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‘3 days of darkness’, a hoax
The official Vatican website has photographs of the Fatima Third Secret document in Portuguese handwritten by Fatima’s visionary Sister Lucia. The “three days of darkness” are not mentioned in this document. There is no ‘three days of darkness’ in the Fatima messages. About ten or so years ago, an email started to circulate, purportedly quoting the Third Secret of Fatima prophesying the “three days of darkness.” The author, who was anonymous and did not give his/her name, simply inserted, maliciously or inadvertently, the ‘three days of darkness’ prophesy into the text of the Fatima message, thereby making it appear that it was an integral part of the Fatima message. Slowly, the posts were repeatedly rewritten into dozens of different versions, getting periodically viral until a vast majority of readers today believe the three days of darkness prophecies as a Fatima message, especially the need to acquire blessed candles to dispel the darkness from one’s home. More sinister data were slowly added through the years, for example, a great eight-hour global earthquake, the need to set up an altar, and to sprinkle holy water on doors and windows. One version warns us, “God’s punishment is holy and once it has started, you should not look outside, under any circumstance. All the evil spirits will be mingling around, free to do harm.” There were threats of evil forces if the rituals were not followed. Normally, Fatima messages do not contain quantitative scientific data. One version says, “10 minutes before midnight, a great earthquake will shake the earth for 8 hours, that will move the Earth 23 degrees.” Aside from the scare tactic, this was meant to discredit the Marian prophecy if these scientific data are not fulfilled. The goal is to instill fear in readers and make them follow external rituals and distract them from the real purpose of the Fatima messages, namely internal prayer and a return to the Lord. This distraction is the work of Satan, using people who think they are doing good by spreading these “Fatima messages.” In an informal survey, many prelates agreed with my analysis. There is a new approach to false messages — PRIVATE REVELATION, the claim of a purported “visionary” that our Lord or our Lady appeared to them (apparition) or spoke to them through a “voice” to give a message to Mankind. The messages are attributed to Our Lord or Our Lady, some as direct quotes, although the “visionary” may have simply written them himself/herself. Even if the messages are eloquent and inspiring, these may still be false claims, if only to increase visitors to their websites. Others are sincere in their mission to evangelize, but they may still be false claims. There is a danger that elements in the messages may be vague or contrary to Church teachings. One ploy is to ask a bishop to give an IMPRIMATUR to get more web visitors. An Imprimatur simply says there is nothing in the content which is against the teachings of the Church. It does not claim that the message itself is approved by the Church as coming from our Lord or our Lady, which requires Vatican investigation. It took the Vatican about 20 years of investigations before declaring that the Fatima messages as authentic. The Vatican has to give explicit approval of claims of private revelations. Anti-Marians are behind the effort to destroy the Fatima messages. Their rise began during Martin Luther’s Reformation. Many Protestant sects, not all, consider praying to the Virgin as “idolatry” and an “abomination.” Today, this is manifested by the intent to mutilate the Fatima messages. Praying to the Virgin as a bridge to God is not idolatry. From the 1917 apparitions, the Fatima messages were attacked from all sides, even by Cardinals, but have endured the onslaughts of many decades. It took the Vatican about 20 years of investigations before declaring the Fatima messages as authentic. “I will put enmity between you (Satan) and the Woman (Blessed Virgin), and between your offspring and hers (Jesus). Her offspring will crush your head, and you will bruise his heel. (Genesis 3:15). The war between Satan and the Virgin dates back to Genesis. Jesus prophesied the “wolves” in sheep’s clothing, “Many will come in my name, claiming ‘I am the Messiah’, and will deceive many. Many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other. Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase in wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. (Matthew 24:10-14, excerpts). eastwindreplyctr@gmail.com The post ‘3 days of darkness’, a hoax appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Resort sa Chocolate Hills inireklamo ng netizens, DENR kinalampag
USAP-USAPAN ngayon ang viral resort sa Chocolate Hills na mabilis na nag-trending at nag-viral dahil sa galit ng madlang pipol. Isang netizen na nagngangalang “Ren The Adventurer” ang nag-upload ng promotional video ng naturang resort sa Facebook. “Resort Sa Gitna Nang Chocolate Hills [wow and heart emoji] “Feat. captain’s peak Sagbayan bohol [Philippine flag emoji],”.....»»
Maco exec denies viral claim of infant rescue
AN OFFICIAL from the Incident Command Post (ICP) in Maco, Davao de Oro, clarified that the viral claim of a two-month-old infant surviving the landslide is false......»»
