MONTREAL, Canada (AFP) — Shocked passengers described being tossed around an Air Canada passenger jet as it hit a pocket of turbulence on its way to Australia on Thursday and was forced to make an emergency landing. Flight AC33 from Vancouver to Sydney hit trouble around two hours beyond Hawaii and diverted back to the US island chain’s capital Honolulu, the company said in a statement. The Boeing 777-200 landed “normally” at 6.45 am (1645 […]
Other News
New Orleans braces for new inundation as storm looms
NEW ORLEANS, United States (AFP) — Tropical Storm Barry barreled toward water-logged New Orleans Thursday as the city girded for an ordeal that evoked fearful memories of 2005’s deadly Hurricane Katrina. The weather system, which has already caused major flooding in the low-lying city, is expected to strengthen and “become a hurricane late Friday or early Saturday,” according to the National Hurricane Center. With Barry just 90 miles (145 kilometers) from the mouth of the […]
Fierce storm kills seven in Greek tourist peninsula
by Vassilis KYRIAKOULIS THESSALONIKI, Greece (AFP) — Seven people died and at least 23 were injured as a fierce storm ripped through beachfronts in one of Greece’s top tourist areas, terrifying thousands of holidaymakers caught in the open, authorities said Thursday. Six tourists including two children were killed — two each from the Czech Republic, Russia and Romania — in the northern peninsula of Halkidiki, near Greece’s second city Thessaloniki, in the storm late Wednesday. […]
UN chief condemns airstrikes after Syria hospitals hit
(AFP) — UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Thursday strongly condemned air strikes in northwest Syria following reports that four health facilities were hit during a single day of bombing. An ambulance center, a clinic and two hospitals including one in Maarat al Numan that is among the largest in the area were attacked on Wednesday, according to the Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations, a Syrian doctors’ group. “Civilians and civilian infrastructure, including […]
US plans Gulf naval escorts after Iranians menace UK oil tanker
by Paul HANDLEY WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The Pentagon said Thursday it was discussing military escorts for vessels in the Gulf one day after armed Iranian boats threatened a British oil tanker. The White House’s nominee to become chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, said Washington was attempting to put together a coalition “in terms of providing military escort, naval escort to commercial shipping.” “I think that that will be […]
Trump backs down on including citizenship question in 2020 census
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump backed down Thursday on a push to force a controversial question on citizenship onto the 2020 census following a backlash by civil rights campaigners. Critics said the administration wanted to add the question to suppress participation by immigrant communities in the once-a-decade survey that helps officials determine where to allocate federal resources. “We are pursuing a new option to ensure a complete and timely count of […]
Locsin says validity of UNHCR resolution pushing report on Duterte drug war “highly questionable”
14 states , including Philippines, reject Iceland-authored resolution (Eagle News) – The Philippines, along with 13 other countries, rejected a United Nations Human Rights Council resolution pushed by Iceland and other Western nations that sought a comprehensive written report on the Philippine drug war under President Rodrigo Duterte. Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr was scathing in his statement read after the UN human rights body voted in favor of a draft resolution pushed by […]
UN Human Rights Council narrowly approves resolution seeking “report” on PHL drug war
The UN Human Rights Council on Thursday, July 11, narrowly approved a resolution mandating a “comprehensive” international review of the drug war in the Philippines, with 18 states in the 47-member council backing the resolution first pushed by Iceland. Activists said they had initially hoped the UN would demand a formal “inquiry”, but compromised on calling for a “report” to win a majority. The text, proposed by Iceland, was backed by 18 states in […]
Duterte’s strong stand vs Canada trash inspired other ASEAN nations to take same move, reports BOC
(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte’s strong stand against Canada on the issue of returning its trash back to its shores has inspired other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to also take a strong stand on saying no to wastes being dumped into their countries. This was relayed by Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero of the Bureau of Customs to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III. Guerrero, who came from the 28thmeeting […]
President Duterte pushes filing of charges against 64 Customs officials, employees for corruption
(Eagle News) – President Rodrigo Duterte revealed that he would be firing 64 officials and employees of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) for their involvement in corruption, daring them to resign first before he makes his move. “I was reading the dossier from all intelligence sources, if I can dismiss them, I will be dismissing something like 64 Customs employees,” he said. “It’s a simple case, you resign or I file charges,” Duterte said shortly […]
US to probe alleged abuse of migrant children by border agents
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — US authorities said Wednesday they are investigating allegations of abuse of migrant children by border agents, including the groping of a Honduran teenage girl, at a facility near the southern border with Mexico. The allegations were reported by NBC News, which cited official reports of the incidents — including the children’s accounts — at a Customs and Border Protection facility in Yuma, Arizona, where the migrants were held. […]
More than 50 Customs officials, employees on “floating status”, set to be fired by President Duterte, says Panelo
(Eagle News) – More than 50 officials and employees of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) have been placed on “floating status” and are set to be fired by President Rodrigo Duterte for alleged corruption, Malacanang said on Thursday. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said that these officials and employees “have pending administrative and criminal charges.” Panelo said that he still has no information as to who these officials were, but confirmed that they were […]
