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REVIEW: ‘HAMILTON’ — Astonishing stagecraft
“Hamilton,” Lin-Manuel Miranda’s rap musical about the eponymous Founding Father, has finally landed in Manila — the first stop of a new international tour that replicates the exact production currently running on Broadway and London’s West End. This is, in other words, essentially the same production that’s won every major theater award conceivable in the West, and whose live stage recording released on Disney+ three years ago was a global success among Covid-captive home viewers. You wouldn’t immediately know all that, however, just from watching this production: Even as it brims with dazzling theatricality and refreshing erudition, it also feels surprisingly small, rid of its status as a phenomenon, pared down to human size. It’s a show that’s almost oblivious to its own celebrity, even as entrance applause (erupting to diminishing returns) dotted the first 15 minutes of its 21 September gala performance at The Theatre at Solaire. Instead, it knows when to build up to the big musical moments, which are few and far between, and does so organically and therefore quite satisfyingly. The logical progression of the narrative and individual character drama — the musical’s unassailable structural precision — are rendered very clear; put bluntly, it is a storytelling apologist’s wettest dream. Never mind that the musical itself — evidently a product of modern-day liberalism, the politics of the American Dream made manifest through the eyes of 21st-century immigrants — is by now indivisible from the very valid criticisms it has received from many corners of American scholarly thought. For the uninitiated, Hamilton tells through rap the rise of the Founding Fathers, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, as they built America in the latter half of the 18th century. Admittedly, given what we know now and what we’ve been through since the musical premiered in New York in 2015, it feels weird, to say the least, to be watching a show that hero-worships to varying degrees the likes of Washington, Jefferson and Hamilton — all products of and complicit to the sins of their time. Moreover, the way the musical intentionally casts non-white actors to play these historically white figures (and slavers) can, depending on how one looks at it, come across as a stroke of meta subversion or “revisionist and insulting nonsense,” to quote one critic. Unique brilliance Again — all valid criticisms, which some have suggested are actually part of the musical’s unique brilliance. Watching the musical (through this particular production) in Manila, however, you entertain those thoughts mainly in retrospect. Inside the theater, it’s all those aforementioned merits — and more! — that surround you: a show that’s so technically precise in ways that highlight the material’s inventiveness, a feast of astonishing stagecraft, a display of just how good musical theater can get when given vast resources. [caption id="attachment_187901" align="aligncenter" width="1148"] DeAundre’ Woods as Aaron Burr. | photograph courtesy of IG/dre_woods[/caption] Despite the title, the crux of this production is DeAundre’ Woods’ Aaron Burr (Hamilton’s archrival, if you will). It’s a performance for which the phrase “no notes” seems to have been coined. Whenever Woods disappears from the stage, you look for him. But, more importantly, the genius of Woods’ performance is in how it becomes the anchor through which the musical itself can be better understood: as a story of wanting and longing, a warning against the folly of ambition, a morality tale run parallel to the uncertainty and messiness of nation-building. When Woods sings (and brings down the house with) Burr’s first big solo “Wait for It,” you instantly comprehend the song — and, for that matter, the musical. Arguably, Burr is the central and meatiest role here. Next to Woods’ interpretation, however, the smallness and silliness inherent to the story Hamilton tells become all the more coherent. You grasp how Hamilton and his posse were essentially just kids bumbling their way through a revolution. It’s all very grand on paper, but it’s also a journey chockfull of pettiness and foolishness — and on that stage, a history lesson that revels in its occasionally juvenile, highly accessible nature. [caption id="attachment_187903" align="aligncenter" width="1432"] JASON Arrow as Alexander Hamilton. | photograph courtesy of ig/jason arrow[/caption] Three other male performances stand out in the process: Jason Arrow’s Hamilton, who convincingly pulls off the title character’s transformation from “young, scrappy, and hungry” to world-weary; Darnell Abraham’s Washington giving gospel-preacher-showdown realness; and Brent Hill’s King George literally putting the “mad” to delectably comic effect in his interpretation of the famed mad king. [caption id="attachment_187906" align="aligncenter" width="1512"] DARNELL Abraham as George Washington. | photographs courtesy of ig/darnell abraham[/caption] [caption id="attachment_187900" align="aligncenter" width="1348"] BRENT Hill as King George. | photographs courtesy of ig/darnell abraham[/caption] Dreamcasting Elsewhere, this is a production that’s supplied with all the right parts — but, on a local stage as technologically impressive as the Theatre at Solaire (the best acoustics in Metro Manila, hands down), it also invites “dreamcasting” — permitting you to imagine in real time how certain Filipino theater performers cast in certain roles would, without a doubt, totally slay those parts. No matter: As it is, this Hamilton is one that lives up to the hype surrounding its supposed brilliance — while simultaneously earning that reputation before a live audience night after night. Among others spots of pure artistry, it has a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it onstage costume change involving the terrific ensemble early in Act I, a historical battle conjured through frenzied dance, and entire scene changes and moments evoked simply through the deliberate arrangement of performers’ bodies (that climactic bullet scene, anyone?). In lieu of an arduous and expensive trip to New York or London, this production more than does the job. Hamilton runs at the Theatre at Solaire, Pasay City, until 26 November. The post REVIEW: ‘HAMILTON’ — Astonishing stagecraft appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Whole family gone’: families identify victims of Hanoi fire
