News

Several injured as massive explosion rips through Paris bakery

Joseph Schmid, Agence France-Presse
Jan 12 05:10 PM | Updated Jan 12 07:13 PM

Images posted on Twitter showed debris covering the street and the lower part of the building blown out and on fire. Read more »

US begins withdrawing gear from Syria, but not troops

Agence France-Presse
Jan 12 03:47 PM

President Donald Trump last month claimed the Islamic State group had been defeated in Syria and said all US troops were "coming back now."  Read more »

Government shutdown becomes longest in US history

Sebastian Smith, Agence France-Presse
Jan 12 01:58 PM

The partial shutdown of the government became the longest on record at midnight Friday. Read more »

Monster snowstorm to blanket more than half of United States

Peter Szekely and Andrew Hay, Reuters
Jan 12 11:32 AM

NEW YORK - A massive winter storm hit the US Rockies and Plains on Friday then punched east, with snow set to assault a 1,609-kilometer corridor through the weekend, creating transportation "havoc" in the middle of the country. Read more »

3 dead, at least 23 injured in Canada capital bus crash

Agence France-Presse
Jan 12 09:28 AM

OTTAWA, Canada - A double decker bus ripped open when it struck a bus shelter in the Canadian capital on Friday, killing three people and injuring at least 23, officials said.   Read more »

US vet cancels project to raise money for border wall

Agence France-Presse
Jan 12 08:39 AM

WASHINGTON, United States - An Iraq war veteran canceled his plan to crowdsource $1 billion to help President Donald Trump build a wall on the Mexico border Friday after raising only $20 million and drawing questions about his online activities.   Read more »

Haley, Ivanka Trump among possible World Bank nominees: report

Agence France-Presse
Jan 12 08:29 AM

WASHINGTON, United States - Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley and US President Donald Trump's daughter and adviser Ivanka are among possible US candidates to replace outgoing World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, The Financial Times reported Friday.   Read more »

US teen found alive 3 months after parents shot dead

Agence France-Presse
Jan 12 02:41 AM

A 13-year-old American girl, missing for almost three months after her parents were shot dead at their home in the US Midwest, has been found alive with her hair matted and wearing oversized shoes.   Read more »

Foreign tourists in Japan hit record-high 31M in 2018

Kyodo News
Jan 12 02:28 AM

Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister Keiichi Ishii credited the growth to relaxation of visa requirements for travelers from such countries as Russia, India and the Philippines, as well as promotions overseas. Read more »

Key suspect in land scam group arrested in Japan after detention in Philippines

Kyodo News
Jan 11 11:48 PM | Updated Jan 13 08:10 PM

A 59-year-old man believed to be a main suspect in a bogus land sale in Tokyo targeting a home builder was arrested Friday shortly after arriving in Japan from the Philippines. Read more »

Don't bring restricted items, Pinoys going to Hong Kong told

ABS-CBN News
Jan 11 07:35 PM | Updated Jan 12 02:49 AM

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reminded on Friday Filipinos traveling to Hong Kong to ensure that they are not carrying restricted items in their luggage. Read more »

Pope Francis to visit Romania: Vatican

Agence France-Presse
Jan 11 07:09 PM | Updated Jan 11 07:36 PM

Pope Francis will visit Romania for three days from May 31 to June 2, the Vatican announced on Friday.   Read more »

1.7 million Filipinos registered to vote overseas: Comelec

ABS-CBN News
Jan 11 06:15 PM

A majority of them come from the Middle East and Africa, said Comelec spokesman James Jimenez. Read more »

Myanmar Reuters journalists lose appeal against 7-year sentence

Agence France-Presse
Jan 11 05:22 PM

YANGON - A Myanmar judge dismissed an appeal Friday by two Reuters journalists jailed for seven years while investigating atrocities committed against the Rohingya, dashing slim hopes that the pair could be freed early. Read more »

US lawmakers, friends mark 100 days since Khashoggi murder

Agence France-Presse
Jan 11 01:16 PM

Featuring a portrait of Khashoggi against a backdrop of American flags, the ceremony began with a moment of silence. Read more »

Myanmar Reuters journalists to hear appeal decision

Agence France-Presse
Jan 11 12:14 PM

Two Reuters journalists jailed in Myanmar over their investigation of atrocities committed against the Rohingya will learn Friday if an appeal against their conviction has succeeded. Read more »

Ex-Trump lawyer to testify publicly before U.S. Congress

Mark Hosenball, Reuters
Jan 11 12:09 PM

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen said on Thursday he had agreed to testify publicly before a congressional panel on Feb. 7, as U.S. House of Representatives Democrats began kicking off numerous investigations of Trump, his business interests and his administration. Read more »

Filipino farmers' son is UK’s Nurse of the Year

Rose Eclarinal, Europe News Bureau
Jan 11 09:14 AM

LONDON - Ridel Francisco, a 44-year-old Filipino nurse at Lynde House in Richmond, was recently named Nurse of the Year at the 2018 Barchester Care Awards.  Read more »

US Air Force ready for delivery of first KC-46 tankers

ABS-CBN News
Jan 11 08:36 AM

WASHINGTON - The US Air Force said Thursday it is ready to receive its first KC-46A Pegasus tankers, a new type of aerial refueler that still needs to undergo costly technical fixes. Read more »

Trump cancels planned Davos trip as shutdown drags on

Agence France-Presse
Jan 11 08:35 AM

WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday canceled a planned visit later this month to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, signaling he was prepared for the political showdown over the partial federal government shutdown to stretch into late January. Read more »

'We want our pay!': Furloughed US workers shout at White House

Deborah Gembara, Reuters
Jan 11 07:51 AM

Hundreds of furloughed federal employees chanting "We want our pay!" marched on the White House on Thursday, the 20th day of a partial government shutdown over US President Donald Trump's demand for border wall funding. Read more »

Oceans warming faster than expected, set heat record in 2018 - scientists

Alister Doyle, Reuters
Jan 11 05:37 AM

OSLO - The oceans are warming faster than previously estimated, setting a new temperature record in 2018 in a trend that is damaging marine life, scientists said on Thursday. Read more »

Trump heads to US-Mexico border to push wall plan

Agence France-Presse
Jan 11 01:25 AM

President Donald Trump headed Thursday to the US-Mexico border to push his demand for a wall, a day after he walked out of negotiations with Democrats in a political crisis paralyzing the government. Read more »

Google can limit 'right to be forgotten' to EU says top court adviser

Douglas Busvine and Gwénaëlle Barzic, Reuters
Jan 10 09:06 PM | Updated Jan 10 09:07 PM

Google can limit the "right to be forgotten" to Internet searches made in the European Union. Read more »

Framing Pope Francis

Andreas Solaro, AFP
Jan 10 08:47 PM

The Catholic faithful greet Pope Francis (rear) and take photos of him using their mobile phones upon his arrival for the weekly general audience on Wednesday at Paul-VI hall in the Vatican.  Read more »