We are sorry, the requested page does not exist
England, Wales grapple with growing teen knife violence
Elianne Andam was headed to school like any other teenager in London last month when she was stabbed to death, becoming the latest victim of rising knife crime in England and Wales. The 15-year-old suffered a "brutal attack" in Croydon, south London, shortly after she and her friends had stepped off a public bus on a Wednesday morning, prosecutors have said. A 17-year-old boy arrested nearby just over an hour later will stand trial for her murder next April. One of the latest tragic cases of teen-on-teen violence in the British capital, it has become an increasingly common problem nationwide over recent decades. A few days after Andam's death, 16-year-old Taye Faik died in Edmonton, north London, following another knife attack. He was the 14th teenager to be killed with a blade in the city this year. The UK government, and mayors in some of its biggest cities and regions, have repeatedly vowed to tackle the persistent scourge of youth violence, but appear to be failing. Between 2012 and 2022, the number of knife and offensive weapon offences amongst children aged 10-17 increased by 19 percent across England and Wales, according to the Ministry of Justice. That compared with an eight percent increase among adults. 'Social issue' With the sale of guns strictly controlled in Britain, teenagers intent on violence typically turn to blades, including machetes and so-called "zombie" knives. Inspired by horror films, they often have one smooth blade and one serrated edge, and feature graphics or text on the blade or handle glorifying violence. Possessing them has been illegal since 2016, but some manufacturers have managed to evade this quasi-ban by altering their design. The government unveiled plans in August to outlaw them entirely and give police more powers to seize the weapons, which it said "seem to be designed to look menacing with no practical purpose". The new legislation will also increase the maximum penalty for their "importation, manufacturing, possession and sale" from six months to two years. However, machetes and zombie-style knives can be bought with relative ease for less than £50 ($60) on social media platforms like TikTok or Snapchat, circumventing online age restrictions, according to anti-knife crime campaigners. They urge more focus on the roots of the problem. "Knife crime isn't just a law-and-order issue, it's a social issue," Patrick Green, president of the Ben Kinsella Trust, told AFP. The anti-knife crime charity is named after a London teenager murdered in 2008. "When you start to unpick knife crime, you start to look at social deprivation, poverty, the lack of social mobility, mental health probation for young people," Green said. 'Awful weapons' Youth knife violence is more prevalent in Britain than many other European countries, he noted. "It's difficult to determine why exactly," Green added. London mayor Sadiq Khan's office blamed the austerity policies of successive Tory governments in power since 2010, which it argued have "decimated youth services" in the capital and beyond. As many as 130 centers offering sports and arts activities in the city have closed over that period, its statement noted. The pandemic and the country's worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation, driven by decades-high inflation, are also seen as contributing to the problem. Following the recent knife crime deaths in the capital, the Labour mayor urged the Conservative government in a letter "to speed up the legislation so we can ban these awful weapons as soon as possible". "The proposals also need to be toughened up to close the loopholes that could still allow the sale of these weapons," Khan added. He also wrote this month to London's 500 secondary schools reiterating that wand metal detectors to screen pupils for weapons were available, as well as police officers to deliver knife crime prevention talks. His opposition Labour party -- well ahead in polls for over a year -- has pledged to spend up to £100 million if it wins power in an election expected next year on a "Young Futures" program. It would fund new youth mentors and mental health hubs in every community, youth workers in schools set up for troubled students and hospitals, alongside wide-ranging public sector reforms. The post England, Wales grapple with growing teen knife violence appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DSWD’s Oplan Pag-Abot teams reach out to individuals in Manila
The Department of Social Welfare and Development reached out to 56 individuals living on the streets of Manila during its Oplan Pag-Abot’s 9-hour non-stop operations from last night until early Friday morning, From 9 p.m. Thursday (28 September) until 6 a.m. Friday (29 September), Oplan Pag-Abot teams were able to reach out to 23 unattached adults, 10 older persons, three children, and 20 family members of five families who were staying in the Malate tourist area and along the stretch of nearby Roxas Boulevard. “The reached-out individuals and families were brought to the processing centers located at Barangay 721 Dakota Covered Court in Malate for biometrics registration, and initial intake interview,” DSWD Assistant Secretary for Strategic Communications Romel Lopez said on Friday. After the assessment, Asst. Sec. Lopez said some clients needing special care were referred to the DSWD-run centers and residential care facilities such as Bahay Silungan, Golden Reception and Action Center for the Elderly and Other Special Cases, and the Haven for Children for temporary custody and shelter. “Some families and individuals were referred to the local government units of Manila, Caloocan, Navotas, Pasay, Sta. Maria in Bulacan, and Field Office - National Capital Region,” Lopez, who is also DSWD spokesperson, said. The Oplan Pag-Abot teams were assisted by the City of Manila’s Department of Social Welfare and City Health Office, the Philippine Statistics Authority, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, and the Philippine National Police - Tactical Motorcycle Unit during the 9-hour reach-out operation. The post DSWD’s Oplan Pag-Abot teams reach out to individuals in Manila appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Munti active cases down to 1