Hundreds gathered outside a morgue in western Hanoi Wednesday, waiting to hear if their families and friends were victims of a devastating apartment fire that killed more than 50 people. The fire in the 10-storey building, which had only one exit and wire-barred balconies, started as residents fell asleep on Tuesday night. Neighbours and residents of the building in the capital's southwest said they heard screaming as people struggled to escape the flames and thick smoke. Police said 56 people were killed and 37 injured, while state media reported that three children were among the dead. At the morgue in a military-owned hospital, officials appeared at the entrance every half hour to announce through a loudspeaker that there was another victim for families to identify. Holding out a photo on a mobile phone or simply describing the dead, medical workers asked desperate relatives if they recognised their loved ones. Cries broke out each time a match was found. Authorities tried to prevent families talking to journalists, but one man, who did not give his name, said his daughter had died and feared his wife had also perished. "I lost my daughter, who was staying with her mother," he said through tears. Unsure where his wife was, he told AFP: "I guess she did not make it either." One group of five women, sitting on the floor outside the morgue, said their "whole family had gone". "They were our children and grandchildren," they said. 'So much suffering' Elsewhere in the morgue, families who knew their loved ones had died sat waiting for hours to collect the bodies. One man, who gave his name as Dung, said his two young cousins, a man and a woman, were among the dead. They had come from their home in nearby coastal Thai Binh province to study. "They were at university here. Our family bought them this small apartment. "We are waiting here to bring back them back to our home province for burial, but we don't know when they are going to release the body." State media reported that Hanoi would provide around $1,500 to families for each adult who had died. Compensation would also be given for those who had lost a child. The apartment block, which is down a narrow alley in a residential area of the capital, was home to several young families. Many had come from other provinces to work or to study. Around 150 people lived in the building, which had no emergency ladder on the outside. Survivor Tran Thi Lien, 65, who bought her second-floor apartment in the block eight years ago, told AFP that residents had requested better fire safety equipment many times. "They still did not do it," she said. "When people die like this... it causes so much suffering." The post ‘Whole family gone’: families identify victims of Hanoi fire appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Heads will roll in QC fire that killed 15 people
Heads will surely roll as an investigation has been ordered by Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte over the fire that killed 15 people at a house along Kenny Drive Street inside Pleasant View Subdivision in Barangay Tandang Sora, Thursday dawn. Sources at the barangay told the Daily Tribune that the house owners have applied for a barangay clearance for the said house to be used as an RTW (Ready To Wear) retail shop just last 13 August 2023. However, the house owners Michael Cavilte, 44; his wife Maria Micaela Barbin, 23; and their daughter Erica Scarlet were among the fatalities whose bodies were recovered from the site of the blaze after the almost three-hour fire. At the local fire department, the same address which was described as residential, was issued with a Fire Safety Inspection Certificate in 2022 for a 15 square-meter space that served as an "office area" employing three workers. But police reports noted that the other 12 victims who died in the blaze were described either as helpers or workers. The property, about 200 square-meters, was listed as a two-story residential unit, but arson probers retrieved some of the victims' bodies beyond recognition, at another structure at the back of the said old two-story house. It was an unfinished concrete three-story structure with a roof deck. A check by the Daily Tribune revealed that a locational clearance was denied for that building because of a zoning violation, rendering the structure to fail to get a building permit but was already erected. Arson investigators ruled that the house was used as a warehouse, workshop for a t-shirt printing business, and quarters for the workers, as residents noted that first, they knew their neighbors were into making "face masks" and turned into t-shirt printing later in time for the country's hosting of FIBA World Cup 2023. Probers are not ruling out that the fire was triggered by faulty electrical wiring or overheating of the electric lamination machine used in t-shirt printing. The victims were sleeping when the fire broke out, trapping them from suffocation. "If it was inspected yearly, they could discover the space behind that office was used as garment shop," one of the Barangay officials who responded to the scene but wished not to be named said. Due to the declaration that Cavilte has only an office area to maintain, inspection was never carried the local Fire department, while records at their NCR office noted that they have submitted a report of 100 percent inspection. Quezon City Fire Marshal Aristotle Bañaga still could not be reached for comment. For her part, Belmonte said investigators should determine whether there were any lapses committed by local government officials or by people running the business. She also immediately sent her sympathies and condolences to the families of the victims as she ordered a thorough investigation of whether or not the establishment adhered to the requirements of the Department of Building Official (DBO), Business Permit and Licensing Department (BPLD) or violated the National Building Code, Fire Code of the Philippines, zoning ordinance, business permit, occupancy, and permit. The post Heads will roll in QC fire that killed 15 people appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Russian shellings kill 4
Russian shellings across Ukraine over the weekend have killed four people, authorities in Kyiv said Sunday. A 42-year-old man was killed and four others were wounded in attacks of the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia on Saturday, the head of the region’s military administration said Sunday, according to CNN. Russian shellings of settlements, infrastructure, a medical institution, a national park and some warehouses in the southern region of Kherson also killed one person and wounded four others. Missile attacks on Kyiv wounded two people and damaged 10 houses, the head of the capital city’s Kyiv military administration said. Meanwhile, two people were killed and one was wounded on Saturday after Russian forces shelled Podoly village near the town of Kupiansk in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, Kharkiv governor Oleg Synegubov said on social media. “The enemy hit a civilian target — a cafe, where local residents were spending the day,” Synegubov said. The Ukrainian prosecutors’ office published photos from the scene that appeared to show shards of debris and an upturned table scattered outside a building, as the blurred bodies of two people lay nearby. The Russian military has claimed over recent days that it is advancing near the area, which was recaptured by Ukraine last year but is now subject to a renewed offensive. Ukraine said last week that Russian shelling in Zaoskillya, a suburb just east of Kupiansk, killed an elderly woman. Meanwhile, the governor of Russia’s Belgorod region said Kyiv shelled the town of Urazovo, about 10 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, injuring six people. WITH AFP The post Russian shellings kill 4 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Lawyer places Marawi bet via Café Sindaw
