International

Researchers in Singapore develop test kit for Zika virus

  (Reuters) — Researchers in Singapore have developed a test kit for the Zika virus that could be used in hospitals soon. Global health officials have said the virus has been linked to severe birth defects in thousands of babies in Brazil, and is rapidly spreading internationally. On Wednesday (February 10) China confirmed its first case in a man who had recently travelled to South America, the official Xinhua news agency reported. Masafumi Inoue at […]

Three killed, one missing in Indonesia military plane crash

(Reuters) — An Indonesian military aircraft crashed into a house in a densely populated area in Malang on Wednesday (February 10), leaving two civilians and a pilot dead and one technician missing, local media reported. The Brazilian-made aircraft Super Tucano took off from Abdurrahman Saleh military base in East Java province, five kilometres away from the crash site, for a flight simulation training exercise, according to local media. “I felt a tremble and people started […]

S. Korea beefs up border propaganda broadcasts to North

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korea’s military said Wednesday it had stepped up border propaganda broadcasts targeting North Korean soldiers in protest at Pyongyang’s widely-condemned rocket launch. The army since last month has blasted across the heavily-fortified border a mix of news, propaganda messages and K-pop music using giant banks of loudspeakers, in response to Pyongyang’s fourth nuclear test on January 6. It deployed more loudspeakers — mounted on moving vehicles — along the […]

Ten dead as commuter trains collide in Germany

BAD AIBLING, Germany (AFP) — German authorities were on Tuesday investigating how two commuter trains collided head-on, leaving at least ten dead and dozens injured, despite having been fitted with automatic braking systems to prevent accidents. Media reports said human error was to blame for the high-speed crash near the southern spa town of Bad Aibling, where one of the trains sliced into the other, ripping a hole in its side. Rescuers were still searching […]

South Korean parliament passes resolution denouncing the North’s rocket launch

SEOUL, South Korea (Reuters) — South Korea’s parliament on Wednesday (February 10) passed a resolution condemning North Korea’s rocket launch. The resolution urged North Korea to stop its provocations such as a long-range missile launch as well as a nuclear test and become a responsible member of the international community, according to the National Assembly. It also called for the South Korean government to work with the international society so that strong sanctions can come […]

Even staple food demonstrates Nigeria’s economic vulnerability

IBADAN, Nigeria (AFP) — Cassava, the starch rusty-coloured root that is a staple in Nigeria, is a paradigm of the problem the import-dependent nation now faces as the plunge in oil prices crimps the economy. The root is used to make “eba” and “fufu” — filling pastes that are beloved dishes in Nigerian homes — but there are a myriad of uses for cassava, including making flour and beer. The problem — and opportunity — […]

Australia set to legalize cultivation of medical cannabis

CANBERRA, Australia (Reuters) — Australia is expected to legalize the cultivation of cannabis for medical or scientific purposes with a bill introduced to parliament on Wednesday (February 10), the first step towards doctors eventually prescribing it to patients with chronic pain. The bill will see Australia create a national licensing and permit scheme to supply medical cannabis to patients with painful and chronic conditions on clinical trials. Several Australian states have committed to starting trials […]

Tokyo stocks drop to lowest since 2014 on global recession fears

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Tokyo stocks dropped again Wednesday to their lowest level since late 2014, as fears of a global recession hammered investor confidence ahead of testimony by the head of the US central bank. The plunge came the day after the benchmark Nikkei index posted a 5.4-percent drop, its steepest one-day decline in percentage terms since June 2013. On Wednesday, the Nikkei slipped 2.31 percent, or 372.05 points, lower at 15,713.39, the lowest […]

China confirms first case of Zika virus

BEIJING, China – The first case of Zika virus was confirmed in China, with health officials saying that a 34-year old male from Venezuela who suffered from dizziness and fever. Thailand and Indonesia also recorded a case of Zika virus each. (Eagle News Service Described by Jay Paul Carlos, Video Editing by Jericho Morales, Uploaded by MRFaith Bonalos)

Bullying not the solution in South China Sea – White House

WASHINGTON D.C.,United States of America – It is expected that the President of United States Barack Obama will deliver a hard-hitting message to China in a summit that will be attended by South East Asian nations. Said message is connected with the problem in South China Sea and that the bullying of large nations against smaller nations is not the solution to the said territorial dispute but the rule of law. Said summit will be […]

Search continues for survivors under a toppled apartment building in Taiwan

TAINAN, Taiwan (Reuters) — Search and rescue teams continued to dig through the rubble of a collapsed apartment complex on Wednesday (February 10) racing against time to find anyone alive. The building in Tainan collapsed after a strong earthquake struck the south of Taiwan on Saturday (February 6) burying more than a hundred people. Search teams at the Wei-guan Golden Dragon apartment complex have started relying more on heavy machinery to reach those trapped in the […]

Four feared dead in Myanmar military plane crash: officials

NAYPYIDAW, Myanmar (AFP) — At least four Myanmar military personnel were feared dead after a small air force propeller plane crashed shortly after take off in the capital Naypyidaw Wednesday, official sources said. The Beechcraft passenger plane, which was carrying five crew members and believed to be on a routine patrol, went down in agricultural land near the airport. Hundreds of people gathered in the area as officials raced to extinguish the fire and sift […]