research
network. “We cannot allow a situation where others want to exclusively
acquire the results of their research,” said Maas, of the centre-left SPD.
The German health minister, Jens Spahn, said a takeover of CureVac by the
Trump administration was “off the table”. CureVac would only develop vaccine
“for the whole world”, Spahn said, “not for individual countries”.
'FOREVER THANKFUL': DUTERTE SALUTES HEALTH WORKERS FIGHTING COVID-19
OUTBREAK
MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte hailed health workers on the frontlines
of the battle against the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak as he
assured them of a “more tangible” expression of gratitude in due time.
Duterte said the Filipino nation will "forever be thankful" to the health
professionals leading the fight against the rapidly spreading COVID-19 which
has claimed at least 12 lives in the country.
“Our formalities to our doctors, health professionals and health workers, to
whom we will be forever be thankful,” Duterte said in a public address on
Monday where he placed the entire Luzon under an “enhanced community
quarantine.”
Duterte also instructed the Department of Budget and Management, and the
Department of Health to "find a way to best compensate our health workers."
"In due time, we shall express to them our gratitude in a more tangible way,
when this crisis is over," the President said.
XI LAUDS POST-90S GENERATION'S FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19
President Xi Jinping praised China's post-90s generation for their dedication in the fight against the novel coronavirus outbreak, saying that they demonstrated by actions that they are capable of shouldering great responsibilities.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remark in a letter replied on Sunday to the post-90s Party members of Peking University's medical team sent to Hubei.
FIRST RUSSIAN-TURKISH PATROL ON SYRIAN HIGHWAY CUT SHORT BY PROTESTS
Russia and Turkey cut short their first joint patrol in Syria's Idlib on
Sunday after rebels and civilians opposed to a ceasefire agreement cut off a
main roadway to block its path, according to witnesses and Russian news
agencies.
The patrol on the M4 highway in Idlib province was the result of a March 5
ceasefire accord between Moscow and Ankara, which back opposing sides in
Syria's nine-year war. The ceasefire has largely held since then.
Under the deal, which halted hostilities after an escalation of violence
that displaced nearly a million people, Turkish and Russian forces are to
establish a security corridor on either side of the M4, as well as carry out
joint patrols along it.
But on Sunday hundreds of civilians and rebels cut off the roadway,
rejecting the presence of Russian forces and what they said was an agreement
that did not guarantee their re-settlement after being pushed out by
violence.
"If the patrols happen without people being able to return to their lands,
we oppose them," said Osama Rahal, a military commander with the Syrian
National Army, a Turkey backed rebel group.
Protesters, some waving Syrian National Army flags, climbed atop Turkish
tanks or stood in their path, according to witnesses. Photos posted by the
Syrian Observatory, a Britain-based war monitor, showed people lighting
fires in the street and forming human chains.
The Russian Defence Ministry said the joint patrols were cut short because
of rebel "provocations" and civilians being used as a human shield, forcing
them to take a shorter route, according to Russian news agency RIA.
DUTERTE TO FACE NATION ANEW ON GOV’T EFFORTS TO FIGHT COVID-19 SPREAD
MANILA- President Rodrigo Duterte is set to make new pronouncements on
Monday on the country’s measures to control the spread of the new
coronavirus disease (COVID-19) which has prompted a “community quarantine”
of the capital region.
Duterte will most likely issue the pronouncement during a public address on
Monday afternoon, his former aide Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go told ABS-CBN
News.
Prior to his announcement, the President will first meet with the
government’s inter-agency task force on COVID-19, the Philippine National
Police, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Go said.
Duterte’s new directives comes a day after Metro Manila was placed under
community quarantine as government sought to contain the outbreak which has
claimed 12 lives in the country as of Sunday.
‘FAR-RIGHT TERROR ‘BIGGEST DANGER’ TO DEMOCRACY IN GERMANY’
Far-right terrorism and extremism are the biggest danger facing democracy in
Germany today, the domestic intelligence agency chief said on Thursday,
after the country was hit by several extremist attacks in recent months.
