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With Republican firewall, US senate acquits Trump of inciting deadly Capitol riot

Donald Trump
The US Senate fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to convict former president Donald J. Trump on a charge that he incited the insurrection that left five people dead.

WASHINGTON — The US Senate acquitted Donald J. Trump on Saturday of inciting the mob that stormed the Capitol last month, sparing him from conviction in his second impeachment trial in a year despite broad condemnation of his role in sparking the deadly siege.

The Senate voted 57–43 in favor of convicting the former president, falling short of the two-thirds majority needed to do so, on a charge that he incited the insurrection that left five people dead, forced lawmakers to flee, and put his own vice-president in danger while overseeing the certification of Democrat Joseph R. Biden, Jr.’s election win.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who voted “not guilty,” in the trial, offered scathing remarks about Mr. Trump after the verdict.

“There is no question that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day,” he said. “The people who stormed this building believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions of their president.”

President Biden said that while the vote did not lead to a conviction, the substance of the charge was not in dispute, and a record number of Republicans had voted to convict Mr. Trump.

“This sad chapter in our history has reminded us that democracy is fragile,” Mr. Biden said in a statement. “That it must always be defended. That we must be ever vigilant. That violence and extremism has no place in America. And that each of us has a duty and responsibility as Americans, and especially as leaders, to defend the truth and to defeat the lies.”

In the vote, seven of the 50 Senate Republicans joined the chamber’s unified Democrats in favoring conviction after a week-long trial in the same building ransacked by Mr. Trump’s followers  after they heard him deliver an incendiary speech on Jan. 6.

During the trial, senators viewed graphic video of the assault, including scenes of a police officer screaming in pain as he was crushed in a door, the mob chanting “hang Mike Pence” as it hunted the vice-president, and lawmakers having near-misses with rioters as security officers hurried the elected officials into hiding for their own safety.

Mr. Trump left office on Jan. 20, so impeachment could not be used to remove him from power. But Democrats had hoped to secure a conviction to hold him responsible for the siege and set the stage for a vote to bar him from serving in public office again.

“The bottom line is that we convinced a big majority in the Senate of our case,” said Representative Jamie Raskin, the lead Democratic prosecutor from the House of Representatives.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Republicans’ refusal to hold Mr. Trump accountable would be remembered “as one of the darkest days and most dishonorable acts in our nation’s history.”

The swift end to the trial allows Mr. Biden to move forward with his agenda to bolster the economy with a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill and further confirmation of his cabinet members.

But divisions on Capitol Hill and around the country over his controversial predecessor will remain.

“This has been yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our country,” Mr. Trump said in a statement after his acquittal.

Mr. Trump, 74, continues to hold a grip on his party with a right-wing populist appeal and “America First” message. The businessman-turned-politician has considered running for president again in 2024.

Republicans saved Mr. Trump in the Feb. 5, 2020, vote in his first impeachment trial, when only one senator from their ranks—Mitt Romney—voted to convict and remove him from office.

Mr. Romney voted for conviction on Saturday along with fellow Republicans Richard Burr, Bill Cassidy, Susan Collins, Ben Sasse, Pat Toomey, and Lisa Murkowski.

“His actions to interfere with the peaceful transition of power—the hallmark of our Constitution and our American democracy—were an abuse of power and constitute grounds for conviction,” Ms. Collins said after the vote.

DEEPLY DIVIDED NATION
The acquittal unfolded against a backdrop of gaping divisions in a pandemic-weary United States along political, racial, socioeconomic and regional lines. The trial provided more partisan warfare even as Mr. Biden has called for unity.

Seventy-one percent of American adults, including nearly half of all Republicans, believe Mr. Trump was at least partially responsible for starting the Capitol assault, but only about half of the country thought he should be convicted of inciting insurrection, according to an Ipsos poll conducted for Reuters.

Mr. Trump is only the third president ever to be impeached by the House of Representatives—a step akin to a criminal indictment—as well as the first to be impeached twice and the first to face an impeachment trial after leaving office. But the Senate still has never convicted an impeached president.

Democrats forged ahead with impeachment despite knowing it could overshadow critical early weeks of Mr. Biden’s presidency.

The House approved the single article of impeachment against Mr. Trump on Jan. 13, with 10 Republicans joining the chamber’s Democratic majority. That vote came a week after the pro-Trump mob stormed the neoclassical domed Capitol, interrupted the formal congressional certification of Biden’s victory, clashed with an overwhelmed police force, and invaded the hallowed House and Senate chambers.

‘FIGHT LIKE HELL’
Shortly before the rampage, Mr. Trump urged his followers to march on the Capitol, repeated his false claims that the election was stolen from him through widespread voting fraud, and told them that “if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.”

During the trial, nine House lawmakers serving as trial managers, or prosecutors, urged senators to convict Mr. Trump to hold him accountable for a crime against American democracy and to prevent a repeat in the future. They said Mr. Trump summoned the mob to Washington, gave the crowd its marching orders and then did nothing to stop the ensuing violence.

