Other News

The ‘female Rasputin’ at centre of S. Korean political scandal

  by Jung Ha-Won SEOUL, South Korea | AFP | — South Korean President Park Geun-Hye is facing calls to resign over allegations she allowed a close personal friend to meddle in state affairs. The woman at the heart of the scandal is an elusive figure with no government post or security clearance but a reportedly Rasputin-like grip on the president’s trust and affections. Here are five key questions about an ongoing and sometimes bizarre […]

Iglesia Ni Cristo launches new theme to answer global curiosity about the Church

  (Eagle News) — The Iglesia Ni Cristo  launched its new theme for the activities and projects of the Church on Sunday, October 30, at the Philippine Arena which was seen live via video feed in more than 40 sites here and abroad. The theme, “I am proud to be a member of the Church of Christ,” was highlighted in the event on Sunday with a video presentation of the INC  featuring the Church’s “role and relevance to […]

Raids, protests pressure S. Korea’s scandal-hit president

  by Park Chan-Kyong SEOUL, South Korea | AFP | — Pressure mounted Saturday on beleaguered South Korean President Park Geun-Hye over a personal and political scandal, as prosecutors raided the homes of senior aides and thousands joined a protest in central Seoul demanding her resignation. With just over a year left to run, Park’s presidency has suddenly unravelled over shocking revelations of how she allowed a close personal friend, with no official position, to […]

Tesla expands its portfolio to produce solar roof tiles

Los Angeles, United States | AFP | Electric carmaker Tesla has diversified into the alternative energy business, on Friday unveiling solar roofs for environmentally friendly homes. “Global warming is a serious crisis and we need to do something about that,” company founder Elon Musk said during a news conference at Universal Studios in Los Angeles. Musk noted that electric cars in the past “didn’t look good… They were like a golf cart,” but Tesla automobiles […]

whaling

Whaling: The hunters and the hunted

Portorož, Slovenia | AFP | by Mariëtte Le Roux — Thirty years into a moratorium on commercial whaling, hundreds of the marine mammals, some endangered, are killed every year — some in open defiance of the ban, others in the name of scientific research. The moratorium, monitored by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) which closed its 66th meeting in Slovenia on Friday is credited with having saved tens, perhaps hundreds, of thousands of whales. It has […]

Chinese vessels leave disputed shoal: Philippine official

  MANILA, Philippines AFP | — Chinese vessels have left the contested Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, a Philippine official said Saturday, less than a week after President Rodrigo Duterte visited Beijing pledging closer ties. The firebrand leader used the trip to vaunt his move away from traditional ally the United States in favour of Beijing — which was previously at loggerheads with Manila over the maritime dispute. China took control of the […]

China communicating with PHL on fishing cooperation in South China Sea

  (Reuters) — China said on Friday (October 28) it was communicating with the Philippines over fishing industry cooperation in the disputed South China Sea after President Rodrigo Duterte’s visit in Beijing. China will consider giving Filipino fishermen conditional access to disputed waters in the South China Sea after the presidents from the two countries meet in Beijing this week, said two Chinese sources with ties to the leadership when Duterte was visiting in China […]

Remaining Jungle migrants relocated after two days in limbo

CALAIS, France (AFP) – by Gina DOGGETT and Baptiste BECQUART Most of the migrants left wandering the Calais “Jungle” as it was being demolished were relocated Friday, including dozens of minors over whom France and Britain had traded barbs. After being left to fend for themselves for two days in the deserted burnt-out shantytown, around 100 stragglers boarded buses for shelters around the country. Around 50 minors, mostly Sudanese, were taken to a centre for […]

Rebels in Aleppo attack, Putin cautious on new Russian raids

ALEPPO, Syria (AFP) – by Omar Haj Kadour and Karam al-Masri Syrian rebels launched a major assault Friday aimed at breaking a months-long siege of opposition-held districts of Aleppo, as regime ally Russia held off on renewed air strikes. Rebel groups including the powerful Ahrar al-Sham faction and former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front fired waves of rockets into government-held western Aleppo, killing at least 15 civilians, a monitor said. The rebels also targeted government […]

Youtube star gets a Guinness, unveils long version of hit song Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen

  (Reuters) — Japanese Youtube star and singer of the recent hit Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen (PPAP), Pikotaro, performed and unveiled the track’s long version on Friday (October 28) in Tokyo. Pikotaro, whose real name is Kazuhiko Kosaka, is known for a quirky music video featuring him miming the joining of an imaginary apple and pineapple with an imaginary pen. The video uploaded in early September quickly went viral, racking up over 600 million views (as of October […]

CGMA denies involvement in charges vs De Lima

QUEZON City, Philippines – The camp of Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said that the former president was not involved in the preparation of charges against Senator Leila De Lima, particularly her alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade in the New Bilibid Prison. This is in response to De Lima’s accusation that CGMA was aiding the Duterte administration in bringing about her downfall. The House minority bloc led by minority leader Rep. Danilo Suarez earlier […]