As Marawi City rose from the Islamic State-led 2017 siege and the pandemic, lawyer Rohairah “Kookai” Lao saw the period as an opportunity to present fresh ideas that were missing in the capital of Lanao del Sur. With a successful career as Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao ’s regional prosecutor, she wanted to help stimulate the local economy by putting up a business. “I am at a point where I want to give back to my community. To do this, I need something which promotes tourism and is likewise an inspiration,” Lao said. An inveterate traveler, Lao thought of bringing the café culture into the laidback city. She saw potential along the scenic strip that led to Mindanao State University and Lake Lanao, the province’s prime tourism destination. Named Heaven Road, it opens to views of the forest-covered countryside and is blessed with a temperate climate. Bucking the urban legend that the place was a dumping ground for bodies after a rido or a skirmish, the entrepreneur took the risk. She pioneered in building Heaven Road’s first commercial establishment. Lao recalls that her savings were insufficient to finance the construction of the café. Fortunately, she gained access to lending companies. Her brother-in-law, who owned a hardware and construction company, provided the materials at cost. Café hands-on Although she worked with an architect, Lao was hands-on in the design which comprises two levels and a viewing deck. “I made sure that when the café was completed, people who know me can see my personal touch,” she says. Named Café Sindaw (meaning “hope” in Maranaw), the restaurant-cafe aspires to lighten up the lives of the people of Lanao del Sur. “It aims to encourage them to stand up after the fall. There is always some prospect for people who have faith,” says Lao. She invested in an Italian-made coffee machine that is operated by baristas who were trained by experts from Mindanao’s major cities — Davao and Cagayan de Oro. The head barista worked extensively in Saudi Arabia. The menu is an eclectic mix of coffee beverages, pizzas, beef rendang, sasati (spicy balls of smoked fish) and ramen, among others. During Ramadan, one of the private rooms is converted into a prayer room. It accepts orders for iftar-sponsored meals for a minimum of 30. Market turns discriminating Lao observes that the local market is becoming more discriminating as diners appreciate cosmopolitan cuisine and special brewed blends. The resto-café is frequently booked for meetings and birthday parties. The customers gained during the early days of Heaven Road have remained loyal to Café Sindaw despite the mushrooming of similar restaurant cafes. When Café Sindaw opened in February 2022, there was hardly any competition. Following Lao’s example, entrepreneurs have since built their own cafes along Heaven Road. It is now a tourist destination because of the comfort food and beverages and panoramic vistas. Lao observes that people tend to go into business when the economy starts to thrive. As in most ventures, there are challenges, “Opening a restaurant or café is not easy. It involves compliance to national and local regulations. These can sometimes be a burden such as payments of several fees and taxes to the business sector,” Lao said. Then there’s learning to increase operational competence, create a top-performing menu, train and retain staffers. The post Lawyer places Marawi bet via Café Sindaw appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Suspected Syria bomber jumps to death from building
A man suspected of bombing a Shiite shrine in Syria last month died after he jumped from the seventh floor of a building where he was allegedly hiding from pursuers. Wissam Dalla, a Syrian in his early twenties, “threw himself from the seventh floor” of a building where he had been staying with relatives “after learning his location had been discovered,” Hezbollah said in a statement sent to Agence France-Presse. Dalla was “responsible for the explosion in the Sayyida Zeinab area” south of the Syrian capital last month, the Shiite Muslim group added. AFP was unable to independently confirm the allegations against Dalla. Hezbollah was pursuing Dalla late Friday south of the Lebanese capital, the Iran-backed group said. The group had pursued Dalla amid fears he could carry out another attack, the statement added, saying he was taken to hospital but died. “Relevant bodies” in Hezbollah were informed that he had entered Lebanon secretly, the statement said. The apparent suicide took place in Hay al-Sellom, an impoverished neighborhood in Beirut’s southern suburbs — a Hezbollah stronghold. Shiite shrines are a frequent target of attacks by Sunni Muslim extremists, not only in Syria but also in neighboring Iraq. WITH AFP The post Suspected Syria bomber jumps to death from building appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Koran burning’ protester gets permit
Protesters seeking the banning of the Koran in Sweden was granted by police a permit to hold a protest outside the parliament in Stockholm on Monday. Protest organizer Salwan Najem told Expressen newspaper he will burn the Muslim holy book many times until it is banned in Sweden. The protest was scheduled for 1 p.m. on Monday, according to the police permit. Najem’s protest follows similar demonstrations organized by Iraqi refugee Salwan Momika that also saw the Koran desecrated, angering Muslim countries. In late June, Momika, 37, set pages of the Koran alight outside Stockholm’s main mosque. A month later, he staged a similar protest outside the Iraqi embassy, stomping on the Koran but leaving before burning it. Both incidents led to widespread outrage and condemnations, with Iraqi protesters storming the Swedish embassy in Baghdad and setting alight its building. Swedish police have previously stressed they only grant permits for people to hold public gatherings and not for the activities conducted during the events. Last week, Sweden ordered 15 government bodies including the armed forces, several law enforcement agencies and the tax office to strengthen anti-terrorism efforts. A similar Koran- and Iraq flag-burning protest in Copenhagen, Denmark last week triggered Iraqis to march towards the Danish embassy in Baghdad. Security forces in the Green Zone prevented the protesters from reaching the embassy. WITH AFP The post ‘Koran burning’ protester gets permit appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Tony Bennett, last of classic American crooners, dead at 96
