WASHINGTON , United States (AFP) — A man wearing what appeared to be a full-body bear costume threatened to blow up a local Fox TV station in the US city of Baltimore Thursday before being shot by police, the network reported. Fox45’s website showed images of the suspect, who claimed to have a bomb, seated inside the premises of the station, which was evacuated during the standoff. The Baltimore, Maryland station, also known locally as […]
International
600 kilos of Roman coins discovered in Spanish town
SEVILLE ,Spain (AFP) — Construction workers have found 600 kilos (1,300 pounds) of ancient Roman coins while carrying out routine work on water pipes in southern Spain, local officials said Thursday. “It is a unique collection and there are very few similar cases,” Ana Navarro, head of Seville’s Archeology Museum which is looking after the find, told a news conference. Dating back to the late third and early fourth centuries, the bronze coins were found […]
Vanuatu tsunami threat over after big quake: scientists
WELLINGTON ,New Zealand (AFP) — A major earthquake hit the Pacific nation of Vanuatu early Friday, briefly prompting a tsunami warning that was cancelled after locals reported no significant damage. The United States Geological Survey said the 7.0-magnitude quake — originally reported as 7.3 — struck at a relatively shallow depth of 35 kilometres (21 miles) some 209 kilometres from the capital Port Vila. The National Tsunami Warning Center (NTWC) initially warned the quake, which hit […]
China warns Southeast Asia over maritime dispute
SINGAPORE ,Singapore (AFP) — China urged Southeast Asian nations on Thursday to resolve territorial disputes through dialogue and repeated a warning of “negative consequences” if the Philippines wins an arbitration case in The Hague. Four ASEAN member states — the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei — have rival claims with China to parts of the South China Sea and tensions have mounted in recent years since China transformed contested reefs into artificial islands that can […]
Japan wants foreign tourists to avoid ‘public flatulence’
TOKYO , Japan (AFP) — A Japanese tourism board has called on foreign tourists to refrain from public “belching or flatulence” in an etiquette guide which was hastily rewritten, reportedly after complaints from a Chinese resident. The Hokkaido Tourism Organization, which represents Japan’s northern-most island, published a downloadable brochure on its website, with polite instructions on everything from public bathing to using a Japanese toilet. Helpfully, it even dedicated an entire section to protocol for […]
Indonesia to host talks on maritime security after kidnappings
JAKARTA , Indonesia (AFP) — Indonesia hopes next week to secure an agreement with Malaysia and the Philippines on conducting joint military patrols on the high seas where Islamic militants have been on a kidnapping spree, an official said Thursday. The plight of hostages held by the Abu Sayyaf militant group could also be on the agenda when the foreign ministers and military commanders of the three neighbours meet next Thursday in Jakarta for talks. […]
Turkey arrests 12 in bid to identify female bomber: report
ANKARA , Turkey (AFP) — Turkish police on Thursday arrested 12 suspects as they stepped up efforts to identify a female bomber who blew herself up in the city of Bursa, wounding 13 people, state media said. The arrests took place in Bursa, Istanbul, the southeastern city of Sanliurfa and Afyon in central Turkey, Anatolia news agency said. Wednesday’s bombing, the latest attack to strike Turkey, took place near Bursa’s 14th century Grand Mosque, a […]
JAL, ANA flying high on healthy travel demand
TOKYO , Japan (AFP) — All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines (JAL) announced robust annual profits on Thursday, thanks to healthy demand on China and other international routes as well as falling fuel costs. Japan’s top carriers benefitted from a record number of foreigners visiting Japan with mainland Chinese being among the most conspicuous as they flock to Japan for shopping and entertainment, International terror attacks in Paris and Brussels, however, slowed demand on […]
S. Korea says North failed with second mid-range missile test
by Jung Ha-Won SEOUL , South Korea (AFP) — North Korea on Thursday tried and failed in what appeared to be its second attempt in two weeks to test a powerful, new medium-range ballistic missile, South Korea’s defence ministry said. A ministry official said the North had fired what was believed to be a Musudan missile at around 6:40 am (2140 GMT Wednesday) from Wonsan on the east coast, but it plunged back to […]
White House hopeful Cruz taps Carly Fiorina as running mate
by Michael Mathes James MANNION WASHINGTON ,United States (AFP) — White House hopeful Ted Cruz went all-in Wednesday as he sought to bar Donald Trump’s triumphant march to the Republican nomination, naming Carly Fiorina as his running mate as the primary race hits its final stretch. The Texas senator made the surprise announcement a day after Trump clinched a knock-out series of wins in five states, putting him within striking distance of the nomination as […]
Breaking News : Apparent N. Korea mid-range missile launch failed again: South
SEOUL , South Korea (AFP) — North Korea on Thursday tried and appeared to have failed a second attempt to launch a powerful, new medium-range ballistic missile, South Korea’s defense ministry said. A ministry official said the North had launched what was believed to be a Musudan missile at around 6:40 am (2140 GMT Wednesday) from Wonsan on the east coast. “It fell within seconds after the launch so is believed to have failed,” the […]
Yemen suicide bomber targets Aden police chief
ADEN , Yemen (AFP) — A suicide bomber targeted the police chief of Yemen’s second city Aden on Thursday in the latest attack against senior officials in the base of the Saudi-backed government, a security official said. The bombing came after loyalist forces backed by a Saudi-led military coalition seized the key southeastern port city of Mukalla and the nearby airport and oil facilities from Al-Qaeda, ending a year-long occupation by the jihadists. General Shallal […]
