Other News

Waste plant fire stokes Italy garbage crisis

ROME, Italy (AFP) — Twelve teams of firefighters battled Tuesday to put out a vast fire at a garbage dump in Rome as critics slammed the capital’s beleaguered waste manager and warned of chaos to come. The odor of burning refuse wafted across the historic center as the blaze, which began overnight, crept steadily from the site in the north-east of the city. City hall said it had called the national civil protection agency and […]

Thousands flee bombs and hunger in eastern Syria

by Delil Souleiman Agence France Presse AL-HOL, Syria (AFP) — Faraj was born in the pouring rain on a nondescript stretch of desert road in eastern Syria as his family fled escalating fighting over the Islamic State group’s last bastion. His family was part of a group of around 200 civilians who managed to escape from a pocket of territory in Deir Ezzor province that is still held by the jihadists. “I had to resist […]

Eight dead in fireworks blast at Mexico church

MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AFP) — A massive fireworks explosion during a procession at a Mexican church killed eight people Tuesday and left some 50 wounded, authorities said. Two children aged 11 and 12 were among those killed in the accident, which occurred around dawn at the San Jose parish atrium in Tequisquiapan, some 145 kilometers (90 miles) northwest of Mexico City. Parishioners had donated the fireworks for a festival, but “something went wrong and they […]

Gordon likely to back third martial law extension in Mindanao

(Eagle News) — Senator Richard Gordon has said he was likely to support a third extension of martial law in Mindanao after the military gave senators updates on the situation there in an executive session. According to Gordon, in the first place, he wants to ensure the complete rehabilitation of Marawi, which was overran by terrorists in May last year. “I don’t hear an outcry in Mindanao na nahihirapan kami diyan. In fact, sabi nga […]

Fighting climate change in the shadow of Mount Everest

by Paavan MATHEMA Agence France Presse NEPAL (AFP) — Formed in the shadow of Mount Everest, the turquoise depths of Nepal’s Imja glacial lake would be a breathtaking miracle of nature to behold — were they not a portent of catastrophic floods. Scientists warn that as climate change causes Himalayan glaciers to melt at an alarming rate, lakes like Imja could swell further and eventually collapse, triggering a terrifying deluge in Nepal, an impoverished nation […]

Death toll in Strasbourg market shooting rises to 4: mayor

STRASBOURG, France (AFP) — Four people were killed and 12 more injured by a gunman who opened fire at a busy market in Strasbourg, eastern France, on Tuesday, the city’s mayor told AFP. Three or four of the injured are in critical condition, Mayor Roland Ries said. A manhunt was underway after the assailant managed to flee after exchanging shots with security forces patrolling the area at around 8:00 pm (1900 GMT). © Agence France-Presse

Año says holiday ceasefire declared by Communists only for “propaganda” purposes

(Eagle News) — Interior Secretary  Eduardo Año said he was not keen on recommending a ceasefire with the Communists during the holidays, saying they only declared a unilateral ceasefire for “propaganda” purposes. “Ito po ay isang malaking kalokohan..We will not allow ourselves to fall into the same trap again,” Año said. In the first place, he said “we have seen time and again the insincerity of the communists and their front organizations.” For instance, he said the time […]

Trump appeals asylum ban to Supreme Court

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump’s administration asked the Supreme Court Tuesday to allow him to enforce a ban on granting asylum to illegal immigrants, after suffering two lower court setbacks. The Justice Department told the high court that the ban, announced by Trump on November 11, needed to be enforced immediately to deter thousands of Central Americans now at the US southern border from crossing into the country illegally in search of […]

Drilon hits PAO for continued detention of over 800 inmates due for release

(Eagle News) — Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon admonished the Public Attorneys Office for allegedly sitting on petitions for the release of over 800 prisoners who could be eligible for such as early as a year ago. According to Drilon, 862 prisoners have been revealed to be entitled for the release under Republic Act 10951, but only 39 petitions have been filed by PAO with the Supreme Court, and 12 with the Regional Trial Court. RA 10951, […]

Canadian judge grants bail to Huawei exec

VANCOUVER, Canada (AFP) — A Canadian judge granted bail Tuesday to a top Huawei executive after her arrest on a US warrant, in a case that has frayed relations between the North American allies and China. Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s chief financial officer, is wanted by US authorities for violating Iran sanctions but Beijing has expressed outrage over her detention and is holding a former Canadian diplomat in China, intensifying the row. “The risk of (Meng’s) non-attendance […]

Pound keeps falling on Brexit quagmire; global stocks mixed

by John BIERS Agence France Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — The British pound fell again Tuesday due to mounting uncertainty over Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit plan, while European bourses advanced amid bargain-hunting. Wall Street experienced another volatile session, boosted by reports of progress in the US-China trade war, but buffeted by President Donald Trump’s threat to shut down the government over border security funding. Major US indices ended little changed. Britain’s prime […]

Canadian ex-diplomat held in China: Trudeau, think tank

OTTAWA, Canada (AFP) — A Canadian, believed to be a former diplomat, has been detained in China, prompting concern in Ottawa and Washington, as Beijing fumes over the arrest of a senior technology executive. “We are aware of the situation of a Canadian detained in China. We have been in direct contact with the Chinese,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters, adding that Ottawa was taking his arrest “very seriously.” The International Crisis Group earlier […]