Tag: crisis

Iran agrees de-escalation ‘only solution’ to solve crisis with US

  by David Vujanovic Agence France-Presse TEHRAN, Iran  (AFP) — Iran has signaled it favors a de-escalation after 10 days of heightened tensions with the United States during which both sides fired missiles and Tehran accidentally shot down a passenger aircraft. Security was stepped up in Iran’s capital Sunday after a vigil the previous night for those killed in the air disaster turned into an angry protest and police temporarily arrested the British ambassador for […]

CAAP says three airlines have committed to help in repatriation of OFWs from Middle East

(Eagle News) — Three airlines have committed to help in the repatriation of Overseas Filipino Workers from the Middle East, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said on Friday, Jan. 10. In a statement, CAAP director general Jim Sydiongco said Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines have agreed to accommodate free of charge stranded Filipinos in the United Arab Emirates “or in any of its available Middle East flights, once the plans for the repatriation […]

Angat dam dips below critical level anew

  (Eagle News) – After days of hot weather with almost no rains, Angat dam’s water level went below the 160 meter critical level as of Thursday morning, July 11. According the PAGASA’s dam monitoring, the dam’s water level as of 6 a.m. Thursday stood at 159.93 down from (July 10) Wednesday morning’s 160.30 La Mesa Dam’s water level also went down to 72.16 meters from Wednesday morning’s 72.21 meters. This was, however, still above […]

Senate to probe unusual water service interruptions in Metro Manila, Rizal

  (Eagle News) – The Senate will investigate the unusual water shortage being experienced in Metro Manila and parts of Rizal which are being serviced by the Manila Water Company. Senators expressed alarm about the extended water service interruptions, as they noted that only one water concessionaire is having problems with water supply. Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara observed that while Manila Water had been suffering supply woes, its west zone counterpart Maynilad was not. […]

UN chief willing to broker end to Venezuela crisis

UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) — United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres renewed his offer Monday to help broker an end to the crisis in Venezuela during talks with the country’s foreign minister. Guterres met with Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza in New York, at the request of Caracas, as the standoff between President Nicolas Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaido hardened. The United Nations has called for serious political negotiations between the two sides to prevent […]

Trump threatens to declare national emergency over border wall fight

by Eleonore Sens / with Sebastian Smith in Washington Agence France Presse McAllen, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump has again threatened to declare a national emergency along the border with Mexico as he seeks funding for a wall he says will keep out dangerous immigrants — his latest jab in a fight with Democrats in Congress that has now shut down parts of the government for a record-tying 21 days. Such a declaration, […]

US-Mexico border situation a ‘growing crisis’: Trump

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The situation along the US border with Mexico is a “growing crisis,” President Donald Trump said Tuesday, stressing that uncontrolled illegal immigration is hurting millions of Americans. “There is a growing humanitarian and security crisis at our southern border,” the president said in a rare live Oval Office address to the nation, adding that every day US Customs and Border Patrol agents “encounter thousands of illegal immigrants trying to enter […]

Argentina on strike as central bank chief resigns amid IMF talks

by Nina NEGRON Agence France Presse BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AFP) — Argentina was paralyzed by a general strike on Tuesday while the central bank chief resigned amid talks with the International Monetary Fund on a revised crisis loan package. As president Mauricio Macri negotiated accelerated funding from a $50 billion loan agreed with the IMF in June, the country’s beleaguered currency was hit by the news that Luis Caputo had been replaced by Guido Sandleris […]

Facebook crisis prompts Silicon Valley soul-searching

  by Glenn Chapman Agence France Presse SAN FRANCISO, United States (AFP) — With Facebook mired in its worst-ever crisis, the rest of Silicon Valley is looking to come to terms with the dark side of its data-driven business model where tech titans have mined fortunes from what people reveal online. There are signs the crisis could spread to other internet firms that have made no secret about using what they glean from digital data […]

Venezuela government, opposition hold new round of talks

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic  (AFP) — Venezuela’s government and opposition concluded a new round of talks Friday in an effort to bridge deep and entrenched differences to find a way to end the dire political and economic crisis tearing apart their country. After eight hours of discussions at the foreign ministry in Santo Domingo, the two sides agreed to resume negotiations on January 11, Dominican President Danilo Medina announced. It will be followed by a meeting of […]

29 civilians ‘will die’ if not evacuated from Syria’s Eastern Ghouta: UN

GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) – Some 400 civilians are in urgent need of medical evacuation from Syria’s Eastern Ghouta region, including 29 who will die if they are not allowed to leave immediately, the United Nations warned Thursday. “Around 400 men, women, children… need to be evacuated now,” Jan Egeland, head of the UN’s humanitarian taskforce for Syria, told reporters in Geneva, adding that 29 of them, including 18 children “will die if they are not […]

Aid enters besieged Syria region hit by hunger crisis

  by Hassan Mohammed Agence France-Presse   KAFR BATNA, Syria (AFP) – Dozens of trucks carrying aid for 40,000 people on Monday entered the besieged rebel-held Eastern Ghouta area near Damascus, where residents and relief groups have warned a humanitarian crisis is escalating. Shocking AFP images from the region this month showed severely underweight children, and doctors reported two infants had died of malnutrition and related complications. The United Nations and the Syrian Arab Red […]