The defense lawyers accused Democrats not only of trying to silence Mr. Trump as a political opponent they feared facing in the future but of attempting to criminalize political speech with which they disagreed.

The words Mr. Trump used, they argued, were no different than those regularly employed by Democrats.

Mr. Trump’s acquittal does not end the possibility of other congressional action against him such as a censure motion, but Pelosi said such a measure would let Republicans who voted against conviction “off the hook.”

Mr. McConnell said Mr. Trump was now a private citizen and suggested he could still face criminal prosecution for his acts. “He didn’t get away with anything. Yet,” Mr. McConnell said. — Richard Cowan, David Morgan and Makini Brice/Reuters

Coronavirus strain found in Polish mink can pass to humans, gov’t says

WARSAW – A strain of the coronavirus discovered in mink on a farm in northern Poland can be transmitted to humans and vice versa, the agriculture ministry said on Saturday.

COVID-19 was found in mink in Kartuzy county late last month, in what agriculture officials said was the first such case in Poland, raising fears of costly culls in an industry that counts over 350 farms in the country.

“Data obtained from the chief sanitary inspectorate and last year’s experiences in Denmark and the Netherlands clearly indicate that also in Poland, this virus can spread from mink to humans and vice versa,” the ministry said in a statement.

Denmark’s entire herd of some 17 million mink, one of the world’s biggest, was ordered to be culled in early November after hundreds of farms suffered outbreaks of coronavirus and authorities found mutated strains of the virus among people.

In August, the Netherlands decided to order the closure of more than 100 mink farms after several employees contracted COVID-19.

Following the discovery of COVID-19 at the farm in Kartuzy county, Polish authorities said all mink there would be culled. – Reuters

GLOBAL MARKETS — Stocks hit record highs; yields highest since March

NEW YORK – MSCI’s gauge of stocks across the globe rose for a 10th straight session on Friday and hit another record high as investors anticipated new fiscal aid from Washington to help the U.S. economy recover, while benchmark U.S. Treasury yields rose to their highest levels since March.

On Wall Street, all three major indexes hit record closing highs, with energy, financial and materials leading gains among S&P sectors as investors snapped up cyclical and under-priced value stocks. All three indexes also posted gains for the week.

The Cboe Volatility Index, Wall Street’s fear gauge, ended below 20 for the first time since February 2020, shortly before the coronavirus pandemic roiled U.S. stocks.

“We’re underestimating the lag effect of all the money in the system as more and more vaccinations are delivered and as more of the country reopens” from business shutdowns, said Thomas Hayes, chairman and managing member of hedge fund Great Hill Capital LLC in New York.

“We are continuing this rotation that would be consistent with the new business cycle, and as (bond) yields go up, value and cyclicals will lead,” Hayes said.

U.S. President Joe Biden pushed for the first major legislative achievement of his term, turning to a bipartisan group of local officials for help on his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan.

The dollar was slightly higher, coming off its strongest level for the day, as risk appetite returned to the market, while Bitcoin was down 1.3% on the day at $47,356, after hitting a record high of $49,000. It posted gains of roughly 20% in a milestone week marked by the endorsement of major firms such as Elon Musk’s Tesla.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 27.7 points, or 0.09%, to 31,458.4, the S&P 500 gained 18.45 points, or 0.47%, to 3,934.83 and the Nasdaq Composite added 69.70 points, or 0.5%, to 14,095.47.

The U.S. stock market will be closed on Monday because of the Presidents Day holiday.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose 0.64% and MSCI’s gauge of stocks across the globe gained 0.37%.

In the bond market, investors closed positions ahead of a long U.S. weekend, while inflation expectations edged up to a six-year high.

Benchmark 10-year yields rose to 1.203%, just pipping an 11-month high of 1.20% that was set on Monday.

The dollar index rose 0.042%, with the euro down 0.08% to $1.2118.

Oil prices climbed more than 2%, hitting the highest levels in more than a year on hopes a U.S. stimulus will boost the economy and fuel demand.

Brent crude rose $1.29 to settle at $62.43 a barrel after rising to a session high of $62.83, the highest since Jan. 22, 2020. U.S. oil gained $1.23 to $59.47 after rising to a session high of $59.82, the highest since Jan. 9, 2020.

Spot gold dropped 0.1% to $1,823.46 an ounce. – Reuters

Anger over arrests in Myanmar at anti-coup protests

Opponents of Myanmar’s military coup sustained mass protests for an eighth straight day on Saturday as continuing arrests of junta critics added to anger over the detention of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Thousands assembled in the business hub, Yangon, while protesters took to the streets of the capital Naypyitaw, the second city Mandalay and other towns a day after the biggest protests so far in the Southeast Asian country.

“Stop kidnapping at night,” was among the signs held up by protesters in Yangon in response to arrest raids in recent days.

The United Nations human rights office said on Friday more than 350 people, including officials, activists and monks, have been arrested in Myanmar since the Feb. 1 coup, including some who face criminal charges on “dubious grounds”.