Tony Bennett, the last in a generation of classic American crooners whose ceaselessly cheery spirit bridged generations to make him a hitmaker across seven decades, died Friday in New York. He was 96. Raised in an era when big bands defined US pop music, Bennett achieved an improbable second act when he started winning over young audiences in the 1990s -- not by reinventing himself but by demonstrating his sheer joy in belting out the standards. And then at age 88, Bennett, in 2014 became the oldest person ever to reach number one on the US album sales chart through a collection of duets with Lady Gaga -- who became his friend and touring companion but only one of a long list of younger stars who rushed to work with the singing great. Bennett's publicist, Sylvia Weiner, announced his death. Likened since the start of his career to Frank Sinatra, Bennett first tried to distance himself but eventually followed much of the same path as other crooners of yore -- singing in nightclubs, on television, and for movies, although his attempts to act ended quickly. His gift proved to be his stage presence. With a welcoming smile and dapper suit, he sang with gusto and a smooth vibrato in a strong, clearly enunciated voice, which he kept in shape through training from the operatic Bel Canto tradition. Starting with his recording of the film song "Because of You" in 1951, Bennett sang dozens of hits including "Rags to Riches," "Stranger in Paradise" and, in what would become his signature tune, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," which landed him two of his career's 19 Grammy Awards. But the British Invasion led by The Beatles initially took a toll on the singer, whose music suddenly sounded quaint and antiquated. He nearly died of a cocaine overdose in 1979 before sobering up and eventually reviving his career. "When rap came along, or disco, whatever the new fashion was at the moment, I didn't try to find something that would fit whatever the style was of the whole music scene," Bennett told the British culture magazine Clash. "I just stayed myself and sang sincerely and tried to just stay honest with myself -- never compromising, just doing the best songs that I could think of for the public. "And luckily it just paid off." Singing as hardscrabble youth Tony Bennett -- his stage name came after advice from showbiz A-lister Bob Hope -- was born Anthony Dominick Benedetto in the Astoria neighborhood of New York's Queens borough. His father was a struggling grocer who immigrated from southern Italy's Calabria region, to which his mother also traced her ancestry. He showed early promise as an entertainer, singing at age nine next to legendary New York mayor Fiorello LaGuardia when he ceremonially opened the city's Triborough Bridge, now known as the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge. But his father's death at age 10, at a time when the United States was still struggling to exit the Great Depression, led him to leave school and earn money through jobs including singing at Italian restaurants and caricature painting, which remained a lifelong side career. During World War II, Bennett was drafted into the 63rd Infantry Division and was sent to France and Germany. But he was demoted after cursing out an officer from the South who objected to Bennett dining with an African American friend in the then racially segregated army. As punishment, Bennett spent his tour of duty digging out bodies and shipping them. But after the Allied victory, Bennett found an unexpected break into music as he waited with fellow troops in Wiesbaden, Germany to return home. With the city's opera house still intact, a US Army band performed a weekly show to be broadcast on military radio across Germany. Taken on as the band's librarian, Bennett was quickly impressed with his voice and was made one of four vocalists. "During this period in the army, I enjoyed the most musical freedom I've ever had in my life," Bennett later wrote in his autobiography, "The Good Life." "I could sing whatever I wanted, and there was no one around to tell me any different," he wrote. Outspoken against racism and war When he returned to the United States, he took formal singing lessons through the GI Bill, which covered educational expenses for returning troops. His experiences made Bennett a lifelong liberal. He became especially enraged in the 1950s when he played in Miami with jazz pioneer Duke Ellington, who was not allowed to attend a press party due to segregation at the hotel. In a then risky move for a popular entertainer, he accepted an invitation from singer Harry Belafonte to join civil rights icon Martin Luther King in the 1965 march from Selma, Alabama in support of equal voting rights for African Americans. He later wrote in his memoir that the hostility of the white state troopers reminded him of Nazi Germany. He was also an outspoken opponent of war, at times raising controversy. "The first time I saw a dead German, that's when I became a pacifist," he told popular radio host Howard Stern days after the 11 September 2001 attacks. Late in life, still cool Bennett was married three times and had four children including Antonia Bennett, who has followed his path as a singer of pop and jazz standards. But his son Danny Bennett was most instrumental in his father's career, aggressively courting MTV and other players in the pop world as a manager for his father. By the early 1990s, Bennett -- his style and look little changed from the 1960s, except for more gray hair -- was appearing in music videos on MTV and singing warm-up at concerts by alternative rock giants such as Smashing Pumpkins and Porno for Pyros. Proof that Bennett was back came in 1993 when he presented a prize at the MTV Video Music Awards alongside the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who hailed his cool factor and playfully sang part of "I Left My Heart in San Francisco." His career only kept building and a decade later, he released three successful albums of duets. On one of them, "Body and Soul," he sang with Amy Winehouse in her last recording before she died in 2011 at age 27. He marked his 90th birthday with a star-studded concert at New York's Radio City Music Hall, which was turned into a television special and album. The title was taken from a song popularized by Bennett: "The Best Is Yet to Come." Bennett toured the United States and Europe into his final decade, playing his last public performance before the coronavirus pandemic halted touring in New Jersey on 11 March 2020. Soon after, he revealed he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2016. He had kept his condition quiet for years. Upon turning 95, Bennett played two more birthday concerts, again at Radio City Music Hall, with Lady Gaga -- shows billed as his farewell to New York. He then canceled the remainder of his 2021 tour dates on "doctors' orders." "And let the music play as long as there's a song to sing / And I will stay younger than spring," he crooned during the first of his farewell shows, in a rendition of his ballad "This Is All I Ask." "You've been a good audience," Bennett said prior to his encore. "I love this audience." The post Tony Bennett, last of classic American crooners, dead at 96 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bautista: Collaboration key to safe, resilient aviation industry
