ABS-CBN says sorry to Duterte

ABS-CBN President and CEO Carlo Katigbak apologizes to President Rodrigo Duterte for airing a political advertisement in the 2016 elections which offended the former mayor.

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 24) — A TV network at the middle of a franchise controversy apologized to President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday for airing a political advertisement of the opposition in 2016 which offended the former mayor.

"We are sorry if we offended the President. That was not the intention of the network. We felt that we were just abiding by regulations that surround the airing of political ads,” said ABS-CBN President and CEO Carlo Katigbak during the Senate inquiry on the network’s franchise renewal.

Duterte's former personal aide, now Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, questioned during the hearing of the Senate Committee on Public Services why ABS-CBN agreed to air an opposition-funded video which he said was meant to tarnish the reputation of the former mayor of Davao City. The commercial questioned if a tough-talking, cursing politician would be a good fit for president.

A Quezon City court banned the airing of the ad upon the request of Duterte's running mate, now House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano.

"Hindi mababaw ang rason ng Pangulo sa kanyang grievances against the network. Nasaktan ang Presidente, nababoy ang Presidente. Hindi vindictive ang Pangulo but it is clear that someone went overboard to malign him," Go said. "For me, this is very troublesome. Media networks are supposed to be neutral. Fair reporting, that's all the President wants... Kung masama ka kay Pangulo, mas magiging masama siya sa iyo at kung mabait ka kay Pangulo, mas mabait siya sa iyo."

[Translation: The President's grievances against the network are not superficial. The President was hurt, his image has been tarnished... If you are mean to the President, he will be meaner to you and if you are kind to the President, he will be even kinder to you.]

Katigbak said the network initially rejected the first version of that ad, but it was eventually cleared for airing after changes were made on what the two kids were doing in the video. "Any politician who comes to our station with an ad that is legal and legitimate must be accommodated," he added. "We continue to improve on our shortcomings. We hope we do a better job in the succeeding elections."

"ABS-CBN does not and will not have its own political agenda," Katigbak added.

Duterte has been publicly ranting against ABS-CBN since assuming office, saying that the network refused to carry his campaign commercials even if they have been already paid for.

Katigbak clarified why the network could not air some of Duterte's ads. He said the President's camp bought a total of ₱182 million in commercial spots, split into ₱117 million for national ads — which were all aired — and ₱65 million in local ads, which would target audience in a specific province.

"Our policy on all our ads is first-come, first-served. Many of these spots were ordered on May 3, and May 7 was the last day of the campaign period. There had been many previous telecast orders that came in ahead," the company's chief executive said.

He went on to explain that slots for local ads were limited to just two minutes per hour, so the network could not find airtime for Duterte's content by then. Katigbak said ABS-CBN refunded about ₱4 million to the President, but got delayed in returning some ₱2.6 million to his camp. He said the President's camp refused to accept the delayed refund.

Duterte went on to win the 2016 elections.

Senators Migz Zubiri and Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan also said that they have their own ads which did not air during previous elections. "May hinanakit din kami, pero hindi natin dadalhin sa usapin na mawawalan ng trabaho ang 11,000 na kababayan natin," said Pangilinan, the husband of ABS-CBN star Sharon Cuneta.

[Translation: We also have our gripes, but we would not bring that to the point that 11,000 Filipinos would lose their jobs.]


'Nothing illegal'
Meanwhile, Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV believes that there is "nothing illegal" with the "offensive" advertisement he ran in 2016.

"Duterte/Bong Go’s assertion that the airing of my advertisement is the reason why the ABS-CBN franchise should not be renewed is a lie. First, there’s nothing illegal about the ad itself and the airing of the ad," he said in a statement.

He also argued that the said advertisement was also aired in the rival network.

"Second, the same political ad was aired in GMA7 and yet Duterte never complained about it when its franchise was renewed. So, definitely there is another ulterior motive in the blocking of ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal," Trillanes added.

Apology accepted
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo welcomed the apology, saying that the President will "consider" Katigbak's statement.

"It's personal to him," Panelo said. "I'm glad finally ABS-CBN admitted its shortcomings to the President. Dapat noon pa nila ginawa [They should have done it a long time ago]."

Duterte has vowed since late 2018 to block the renewal of ABS-CBN's franchise. Last year, he told the Lopezes to just sell the network to a new owner as he would make sure that the TV station is out by 2020.

CNN Philippines' Multi-Platform News Writers Melissa Lopez and Vince Ferreras contributed to this report

Assistance sought for pork dealers affected with ASF outbreak

By:  KEN E. CAGULA

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Pork dealers here appealed for government assistance as sales “hugely” dropped in the wake of African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak.