Anger in Myanmar has been fuelled by videos showing more arrests of government critics – including a doctor who was part of the civil disobedience movement. Some arrests have taken place during the hours of darkness.

Internet memes captioned “Our nights aren’t safe anymore” and “Myanmar military is kidnapping people at night” have circulated widely on social media.

The government did not respond to requests for comment on the arrests.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a watchdog group for political prisoners, voiced concern.

“Family members are left with no knowledge of the charges, location, or condition of their loved ones. These are not isolated incidents, and nighttime raids are targeting dissenting voices. It is happening across the country,” it said in a statement.

The army said it had seized power because of alleged fraud in a November election that Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party had won in a landslide. The army’s complaints were dismissed by Myanmar’s electoral commission.

 

TRANSITION HALTED

The coup halted a tentative transition to democracy that began in 2011 after nearly half a century of isolation and stagnation under military juntas.

Suu Kyi, for decades the standard bearer of the fight for democracy in Myanmar, faces charges of illegally importing and using six walkie-talkie radios found in a search of her house.

The 47-member U.N. Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on Friday calling on Myanmar to release Suu Kyi and other officials from detention and refrain from using violence on protesters.

Thomas Andrews, the U.N. rights investigator for Myanmar, told a special session of the rights council in Geneva that the U.N. Security Council should consider imposing sanctions and arms embargoes.

Myint Thu, Myanmar’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, told the session that Myanmar did not want “to stall the nascent democratic transition in the country,” and would continue international cooperation.

The United States this week began imposing sanctions on the ruling generals and some businesses linked to them.

Airline staff, health workers, engineers and school teachers were among groups that joined the protest marches on Saturday and which have rallied to a civil disobedience campaign that has shut down a swath of government business.

“We are preschool teachers, Every child our future, We don’t want dictatorship,” said one banner.

The state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper said thousands of people had joined pro-military demonstrations in parts of Myanmar on Friday. Reuters was not immediately able to verify the report.

The junta remitted the sentences of more than 23,000 prisoners on Friday, saying the move was consistent with “establishing a new democratic state with peace, development and discipline” and would “please the public”. – Reuters

U.S. CDC recommends schools reopen with masks and rigid health protocols

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday issued new guidance for U.S. schools to reopen, recommending universal mask-wearing and physical distancing as key COVID-19 mitigation strategies to get children back in the classroom quickly.

The guidelines, which also emphasize the need for facility-cleaning, personal hygiene and contact tracing, are intended to give school districts a road map to bring the nation’s 55 million public school students back to classrooms without sparking COVID-19 outbreaks.

“We believe with the strategies we have put forward that there will be limited to no transmission in schools if followed,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky told reporters, noting that the CDC was not mandating that schools reopen.

The agency also said school reopenings should not be conditional on teachers’ access to COVID-19 vaccines, but strongly recommended U.S. states prioritize teachers and school staff for vaccination.

President Joe Biden promised to reopen most K-8 schools within 100 days of taking office on Jan. 20. He praised the CDC’s guidance on Friday and emphasized the problems arising from the continued closure of schools, including children’s mental health struggles and the exodus of parents from the workforce.

“We have sacrificed so much in the last year. But science tells us that if we support our children, educators, and communities with the resources they need, we can get kids back to school safely in more parts of the country sooner,” Biden said in a statement.

Just 44% of U.S. school districts were offering fully in-person learning as of December and 31% were operating all remotely, according to the Center for Reinventing Public Education, which surveyed 477 of the nation’s nearly 13,000 school districts. Other districts have employed a hybrid learning model, where students attend some school days in-person and some virtually.

School reopenings have caused labor disputes between teachers unions, who fear for their members’ safety, and school districts in major U.S. cities. In Chicago this week, the teachers union and district reached agreement on a safety plan after months of negotiations that included threats of a strike.

On Friday, the American Federation of Teachers, which has about 1.7 million members, commended the CDC’s guidance for relying on “facts and evidence.”

“We urge the CDC to remain flexible as more data comes to light. The guidance is instructive for this moment in time, but this disease is not static,” AFT President Randi Weingarten said in a statement.

 

FLEXIBLE APPROACH

The CDC’s phased mitigation strategy is adaptable depending on the level of COVID-19 transmission in a school’s community.

In areas where the COVID-19 positive test rate is below 5% and there were fewer than nine new cases per 100,000 in the last seven days, schools can fully reopen and safely relax social distancing measures as long as masks are worn, Walensky said. In areas of higher transmission, the agency is urging 6 feet (1.83 m) of separation in classrooms and weekly testing of students, teachers and staff.

Elementary school students should learn in-person at least part-time even in areas of high transmission, the guidance says.

Recent studies have shown that in-person learning has not been associated with increased community transmission, especially in elementary schools.

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy criticized the reopening guidelines on Friday as not bold enough to ensure that students return to classrooms promptly.

