Breaking News, Latest Philippines Headlines, World, Entertainment, Politics, Weather & Video News
by Amber WANG TAIPEI, Taiwan (AFP) — A US cabinet member heaped praise on Taiwan’s democracy and its success in battling the coronavirus as he met the island’s leader on Monday during a historic visit that China has slammed as a threat to peace. Health Secretary Alex Azar is in Taipei for a three-day visit billed as the highest level visit from the United States since it switched diplomatic recognition from the island to China […]
MINSK, Belarus (AFP) — At least 213 people were detained in Belarus as police cracked down on protesters claiming strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko rigged Sunday’s presidential election, a prominent rights group said on Monday. The Viasna Human Rights Centre said at least 110 people were detained in the capital Minsk, including at least 40 at or near polling stations and 70 during a pro-opposition protest. Others were detained in various cities. © Agence France-Presse
by Jerome Taylor and Su Xinqi HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai was arrested Monday and led in handcuffs through his newspaper office as police raided the building, part of a sweeping crackdown on dissent since China imposed a security law on the city. Lai, 71, was among seven people detained on suspicion of colluding with foreign forces — one of the new national security offences — and fraud […]
WELLINGTON, United States (AFP) — New Zealand marked 100 days on Sunday with no recorded cases of the coronavirus in the community but health officials warned there was no room for complacency. There are still 23 active cases but all were detected at the border when entering the country and are being held in managed isolation facilities. “Achieving 100 days without community transmission is a significant milestone, however, as we all know, we can’t afford […]
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — Landslides and flooding triggered by days of heavy rain in South Korea have left at least 30 people dead and 12 missing, officials said Sunday, warning of more downpours. Torrential rain has wreaked havoc across the country since the beginning of the month, but nearly half of the deaths occurred in the past three days, according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. Since Friday more than 3,700 people […]
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AFP) — Lebanon’s information minister Manal Abdel Samad on Sunday quit in the first government resignation since a deadly port blast killed more than 150 people and destroyed swathes of the capital. “After the enormous Beirut catastrophe, I announce my resignation from government,” she said in a statement carried by local media, apologizing to the Lebanese public for failing them. The head of Lebanon’s Maronite church meanwhile called on the entire government to […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States has registered over five million cases in the coronavirus pandemic, Johns Hopkins University’s real-time tally showed Sunday, as well as over 162,000 deaths as the country struggles to control the disease. The US tally reached 5,000,603 cases on Sunday morning and 162,441 deaths — both totals by far the highest of any country in the world. Polls have showed a large majority of voters unhappy with President […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP ) — A shallow 5.1-magnitude earthquake hit North Carolina on Sunday, shaking buildings in the biggest tremor in the area for more than 100 years, though there were no immediate reports of major damage or injuries. The US Geological Survey recorded the quake at a depth of only 3.7 kilometers (2.3 miles), with its epicenter near the town of Sparta, North Carolina, close to the border with Virginia. “Large earthquakes are […]
PARIS, France (AFP) — World leaders on Sunday pledged more than 250 million euros for disaster-struck Lebanon, conference host France said, with the emergency aid to be delivered “directly” to a population reeling from the deadly port blast in Beirut. Fifteen government leaders including US President Donald Trump took part in the virtual conference hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and the UN, pledging solidarity with the Lebanese people and promising to muster “major resources” […]
KHARTOUM, Sudan (AFP) — At least 20 people were killed and 13 others wounded Sunday in torrential rains and flooding, the latest victims of days of flooding in Sudan, the civil defence said. Heavy rains typically hit Sudan between June and October each year, and this week the country has been badly battered by the downpour. “20 people have died and 13 have been injured while 345 houses were destroyed or badly damaged” across the […]
ATHENS, Greece (AFP) — A baby was among seven people who died as torrential rains and floods swept the Greek island of Evia, damaging dozens of houses and blocking roads, authorities said Sunday. The eight-month-old baby was found dead in a house in the village of Politika on Sunday, said a spokesman for firefighters involved in rescue efforts. The baby’s parents were unharmed. Hours earlier, a man and woman in their 80s were found unconscious […]
RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) — Brazil on Saturday surpassed 100,000 coronavirus deaths and three million cases of infection, crossing the grim milestone after President Jair Bolsonaro said he had a “clear conscience” on his response to the outbreak. With 100,477 fatalities and 3,012,412 confirmed cases, the South American nation of 212 million people is the second hardest-hit country in the global pandemic, after the United States. The health ministry reported 905 new deaths in […]
