By Thomas I. Likness EBC Edmonton Bureau (Eagle News) — About five-thousand residents of a northern Alberta town have been ordered out of their homes as flames from an out-of-control wildfire threaten the community. Evacuation centers have been set up in several communities to give temporary shelter to those who fled with little more than the clothes on their back. Many others are staying with relatives. Premier Jason Kenney told a news conference Tuesday that […]
International
Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?
By Emil Valerio EBC New York Bureau NEW YORK (Eagle News) — Many people are familiar with the question posed in the theme song “Sunny Days” which asks viewers how to get to Sesame Street. The popular television show “Sesame Street” is a pioneer in using TV as means of teaching generations of young children important life lessons such as the alphabet, how to count, and good values. As children grew older though, they learned […]
More than just a pretty picture: “Picture Character” documentary gives insight into world of emojis
By Joanne Soriano EBC New York Bureau NEW YORK (Eagle News) — How often do you receive or send emojis when communicating with family and friends? The emoji, a Japanese term for “picture character,” has grown in popularity across generations and cultures as an expression of language in today’s digital world of smartphones, computers and social media. The documentary “Picture Character” takes viewers across time and distances to explore when the emoji was first created […]
Eiffel Tower climber ‘admitted to psychiatric unit’
PARIS, France (AFP) — A man, believed to be Russian, who sparked a mass evacuation of the Eiffel Tower by scaling the iconic Paris landmark has been admitted to a psychiatric unit, legal sources said Tuesday. The man caused chaos Monday and the closure of the monument to tourists by spending six hours clinging to the outer metal framework of the Eiffel Tower. His identity has not been disclosed. He was questioned by police on […]
Violent clashes rage south of Libya’s Tripoli
by Imed Lamloum TRIPOLI, Libya (AFP) — Violent clashes raged Tuesday south of Tripoli, marking an uptick in fighting as the UN envoy for Libya warned of a “long and bloody war”. Heavy artillery fire could be heard from the city center as the most intense fighting took place since May 6, when the holy Muslim month of Ramadan started. More than six weeks since commander Khalifa Haftar launched an assault on the capital, fighters […]
Trump meets Pacific islands leaders to boost US ties
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump met Tuesday at the White House with the leaders of the tiny, but strategic states of Micronesia and other Pacific island nations to underline the leading US role in the region. The brief but symbolic meeting demonstrated US support at a time when Washington is pushing back against expanding Chinese influence in the Pacific. Trump hosted the presidents of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia and the […]
Iran warns of ‘painful consequences’ if US escalates tensions
TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has warned the United States of “painful consequences for everybody” if there is an escalation in tensions with the Islamic republic. Zarif also accused the US of “playing a very, very dangerous game” in an interview with CNN aired on Tuesday. “There will be painful consequences for everybody (if) there is an escalation against Iran, that’s for sure,” he said. Tensions have risen between Washington […]
Stop it! Japan anti-groper app becomes smash hit
by Shingo ITO TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — A Tokyo police smartphone app to scare off molesters has become a smash hit in Japan, where women have long run the gauntlet of groping on packed rush-hour trains. Victims of groping can activate the Digi Police app, which either blasts out a voice shouting “stop it” at top volume, or produces a full-screen SOS message — which victims can show other passengers — reading: “There is a […]
Huawei founder: US ‘underestimates’ his company
BEIJING, China (AFP) — Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei struck a defiant tone Tuesday against US attempts to block his company’s global ambitions, saying the US “underestimates” the telecom giant’s strength. Ren spoke to Chinese state media days after President Donald Trump issued orders aimed at thwarting Huawei’s business in the United States, capping months of efforts to stop the company’s bid to become the world leader in next-generation 5G technology. “The current practice of US […]
Zarif: Trump’s ‘genocidal taunts won’t end Iran’
by Amir Havasi TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Monday the “genocidal taunts” of US President Donald Trump will not “end Iran”, as tensions spike between the two countries. “Iranians have stood tall for millennia while aggressors all gone. Economic terrorism and genocidal taunts won’t ‘end Iran’,” Zarif wrote on Twitter. “Never threaten an Iranian. Try respect — it works!” he added. In another tweet, Zarif accused Trump of allowing […]
Eleven killed in shooting in bar in Brazil: officials
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AFP) — Gunmen killed at least 11 people in a bar in northern Brazil on Sunday, officials said. The shooting took place in the city of Belem, the public safety department of northern Para state said. There was no immediate word on the motive of the shooting. The attackers fled but the news website G1 quoted police as saying one was wounded and is in police custody. The fatalities are […]
Trump: If Tehran attacks, it will be ‘official end of Iran’
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Iran on Sunday, suggesting that if the Islamic republic attacks American interests, it will be destroyed. “If Iran wants to fight, that will be the official end of Iran. Never threaten the United States again,” Trump said in a tweet. Tensions between Washington and Tehran have been on the rise as the United States has deployed a carrier group and B-52 […]