The local government of Muntinlupa City on Tuesday revealed that total active cases of Covid-19 in the city is now down to one. According to the City Health Office, an active case was recorded from 1 to 7 August 2023 — a significant decrease compared to the total two cases logged from 25 to 31 July. Data from CHO showed that the only remaining active case is registered in Barangay Ayala Alabang while the other eight barangays in the city now have zero active cases. The local government said that there were 10 patients who recovered this week while no deaths were recorded. In the past two weeks, the CHO reported 34 deaths recorded including 12 in the past two weeks. The administration of bivalent Covid-19 vaccines was finished by the city government last 31 July to healthcare workers, senior citizens, adults with comorbidities, pregnant and overseas Filipino workers scheduled for deployment within the next four months. The post Munti active cases down to 1 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Lacuna appeals: Get your kids jabbed
Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna reiterated on Sunday her call to parents and guardians to have their children or wards vaccinated, saying that those given primary vaccination among kids aged five to 11 has not even reached 50 percent of the targeted number which is 168,446. Lacuna also called on senior citizens to have themselves vaccinated either with primary or booster shots and for adults aged 18 to 59 to get boosted, especially since they are the ones who are most fond of always getting out. The mayor made the appeal citing the recent continued rise in the number of Covid-19 cases based on figures that she receives from the city’s health cluster. “Vaccination is still the solution. The cases of infection are increasing, so we need to protect our children,” Lacuna said. Citing records, the Manila mayor stressed that while the number of senior citizens who have gotten their first dose was at over 95 percent, the number has gone down to about 86 percent when it came to booster shots, with only 60 percent recorded for the first and 20 percent for the second booster. In the case of kids belonging to the five to 11 age group, the number of those who have been given primary shots is yet to reach 50 percent. While figures are better in the case of minors aged 12 to 17 who have registered 100 percent for the primary shots, only 10 percent availed of the first booster. Adults aged 18 to 59 meanwhile, registered more than 100 percent for the first and second dose. However, the number went down to 65 percent for the first booster and declined to a measly eight percent for the second. She also added that her appeal is also directed to those who are considered as “high risk individuals” such as senior citizens, pregnant women, the immuno-compromised and those with comorbidities. Lacuna said that the city government is still offering free Covid-19 vaccination at all of its health centers. She urged residents to take advantage of this offer and get vaccinated as soon as possible. The post Lacuna appeals: Get your kids jabbed appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Manila heeds DoH’s 2nd booster order
The local government of Manila has announced the rollout of its Covid-19 second booster shot vaccination drive for the general population. Mayor Honey Lacuna’s spokesperson, Atty. Princess Abante, said the opening of the vax drive to all was announced by the city’s top executive, herself a doctor, during a “Kalinga sa Maynila” event in Sta. Cruz. All of the city’s 44 health centers would accommodate everyone, 18 years or older, for booster shots, according to the Manila Health Department. The move was in line with a directive from the Department of Health for local government units to provide the general population access to Covid-19 boosters, excluding children aged 5 to 17. Under its guidelines, the DoH allows all healthy adults to receive their second booster shot six months after their first booster. “Covid-19 vaccines are available in all of the 44 health centers of the City of Manila from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Kindly bring the QR code from manilacovid19vaccine.ph,” Abante said. She added that six vaccine candidates are needed before they could open a vial to prevent wastage, she added. Lacuna has been calling on those qualified to get either their primary or booster shots, stressing that “vaccination is still the solution” against Covid. The mayor has cautioned Manilans against letting their guard down, as she expressed concern about the rising cases of Covid in the city recently. The post Manila heeds DoH’s 2nd booster order appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Millions more face English virus restrictions as cases spiral
Millions more people in northern England face stricter coronavirus rules next week, officials said Friday, as reports suggested the government is considering a nationwide lockdown. A digital display shows NHS health advice on the coronavirus in Leeds on October 30, 2020. – West Yorkshire is to be placed under tier three Covid restrictions from November 2, 2020, the strictest level of rules. (Photo by Lindsey Parnaby / AFP) From Monday, nearly 2.4 million residents in five districts of West Yorkshire, including in the city of Leeds, will be barred from socialising with other households indoors. Pubs and bars not serving “substantial meals” must close, alongside casinos and betting shops, while people have also been told to avoid unnecessary travel. The Department of Health said the measures were needed as infection rates in West Yorkshire were among the highest in the country and rising rapidly. The Times reported Friday that Prime Minister Boris Johnson was considering a return to a national lockdown to battle the surge. Johnson was expected to hold a press conference on Monday to announce new restrictions, which would close everything except “essential shops”, schools and universities, the paper said, quoting a government source. In its weekly study of Covid-19 prevalence, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the number of people with the virus had increased to around one in 100 nationwide. “There has been growth in all age groups over the past two weeks; older teenagers and young adults continue to have the highest current rates while rates appear to be steeply increasing among secondary school children,” it said. The country’s official science advisory panel warned in a report published Friday that the virus was spreading “significantly” faster and that hospitalisations