International

Obama pays tribute to late Thai king as ‘close friend’ of US

PITTSBURGH, United States (AFP) — US President Barack Obama extended condolences Thursday to Thailand for the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, calling him a “close friend” and partner of the United States. Obama paid tribute to the king, whose death at age 88 was announced Thursday, as a “tireless champion” for Thailand’s development, praising his “unflagging devotion” to improving the lives of his subjects. Obama’s warm words for the monarch belie difficult recent relations with […]

Michelle Obama leads charge against ‘disgraceful’ Trump

by Daniel WOOLLS WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Michelle Obama has said she looks forward to a quieter, calmer life after politics. But on Thursday she hit the campaign trail with a vengeance. Her voice quivering with emotion, the wildly popular first lady launched a blistering attack on Donald Trump’s sexually aggressive talk about women, calling it “disgraceful,” especially coming from a man running for president. “It has shaken me to my core in a […]

Business Leaders Push for Clean Energy Shift

      By Caesar Vallejos EBC Correspondent “Energy efficiency should not be treated as a stop gap,” Alexander Ablaza, Philippine Energy Efficiency Alliance President said during the 1st Philippine Clean Energy Summit held at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza on October 13, 2016. Ablaza stressed the need to help the country meet its commitment to the Climate Change Paris Agreement, also known as COP21, by setting its roadmap to limit the effects of global warming to […]

More than 400 cases of abuse in Regensburg choir scandal, report reveals

  (Reuters) — A report released by representatives of the Catholic church and the victims of the Regensburg cathedral choir abuse scandal on Wednesday (October 12) shed new light into the scope of their investigation and the total number of victims. Following an initial report released in January, 129 additional victims came forward to the commission, according to local Catholic bishop Rudolf Vorderholzer. Most were victims of physical violence, although a number also suffered sexual […]

Explosion hits near police station close to Istanbul airport

ISTANBUL, TURKEY (Reuters) — An explosion near an Istanbul police station on Thursday (October 6) was caused by a “motorcycle bomb blast” and wounded five people, one of them seriously, provincial governor Vasip Sahin wrote on Twitter. Ambulances rushed to the scene and security forces were deployed in the area. There have been a number of bomb attacks in Turkey in recent months, some blamed on the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group and some […]

Brexit battle reaches UK’s high court in challenge to PM

  LONDON, United Kingdom | AFP | — The battle over Brexit reaches the High Court on Thursday in a legal challenge to Prime Minister Theresa May’s right to start negotiations for Britain to leave the European Union. The case was launched in the aftermath of Britain’s June 23 referendum which saw 52 percent of Britons vote to leave the EU. It seeks to challenge May’s assertion that she as prime minister has the right […]

People line up for early voting in Ohio

  (Reuters) — Although the Nov. 8 U.S. presidential election is less than a month away, the first ballots were cast in Ohio on Wednesday (October 12) as several states began early voting, NBC reported. People lined up at this polling place in Cleveland and Cincinnati to take advantage of early voting. 1.1 million ballots are estimated for the state of Ohio, NBC said. Thirty-eight of the 50 U.S. states have some form of early […]

Nicole, headed for Bermuda, strengthens to a major hurricane

Nicole, which is on track to hit Bermuda, strengthened into a Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday (September 12), the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. The core of Nicole, located about 210 miles (335 kilometers) southwest of Bermuda with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 km/h), is expected to pass near or over the island on Thursday, the NHC said. Hurricanes reaching Category 3 and higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale are considered […]

Missile again fired at U.S. Navy from Houthi territory in Yemen

A U.S. Navy destroyer was targeted on Wednesday (October 12) in a failed missile attack from territory in Yemen controlled by Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, the second such incident in four days, the U.S. military said. The USS Mason fired defensive salvos in response to at least one missile which did not hit the ship or caused any damage as it operated north of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Pentagon said. Indications are that the second […]

Two women say Trump touched them inappropriately

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP)–Two women have accused Donald Trump of touching them inappropriately in the past, The New York Times reported Wednesday, with one saying she was groped and another recounting him kissing her on the mouth — charges that the Republican presidential nominee hotly denied. The report follows the release of a video from 2005 last Friday in which Trump was caught on a “hot mic” bragging about groping women. The bombastic billionaire was grilled […]

FBI investigates ‘intentional’ Connecticut plane crash

NEW YORK, United States (AFP)– The FBI is investigating an “intentional” crash of a small plane in Connecticut that killed a Jordanian student and injured an American flight instructor, officials and US media said Wednesday. The plane exploded in a fireball on Tuesday in East Hartford, about 120 miles (192 kilometers) northeast of New York. The flight instructor, who survived the crash, told investigators it was not an accident, The New York Times reported. The dead person […]

Germany to impose strict welfare curbs for EU immigrants

BERLIN, Germany (AFP) – The German government on Wednesday approved a new law to curb social benefits for EU citizens who arrive in the country without a job, as it responds to pressure to get tough on migrants. Under the draft legislation, which still needs to go through parliament, EU nationals who have never worked in Germany will have to wait five years before they can claim benefits. The strict new measure comes after a […]