PEOPLE FROM NEARBY CITIES, PROVINCES CAN STILL GO TO WORK IN METRO MANILA:
AÑO
MANILA - People from nearby cities and provinces employed in Metro Manila
can still go to work as they are considered as part of the Philippine
capital's population by day, Department of Interior and Local Government
(DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año said Thursday.
GOVT VOWS TO STABILIZE FOREIGN TRADE
China will work to shorten the negative list on foreign investment and encourage financial institutions to increase foreign trade loans to cope with the impact of the novel coronavirus epidemic and keep steady progress in foreign trade and investment.
AFGHAN GOVERNMENT TO RELEASE TALIBAN PRISONERS AS UN BACKS PUSH TO END WAR
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani is preparing to release 1,500 Taliban
prisoners in coming days, according to a decree viewed by Reuters on
Tuesday, as the United Nations backed a U.S.-led push to end Afghanistan's
18-year war.
TRUMP SUSPENDS 'ALL TRAVEL FROM EUROPE' TO US FOR 30 DAYS
WASHINGTON, United States - President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday
the United States would ban all travel from Europe for 30 days to stop the
spread of the novel coronavirus outbreak.
BJP GETS A HOLI GIFT AS JYOTIRADITYA SCINDIA CHANGES COLOURS
The Congress Tuesday lost one of its most prominent national leaders, and
appeared set to lose its government in Madhya Pradesh, too, with four-time
MP and former Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia walking out of the party
along with at least 22 MLAs.
FOREIGN CONSUMER BRANDS RACE TO RESUME OPERATIONS
Foreign consumer brands are racing to resume operations in China after closures related to novel coronavirus pneumonia, as experts expect retail and entertainment to enjoy a robust rebound to make up for pent-up demand.
ASHRAF GHANI SWORN IN FOR SECOND TERM AS AFGHAN PRESIDENT AMID CRISIS
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani was sworn in for a second term on Monday as
his rival Abdullah Abdullah held a parallel inauguration that could plunge
the country deeper into crisis ahead of peace talks with the Taliban.
GORDON REVEALS P20M BRIBE TRY TO EXCLUDE FAMILY IN POGO MONEY LAUNDERING PROBE
MANILA - Sen. Richard Gordon on Tuesday said he was offered a P20-million
bribe to avoid summoning to a Senate investigation the family tagged in a
money laundering scheme linked to Chinese-run offshore gaming.
OIL PLUNGES IN ASIA AS PRODUCERS START PRICE WAR
Oil fell by the most since 1991 on Monday after Saudi Arabia started a price
war with Russia by slashing its selling prices and pledging to unleash its
pent-up supply onto a market reeling from falling demand because of the
coronavirus outbreak.
NUMBER OF POGO WORKERS CONTINUES TO RISE
MANILA — More Chinese and other foreign nationals are opting to work in
Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) companies despite stricter
regulations imposed by the government, the Department of Labor and
Employment (DOLE) reported.
GREECE MIGRANT CRISIS: REFUGEE CENTRE ABLAZE AS TENSIONS RISE
A fire has ripped through a refugee shelter on the Greek island of Lesbos as
tensions over a surge in migration from Turkey continue to rise.
PHILIPPINE EPASSPORT SECURE - DFA
MANILA - The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) yesterday assured the
public that the country's ePassport system is secured amid reports that some
Chinese tourists are using Philippine passports.
BIDEN RACKS UP MORE ENDORSEMENTS AS SANDERS GOES ON THE ATTACK IN U.S. PRESIDENTIAL RACE
Two former presidential rivals endorsed Joe Biden on Friday in the latest
sign that the Democratic establishment is coalescing around the former vice
president to stop the candidacy of Bernie Sanders, who ratcheted up attacks
on his rival ahead of crucial contests next week.
PALACE: NTC CAN’T GRANT ABS-CBN PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY TO OPERATE WITHOUT FRANCHISE
DOJ says NTC ‘not legally compelled’ to grant provisional authority to
operate
MANILA - It might be illegal for the National Telecommunications Commission
(NTC) to issue provisional authority for ABS-CBN Corp to operate beyond the
expiry of its franchise in May, Malacañang said Friday.
