Author: Agnes Alpuerto

Tennis fans of Roger Federer were devastated and heartbroken after the tennis champion confirmed that he would not be competing at the Australian Open in February 2021. Federer has been recovering from two knee surgeries he underwent during his extended hiatus in 2020. The Swiss champion said he will not be fully fit in time for the season-opening Grand Slam. The 39-year-old had warned it would be a ‘race against time’ for him to have recovered by the time the Australian Open came around, however it was hoped the delayed start to the tournament would give him extra time needed…

A court in Shanghai, China handed a four-year prison sentence to citizen journalist Zhang Zhan for her reporting of the coronavirus pandemic in Wuhan early this year. The 37-year-old former lawyer was found guilty by the Shanghai Pudong New Area People’s Court on Monday morning of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”, a broad and ambiguous offense which carries a maximum sentence of five years and is often used by police against dissidents, activists and journalists. Zhang, who made reports of the Wuhan coronavirus situation through video and blogs, was charged of disseminating false information. Zhang’s lawyer said she attended the…

Singer Jessie J spent her Christmas Eve in a Los Angeles hospital after being struck down with Meniere’s disease. The 32-year-old artist disclosed her illness on a recent Instagram Live in which she revealed that she had difficulty hearing, singing and walking in a straight line because of the disease. Meniere’s disease is a chronic and progressive ear condition that can cause sudden attacks of dizzy spells vertigo and loss of hearing. The disease may cause sufferers to feel like their world is spinning, lose their balance and feel sick.   There’s no treatment for the disease but there are…

US President Donald Trump finally signed into law a US$2.3 trillion pandemic unemployment assistance and spending package that will benefit millions of Americans who lost their jobs because of the coronavirus crisis. Trump, who will be leaving office on January 20 when President-elect Joe Biden takes oath, back down from his earlier threat to block the Bill. The US Congress approved the Bill last week, and put intense pressure on Trump as millions of Americans suffer from the unprecedented effects of coronavirus. Trump was out of public view on Sunday as he golfed at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, even…

The battle against the coronavirus pandemic is still very much prevalent. It still haunts every corner of the globe, and continues to give everyone fear and anxiety – not to mention the pain of being infected or having loved ones infected and killed by the disease. Every day, news about rising infections and deaths dominate front pages and major newscasts. While letting ourselves believe that this would all be over soon has worked in the first few months of this global health crisis, we can longer pretend that the world is healing anytime now. As of December 28, the infections…

Archeologists in Pompeii, an ancient Roman city, discovered an incredibly well-preserved fast food restaurant complete with 2,000-year-old food remnants. The so-called thermopolium, Latin word for a hot drink counter, was discovered in the archeological park’s northeaster Regio V site, which is not yet open to the public. The new discovery will help reveal dishes that were popular for the citizens of Pompeii. Pompeii Archeological Park’s longtime chief, Massimo Osanna said on Saturday that while some 80 such fast-foods have been found in Pompeii, it is the first time such a hot-food-drink eatery was completely unearthed. “As well as bearing witness…

On this day four years ago, iconic actress Carrie Fisher died following a massive heart attack. Her untimely passing came just one month after her last Star Wars movie. Carrie brought the role of Princess Leia to life, and her character became a symbol of women empowerment. The actress’ death still pains everyone whose lives she has touched – her co-actors in Star Wars and all the films she’s been part of as well as her fans who have always considered her an icon in female strength and mental health. Mark Hamill, who played Leia’s twin Luke Skywalker, posted on…

During a time of the year when people have every excuse to indulge in sweet and fatty foods, Jessica Simpson shows us what a real health goal is! The American actress-singer was looking incredibly gorgeous with her new look – obviously much healthier and happier. Jessica, who is also a fashion designer and an author, took to Instagram on Saturday to share a whole bunch of photos while celebrating Christmas with her family. She posted snaps of daughter Maxwell and son Ace, and her youngest daughter Birdie, who is just 21 months old. In a picture taken by her husband…

The new coronavirus variant was recently detected in Japan, adding to the struggles of a country that has earnestly worked to make the Tokyo Games 2020 possible in July 2021. Starting Monday, Japan will ban all foreign arrivals through the end of January after several cases of the coronavirus variant were recorded, the Japanese foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday. Japanese citizens and foreign residents can still enter, but they’re required to self-quarantine for 14 days, according to Japan’s public broadcaster, NHK. However, businesspeople and students from 10 countries including Thailand, Vietnam and South Korea as well as…

If you think you’ve gotten all your Christmas presents already, you’re wrong – our Captain America, Chris Evans, just posted a video of himself playing a piano! On Saturday, Evans shared a video on Instagram in which he plays a festive tune on the piano for the holidays. “Merry Christmas,” he captioned the first half of the clip. The 39-year-old actor can be seen wearing a NASA black cap and sitting next to a Christmas tree as he hits the piano keys for his roughly 7.9 million followers on Instagram. “Wishing you a happy and healthy new year,” reads the…