SYDNEY Fri Sep 26, 2014 12:32am EDT (Reuters) – The head of Australia‘s Defense Force apologized on Friday after an officer withdraw allegations he had been attacked by two men “of Middle Eastern appearance”, allegations that had fueled tensions during a crackdown by counter-terrorism authorities. The officer had claimed he was approached on Thursday by two men who assaulted him, causing minor bruising, according to police. But Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin said the 41-year-old […]
Other News
Sandiganbayan allows hospital arrest for Enrile
MANILA, Philippines (ENS) — The Sandiganbayan granted Senator Juan Ponce Enrile’s request for hospital detention on Friday, allowing the senator’s hospital of choice, the Philippine National Police General Hospital, to continue holding him in custody as he stands trial for plunder and graft charges. In a 16-page resolution, the anti-graft court’s third division also said that it is allowing hospital detention for the 90-year old senator until he is fit to be transferred to a […]
French, U.S. planes strike Islamic State, Britain to join coalition
By Arshad Mohammed and Tom Perry NEW YORK/BEIRUT Fri Sep 26, 2014 1:08am EDT (Reuters) – French fighter jets struck Islamic State targets in Iraq on Thursday, and the United States hit them in Syria, as a U.S.-led coalition to fight the militants gained momentum with an announcement that Britain would join. The French strikes were a prompt answer to the beheading of a French tourist in Algeria by militants, who said the killing was […]
Hong Kong school children join student protest demanding democracy
BY DIANA CHAN AND KINLING LO (Reuters) – Hundreds of school children joined university students demanding greater democracy on Friday, capping a week-long campaign that has seen a large cut-out depicting Hong Kong’s leader as the devil paraded through the city and calls for him to resign. About 200 students camped outside the home of chief executive Leung Chun-ying on Thursday night after he ignored a 48-hour ultimatum to meet them to discuss the former […]
NFL security chief says he never received Ray Rice video
(Reuters) – The security chief for the National Football League said on Thursday he never received the video of former Baltimore Ravens star Ray Rice punching his fiancée, after a news report said it had been sent directly to him in April. “I unequivocally deny that I received at any time a copy of the video and I had not watched it until it was made public on September 8,” Jeffrey Miller said in a […]
Phelps could make big splash in Rio, says Naber
(Reuters) – Michael Phelps could win two or three individual gold medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics and again return home as America’s top swimmer, former U.S. swimming great John Naber believes. Already the most decorated Olympian of all-time with 18 gold medals, Phelps’ return to competition after a two-year retirement was greeted with apprehension and skepticism but the tide has quickly turned. While no one expects Phelps to come close to his eight gold […]
Olympic champion Adams has shoulder, elbow surgery
(Reuters) – Two-time Olympic shotput champion Valerie Adams had surgery on her right elbow and left shoulder in Auckland on Friday. The injuries affected the 29-year-old New Zealander throughout the season, though she clinched her third Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow and extended her four-year winning record to 56 successive competitions. “Valerie’s surgeries have been completed successfully,” her manager Nick Cowan said in an Athletics New Zealand statement. “They were reasonably straightforward and the medical […]
Apple plays defense on iPhone 6 bending, software concerns By Arathy S Nair and Sam Adams
(Reuters) – Apple Inc (AAPL.O) broke its silence on complaints about bending iPhones, hours after withdrawing a glitch-ridden software update as the company struggles to restore momentum to the rollout of its latest phones. “With normal use, a bend in iPhone is extremely rare and through our first six days of sale, a total of nine customers have contacted Apple with a bent iPhone 6 Plus,” Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller said in an email. Apple […]
New York officials scramble to reassure city after security threat
(Reuters) – A warning by Iraq’s prime minister that Islamist militants planned to attack New York City sent political leaders scrambling on Thursday to assure the public it was safe to ride the subways and travel the streets of the nation’s largest city. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio each had the same idea – take a subway ride to a busy transit hub to announce that everything […]
FBI: Militant in Syria beheading videos identified
(Reuters) – A masked Islamic State militant seen wielding a knife in videos at the beheading of two Americans has been identified, FBI Director James Comey said on Thursday, but he declined to give the person’s name or nationality. The videos released in August and September of American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff showed a masked Islamic State militant brandishing a knife and speaking English with a British accent. A European government source familiar […]
Iraqi PM says Islamic State plans subway attacks in U.S. and Paris
(Reuters) – Iraq has “credible” intelligence that Islamic State militants plan to attack subway systems in Paris and the United States, the prime minister said on Thursday, but U.S. and French officials said they had no evidence to back up his claims. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s comments were met with surprise by security, intelligence and transit officials in both countries. New York’s leaders scrambled to ride the subway to reassure the public that the nation’s […]
Northeast monsoon enters the country
Cold weather comes to the country as northeast monsoon or “amihan” replaces the “habagat”.