PALACE ADMITS: REFUSAL OF AID FROM DRUG WAR INQUIRY BACKERS AN ‘OUTRAGE REACTION’
MANILA - Malacañang admitted Thursday that the Philippines' decision to shun
aid and loans from countries who supported a resolution seeking a report on
President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs was “more of an outrage reaction.”
GLOBAL GROWTH TO 'DIP BELOW' LAST YEAR'S RATE: IMF CHIEF
The new coronavirus epidemic poses a "serious threat" and will slow growth
in the world economy to below the 2.9 per cent posted last year, IMF chief
Kristalina Georgieva said Wednesday.
SENATE PASSES RESOLUTION FOR ABS-CBN
MANILA - The Senate adopted yesterday a resolution expressing the opinion of
the chamber to allow ABS-CBN and its subsidiaries to continue operating with
the issuance of a provisional permit by the National Telecommunications
Commission (NTC) until Congress decides on the network's application for the
renewal of its 25-year franchise.
DUTERTE: US WANTS STRONGER DEFENSE TIES
MANILA — The United States has been trying to reach out to the Philippine
government for newer and stronger defense ties since President Duterte’s
abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) three weeks ago.
LANKA PARLIAMENT DISSOLVED, PREZ CALLS FOR SNAP POLL
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Monday dissolved Parliament six
months ahead of its schedule and called for a snap election on April 25.
He signed the gazette notification dissolving Parliament from midnight, the
Government Printers Department said.
CAYETANO OPPONENTS LOSE KEY HOUSE POSTS
MANILA — A minor revamp has been implemented in the House of
Representatives, just days after Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano revealed an
alleged plot to oust him, as three officials close to his perceived
successor were removed from their posts.
ASIAN STOCKS RISE AS CENTRAL BANKS PLEDGE SUPPORT
Share prices in Asia have reversed early losses after Japan's central bank
promised to support markets.
It comes after official data showed that Chinese factory activity fell in
February at the fastest rate on record.
'IT'S A BIG JOB': NEW DRUG WAR CO-CHAIR VOWS TO PRIORITIZE LAW ENFORCEMENT
MANILA - The new co-chair of government's anti-narcotics drive on Monday
said he would prioritize law enforcement, contrary to what his predecessor
had done, in order to "cut the supply" of illegal drugs in the country.
US, TALIBAN SIGN DEAL, NATO TO EXIT AFGHANISTAN IN 14 MONTHS
At a ceremony in Qatar that was also attended by an Indian diplomat, the
United States signed an agreement with the Taliban on Saturday, agreeing to
withdraw entirely from Afghanistan in the next 14 months.
HOUSE EYES REVISIONS ON VAPES REGULATION
MANILA — Lawmakers are looking at revising regulations on e-cigarettes and
vapes set in President Duterte’s executive order.
Proponents of bills regulating electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS)
products in the House said the final consolidated version of the law is
likely to amend certain provisions of EO 106.
MALAYSIAN TURMOIL TAKES NEW TWIST AS MAHATHIR AND ANWAR ALLY AGAIN
Malaysia's Mahathir Mohamad will stand for the premiership on behalf of the
former ruling coalition, the interim prime minister said on Saturday, less
than a week after he quit and plunged the country into turmoil.
PH, US EYE 'IMPROVED' VFA - ENVOY
MANILA - The Philippines and the United States are in talks for the crafting of an "improved" Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) after Manila moved to abrogate the military pact this month, the country's top diplomat in
Washington said Friday.
MAHATHIR: DECISION LIES WITH PARLIAMENT
Malaysia's interim leader Mahathir Mohamad on Thursday said Parliament will
pick a new Prime Minister next week following the collapse of the ruling
alliance and that snap elections will be called if the vote ends in an
impasse.
DUTERTE FORMALLY BANS VAPING IN PUBLIC PLACES
MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte has signed an executive order which
prohibits vaping or the use of e-cigarettes in public places in an expansion
of his earlier nationwide smoking ban.