“Families and students deserve better. They need iron-clad assurances that their children will be able to get back into the classroom environment that offers the best education model,” McCarthy said in a statement.

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, said on Friday that House committees were working to pass Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan legislation, which includes a $130 billion investment that could help schools follow the CDC protocols, to help schools enforce the CDC’s guidelines.

“Without strong assistance from Congress, our schools cannot afford to enact the science-based safety precautions required,” Pelosi said in a statement.  Reuters

India, pharmacy of the world, falls behind on vaccinations at home

NEW DELHI – India has won plaudits for gifting and selling COVID-19 vaccines around the world, but it will have to crank up the pace of immunisations at home to meet its targets.

Having reported the world’s second-highest number of COVID-19 cases after the United States, India wants to innoculate 300 million people – a fifth of its population – against the virus by August.

However, in four weeks health workers vaccinated only 7.5 million frontline workers on priority, a rate at which it would take India several years to reach its goal.

“Vaccination programmes usually start off slow and then ramp up as logistic and operational issues are sorted out,” said Gagandeep Kang, Professor of Microbiology at the Christian Medical College in Vellore.

“In India, we are fortunate that supply of vaccines is not a rate-limiting step, but to meet the timelines set by the government, we will have to immunise somewhere between 4 and 5 times more people each day than we are doing today.”

The government says it is ready to step up vaccinations from next month, including by roping in more private hospitals, once identified groups from the general public are given the shots. A government online vaccine platform told Reuters it could handle 10 million inoculations a day.

The health ministry also says India is the fastest to reach the 7 million milestone, though immunisation relative to population has been much higher in many other countries.

Several big Indian states, such as Tamil Nadu and Punjab, have covered fewer than 40% of their high-risk people such as nurses, doctors and hospital cleaning staff, worrying the federal government.

New Delhi has urged states to accelerate vaccinations after a review found “substantial” room for improvement, though the government thinks involving too many private players in the campaign might be tricky.

“Administering vaccines needs a system because of the nature of the disease,” said a senior government official involved in the process, declining to be named citing service rules.

“They have to take details of the person taking it, record and monitor it.”

 

‘STOKING INHIBITIONS’

India, which makes 60% of all vaccines in the world, has gifted or sold COVID-19 shots to 17 countries and has requests from five more. The government, however, told parliament this week it was coordinating with the manufacturers to ensure adequate supplies for its own campaign.

It also says infrastructure such as cold storage and special vehicles are not an issue, while acknowledging vaccine hesitancy among some beneficiaries.

India has deployed the COVAXIN shot developed by Bharat Biotech in partnership with the state-run Indian Council of Medical Research, as well as a vaccine licensed from AstraZeneca and Oxford University.

Some doctors and the opposition-ruled state of Chhattisgarh, however, are worried about COVAXIN, which was approved last month for emergency use without any efficacy data from a late-stage trial.

The health ministry has chastised Chhattisgarh for “stoking inhibitions” over vaccines during a pandemic. India recorded 9,309 daily new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, increasing the total number to 10.88 million cases since the pandemic began. Deaths rose by 87 to a total of 155,447.

“In such unprecedented times, you should help address any vaccine hesitancy and do what’s in the best interest of people, not further vested interests!” Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Twitter in response to a letter from his Chhattisgarh counterpart.

Bharat Biotech has said efficacy data from the late-stage clinical trial will be out by next month. The government has called the shot safe and effective.

India is also expected to approve other shots in coming months, including Russia’s Sputnik V and products from Cadila Healthcare, Novavax and Johnson & Johnson. – Reuters

FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers in Doha cancelled

The FIBA Asia Cup qualifying matches scheduled to begin next week in Doha, Qatar, are not pushing through after world basketball governing body FIBA was forced to cancel the proceedings because of rising cases of the coronavirus there.

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) confirmed on Friday early reports in the day that FIBA assessed the situation and deemed it fit to postpone the third window of the qualifiers as cases of the coronavirus in Doha were on the rise and that Qatar has raised restrictions on those coming into the country.

Gilas Pilipinas was set to compete in the window in Group A and to play three matches – two against Korea and one versus Indonesia – from Feb. 18 to 22. Also part of the group is Thailand.

Also affected were scheduled matches in Group B, which features China, Japan, Chinese Taipei, and Malaysia; and Group E, which has Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and host Qatar. 

“The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas regrets to inform everyone that the final window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers, as scheduled to start on February 17 in Doha, Qatar, will not be pushing through. The SBP received a letter from FIBA Executive Director-Asia Hagop Khajirian informing all teams from Groups A, B, and E that the Ministry of Public Health in Qatar has ordered to cancel all events hosted there due to the increasing rates of COVID-19 in the country,” read the statement of SBP President Al Panlilio on the cancellation of the window.

“The SBP is saddened by the development especially because we know the kind of work that our Gilas Pilipinas Men’s pool has done in Calamba,” it added, referring to the pool of cadet and Philippine Basketball Association players training in a “bubble” setup at the INSPIRE Sports Academy in Laguna in preparation for the competition in Doha.

