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An Indonesian reporter with Viva, a gossip tabloid, was slammed for overly sexualising female athletes in his headlines. Received warning for sexualising women athletes in headlines Ridho Permana was handed a warning letter from Committee of Sports Journalists of the Association of Indonesian Journalists on Thursday (Jul. 29) through the news outlet Viva. According to an Indonesian community news channel, ngopibareng , Ridho was warned for sexually objectifying women athletes in his headlines since 2020. Some of the headlines he wrote include: "Badminton player posing with bikini makes us sore", "Australian badminton player shows off sexy photo that shows her butt", and "Ruselli Hartawan's sexy selfie in toilet makes us lose our focus". https://www.instagram.com/p/CR5qDPUgeRi/ His inappropriate headlines were noticed by online users only after he was criticised for writing a distasteful piece of Indonesia's badminton duo in the Tokyo Olympics for failing ... » Learn More about Indonesians call out reporter for hyper-sexualised headlines of women athletes

Still reeling from the devastation that COVID-19 wreaked in India, the world's eyes are now on Indonesia, as the archipelago emerged as the new coronavirus epicenter in Asia in July 2021. The country averaged 43,790 new daily COVID-19 cases in the past week, while more than 79,000 have died due to the disease. There are 5,000 to 8,000 Filipinos in Indonesia, according to the Philippine embassy's estimate. Rappler checked in with a community leader, two families, and a teacher whose whole family was back home. Their response to worries of their countrymen at home? “We’re okay. We’re taking care of each other.” Not without fears and anxieties, the Filipino community banded together in this time of crisis to keep each other supported and healthy. They found strength in communication with their loved ones far away, and their faith in God. The community and the embassy have helped at least 19 Filipinos in Indonesia who contracted the virus. Numbers ... » Learn More about Through virus surge and separation, Filipinos in Indonesia closer than ever

SYDNEY: It’s four more weeks of lockdown for Sydneysiders, with no end yet in sight. New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian is still to outline a roadmap out. Sydney feels like it is going through COVID Groundhog Day right now. And not just because many are having to cope with being confined to home or struggling to stay on top of homeschooling. Australia’s public policy approach to COVID also hasn’t significantly shifted from the settings of 2020. Despite the advent of astonishingly powerful vaccines and lessons from across the world, Australia still seems fixated on getting cases down to zero. Leaders are also reliant on lockdowns. Even Berejiklian, once so resistant to lockdowns, has now fallen into line. READ: Sydney posts record daily rise in COVID-19 cases, seeks military help It is vital, of course, that Australia vigorously controls the current outbreak. It can’t afford to let the virus run rampant. Too many remain vulnerable as most Australians have not yet ... » Learn More about Commentary: Sydney should know by now zero COVID-19 cases is a pipe dream

FILE PHOTO: Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire. INQUIRER file photo / EDWIN BACASMAS The Department of Health (DOH) has yet to declare whether there is now a community transmission of the more contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus, but it advises the public to act like it is already happening. “For now we can’t declare that, since [the confirmed] cases are still linked; we can trace one or two cases to each other,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said on Friday. But that’s no reason to be complacent, Vergeire said at a briefing. “We still have to prepare. We need to act as if there is community transmission already, so we can be more cautious.” The DOH continued to temper its messaging even as it reported a new high in daily recorded infections since May 28, and the national government reimposed the strictest level of community quarantine in Metro Manila due to the growing Delta variant threat. For community transmission to be declared, based on ... » Learn More about DOH: Act as if Delta variant community spread already happening

SUBMERGED Waist-deep floodwater submerges the Puerto Rivas village in the City of Balanga on Thursday, which is among The value of agricultural damage and losses caused by Typhoon “Fabian” has climbed to P615.72 million, the Department of Agriculture reported on Thursday. The typhoon, internationally known as “In-fa,” left 24,596 farmers, fishers and livestock raisers with production losses in the regions of Cordillera, Ilocos, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol and Western Visayas. It destroyed 30,916 hectares of agricultural areas, with an estimated production loss of 9,777 metric tons. The biggest losses were incurred by the rice sector, comprising 92 percent of the total damage. The rest were sustained by rice farmers, high-value crops planters, fishers and livestock raisers. Nearly P10 million worth of agricultural facilities were also destroyed. The volume of fish unloaded in the country’s ports was cut down in half due to the persistent rains. ... » Learn More about ‘Fabian’ agri damage hits P615M

FILE PHOTO: Vice President Leni Robredo (left) and former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS Trouble may be brewing within the opposition camp as former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV expressed misgivings about Vice President Leni Robredo’s seriousness in mounting a challenge to the Duterte administration in the 2022 elections. The Magdalo leader, in a post on his social media pages, remarked on Wednesday that he and his group would not cooperate with Robredo, chair of the Liberal Party (LP), if she gave way to Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, after the two met recently to discuss plans regarding the polls. Then in a subsequent post on Thursday night, Trillanes explained why he confronted Robredo publicly, saying the latter seemed to be unwilling to discuss election preparations with him and his group, but had apparently been meeting with other prospective presidential candidates. “Since January, I/Magdalo, and later on through Tindig Pilipinas, have been requesting a ... » Learn More about Trillanes bares misgivings vs Robredo on social media

2ND WIN Inquirer’s Karl Ocampo (lower inset) at the July 28 Bright Leaf online awards ceremony. Inquirer business reporter Karl R. Ocampo won the award for Best Agriculture Feature Story (national level) at the 14th Bright Leaf Agricultural Journalism Awards, in ceremonies held online on July 28. Ocampo was recognized for her story “MovefoodPH serves needs of both producers, consumers,” which was published in the July 29, 2020 issue. The story expounded on a nationwide initiative, led by agriculture and food security advocate Cherrie Atilano, to provide an online sales outlet for local food producers. It was the second Bright Leaf award for Ocampo, who started covering the agribusiness beat for the Inquirer in 2017. In 2019, her story titled “In Nueva Ecija, farmers keep their chill even as El Niño scorches” was adjudged Best Agricultural News Story. At Wednesday’s virtual ceremony, Ocampo thanked Bright Leaf for the recognition and for its continuing effort to stress the ... » Learn More about Inquirer biz reporter bags Bright Leaf media award

NO TRANSPORT SUSPENSION Cebu City residents prepare for the implementation of the modified enhanced community quarantine from Aug. 1 to Aug. 15 in a bid to contain the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant. But public transport will not be suspended, says acting Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama. —NESTLE SEMILLA CEBU CITY—The city government here is asking help from the national government to aid affected residents as the national pandemic task force escalated the lockdown status of this Visayan economic center and the province of Cebu after nearly a third of the more virulent Delta variant cases in the country were recorded on Cebu Island. According to Department of Health (DOH) Central Visayas Director Jaime Bernadas, there might already be a local transmission of the Delta variant in Cebu but health officials need to validate it first. Acting Mayor Michael Rama said he respected the decision of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging and Infectious Diseases ... » Learn More about Cebu City exec: MECQ ‘ayuda’ needed