Author: Agnes Alpuerto

Also known as the Festival of Lights, Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday observed over eight days and is celebrated with a nightly lighting of the menorah, as well as foods and prayer. This year, it is celebrated from the night of December 10 through December 18. Contrary to common belief, Hanukkah isn’t actually a religious celebration. To the Jewish people, Hanukkah marks the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the second century B.C. The event occurred when Jews rose up against Greek-Syrian rulers in the Maccabean Revolt and drove them out of Jerusalem. According to History Channel, Jews…

American comedian and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres revealed on Thursday that she had tested positive for the coronavirus, but “feeling fine”. “I want to let you all know that I tested positive for Covid-19. Fortunately, I’m feeling fine right now,” she said in a post on her verified Twitter account. pic.twitter.com/8pKdgCXY1z— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) December 10, 2020 DeGeneres, 62, also added that all her close contacts have already been notified so they can get themselves checked and quarantined if possible. Her popular daytime show “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” was following all health guidelines and protocols issued by the Centers…

Swifties unite! Taylor Swift’s 9th studio album, and folklore’s sister record, will be out at Thursday midnight eastern. While most are still adjusting to the new normal, Taylor Swift is releasing her second album of 2020, ‘Evermore’. “To put it plainly, we just couldn’t stop writing songs. To try and put it more poetically, it feels like we were standing on the edge of the folklorian woods and had a choice: to turn and go back or to travel further into the forest of this music. We chose to wander deeper in”, she announced earlier through her social media platforms.…

Forbes Asia launched its inaugural 100 Digital Stars list this week, which includes Vietnam’s very own Chi Pu, Dong Nhi and Tran Thanh. The Forbes Asia’s 100 Digital Stars highlights celebrities from across the Asia Pacific region who have taken the digital world by storm and have used their digital influence for social advocacy and causes. This list comes at an unexceptional time. Much of the region’s population is spending time isolated at home where people are relying on their screens for communication and entertainment, reads an article from Forbes Asia. “We’ve given special focus to celebrities who, despite cancelled…

The US set another grim record on Wednesday, when it recorded 3,000 coronavirus deaths in a single day for the first time. According to the New York Times, at least 3,011 people died of COVID-19 on December 9 alone, the most number yet in any single day since the pandemic hit the US. Over the past seven days, the country has been reporting an average of 2,249 deaths each day. By comparison, 2977 people died in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack. It was the country’s deadliest day in modern times – before Wednesday’s record-breaking death toll. While the coronavirus…

Google continues to honor and celebrate the lives of notable men and women from around the world who made great contributions to the society. Today, December 10, aside from Russian painter Zinaida Serebriakova, Google Doodle also recognized African-American Economist Sir W Arthur Lewis. On this day in 1979, Sir Lewis was jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in Economics for his work to model the economic forces that impact developing countries. The illustration used in the Google Doodle was made by Manchester-based guest artist Camilla Ru. Sir William Arthur Lewis was a trailblazer not only in his research, but as…

Witnessing the Northern Lights, a colorful and spectacular event caused by a solar flare, is in everyone’s bucket list. It’s best watched in Iceland and Finland, but of course, international travel is currently a no-no. But American skywatchers may just see this dancing of colors in the sky this week right outside their very own homes. The Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) has issued G1, G2, and G3 geomagnetic storm watches for the nights of Wednesday, December 9, and Thursday, December 10. The brief period of a G3 storm alert on the night of December 9 could mean that the…

As the UK started its coronavirus vaccine program this week, fears arose after participants of a US trials of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine developed Bell’s palsy. Bell’s palsy is a temporary paralysis of facial muscles that leads to drooping of one side of the face. It usually occurs when a nerve that controls the muscles becomes inflamed, swollen or compressed. The condition resembles a stroke, with most patients watching helplessly as one side of their face droops and their muscles go limp. In some rare situations, both sides of the face may become paralyzed. It is unclear what causes Bell’s palsy,…

The breathtaking and tourist-favorite island of Phu Quoc will soon become Vietnam’s first island city after the National Assembly Standing Committee issued approval of the plan. The island city will comprise the entirety of the current Phu Quoc District, which has a total population of 179, 480. It will have seven communes in two wards: Ham Ninh, Duong To, GAnh Dau, Bai Thom, Cua Duong, Cua Can and Tho Chau. Phu Quoc, the largest island in Vietnam, has been gaining attention from foreign travelers and investors in recent years. The tropical island boasts idyllic beaches, lush forests and a serene…

Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield reportedly getting ready to don the web-slinging suit again for the Tom Holland-fronted third Spider-Man film. But they’re not the only ones coming back. Alfred Molina is returning as Doctor Octopus. In fact, they’re all coming back. Everyone is coming back! Just like Jamie Foxx’s Electro, Andrew Garfield will be back, and if Sony and Marvel can close a deal with Tobey Maguire, he’ll be back, too. Kirsten Dunst will return as MJ, and if pregnancy permits, Emma Stone is going to reprise her role as Gwen Stacy. But in case you’re wondering — why…