The team was supposed to leave for Doha this weekend.

The cancellation marked the second time that Group A matches in the third window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers had been shelved. 

The Philippines was supposed to host the teams in the group and those in Group C (New Zealand, Australia, Guam and Hong Kong) at Clark City in Pampanga this month until SBP was forced to cancel it because of the new strains of the coronavirus and the heightened restrictions that the government put up because of them.

Group A matches were relocated to Doha after.

While saddened by the news, the SBP fully understands the situation. 

“Although we are saddened by the situation, we also understand the predicament faced by the Qatar Basketball Federation as they had no choice but to follow the mandate of their government,” said Mr. Panlilio. 

Adding, “These are extraordinary times and we can only do our best given the hand we are dealt. We thank our Qatari friends for their willingness to host our group given the short notice and we are hoping that the rise of COVID-19 cases in their country ceases soon.” 

FIBA is currently studying all the available alternatives for having the games in the near future.

Stay connected and win a Honda Brio

Honda Cars Philippines to give away brand new Brio and other exciting prizes

Honda’s automobile business unit in the Philippines, will be giving away exciting raffle prizes for Honda car owners who will update their contact information by March 18, 2021.

As part of its efforts to stay connected with its customers, the company encourages all Honda car owners, both new and existing, to register and provide their contact information (with OTP and email verification) through the microsite link of HCPI at https://hondaphil.com/raffle. In order to fully enjoy their ownership of a Honda vehicle, once connected, customers will get regular and relevant updates from Honda. Moreover, customers who will successfully update their contact information through the link will get one (1) e-raffle entry for a chance to win exciting items.

In addition, Honda car owners who have successfully updated and registered their contact information online will get one (1) additional e-raffle entry, should they bring in their vehicle for preventive maintenance during the e-raffle duration until March 18, 2021. The additional e-raffle coupon will be sent via email.

For added convenience, Honda owners may also update their information by scanning the QR code link below.

Forty (40) winners may win any of the following exciting prizes:

List of E-Raffle Prizes

  • 1 winner of Honda Brio 1.2 S MT
  • 25 winners of Free Gas worth PHP 8,000 each
  • 1 winner of iPhone 11 (64gb)
  • 1 winner of Nintendo Switch
  • 1 winner of iPad Air (3rd Gen.) (64gb)
  • 5 winners of Blaupunkt Air Purifier
  • 3 winners of Rustan’s Gift Certificate worth PHP 5,000 each
  • 3 winners of Sodexo Gift Certificate worth PHP 2,500 each

Per DTI Fair Trade Permit No. FTEB-106076 Series of 2020

 

The electronic raffle draw is scheduled for March 23, 2021, with the presence of a DTI representative.

Winning customers will be notified by HCPI through their registered email or by a phone call and will be announced through HCPI’s official website and Facebook page.

To know more about the mechanics of the raffle, and the latest HCPI news and promos, visit the nearest Honda Cars dealership, or access Honda Cars Philippines, Inc.’s VIRTUAL SHOWROOM through HCPI’s official website at www.hondaphil.com

Forecast for the Year of the Metal Ox

This year’s celebration of Chinese New Year ushers in the Year of the Metal Ox. Coming from a very disruptive year that even turned forecasts around, many who continue to embrace ancient Chinese traditions still look forward to what this new lunar year projects for themselves, from their relationships to their wealth.

This year’s zodiac animal, the ox or buffalo, comes second in the Chinese calendar. According to chinesenewyear.net, a myth narrates that the order of the animals would be decided by the order in which they arrived at the Jade Emperor’s party. Ox was about to arrive first, but the Rat tricked the Ox into giving him a ride. Upon their arrival, the Rat jumped down and landed ahead of the Ox, making the latter second in order.

Furthermore, the Ox is linked with hard work, discipline, loyalty, a fair appreciation of tangible reality, honesty, earnestness.

For such characteristics, the Year of the Metal Ox apparently gives a brink of optimism, which American Professional astrologer and feng shui consultant Susan Levitt shares.

“The Ox is a powerful animal who has the ability to transform the negative challenges of Rat year 2020 into positive outcomes in 2021. Ox can save us from disaster, and help reconstruct because Ox is a builder,” Ms. Levitt explained on her website.

However, Filipino feng shui expert Hanz Cua somehow differs from this view. In a report from One News on New Year’s Eve, Mr. Cua said that the Year of the Metal Ox might be a tough year since the fire element — which supposedly attracts prosperity — is missing in the new lunar year.

“Based on my predictions, the charts, and the guides, I see 2021 will possibly be more difficult in terms of financial, in terms of opportunities, [and] in terms of money,” Mr. Cua explained in Filipino.

On the other hand, Marites Allen, often called “The Queen of Feng Shui,” considers 2021 to be a favorable year for economic recovery and long-term investments, as well as emotional and spiritual reconstruction.