Earlier this month, authorities declared the entry of ASF in Davao City, initially affecting two villages in Calinan District–Brgy. Dominga and Brgy. Lamanan. Last week, Brgy Inayangan, still in Calinan District, was confirmed to also have ASF cases.

Since then, sales of fresh and processed meat dropped to as low as 50 percent, said pork dealer Eden Guira, during a press conference on Monday (Feb. 24). That is, from P100,000 income/day to only P35,000-P40,000/day.

“That amount is not yet enough for me to pay my laborers,” Guira added.

Teodora Guira, who distributes processed pork products to other areas in Mindanao, said that sales from other provinces also went down after local governments prohibited the sales of processed pork products from Davao City.

“Our buyers from Malungon, Gensan, Mati, Surigao, Butuan, said they were given a memorandum prohibiting the sales of products such as chorizo, embutido, tocino and lumpia shanghai from Davao,” she lamented.

Davao City slaughterhouse Operations Manager Chalemagne Aldevera Jr. noted that from about 500 pigs in a day on previous months, only around 200 pigs were processed at the time of this writing.

“What we are processing are only for the consumption in Davao City because our pork cannot go outside of the city as a result of the lockdown,” Aldevera said.

Allaying fears from other consumers, pork dealers stressed that the meat being sold in public markets in the city came only from registered farms, are provided with certifications, and are not from backyard farms susceptible to ASF. (davaotoday.com)

Coronavirus: Gesammelte Informationen

Die Lungenkrankheit 2019-nCoV breitet sich weiter aus, vor allem in China. Hier finden Sie unsere Meldungen zu der Epidemie und weiterführende Links zu wichtigen Fragen und Antworten von öffentlichen Stellen

VON APOTHEKEN UMSCHAU, AKTUALISIERT AM 18.02.2020

Coronavirus Allgemein Anatomie
Tückischer Erreger: Der Coronavirus befällt die Lunge und kann zu trockenem Husten, Fieber und Atemnot führen

Das neue Coronavirus, inzwischen von der WHO auf den Namen "2019-nCoV" getauft, hat eine Inkubationszeit von bis zu zwei Wochen – also können von der Infektion mit dem Virus bis zum Auftreten von Beschwerden bis zu 14 Tage vergehen. Der Erreger kann die unteren Atemwege befallen und verursacht bei einem Teil der Infizierten Lungenentzündungen. Typische Symptome sind trockener Husten, Fieber und Atemnot. Todesfälle traten bisher vor allem bei Patienten mit Vorerkrankungen auf.

Prophylaxe und Behandlung
Der Virus wird vermutlich ähnlich wie die Grippe per Tröpfcheninfektion übertragen. Um sich vor einer Ansteckung zu wappnen, raten die Behörden, auf Händeschütteln zu verzichten, auf eine gute Handhygiene zu achten und sich oft die Hände zu waschen. In möglicherweise betroffenen Gebieten ist es ratsam, größere Menschenansammlungen zu meiden und Abstand zu Infizierten zu halten. Um selbst andere zu schützen, sollte man beim Husten oder Niesen stets ein Taschentuch verwenden, zur Not die Ellenbeuge. Auch ein Mundschutz bewirkt am ehesten, dass man als Infizierter seine Umgebung nicht so leicht ansteckt.

Bisher sind noch keine Medikamente oder Impfungen bekannt, die 2019-nCoV direkt stoppen können. Deshalb werden Erkrankte vor allem in Bezug auf ihre Beschwerden unterstützt. Sie erhalten wenn nötig Antibiotika, um bakterielle Zweitinfektionen abzuwehren, Sauerstoff, um das Atmen zu erleichtern, oder auch eine unterstützende Beatmung.

Ähnliche bisher bekannte Erreger
2019-nCoV gehört zur selben Virusart wie der Erreger bei der Sars-Pandemie von 2002/2003. Sars steht für schweres akutes Atemwegsyndrom. Damals fielen rund 800 Menschen der Seuche zum Opfer.

Coronaviren können sowohl Menschen als auch Tiere infizieren. Viele Arten verursachen eher harmlose Erkrankungen wie Erkältungen. Allerdings gehören auch Erreger gefährlicher Atemwegskrankheiten dazu.

