Other News

Kanter’s assassination fears taken seriously by NBA: Silver

by Steven GRIFFITHS Agence France Presse LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — NBA Commissioner Adam Silver insisted he takes the issue of player safety “very seriously” following New York Knicks star Enes Kanter’s decision to miss his team’s game in London amid fears he would be killed for his political views. Turkey-born Kanter was due to play for the Knicks against the Washington Wizards in the NBA’s annual regular-season showcase at London’s O2 Arena on Thursday. […]

Google acquires Fossil smartwatch tech for $40 mn

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Google agreed to pay $40 million for the smartwatch technology of the fashion and accessory group Fossil, the companies said Thursday, enabling the California tech giant to expand in the growing wearable tech market. As part of the deal, Texas-based Fossil Group’s research and development team working on the smartwatch will join Google, which will acquire the intellectual property for Fossil smartwatches, the firms said. The move would give […]

Ten killed in car bomb attack on Colombian police academy

by Hector Velasco Agence France Presse BOGOTA, Colombia (AFP) — A car bomb attack on a police cadet training academy killed 10 people and wounded 65 on Thursday in Bogota, making it the worst such incident in the Colombian capital in 16 years. The defense ministry said the “terrorist act” was carried out using a vehicle packed with 80 kilograms (around 175 pounds) of explosives. “All Colombians reject terrorism and we’re united in fighting it,” […]

US officials consider lifting China tariffs: report

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US officials have considered lifting tariffs on Chinese imports to calm volatile stock markets and encourage Beijing to make concessions in current trade talks, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. American and Chinese trade officials have until March 1 to resolve their trade war, to prevent a sharp increase in punitive US duties on $200 billion in Chinese goods. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin raised the idea of revoking tariffs on […]

Prince Philip unharmed after traffic accident, two injured

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Queen Elizabeth II’s 97-year-old husband Prince Philip emerged unscathed after a vehicle he was driving was involved in a traffic accident that injured two people on Thursday, according to Buckingham Palace and police. A palace spokeswoman told AFP that the duke was driving near the monarch’s Sandringham Estate when the crash occurred but declined to confirm that it overturned in the incident. “The Duke of Edinburgh was involved in a […]

Saturn’s rings are younger than the planet itself

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Saturn’s rings are younger than scientists thought and appeared within the last 10 to 100 million years, according to research published Thursday based on findings from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft. The sixth planet from the Sun formed about 4.5 billion years ago, along with the rest of the planets in our solar system, and spent the bulk of its existence without the characteristic rings it is known for today. Astronomers have […]

Trump grounds Democratic speaker’s foreign travel

by Sebastian SMITH and Michael MATHES Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Deadlock in Washington reached a new low Thursday as Donald Trump hit his chief Democratic opponent Nancy Pelosi with a last-minute cancellation of her plan to take an air force plane to Afghanistan — citing the four-week-old government shutdown as a motive. The mess in Washington, where swaths of government workers are not being paid while Congress feuds with the White […]

DFA: Another Filipino drowns in New Zealand

(Eagle News)—Another Filipino drowned in New Zealand, the second such incident in days, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday, Jan. 17. In a statement, the Philippine Embassy in Wellington said the victim, a 20-year-old, drowned in Whanganui River, 150 kilometers northwest of Wellington on Wednesday, Jan. 16. His body was recovered the day after. According to the DFA, last week, student Kent Espinosa, also drowned. In October, the DFA said another Filipino also drowned […]

Año welcomes ACT petition vs PNP “profiling” of the group’s members

(Eagle News) — Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Thursday, Jan. 17, welcomed the Alliance of Concerned Teachers’ filing of a petition seeking to put a stop to the Philippine National Police’s information gathering on its members. In a statement, Año, however, also stood by the police’s intelligence gathering, describing it as routine work. He noted Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison himself admitted ACT was one of the group’s fronts. “The PNP will […]

Robredo wants SC to junk Marcos’ request for an examination of voting records in three additional provinces

(Eagle News) — Vice President Leni Robredo has asked the Supreme Court, sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, to junk former Senator Bongbong Marcos’ plea he be allowed to conduct a technical examination of voting records in three other areas. In opposing Marcos’ request to secure alleged evidence of electoral fraud in Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao and Basilan, Robredo, through her lawyers, noted the three provinces were not included in the scope of the electoral […]

Trillanes to take up teaching stint after his term as senator expires in June

(Eagle News) — Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Thursday, Jan. 17, said he plans to take up a teaching job once his term in the Senate expires in June. According to Trillanes, who has a masters degree in public administration from the University of the Philippines, he might teach public policy and governance in college, and graduate studies. He, however, did not dismiss the possibility of running for a Senate seat in the future anew. […]

Comelec to hold mock midterm polls on Saturday, Jan. 19

(Eagle News) — The Commission on Elections is slated to hold mock midterm elections on Saturday, Jan. 19, to “test and ensure the security features, accuracy, and functionality” of the automated electoral system. Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez made the announcement in a press conference on Thursday, Jan. 17. According to Jimenez, the mock polls will be held in 60 polling places across the country. These include Quezon City, Taguig, Manila, Pasig, Pateros, Valenzuela City, Muntinlupa City, […]