HIGH-TECH COMPANIES RESUME PRODUCTION IN CHINA
High-tech companies have resumed work and are turning the challenges brought by novel coronavirus pneumonia into new opportunities.
SRI LANKA NOTIFIES UN ABOUT RIGHTS RESOLUTION WITHDRAWAL
Sri Lanka on Wednesday formally notified the UN Human Right Council that it
was withdrawing from the UN resolution on post-war accountability and
reconciliation.
DUTERTE DECLARES STATE OF CALAMITY IN CALABARZON DUE TO TAAL ERUPTION
MANILA- President Rodrigo Duterte has placed the entire Southern Tagalog
region or Calabarzon under a state of calamity due to the risk posed by Taal
Volcano, which erupted last month.
UNCERTAINTY GRIPS MALAYSIA AS MAHATHIR CONSIDERS NEXT MOVE
The political guessing game continues in Malaysia a day after Prime Minister
Mahathir Mohamad's abrupt resignation, prolonging the atmosphere of
uncertainty in the nation of more than 30 million people.
DUTERTE: DEFEND LEGACY OF EDSA REVOLT
MANILA — President Duterte stressed the importance of defending the legacy
of the country’s bloodless revolution that toppled the late dictator
Ferdinand Marcos and installed Corazon Aquino as president.
NOVEL HEROES: IRANIAN BARISTA DOES HIS PART IN WUHAN
Sina Karami from Iran is a barista at a café named Wakanda in Wuhan, Hubei province.
UN CHIEF ISSUES 7-POINT 'CALL TO ACTION' ON HUMAN RIGHTS
The head of the United Nations issued a "call to action" on Monday to
countries, businesses and all people to help renew and revive human rights
across the globe, laying out a seven-point plan amid concerns about climate
change, conflict and repression.
ABS-CBN, ABS-CBN CONVERGENCE SEEK DISMISSAL OF QUO WARRANTO PETITION
MANILA – ABS-CBN Corp on Monday asked the Supreme Court to dismiss the quo
warranto petition Solicitor General Jose Calida filed against its franchise
and that of its subsidiary ABS-CBN Convergence.
THREE-WAY MARITIME STANDOFF EMERGING IN SPRATLYS — THINK TANK
MANILA — A three-way maritime standoff among China, Malaysia and Vietnam is
developing in the disputed Spratly islands in the South China Sea, a
Washington-based think tank reported on Saturday.
BERNIE SANDERS CEMENTS FRONT-RUNNER STATUS WITH NEVADA CAUCUSES WIN
Bernie Sanders has cemented his status as the Democratic front-runner to
take on Donald Trump in November's US presidential election.
He is projected to win Nevada's caucuses, and early results suggest he is on
course for a large victory.
SENATE TO PUSH THROUGH WITH ABS-CBN FRANCHISE HEARING
MANILA - Nothing can stop the Senate committee on public services from
hearing the franchise extension of ABS-CBN Corp. tomorrow, Senate President
Vicente Sotto III said yesterday.
U.S. SAYS PREPARING TO SIGN DEAL WITH TALIBAN ON FEBRUARY 29
The United States is preparing to sign a deal with the Taliban on February
29, building on an agreement on reducing violence across Afghanistan,
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday.
BIR SHUTS FIRST POGO LICENSEE FOR P114 MILLION IN TAX DEFICIENCIES
MANILA - The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Friday said it shut down an offshore gaming operator in Pasay City for failing to pay proper taxes from its 2019 earnings.
'NO REASON FOR OUR PUBLIC SERVICE TO END,' SAYS ABS-CBN PRESIDENT AND CEO CARLO KATIGBAK
MANILA - ABS-CBN Corp. President and Chief Executive Officer Carlo Katigbak
said Thursday the country's largest broadcast network will be given a chance
"in the coming days" to answer allegations and clarify issues, amid threats
and attempts to shut it down.
TRUMP WANTS TO MAKE DOING BUSINESS WITH CHINA 'EASY'
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday openly vilified proposed restrictions on trade with China, saying that his administration wanted to make doing business with China "easy", including sales of jet engines, instead of resorting to the "always used national security excuse".
