Other News

Rep. Fariñas: No railroading of House reso seeking con-ass for Charter change

(Eagle News) — Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas on Thursday maintained the House resolution seeking for the convening of Congress into a constitutional assembly to amend the Charter was not railroaded. In making the statement, Fariñas effectively belied claims made by militant groups such as Gabriela and Bayan Muna about House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) No. 9. “It is a product of democratic and exhaustive debates not just in the plenary hall of the House of Representatives, in the […]

NBA: James, Curry will captain teams in new-look All-Star Game

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — LeBron James and Stephen Curry led the voting for NBA All-Star Game starters announced Thursday and will serve as team captains in the league’s new-look mid-season exhibition on February 18. Cleveland Cavaliers superstar James, a four-time NBA Most Valuable Player, was the top vote-getter among fans in the Eastern Conference and overall, garnering 2,638,294 votes. He will therefore get to choose first when the captains pick their teams from the 10 […]

Zimbabwe opposition figure Bennett dies in US chopper crash

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Leading Zimbabwe opposition figure Roy Bennett, one of long-time president Robert Mugabe’s most outspoken critics, has died in a helicopter crash in a remote area of the US state of New Mexico, authorities said Thursday. He was 60. Bennett was killed along with his wife Heather and three other people after the helicopter went down on Wednesday, New Mexico state police said. A crash survivor called 911 for help […]

Get on with tennis, says Federer, there’s been worse heat

 MELBOURNE, Australia (AFP) — Roger Federer has downplayed suffocating heat on court at the Australian Open, saying it was part of the game and players should be prepared. The Swiss great was commenting on furnace-like conditions at Melbourne Park on Thursday, which his rival Novak Djokovic described as “brutal,” complaining it was hard to breathe. More of same was expected Friday, with a peak of 42 Celsius (107.6 Fahrenheit) forecast. Federer escaped the worst on Thursday, playing a […]

Cancer blood test finds eight kinds of tumors: study

MIAMI, United States (AFP) — A new blood test for cancer has shown promise toward detecting eight different kinds of tumors before they have spread elsewhere in the body, offering hope of early detection, researchers said Thursday. Further study is needed before the test — called CancerSEEK — can be made widely available for its projected cost of about $500, said the report in the journal Science. The study, led by researchers at Johns Hopkins […]

‘Mutant flu’ could lead to more effective vaccine: study

MIAMI, United States (AFP) — Experiments in lab animals have shown signs of success for a newly engineered flu virus that may lead one day to a more effective vaccine, researchers said Thursday. Trials in humans are still a long way off, but the report in the US journal Science earned praise from experts who described it as a promising first step toward better prevention of the flu. The World Health Organization considers the flu […]

Robert Redford: #MeToo is ‘tipping point’ for Hollywood

by Frankie Taggart Agence France-Presse PARK CITY, United States (AFP) — Robert Redford said Thursday the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements were a “tipping point” that would change Hollywood in favor of women’s equality and intolerance for sexual misconduct. “From my standpoint, change is inevitable and change is going to come… I’m pretty encouraged right now,” the 81-year-old double Oscar-winner told a news conference launching his annual Sundance Film Festival. “What it’s doing is bringing […]

President Duterte: There will be war in Mindanao if federalism, BBL bids fail

(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday warned of a war in Mindanao if the federalism and the Bangsamoro Basic Law bids fail. Speaking at the launch of the Overseas Filipino Workers bank, Duterte said that the Moros–who have long experienced “historical injustices”— have, after all, already waited for the longest time  for the promises given to them to be fulfilled. “I can assure you, mamili kayo. Hindi ko na ma-control ‘yan and at […]

NBA: Williams, Hart, Fergie among All-Star performers

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Pharrell Williams and his hip-hop group N.E.R.D. will perform at half-time of next month’s NBA All-Star Game, the league announced Thursday, with actor-comedian Kevin Hart opening festivities and introducing teams. The 67th annual clash of elite NBA talent will be staged February 18 in Los Angeles and also feature pre-game national anthems, the American sung by Fergie and the Canadian performed by Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies. Williams, an […]

New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern expecting a baby

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AFP) – New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Friday she is expecting her first baby in June, making her the country’s first leader to give birth while in office. The 37-year-old, who took office in October, said the pregnancy was “unexpected but exciting” for her and partner Clarke Gayford. “We’re both really happy. We wanted a family but weren’t sure it would happen for us,” she said in a statement. The charismatic leader […]

NFL: Brady misses practice due to throwing hand injury

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) – New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady missed practice Thursday because of a right hand injury, increasing worries for supporters ahead of Sunday’s NFL home playoff showdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars. A day after Brady reportedly jammed his throwing hand but suffered no structural damage after someone accidentally ran into him during a workout, the 40-year-old US superstar was present only for the start of training. Brady’s contribution to the session was […]

LTFRB limits number of TNVS units nationwide

(Eagle News) — The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has limited the number of vehicles operating under ride-sharing applications such as Uber and Grab nationwide to 45,700. According to LTFRB Memorandum Circular Number 2018-003, of the total number, 45,000 Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS)  units will be in Metro Manila; 500 in Metro Cebu; and 200 in Pampanga. “The numbers were arrived at based on the data given by the (Transport Network Companies) considering its […]