Other News

Brisk daily walk could prevent one in 10 early deaths: study

PARIS, France (AFP) — One in 10 early deaths could be prevented if everyone engaged in a small amount of daily exercise such as a brisk 11-minute walk, a large study said on Wednesday. Physical activity is known to reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer and other leading causes of death, but exactly how much is needed to have an impact has been unclear. So an international team of researchers pooled together the results […]

World not adequately prepared for disasters, report says

UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) — Earthquakes, floods, storms — the world is not adequately prepared to face increasing disasters, said a report published Tuesday calling for a rethink on global risk management. Since 1990, more than 10,700 disasters have affected over six billion people worldwide, according to data from the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. In 2015, the international community adopted global goals to lower casualties and damage by the year 2030 […]

Ping Remulla takes oath as representative of Cavite’s 7th district

(Eagle News) — Crispin Diego “Ping” Remulla took his oath as Cavite’s seventh district representative on Tuesday, Feb. 28. This was following his win in a special election held after his father, Jesus Crispin Remulla vacated the seat. The elder Remulla had been appointed Justice Secretary by President Bongbong Marcos. The younger Remulla, who had been elected provincial board member last year, garnered 98,474 votes in the special elections, according to the Commission on Elections. […]

Tanker carrying 800,000 liters of fuel sinks off Oriental Mindoro

(Eagle News) — A tanker carrying approximately 800,000 liters of industrial fuel sank off the waters of Oriental Mindoro on Tuesday, Feb. 28. The Philippine Coast Guard said it deployed the BRP Melchora Aquino (MRRV-9702) and one airbus helicopter to respond to the maritime incident involving the  MT Princess Empress in the vicinity waters off Balingawan Point, Naujan. Initial investigation by the PCG showed the vessel had departed from Bataan and was on its way to […]

‘The conflict goes on’: South Sudan’s never-ending war

by Nick Perry Agence France-Presse NAIROBI, Kenya (AFP) — “South Sudan remains significantly peaceful”, declared the opening line of a government-issued fact sheet for visitors and press as they awaited the historic arrival of Pope Francis in the country this month. But on his first day in Juba, as the pontiff waved to the faithful, mass graves were being dug just 100 kilometers (62 miles) away for 27 civilians killed in a hail of automatic […]

Ukraine intel chief sees no signs China plans to arm Russia

KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) — Ukraine’s head of military intelligence has brushed aside claims that China is considering furnishing arms to Russia, telling US media that he saw no “signs that such things are even being discussed”. Senior US officials have said as recently as Sunday that they were “confident” China was considering providing lethal equipment to Moscow, with a diplomatic pressure campaign underway to discourage it from doing so. But when asked about the possibility […]

‘Wholesome’ South Korean reality TV proves a global hit

by Claire LEE Agence France-Presse SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — The challenge is straight from Greek mythology: hold a boulder aloft as long as possible. Korean car dealer Jo Jin-hyeong lasted over two hours, captivating global audiences in a reality show that could signal a new K-culture export success. After films such as Oscar-winning “Parasite” and TV series including Golden Globe-bedecked “Squid Game” helped popularize K-content overseas, industry figures have said South Korea’s high-quality reality […]

Elation and fear: Everest pioneer recounts historic climb

by Julia ZAPPEI Agence France-Presse MAYRHOFEN, Austria (AFP) — He’s over 80, but the Austrian climber Peter Habeler — one half of the duo that was first to scale Everest without supplemental oxygen — is still fantastically fit and scaling mountain peaks, which he calls his “fountain of youth”. Many thought it impossible when he and Reinhold Messner of Italy — both Tyroleans — set out to conquer the world’s highest peak in 1978 without […]

Northeast monsoon affecting Luzon: PAGASA

(Eagle News) — The northeast monsoon is affecting Luzon. The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said as a result, Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region, Bicol Region, Aurora, Quezon, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, and Romblon will have cloudy skies with rains. Flash floods or landslides due to moderate with at times heavy rains are possible. Visayas, meanwhile, will have cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms. Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon, PAGASA […]

Macron plans ‘noticeable reduction’ of French troops in Africa

by Valerie LEROUX Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — President Emmanuel Macron on Monday announced a “noticeable reduction” of French troop presence in Africa, where anti-French sentiment is running high in some former colonies. He was speaking in Paris ahead of a four-nation tour of central African countries from Wednesday, as France seeks to counter growing Chinese and Russian influence in the region. Macron is to visit Gabon for an environmental summit, followed by Angola, […]

Canada bans TikTok on government phones, other devices

Ottawa, Canada (AFP) — The Canadian government on Monday banned TikTok from all of its phones and other devices, citing concerns about data protection. TikTok, whose parent company ByteDance is Chinese, has faced increasing Western scrutiny in recent months over fears about how much access Beijing has to user data. Effective Tuesday, “the TikTok application will be removed from government-issued mobile devices. Users of these devices will also be blocked from downloading the application in […]

Nigeria ruling party candidate takes early election lead

by Patrick Markey with Louise Dewast in Port Harcourt Agence France-Presse LAGOS, Nigeria (AFP) — Nigeria’s ruling party candidate Bola Tinubu took an early lead in the race for the presidency, according to initial tallies on Monday, after a tight election marked by long delays and opposition accusations of fraud. Former Lagos governor Tinubu faced an old rival, the main opposition PDP’s Atiku Abubakar, in Saturday’s vote, but surprise third candidate, Labor Party’s Peter Obi, […]