Asia

Homesick OFWs in Japan grateful to the Iglesia ni Cristo for the Aid to OFW & Humanity they organized

by Tyra’nell PILLE-LU EBC Japan Correspondent TOKYO, Japan (Eagle News) – Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) in Japan are grateful to the Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ) for the tangible and intangible blessings they received during the Aid for OFW and Humanity event the church organized at Hilton Hotel in Odaiba, Tokyo on Sunday, the 2nd of June. With huge smiles evident on the attendees’ faces, some guests said the event has cheered them up […]

South Korea approves $8 million in aid for hungry North

  SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korea approved $8 million in humanitarian aid for the impoverished North on Wednesday, authorities said, with negotiations over Pyongyang’s nuclear arsenal deadlocked and inter-Korean relations at a standstill. It will be the first such aid Seoul has provided Pyongyang since 2015 and follows the North’s lowest recorded harvest for a decade, according to the United Nations. The donation — to be made through the UN — comes as […]

US House votes to help ‘Dreamer’ immigrants; move to benefit over 20,000 undocumented Filipinos

  The Democrat-dominated House of Representatives approved a bill Tuesday that would create a path to citizenship for hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants, including more than 20,000 Filipino illegal migrants in the United States. The bill, however, faces dubious Senate chances. The White House has warned President Donald Trump would veto the legislation if it reaches his desk as is, and the Republicans who control the Senate are unlikely to pass the measure. The […]

Hungary tourist boat disaster death toll reaches 11

  BUDAPEST, Hungary (AFP) — Hungarian police confirmed Tuesday the discovery of two more South Korean victims of a sightseeing vessel which sank in Budapest last week, raising the toll to eleven tourists killed with 17 still missing. “A (male) body was found in the window of the boat wreck and brought to the surface,” said a statement by Hungarian counterterror police TEK, who are leading the search operation. Later, police confirmed a male body […]

Japan ends search for crashed F35 fighter jet

  TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan called off its search for an F-35A on Tuesday, almost two months after the stealth jet crashed into the sea sparking a scramble to recover the pilot and secrets onboard. Defence Minister Takeshi Iwaya told reporters the search had been halted but that his teams were still investigating the cause of the crash, adding that F-35A operations in northern Japan had not yet resumed. The ministry would also keep […]

Tiananmen’s key moments: hope crushed by soldiers and tanks

HONG KONG, United States (AFP) — Tuesday marks the 30th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown in Beijing where Chinese troops fired on peaceful protesters, drawing global condemnation. Students rallying for democracy and freedom had filled the symbolic heart of Chinese power, drawing in workers and intellectuals and inspiring demonstrations across the country. But after weeks of protest, the movement was shattered by an overnight military assault that left hundreds of people dead — by […]

China urges students to weigh ‘risk’ of studying in US

  BEIJING, China (AFP) — China on Monday warned students and academics on the “risk” of studying in the United States, citing an uptick in visa denials and delays amid a trade war and other tensions. The education ministry in a statement urged students to “strengthen risk assessment… and make relavent preparations”. The ministry said Chinese students and academics have experienced visa restrictions, delays in obtaining them, and visas with shorter duration. China is the […]

Pentagon confirms push to hide USS John McCain from Trump during his Japan trip

  SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — The acting Pentagon chief confirmed Sunday that the White House had requested the hiding of a warship bearing the name of late Senator John McCain during a visit by Donald Trump to Japan. In Washington, White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said the request probably was made by somebody on the president’s advance team but no one would fired for it. US media reported that efforts were made […]

Japan PM to meet Iran’s Khamenei to mediate with US: report

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will meet Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei later this month with Tokyo hoping to mediate between Washington and Tehran, a report said Sunday. As tensions intensify between Iran and Japan’s key ally the United States, Abe has reportedly proposed serving as a go-between and is said to be weighing up a state visit to Iran. According to the Mainichi Shimbun report, Abe’s planned meeting with […]

US warns China on behavior towards its Asian neighbors

  by Martin ABBUGAO Agence France Presse SINGAPORE (AFP) — The United States warned China on Saturday against threatening its neighbours’ sovereignty and said Washington is investing in new military technology to defend its Asian allies. Washington and Beijing have been vying for influence in the region, which hosts potential flashpoints such as the South China Sea, the Korean Peninsula and the Taiwan Strait. Ties between the two powers are once again taking centre stage […]

N.Korea ‘executed’ officials after failed Trump summit: report

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korea executed its special envoy to the United States following the collapse of the second summit between leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump, a South Korean newspaper reported Friday. The Chosun Ilbo said Kim Hyok Chol, who laid the groundwork for the Hanoi meeting and accompanied Kim on his private train, was executed by firing squad for “betraying the supreme leader” after he was turned by the […]

India’s Modi sworn in, set to name new government

by Abhaya SRIVASTAVA NEW DELHI, India (AFP) — India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched his historic second term at a solemn ceremony in front of cheering supporters Thursday ahead of unveiling a revamped Hindu nationalist government. Modi was the first of more than 50 cabinet ministers and deputy ministers to be sworn in at the presidential palace in front of 8,000 people including South Asian leaders, Bollywood stars and leading political figures. Presidents and prime […]