Other News

Asia markets up as focus turns to Trump speech

HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Shares in Tokyo and Sydney rose Wednesday in another holiday-thinned trading day as investors tracked a positive lead from Wall Street and await Donald Trump’s State of the Union address. With most of the region off for the Lunar New Year break there were few catalysts to drive business, though Japanese investors are also looking forward to the release of Toyota’s earnings after the market close. Trump’s annual address will […]

Trump to urge unity in State of the Union speech

by Sebastian Smith Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump was to appeal for unity among Americans in a State of the Union speech Tuesday where he sought to turn the page on two years of divisive turmoil and recast himself as a bipartisan national leader. “The agenda I will lay out this evening is not a Republican Agenda or a Democrat Agenda. It is the agenda of the American People,” […]

President Duterte visits wake of wife of former CDO mayor

(Eagle News)—President Rodrigo Duterte visited on Tuesday night the wake of the wife of former Cagayan de Oro mayor Reuben Canoy. Canoy, a member of the Consultative Commission that drafted the proposed federal charter, was seen speaking to the President in this picture released by former Special Assistant to the President Bong Go. Solona Canoy passed away on Feb. 3.  

49 pulis, idineploy para sa seguridad ng BOL plebiscite

(Eagle News) — Nagpadala ng apatnaput-siyam na pulis ang Misamis Occidental Provincial Police Office sa Lanao del Norte kaugnay ng ikalawang plebisito para sa ratipikasyon ng Bangsamoro Organic Law. Ang send-off ceremony ay pinangunahan nina Police Senior Supt. Danilo Tumanda, acting director ng Misamis Occidental Provincial Police Office at Police Supt. Lemuel Gonda, commander ng 1st Provincial Mobile Force Company. Ang nasabing mga pulis ay tutulong sa pagpapanatili ng kaayusan at kapayapaan sa anim na […]

Catholic Church’s Pope Francis admits priests, bishops sexually abused nuns

  by Catherine Marciano Agence France Presse The Catholic Church’s Pope Francis admitted Tuesday that priests and bishops had sexually abused nuns, the latest scandal to rock the church. “There are some priests and also bishops who have done it,” the pontiff said in response to a journalist’s question on the abuse of nuns, speaking on the return flight from his trip to the United Arab Emirates. The papal admission followed a rare outcry last […]

Trump says US backs Venezuela’s ‘quest for freedom’: speech excerpts

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump plans to ramp up the pressure on Venezuela’s embattled leader Nicolas Maduro in his State of the Union address on Tuesday, doubling down on US support for his challenger Juan Guaido. “We stand with the Venezuelan people in their noble quest for freedom,” Trump is set to say, according to excerpts from his annual speech to Congress — where the opposition leader’s envoy to Washington was among […]

Women’s brains appear ‘years younger’ than men’s: study

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Women tend to outlive men and stay mentally sharp longer, and a new study out Monday could explain why: female brains appear on average about three years younger. The study enrolled 121 women and 84 men, who underwent PET scans to measure brain metabolism or the flow of oxygen and glucose in their brains. Like other organs in the body, the brain uses sugar as fuel. But just how it […]

Magnetic north pole leaves Canada, on fast new path

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The position of the Earth’s magnetic North Pole — used in navigation systems such as smartphones — is moving far faster than it has, sending scientists scrambling to put out a new model this week. The magnetic North is the point at which the planet’s magnetic field points vertically down. The World Magnetic Model is critical to sea and military navigation — as well as our ubiquitous smartphones. It normally […]

Facebook lets senders undo sent Messenger missives

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Facebook on Tuesday added a Messenger feature for anyone who has fired off a comment they regretted — a way to take it back. Messenger users will now have a 10-minute window after sending a message to undo it, leaving behind a note telling everyone in a conversation that the remark was removed, according to the leading online social network. “Have you ever accidentally sent a message to the […]

NBA Wizards lose Wall for year with ruptured left tendon

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Five-time NBA All-Star guard John Wall of the Washington Wizards will be sidelined for a year after suffering a ruptured left Achilles tendon, the team announced Tuesday. The 28-year-old playmaker, the first overall choice in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Wizards, slipped and fell in his home to rupture the tendon. Wall underwent an initial surgery upon the tendon last month aimed at preventing a tear and was to […]

Bitcoin exchange president’s death puts millions out of reach

OTTAWA, Canada (AFP) — A Canadian cryptocurrency exchange was granted bankruptcy protection on Monday after its president took passwords for accounts containing Can$180 million ($137 million US) to his grave when he died suddenly. In a statement, QuadrigaCX said it sought protection from creditors after weeks of attempting to “locate and secure our very significant cryptocurrency reserves” following the death of its president Gerald Cotten. Nova Scotia’s high court granted the application made by Cotten’s […]

Bickering opens before Trump’s State of Union speech even begins

by Sebastian Smith Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump promised sunny optimism in his State of the Union speech Tuesday but the spirit of bipartisanship appeared to be at risk of withering before he even took to the podium. The White House says the annual speech to Congress will see Trump in “optimistic,” even “visionary” mode — and looking to heal the Republican-Democratic divide. “The president is calling for unity. […]