IMMIGRATION: NO VISAS FOR LOW-SKILLED WORKERS, GOVERNMENT SAYS
Low-skilled workers would not get visas under post-Brexit immigration plans
unveiled by the government.
POOLED DRUG PURCHASES SET AS GOV'T ENFORCES PRICE CAPS: TRADE CHIEF
MANILA -- The government will pool the procurement of some medicines to
comply with a new directive from President Rodrigo Duterte that capped drug
prizes, his trade secretary said Wednesday.
SILICON VALLEY HEADS TO EUROPE, NERVOUS ABOUT NEW RULES
First came Sundar Pichai, the chief executive of Google's parent company,
Alphabet. Then Apple's senior vice president for artificial intelligence,
John Giannandrea, showed up.
SENATE OKS BILL MANDATING GOOD MANNERS AND RIGHT CONDUCT SUBJECT IN SCHOOLS
MANILA - The Senate on Monday approved on third reading a bill mandating all
public and private elementary and high schools to include a Good Manners and
Right Conduct (GMRC) subject in their curriculum.
RISHI SUNAK, NARAYANA MURTHY'S SON-IN-LAW, IS THE NEW UK FINANCE MINISTER
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has appointed Indian-origin Rishi Sunak as
his new finance minister. He replaced Sajid Javid who resigned from the post
of Chancellor of the Exchequer in a surprise move during the recent
ministerial reshuffle by Johnson.
'THANK YOU, NEXT': TRUMP FINE WITH ENDING DEFENSE PACT WITH PHILIPPINES
MANILA - Contrary to his Defense chief's earlier remarks, US President
Donald Trump admitted that he does not mind the Philippines terminating its
Visiting Forces Agreement with the US.
MINISTRY ADVISES ONLINE CLASSES NOT TO OVERBURDEN STUDENTS
Schools should not add an unnecessary academic burden on primary and secondary students through online classes, the Ministry of Education said on Tuesday night, amid criticism that online teaching has significantly increased the workload of students and teachers.
EU SEEN OPENING UP TRADE TO VIETNAM, CLOSING DOOR TO CAMBODIA
The European Union is expected to open its markets to Vietnam on Wednesday,
while closing its trade doors with Cambodia, rewarding the former for
progress on labour guarantees and sanctioning the latter for human rights
abuses.
‘IT’S NOT ABOUT ME’: NANCY BINAY FAVORS ABS-CBN FRANCHISE RENEWAL DESPITE DIFFERENCES WITH NETWORK
MANILA, Philippines – Sen. Nancy Binay on Tuesday said she would vote for
the renewal of franchise of broadcast giant ABS-CBN if it reaches the
Senate.
WHITE HOUSE PROPOSES $1.5 BILLION FOR INDO-PACIFIC REGION
The Trump administration has proposed $1.5 billion in budgetary allocation
for 2021 fiscal for the crucial Indo-Pacific region, which it said was part
of its efforts to ensure that the region remains "free, open, and
independent of malign Chinese influence".
SYDNEY RAINS: RECORD RAINFALL BRINGS FLOODING AND DOUSES FIRES
The Australian city of Sydney has been hit by its heaviest rain in 30 years,
bringing flooding and travel chaos and forcing thousands from their homes.
The state weather agency said 391.6mm of rain had fallen in the past four
days, and warned of potentially life-threatening flash floods.
XI SENDS CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE TO 33RD AU SUMMIT
President Xi Jinping on Sunday warmly congratulated African countries and their people on the holding of the 33rd African Union (AU) summit in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa.
'NO CONTRADICTION' AMONG OFFICIALS, PANELO INSISTS AMID DIFFERING STATEMENTS
ON VFA
MANILA - Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo on Sunday insisted there
was "neither contradiction nor inconsistency" among cabinet officials'
statements on the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States.
FASTER DETECTION KEY TO SUCCESS
Addressing medical shortages in Hubei province, the center of the novel coronavirus epidemic, and speeding up overall detection of infections nationwide are key to combating the contagion's spread, health officials said.