Ein weiteres Beispiel ist Mers, das "Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus". Dieser Virentyp wurde 2012 erstmals identifiziert. Infektionen mit Mers haben ihren Ursprung auf der Arabischen Halbinsel und verursachen eine schwere Infektion der Atemwege, Lungenentzündung und Nierenversagen.

e Ende der Krise ist weiter nicht in Sicht: Die Epidemie der neuen Lungenkrankheit wird sich nach Einschätzung eines Experten in China möglicherweise erst Ende April stabilisieren. «Das ist eine sehr grobe Schätzung», sagte Zhong Nanshan, Chef der Expertengruppe der chinesischen Regierung. Die Zahl der in der offiziellen Statistik erfassten Fälle lag am Dienstag bei gut 72 000, die der Todesfälle in Festland-China bei 1868. Experten gehen allerdings von einer um ein Vielfaches höheren Dunkelziffer bei den Fallzahlen aus.

Höhere Sterblichkeit bei alten Menschen
Nach einer von Chinas Gesundheitsbehörde vorgestellten Analyse sterben im Land 2,3 Prozent der mit dem Virus Infizierten. Betroffen seien weiterhin vor allem alte Menschen und solche mit schweren Vorerkrankungen wie Herzkreislauf-Erkrankungen oder Diabetes. Bei Menschen über 80 Jahren liege die aus den bisher vorliegenden Daten errechnete Todesrate bei knapp 15 Prozent, berichtete die Behörde am Dienstag, es sterben also in dieser Altersgruppe in China im Mittel etwa 15 von 100 Infizierten. In der Gruppe der 10 bis 39 Jahre alten Menschen sterben 0,2 Prozent der Infizierten, also etwa 2 von 1000 Betroffenen.

In der weit überwiegenden Zahl der Fälle - der Gesundheitsbehörde zufolge mehr als 80 Prozent - zeigen Menschen, die sich mit dem Covid-19-Erreger angesteckt haben, nur milde Symptome. Knapp 14 Prozent der Betroffenen entwickeln demnach schwere Symptome wie Atemnot, knapp 5 Prozent lebensbedrohliche Auswirkungen wie Atemstillstand, septischen Schock oder Multiorganversagen.

Bei 4 von 5 Infizierten nur milde Symptome
Auch der Generaldirektor der Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO) hatte am Montag unter Bezug auf die Datenanalyse aus China von gut 80 Prozent milden Infektionsverläufen gesprochen. Es gebe zudem relativ wenige Fälle bei Kindern, sagte Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Noch sei aber unklar, warum das so sei.

Generell geben die Daten aus China eher einen Trend wieder als die tatsächlichen Werte - unter anderem, weil in die Analyse auch Fälle ohne Bestätigung der Infektion durch einen Labortest einflossen. Zudem sei die Dunkelziffer der Covid-19-Infizierten (wie das Virus offiziell genannt wird) in der Provinz Hubei vermutlich sehr hoch, sagte Clemens Wendtner, Chefarzt der Infektiologie und Tropenmedizin an der München Klinik Schwabing. «Wer geht denn jetzt noch ins Krankenhaus zum Arzt, wenn er Angst hat, unter Quarantäne steht und die Wohnung ohnehin nur schwer verlassen kann?»

WHO: Weltweite Entwicklung ungewiss
Die WHO betonte erneut, dass Sars-CoV-2 außerhalb von China nur einen sehr kleinen Anteil der Menschen betreffe. Allerdings lasse sich die weitere Entwicklung nach wie vor nicht sicher voraussagen - auch für die Epidemie in China nicht. «Alle Szenarien sind weiterhin möglich», so Tedros.

In China läuft derzeit eine gewaltige Rückreisewelle von Wanderarbeitern nach den wegen des Virus verlängerten Ferien zum chinesischen Neujahrsfest. Zwar wurden strenge Maßnahmen zur Kontrolle der Reiseströme ergriffen, wie gut sie wirken, wird sich aber erst noch zeigen. Die Zahl der in der offiziellen Statistik erfassten Fälle lag am Dienstag bei gut 72 000, die der Todesfälle in Festland-China bei 1868. Experten gehen allerdings von einer um ein Vielfaches höheren Dunkelziffer bei den Fallzahlen aus.

Klinikchef unter den Todesopfern
Die meisten Infektionen und Todesfälle werden weiterhin in Zentralchina in der schwer betroffenen Provinz Hubei gezählt. Zum ersten Mal fiel ein Krankenhauschef Covid-19 zum Opfer. Liu Zhiming, Direktor des Wuchang Hospitals in Hubeis Provinzhauptstadt Wuhan, sei am Montag gestorben, berichtete die Nachrichtenagentur China News. Im Kampf gegen das Virus haben sich offiziellen Angaben zufolge bisher gut 3000 Ärzte und Pflegekräfte angesteckt.