“We’re not yet out of the woods, but the fourth quarter of the year may be better as the economy starts to work again. The world has changed and everyone has to change. And it takes us, as a person, to really make a change,” Ms. Allen was quoted as saying in a story from PhilSTAR Life.

Rewards for hard work

For businesses, a positive outlook is painted for those who work hard. “Those who conduct their business with seriousness and commitment will be able to receive appreciation for their respective environments,” astrology website KarmaWeather wrote.

Recognizing, however, that the energetic nature of the Ox makes it more difficult for new products to emerge, the website advised companies to capitalize on their intrinsic qualities in order to guarantee the efficiency of their production and communication.

Moreover, medium and large businesses are advised to be particularly honest and transparent when interacting with colleagues, particularly with managers.

“The qualities of initiative circumscribed to the values of loyalty and perfectionism, themselves nourished by an exacerbated realism, are likely to be the most coveted professional assets in 2021,” the website added.

In terms of what businesses are expected to prosper this year, Mr. Cua sees transportation, food, and essential businesses to continuously grow. He also sees technology-related businesses as good prospects.

“Businesses that have to do with computers, the Internet, and cellphones are still very popular in 2021,” Mr. Cua said in another televised interview, adding that businesses related to visuals are also recommended.

Ms. Allen also expects anything related to the Internet, connectivity, e-commerce, computers, and technology to thrive. She added that the Year of the Metal Ox gives a healthy prospect on anything pharmaceutical, health, and wellness.

Forecasts

Rats are expected to experience better luck as well as a serene year. Ms. Allen warns of health concerns “owing to the illness energies of the year.”

Aligned to the present lunar year, the Oxen are projected by KarmaWeather to have “a prosperous period focused on construction, material stability, and the strengthening of emotional unions.” Ms. Allen expects for them “lots of happy events especially in the areas of business.”

Amid a somewhat difficult year announced to them, tigers are told Allen to expect change, but not be overwhelmed with responsibilities that come their way.

Rabbits are called to let things come to them at first and take the time to analyze the opportunities presented to them. They may need to take a breather and step back whenever they feel overwhelmed.

With a moderate year presaged for Dragons, carefulness is advised, using fast thinking skills and paying more attention to things.

Opportunities are on the way of Snakes for this year, albeit they are warned not to trust too much on their intuition and continue to capitalize on pre-existing achievements.

Horses can finally breathe a sigh of relief this year, according to Ms. Allen, and so they can start rebuilding and putting things in place.

Goats or Sheeps are advised to safeguard their finances and prove themselves to the industry they are in as the year is expected to give them a “bumpy ride.”

Amid “a hectic and sometimes annoying year” for them, Monkeys are expected to find new markets to invest in; yet they are advised to improve on their negotiation skills.

Roosters are predicted to excel in their career and wealth as long as they trust in their abilities and carry their team along at the same time.

Dogs are called to be patient, even hesitant in starting new important projects. The elements of the year are expected to give them the desire to grow and they will be able to think outside the box.

While it may not be a smooth journey for them this year, with good professional prospects offsetting a relative slowdown in love, Pigs or Boars are encouraged to seek opportunities to help them grow and avoid succumbing to excesses. — Adrian Paul B. Conoza

Celebrating the spectacle of tradition

It is no small wonder how billions of people in the world celebrate Lunar New Year every year. After all, we are talking about centuries-old traditions, steeped in mythology and folklore, not only surviving but thriving in the age of space exploration and artificial intelligence.

Legend once spoke of the great beast Nian, which terrorized Chinese villages long ago at the end of each year, destroying homes and taking the lives of innocent villagers. Yet, after it was discovered that loud noises and bright lights could scare the beast away, a yearly tradition was born.

Nowadays, such traditions persist in the brilliant fireworks and lively annual celebrations. Though being in winter for most of China, the Chinese New Year is popularly known as the Spring Festival in China, marking the end of winter and the beginning of spring. The 15-day New Year festivities kick off with a week-long holiday in China, and much like the Western New Year (Jan. 1), the biggest celebration is on New Year’s Eve.

During this time, every street, building, and home is decorated with red, the main color of the festival, which many believe represents luck. As 2021 will be a year of the Ox, many of the decorations will be related to the ox, the second animal in the Chinese zodiac, a 12-year periodic sequence of animals which appear in the Chinese calendar.

In many Chinese cities from New Year’s Day, traditional performances can be seen: dragon dances, lion dances, and imperial performances. Such performances are long-lived traditions in their own right. Chinese dragons are believed to be a symbol of China’s culture, and they represent power, dignity, fertility, wisdom and auspiciousness. In many legends, the dragon is both a fearsome creature, and a benevolent one, and it was an emblem to represent imperial authority. In the dragon dance, the movements traditionally symbolize historical roles of dragons demonstrating power and dignity.

For many Chinese families, New Year’s Eve is the most important time of the year. Everyone is expected to be home to celebrate the festival with their families by partaking in the New Year’s Eve dinner called ‘reunion dinner’, believed to be the most important meal of the year. Typically, families gather at a designated relative’s house for dinner, but increasingly, many families are spending their New Year’s Eve dinner at restaurants. Many of which, due to the occasion, require reservations months in advance.