NADA, AWAN, WALA! DEFENSE CHIEF SAYS NO DUTERTE ORDER YET TO SEND NOTICE TO TERMINATE VFA
MANILA - 'Fake news.'
This was how Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana described information a
Palace official sent out Friday night on President Rodrigo Duterte's
supposed instruction for the Philippines to officially notify the United
States on its intent to terminate the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).
CORONAVIRUS: CHINA DEATHS RISE PAST 800, OVERTAKING SARS TOLL
The death toll from the novel coronavirus outbreak soared to 803 in China on
Sunday, according to official figures, overtaking the global toll for SARS.
XI, TRUMP DISCUSS OUTBREAK, TRADE
President Xi Jinping urged the United States on Friday to evaluate the novel coronavirus outbreak in a calm manner, and reasonably formulate and adjust its measures in dealing with the epidemic.
DEATH OF DOCTOR WHO SOUNDED CORONAVIRUS ALARM SPARKS ANGER AT GOVERNMENT
A Chinese doctor who was reprimanded for warning against a "SARS-like"
coronavirus before it was officially recognised died of the virus on Friday,
triggering a wave of mourning in China and rare online expressions of anger
towards the government.
PHILIPPINES TO SEND VFA TERMINATION NOTICE TO US; DUTERTE TO TALK TO TRUMP
MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte has issued orders to send to the United
States a notice to terminate the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA),
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Friday.
TRUMP CELEBRATES IMPEACHMENT ACQUITTAL AND BLASTS RIVALS
US President Donald Trump has taken a victory lap one day after his
impeachment acquittal, in a White House tirade against his political
enemies.
DUTERTE TO WATER FIRMS: RETURN THE MONEY OF THE PEOPLE THEN WE TALK
MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte announced Thursday that he would be open
to talks with water firms if they return the money they allegedly stole from
consumers in an apparent shift from his hard-line stance on what he had
described as "onerous" water deals.
XI: NATION CAN WIN BATTLE AGAINST VIRUS
China has the confidence and capability to win the battle on the prevention and control of the pneumonia epidemic caused by the novel coronavirus, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday.
TRUMP ACQUITTED BY SENATE IN IMPEACHMENT TRIAL
U.S. President Donald Trump, impeached by the House of Representatives , was
acquitted by the Senate late afternoon on Wednesday, bringing to a close a
bitter process that lasted close to five months. Senators voted 52 to 48 to
acquit Mr. Trump on the abuse of office charge, with Republican Mitt Romney
voting alongside all 47 Democrats. They voted 53-47 as per party lines to
acquit the president of the charge of obstruction of Congress.
HOUSE PANEL APPROVES DIVORCE BILL
MANILA - A committee in the House of Representatives approved in principle
yesterday the Marriage Dissolution Bill, a measure equivalent to divorce in
other countries.
CHINA'S 'OPTICS VALLEY' READY FOR THE LONG HAUL
The electronics and optical communication equipment manufacturing industry in China is likely to see pressure in the short term as the novel coronavirus outbreak might have an influence on the normal production of related companies in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, but the impact will be temporary, said industry insiders.
INFLATION QUICKENS FURTHER IN JANUARY, SETTING STAGE FOR INTEREST RATE CUT
MANILA -- Inflation accelerated past estimates in January while staying
within the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas' target, official data released
Wednesday showed, putting pressure on monetary authority to cut interest
rates, according to analysts.
XI PRIORITIZES EPIDEMIC CONTROL EFFORTS
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, urged concrete efforts on Monday to race against time in combating the novel coronavirus and winning the battle of prevention and control of the contagion.
TURKEY HITS BACK AFTER SYRIAN SHELLS KILL TURKISH TROOPS
President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that Turkey and Russia should
resolve differences over the conflict in Syria's Idlib without anger, after
a deadly flare-up in violence challenged the fragile cooperation between
Moscow and Ankara.
BREXIT DONE? NOT SO FAST. BRITAIN, EU ENTER NEW TRADE DEAL BATTLE
Just three days after their formal parting, Britain and the European Union
were already at loggerheads Monday over a future trade deal, setting the
stage for months of bluster and bickering over how to refashion their
economic and political ties.
