Head coverings in the early church

Queen Elizabeth II has been hit hard by the death of her husband Prince Philip, their son Prince Andrew said. LONDON: Queen Elizabeth II has been left bereft at the death of her husband, Prince Philip, one of the couple's sons said on Sunday, as prayers were said at memorial services across Britain. Prince Andrew said his 94-year-old mother was "incredibly stoic" but had been hit hard by the death of the Duke of Edinburgh at the age of 99 on Friday. Last year the couple celebrated 73 years of marriage. "She described it (his death) as having left a huge void in her life," Andrew told broadcasters after a church service at Windsor Castle, west of London. He described his father as "the grandfather of the nation" and said close family were "rallying round" the queen in support. Younger brother Edward called his father's death "a dreadful shock," despite his recent illness. The comments came as the Church of England's highest-ranking cleric led prayers at a memorial service ... » Learn More about Husband’s death has left ‘huge void’ for Queen Elizabeth II: Prince Andrew

In the northern hemisphere anyway, winter is on the way, a dangerous time for authorities trying to mitigate the sudden surge of new cases and deaths from Covid-19 in parts of Europe, the UK and the US. With a vaccine timeline still ‘flexible’, the only cushioning to a further spread of the pandemic is more social distancing, face-masks, attention to hygiene. And lockdowns. Whilst there is no evidence that the ambient temperature has much effect on the direct spread or strength of the coronavirus, medical officials say the colder weather brings people indoors where there is more direct interaction of people, accelerating the spread of Covid-19. Th virus continues to rage in South America as well, though it’s heading into its summer instead. In the US, still without a declared winner in the presidential elections, Joe Biden has spent his early days as President-elect pleading with Americans to pay greater attention to the relentless North American surge of Covid-19. President ... » Learn More about In the middle of the Covid pandemic “now is the winter of our discontent”

Perched on a glen atop the rugged Caraballo mountain range, at Nueva Vizcaya’s remote border with Pangasinan, Malico lies in blissful seclusion—the perfect haven for tired souls seeking solace in this hurried world. Rising up at 1,348 meters above sea level, the quaint village enjoys crisp, cool weather for most part of the year. The best times of the day are the early morning when the surrounding is blanketed by a fine white mist and the grasses are still wet with dew; the late afternoon when the setting sun turns the Western horizon into a canvas of vivid colors; and the mid-evening when all is dark and still, and you are lulled by the deafening sound of silence. Malico teems with pine trees that beckon you to put on your trekking shoes and go on a slow hike and pristine waterfalls that invites you to take a lingering dip in the natural pools below. Or, if you feel like not doing anything, simply head out to the edge of the ridge and take in the panoramic view of the lushed ... » Learn More about Malico: The focus of my Personal Social Responsibility journey

SINGAPORE - Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung took to his social media accounts to express his gratitude for bus drivers and denounce passengers who abuse them. On Sunday (Aug 23), he wrote on his Facebook and Instagram pages: "We may live in uncertain times due to Covid-19 but that is no excuse for anyone to physically or verbally abuse fellow human beings who are performing their duties. The last thing we need on a bus is an uncooperative and abusive passenger. "Graciousness is the cornerstone of a caring society. Let's be there for our bus uncles and aunties." Mr Ong added that bus drivers start their days as early as 4am. "They single-handedly command and steer a bus, in a timely and safe manner. They send the youngest to oldest in our households to school, work, market and errands," he wrote. The post comes four days after a Facebook user posted a video of himself verbally abusing a bus driver who would not let him board a public bus wearing a neck gaiter instead of a face ... » Learn More about Covid-19 no excuse to abuse bus drivers: Ong Ye Kung

For the past two weeks, Mr Vincent Koh has spent his nights on an old, thin mattress laid on the floor inside a cubicle with barely any space left for walking. "It's like popiah skin," he quipped, drawing a parallel between his mattress and the paper-thin skin of the traditional spring roll snack. But Mr Koh, 60, is more than thankful to the shelter for providing him a roof over his head. Inside a room shared by half a dozen others - each in a separate cubicle - he told The Straits Times that prior to the shelter, he had been sleeping on benches at parks and playgrounds after he lost his job as a worker at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre in February and could no longer afford to stay at hostels. He said he entertained thoughts of ending his life when he was sleeping rough. "I was hungry and had no place to sleep. When you're hungry, you have strange thoughts," said Mr Koh, who was referred to a shelter by a social worker at the Family Service Centre he had ... » Learn More about Call for more help as shelters for the homeless hit full capacity during Covid-19 circuit breaker period