Before, behind, between, above, below love

My column in Mindanao Daily, BusinessWeek Mindanao and Cagayan de Oro Times

OUR whole life consists of innumerable fabulous and non-existing parts. We all carry myths into our life and bring our share of unrealistic expectations taught and shaped by education, media, church, and culture and our friends or parents. And? We all experienced it in different situations: suddenly these dreams give way to unhappy nights and terrible realistic mornings. Marriage life, i.e., loses it glow and ardor. Which sets in? Sure: foil, frustration, disillusionment, misanthropy, and many times cynicism become main parts of life.

Spouses  start thinking they may have made a big mistake and married the wrong partner. Some become fidgety and uncertain and - look for another, maybe "very special one", who might fulfill their faded hopes and uncertain dreams. Others rather than risk the temptation to look outside of he relationship for "fulfillment" , moving forward gradually deaden their hearts and deny the desire of something more. Bearing with patience becomes the goal of life. The dream of enjoyment fades into a faint glimmer of the past.

"Finally I got someone at my side who will meet my needs!". How many times we have these outspoken thoughts in mind? Sorry to say, many Filipinas got these thoughts after having met a foreigner... . This myth comes out of a self-centered preoccupation with a terrible egoistic touch.

But listen, didn't we forget, that marriage and every kind of dual partnership should be viewed as a "we-relation' and not as a "me-relation"? This myth explodes with the realization that a health partnership needs two understanding people, who are committed to be there for each other. There should NOT be two individuals seeking for self-fulfillment!

This and that... . It's not easy to write a weekly column in a daily, while many people and important events pass my path. The "Common Myths About Marriage" has to be continued, although they are are heavenly belong to my daily life thoughts.

Romantic feelings rely on a complicated concoction of chemicals and psychology. But as part of our series on Life’s Big Questions with The Conversation, we ask, can they wear off?

Author Parashkev Nachev wrote this on Valentines' Day 2020:  I have recently fallen head over heels in love, but my cynical friends keep telling me that love is nothing but a cocktail of pheromones, dopamine and oxytocin, and that these wear off after a couple of years. The thought scares me, it makes the whole thing seem meaningless. Is love really just brain chemistry? 

Before, behind, between, above, below love! It is no accident that arguably the most erotic line of English poetry is all prepositions. The essence of love, at least of passionately romantic love, is revealed in its very grammar. We “fall” in love, not “wander” into it. And, as you say, we fall “head over heels”, not dragging our feet – often at “first sight” rather than on careful inspection. We fall in love “madly, blind” to the other's vices, not in rational appraisal of their virtues.

Romantic love is overwhelming, irresistible, ballistic. It is in control of us more than we are ever in control of it. In one sense a mystery, it is in another pure simplicity – its course, once engaged, predictable and inevitable, and its cultural expression more or less uniform across time and space. The impulse to think of it in terms of simple causes precedes science. Consider the arrow of Cupid, the potion of a sorcerer – love seems elemental.

Yet love is not easily conquered by science. Let us look at why. Sex pheromones, chemicals designed to broadcast reproductive availability to others, are often quoted as key instruments of attraction. It is an appealing idea. But while pheromones play an important role in insect communication, there is very little evidence that they even exist in humans.

Of course, even if we could identify such a substance, any message – chemical or otherwise – needs a recipient. So where is the letterbox of love in the brain? And how is the identity of the “chosen one” conveyed, given that no single molecule could possibly encode it?

When romantic love is examined with imaging of the brain, the areas that “light up” overlap with those supporting reward-seeking and goal-oriented behavior. But that parts of our brains are set ablaze by one thing does not tell us much if they are just as excited by a very different, other thing. And the observed patterns of romantic love are not that different from those of maternal bonding, or even from the love of one's favorite football team. So we can only conclude that neuroscience is yet to explain this "head over heels" emotion in neural terms.

Do we simply need more experiments? Yes, is usually the scientist's answer, but this assumes love is simple enough to be captured by a mechanistic description. Each reproductive decision can be neither simple nor uniform, for we cannot be allowed to be guided by any single characteristic, let alone the same one. Universally attractive though tallness might be, if biology allowed us to select on height alone we would all have gigantism by now. And if the decisions have to be complex, so must the neural apparatus that makes them possible.

While this explains why romantic attraction must be complex, it doesn't explain why it can feel so instinctual and spontaneous – unlike the deliberative mode we reserve for our most important decisions. Wouldn't a cool, detached rationality be better? To see why it would not, consider what explicit reasoning is there in the first place. Evolving later than our instincts, we need rationality only to detach ourselves from the grounds for a decision so that others can record, understand and apply it independently of us.

But there is no need for anyone else to understand the grounds for our love, indeed the last thing we want to do is provide others with a recipe to steal our object of desire. Equally, in ceding control to recorded cultural practice, evolution would place too much "trust" in a capacity – collective rationality – that is, in evolutionary terms, far too young.

