Other News

‘In no circumstances’ is forced vaccination OK: UN rights chief

  GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — Countries considering introducing vaccine mandates in the fight against Covid-19 must ensure they respect human rights, the UN rights chief said Wednesday, stressing that forced vaccination was never acceptable. Speaking to a Human Rights Council seminar via video message, Michelle Bachelet warned there were significant rights considerations that needed to be taken into account before making vaccination compulsory. Any “vaccine mandates must comply with the principles of legality, necessity, proportionality […]

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Helicopter crashes with India military chief on board, 7 dead

  by Jalees Andrabi Agence France Presse NEW DELHI, India (AFP) — A helicopter carrying India’s defence chief General Bipin Rawat crashed on Wednesday, the air force said, with a government minister at the scene saying at least seven people were dead. Rawat is India’s first chief of defence staff, a position that the government established in 2019, and is seen as close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The 63-year-old was travelling with his wife […]

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PHL’s total active COVID cases down to just 12,510; only 370 cases reported for the day

But new COVID deaths still high at 171 (Eagle News) – The Department of Health recorded 370 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, December 8, bringing the total active cases to just 12,510, the lowest so far since May 2020. On Tuesday, December 7, the new COVID-19 cases reported were even lower at just 356. The percentage of total active cases has also gone down to just 0.4 percent of total COVID-19 cases, the lowest since […]

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Russian rocket blasts off carrying Japanese billionaire to the ISS

by Anastasia CLARK Agence France-Presse BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan (AFP) – A Russian rocket lifted off on Wednesday carrying a Japanese billionaire to the International Space Station, marking the country’s return to space tourism after a decade-long pause that saw the rise of competition from privately held US companies. Online fashion tycoon Yusaku Maezawa and his production assistant Yozo Hirano blasted off from the Russia-leased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 0738 GMT, an AFP correspondent at the […]

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PNP orders probe into killing of town councilor

(Eagle News) — Philippine National Police Chief Dionardo Carlos has ordered a probe into  the killing of a town councilor in  Ilocos Norte. According to Carlos, it is too early to say the killing of Apolonio Medrano, 69, was election-related. “Our investigators are exerting all efforts… Let’s see where the evidence will lead us in this investigation,” Carlos said. The PNP said Medrano was about to board his vehicle after attending a flag-raising ceremony in […]

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‘Highly unlikely’ existing vaccines will fail against Omicron: WHO

  by Nina Larson Agence France Presse GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — Omicron does not appear to cause more severe disease than previous Covid variants, and is “highly unlikely” to fully dodge vaccine protections, a top WHO official told AFP Tuesday. Speaking to AFP, the World Health Organization’s second-in-command, said that while a lot remained to be learned about the new, heavily mutated variant of Covid-19, preliminary data indicated it did not make people sicker than […]

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Thai Supreme Court jails tycoon over wildlife poaching

BANGKOK, Thailand (AFP) – A Thai tycoon accused of poaching wildlife in a national park lost his final appeal Wednesday, in a long-running saga that drew public outrage over the elite’s perceived impunity. Construction magnate Premchai Karnasuta was arrested in February 2018 when park officials found guns, animal carcasses — including of a kalij pheasant and a red muntjac — and the pelt of a black leopard at his campsite. Premchai was found not guilty of […]

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Pres. Duterte accepts US Pres. Biden’s invitation to attend 2-day “Summit for Democracy”

  (Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte accepted the invitation of US President Joe Biden to attend the two-day “Summit for Democracy” set to happen on Thursday and Friday, December 9 to 10, hosted by the United States. Duterte will join other world leaders “to share the Philippine democratic experience and commitment to democratic values and nation-building during his attendance to the summit,” a statement from Malacanang said. The summit has three key themes: Defending […]

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Top WHO, US scientists say Omicron no worse than other virus variants

by Nina Larson, with Issam Ahmed in Washington GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The Omicron variant appears to be no worse than other coronavirus strains, top scientists from the WHO and the United States told AFP, while cautioning that more research is needed to judge its severity. The hopeful assessments came as global concern grew over the heavily mutated variant, which has forced dozens of nations to re-impose border restrictions and raised the possibility of a […]

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Vietnam gives longest ever jail term for trading rhino horn: NGO

HANOI, Vietnam (AFP) — A rhino horn trader has been sentenced to 14 years in jail, the longest ever prison term a Vietnamese court has handed down for the crime, a local conservation group said Wednesday. Vietnam is both a consumption hub and popular transit point for the multibillion-dollar trade in animal parts. Authorities have long vowed to stem the flow of illegal wildlife criss-crossing its borders, but experts have warned the black market persists […]

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7 travelers from S. Africa still unlocated: DOH

(Eagle News) — The Department of Health has located one of the eight travelers from South Africa, where the Omicron variant was first announced. With the development, Health Undersecretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire said there are seven who remain unlocated. She said all are returning overseas Filipinos. According to the health official, the located traveler has so far tested negative for COVID-19 in the RT-PCR test. The person remains in home quarantine. The seven travelers who […]

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Rising seas blamed as flooding hits Pacific islands

MAJURO, Marshall Islands (AFP) — Island nations in the South Pacific were cleaning up Wednesday after storms and tidal surges triggered widespread flooding, with rising seas caused by climate change blamed for the inundation. The Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands and Federated States of Micronesia all reported flooding, with reports that remote parts of Vanuatu were also hit by rising waters. “(The) government of the Federated States of Micronesia has been made aware of extensive saltwater […]

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