MANILA, March 1, 2024 (AFP) – Faulty warning systems, poverty and deforestation of mountains in the southern Philippines turned recent unseasonably heavy rains into deadly disasters, scientists said in a report Friday. More than 100 people were killed in landslides and floods in January and February on the country’s second-largest island of Mindanao as the northeast monsoon and a low pressure trough brought downpours. A study by the World Weather Attribution group found the unsually […]
International
Man shoots three at California dentist’s office: US media
LOS ANGELES, March 1, 2024 (AFP) – A manhunt was launched by police in the California city of El Cajon on Thursday after a shooting at a dentist’s office left one dead and two injured, local media reported. Police in the town, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) outside of San Diego, said on social media they were searching for an “armed and dangerous” 29-year-old suspect who fled the scene after the attack, which they described […]
Texas battles largest wildfire in state history, leaving one dead and scorching one million acres
HOUSTON, March 1, 2024 (AFP) – Texas emergency crews were struggling Thursday to contain the largest wildfire in the US state’s history, with the blaze leaving at least one person dead and scorching a million acres as it raged out of control. The Texas A&M Forest Service said six major fires, fueled by winter heat and ferocious winds, were actively burning, five of them across the state’s northern area known as the Texas panhandle. The […]
Putin warns West of nuclear war risk
MOSCOW, Feb 29, 2024 (AFP) – President Vladimir Putin warned Thursday of a “real” risk of nuclear war if the West escalates the conflict in Ukraine, offering a defiant and emboldened stance in his annual speech to Russians. Speaking in Moscow, Putin said his soldiers were advancing in Ukraine and warned the West of “tragic consequences” for any country that dared to send troops to Kyiv. “They have announced the possibility of sending Western military […]
Thousands of York University faculty workers go on strike
By Angela M. Patricio Eagle News Service TORONTO (Eagle News ) —An estimated 3,000 employees of York University, one of the largest universities in Ontario, are currently on strike, after a failure to reach a deal between the university and the union representing its faculty members, graduate assistants and part-time librarians. “Basic needs like housing and food have skyrocketed in price, but the wages for people who do the majority of teaching at York have […]
Mitch McConnell to step down as Republican leader in US Senate
By Camille CAMDESSUS WASHINGTON, Feb 28, 2024 (AFP) – Mitch McConnell, the powerful US political tactician who has advanced conservative causes for years and been a strong defender of aid to Ukraine, announced abruptly Wednesday that he would leave his post as leader of the Republicans in the Senate later this year. His speech to the chamber came as a surprise and prompted lawmakers from both parties to give him a standing ovation, though he […]
UK, US blast Hong Kong’s proposed new security law
LONDON, Feb 29, 2024 (AFP) – The United States and Britain on Wednesday criticized the Hong Kong government over a proposed new national security law, saying it would curtail freedoms in the finance hub. Massive pro-democracy protests rocked Hong Kong in 2019, bringing hundreds of thousands of people to the streets to call for greater freedoms. In response, Beijing imposed a national security law to punish four major crimes — secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion […]
Iran defies West, launches imaging satellite from Russia
TEHRAN, Feb 29, 2024 (AFP) – Iran announced on Thursday the launch of a remote sensing and imaging satellite into orbit from Russia, according to state media. The launch of “Pars-I” with the Russian Soyuz-2.1b launcher was broadcast live by state television in Iran. The satellite was launched “from Russia’s Vostochny launch base”, some 8,000 kilometres (5,000 miles) east of Moscow, according to the official IRNA news agency. Iran’s telecommunications minister Issa Zareppur said “Pars-I” […]
New Tuvalu PM says focused on development, not Taiwan ties
FUNAFUTI, Tuvalu, Feb 29, 2024 (AFP) – Tuvalu’s new Prime Minister Feleti Teo says his government is focused on the “many key development priorities” facing his Pacific Island nation, not debates about Taiwan relations that have consumed outsiders. The government will “concentrate working on the key priorities of Tuvalu” he told a small group of media outlets, including AFP, on Wednesday. “Unless there are any major issues in that relationship”, he said it would not […]
One death reported as wildfires rage across Texas panhandle
HOUSTON, Feb 29, 2024 (AFP) – Wildfires raging across north Texas reportedly killed at least one person Wednesday, as firefighters struggled to control one of the largest blazes in state history which has destroyed property and prompted evacuations. The Smokehouse Creek Fire in Texas’ panhandle, a flat northern area known for its prairies and smattering of small towns, was listed as only three percent contained by the Texas A&M Forest Service. The enormous blaze, which […]
Palestinian FM says Hamas knows it cannot be in new govt
GENEVA, Feb 28, 2024 (AFP) – Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki said Wednesday he believes Hamas understands why it should not be part of a new government in the Palestinian territories. Maliki told a press conference that a “technocratic” government was needed, without the Islamist group which is fighting a bitter war against Israel. “The time now is not for a national coalition government,” Maliki said. “The time now is not for a government where […]
German navy almost shot down US drone in Red Sea: reports
FRANKFURT, Germany, Feb 28, 2024 (AFP) – A German naval frigate sent to protect commercial ships in the Red Sea nearly shot down a US drone by mistake, German media reported Wednesday. The German defence ministry confirmed a drone incident involving an allied nation occurred on Monday, without naming the country. The “Hesse” frigate opened fire after efforts to identify an unknown drone “were unsuccessful”, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said during a visit to the […]