Auditors of the International Civil Aviation Organization are in the country to assess the country's aviation security protocols in order to address emerging threats and mitigate potential security risks in air travel. During the National Briefing on the ICAO Universal Security Audit Programme Continuous Monitoring Approach, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista urged aviation stakeholders to be proactive and contribute to global aviation security. “I urge everyone to actively engage in constructive dialogue and explore innovative ideas to leverage our capabilities to contribute to global aviation security. In doing so, we strengthen our collective ability to detect and mitigate potential security risks, ensuring the sustained resilience and integrity of global aviation systems,” Bautista said. The transportation chief underscored the role of participants, auditors and support staff in the continuous monitoring, sharing of best practices, and coordination among various stakeholders in the aviation sector. “We have assembled an exceptional lineup of experts who will shed light on essential aspects like airport and airline operations, intelligence and crisis response, management of acts of unlawful interference, risk management strategies, capacity-building as well as streamlined collaboration among regulatory bodies and industry partners,” he said. Bautista also expressed confidence in the collective commitment and relentless pursuit of excellence in the advancements in global aviation security. “Let us continue to embrace this opportunity to collectively strengthen the foundation of aviation security and demonstrate our unwavering commitment in ensuring the security of the traveling public, as well as protect both private and public assets and infrastructure from all threats,” he said. ICAO's USAP CMA is a regular audit that provides a progressive framework for continuous evaluation and enhancement of aviation security protocols, enabling stakeholders in air transportation to maintain vigilance in a rapidly evolving landscape. The post Bautista: Collaboration key to safe, resilient aviation industry appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Russian missile blasts Ukraine restaurant
A Russian missile has struck a restaurant in eastern Ukraine killing nine people, including three children, and wounding at least 56 people. Bodies of the fatalities were retrieved from the debris of Ria Pizza restaurant in Kramatorsk which is popular with both soldiers and journalists. Apartment buildings, stores and cars also were damaged in the missile attack. The rescuers are dismantling the rubble of the ruined building and searching for people who possibly remain under the debris, the Ukraine emergency service said, according to CNN. The attack came days after the Russian mercenary force Wagner launched a shortlived mutiny in Russia on the instigation of its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin. The crisis has apparently not affected Russia’s campaign in Ukraine as missile attacks on the latter continue in the 16-month-old conflict. Russian President Vladimir Putin himself has said that the Wagner revolt had not forced Russia to withdraw any of its units from Ukraine, where fighting continued as Kyiv’s brigades pursued their counteroffensive in their nation’s east and south. The post Russian missile blasts Ukraine restaurant appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
High-rise turns into ‘village’ of the departed
With its white marble foyer and lavish chandeliers, the 12-story tower could be mistaken for one of Hong Kong's newest hotels, but it offers a longer stay: a final resting place for thousands in one of the world’s most crowded cities. The Shan Sum columbarium opened last month with plans to eventually offer 23,000 niches for funeral urns, part of the government’s decade-long effort to bring in private companies to ease pressure on the deathcare sector. “It’s an apartment building for the dead... It feels more like a close-knit neighborhood,” German architect Ulrich Kirchhoff, 52, said. Kirchhoff designed the building, blending elements of nature into a high-density space to create a “neighborhood village feel.” He said his design was inspired by traditional Chinese graveyards, which are often perched on mountainsides. His columbarium carried over those undulating lines, greenery and textures of hewn rock. Ashes are stored in ornate compartments, some as small as 26 by 34 centimeters, that line the walls of air-conditioned chambers. Kirchhoff said he designed rooms on each floor to provide intimacy, in contrast to the cramped confines of public columbariums, which he said feel like being in a “warehouse.” Around 95 percent of Hong Kong’s dead are cremated each year. Much like apartments in Hong Kong, rent for the units is not cheap, putting them beyond the reach of most people. A basic two-person option at Shan Sum is sold for $58,000 while the top-tier package, meant for a whole family, costs nearly $3 million. The median monthly household income in Hong Kong is currently around $3,800, according to government data. Urn space shortage Hong Kong’s 7.3 million residents share some of the most densely populated neighborhoods on earth, and in the past, mourning families had to wait years to secure a spot for their loved ones’ ashes. Places like Shan Sum were created in response to Hong Kong’s shortage of urn spaces a decade ago. At the time, cremated remains were often stored in drawers at funeral parlours for years while waiting for spots to open up, or were housed in unlicensed columbariums in temples or refurbished factory buildings. Historian Chau Chi-fung, who wrote a book on Hong Kong’s funeral practices, said the seeds of the crisis were sown decades prior by the British colonial administration, before the city was handed over to China in 1997. “Laws at the time were strict about how to treat dead bodies, but once they were turned to ash, the government did not have a comprehensive policy for them,” he told AFP. The ethnic Chinese population in Hong Kong historically preferred burials, but the government popularized cremation in the 1960s — a shift seen in dense urban centres across Asia. Now around 95 percent of Hong Kong’s dead are cremated each year, which Chau attributed to changing social mores. The government estimates that deaths will increase by 14 percent to 61,100 per year by 2031. Officials say that the city is prepared for the uptick, with about 25 percent vacancy among the current 425,000 public columbarium spots and more public and private supply in the pipeline. “The situation has improved compared to a few years ago... The problem has been eased, but not solved,” Chau said. The post High-rise turns into ‘village’ of the departed appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
NASA finds key building block for life in a moon of Saturn
The long hunt for extraterrestrials just got a big boost. Scientists have discovered that phosphorus, a key building block of life, lies in the ocean beneath the icy surface of Saturn's moon Enceladus. The finding was based on a review of data collected by NASA's Cassini probe and was published Wednesday in the prestigious journal Nature. Cassini started exploring Saturn and its rings and moons in 2004, before burning up in the gas giant's atmosphere when its mission ended in 2017. "This is a stunning discovery for astrobiology," said Christopher Glein of the Southwest Research Institute, one of the paper's co-authors, adding: "We have found abundant phosphorus in plume ice samples spraying out of the subsurface ocean." Geysers on Enceladus' south pole spew icy particles through cracks on the surface out into space, feeding Saturn's E ring -- the faint ring outside the brighter main rings. Scientists previously found other minerals and organic compounds in the ejected ice grains, but not phosphorus, which is an essential building block for DNA and RNA, and is also found in the bones and teeth of people, animals, and even ocean plankton. Simply put, life as we know it would not be possible without phosphorus. While