There are also some wealthy families that hire a professional chef to come cook at their house. Chefs are often busy running from one home to another cooking dinners for different families on New Year’s Eve.

Afterwards, families typically watch the Spring Festival Gala together, one of the most watched TV shows in China.

During this time, people also exchange gifts, the most common of which are the customary red envelopes with money inside. Called “hong bao” in Mandarin, these envelopes are often only given to children or unmarried adults with no job. If you are single, working adult, you are expected to give these to your younger relatives.

Of course, at the strike of midnight come the dazzling display of fireworks. Anywhere you are on the globe, fireworks and firecrackers are launched on the first minute of the Chinese new year. From public displays in major cities to millions of private celebrations in China’s rural areas, setting off firecrackers and fireworks is part of the celebration.

Other celebrations to look forward to

Aside from New Year’s Eve, there are other important days of the 15-day Chinese New Year Festival. On the fifth day of New Year’s for instance, it is believed that the gods of prosperity come down from the heavens. People do their best to celebrate the occasion, which is called Jie Cai Ceng, or Welcoming the Gods of Wealth and Prosperity. This is a time for businesses to participate in setting off firecrackers, as they believe it will bring them prosperity and good fortune for their business.

The 15th day of the New Year is known as Yuan Xiao Jie or the Festival of Lanterns. and marks the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations. All types of lanterns are lit throughout the streets and often poems and riddles are often written for entertainment.

There are also paper lanterns on wheels created in the form of either a rabbit or the zodiac animal of the year. The rabbit lantern symbolizes an ancient Chinese myth about a goddess named Chang’E who jumped to the moon. Anxious to travel alone, the goddess brought a rabbit with her to keep her company. It is said that if your heart is pure enough, you can see the goddess Chang’E and her rabbit on the moon on this day.

Each and every element of the Lunar New Year is imbued with traditional folklore such as this, owing to the centuries of history the tradition brings with it. As time goes on, more of these traditions will evolve and change, and only time will tell what such spectacles they will bring in the future. — Bjorn Biel M. Beltran

Foods for good fortune

Chinese New Year is a time for family reunions and hopeful beginnings. Hence, there is a “reunion dinner” that takes place on the eve of this holiday. But it is believed that to achieve one’s goals for the year ahead, certain “lucky” foods must be served for the occasion.

Similar wordings and/or appearances are the reasons why some dishes are considered to be magnets of good luck. These foods have essential rules of preparation and consumption to preserve the promise of a triumphant, prosperous, and harmonious year.

Successful ‘year cake’

The traditional food to be eaten on Chinese New Year is the nian gao, which is also known as the sweet glutinous rice cake or a “year cake.” Generally, its ingredients are only glutinous rice flour and liquid slab sugar. But being served for over a thousand years in different regions of China, nian gao already has varieties in sweetness, savory, and texture. Though it is usually dished up in bite-size pieces, it implies a big fortune for the new year.

In Cantonese, the words “nian” and “gao” are akin to the sounds of “year” and “higher” respectively. Thus, the food is more suitable to be eaten at the beginning of the year because of the signification that one can reach success in his/her endeavors, particularly in career matters.

Wealthy foods

For those who desire abundance for this year, a lot of meal options must be served.

Among the traditional Chinese New Year foods are dumplings. It is popularly eaten year-round but its symbolic presentation makes it appropriate for the new year. Chinese people consider that dumplings can induce wealth because of its shape’s resemblance to gold ingot.

Commonly, dumplings are made of chopped vegetables and minced meat that are wrapped in dough skin. Its fillings contain different meanings as well. For example, Chinese sauerkraut dumplings are avoided in the new year because they can indicate difficult prospects. But to make dumplings “lucky”, they must be formed with a good number of pleats. Some people also insert a copper coin in the dumpling, and then whoever eats it can have a chance of becoming wealthy.

It is also believed that the number of dumplings you eat on the Chinese New Year can foretell the worth you will earn for the year.

Aside from dumplings, spring rolls are also significant during this holiday. These deep-fried rolls of vegetable and meat contents have an appearance comparable to gold bars. Hence, this food is associated with bearing wealth.

For a non-savory dish that can still bring abundance, one can also have a tray of togetherness. It is usually comprised of eight snacks like candies, nuts, or fruits. To gain prosperity, opt for chestnuts, peach seeds, almonds, apricots, hazelnuts, pomelos, prunes, oranges, and sweet treats.

‘Whole’ meats

Fish and chicken are undeniably common in cuisines. But for Chinese New Year, these meats are crucial to be served as a whole.

Both the cooking and consumption of fish meat need to be in full. Its head and tail mean that there is a start and a finish that must be completed. Additionally, in Mandarin, the pronunciation of “fish” is similar to the word “surplus.” Thus, Chinese people also relate this meal as a symbol of more wealth to come.