It is also a mistake to think of instinct as simple, and inferior to careful deliberation. That it is tacit makes it potentially more sophisticated than rational analysis, for it brings into play a wider array of factors than we could ever hold simultaneously in our conscious minds. The truth of this stares us in the face: think how much better we are at recognizing a face compared with describing it. Why should the recognition of love be any different?

Ultimately, if the neural mechanisms of love were simple, you should be able to induce it with an injection, to extinguish it with a scalpel while leaving everything else intact. The cold, hard logic of evolutionary biology makes this impossible. Were love not complicated, we would never have evolved in the first place.

That said, love – like all our thoughts, emotions and behaviors – rests on physical processes in the brain, a very complex interplay of them. But to say that love is "just" brain chemistry is like saying Romeo and Juliet is “just” words – it misses the point. Like art, love is more than the sum of its parts.

If the honeymoon is over, and the dark clouds if our daily life erase the pink-tinted illusions, must one faces such as: Where is the scratch on the side of my car? Why must we discuss topics like money, sex, in-laws, friends and such things...?

Wearing masks

My column in Mindanao Daiy News, BusinessWeek Mindanao and Cagayan de Oro Times

THE present Virus illness keeps each one of us in a  panic mood. Very understandable while following innumerable news at the moment 24/7. But nowadays, wearing masks has another reason ... .

Before Ash Wednesday, one can experience in my home country Germany people wearing masks of faces like animals, horrible human faces or the devil. Why all these masquerades?

Actors and actresses on stage or in movies wear also masks. They pretend to be what they are not. They play a role. Hence, in Greek they are called "hypocrites".

In our life, we always wear masks. Please think about.  You  and me will understand, that we do not want to show to people our real  selves because of the fear of rejection or displeasure of other people.

In society, they call it public relation. Men and women would go out smiling and greeting politely other people with a set of purpose: to win them to their business or organization.

But the more important point is: should we always wear masks in our daily life? Can we not put these masks aside and be our true selves? Should we be always afraid to show to people in our surroundings what we are before God, who sees everything? Maybe we could look back on what William Congreve (1670-1729) wrote in his "Preface to Dryden": 'No mask like open truth to cover lies as to go naked is the best disguise'.

But let's remember, even Jesus Christ, the Son of God, wore the mask of being human. "And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us!" Later, people thought he was a lawbreaker, an impostor, claiming to be God, a seducer of the people. "I have hidden my face from them and they did not recognize me!"

Let's try to put our masks aside from time to time, especially, if we are together people we can trust. On the other side, today's global illnesses shows us different ways of how to move on.

Love is in the Air!

Love is in the Air! Officials and employees of the Provincial Capitol of Davao de Oro celebrate the Valentine’s Day spearheaded by Governor Jayvee Tyron L. Uy and Vice-Governor Maria Carmen Zamora held at the provincial capitol.

In line with the Memorandum Order No. 0088.2020 and to add color and fun, the employees were encouraged to wear dress code in accordance to their relationship status.

For more colorful celebration, they gave long-stemmed roses available for free on a first-come-first-served basis at the Love Booth located at the lobby. Valentine’s Requested Songs and Dedication Cards were also available in the said event.

The special celebration is not just associated with romantic love. But is also a time to reconcile, appreciate and be grateful for each other. Spread the “Gift of Love and Dedication (GOLD)” in the province. (Rheafe Hortizano, PAO ID)

Progressives back VFA termination

By:  KEN E. CAGULA

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Progressive groups are supported the government’s move to terminate the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States (US).

These groups have long opposed to the presence of American troops in the country.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. announced on Tuesday, that the US Embassy’s deputy chief of mission have already received the termination notice, which will take effect after 180 days or about six months.

As Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) started its 180-day countdown to VFA termination, it said that the public should be vigilant and oppose possible reversal and renegotiation by the Philippine government, as well as “pressure and maneuvers” coming from the US.

Bayan secretary-general Renato Reyes Jr., in a statement on Wednesday, said the termination of the VFA is “an opportunity for the Philippines to move away from its military dependence on the US.”

Following the country’s termination of the VFA, Bayan urged the government to also cancel the upcoming Balikatan military exercises in April.

Last January, President Duterte threatened to terminate the VFA, expressing his anger over the US government’s decision to cancel the visa of Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, who previously led the bloody anti-drug campaign when he was the police chief.

Such “trivial” reason for terminating the two-decade-old military accord, however, is frustrating on the part of Moro group Suara Bangsamoro, saying that the government should recognize that human rights violations against Filipinos have been committed by US soldiers under the VFA.

She explained that human rights defenders have been submitting reports to the Legislative Oversight Committee on the Visiting Forces Agreement (LOVFA) in previous administrations on several documented cases of human rights violations.

