Other News

Russia warns US over possible military action in Syria

UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) — Russia warned the United States on Thursday that there could be “negative consequences” if Washington takes military action against Syria. “All responsibility if military action occurs will be on the shoulders of those who initiated such a doubtful tragic enterprise,” Russian Ambassador Vladimir Safronkov told reporters following a closed-door Security Council meeting on Syria. Safronkov said he had been “frank” during the meeting, telling the council: “We have to […]

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Comedian Don Rickles dies at 90

CALIFORNIA, United States (Reuters) — Don Rickles, the master insult comic who created laughs with ridicule and sarcasm in a decades-long career that earned him the facetious nickname “Mr. Warmth,” died on Thursday at his Los Angeles home from kidney failure, his publicist said. He was 90. Rickles, who said he developed his brand of humorous mockery because he was no good at telling traditional jokes, had recently postponed some performances, including a show set […]

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Bangladesh closes one of world’s most polluted places

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AFP) — A historic leatherworking quarter in Bangladesh once labelled among the most polluted places on earth was shut Thursday as police enforced a court ruling to protect a vital waterway. Conservationists have been fighting for years to close the century-old tannery district in the capital Dhaka, which pumps thousands of litres of toxic waste directly into the city’s most important river on a daily basis. The Supreme Court ordered last month that […]

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President Duterte says he won’t allow other gov’t housing units to be grabbed by KADAMAY

(Eagle News) – President Rodrigo Duterte said he would not allow other government housing units to be illegally occupied, giving a stern warning to members of the Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap not to make a repeat of what they did in the housing units in Pandi, Bulacan. The President said he would make sure government housing units he would build for the police and the military would be well-guarded by M16s and even “bazookas.” “Hanggang […]

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Trump on Xi: ‘We’re going to have a very, very great relationship’

PALM BEACH, United States (AFP) — United States President Donald Trump struck a positive note as he sat down to dinner Thursday with visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping, saying the pair are going to have “a very, very, great relationship.” “We’ve had a long discussion already and so far I have gotten nothing, absolutely nothing, but we have developed a friendship, I can see that,” Trump told reporters as he, Xi and their wives prepared […]

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Record amount of renewables capacity added in 2016: UN

PARIS, France (AFP) — The world added a record 138.5 gigawatts of renewable power capacity in 2016 despite a 23 percent drop in investment, reflecting the falling cost of clean energy, the United Nations announced Thursday. The new energy — mainly from wind and solar installations, but not including large hydro projects — was up eight percent from the previous year, on global investment of $242 billion (227 billion euros). Investment in fossil fuel-based energy […]

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Cuban vying for Guinness record for highest bike stopped by police during attempt

HAVANA, Cuba (AFP) — Cuban police have put the brakes on a Guinness world record attempt for riding the tallest bike because the cyclist did not have the necessary permission. Cyclist Felix Guirola tried to ride his 7.5-meter (24.6-foot) bike in a popular tourist area of Havana, close to the Capitol building and the stately Saratoga Hotel. Despite attracting a sizable number of supportive onlookers and the attendance of a Guinness official to verify the […]

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Russia detains 8 over Saint Petersburg metro bombing

by Marina Koreneva SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia (AFP) — Russian investigators on Thursday detained eight people suspected of involvement in the Saint Petersburg metro bombing, as the country held commemorative rallies to honour the 13 victims. “Six people were detained in Saint Petersburg and two in Moscow who are involved in the act of terror” following an investigation and search operation conducted with the FSB security service and interior ministry, Russia’s powerful Investigative Committee said in […]

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Tillerson vows ‘appropriate response’ to Syria suspected chemical attack

WEST PALM BEACH, United States (AFP) — United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Thursday said Washington would make an “appropriate response” to Tuesday’s suspected chemical attack in Syria, while calling for the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad. “We are considering an appropriate response (to the) violations of all previous UN resolutions, violations of international norms,” he said in televised comments at the Palm Beach International Airport in Florida, where he greeted Chinese President […]

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Facebook adds tips for spotting ‘fake news’

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Facebook on Thursday ramped up its fight against “fake news” by adding tips on how to tell when shared stories are bogus. An initiative being launched in the United States, France and a dozen other countries added an educational tool in an “awareness display” in news feeds at the leading online social network. “By clicking on the awareness display located at the top of their news feed, users will […]

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Bezos sells $1 bn in Amazon stock yearly to pay for rocket firm

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Billionaire entrepreneur Jeff Bezos said he is selling $1 billion in stock of his retail giant Amazon each year to finance his rocket company, Blue Origin, which aims to carry tourists to space by 2018. Speaking Wednesday at the 33rd Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Bezos vowed to lower the cost of space travel and start taking customers to space by next year. The entrepreneur did not say how […]

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Trump, Xi at Mar-a-Lago for high-stakes summit

by Andrew Beatty PALM BEACH, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump greeted Xi Jinping to his Florida resort of Mar-a-Lago with a smile and a handshake Thursday, as cordiality replaced tough anti-China rhetoric during a first face-to-face encounter. Trump, in his signature red power tie, welcomed his Chinese counterpart Xi, decked out in contrasting blue, to what the United States leader likes to call the “Winter White House” for a superpower summit in the sun. […]

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