were rising at a higher rate through England than its predicted “worst-case” scenario drawn up in July. The report said that in mid-October, shortly before new local rules were introduced, around four times as many people were catching Covid than anticipated in the July report. That study warned that 85,000 more people could die during the winter wave. West Yorkshire’s imminent restrictions are the latest step in the UK government’s localised response to the surging transmission, which has come under increasing scrutiny in recent weeks. More than 11 million people — about a fifth of England’s population — will be under the tightest measures from next week. Most of the areas in the “very high” category of the government’s three-tier Covid alert system are in northern and central parts of the country. Nottingham became the latest city to enter the highest tier Friday. On Thursday night, young people took to the streets in fancy dress and drank in large groups before a ban on alcohol sales in shops came into force at 2100 GMT. – ‘Targeted’ – The pandemic has hit Britain harder than any other country in Europe, with more than 45,000 people having died within 28 days of testing positive. Case rates are spiralling again after a lull, tracking the situation elsewhere on the continent. England is seeing nearly 52,000 new cases daily, a 47 percent weekly rise, according to the ONS, which conducts its analysis of households with the help of several universities and health bodies, and excludes people in hospitals and care homes. Britain’s European neighbours and the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have reimposed partial lockdowns to try to cut infection rates. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said Friday the government would continue its “targeted and focused” strategy of local restrictions in virus hotspots. “The arbitrariness of a blanket approach would be far worse than the effects of trying to be as targeted as possible,” he said. Meanwhile, a new study reported Friday that a Covid-19 variant originating in Spanish farm workers has spread rapidly throughout Europe in recent months and now accounts for most cases in Britain. The variant — called 20A.EU1 — is thought to have been spread from northeastern Spain by people returning from holidays there, according to the study, which is awaiting peer review in a medical journal. There is currently no evidence that the strain spreads faster or impacts illness severity and immunity......»»
7 nanlaban drug suspects dead after Baste Duterte declares drug war
Less than a week after Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte declared a "war on drugs" in the city, at least seven drug suspects were killed during a buy-bust operation in the city — violence that highlights the seriousness of the mayor's recent threat of outright killing persons caught using illegal drugs......»»
CHR alarmed by war vs drugs in Davao City
THE Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is alarmed by Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte’s “war against drugs”, as seven drug users were killed from different barangays in the city over the weekend, just a few hours after his declaration......»»
Oplan Harabas yields 3 drivers positive for drugs
FOLLOWING the surprise drug test conducted by the Land Transportation Office (LTO)-Davao and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on public utility vehicles (PUVs) last March 26, 2024, two taxi drivers in Davao City were found to be positive for drugs......»»
Councilor Javi’s FB account hacked
DAVAO City Second District Councilor Javi Campos confirmed that his account has been hacked by still unknown individuals......»»
Waste consciousness urged during Holy Week
A DAVAO City-based environment group urged Dabawenyos to mind their waste during Holy Week......»»
New DCPO chief pledges technology-driven approach
THE new director of the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) underscored the utilization of technology to streamline their operations......»»
D.C.Plinado Campaign pushed
DAVAO City Councilor Bai Hundra Cassandra Dominique N. Advincula urged Dabawenyos to continue embodying the "culture of discipline", as a legacy, and to be conscious of turning it into the key for the city's growth......»»
CHR probes Davao drug war deaths
The Commission on Human Rights yesterday expressed grave concern over Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte’s recent declaration of a war on drugs in the city......»»
New DCPO chief to focus on personnel morale, asset optimization
THE Davao City Police Office (DCPO) bid farewell to PCol. Alberto Lupaz and welcomed its new City Director, PCol. Richard Bad-ang, in a turn-over ceremony at the Camp Captain Domingo E. Leonor on March 22......»»
Public utility trike operators urged to renew franchise, warned vs overpricing
THE Davao City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) conducted a dialogue with the different Tricycle Operators and Drivers’ Associations (Todas) of Toril District to remind drivers of the provisions of the Traffic Code of the City......»»
One more city in Philippines declares pertussis outbreak
MANILA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- The government of Iloilo, a city in central Philippines, on Monday declared an outbreak of pertussis after it confirmed seven out of 15 reported cases, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said. Iloilo is the third city to declare an outbreak of pertussis, or whopping cough, after Quezon and Pasig, two cities in the capital region, announced last week that they hav.....»»
DOH orders 5 million measles vaccine doses
The Department of Health has procured five million doses of measles vaccine as part of its renewed and intensified campaign against increasing cases of measles in the country......»»
Davao City s Paolo Miguel Labanon, Eirron Vibar top 2 in 8K open swim
Davao City s Paolo Miguel Labanon, Eirron Vibar top 2 in 8K open swim.....»»
Davao police clueless on Quiboloy’s whereabouts
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 24 March) — Police authorities in the Davao region claim they are still clueless on the whereabouts of Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy. The Senate had earlier ordered the arrest of Quiboloy for his continued refusal to attend its investigation of alleged human trafficking and child abuse. Police major Catheine Dela Rey, Police […].....»»