Arts and Culture

Japan’s ‘usho’ keep alive the ancient art of cormorant fishing

by Anne BEADE Agence France Presse GIFU, Japan (AFP) — In the pitch black night, fires burn alongside a river in Japan’s Gifu as a handful of men prepare for a ritual that dates back over 1,300 years: fishing with cormorants. Dressed in traditional clothes, they look like they come from another time. They wield their cormorants, tied together with strings, like puppeteers. Their profession, known as “ukai,” was once common in waterside villages and […]

Neil Armstrong’s huge souvenir collection to be auctioned

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Talk about a pack rat: thousands of things that Neil Armstrong saved over the course of a career that saw him become the first man to walk on the moon will be auctioned off this week. Nobody really knew the extent of the stuff Armstrong amassed during his 82 years on earth, not even the children of the man who made history with his feat on July 20, 1969. […]

OPM legend Rico Puno passes away at 65

(Eagle News) — Filipino singer and OPM legend Rico Puno passed away Tuesday morning, Oct. 30, at the age of 65. Puno underwent open heart surgery in 2015, and underwent angioplasty in December last year. His sister-in-law, Anna Puno, expressed her grief in an Instagram post. “Numbed with grief, I would like to call on all entertainers in the OPM Industry as well as his worldwide fans to stop for a moment and say a […]

Damascus museum reopens with millennia-old lion in the garden

by Maher al-Mounes Agence France Presse DAMASCUS, Syria (AFP) — The antiquities museum in the capital of war-torn Syria reopened its doors after six years on Sunday, with a two-millenia-old lion standing proud in the garden. Its jaws ajar, the three metre stone Lion of Al-Lat towered over a fountain after surviving the country’s seven-year conflict and damage inflicted by Islamic State group jihadists. The lion was just one of the artefacts on show after […]

Independent filmmakers find their “place in the sun” at Excellence In Visual Media Awards International

LOS ANGELES, California (Eagle News Service) – In less than a week, the Excellence in Visual Media (EVM) Awards International of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ) will arrive at the iconic Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California. On Monday, October 29, 2018, the festivities will kick off with the VIP Red Carpet Arrivals at 4 p.m. followed by doors opening at 5 p.m. Ticket holders, film directors, producers, actors, cast, and crew, are […]

Tigers dwindling: just six sub-species remain, says study

TAMPA, United States (AFP) — Six different sub-species of tigers exist today, scientists confirmed Thursday, amid hopes the findings will boost efforts to save the fewer than 4,000 free-range big cats that remain in the world. The six include the Bengal tiger, Amur tiger, South China tiger, Sumatran tiger, Indochinese tiger and Malayan tiger, said the report in the journal Current Biology. Three other tiger subspecies have already gone extinct: the Caspian, Javan and Bali […]

World’s oldest intact shipwreck found in Black Sea

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — An ancient Greek trading ship dating back more than 2,400 years has been found virtually intact at the bottom of the Black Sea, researchers said on Tuesday. The vessel is one of more than 60 shipwrecks identified by the Black Sea Maritime Archaeology Project including Roman ships and a 17th-century Cossack raiding fleet. During the three-year project, researchers used specialist remote deep-water camera systems previously used in offshore oil and […]

EBC named as “Best Media Broadcasting Company” for 2018 by PHL Golden Globe Awards for Business Excellence

(Eagle News) — Eagle Broadcasting Corporation was recently named as “Best Media Broadcasting Company” for 2018 by the Philippines’ Golden Globe Annual Awards for Business Excellence, citing EBC’s excellence in innovative business practices and reputable ethical image. The Golden Globe Annual Awards for Business Excellence, which is a joint undertaking of National Data Research Examiner and Marketing Services Inc., SINAG News Magazine and SINAG Foundation, chose EBC as the recipient of this year’s “Best Media […]

World Heritage sites threatened by sea level rise

PARIS, France (AFP) — From Venice and the tower of Pisa to the medieval city of Rhodes, dozens of UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Mediterranean basin are deeply threatened by rising sea levels, researchers warned Tuesday. All but two of 49 UN-recognised icons of human civilization rimming the Mediterranean Sea risk being damaged by the rising watermark, soil erosion, or both, with few options for protecting most of them, they reported in the scientific […]

First tuna auction at Japan’s ‘new Tsukiji’ market

by Karyn NISHIMURA-POUPEE Agence France Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — The cries of the raucous pre-dawn tuna auction rang out for the first time at Tokyo’s new fish market Thursday, just days after the world-famous Tsukiji site closed the door on its 83-year history. The location may have changed but the ritual remained the same: huge frozen whole tuna laid out on the ground, bells tolling to sound the start of the auction and a […]

Three museums to visit in Seoul

  By Emily Manuel Contributor Eagle News and Features    Seoul is known as the land of K-Drama and K-Pop. It’s also a favorite destination for shopping and food. For those who like immersing themselves in culture, there are several palaces where one can rent a hanbok, or a traditional Korean attire, to enter for free. With so many attractions to see, it’s not surprising that a visit to a museum is not always on […]

Laser pioneers win Nobel Physics Prize

by Pia OHLIN Agence France-Presse STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AFP) — Three scientists on Tuesday won the Nobel Physics Prize, including the first woman to receive the prestigious award in 55 years, for inventing optical lasers that have paved the way for advanced precision instruments used in corrective eye surgery. Arthur Ashkin of the United States won one half of the nine-million Swedish kronor (about $1.01 million or 870,000 euros) prize, while Gerard Mourou of France and […]