These included violations committed in Moro communities in Mindanao during Balikatan exercises.

“We submitted several cases of the presence of US troops during combat operations where they were seen leading AFP troops from 2002 to 2009, and were identified by victims of shooting, maiming, and killing,” Lidasan said.

“Our communities and people were used [for their] target practice. We have reports of individuals being shot during target practice and residential areas bombed due to ‘misfiring’,” she added.

Lidasan also deplored the inability of the Philippine government to hold the US troops accountable for their “atrocities” against Filipinos under such agreement.

“That’s why it is insulting, especially to the victims, (to know) that President Duterte is giving more emphasis on the trivial reason of cancelling the US visa of Sen. Bato as a ground for abrogating the VFA,” Lidasan said.

Meanwhile, progressive groups also called for the termination of other military agreements with the US, such as the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

Bayan also underscored that terminating the VFA should not mean rushing into a new military agreement with another foreign power such as China.

“The defense of the Philippines, including the West Philippine Sea, falls on the Philippine Government and the Filipino people, not on any foreign power with its own agenda. We cannot enter into a military agreement with China since we have a conflict in the West Philippine Sea,” Reyes added. (davaotoday.com)

Coronavirus: Sharp increase in deaths and cases in Hubei

Related Topics

• Coronavirus outbreak

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES

Image captionThe WHO has said a vaccine will likely be found but it will take time

Some 242 deaths from the new coronavirus were recorded in the Chinese province of Hubei on Wednesday - the deadliest day of the outbreak.

There was also a huge increase in the number of cases, with 14,840 people diagnosed with the virus.

Hubei has started using a broader definition to diagnose people - which accounts for most of the rise in cases.

Until Wednesday's increases, the number of people diagnosed in Hubei - where the outbreak emerged - was stabilising.

But the new cases and deaths in the province have pushed the national death toll above 1,350 - with almost 60,000 infections in total.

Meanwhile, the Communist Party secretary in Hubei, Jiang Chaoliang, has been replaced by the Shanghai party chief, Ying Yong, according to state media. The party chief of the capital city Wuhan has also been relieved of his duties.

It is the first major change of Hubei party officials since the outbreak began.

Earlier this week, a number of health officials were "removed" from their jobs.

• Why a global city is so vulnerable to virus spread
• The Valentine messages to coronavirus medics

What is the new diagnosis method?

The province - which accounts for more than 80% of overall Chinese infections - now includes "clinically diagnosed cases" in the number of confirmed cases.

This means it includes those showing symptoms, and having a CT scan showing an infected lung, rather than relying only on the standard nucleic acid tests.

Of the 242 new deaths in Wuhan, 135 are such "clinically diagnosed" cases.

That means, even without the new definition, the number of deaths in Hubei on Wednesday was 107 - a new high for the province.

The province's 14,840 new infections include 13,332 clinically diagnosed cases.

Overall, the province now has 48,206 confirmed infections.

What is the latest with the cruise ships?

A cruise ship carrying more than 2,000 people has docked in Cambodia - after it was turned away by five ports over fears that some passengers might be infected with the virus.

The MS Westerdam arrived on Thursday morning after Japan, Taiwan, Guam, the Philippines and Thailand had all refused to accept the ship - despite having no sick patients on board.

• Cruise ship rejected by five ports docks at last
• Are cruise ships really 'floating petri dishes'?

Meanwhile, another 44 cases have been confirmed on the Diamond Princess, which is in quarantine in Yokohama, Japan.

The increase means 218 people of the 3,700 people on board the ship have caught the virus. Not everyone has been tested yet.

People with the virus are taken to hospitals on land to be treated, while those on board are largely confined to their cabins.

Media captionCoronavirus quarantine: 'I haven't had freedom for a month'

What does the WHO say?

The WHO said it was "way too early" to predict the end of the epidemic. "This outbreak could still go in any direction," the director-general warned.

The WHO has been able to track down the source of transmission in all but eight of the 441 cases of the virus outside China, its head of emergencies Michael Ryan said.

He added: "I think it's way too early to try to predict the beginning, the middle or the end of this epidemic right now."

On Tuesday top Chinese epidemiologist Zhong Nanshan said the epidemic should peak in China this month before subsiding.

Four possible vaccines were being funded for pre-clinical development, WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan told reporters.

"I think we will find a vaccine," she said. "It will take some time. A vaccine cannot be made overnight."

