MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Fourteen people were killed and five were missing off Crimea in the Black Sea on Monday after a fire engulfed gas tankers sailing under the flag of Tanzania, authorities said. “There are 11 bodies,” Alexei Kravchenko, spokesman for Russia’s Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transport, told AFP. “Another three people went under water before rescue workers’ eyes.” Those three are most likely dead, he said. The ships, the Kandy and […]
International
INC in Waldorf, Maryland brave winter cold to warm hearts of neighbors
By Chay Masagca EBC Washington DC Bureau WALDORF, Maryland (Eagle News) — Bundled up against the winter breeze, members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church of Christ) walked through the Gillespies Mobile Court community, gently knocked on each door and handed out bags filled with toiletries and canned goods to the residents of this small Maryland neighborhood. Lydia Vital, a 76 year-old member the church, was among the volunteers who undermined the freezing cold to […]
Israeli bombardment in Syria kills 11: monitor
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AFP) — Israeli strikes that hit several targets in Syria overnight to Monday killed at least 11 pro-regime fighters including two Syrians, a war monitor said. Israel’s military said it had targeted a number of Iranian installations in the country early on Monday, hours after intercepting a rocket fired from Syrian territory. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said they were the deadliest Israeli strikes in Syria since May last […]
British PM turns to Brexit ‘Plan B’
by Robin MILLARD Agence France Presse LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — British Prime Minister Theresa May unveils her Brexit “Plan B” to parliament on Monday after MPs shredded her EU divorce deal, deepening the political gridlock 10 weeks from departure day. Britain will leave the European Union on March 29 without a deal unless MPs can force a delay or get their act together in time and come up with an alternative plan that Brussels […]
Turkey ready to ensure security of north Syria city: Erdogan
ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) — Turkey is ready to take over ensuring the security of Manbij in northern Syria in order “not to lose time,” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a phone call with US counterpart Donald Trump. Manbij, controlled by Kurdish fighters supported by the US military, had been hit on Wednesday by an attack claimed by the Islamic State group (IS) which killed 19 people, including four Americans. In their second phone conversation […]
Ghosn vows to stay in Japan if granted bail
by Richard CARTER Agence Fance Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Carlos Ghosn, the ousted Nissan boss detained in Tokyo on charges of financial misconduct, on Monday vowed to remain in Japan if granted bail and again proclaimed his innocence. The Tokyo District Court will later Monday consider the 64-year-old’s latest petition for bail but has already rejected previous applications, judging Ghosn a flight risk who might seek to destroy evidence. “As the court considers my […]
Trump and Pelosi again butt heads but others see possible paths
by Brian KNOWLTON Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump bitterly attacked top Democrat Nancy Pelosi on Sunday and she again insisted that he end the government shutdown before border security talks can begin, but there were hints of possible movement. Trump lashed out on Twitter a day after Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives, dismissed as a “non-starter” his offer to extend temporary protection to about a million […]
Thousands protest in Berlin against industrialised agriculture
BERLIN, Germany (AFP) — Thousands of protesters, backed by a procession of farm tractors, marched in Berlin Saturday for environmental protection and against the industrial agriculture lobby. Police put the number of demonstrators at over 12,000, while organizers said 35,000 turned out. While the “Grune Woche” international agricultural fair was taking place in the German capital, the protesters took aim at government policy which prioritized large-scale farming, deemed damaging to health and the environment, to […]
Two dead, 25 hurt in French ski resort fire
LYON, France (AFP) — Two people died Sunday and 25 more were injured, four seriously, in a fire at the ski resort of Courchevel in the French Alps, officials said. The pre-dawn blaze forced the evacuation of some 60 resort workers, including foreigners, from a three-storey accommodation building. Firefighters found the two unidentified bodies in a burnt-out area of the building in the upmarket Courchevel 1850 ski station. Three of the four badly injured were […]
Death toll from Mexico fuel explosion rises to 79: official
TLAHUELILPAN, Mexico (AFP) — The death toll from a fiery explosion in central Mexico rose to 79 on Sunday as authorities vowed to hold accountable those responsible for a fuel-line leak that drew hundreds of people looking to gather gasoline. The search for remains at the site of the explosion in the state of Hidalgo ended late Saturday but officials indicated that the death toll could still rise. Health Minister Jorge Alcocer said 66 people […]
Total lunar eclipse set to woo skywatchers Sunday night to Monday
An unusual set of celestial circumstances comes together Sunday for skywatchers in Europe, Africa and the Americas, where a total lunar eclipse may be glimpsed, offering a view of a large, red Moon. The full Moon will appear bigger than normal because it is closer to the Earth — about 222,000 miles (358,000 kilometers) away — which earns it the nickname “super Moon.” Other monikers include a “Wolf Moon,” a traditional way of coining an […]
Fuel pipeline blaze in Mexico kills at least 73
An explosion and fire in central Mexico killed at least 73 people after hundreds swarmed to the site of an illegal fuel-line tap to gather gasoline amid a government crackdown on fuel theft, officials said. Hidalgo state governor Omar Fayad announced that the toll had increased to 73 after the discovery of five additional bodies. The blast — which Fayad said injured 74 people — occurred near Tlahuelilpan, a town of 20,000 people about an hour’s drive […]