'EVERYTHING IS WELL': DUTERTE ASSURES NATION ON NOVEL CORONAVIRUS RISK
MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte assured the Philippines late Monday night
that the two confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus—one of whom died over
the weekend—are nothing to be alarmed about.
PALESTINIANS HAVE CUT SECURITY TIES WITH U.S. AND ISRAEL: ABBAS
The Palestinian Authority has cut all ties with the U.S. and Israel,
including security relations after rejecting a West Asia peace plan
presented this week by U.S. President Donald Trump, Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas said on Saturday.
REPUBLICANS PREPARE TO DEFEND TRUMP'S EXPECTED ACQUITTAL
Republicans prepared to defend their expected acquittal of President Donald
Trump, on Sunday's TV talk shows, after their Senate votes to reject witness
testimony at his impeachment trial sparked criticism they were aiding a
cover-up and abdicating their duties.
THOUSANDS DENIED ENTRY AT NAIA
MANILA — Thousands of incoming passengers of various nationalities who came
from China, Hong Kong and Macau were prevented by immigration officials from
entering the country yesterday at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA)
after Malacañang issued a directive banning all passengers coming from the
areas due to the outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus acute respiratory
disease (nCoV ARD).
CHINA'S MILITARY WILL SEND 1,400 MEDICS TO HUOSHENSHAN HOSPITAL
Approved by President Xi Jinping, China's military will dispatch 1,400 medical workers to the newly-built Huoshenshan hospital specialized in treating novel coronavirus patients in Wuhan.
DOJ CHIEF VOWS FAIR IMPACT ASSESSMENT ON VFA TERMINATION
MANILA — The Cabinet cluster assigned to make an impact assessment on the
termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States
vowed to be fair in its recommendations to President Duterte.
CHINA VOWS COORDINATION AS VIRUS GROWS
China vowed on Friday to work with the international community to uphold regional and international health security, and reiterated it has the confidence and capability to win the battle against the novel coronavirus epidemic, which has claimed 213 lives throughout the country as of Thursday.
US REAFFIRM ALLIANCE, BUT NO MENTION OF VFA
MANILA — The Philippines and the United States have reaffirmed their strong
security, cultural and economic ties, days after President Duterte ordered
the termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).
CHINA TO CONTINUE WORK WITH WHO, COUNTRIES TO SAFEGUARD HEALTH
China has confidence and capability to win the battle against the epidemic caused by the novel coronavirus, the Foreign Ministry said on Friday after the World Health Organization declared the pneumonia outbreak in China a public health emergency of international concern.
CORONAVIRUS DECLARED GLOBAL HEALTH EMERGENCY BY WHO
The World Health Organization declared the outbreak sparked by a new virus
in China that has spread to more than a dozen countries a global emergency
after the number of cases spiked more than tenfold in a week, including the
highest death toll in a 24-hour period reported Friday.
China counted 9,692 confirmed cases with a death toll of 213, including 43
new fatalities. The vast majority of the cases have been in Hubei province
and its provincial capital, Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak. No deaths
have been reported outside China.
The U.N. health agency defines an international emergency as an
"extraordinary event" that constitutes a risk to other countries and
requires a coordinated international response.
China first informed WHO about cases of the new virus in late December.
Eighteen other countries have since reported cases, as scientists race to
understand how exactly the virus is spreading and how severe it is.
Experts say there is significant evidence the virus is spreading among
people in China and have noted with concern instances in other countries -
including the United States, France, Japan, Germany, Canada, South Korea and
Vietnam - where there have also been isolated cases of human-to-human
transmission.
CHINA VIRUS DEATH TOLL TOPS 200 AS WHO DECLARES GLOBAL EMERGENCY
SHANGHAI - The death toll in China from the new corona virus reached 213 on
Friday, with overall cases worldwide rising rapidly in an outbreak that the
World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency.