In other developments:

• The world's largest mobile phone showcase, Mobile World Congress (MWC), has been cancelled, organisers in the Spanish city of Barcelona have confirmed
• The US Centers for Disease Control said it was preparing for the coronavirus to possibly "take a foothold in the US". Thirteen cases have been confirmed in the US
• About 300 employees have been evacuated from Singapore's biggest bank, DBS, after one person fell ill with the coronavirus. All 300 had been working on the same floor and were sent home
• Formula 1's Chinese Grand Prix, due to take place in Shanghai on 19 April, has been postponed
• In its latest measure to try to halt the spread, China said it would stagger the return of children to school. Several provinces have closed schools until the end of February

SMASHED!

My column in Mindanao Daily, BusinessWeek Mindanao and Cagayan de Oro Times.

Smashed? Drunk? Or in another words: "If alcohol becomes a scourge. ..."

"Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long on the wine, those who go in search of mixed wines? Do not look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it swirls around smoothly; at the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like a viper. Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart will utter perverse words. Yes, you will be like one who lies down in he mist o the sea, or like one, who lies on top of  the mast, saying: 'They have struck me, but I wasn't hurt; they have beaten me, but I didn't feel it. When I shall awake, that I may seek another drink!'" (Proverbs 23:29-35).

When I recopied this part from my bible I got (again!) the idea writing about this topic. The writer of these proverbs expressed very well the effect of alcohol.

Alcohol is, as we all know, a depressant. It slows down the function of all the body's parts. Vital functions can be slowed down to the point of death. Under its influence people choke to death at family picnics, drown at the beach, fall asleep while driving a car, hurt and even kill other people.

The devil alcohol creates a feeling of freedom without worries and euphoria. Our feelings are really free flowing, everyday worries are replaced with a carefree spirit. Wow, I really feel on top of the world today... .

I joined the circle of many other fellows around, more or less regular social drinking, and/or habitual drinking drinking with meals (beer or wine!). When I stayed in France, I couldn't believe that for many Frenchmen a breakfast consists of bread (baguette), cheese, coffee - and red wine! Anyway, social drinking also means occasional drinks to relieve stress or boredom.

Once we reach the addictive stage we are already in danger. Gulping drinks and secret drinking daily to relieve stress makes one lose control, and being unable to stop drinking creates drinking habits, Danger is with us, if we lose control over when, where and how much we drink. The memory blackouts don't let us remember any more, where we had been or how we get home. We loose our self-respect and the performance of our work is seriously affected. Loss of interest in everything (except in drinking) means loss of jobs, conflicts with the law, mental deterioration, and even death. The sad consequences should let us tremble with fear.

A few people who decide to stop drinking find it easy. Having made the decision, they simply never drink again. And honestly, every time I enjoy a drink in really acceptable measurements I am trying to ask myself, if I could stop drinking right now. And I am pretty sure, the answer is YES. That's how I quit smoking almost 35 years ago... .

How to learn a language in an hour a day ...

Being bilingual has vast benefits – but getting there needn’t be a lifelong slog. One hour per day? I am not sure, if this is enough.

Learning a new language is an inherently scary idea. Thousands of unfamiliar words, an entirely different grammatical structure and the high potential for embarrassment are enough to intimidate many of us. With a busy work life, finding the time to commit to a new language can be a challenge in itself.

But experts agree that it’s more than possible to make meaningful progress in just one hour a day. Not only that, the skills gained from practicing a new language can feel like superpowers in the workplace and beyond.

Research shows there is a direct correlation between bilingualism and intelligence, memory skills and higher academic achievement. As the brain more efficiently processes information, it is even able to stave off age-related cognitive decline.

Depending on your native tongue and which new language you’re learning, you can develop a diverse toolkit of both short-term and lifelong cognitive benefits. Of course, the further apart the language the tougher the challenge (think Dutch and Vietnamese), but focusing on a specific application can drastically narrow the practice time.

Whether it’s for a new job, for literary competence or for making casual conversation, you can sharpen language skills no matter your age or previous exposure.

The most difficult languages

The US Foreign Service Institute (FSI) divides languages into four tiers of difficulty for native English speakers to learn. Group 1, the easiest of the bunch, includes languages like Danish, French, Italian, Romanian, Spanish and Swedish. According to FSI research, it takes around 600 to 750 hours of practice to reach basic fluency in all Group 1 languages.

The US Foreign Service Institute divides languages into four tiers of difficulty. The easiest take around 480 hours of practice to reach basic fluency

The difficulty begins to spike as we move down the list. It takes 900 hours to achieve the same level of fluency in Group 2 languages, which include German, Malay, Swahili, Haitian Creole and Indonesian. More difficult are many languages like Bengali, Czech, Hebrew, Polish and Tagalog, which places them in in Group 3. Group 4 is comprised of some of the most challenging languages for English speakers to grasp: Arabic, Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

Despite the daunting time frame, experts say it’s worth learning a second language for the cognitive benefits alone. Doing so naturally develops our executive functions, “the high-level ability to flexibly manipulate and utilize information, and hold information in the mind and suppress irrelevant information,” says Julie Fiez, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh’s department of neuroscience. “It’s called executive functions because it’s thought of as skills of a CEO: managing a bunch of people, juggling a lot of information, multitasking, prioritizing.”