Acorda files raps vs person spreading false info in viral vlog
MANILA, Philippines — The chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), General Benjamin Acorda Jr. lodged a complaint on Monday against a certain Johnny Lacsamana Macanas Sr. for allegedly using his name and photo in a vlog that recently went viral. The fabricated vlog that made rounds on social media supposedly claimed that Acorda and.....»»
Rob Gomez points out leaker of alleged convos with Herlene Budol, Bianca Manalo
Actor Rob Gomez issued a statement regarding the viral posts of his alleged conversations with former beauty queens Herlene Budol and Bianca Manalo......»»
Public warned vs spreading false info
The Office of Civil Defense-Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council-Davao Region is warning the public against spreading false information about the recent earthquake in Surigao del Sur. Two misleading posts circulating on Facebook and group chats claim a magnitude 9.8 earthquake and suggest that a 7.4 magnitude quake could cause a tsunami. The office has refuted these claims, stating that there is currently no technology to accurately predict earthquakes. They urge the public to rely on credible sources such as the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology and the Office of Civil Defense-Davao Region for updates. The office also advises individuals to prepare disaster survival kits and familiarize themselves with evacuation routes. During an earthquake, they recommend following the Duck, Cover, and Hold protocol and seeking a safe place once the shaking stops......»»
Teacher who shared viral Commonwealth traffic jam video files counter affidavit
A teacher accused by the police of uploading the viral video of an alleged “VIP” causing a traffic jam in Commonwealth has filed a counter-affidavit to a complaint against him for reportedly spreading false information online......»»
Subscription plan promises boosted replies at X, formerly Twitter
X on Friday unveiled a $16-a-month subscription plan allowing users who pay more to get the biggest boost for their replies posted at the platform formerly known as Twitter. The "Premium+" plan is ad-free and designed to provide "the largest reply boost" at X, the company said in a post. The plan builds on features offered in a Blue subscription plan costing $3 monthly and a Premium Plan priced at $8 monthly, according to X. Listed features of Premium+ include a blue tick next to names in profiles along with "a visible ID verification label," according to X. The platform recently started charging new users in New Zealand and the Philippines for basic features such as posting messages in a trial aimed at reducing spam. Musk has suggested charging all X users, but the idea was widely panned. Industry analysts said it would make X even less appealing to advertisers. Musk has made a number of controversial changes to the social media firm's management and product since he acquired Twitter a year ago for $44 billion. In the days after his purchase, Musk quickly fired many Twitter executives and took the publicly traded company private. He also laid off most of the San Francisco-based company's workers, cutting ranks to fewer than 1,500 from 8,000. In the months following his takeover, Musk gutted content moderation, restored accounts of previously banned extremists, and allowed users to purchase account verification, helping them profit from viral -- but often inaccurate -- posts. Musk defended such changes in the name of free speech. Over the past year, the platform's advertising business partially collapsed as marketers soured on X. Musk started charging for features once free at Twitter, such as blue tick marks originally intended as badges of authenticity, in an effort to make money from subscriptions. X is tinkering with video and audio calling at the platform formerly known as Twitter, according to a recent post by Musk. Musk in July rebranded Twitter as X, saying it would become an "everything app" inspired by China's WeChat that would allow users to socialize as well as handle their finances. The post Subscription plan promises boosted replies at X, formerly Twitter appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘I couldn’t breathe’: Seoul crowd crush survivor writes to heal
Kim Cho-long escaped death by chance last October -- pulled from packed streets in South Korea's capital by a friend, as those around her were swept into an alley where 159 people later died in a crowd crush. Kim, 33, told AFP she'd been going to Halloween parties in Seoul's Itaewon district for years, but there were more people at the 2022 event -- the first post-pandemic celebration -- than she'd ever seen before. The crowd was so dense that she was quickly swept off her feet by the pressure, trapped and unable to breathe until her friend saw her and somehow managed to drag her into a nearby bar. "I was completely stuck in the crowd as I was pushed back and forth," said Kim, who has written a book about her Itaewon experience called "Am I a Disaster Survivor?" "The pressure first started from behind, and then pressure came from the front so hard that my feet were lifted off from the ground and I couldn't breathe." By chance, she was swept to the side of the street, and when her back hit a wall, she was able to catch her breath, before her friend saw her and pulled her out of the melee. With no police or official crowd control measures in sight -- an official investigation would later slam "massive failings" of preparation and response -- Kim said the confusion and chaos continued for hours, as she sheltered in a nearby bar with her friend. She had no idea what was happening or how close she had been to death. "I went out to the streets of Itaewon and saw people lying on the street receiving CPR. Ambulances were parked disorderly on the road and