Other News

H5N1 strain of bird flu found in milk: WHO

GENEVA, April 19, 2024 (AFP) – The H5N1 bird flu virus strain has been detected in very high concentrations in raw milk from infected animals, the WHO said Friday, though how long the virus can survive in milk is unknown. Avian influenza A(H5N1) first emerged in 1996 but since 2020, the number of outbreaks in birds has grown exponentially, alongside an increase in the number of infected mammals. The strain has led to the deaths […]

ASEAN ‘deeply concerned’ by escalating Myanmar violence

By Rose TROUP BUCHANAN BANGKOK, April 19, 2024 (AFP) – Southeast Asian regional bloc ASEAN said it is “deeply concerned” about a recent upsurge in fighting in Myanmar, after fierce clashes over a key trading hub on the Thai border. The foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations urged “all parties for an immediate cessation of violence” in Myanmar, which has been roiled by conflict since the military seized power in a February […]

Luzon, Visayas grids placed under red, yellow alerts anew

(Eagle News)–The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines on Friday, April 19, placed the Luzon and Visayas grids under red and yellow alerts. This marked the fourth consecutive time the grid operator raised the alerts amid power supply issues. According to the NGCP, the yellow alert was up over Luzon a yellow alert will be raised on the country’s largest island from noon to 3 p.m., 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., and 10 p.m. to […]

Three Filipinos dead in UAE floods: officials

DUBAI, April 19, 2024 (AFP) – Three workers from the Philippines have died in heavy flooding in the United Arab Emirates, Filipino officials announced, as the desert country struggled on Friday to recover from record rains. Two women suffocated inside their vehicle during the flooding and one man died when his vehicle fell into a sinkhole, the Philippine’s Department of Migrant Workers said in a statement. The women died in Dubai — the first confirmed […]

‘Cried every day’: Kenya cult families struggle for closure

By Hillary ORINDE MALINDI, Kenya, April 19, 2024 (AFP) – A year after school teacher Francis Wanje lost eight family members to a Kenyan doomsday cult, he is still reckoning with the horror and haunted by unanswered questions. His daughter was one of 429 people whose bodies were exhumed last year from shallow graves in a sun-scorched forest near the Indian Ocean town of Malindi. “It has been a very tough journey. A very tough […]

IAEA says ‘no damage to Iran’s nuclear sites’

VIENNA, April 19, 2024 (AFP) – There has been no damage to Iranian nuclear sites following explosions Friday in the centre of Iran that have been described as Israeli revenge attacks, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said. “IAEA can confirm that there is no damage to Iran’s nuclear sites,” the Vienna-based agency said on X, adding that it was closely monitoring the situation. The agency called for “extreme restraint from everybody” and added that […]

Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ drops

By Maggy DONALDSON NEW YORK, April 19, 2024 (AFP) – Taylor Swift released her highly anticipated record “The Tortured Poets Department” on Friday — the 11th studio album from the megastar who is already having a blockbuster year. “All’s fair in love and poetry… New album THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT. Out now,” she wrote on her Instagram account, ending the announcement with a heart emoji. Swift had revealed the album’s release at the Grammys in […]

Apple drops WhatsApp, Threads from China app store on official order: report

BEIJING, April 19, 2024 (AFP) – Apple has removed the Meta-owned WhatsApp and Threads from its App Store in China following an order from the country’s top internet regulator, Bloomberg reported Friday citing the tech giant. Beijing engages in some of the world’s most extensive internet censorship, with web users in mainland China unable to access everything from Google to many foreign apps without using a virtual private network. “We are obligated to follow the […]

Japan doctors sue Google Maps over ‘punching bag’ reviews

By Tomohiro OSAKI TOKYO, April 19, 2024 (AFP) – Around 60 doctors in Japan have accused Google Maps of ignoring vitriolic reviews of their clinics in a class-action lawsuit touted as the first of its kind. The medics are seeking 1.4 million yen ($9,000) in total damages from Google in a bid to hold the US tech titan accountable for inaction over the reviews. They sued the company on Thursday, saying they are powerless to […]

Australia tells citizens to depart Israel, Palestinian territories if ‘safe to do so’

SYDNEY, April 19, 2024 (AFP) – Australia on Friday told its citizens to leave Israel if possible, citing a “high threat of military reprisals and terrorist attacks”, issuing a similar warning for the Palestinian territories. “We urge Australians in both Israel or the Occupied Palestinian Territories to depart if it’s safe to do so,” the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a travel advisory update. Australia’s government had previously told citizens to avoid travel to […]

United States had advance warning of Israel attack on Iran: US media

WASHINGTON, April 19, 2024 (AFP) – The United States received advance notice of Israel’s reported strike on Iran but did not endorse the operation or play any part in its execution, US media quoted officials as saying. NBC and CNN, citing sources familiar with the matter and a US official, respectively, said Israel had provided Washington with pre-notification of the strike. Various networks cited officials confirming a strike had taken place inside Iran, with CNN […]

Explosions in Iran, US media reports Israeli strikes

TEHRAN, April 19, 2024 (AFP) – Iran’s state media reported explosions in the central province of Isfahan Friday, as US media quoted officials saying Israel had carried out retaliatory strikes on its arch-rival. Air defence systems over several Iranian cities were activated, state media reported, after the country’s official broadcaster said explosions were heard near the city of Isfahan. Israel had previously warned it would hit back after Iran fired hundreds of missiles and drones […]