Bilingual brains rely on executive functions – things like inhibitory control, working memory and cognitive flexibility – to maintain balance between two languages, according to a study from Northwestern University. Because both language systems are always active and competing, the brain’s control mechanisms are constantly strengthened.

At an hour a day's practice, a native English speaker could learn a Group 1 language in two years.

Lisa Meneghetti, a data analyst from Treviso, Italy, is a hyper polyglot, meaning she is fluent in six or more languages - in her case English, French, Swedish, Spanish, Russian and Italian. When embarking on a new language, especially one with a lower difficulty curve that requires less cognitive stamina, she says the biggest challenge is to avoid mixing words.

“It’s normal for the brain to switch and use shortcuts,” she says. “This happens more often and more easily with languages that belong to the same family…  because the similarities are great but so are the false friends!”

While it might seem counter-intuitive, combating this mental hurdle is as simple as pursuing a language with fewer similarities to the one you already know, according to Beverly Baker, a professor of language and bilingualism at the University of Ottawa.

“If you choose two that had different writing systems and very different areas - Japanese and Spanish - at the same time, you wouldn’t have that annoyance of mixing up the words,” she says.

Learning the basics of any language is a quick task. Programs like Duolingo or Rosetta Stone can guide you through a few greetings and simple phrases at lightning speed. For a more personal experience, polyglot Timothy Doner recommends reading and watching material that you already have an interest in.

“If you like cooking, buy a cookbook in a foreign language; if you like soccer, try watching a foreign game,” he says. “Even if you’re only picking up a handful of words per day - and the vast majority continue to sound like gibberish - they will be easier to recall later on.”

Learning a new language becomes much easier if you combine it with something else you enjoy – for instance, watching a football game with foreign commentary. Before you go too far, however, it’s important to consider exactly how you plan to use the language in the future.

“A busy professional might see Mandarin as important to learn because they have business contacts, or it could be a language your family spoke and you lost, or you’re in love with someone who spoke that language. Maybe you’re just interested in saying a few things to your in-laws,” Baker says. “It’s your personal motivations - the level you actually want to realistically live in the language.”

Once your intentions for the new language are defined, you can begin planning out a productive hourly schedule for daily practice

Once your intentions for the new language are defined, you can begin planning out a productive hourly schedule for daily practice that includes multiple learning methods.

Advice on how to best spend this time varies depending on which polyglot or linguistics expert you’re speaking to. But there’s one tip they all seem to stand behind: devote at least half of your hour to stepping away from the books and videos to practice with a native speaker face to face. “To go over questions and do activities, to talk together in the language, and to discuss the culture,” Baker says. “I would not skip that part, because learning about the people and culture will motivate me to keep up with the rest of my learning.”

“Adults, some of them do their language learning trying to memorize words and practice pronunciation, all in silence and to themselves. They don’t actually take the leap to try and have a conversation actually using the language,” Fiez says. “You’re not really learning another language, you’re just learning picture-sound associations.”

Language-learning programs are important, but spending time with a native speaker is the most effective method. 

Just like exercise or musical instruments, people recommend a shorter amount of practice time on a regular basis rather than larger chunks on a more sporadic basis. This is because without a consistent schedule the brain fails to engage in any deep cognitive processes, like making connections between new knowledge and your previous learning. An hour a day five days a week is therefore going to be more beneficial than a five-hour blitz once a week.

According to the FSI index, it would take 150 weeks at this pace to achieve basic fluency in a Group 1 language, or just under three years. But by following the advice from experts, narrowing down your lessons for specific applications rather than general fluency, new speakers will be able to shave off significant time towards reaching their desired level.

“Learning a second language can satisfy an immediate need but it will also help you become a more understanding and empathic person by opening the doors to a different way of thinking and feeling,” says Meneghetti. “It’s about IQ and EQ combined.”

Dedicating one hour of your day towards learning a new language can be thought of as practice in bridging gaps between people. The result is a more malleable communication skill set that brings you closer to your peers at work, home or abroad.

“You’re faced with a different worldview with someone from a different culture. You don’t rush to judgment and are more effective at resolving the clashes in the world that come up,” Baker says.

“Just learning one language, any language in any culture, helps you to develop that adaptability and flexibility when faced with other cultures, period.”