people were being taken away, but even then I didn't think that all those people were dead," she said. Writing to heal Kim walked for hours to get home, in a state of shock. "I couldn't sleep for two days. As if obsessed with something, I couldn't turn off the news on TV. I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep, I only drank water and kept watching the news." Kim, a writer, struggled with feelings of survivor's guilt, and eventually, her therapist suggested that writing about her feelings might allow her to process what had happened. At first, she shared her writing only in private forums online, where she received overwhelmingly positive feedback, including from others who said it had helped them with their own Itaewon-linked trauma. After one of her posts went viral, local newspapers asked her to write for them, which she eventually agreed to -- but the reaction from the general public was overwhelmingly negative. "When it was released to the public, I did not receive comfort from the reactions I received. Personally, it was good as a way to release my feelings and it was helpful in relieving my depression," she said. Critics showered her with personal insults and told her she was spoiled and shouldn't have been out partying. But despite the onslaught of online attacks -- which are also aimed at families of victims campaigning for an independent inquiry into the disaster -- Kim remains positive. 'All survivors' "I believe that all citizens living in South Korea are survivors of the Itaewon disaster," she said. The police probe did not find any senior officials were to blame for the disaster, and none of the lower-level officials who are being prosecuted have yet been convicted or jailed. "Looking at this disaster from a survivor's point of view for a year, I don't think anything has been resolved and the truth has not been revealed legally, socially, or at any government level," Kim said. But her near-death experience has totally changed her view of society, for the better. "In the past, I never once imagined how bereaved families would live on. I thought it had nothing to do with me and it was none of my business," she said. "But now I realize it could have happened to me, and their pain could be mine someday. So I started to sympathize with them and took more interest in their lives." Kim, who hopes to have her book translated into English, said she plans to continue writing about what happened at Itaewon, to keep the memories of all the victims alive. "I will keep thinking hard about what I can do so that they are remembered for a long time." The post ‘I couldn’t breathe’: Seoul crowd crush survivor writes to heal appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Julia Barretto sa viral video na ‘nagtaray’ umano sa media: ‘This is false…why now?’
VIRAL sa social media ang video ng aktres na si Julia Barretto na sinasabing nagtaray umano sa harap ng media sa isang press conference. ‘Yan ay ibinandera ng nagngangalang Cliff Irvine sa kanyang Facebook account kamakailan lang. Hindi na makita ng BANDERA ang nasabing video, pero ito ay na-screenshot mismo ni Julia at ibinahagi pa.....»»
Dumpsite wedding shoot hopes to lessen waste
A Taiwanese couple decked out in a tux and gown embrace in front of a mountain of trash in an unorthodox wedding photo — one the environment-conscious bride hopes will discourage her guests from generating unnecesary garbage. Greenpeace campaigner Iris Hsueh and her fiance are having their “environmentally friendly wedding” in January, and have asked guests to bring their own containers for taking home leftovers. Deciding that showing — not telling — was a more effective communication method, the Taipei-based couple travelled three hours south for a photo shoot in Nantou county’s Puli township, where the amount of trash brought to a local dump has steadily risen over the years. “If any guests are not willing to bring along a container, I would show them the photograph and say, ‘Would you reconsider?’” the 33-year-old told AFP, adding that the photos ended up drawing local media attention. “I didn’t think it would create such a big sensation.” Since their photos went viral, Hsueh said her friends and relatives had promised to rethink how much waste they created in their daily lives. But she is just happy about the conversation her photos have started. “If possible, we should bring our own reusable utensils, mugs and containers. The post Dumpsite wedding shoot hopes to lessen waste appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
QC police clears VP Sara in viral road closure video
The inconvenience brought to the motoring public due to stopping the traffic flow along Commonwealth westbound in Quezon City early this week is not because of Vice President Sara Duterte. Thus, said the Quezon Police Station 14 in a statement issued Thursday night after a video shared by former Bayan Muna party-list solon Teddy Casiño made the rounds on social media. The video Casiño reposted on X (formerly Twitter) early Thursday afternoon showed a portion of Commonwealth being cleared of vehicles and a policeman saying that Duterte is expected to pass by the busy road. “The said incident stemmed from a confusion and lapse in judgment of our policeman manning the traffic during that time,” the statement read. “It appears that our policeman overreacted when he stopped the traffic for a few minutes, because of misleading information he overheard. “ Records showed Duterte has no engagement in the area. She was in Mindanao on Monday for the celebration of World Teachers Day and other activities. The police personnel, identified in the statement as Sgt. Verdo Pantallano was said to have mistakenly heard the word VP; hence, he decided to clear the traffic as a sign of courtesy and security. Pantallano reportedly apologized for his misgivings. “Please forgive