International

Germanwings plane crash victims’ bodies being transported from Barcelona airport

JUNE 16 (Reuters) — Hearses carrying the bodies of 32 Spanish victims killed in a Germanwings passenger jet that crashed in March in the French Alps left the airport of Barcelona on Monday (June 15) after their families attended a ceremony. Spanish officials welcomed the victims’ relatives at a building in the airport where a small ceremony was held to pay homage to the 150 people killed in the crash. A week ago, the bodies […]

South African court orders indicted Sudanese leader not to leave

A South African court issued an interim order on Sunday preventing Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir leaving the country, where he was attending an African Union summit, until the judge hears an application calling for his arrest. Bashir is accused in an International Criminal Court arrest warrant of war crimes and crimes against humanity over atrocities in the Darfur conflict. Judge Hans Fabricuis said if Bashir was allowed to leave the country it would damage South […]

Britain pulls out spies as Russia, China crack Snowden files

Britain has pulled out agents from live operations in “hostile countries” after Russia and China cracked top-secret information contained in files leaked by former U.S. National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, the Sunday Times reported. Security service MI6, which operates overseas and is tasked with defending British interests, has removed agents from certain countries, the newspaper said, citing unnamed officials at the office of British Prime Minister David Cameron, the Home Office (interior ministry) and […]

Lithuania close to accepting heavy U.S. arms

  Lithuania is readying itself to host heavy U.S. military equipment while talks continue with the United States on a permanent location for the arms, Defence Minister Juozas Olekas told Reuters on Sunday. “We think that at least part of it will be in Lithuania and we are in a process preparing our military infrastructure, so it could be used for such pre-positioning. It is almost ready,” Olekas said. “We have been in talks with […]

Israel issues its own Gaza war report, pre-empting UN inquiry

Israel was issuing a report on Sunday (June 14) arguing its 2014 Gaza offensive was lawful, a move aimed at pre-empting the release of findings of a U.N. war crimes investigation that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed as a waste of time. Launched after a surge of cross-border rocket fire by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups, Israel’s two-month offensive last year, which included heavy shelling and air strikes into the densely populated enclave, killed […]

Islamic State disperses Syrians waiting to cross to Turkey

Armed Islamic State militants dispersed a large number of Syrians waiting to cross into Turkey at the Syrian border town of Tal Abyad on Saturday (June 13). The would-be refugees were made to pick up their belongings and move away from the border. Fighting near the border has already forced more than 13,000 people to cross into Turkey from Syria. Some 1,500 more are waiting to cross. A security source said Turkish soldiers sprayed water […]

SOKOR reports 7 new cases of MERS, brings total to 145

South Korea’s Health Ministry reported on Sunday (June 14) seven new cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), taking the total to 145 in an outbreak that the World Health Organization called “large and complex.” “As of now, there are 7 new confirmed MERS cases on June 14, leading to the total of 145 patients. 10 patients were discharged from hospital up to now. And as assistant minister Kwon mentioned, one more patient will leave […]

Indonesian volcano erupts, over 2,700 people evacuated

Indonesia’s Mount Sinabung erupted on Saturday (June 13), sending ashes to to the sky as more than 2,700 people are evacuated. Saturday’s eruption was the latest round, since the volcano was placed at its highest alert level earlier in June. Columns of ash spewing as high as three kilometres was seen from a nearby town. Lava spread around one kilometres to the south and east, local media reported. No casualties were reported as most of […]

Rain causes landslides in Nepal

KATMANDU, Nepal (Eagle News) – Severe rains caused landslides in Nepal which results in dozens dead and missing although there are still no exact figures reported. (Eagle News Service Jay Paul Carlos, Dexter Magno, Vince Alvin Villarin) https://youtu.be/tQ2U5wR8e60

Hailstorm paralyzes Madrid

MADRID, Spain (Eagle News) – A massive hailstorm paralyzed Spain’s capital of Madrid. Said hailstorm induced severe flooding in the city, which affected the public transport system. (Eagle News Service Jay Paul Carlos, Dexter Magno, Vince Alvin Villarin)

US asks China to stop reclamation activities

BEIJING, China (Eagle News) – United States of America Defense Secretary Ash Carter met with a Chinese general regarding the military cooperation between China and the United States. Once again, the United States asked China to put a halt on reclamation activities and that all concerned parties should strive for a peaceful resolution of the territorial dispute based on international law. (Eagle News Service Jay Paul Carlos, Dexter Magno, Vince Alvin Villarin)