International

Jacksonville mass shooting turns esports tournament into tragedy

By Colleen Knight EBC Florida Bureau JACKSONVILLE, Florida (Eagle News Service) — A Sunday afternoon in the city of Jacksonville turned violent during an esports tournament when gunshots were fired at a pizza restaurant at the Jacksonville Landing. According to Sheriff Mike Williams of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the suspect opened fire on the attendees of the qualifiers for the Madden ‘19 Tournament, killing two people, and injuring nine others before turning the handgun on himself. […]

Several killed in mass shooting at US video game tournament

by Leila MACOR / with Sara KAMOUNI in Washington Agence France-Presse MIAMI, United States (AFP)–Several people were killed in a mass shooting at a video game tournament in the northern Florida city of Jacksonville Sunday, local police said, with the lone suspect among the dead. In a news conference, Sheriff Mike Williams confirmed there were multiple fatalities and injuries in the shooting at a Madden 19 American football eSports tournament, with an unidentified white male the only suspect. “We have no outstanding […]

Catholic Pope ‘begs for God’s forgiveness’ for sexual abuse scandal

  by Joseph Stenson and Catherine Marciano Agence France Presse KNOCK, Ireland (AFP) — Pope Francis in Ireland Sunday “begged for God’s forgiveness” for the child sexual abuse scandal rocking the church but faced accusations by a former Vatican official that he had personally ignored allegations against senior clergy. Francis is due to speak in front of some 500,000 faithful in Dublin’s Phoenix Park as part of his two-day visit to the former Catholic stronghold […]

Former Vatican envoy to US testifies against Catholic Pope Francis, urges his resignation

  (Eagle News) — A former top Vatican official and former papal envoy to Washington called for the resignation of the Catholic Church’s Pope Francis saying he did not immediately act when he informed him of sexual abuses committed by a former Catholic cardinal, Theodore McCarrick, way back June 2013. This revelation and call for the Catholic pontiff’s resignation came from Italian Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò who claimed in an 11-page letter-testimony that Francis even […]

Catholic Church’s Pope Francis faces calls for action over abuse, ‘shame’ in Ireland

  by Joseph Stenson and Catherine Marciano Agence France Presse DUBLIN, Ireland (AFP) — The Catholic Church’s Pope Francis expressed “pain and shame” over the Church’s failure to deal with abuse and met with eight victims during a visit to Ireland on Saturday where the prime minister pressed him to take action. Francis said the “failure of ecclesiastical authorities… adequately to address these repellent crimes has rightly given rise to outrage, and remains a source […]

UPSA does it again; is named grand winner of the 66th Polifonico Internazionale Guido D’Arezzo choral contest in Italy

(Eagle News)—The University of the Philippines Singing Ambassadors added another feather to their cap after being named the grand winner of the 66th Polifonico Internazionale “Guido D’Arezzo” Choral Competition. The win means the group led by renowned conductor and founder Ed Manguiat will be competing in the most prestigious competition in the world, the European Choral Grand Prix, next year. UPSA also won first prize in the  monographic, secular, sacred music and compulsory categories, besting countries […]

John McCain, war hero and political maverick, dead at 81

  by Olivia Hampton Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — John McCain, a war hero and towering figure in American politics, known for reaching across the aisle in an increasingly divided nation, died Saturday following a battle with brain cancer. He was 81. The senator’s passing marked the end of a storied, 35-year political career that brought the independent-minded Republican within reach of the White House as his party’s presidential nominee. “It’s been […]

Dozens injured in 6.0 quake in western Iran: media

  TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — Dozens have been injured in a strong 6.0-magnitude earthquake that struck western Iran near the border with Iraq early Sunday, local media reported. The shallow quake hit 26 kilometres (16 miles) southwest of the city of Javanrud in Kermanshah province, the US Geological Survey said, near the site of a powerful quake last year that killed hundreds. A local medical university said a 70-year-old man had died of a heart […]

6 dead in Bulgarian tourist bus crash: minister

  SOFIA, Bulgaria (AFP) — Sixteen people died after a tourist bus crashed along a winding road in west Bulgaria on Saturday, interior minister Alentin Radev said, after rushing to the scene of the accident. “Thirteen people were killed on the spot and three others succumbed to their injuries,” Radev said after arriving at the site of the deadly crash 57 kilometres (35 miles) north of the capital Sofia. Twenty-six people were also injured in […]

Smoke, haze continue to blanket Vancouver skies

  VANCOUVER, Canada (Eagle News) — Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island continues to be blanketed with smoke and haze as a result of wildfires in British Columbia. Air Quality Advisory remains in effect due to elevated levels of fine particulate matter, according to Environment Canada. Cooler temperatures and chance of showers are expected this weekend in Metro Vancouver, which should improve air quality in the region. (Eagle News Service)

At least 18 dead in China hotel fire

  BEIJING, China (AFP) — A fire early Saturday at a hotel in China has left at least 18 people dead and 19 injured, according to state media. The blaze broke out during the night at the hotel in Harbin, capital of the northeastern Heilongjiang province, the official Xinhua news agency reported. “By the latest count, 18 people have been found dead and 19 have been taken to hospital,” the agency said, citing local authorities. […]

Six dead, thousands evacuated in Taiwan floods

  TAIPEI, Taiwan (AFP) — Six people have been killed by floodwaters in Taiwan, officials said Saturday, after days of heavy rain forced thousands to evacuate their homes. A tropical depression has been dumping torrential rain in central and southern Taiwan since Thursday, with some districts receiving close to 1,000 millimeters (39 inches) of rainfall. Six have died in the storm so far, according to government figures, including three who were killed by a falling […]