me. I thought it was because of a VIP (very important person),” he was quoted as saying in Filipino. Lt. Col May Genio, PS 14 station commander, said the video uploader can be heard mentioning the name of VP Sara. "I have ordered the relief of my policeman and put him under investigation to determine administrative liability for his actions. We assure the public that this incident will not happen again,” Genio said. Injurious, false Meanwhile, the Office of the Vice President said the viral video is injurious information purely grounded in falsity. The OVP, in a statement, informed the public that Vice President Sara Duterte was not involved in the traffic disruption. “The Vice President did not ask QCPD and will never ask government agencies, including law enforcement bodies, to carry out actions that would inconvenience the public or cause them harm,” the statement read. It added that Duterte “will always put the interest and welfare of the public over her own personal interest and privileges.” The OVP earlier requested the QCPD to conduct an investigation and hold all those responsible accountable for their actions, including the liability of the person who took the video and maliciously appended the traffic stop to the Vice President. The post QC police clears VP Sara in viral road closure video appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Australian Indigenous rights vote fuels racism
A referendum aimed at elevating the rights of Indigenous Australians has instead triggered a torrent of racist slurs and abuse, with toxic debate spreading online and in the media. The October 14 vote will decide whether to finally recognize First Nations peoples in the constitution. Their ancestors were in Australia for 60,000 years before British colonial rule began in the late 1700s. The reform would give Indigenous communities the right to advise parliament -- a so-called "Voice" -- to help address entrenched inequalities including poorer health, weaker education, and higher rates of incarceration. But recent surveys indicate support for the referendum has plummeted over the past year and will likely fail. The debate has stirred uncertainty about the reform's scope and impact. It has also stoked racial tensions. "It has involved personal attacks, labelling of people as 'un-Australian' and perpetuating racially based stereotypes," Australia's Race Discrimination Commissioner Chin Tan told AFP. "I am disappointed that the way some people have engaged in the debate has stoked racial tensions and caused harm to First Nations peoples." Racist conduct had gone largely unchallenged in the public domain, he said. "Racism should never be accepted as part of the exchange of ideas in public debate." Voters have to choose one way or the other, and recent surveys indicate the "yes" camp is at just over 40 percent and the "no" side at nearly 60 percent. It is a near reversal of the situation a year ago. Opponents have criticized the proposal for a lack of detail and for creating unnecessary bureaucracy. But opposition leader Peter Dutton, one of the leading campaigners against the Voice, also warned it would "re-racialise" Australia. Referendum supporters accused Dutton of disinformation and scare-mongering. 'Catastrophic breakdown' Indigenous-related racism reports have spiked since July, according to University of Technology Sydney criminology professor Chris Cunneen, who leads a project that documents such incidents. The share of racism complaints in the "Call It Out" register related to the referendum had climbed to about 30 percent since July, he said. In previous months, the rate was eight percent. "We have also seen an increase in reports of racism online on social media and in the media during the same period," Cunneen said. "Combined these make roughly more than half of all reports." A national mental health helpline for First Nations peoples, 13YARN, painted a similar picture. It recorded a 108-percent increase in callers reporting abuse, racism and trauma from March-June compared to a year earlier, a spokesperson said. University of Queensland communications professor Timothy Graham examined thousands of Voice-related posts on X, formerly Twitter. He found a "catastrophic breakdown of public communication about the referendum across the entire Australian media ecology". "X/Twitter is overrun with confusion, misinformation, and incivility -- this occurs in what can only be described as a vicious feedback loop between politicians, partisan media, and social media," he told AFP. Online abuse Samala Cronin, an Indigenous woman of Butchulla heritage in Queensland, knows how it feels. In August, an old video of her went viral. It showed her in a heated row with an elderly couple about a parcel of land over which Aboriginal people have "exclusive native title". "I got about 3,000 notifications from Facebook and I thought: 'Oh my God'," she told AFP at the time. It has since racked up thousands more reactions on the platform. The comments were littered with racist insults. The country's online safety watchdog, the eSafety Commission, said it had recorded a small but noticeable rise in the proportion of adult cyber abuse complaints from First Nations people in the first half of this year. "We're also hearing from community stakeholders that online abuse is ratcheting up as we approach the referendum," eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant told AFP. She urged all Australians to "discuss and debate this issue respectfully, without stooping to slurs, racist remarks, hate speech or abuse". The post Australian Indigenous rights vote fuels racism appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
SC advises vs online dummy review
