Other News

148 Filipinos from Macau to be repatriated within the week, says DOH

(Eagle News) – The country’s Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has approved the plan of the Department of Foreign Affairs to repatriate 148 overseas Filipinos from Macau within the week. This was according to the DOH which leads the task force. In a release, the DOH said that 48 active members of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) will also be repatriated via commercial flight. But the 148 overseas Filipinos from Macau […]

Twitter staff told to work from home over virus fears

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Twitter staff across the world were asked to work from home starting Monday in an effort to stop the spread of the deadly new coronavirus epidemic. At the same time, thousands of staff at Google’s European headquarters in Ireland were told to stay away for the day after one employee reported flu-like symptoms. The outbreak has spread across the world since emerging in central China late last year, killing […]

Iran says, 77 now dead from coronavirus

TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — Iran’s health ministry announced on Tuesday that 11 more people had died from the new coronavirus in the past day, bringing the Islamic republic’s overall death toll to 77. In all, 2,336 people have been infected, including 835 new cases — the biggest increase in a single day since the COVID-19 outbreak began in the country nearly two weeks ago. “According to the latest figures, 835 new patients have been added” […]

Turkey fighter jet downs Syrian warplane over Idlib: monitor

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AFP) — A Turkish fighter jet downed a Syrian regime warplane over the northwestern Idlib province Tuesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said, in the third such downing in three days. Turkey on Sunday confirmed it had launched a military operation against Russia-backed regime forces in the border region, where Ankara supports some rebel groups. Syrian state news agency SANA said one of its planes was “targeted” after two others […]

France shuts dozens of schools in bid to contain coronavirus

PARIS, France (AFP) — French officials have closed about 120 schools in areas that have reported the largest numbers of coronavirus infections, and more could be shuttered in the coming days, Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said Tuesday. Both primary and secondary schools have been shut in the Oise department north of Paris, where the main cluster of French cases has emerged, and where two people who have died of the virus lived. Officials have reported […]

PHL gov’t partially lifts travel restrictions on South Korea for Filipinos, but ban stays for North Gyeongsang

  (Eagle News) – The Philippine government on Tuesday, March 3, partially lifted the travel restrictions to South Korea, stressing that only travel to North Gyeongsang Province, including Daegu City and Cheongdo county, is banned. According to the Inter-agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IAFT-EID) headed by the Department of Health (DOH), Filipinos will now be allowed to travel to the other parts of South Korea provided that they “sign a declaration signifying their […]

PHL eases travel restrictions on S. Korea

(Eagle News)–The Philippine government has eased travel restrictions to South Korea. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Filipinos can now travel to South Korea but not to the whole of North Gyeongsang Province, including Daegu City and Cheongdo County, where the novel coronavirus outbreak is concentrated. Panelo said the ease in the travel restrictions was decided  by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases after its meeting on Tuesday. Prior to this, […]

South Korea declares ‘war’ on coronavirus as cases exceed 5,000

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korean President Moon Jae-in declared “war” against the coronavirus on Tuesday, as the country reported its biggest daily case increase to date, sending its total past 5,000 — the largest in the world outside China. South Korea has seen a rapid rise in infections in recent days and scores of events — from K-pop concerts to sports seasons — have been canceled or postponed over the contagion, with school […]

G7 gears up to tackle coronavirus economic impact

by Richard LEIN PARIS, France (AFP) — Group of Seven finance ministers and central bank chiefs were set to hold coronavirus talks Tuesday as concern mounts the epidemic could imperil the health of the global economy. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell “will lead a call with their G7 counterparts” on Tuesday, the department confirmed in a statement late on Monday. Governments have been scrambling to respond to the outbreak […]

Asia markets mostly up as central banks prepare virus response

HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Most Asian markets rose for a second day Tuesday following a blockbuster surge on Wall Street fuelled by hopes for a concerted global response to the coronavirus. Pledges of action from central banks around the world and a planned conference call between Group of Seven financial chiefs provided a much-needed boost to markets after last week’s hammering. The positive sentiment filtered through to oil markets, where dealers are betting on […]

Iraq crisis deepens after PM-designate steps down

by Sarah Benhaida BAGHDAD, Iraq (AFP) — Protest-torn Iraq on Monday faced more political gridlock after prime minister-designate Mohammed Allawi withdrew overnight, accusing lawmakers of obstructing his attempt to form a government. Oil-rich but poverty-stricken Iraq has for five months been rocked by the biggest wave of anti-government demonstrations since the 2003 US-led invasion toppled former dictator Saddam Hussein. The mostly youthful protesters demand the ouster of Iraq’s entire political elite, which they accuse of […]

Thousands take to street in Albanian judge row

TIRANA, Albania (AFP) — Thousands protested on Monday in Albania’s capital city Tirana against a left-wing government that they accuse of trying to take control of the judiciary. President Ilir Meta, who organized the rally with the backing of the center-right opposition, accused Prime Minister Edi Rama of trying to control the nomination of judges to the Constitutional Court. Rama’s government launched a vetting procedure in 2016 aimed at rooting out corrupt judges and boosting […]