World News

Inflation in December eased to 3.6%, the lowest in 12 months. — PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS By Bernadette Therese M. Gadon, Researcher PHILIPPINE INFLATION in December eased to its lowest in 12 months, due to the slower increase in the prices of food and transport, but the full-year inflation still…

Efforts to institutionalize financial education in the capacity-building initiatives of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) gained momentum with the unveiling of financial education materials intended for the uniformed and civilian personnel of the Philippine Air Force, Philippine Army, and Philippine Navy. In a virtual ceremony, the Bangko Sentral…

VILNIUS – Taiwan said on Wednesday it would create a $200 million fund to invest in Lithuanian industries and boost bilateral trade as it tries to fend off diplomatic pressure on the Baltic state from China. The Lithuanian government, meanwhile, ordered the state-owned railway company not to sign a contract…

By Gayatri Suroyo and Bernadette Christina UNSPLASH JAKARTA – Aji Tri Atmojo lives in a traditional Javanese house with wooden walls on the outskirts of the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, but his rustic home got a modern touch after he installed a row of solar panels on his roof. Since…

PIXABAY By Patricia Mirasol  Data suggests that most Omicron cases will be mild, thus eliminating the need for stringent lockdowns, a science expert said. However, the country will still need to brace for the next month as the Omicron wave passes, and individuals will still need to be responsible for…

Filinvest Land, through its Pusong Filinvest disaster relief program, distributed free potable water to families affected by Typhoon Odette in Cebu. The distribution was done in coordination with the local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management offices of Lapu Lapu City, Talisay City, and Cebu City. The heavy rainfall and strong…

SYDNEY – Pressure grew on Australia’s health system on Wednesday as new COVID–19 case numbers hit a record for the third consecutive day, straining hospitals and overrun testing facilities. Nearly 53,000 new cases were reported across New South Wales and Victoria, Australia’s most populous states, with both clocking fresh one-day…

By Marthe Fourcade and Thomas Mulier Computer-generated representation of COVID-19 virions via Felipe Esquivel Reed / CC BY-SA The World Health Organization (WHO) said a coronavirus variant found in France hasn’t become much of a threat since it was first identified in November. The variant “has been on our radar,”…

By Emma Farge and Mrinalika Roy Image via WHO/P. Virot GENEVA – More evidence is emerging that the Omicron coronavirus variant is affecting the upper respiratory tract, causing milder symptoms than previous variants and resulting in a “decoupling” in some places between soaring case numbers and low death rates, a…

THE OVERALL year-on-year increase in prices of widely used goods and services slowed to its lowest level in a year in December as food and transport prices eased, bringing the full-year average above the government’s target. Preliminary data from the PSA showed headline inflation eased to 3.6% in December from…