By Jenn CAIN, with Romain FONSEGRIVES in Los Angeles SANTA CRUZ, United States, Dec 10, 2023 (AFP) – In a forest in northern California, a line of people spread out through the trees, setting fire to shrubs and fallen branches in an act of intentional arson aimed at making the woodland better able to cope with future conflagrations. The operation near Santa Cruz is part of a growing number of prescribed burns intended to reduce […]
Other News
Guyana, Venezuela presidents to meet Thursday on border row
By Barbara AGELVIS CARACAS, Dec 10, 2023 (AFP) – Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his Guyanese counterpart, Irfaan Ali, will meet Thursday on their countries’ growing dispute over the oil-rich region of Essequibo, amid mounting international warnings against escalating the row. The meeting will be held in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, according to the Caribbean country’s Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, who said Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had also been invited at […]
Philippine civilian convoy aborts trip after ‘constant shadowing’ by Chinese boats: organiser
By Faith Brown SOUTH CHINA SEA, Dec 10, 2023 (AFP) – A convoy of civilian boats planning to deliver provisions to Filipino fishermen and troops in the disputed South China Sea aborted the trip on Sunday after “constant shadowing” by Chinese vessels, the organiser said. The “Christmas convoy”, which departed the Philippines’ western island of Palawan in the early hours of Sunday, was being led by dozens of volunteers on two boats carrying food, water […]
5.1-magnitude earthquake hits Surigao del Sur
(Eagle News)–A 5.1-magnitude earthquake struck off Surigao del Sur on Sunday, Dec. 10. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the quake that hit at 7:58 a.m. was an aftershock of the 7.2-magnitude quake that hit the province on Dec. 2. The epicenter of the Sunday earthquake was 77 kilometers east of Hinatuan. The depth of focus was 10 kilometers. The following intensities and instrumental intensities were reported: Intensity III- City of Bislig, Surigao […]
Tennessee tornadoes leave trail of destruction, six dead
WASHINGTON, Dec 10, 2023 (AFP) – Tornadoes tore through the US state of Tennessee on Saturday, leaving at least six people dead, damaging homes and causing blackouts, authorities said. Three people died in a suburb of Nashville, the southeastern state’s capital, while photos posted by the city’s Office of Emergency Management showed downed trees and collapsed homes. “Unfortunately we can confirm there are 3 fatalities as a result of the severe weather on Nesbitt Lane,” […]
Israeli forces push into southern Gaza
By Adel Zaanoun with Jonah Mandel in Jerusalem GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories, Dec 10, 2023 (AFP) – Israeli forces pushed Sunday into southern Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of civilians have fled in search of shelter from bombardments and intense fighting with Hamas militants. Aid groups have sounded the alarm on the “apocalyptic” humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territory, warning it is on the brink of being overwhelmed by disease and starvation. Hamas, which runs […]
Hong Kong holds first ‘patriots only’ local elections
By Xinqi SU HONG KONG, Dec 10, 2023 (AFP) – Polls opened in Hong Kong’s first “patriots only” district council election on Sunday, with officials dismissing concerns of potentially low turnout in a race that has shut out all opposition candidates after a national security crackdown. The previous election was held at the peak of the huge, sometimes violent, democracy protests in 2019, and recorded a historic-high 71 percent turnout — delivering a landslide victory […]
Philippines, China trade blame for collision in disputed waters
By Pam Castro with Jing Xuan Teng in Beijing MANILA, Dec 10, 2023 (AFP) – A Philippine boat and a Chinese Coast Guard ship collided near a hotly contested reef on Sunday, with both countries trading blame for the latest such confrontation in the disputed South China Sea. The incident happened during a Philippine resupply mission to a tiny garrison on Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands, which is a flashpoint for Manila and […]
Easterlies affecting the country: PAGASA
(Eagle News)–The easterlies are affecting the country. According to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, as a result, Metro Manila will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers and thunderstorms. The rest of the country will experience the same conditions. Flashfloods or landslides due to moderate to at times heavy rains are possible. The entire country, meanwhile, will have light to moderate winds. Slight to moderate coastal waters are also […]
Philippines accuses Chinese coast guard of shooting water cannon at its boats
By Pam CASTRO MANILA, Dec 9, 2023 (AFP) – The Philippines accused the Chinese coast guard on Saturday of using water cannons to “obstruct” three government boats delivering provisions to Filipino fishermen near a reef off its coast. The incident happened near the China-controlled Scarborough Shoal, a flashpoint between Manila and Beijing, which claims almost the entirety of the South China Sea. The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea said in a statement […]
China protests calls to include Taiwan in climate talks
DUBAI, Dec 9, 2023 (AFP) – China on Saturday lodged a protest after calls at the UN climate talks in Dubai to include Taiwan, the self-governing democracy claimed by Beijing. Two of the dwindling number of countries that recognise Taiwan — Guatemala and the tiny Pacific island of Nauru — both hailed support from Taipei in addresses at the COP28 conference. “I would take this opportunity to make special reference to the government of Taiwan, […]