PHUKET: Several boatloads carrying teams of experienced divers visited local reefs over the weekend, taking part in the International Coastal Cleanup Day 2008 activities organized by the UN-affiliated Green Fins Thailand initiative. Off Koh Maiton, about 10 kilometers southeast of Cape Panwa, some 30 divers led by Sea Bees Diving tour operator Stefan Hinterberger descended on an open-water dive site known to collect a lot of submerged debris. Leaving from Chalong Pier aboard the 27-meter Excaliber II , the team managed to fill two large containers in a one-hour dive with a variety of debris, including bottles, fishing nets, anchors, shoes and flip-flop sandals, from depths of up to 10 meters. However, calm seas early in the morning soon gave way to choppy conditions as winds picked up and the vessel had to head back to Chalong Bay earlier than expected, at about 11:30 am. Sea Bees’ Public Relations Manager Frank Mueller told the Gazette that the event was not only aimed at ... » Learn More about Phuket divers unite for underwater cleanup

PHUKET: A wheel that had come off a Phuket tour bus raced off on its own down Thepkrasattri Road yesterday morning, narrowly missing a policeman in its path. The bus, displaying a Pegas sign in its front window, had picked up 32 passengers at Phuket Airport and was heading towards a hotel in Kata when it lost a rear wheel near the U-turn in Srisoonthorn at about 8:15am. Luckily, Thalang Traffic Police officer Sen Sgt Maj Sayumphu Nhucharoen saw it coming. “I was on duty at the U-turn and I saw a wheel coming right at me at high speed. I managed to jump out of the way in time, but it hit my motorcycle which was parked by the road,” he said. After hitting the motorbike, the wheel continued at high speed across the street and hit and damaged the wall at Hang Krajok Tungnam Co Ltd, a construction supply store. The bus driver, Manas Worasiri, 50, was charged with reckless driving by using an improperly maintained vehicle, and fined 600 baht. “The bus is always checked as ... » Learn More about Runaway wheel from Phuket tour bus narrowly misses policeman

SINGAPORE - Mujir Hayyan Mohammad Taufiq may be anxious about sitting the Primary School Leaving Examination this year, but his parents are even more stressed - it is their first experience with the PSLE as both were educated in madrasahs (religious schools). "As much as we reassure ourselves that it is just like any other year-end exam Hayyan will be sitting, the pressure and stresses do exist," says his mother, Ms Hurul-A'in Mohd Yusoff, 36, principal of a childcare centre. His father Mohammad Taufiq Mohamed Ismail, 40, manages a mosque. They also have a six-year-old daughter studying in a madrasah. "However, we always remind ourselves that this is not our examination, it is Hayyan's," says Ms Hurul-A'in, stressing that her 11 1/2-year-old son's mental health is more important than his grades. Her focus is not misplaced in a year that has seen educational systems across the world shattered by the pandemic, leaving families disoriented and dispirited. Compared with many ... » Learn More about Coronavirus: PSLE survival guide for parents and kids during the pandemic

AUGUSTA, Ga.: Japan's Hideki Matsuyama stormed home in style to put himself in position to become the first Asian golfer to win the Masters as he held a four-shot lead after the rain-interrupted third round at Augusta National on Saturday. Matsuyama, who began the day three shots behind overnight leader Justin Rose, played eight holes after a 78-minute weather delay and went a sizzling six under over that stretch for a seven-under-par 65 that brought him to 11 under. "Before the horn blew I didn't hit a very good drive, but after the horn blew for the restart I hit practically every shot exactly how I wanted to," Matsuyama, whose last PGA Tour win came in 2017, said through an interpreter. "This will be a new experience for me being a leader going into the final round in a major. I guess all I can do is just relax tonight, prepare well and just do my best tomorrow." Rose (72), seeking his first Green Jacket after a pair of close calls, was in a four-way share of second ... » Learn More about Japan’s Matsuyama in control of Masters, leads by four shots

DAVAO CITY: At least 1,130 families in some villages in Santo Tomas town in Davao del Norte were displaced by flash floods early morning of April 11, 2021. Mart Sambalud, municipal information officer, said relief efforts for the affected families, particularly in San Miguel Village, have already been conducted by the local government headed by Mayor Ernesto Evangelista. Evangelista ordered the deployment of the personnel from the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, the Bureau of Fire Protection-Santo Tomas, the Santo Tomas Philippine National Police and the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) and other offices of the Santo Tomas local government unit (LGU) that are part of the disaster response initiative to provide the needed assistance on the ground. Food packs and ready-to-eat meals were provided to the displaced families. Evangelista said the MSWDO was coordinating with Barangay Kimamon, Barangay Lunga-og and Barangay San Vicente ... » Learn More about Over 1,000 families flee Davao del Norte floods