Other News

White House: U.S. Planning Possible Withdrawal Of All Troops From Afghanistan

(Reuters) — U.S. President Barack Obama has told the Pentagon to prepare for the withdrawal of all troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year in case the long-delayed Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) remains unsigned. White House spokesman Jay Carney said Obama conveyed the message to his Afghan counterpart, Hamid Karzai, in a phone call Tuesday (February 25). Carney says Obama told Karzai that Washington will leave open the possibility of concluding a BSA with Afghanistan later this year, but that the longer it is delayed, […]

US expels 3 Venezuelan diplomats in response to expulsion of 3 US embassy staff in Venezuela

(Reuters) –United States Department of State spokesperson Jen Psaki addressed the expulsion of three Venezuelan diplomats from Washington, DC, on Tuesday (February 25). The U.S. government decision was in reprisal for President Nicolas Maduro’s expulsion of three American embassy staff accused of fomenting unrest that has killed at least 13 people. “They have been allowed 48 hours to leave the United States,” said Psaki. “We have indicated, and have indicated for months, our openness to develop a more constructive relationship with Venezuela, but again, recent […]

Death Toll Rises To Nine After Landslide In Indonesia

(Reuters) — Indonesian search and rescue team pulled a body from the rubble on Tuesday (February 25) after a landslide in Indonesia’s Papua swept through some areas raising the death toll to nine, officials said. The landslides, which hit on Monday (February 24) were caused by heavy rain that started on Saturday (February 22) which caused flooding, authorities said. The two areas affected by landslides were Abepura district and the southern district of Jayapura. “The total number of victims […]

PHL protests Chinese harassment in Bajo de Masinloc

  By Michaela Del Callar MANILA, Feb. 25 (PNA) -– The Philippines on Tuesday strongly protested several cases of harassment allegedly committed by Chinese authorities on Filipino fishermen in the Scarborough Shoal off Manila’s northwestern coast, including last month’s water cannon assault on two Philippine fishing vessels in the area. Foreign Affairs acting Assistant Secretary Bernadette Catalla summoned Chinese Embassy Charge d’Affaires Sun Xiangyang to receive Manila’s diplomatic note indicating the government’s “vehement protest” over […]

DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro says graduation rites should be simple

MANILA, Feb. 25 (PNA) — This year‘s graduation rites in private and public elementary and secondary schools should be kept solemn, simple, prudent and economical, according to Department of Education – DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro who said on Tuesday that such occasion should fall on March 27 or 28. At the same time, Luistro said that schools and regions which have to conduct makeup classes due to calamities last year may schedule their graduation day […]

Samsung Galaxy S5 Can Track Your Heartbeat

Introducing S Health App Samsung revealed its newest smartphone, Galaxy 5 at 2014 Mobile Congress, in Barcelona Spain. The updated version of Samsung’s smartphone includes S Health App that can track one’s heartbeat. Samsung Galaxy S5 has a series of tools more on fitness apps for users to stay healthy and monitor their heart rate, a fitness tracker to create their own exercise schedule, pedometer to track how far you walk, diet and exercise records to […]

‘Black Tuesday’ taints EDSA celebration

What was supposed to be a joyful, historic 28th anniversary celebration of the 1986 EDSA revolution is now marred in controversy as various media groups and critics of the Cybercrime Law staged the first-ever ‘Black Tuesday’. Denouncing the Aquino government for “betraying the spirit of EDSA”, sympathizers of the new law, which the linked to as E-Martial Law, called on ‘netizens’ to make their own protests offline. At the same, petitioners against the Cybercrime Law […]

2 Hold uppers Dead in Police Encounter

Two holduppers were killed in a violent police encounter in Barangay Tatalon, Quezon City. The suspects declared a hold-up in a passenger jeep not knowing that police were already following the said vehicle.  The policemen first noticed the commotion inside the jeep, and tailed the vehicle. The suspects exchange fired with the police, resulting in the death of two of the suspects, while one escaped with some of the belongings taken from the passengers.

AFP refers Panatag Shoal Incident to the DFA

The Armed Forces of the Philippines is leaving it up to the Department of Foreign Affairs to handle the recent Panatag shoal incident where Chinese Coast Guards reportedly fired water canons at Filipino fishermen to drive them away from the disputed shoal last January 27. According to AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista, they are avoiding a military confrontation between the two countries.  He added that the government prefers to resort to international arbitration […]

Petroleum Prices Rise

The price of petroleum products increased today at 6 in the morning. Petron, Shell, and Total increased the price of their diesel by 25 centavos per liter, while Petron and Shell increased the price of kerosene and gas by 15 centavos per liter.