Breaking News, Latest Philippines Headlines, World, Entertainment, Politics, Weather & Video News
SHANGHAI, China (AFP) — Shanghai logged eight official Covid-19 deaths on Thursday, reporting a mounting death toll even as daily cases appear to be tapering off and some residents are finally free to venture outside under an easing lockdown. China’s largest city and commercial engine is inching towards reopening after weeks-long restrictions kept most of its 25 million people confined to their homes. Faced with the country’s worst virus outbreak in two years, Shanghai […]
by Phil HAZLEWOOD Agence France Presse LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Gun salutes will ring out Thursday to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s 96th birthday, although the monarch herself was expected to mark the occasion with little fanfare. It has been a troubled year for Britain’s royal family, with concerns over the queen’s health and questions over the future of the monarchy. Rounds will be fired from the Tower of London and Hyde Park […]
NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — A diocese in New Jersey has agreed to pay $87.5 million to settle hundreds of sexual abuse claims, one of the largest settlements involving the Catholic Church in the United States. The agreement between the diocese of Camden, near Philadelphia, and 300 victims regarding abuse committed by priests in the 1970s and 1980s was announced on Tuesday. The payout is larger than the nearly $85 million settlement in […]
by Joris Fioriti with Anatoly Stepanov in Kramatorsk © Agence France-Presse ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AFPZ) — Ukraine called Wednesday for urgent negotiations with Russia in Mariupol, which appeared close to falling after weeks of siege, as Vladimir Putin flexed his military muscle with the test launch of a new, nuclear capable ICBM. Washington downplayed the test of the intercontinental ballistic missile and said it had been notified in advance, but Putin said it would make […]
by Stuart Williams and Adam Plowright © Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — French President Emmanuel Macron and far-right rival Marine Le Pen on Wednesday clashed bitterly over relations with Russia and economic policy as they sought to sway undecided voters in a debate four days ahead of presidential elections. France faces a stark choice in Sunday’s second-round run-off between the centrist president Macron and the anti-immigration Le Pen, who will seek to become […]
Filipino and indonesian crew among those who suffered while working in Taiwan fishing fleet TAIPEI, Taiwan (AFP) — Taiwanese prosecutors on Wednesday charged nine people for exploiting and abusing foreign crew, including Filipinos and Indonesians, on a longline fishing boat, a scourge that activists have long warned was going under-reported and unpunished. Prosecutors allege that the crew beat migrant fishermen, forced them to work up to 20 hours a day, and made Muslim employees eat […]
OSLO, Norway (AFP) — Norway has given Ukraine around 100 French-made Mistral anti-air missiles, the government said on Wednesday. The Mistral launchers and missiles, which have already been delivered, had until now been mounted on Norwegian navy vessels, the defence ministry said in a statement. Built from the end of the 1980s by defence group Matra, which later merged with European missile developer MBDA, the Mistral is a very short-range surface-to-air missile. It can be […]
KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) — Ukraine said it had agreed with Russian forces to open a safe route Wednesday for civilians to flee the besieged port city of Mariupol. “Taking into account a catastrophic humanitarian situation in Mariupol, we’ll be concentrating our efforts in this direction today,” Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk wrote on Telegram. “We have managed to get a preliminary agreement on a humanitarian corridor for women, children and elderly persons,” she […]
HONG KONG, China (AFP) — US video hosting service YouTube Wednesday suspended a channel promoting Hong Kong official John Lee’s uncontested bid to be the city’s next leader, saying the move was in compliance with sanctions against the ex-security chief. Lee is expected to be appointed the business hub’s new chief executive by a committee of 1,500 Beijing loyalists next month. He faces no rivals. But he has nonetheless worked to promote his uncontested campaign, […]
HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Asian markets were flat on Wednesday as oil began clawing its way back up from a big drop after the International Monetary Fund downgraded its global growth forecast for 2022. The IMF lowered its outlook to 3.6 percent — a 0.8 percentage point slash from its previous estimate released in January — prompting a five-percent dive in oil prices on Tuesday. The Fund pointed to surging energy prices, rising […]
(WASHINGTON), United States (AFP) — Ukraine has received fighter planes and aircraft parts to bolster its air force in the face of Russia’s invasion, the Pentagon said Tuesday, declining to specify the number of aircraft or their origin. The announcement comes a week after US President Joe Biden unveiled an $800 million military aid package for Kyiv, including heavier equipment such as howitzers, as fighting escalates in eastern Ukraine. The moves indicate a change […]
by John Biers © Agence France-Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Airlines, subways and bus services across the United States moved quickly Tuesday to remove mask requirements following a federal court ruling that struck down face-covering mandates on public transportation, a hot-button issue throughout the pandemic. Uber, Lyft and Amtrak were among the firms that announced an end to masking requirements hours after the decision was released, prompting reactions from travelers on social media. […]