The death toll in Hubei, the Chinese province at the center of the epidemic,
had risen to 204 and there were 9,692 cases of infection nationally as of
Thursday, Chinese health authorities said. About 100 cases have been
reported in at least 18 other countries, with no deaths outside China.
Even as the WHO said cases had spread to 18 countries, Italy announced its
first confirmed cases, in two Chinese tourists.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, told a news conference in
Geneva that recent weeks have witnessed an unprecedented outbreak which has
been met by an unprecedented response.
"Let me be clear, this declaration is not a vote of no confidence in China,"
he said. "Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to
countries with weaker health systems."
XI: PLA MUST PLAY KEY ROLE AGAINST VIRUS
President Xi Jinping is calling on the People's Liberation Army to shoulder its responsibility and continue contributing to the country's uphill battle to control the recent novel coronavirus outbreak and prevent a pandemic.
EU HOUSE CLEARS DEAL, UK SET TO EXIT TOMORROW
Britain's departure from the European Union was backed by European lawmakers
Wednesday, after a debate that mixed warm words of love with hard-headed
warnings to the country not to seek too many concessions during upcoming
trade talks on a future relationship.
DUTERTE FORBIDS US TRAVEL FOR CABINET MEMBERS
MANILA - President Duterte has barred all of his Cabinet officials from
traveling to America, following his decision to terminate unilaterally the
Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States.
Workload stress caused by changes in regulations has been one of the three main factors impacting the seafarers’ happiness level in the fourth quarter of 2019, just months before the IMO 2020 sulphur cap entered into force.
XI: NATION ENGAGED IN 'SERIOUS BATTLE'
China has full confidence and capability to win the battle against the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak, President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday.
TRUMP UNVEILS WEST ASIA PLAN, PALESTINIANS PROTEST
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday proposed creation of a Palestinian
state with capital in eastern Jerusalem, dependent on Palestinians taking
steps to become self-governing, as part of a peace plan to end decades of
conflict in the region.
PH CONSULATE TO BRING HOME PINOYS FROM CHINA'S VIRUS-HIT HUBEI PROVINCE
MANILA - Foreign Affairs Sec. Teodoro Locsin Jr. has ordered the Philippine
consulate in Shanghai to start processing the repatriation of Filipinos in
China's Hubei province, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)
outbreak.
XI ENCOURAGES UNITY AGAINST CORONAVIRUS
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, issued an instruction regarding the novel coronavirus on Monday. In it, he urged Party organizations at various levels, officials and Party members to lead and unite the people to implement the decisions and policies made by the CPC Central Committee, and to rely on the people to win the battle of the prevention and control of the contagion caused by the virus.
CORONAVIRUS: DEATH TOLL CLIMBS TO 106 AS CHINA TIGHTENS MEASURES
China says 106 people have died from the new coronavirus and the cases of
newly infected have almost doubled.
DUTERTE URGED TO WITHDRAW THREAT TO END MILITARY ACCORD WITH US
MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte should withdraw his threat to end
Manila's Visiting Forces Agreement with Washington over the cancellation of
his former drug war administrator's US visa, a former senator said Tuesday.
PREMIER LI ARRIVES IN WUHAN TO INSTRUCT EPIDEMIC CONTROL
Entrusted by President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang arrived on Monday in Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, to instruct on epidemic control and prevention.
THREE ROCKETS HIT U.S. EMBASSY IN BAGHDAD, ONE INJURED
Three rockets slammed into the U.S. Embassy in Iraq's capital on Sunday in
the first direct hit reported after months of close calls, as thousands kept
up anti-government sit-ins across the country.
BSP CHIEF: GOV'T DEALS PROBED, 'OVERNIGHT' TAKEOVER 'WILL NOT HAPPEN'
MANILA -- Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said Monday a
government takeover of businesses with alleged onerous contracts "will not
happen overnight" as these will go through legal processes.
XI URGES ALL-OUT EFFORTS TO PREVENT, CONTROL NOVEL CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Saturday urged all-out efforts to prevent and control the novel coronavirus-related pneumonia, extending his sincere sympathies to the bereaved families due to the contagion as well as his heartfelt gratitude to the medical staff on the front line.