News Roundup 27 February 2020
Feb 27, 2020 • 2 min Read
Lent a time to disconnect, give up trolling — Pope Francis | PHILSTAR.COM – Addressing scores of Catholic faithful in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis on Ash Wednesday (Philippine time) appealed for Catholics around the world to disconnect from their phones and cease their online trolling to focus on their religious devotions. In his address, the Pope reminded Catholics that Lent was a “time to give up useless words, gossip, rumors, tittle-tattle and speak to God on a first-name basis.” “We live in an environment polluted by too much verbal violence, by many offensive and harmful words, which the internet amplifies,” said Pope Francis.
Cabinet members, military ‘have reservations, apprehensions’ over VFA abrogation – Lacson | Manila Bulletin – A good number of Cabinet members and military officers have reservations or apprehensions on the unilateral abrogation by the Philippines of the 21-year-old PH-US Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). This was revealed on Thursday by Senator Panfilo M. Lacson, chairman of the Senate National Defense and Security Committee, during a Senate media forum, ‘’Kapihan sa Senado,’’ where he also expounded on issues surrounding the ABS-CBN franchise renewal and the Anti-Terror bill.
Court needs time to study ABS-CBN case | The Manila Times – Supreme Court justices deferred action on the quo warranto and gag-order petitions filed by the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) against ABS-CBN Corp. and ABS-CBN Convergence because they want more time to study the case, the Supreme Court said on Wednesday.
Saudi Arabia halts travel to Islam’s holiest site over virus |INQUIRER.NET – DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Saudi Arabia on Thursday halted travel to the holiest sites in Islam over fears about a new viral epidemic just months ahead of the annual hajj pilgrimage, a move coming as the Mideast has over 220 confirmed cases of the illness. The extraordinary decision by Saudi Arabia stops foreigners from reaching the holy city of Mecca and the Kaaba, the cube-shaped structure the world’s 1.8 billion Muslims pray toward five times a day. It also said travel was suspended to Prophet Muhammad’s mosque in Medina.