The Supreme Court Office of the 2023 bar chairman yesterday issued an advisory to warn the public about the existence of fake online training program. The SC said that it has come to its attention that certain information has begun circulating on social media, origins of which were traced from a Facebook group page called Bar Law for Dummies Training Program and from one Tzidkenu Dizon Facebook account. The court said the posts contain claims that the 2023 Bar Examinations shall be sorted, checked, and corrected by means of artificial intelligence. “The Office of the 2023 Bar Chair condemns these social media publications as false, baseless, irresponsible, defamatory, contumacious, detestable, and formulated with apparent intent to erode the integrity of the digitalized Bar Examinations.” Bar 2023 Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando said, “I reiterate what has been stated in Bar Bulletin No. 1, Series of 2023: all stakeholders are exhorted to rely exclusively on the Court’s official communication channels.” “The 2023 Bar Examinations shall be checked by four examiners per subject, all of whom are established experts in their respective fields, and who are by no means created or powered by artificial intelligence.” The initial probe commenced by the Office of the 2023 Bar Chair has unveiled the identity of the administrator of both Facebook accounts. The court is currently undertaking proper measures against the said individual, particularly, the prompt engagement of the National Bureau of Investigation in the conduct of criminal investigation of the nefarious activities and questionable circumstances surrounding this personality. The post SC advises vs online dummy review appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
SC belies rumor circulating on social media that bar exams to be checked using AI
The Supreme Court Office of the 2023 bar chairman yesterday issued an advisory to warn the public about the existence of fake online training programs. The SC said that it has come to their attention that certain information is circulating on social media, which can be traced from a Facebook group page called Bar Law for Dummies Training Program, with a certain Tzidkenu Dizon Facebook account, doing the posting. The court said the posts contain claims that the 2023 Bar Examinations shall be sorted, checked, and corrected by means of artificial intelligence. "The Office of the 2023 Bar Chair condemns these social media publications as false, baseless, irresponsible, defamatory, contumacious, detestable, and formulated with apparent intent to erode the integrity of the digitalized Bar Examinations." Bar 2023 Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando said: I reiterate what has been stated in Bar Bulletin No. 1, Series of 2023: all stakeholders are exhorted to rely exclusively on the Court’s official communication channels. The 2023 Bar Examinations shall be checked by four (4) examiners per subject, all of whom are established experts in their respective fields, and who are by no means created or powered by artificial intelligence. The initial probe by the Office of the 2023 Bar Chair has unveiled the identity of the administrator of both Facebook accounts. The Court is currently undertaking proper measures against the said individual, particularly the prompt engagement of the National Bureau of Investigation in the conduct of the criminal investigation of the nefarious activities and questionable circumstances surrounding this personality. The post SC belies rumor circulating on social media that bar exams to be checked using AI appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Gag Trump, prosecutor asks court
Former United States president Donald Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric have gotten prosecutors threatened and may influence jurors and witness testimony, a special counsel argued in seeking a gag order on him. Special Counsel Jack Smith made the request on Friday ahead of Trump’s trial for election subversion. Smith enumerated Trump’s menacing comments posted on social media since his 1 August indictment for allegedly upending the results of the 2020 US election in a concerted effort that led to the violent 6 January 2021 attack by his supporters on the Capitol. “IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I’M COMING AFTER YOU!” read one of Trump’s posts. Trump, who is running for president in next year’s election, also labeled trial judge Tanya Chutkan a “fraud” and “Trump-hating,” Smith’s office a “team of thugs” and Washington “filthy and crime-ridden” with a population “over 95 percent anti-Trump,” Smith added. Trump’s statements “could have a material impact on the impartiality of the jury pool while simultaneously influencing witness testimony,” Smith’s filing with the Washington federal court stated. “It is clear that the threats are prompted by the defendant’s repeated and relentless posts,” the filing added. The ex-president is also accused of seeking to disenfranchise American voters with his false claims that he won the November 2020 presidential election. Trump has pleaded not guilty, and has formally asked Chutkan to recuse herself from the case, accusing her of bias against him. WITH AFP The post Gag Trump, prosecutor asks court appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Morocco mourns quake victims as death toll passes 2,000
