Friday, August 20, 2021

Daily COVID tally hits new high as curbs are relaxed

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Here are the most important news that you need to know.

Daily COVID tally hits new high as curbs are relaxed

The country tallied a record 17,231 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, its highest number of coronavirus infections since the pandemic began in March last year, as the government shifted the quarantine classification in Metro Manila a degree lower from a lockdown the past two weeks.

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Afghans seeing less of women's faces

Since the return of the Taliban, images of women on storefronts around Kabul have been painted over or vandalized—a reflection of the anxiety among Afghans who fear a repeat of the harsh treatment meted out on females under strict Shariah law.

NEVER TOO LATE FOR ‘AYUDA’ At the tail end of the two-week lockdown that started on Aug. 6, Pasay City residents line up to receive cash assistance at Andres Bonifacio Elementary School on Friday. —Richard A. Reyes

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Silicon Valley bets on PH gaming startup

With blockchain gaming on the rise, Filipino-led startup Yield Guild Games (YGG) has caught the eye of Silicon Valley. Founded by Gabby Dizon, Beryl Li and the anonymous “Owl of Moistness,” YGG is riding the “play-to-earn” wave, where the lines are blurred between digital leisure and real-world money. It recently secured a P230-million funding from venture capital giant Andreessen Horowitz and other investors.

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Ninoy: ‘No to tyranny!’

With his brazen assassination shortly after noon on this day 38 years ago, Ninoy Aquino's martyrdom led to the cohesion of the country's freedom forces, galvanized countless Filipinos to shed their fear of the brutal dictatorship, and, three years later, ushered in the ignominious end of Marcos rule and the restoration of democratic governance.