geochemical modeling had previously found it was likely phosphorus would also be present, and this prediction was published in an earlier paper, it is one thing to forecast something and another to confirm, said Glein. "It's the first time this essential element has been discovered in an ocean beyond Earth," added first author Frank Postberg, a planetary scientist at Freie Universitat Berlin, in a NASA statement. To make the new discovery, authors combed through data collected by Cassini's Cosmic Dust Analyzer instrument and confirmed the findings by carrying out laboratory experiments to show that Enceladus' ocean has phosphorus bound inside different water-soluble forms. Over the past 25 years, planetary scientists have discovered that worlds with oceans beneath a surface layer of ice are common in our solar system. These include Jupiter's moon Europa, Saturn's largest moon Titan, and even the more distant body, Pluto. While planets like Earth that have surface oceans need to reside within a narrow window of distance from their host star to maintain the right temperatures for life, the discovery of worlds with subsurface oceans expands the number of habitable bodies that might exist. "With this finding, the ocean of Enceladus is now known to satisfy what is generally considered to be the strictest requirement for life," said Glein. "The next step is clear –- we need to go back to Enceladus to see if the habitable ocean is actually inhabited." The post NASA finds key building block for life in a moon of Saturn appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Life and death choices at India train crash hospital
When India saw its worst train crash in decades, the nearest state-run hospital was transformed into a scene of desperation -- and critical decisions. Every few moments, another cacophony of ambulance sirens outside the Fakir Mohan Medical College and Hospital announced the delivery of more patients, many of them critically wounded. It is just 25 kilometers (15 miles) from the site of a triple train crash that killed nearly 300 people and injured almost 1,200 on Friday. Medical staff had only a few moments to decide who could survive -- and which cases were hopeless. It was a "relentless, war-like situation", said doctor Sibanand Ratha. "All were serious trauma patients -- with head injuries, amputated limbs, chest injuries, and breathing difficulties." Some were already dead, others were gasping for life. Saving lives was the priority, he told AFP. "But there was too much rush," he said. "The patients kept coming, non-stop, there was too much crowd." The team "had to decide who gets higher priority", he admitted -- those with a better chance of survival. "One shouldn't say it but as a doctor, you know that this patient won't survive. "That was a totally different experience for me personally." 400-500 patients Hundreds of the victims were brought to the hospital, a neatly painted multi-story building with better facilities than many government-run Indian hospitals but still only equipped to cater to the roughly 200,000 population of Balasore, a small town in the eastern state of Odisha. What began as a regular Friday for the medical staff changed after an emergency message ordered them to drop everything and return to the hospital immediately. Ratha, 35, said he knew it was a train accident, but "could not have imagined" the scale. He and his colleagues "worked non-stop as the evening turned to night and the next day". The team handled "400 to 500" patients, he estimated, "though we have not counted but ambulances were coming with patients non-stop". "We had to empty the beds quickly. We stabilized some patients and sent them to ICU. The less critical ones were moved to orthopedic. "And whoever had head and chest injuries were wheeled to surgery." Midnight blood donations from local residents "really helped", he said, and the medical supply chain worked throughout the night to ensure all necessary drugs were available. Orthopedic doctor Kshitiz Guglani, 25, was off duty when he was summoned, and had worked non-stop since then. Most were "poly-trauma patients, which means more than one bodily system was damaged", he said. At least 275 people were killed in the crash, according to official figures, and nearly 400 of the injured were still being treated in several facilities on Monday. The Balasore hospital was crowded with survivors, other patients, and relatives looking for loved ones. Anil Marandi, 29, a tribal laborer from Jharkhand, showed staff at the main help desk pictures of his brother, brother-in-law, and a friend, all of whom were on one of the trains. "I have only found two bodies so far," he said tearfully. "I am still looking for the third." The post Life and death choices at India train crash hospital appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Visayan growth
This piece is being written as I traverse the Visayan region which is carrying greater prospects for future economic growth. For the past months, I’ve written on Mindanao and Central Luzon and how these regions have experienced rapid development thanks to the nationally elected political leaders who hail from their provinces, Vice President Sara Duterte and the former president now Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, respectively. At times neglected in the discussions is the Visayas region. This time around, I was able to spend time in Iloilo and Cebu – both highly urbanized regional growth areas outside of Metro Manila. Iloilo is a wonderful city as it exists harmoniously with its bodies of water. Esplanades and walkways allow everyone to enjoy the river, which serves as a leisure area, transportation hub, and entry for goods, which is quite uncommon in the Philippines. Usually, Philippine rivers are either for people or for goods, not both, since our rivers are easily polluted. But in Iloilo, as well as neighboring Guimaras, their rivers bring life to the province. The only eyesore in Iloilo would be the “sinking” Ungka flyover located in Pavia. This project cost the government P680 million but it was closed shortly after it opened because motorists experienced a “wavy” sensation while driving on it. It was later learned that some of its pillars were sinking at the rate of two centimeters per day. A study showed it would take an estimated P250 million to repair the flyover and make it safely usable to the public. One reason to be excited about Iloilo should be the proposed revival of the Panay Railway, which was mentioned by President Bongbong Marcos Jr. in his SoNA last year and included in the Infrastructure Flagship Projects approved by NEDA. On this trip, I learned that Panay used to have a working railway that connected Iloilo City to Roxas City, and that plans for its revival would further connect Iloilo to Caticlan thus, the resort island of Boracay. Imagine having tourists land in Boracay, spend a few days there, then take a train to Iloilo where they would further be immersed in Philippine culture in one of the oldest cities of the country. Cebu is an established gem of a city, with traffic nearing Manila levels. Walking around Cebu feels like being in Alabang or BGC. One thing missing in Cebu is tollways to connect its cities and municipalities. This may change soon