Other News

Saving the koala, with science

by Mariëtte Le Roux © Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) – Australia’s iconic koala, its very existence imperilled by disease, bushfires, car strikes, and dog attacks, faces a more hopeful future thanks to scientists cracking its genetic code, a study said Monday. A mammoth effort by more than 50 researchers in seven countries uncovered 26,558 koala genes, yielding vital DNA clues for vaccines against diseases such as sexually transmitted chlamydia, which blinds the cuddly critters […]

Malta detains second migrant rescue ship as hundreds die at sea

VALLETTA, Malta (AFP)–Malta on Monday stopped a second migrant rescue ship from leaving its port, as the UN refugee agency reported over 300 migrant deaths at sea in four days. German charity Sea-Watch said in a statement published on its website that the Sea-Watch 3 vessel had been “detained in Malta, without any legal grounds provided by authorities.” The decision by Malta to detain the ship comes just days after Lifeline, another charity boat, was impounded […]

Dior bans Instagram bling at Paris haute couture week

by Katy Lee and Anne-Laure Mondesert © Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) – Fashion powerhouse Dior brushed aside the whims of the Instagram generation with its deliberately low-key new haute couture collection Monday, arguing that the world’s most expensive clothes don’t need to shout about it. Designer Maria Grazia Chiuri said she wanted the French label’s latest prestige range to glorify classic craftsmanship rather than the flashy designs that rack up “likes” on social media. […]

Merkel, rebel minister agree migrant deal to avert govt crisis

by Frank Zeller © Agence France-Presse BERLIN, Germany (AFP) — German Chancellor Angela Merkel reached a deal Monday on migration with her rebellious interior minister, Horst Seehofer, defusing a bitter row that had threatened her government. Both sides hammered out “a truly good compromise … after a tough struggle and difficult days,” Merkel said, adding that it involved setting up holding and processing centres for asylum seekers near German borders. “We have reached an agreement […]

Tesla production leader Doug Field exits company

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP)–Tesla on Monday confirmed that the head of Model 3 production, who went on leave after chief executive Elon Musk took over his duties, will not be returning. The departure of engineering senior vice president Doug Field came as California-based Tesla appeared to have finally hit a self-imposed goal of cranking out 5,000 Model 3 electric cars in a week. Tesla co-founder Musk fired off a Twitter post over the weekend […]

Venezuela promotes 16,900 ‘loyal’ military personnel

CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP) – The government of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro promoted 16,900 military personnel on Monday as reward for their “loyalty.” Enjoying considerable economic and political strength, the military is seen as a major force in maintaining the controversial Maduro’s grip on power in crisis-hitVenezuela. “We evaluate the loyalty that every man and every woman puts in their hands, in their thoughts, in their actions, in every task they have to perform at their […]

AU summit overshadowed by ‘security failings’ in Sahel after attacks

by Hademine Ould Sadi © Agence France-Presse NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania (AFP) – French President Emmanuel Macron joined African leaders gathered in the Mauritanian capital on the final evening of a summit overshadowed by security issues after jihadist rebels hammered two fragile Sahel states in successive attacks. Macron held separate talks with the leaders of a five-nation African anti-terror unit backed by France to discuss financial and security hurdles the “G5 Sahel” force faces. Five separate attacks […]

US envoy Pompeo to return to North Korea this week

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo heads back to North Korea this week to flesh out the bare bones nuclear agreement between President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un. Pompeo will leave Washington on Thursday for Pyongyang at the start of a round-the-world diplomatic mission that will bring him to Brussels and a key NATO summit, officials said. Trump has boasted that a statement he signed with Kim in […]

Belgium boss eager to face Brazil as underdogs at World Cup

ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia (AFP)–Belgium coach Roberto Martinez said his side should accept they will be the underdogs in their World Cup quarter-final against star-studded Brazil on Friday. Belgium booked a last eight berth to face the Selecao with a last-gasp 3-2 win over Japan in Rostov-on-Don on Monday when Nacer Chadli scored the 94th-minute winner as the Red Devils came from 2-0 down. Martinez’s side will face Brazil in Kazan and he says Belgium must embrace […]

Facebook bug unblocks unwanted connections for a bit

  SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Facebook on Monday said it is notifying more than 800,000 users that a software bug temporarily unblocked people at the social network and its Messenger service. The glitch active between May 29 and June 5 has been fixed, according to Facebook, which has been striving to regain trust in the aftermath of a Cambridge Analytica data privacy scandal. “We know that the ability to block someone is important,” Facebook […]

All-Star guard Rondo joins LeBron’s revamped Lakers

  LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Rajon Rondo, who helped the Boston Celtics win an NBA title in 2008, reportedly joined LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday as a revamped lineup begins to take shape. Four-time NBA Most Valuable Player James agreed to a four-year deal worth $154 million Sunday with the Lakers, just hours after the NBA free agency period began. Four-time All-Star Rondo, a 32-year-old point guard, who has made […]

MMDA: Expect heavier traffic in Metro Manila due to simultaneous road works

By Phoebe Salvador  Eagle News Service (Eagle News) — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has notified the public of heavier traffic in the second half of 2018 due to road construction and maintenance projects in different locations in Metro Manila. According to MMDA, the simultaneous road projects include the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) drainage enhancement project along A. Bonifacio Road; construction of an elevated guideway for the Metro Rail Transit 7 (MRT-7) along North Avenue; and emergency […]