Moroccans on Sunday mourned the victims of a devastating earthquake that killed more than 2,000 people, as rescue teams raced to find survivors trapped in the rubble of flattened villages. The strongest-ever quake to hit the country has killed at least 2,012 people and injured over 2,059, many of them critically, according to the latest official figures. Friday's 6.8-magnitude quake struck 72 kilometers (45 miles) southwest of the tourist hub of Marrakesh, wiping out entire villages in rural areas. "I've lost everything", said Lahcen, a resident of the mountain village of Moulay Brahim, whose wife and four children were killed. Rescue workers recovered the bodies of Lahcen's three daughters from the rubble of what was once their home, but have not yet found the bodies of his wife and son. "I can't do anything about it now, I just want to get away from the world and mourn." Troops and emergency services have scrambled to reach remote mountain villages where victims are still feared trapped. Al-Haouz province, where the epicenter of the earthquake was located, suffered the most deaths with 1,293, followed by the province of Taroudant with 452. - First funerals - Bouchra, another resident of remote Moulay Brahim village, dried her tears with her scarf as she watched men digging graves to bury the victims. "My cousin's grandchildren are dead", she said in a knotted voice. "I saw the devastation of the earthquake live, and I'm still shaking. It's like a ball of fire that has swallowed up everything in its path," she said. "Everyone here has lost family, whether in our village or elsewhere in the region", she added. Authorities declared three days of national mourning, while several countries, including Israel, France, Spain, Italy and the United States, have offered aid. Neighboring Algeria, which has had rocky relations with Morocco, opened its airspace, which had been closed for two years, to flights carrying humanitarian aid and the injured. - 'Years of aid' - The Red Cross warned that it could take years to repair the damage. "It won't be a matter of a week or two... We are counting on a response that will take months, if not years", Hossam Elsharkawi, the organization's Middle East and North Africa director, said in a statement. The village of Tafeghaghte, 60 kilometers southwest of Marrakesh, was almost entirely destroyed by the quake, the epicenter of which was only about 50 kilometers away, an AFP team reported, with very few buildings still standing. "Three of my grandchildren and their mother are dead," said 72-year-old Omar Benhanna. "They're still under the debris. It wasn't so long ago that we were playing together." Residents buried around 70 victims in the nearby cemetery on Saturday, as the funeral rites were punctuated by cries and screams. In the evening, television channels broadcast aerial images showing entire villages of clay houses in the Al-Haouz region completely destroyed. "The public authorities are still mobilized to speed up rescue operations and evacuate the injured", the interior ministry said Saturday evening. The tremor was also felt in the coastal cities of Rabat, Casablanca, Agadir and Essaouira, where many panicked residents took to the streets in the middle of the night, fearing that their homes would collapse. This earthquake is the deadliest in Morocco since the 1960 quake that destroyed Agadir, in which nearly 15,000 people, a third of the city's population, died. kao-ezz/roc/dhw/mtp © Agence France-Presse The post Morocco mourns quake victims as death toll passes 2,000 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Road rage
Those with sharp memories and local crime story buffs will never forget three road rage cases that hogged print and broadcast news headlines toward the end of the 20th century and into the millennium. These high-profile cases involving detainees Inocencio Gonzales, Rolito Go, and Jason Ivler ended in their conviction and sentencing to long prison terms, with their names forever etched in the annals of heinous crimes recorded in the country. A brief refresher. On 2 July 1991, a De La Salle University engineering student was driving on a one-way street in San Juan City, Metro Manila, when he ran into construction firm executive Rolito Go, plying the road from the opposite direction. After a brief altercation, Go shot Eldon Maguan in the head, who died in the aftermath. Go served 25 years in prison before he was released. Seven years later, in the middle of a heated argument over a parking slot, real estate developer Inocencio Gonzales Jr. lost his cool, which led to the fatal shooting of a pregnant woman and the wounding of two younger children with her and her husband at the Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina City on 21 October 1998. Gonzalez was meted a 14-year prison term. In 2009, a nephew of music celebrity Freddie Aguilar, Jason Ivler, shot dead a son of former Malacañang official Renato Ebarle Sr. after a tiff on a Quezon City road. An earlier road incident in 2004 that snuffed the life of another Malacañang official, Nestor Ponce, also pointed to Ivler as the accused in Ponce’s death. A Quezon City court found Ivler guilty of the murder of Renato Ebarle Jr. and sentenced him to 40 years in jail. There are no available statistics on road rage incidents in the Philippines, but observers have noted an alarming increase in recent years. But in the United States, statistics show 413 people were hurt in road rage shootings in 2022, or a 135 percent increase from 2018. US traffic experts say confrontational driving is more often the case that could be caused by traffic conditions, inconsiderate motorists, and high stress levels among motorists with ages ranging from 19 to 39. Not too long ago, two road rage incidents that have gained public attention because of social media posts that had gone viral involved men in uniform. In the viral video of an incident in Quezon City, Wilfredo Gonzales, a policeman dismissed from the service for grave misconduct in 2018, was shown brandishing a gun and threatening a cyclist in a traffic row. Even more controversial was a press conference conducted by the QC police days later that suggested they were “lawyering” for Gonzales, a former QC policeman. The PNP has no mandate to host such a press conference, it was later learned. In a separate incident, a Pasay City policeman, SSgt. Marsan Dolipas was also shown in a video post holding down an armed Angelito Velasquez Rencio, who said he was an Intelligence agent, after a traffic dispute in Makati City when the latter allegedly sideswiped the policeman. Both incidents prompted the usual calls for an investigation. Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senator Rafael Tulfo have called for a Senate probe into the escalation of road rage cases in the country. It is interesting to note that even President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. filed Senate 2923 when he was still a senator back in 2011. The bill “hopes to once and for all stomp rood rage as on unnecessary and reprehensible evil, and define such as a circumstance that could aggravate, or even qualify, on offense occasioned by it. The incidents involve public order and safety, particularly “road sharing,” a concept that they said is often ignored or alien to many Filipino motorists, added the senators. For his part, Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos, whose jurisdiction includes the control of the PNP, said: “For the sake of a peaceful and orderly society, we cannot allow a culture of impunity. We cannot allow bullies to intimidate people with deadly weapons. There must be consequences here.” Still, the incidents persist. Behavioral scientists attribute road rage to several reasons: A need to control other drivers who violate their space, unchecked anger or aggression, huge egos, or a need to be dominant. Others think the rise in incidents lately came about by the advent of Covid-19 when stress levels reached abnormally unreachable heights caused by depression, the loss of jobs or loved ones to the pandemic, and the inability to cope with such. Solutions have been suggested. Push for continuing driver anger management education. Discard the “it’s the other driver’s fault” excuse. Don’t allow anyone to push your “rage buttons” by staying calm and collected when an altercation appears to be headed your way. Yield to others. These may be easier said than done, but why not take the chance? As an anger management expert said: Realize road rage is ridiculous, life-threatening, and not something you have to participate in — ever. And you can arrive at your destination safe and sure. The post Road rage appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Trump arrested in Georgia racketeering case
Former US president Donald Trump was arrested at a Georgia jail on Thursday on racketeering and conspiracy charges for trying to overturn the 2020 election results in the southern state. During a brief session lasting less than 30 minutes, the 77-year-old Trump was booked on 13 charges at Atlanta's Fulton County Jail, according to records published by the sheriff's office. Trump's height was listed by the jail as six foot three inches (1.9 meters), his weight as 215 pounds (97 kilograms) and his hair color as "Blond or Strawberry." Other defendants in the racketeering case who have surrendered to the Georgia authorities in recent days have had a mugshot taken. The billionaire has been criminally indicted four times since April, setting the stage for a year of unprecedented drama as he tries to juggle multiple court appearances and another White House campaign. In posts on his Truth Social platform shortly before leaving his New Jersey golf club for the flight to Atlanta, Trump said he was being arrested for "having the audacity to challenge a RIGGED & STOLLEN (sic) ELECTION." "This is yet another SAD DAY IN AMERICA!" he added. Trump was able to dodge having a mugshot taken during his previous arrests this year: in New York on charges of paying hush money to a porn star, in Florida for mishandling top secret government documents, and in Washington on charges of conspiring to upend his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden. But Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat said standard procedure in Georgia is to take a defendant's photograph before they are released on bond -- set at $200,000 in Trump's case. The arrest comes one day after Trump spurned a televised debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, featuring eight of his rivals for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination -- all of whom lag well behind him in the polls. He still stole the spotlight, though, with all but two of the candidates saying they would support him as the party's nominee even if he were a convicted felon. During a pre-recorded interview with former Fox News talk show host Tucker Carlson -- which aired on social media at the same time as the debate -- Trump dismissed the criminal cases filed against him as "nonsense." Trump said the Justice Department had been "weaponized" under Biden to hamstring his White House bid. Court dates in election race A tight security perimeter was set up for Trump's booking at the Fulton County Jail, which is under investigation for a slew of inmate deaths and deplorable conditions. Fani Willis, the Fulton County district attorney who filed the sweeping racketeering case, had set a deadline of noon (1600 GMT) on Friday for Trump and the other 18 defendants to surrender. Trump and 11 others have turned themselves in so far. Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows surrendered on Thursday and was released on $100,000 bond. Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, who served as Trump's personal lawyer when he was in the White House and vigorously pushed the false claims that Trump had won the 2020 election, was booked and released on Wednesday. John Eastman, a conservative lawyer who is accused of drawing up a scheme to submit a false slate of Trump electors to Congress from Georgia instead of the legitimate Biden ones, has also been booked and released. A few dozen supporters of the former Republican president gathered outside the jail, including Sharon Anderson who spent the night in her car. "I think this is a political persecution and now that's turned into a political prosecution," Anderson told AFP. Trump is the first US president in history to face criminal charges. His various trials, if they take place next year, may coincide with the Republican presidential primary season, which begins in January, and the campaign for the November 2024 White House election. Special counsel Jack Smith has proposed a January 2024 start date for Trump's trial on charges of conspiring to overturn the last election with a lie-fueled campaign that culminated in the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol by his supporters. Trump's attorneys have countered with a suggested start date well after the election -- April 2026. Willis, the Georgia district attorney, initially proposed that the racketeering case begin in March next year, the same month Trump is scheduled to go on trial in New York on charges of paying hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels. On Thursday, after one of the defendants asked for a speedy trial, she proposed that it begin for all 19 in October of this year, a move met with an immediate objection from Trump's lawyers. The Florida case, in which Trump is accused of taking secret government documents as he left the White House and refusing to return them, is scheduled to begin in May. The post Trump arrested in Georgia racketeering case appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Japan begins release of water from Fukushima nuclear plant
Japan began releasing wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant on Thursday in an operation it insists is safe but has generated a fierce backlash from China. The beginning of the discharge of around 540 Olympic swimming pools' worth of water into the Pacific over several decades is a big step in decommissioning the still highly dangerous site 12 years after one of the world's worst nuclear accidents. Live video provided by plant operator TEPCO showed engineers behind computer screens and an official saying -- after a countdown -- that the "valves near the seawater transport pumps are opening." Monitors from the UN atomic watchdog, which has endorsed the plan, were due to be on site for the procedure, while TEPCO workers were scheduled to take water samples later on Thursday. Ahead of the operation, about 10 people held a protest near the site and around 100 others gathered outside TEPCO headquarters in Tokyo, AFP journalists said. "It's like dumping an atomic bomb in the ocean. Japan is the first country that was attacked with an atomic bomb in the world, and the prime minister of the country made this decision," said Kenichi Sato, 68. China's environment ministry on Thursday blasted Japan's plan as "extremely selfish and irresponsible", saying it would "track and study" the impact on its waters. - Multiple meltdowns - With around 1,000 steel containers holding the water, TEPCO has said it needs to clear space for the removal of highly dangerous radioactive nuclear fuel and rubble from the wrecked reactors. Three of the reactors at the Fukushima-Daiichi facility in northeastern Japan went into meltdown following a massive earthquake and tsunami that killed around 18,000 people in 2011. Since then, TEPCO has collected 1.34 million cubic metres of water contaminated as it cooled the wrecked reactors, along with groundwater and rain that has seeped in. TEPCO will carry out four releases of the treated water from Thursday until March 2024. The first discharge will take about 17 days. About 5 trillion becquerels -- a measure of radioactivity -- of tritium will be released this fiscal year, TEPCO added. Japan insists that all radioactive elements have been filtered out except the tritium, levels of which are harmless and lower than what is discharged by operational nuclear power plants, including in China. This is backed by most experts. "When released into the Pacific, the tritium is further diluted into a vast body of water and would quickly get to a radioactivity level which is not discernibly different from normal seawater," said Tom Scott from the University of Bristol in England. "Hence, it poses very little risk and the risk itself decreases with time due to the relatively short radioactive half-life... meaning that the amount of tritium (and hence the risk) continually reduces." - Sushi safety - Not everyone is convinced, with environmental group Greenpeace saying that the filtration process is flawed, and China and Russia suggesting the water be vaporised and released into the atmosphere instead. China has accused Japan of treating the Pacific like a "sewer", and even before the release, Beijing banned food imports from 10 out of 47 Japanese prefectures and imposed radiation checks. Hong Kong and Macau, both Chinese territories, followed suit this week. Restaurants in Beijing and Hong Kong serving sushi and sashimi are already reeling from the restrictions. "About 80 percent of the seafood products we use come from Japan," Hong Kong caterer Jasy Choi, who runs a small kitchen for takeaway Japanese food, told AFP. "If more than half of my Japan-imported ingredients are affected, then it would be difficult for me to continue to operate." Analysts said that while China may have genuine safety concerns, its strong reaction is also at least in part motivated by its economic rivalry and frosty relations with Japan. The South Korean government, which is seeking to improve ties with Japan, has not objected although many ordinary people are worried and have staged protests. Social media posts in China and South Korea have included false claims about the release including doctored images of deformed fish with claims they were linked to Fukushima. burs-stu/cwl © Agence France-Presse The post Japan begins release of water from Fukushima nuclear plant appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»