with the inclusion of the Metro Cebu Expressway in the NEDA-approved IFPs. The 72-kilometer project, once completed, will connect Naga City to Danao City, cutting travel time from three hours to 50 minutes. The project was started years ago, but only a reported five kilometers of it have been finished so far due to lack of funding. At this rate of budget allocation, it will take 20 years to finish it. Now, the project will continue and be finished sooner via a PPP arrangement after Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. — the same company that built the iconic Cebu Cordova Link Expressway bridge — has expressed interest in it. Whenever I visit Cebu, it seems that a major development had taken place. This time was no different. Even in Iloilo, there are new buildings erected almost monthly. One notable building is the 14-story Stronghold Insurance Building in Mandurriao, Iloilo City, an area surrounded by Ayala, SM, Vista Land, and Megaworld developments. As this Administration has heralded, this time the purpose is to “Build, Better, More” for the benefit of all Filipinos nationwide. For comments, email him at darren.dejesus@gmail.com. The post Visayan growth appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Zero hunger is possible
As grade school students back in the day, one of the more important lessons drilled in our young minds was to know the basic needs of man. In the relatively simple and peaceful universe we lived in then, we were told these were food (and water), clothing, and shelter. Years later, a more sophisticated, technologically advanced, and complex environment exposed men to new challenges and corresponding changes. To that simple three-item list were added — apart from the basic physical needs — emotional, mental, and spiritual necessities, and a host of others, including, and most especially now, communication facilities or an Internet connection. Within the Philippine setting, Undersecretary Dennis Mapa, our National Statistician and economist, appended health, education, and personal care as essentials. High on the list is food, and rightly so, for the nutrients we get from it make our bodies strong and healthy as these replace cells worn out from wear and tear. Yet a United Nations Sustainable Development Report released last year revealed alarming news: between 720 million and 811 million persons were suffering from hunger, roughly 161 million more than in 2021. And in the same year, a staggering 2.4 billion people, or above 30 percent of the world’s population, were moderately or severely food insecure, lacking regular access to adequate food. On the home front, despite our vaunted natural resources and seemingly inexhaustible bounty from the land and seas around us, a survey has shown that one out of 10 households in the Philippines suffer from “food insecurity.” The survey also cited the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Region VIII (the six provinces and seven cities in Eastern Visayas), and Region XII (the Mindanao provinces of Cotabato, Sarangani, South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat) as the three most “food insecure” regions of the country. It may not be a coincidence that these three areas are among the country’s poorest regions. Admitting this is a national concern, the government has said it considers food security a top priority. Late last year, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said they were watching out for surges in the prices of goods and services due primarily to recent typhoons that hit the country, affecting workers who complained their wages were barely enough to buy or pay for their basic needs, especially food. He added that the administration was bent on ensuring consumers an adequate and affordable food supply. Food security has been defined as “when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life,” according to the 1996 World Food Summit. At the same time, food should be readily available, easily accessible, prepared and eaten the right way (nutrition-wise), and procured regularly, the world body added. In the Philippines, the most common food security problems are poor or inadequate agricultural harvests attributed to practices or methods that have either been discarded or have not been adopted or kept pace with the times. Suggestions have been floated as possible solutions to food security like introducing more diversified crops, improving infrastructure, building new road networks linking farms to markets, enhancing or restructuring current trade practices and policies, working on programs and advocacies to combat the adverse effects of climate change and maintain sustainable green economies. Boosting agricultural production would mean “more investments in the food value chain and research and development to enhance farm productivity and improve the efficiency of post-harvest processes,” Balisacan said. “Getting the government to facilitate private investments in marketing infrastructure including storage, transport, and logistics, and continuing to provide cash transfers and fuel discounts are crucial to achieving durable food security.” Is zero hunger attainable? The optimist (and farmer) in me believe it is possible, but only when we aggressively push for renewable agricultural practices and work hard at growing more crops on every piece of land available. Then, we can say that we will never be hungry again. The post Zero hunger is possible appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Pupil started deadly Guyana dorm fire over confiscated phone: source
The weekend school dormitory blaze that killed 19 minors in central Guyana is believed to have been started by a disgruntled pupil angry at having her mobile phone confiscated, a government source told AFP on Tuesday. Sunday's inferno gutted the building in the regional capital of Mahdia, which housed girls aged 11-12 and 16-17. Some are still hospitalized. An official police report confirmed that "a female student is suspected of having set the devastating fire because her cellular phone was taken away." The government source, speaking anonymously, said the teenage pupil in question had admitted to the arson attack and was under police guard at the district hospital in Mahdia. Police are seeking advice on whether to charge her, the official said. On Monday, Guyana Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken had already stated that investigators believed the fire was "maliciously set." According to the government source, students aren't allowed to have phones in the dormitory. After the staff took away the girl's phone, she "threatened the same night that she will burn down the building and everybody heard her," the government source said. The official said that minutes later the girl went to the bathroom area and sprayed insecticide on a curtain before lighting a match. Several pupils had recounted the same version of events, the official said. The girls were locked in for the night, and a house mistress told police that in her panic she could not find the front door key. The building had metal bars on the windows preventing pupils from escaping through them. The house mistress "locks up every night at nine o'clock to ensure the girls don't get away from the building," the official