Other News

4.1-magnitude earthquake strikes Occidental Mindoro

(Eagle News)–A 4.1-magnitude earthquake struck Occidental Mindoro early Friday, Feb. 23. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the quake hit at 5 a.m. Its epicenter was 22 kilometers northwest of Abra de Ilog. The depth of focus was 115 kilometers. No damage to property nor aftershocks were reported.

Odysseus lands on Moon’s south pole; first private lunar landing achieved

By Issam AHMED WASHINGTON, Feb 23, 2024 (AFP) – A Houston-based company has landed America’s first spaceship on the Moon in more than 50 years, part of a new fleet of NASA-funded, uncrewed commercial robots intended to pave the way for astronaut missions later this decade. But while flight controllers confirmed they had received a faint signal, it was not immediately clear whether Odysseus, the lander built by Intuitive Machines, was fully functional, with announcers […]

Cloudy skies, rain showers expected in parts of PHL: PAGASA

(Eagle News)–The easterlies are affecting the country. According to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, as a result, Northern Mindanao, Caraga and Davao Region will have cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms. Flashfloods or landslides due to moderate to at times heavy rains are possible. Metro Manila and the rest of the country, PAGASA said, will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers and thunderstorms. According to the […]

China issues highest weather alert as temperatures plunge

Severe weather warnings were in place across swathes of China on Wednesday as temperatures plummeted across the south and Beijing shivered in snowy conditions. Authorities renewed an orange alert — the highest in the country’s three-tier system — warning that average temperatures could fall by six to 12 degrees Celsius by Friday in the south, where they are currently around zero degrees C (32 degrees Fahrenheit). In some areas, temperatures could plunge by more than […]

Kyiv says Russia used N. Korean missiles in deadly attacks on Ukraine

KYIV, Ukraine, Feb 22, 2024 (AFP) – The Ukrainian security service (SBU) said Thursday it had established that Russia had used North Korean missiles in several attacks that killed over 20 people. The United States had in January warned that North Korea was sending both ballistic missiles and launchers to Russia in what it called a concerning escalation of Pyongyang’s support to Moscow. “According to the investigation, Russian troops released more than 20 North Korean […]

Portugal’s Bobi loses oldest dog title

LISBON, Feb 22, 2024 (AFP) – Bobi, previously crowned the world’s oldest dog, has lost his title due to inconclusive evidence of his age, Guinness World Records (GWR) announced Thursday. A Guinness review launched last month concluded it “no longer has the evidence it needs to support Bobi’s claim as the record holder”. Bobi died last October at the age of 31 years and 165 days, exceeding the 12-14 years life expectancy for his breed, […]

Vietnam EV maker VinFast reports $2 billion net loss in 2023

HANOI, Feb 22, 2024 (AFP) – Vietnamese electric vehicle maker VinFast on Thursday reported a net loss of more than $2 billion in 2023 after missing its sales target, despite a 90 percent increase in revenue. The communist state’s first homegrown car manufacturer is trying to crack the international market, aiming to compete with global EV giants such as Tesla. VinFast said in a filing submitted to the US Securities and Exchange Commission that its […]

Commercial US spaceship hours from attempted Moon landing

By Issam AHMED WASHINGTON, Feb 22, 2024 (AFP) – A Houston-based company is set Thursday to land America’s first spaceship on the Moon in more than 50 years, part of a new fleet of NASA-funded, uncrewed, commercial robots meant to pave the way for astronaut missions this decade. If all goes well, Intuitive Machines will guide its hexagon-shaped lander Odysseus, currently orbiting at approximately 60 miles (92 kilometers) from the surface, to a gentle touchdown […]

Tokyo smashes 34-year high as Nvidia reignites stock rally

LONDON, Feb 22, 2024 (AFP) – Global stock markets rallied Thursday, with Tokyo breaking a record high that had stood since 1989, as investors cheered bumper profits from US chip giant Nvidia, seen as the bellwether for artificial intelligence. Highly anticipated results from Nvidia after the Wall Street close Wednesday saw the company post quarterly profit of $12.3 billion on record revenue, driven by demand for its AI-powering chips. Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped 2.2 percent […]

Pupils injured in knife attack at German school, suspect detained

  BERLIN, Feb 22, 2024 (AFP) – A secondary school pupil stabbed several classmates before turning the knife on himself on Thursday in an attack in the western German city of Wuppertal, police said. The suspect was taken into custody with “life-threatening injuries”, a spokesman for Duesseldorf police told AFP. Several pupils were severely wounded in the attack, although none of the injuries posed a risk to life, the spokesman said. The spokesman confirmed estimates […]

Russian leader Vladimir Putin took ride on supersonic bomber, state TV says

  MOSCOW, Feb 22, 2024 (AFP) – Russian President Vladimir Putin took a test ride on a supersonic military plane capable of carrying nuclear warheads, state media reported on Thursday. The apparent show of strength comes just two days before Moscow marks the second anniversary of its military assault on Ukraine, where it has been trying to gain momentum. The Tu-160M missile carrier was seen taking off from the runway of an aircraft manufacturer based […]

Kremlin says ‘shameful’ for Biden to call Putin ‘SOB’

MOSCOW, Feb 22, 2024 (AFP) – The Kremlin on Thursday said it was a “huge shame” that US President Joe Biden had called Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin a “crazy SOB”. Biden made the comments at a speech in San Francisco attended by a small group of reporters, in which he contrasted the risk posed by Putin to the threat of climate change. “This is a huge shame for the country itself… for the US. If […]