Meanwhile, preparing a whole chicken dish is important if one hopes for unity. Serving every chicken part uncut therefore suggests a coming together of the whole family.

For those who do not prefer meats, sweet rice balls or tangyuan can also invoke family reunions. Tangyuan is made with glutinous rice flour and is cooked either in a thin broth or deep-fried. Regarding its belief origin, tangyuan is linked to a Cantonese phrase that indicates completeness, which can also signify contentment with one’s life. Moreover, a small change of the word’s tone can also modify its meaning to “family reunion.”

Longevity noodles

Noodles as a symbol of long life are well-known throughout Asia. It is served not only for Chinese New Year but also during birthdays and weddings. When cooking and eating the noodles, one must also be mindful not to cut them to sustain the idea of a long and healthy life. The usual length of longevity noodles is two feet long but it is also believed that the longer the noodles one eats, the luckier he or she can become.

Fortune fruits

Fruits like oranges and pomelos can elicit prosperity. Citrus fruits are believed to produce good fortune and happiness as well. Tangerine, which has a homonym in Cantonese that means luck, is the most traditional fruit to be served and to be given to the visitors.

Aside from citrus fruits, gold-colored grapes are also valuable for Chinese New Year. It is said to bring good fortune and can also represent success, abundance, and fertility. — Chelsey Keith P. Ignacio

New normal ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day

The quarantine has changed the way people show love due to limited physical connections and disruptions in various areas of life. Although the pandemic has forced to halt some activities, expressing love should not be part of that.

Valentine’s Day of 2021 will be celebrated differently compared to the prior years because certain regulations and precautions will hinder conventional date ideas. Even if the protocols are getting loose, people must remain vigilant in rejoicing love. The occasion can still be delightfully marked even in lesser contact yet with more sincere effort fueled by the same passionate purpose.

If there is certainty, families, friends, and couples may still see each other on Valentine’s Day. Nevertheless, they must be careful about celebrating it together. Instead of joining a probable crowd outside, try modifying the environment of the house.

Couples can still execute a romantic date night at their dinner table. They can imitate how most restaurants set the mood for Valentine’s like a Victorian romantic dinner — using a glass of champagne, serving a smoked salmon, or adding strawberries covered with chocolate on the side. If couples do not want a luxurious setting, they can simply order foods, watch movies, or make meaningful conversations.

Meanwhile, friends can celebrate this occasion by going back to an after-school-like hangout. Families, especially those with kids, can still celebrate love more at home through sharing activities that young children will enjoy the most. Whatever the home arrangement on Valentine’s Day for different loved ones, the most important is that the event will be done as a safe and blissful escape from the difficulties caused by the pandemic.

But if the preference is outdoor celebrations, malls, restaurants, and parks may not be the most favorable options. Instead, if available, a small Valentine’s gathering can happen in a car or by driving to a location away from crowds.

Even before the quarantine, there are already love expressed in a long distance. Some people may have experienced this and already know how to celebrate Valentine’s Day in this situation. Whether a partner, friend, or family lives far away, technology gives chance to interact with them, especially with Zoom becoming more popular nowadays.

Sending gifts can also be done online. For those who are in a budget, they can convey their love in digitally or through letter writing or sending stuff with sentimental value. Materialism is not a core principle of Valentine’s Day anyway. People just need to make sure that their loved ones will not feel alone on this occasion.

Finding love, not just celebrating it, is also commonly done on Valentine’s Day. Since having physical contact with strangers and acquaintances is strictly not advised, people can try to search for love and have dates in the digital space. Others may have a complicated outlook towards online dating but the current pandemic can change their perspective.

Using dating apps for the first time may be intimidating and frightening but if a person sincerely wants to find love in this way, he/she should attempt to be buoyant, curious, and acknowledge that a lot of people are also really desiring to meet someone in this setup.

Meanwhile, some people will merely let Valentine’s Day pass by like regular dates. But regardless if a person is single or not, he/she can still make this a memorable event. People can look more at St. Valentine, the patron saint commemorated on this day, and ponder over the reason why February 14 became momentous.

There are many narrative versions of St. Valentine. But the famous tale recounts that he was a priest who recognized and did something about the injustice shown by Emperor Claudius II’s law that prohibited young men to marry because of the judgment that single men make good soldiers.

With St. Valentine’s martyrdom story, people can spend this special day by fostering love and justice within the community, especially in dealing with the issues exposed by COVID-19 and recent natural disasters. With this action, people are celebrating a kind of love that is not only directed to close relationships but for the country as well.

Meanwhile, anyone can still feel loved by practicing self-care. They can celebrate Valentine’s day similar to how couples will do, except that foods, gifts, and quality time will be devoted for oneself. This can be the day when an individual can put him/herself first above all.

Since these celebrations are recommended to be cherished at home, the planning does not need to be grand. Treat this Valentine’s Day as a moment to simply remember love amidst the turbulent times. — Chelsey Keith P. Ignacio

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