said. "According to the female students, they were asleep and were awakened by screams," said the police report. Despite efforts by other students to extinguish the blaze, the official said the fire quickly swept through the wooden ceiling and eventually engulfed the entire building. Some pupils, including the girl who allegedly started the fire, managed to escape when some men broke down a door. "Upon checking, they saw fire/smoke in the bathroom area, which quickly spread in the building, causing several students to receive burns to their bodies and smoke inhalation, while several managed to escape," the police report said. The police report said there were 57 pupils in the dormitory, which was "a one-flat concrete building measuring about 100 feet by 40 feet, with several windows, all grilled, and five doors." Firefighters did not arrive on the scene until 25 minutes after the fire took hold. The house mistress' son apparently also died in the fire. Thirteen young girls and a boy died in the building, while five more pupils died later at the hospital. As well as the dead, around 20 children were taken to hospital. Seven remain hospitalized, with two in critical condition, according to a hospital source. Six autopsies performed so far revealed the minors died from smoke inhalation and burns, according to the police. The other 13 unrecognizable bodies were being transported to the capital, Georgetown, for DNA testing to confirm their identities. National security advisor Gerry Gouveia said that a forensic team from Barbados had arrived in Guyana to help with the identification. Another team from the United States is expected. Guyanese President Irfaan Ali said that Cuba also offered to provide medical support. Guyana, with a population of 800,000, is South America's only English-speaking nation. It is a former Dutch and British colony, which recently discovered it holds the world's largest per-capita oil reserves. The post Pupil started deadly Guyana dorm fire over confiscated phone: source appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Food policy: Food utilization (2)
Last week, I discussed the first dimension of food security which is accessibility. This week I will discuss the second dimension which is food utilization. Food utilization is concerned with food consumption, food quality, and food safety. It is not enough that people get to have the food that they need. The nutritional value of the food available to them must also be taken into consideration during food consumption. Also, food quality and safety must be monitored by regulatory authorities such as the Bureau of Food and Drugs, the Department of Trade and Industry, and other authorized certifying bodies (for example, HACCP Certification is given to food manufacturing corporations that passed the international standards in food safety management). Since 1974, the government has already embarked on a nutrition program through the establishment of the National Nutrition Council or NNC by Presidential Decree 491. The NNC was created primarily to institute and implement the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition or PPAN. One of the components of the PPAN is to ensure that the population is well nourished. When it comes to nutrition, the Department of Health, in coordination with the Local Government Units, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Department of Labor and Employment, and non-governmental organizations, has rolled out programs such as Overweight, Obesity Management and Prevention, Micronutrient Supplement, and Food Fortification. In times of emergency crisis, the DoH together with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and DSWD provide training to ensure that the provision of nutritious foods is taken into consideration through its Capacity Building for Mainstreaming Nutrition Protection in Emergencies Program. As regards food quality and safety, the government through the enactment of the Organic Agricultural Act of 2010, has been able to promote Good Agricultural Practices. The law encourages the use of chemical-free inputs in agricultural production. Also, in monitoring compliance with food safety, the government adopts international safety standards such as the issuance of HACCP certification in food manufacturing industries. This certification ensures that all manufactured food circulating in the market is toxic-free. In addition to food commodities, water is an essential component of human nourishment, and the government through its SALINTUBIG program, ensures clean drinking water for all. Despite these programs and agencies behind the implementation, there seems to be a problem with food utilization among our children. According to the article from the World Bank Group entitled “Undernutrition in the Philippines Scale, Scope, and Opportunities for Nutrition Policy and Programming”, written by Nkosinathi V. N. Mbuya, Gabriel Demombynes, Sharon Faye A. Piza, Ann Jillian V. Adona, “For nearly thirty years, there have been almost no improvements in the prevalence of undernutrition in the Philippines. One in three children (29 percent) younger than five years old suffered from stunting, being small in size for their age”. To promote healthy Filipinos, tax incentives should be given to suppliers and producers of healthy and nutritious food products (raw or processed). The imposition of higher taxes on manufacturers of unhealthy food may also be considered (as in the case of cigarettes and liquors) to lessen the supply of unhealthy food. This would encourage manufacturers to factor in nutrition in their products. Although the Philippines already merged the tax on sugar-sweetened beverages with the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion, the tax burden is simply passed on to the consumers. Tax incentives should also be used to encourage further the production of healthy food. Nutrition programs should also be observed in every school, particularly at the primary level when the child is still in the early process of his/her physical development. I firmly believe that good nutrition is among the fundamental building blocks for economic prosperity. Hence, there is an urgent need to address the nutrition gap and improve food utilization. The post Food policy: Food utilization (2) appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
EDITORIAL - Revisiting the Building Code
As of yesterday, the official death toll had topped 28,000 as more bodies were found following the powerful earthquake on Feb. 6 that devastated parts of Turkey and Syria. Officials are reportedly looking into building safety standards in the earthquake-hit areas as experts noted that the areas have not experienced a powerful earthquake in 200 years......»»
52 killed in Bangladesh factory fire, 30 injured
A massive blaze in a Bangladesh factory killed at least 52 people as emergency services brought out bodies even as the building was still in flames......»»
Florida collapse toll now 24, rest of building to be razed soon
Searchers recovered two more bodies to bring the death toll in the Florida apartment block collapse to 24, authorities said Saturday, as the search for victims paused in the afternoon so demolition crews could prepare to bring down the part of the building still standing......»»