Other News

Germany’s BASF agrees oil merger with Russian tycoon’s firm

FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany (AFP) — German chemicals giant BASF has agreed to merge its Wintershall oil and gas unit with the DEA energy firm owned by Russia’s billionaire entrepreneur Mikhail Fridman. The multi-billion-euro deal will create “one of the largest independent European exploration and production companies” with “significant growth potential” and scope for synergies, BASF said in a statement late Thursday. BASF said it would initially hold 67 percent of shares in the joint venture, which […]

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‘Go home’ drone seeks to stop Japan overtime binge

by Miwa Suzuki Agence France-Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — A drone that hovers over Japanese employees and blares music to force them to go home was unveiled Thursday, as the country tries to reduce its notoriously long work hours. The “T-Frend” buzzes over those trying to work late, blasting out the strains of “Auld Lang Syne,” a Scottish tune typically used in Japan to announce that a store is closing. “You can’t really work when […]

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JK Rowling defends Depp casting after fan backlash

LONDON, United States (AFP) — British author J. K. Rowling has said she is “genuinely happy” with Johnny Depp’s casting in the upcoming “Fantastic Beasts” film after fans called for his replacement over domestic abuse allegations. The US actor, who plays villain Gellert Grindelwald in the Harry Potter spin-off, had been accused of physical abuse by his former wife Amber Heard during divorce proceedings. But actress Heard withdrew the allegations last year when the pair […]

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Three dead in samurai sword attack at Tokyo shrine

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — A former priest wielding a samurai sword killed his Shinto priestess sister and another woman in an apparent family vendetta at a historic Tokyo shrine, before turning the blade on himself, police told AFP Friday. Shigenaga Tomioka, 56, set upon his older sister Nagako, chief priestess at Tomioka Hachimangu shrine, with a samurai sword late Thursday in a rare violent assault in the Japanese capital. The 58-year-old Nagako was later pronounced […]

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NBA: Rockets down Jazz for eighth straight win

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The Houston Rockets, fueled by 29 points from James Harden, posted their eighth straight NBA victory on Thursday, 112-101 over the Utah Jazz. Ryan Anderson scored 23 points and Chris Paul added 18 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds for Houston, the Western Conference leaders who have now won 14 of their last 15 games. The Jazz coughed up eight turnovers in the first half, leading to 13 points […]

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Football: Ronaldo wins fifth Ballon d’Or award

PARIS, France (AFP) — Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo won a record-equaling fifth Ballon d’Or award for the year’s best player on Thursday. The Real Madrid forward’s second successive win drew him level alongside Barcelona rival Lionel Messi on five Ballons d’Or, after the Argentinian took second in the vote, with Brazilian Neymar third. The 32-year-old was the top-scorer in last season’s Champions League as Real successfully defended the trophy with victory over Juventus in June, […]

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Japan plans long-range missiles amid N. Korea threat: minister

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan plans to purchase offensive air-to-surface missiles to counter North Korea’s rising military threat, its defense minister said Friday, a move likely to stir debate over its decades-long pacifist policy. Itsunori Onodera said the ministry intends to request a special budget for the fiscal year starting April 2018 to purchase long-range cruise missiles deployed on fighter jets. According to local media, the ministry plans to buy JASSM and LRASM long-range, air-to-ground […]

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DOH creates task force for “thorough review” of controversial dengue vaccination program

By Jerold Tagbo Eagle News Service The Department of Health on Friday announced the creation of  a task force that will conduct a “thorough review” of the controversial dengue vaccination program started in March 2016 under the administration of President Benigno Aquino III. Health Secretary Francisco Duque said the task force was composed of representatives from the DOH Central Office; the DOH regional offices in the National Capital Region, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon or the three […]

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Philippine Marine Turtle Protected Area Network itinatag sa Palawan

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan (Eagle News) – Nagtatag ng Philippine Marine Turtle Protected Area Network sa Palawan noong ika-6 ng DIsyembre. Kabilang sa lumagda sa memorandum of agreement na naglalayong magkaroon ng ligtas na kanlungan ang mga pawikan sa Sulu-Sulawesi Seascape ay ang El Nido-Taytay Managed Resource Protected Area at Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park. Matatandaan na ang dalawang nabanggit na protected area ng Palawan ay nakapaloob sa ilalim ng National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) […]

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Geoffrey Rush sues paper in Australia for ‘inappropriate behavior’ claim

MELBOURNE, Australia (AFP) — Academy award-winning actor Geoffrey Rush Friday filed defamation proceedings against a News Corp newspaper in Australia over a story claiming he engaged in “inappropriate behavior” at a Sydney theater. The 66-year-old denied any wrongdoing after Sydney’s Daily Telegraph ran a front-page story last month reporting that the Sydney Theater Company received a complaint about him when he was working with them. The veteran Australian star launched action in the Federal Court […]

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