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December 27, 2011
100 distressed OFWs in Abu Dhabi spend Christmas in shelter

MANILA, Dec. 25, 2011—At least 100 overseas Filipino workers had spent their Christmas in jam-packed temporary shelter provided by the Philippine Government in the Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates’ capital city.

Mostly absconders, John Leonard Monterona, regional coordinator of Migrante-Middle East said, these OFWs had run away from their abusive employers, sought the help of the Philippine Embassy, hoping that they could be repatriated immediately. But sad to say, most of them have already stayed at the Bahay Kanlungan for about three to six months now.

MANILA, Dec. 25, 2011—At least 100 overseas Filipino workers had spent their Christmas in jam-packed temporary shelter provided by the Philippine Government in the Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates’ capital city.

Mostly absconders, John Leonard Monterona, regional coordinator of Migrante-Middle East said, these OFWs had run away from their abusive employers, sought the help of the Philippine Embassy, hoping that they could be repatriated immediately. But sad to say, most of them have already stayed at the Bahay Kanlungan for about three to six months now.

November 26, 2011
Egypt's military under pressure from protests, US

CAIRO (AP) - The U.S. has increased pressure on Egypt's military rulers to hand over power to civilian leaders, and the generals have turned to a Mubarak-era politician to head a new government in a move that failed to satisfy the more than 100,000 protesters who jammed Tahrir Square in the biggest rally yet this week.

The demonstrators rejected the Friday appointment of Kamal el-Ganzouri as prime minister, breaking into chants of "Illegitimate! Illegitimate!" and setting up a showdown between the two sides only three days before key parliamentary elections...

CAIRO (AP) - The U.S. has increased pressure on Egypt's military rulers to hand over power to civilian leaders, and the generals have turned to a Mubarak-era politician to head a new government in a move that failed to satisfy the more than 100,000 protesters who jammed Tahrir Square in the biggest rally yet this week.

November 25, 2011
EU ready to assist in Spratly dispute

BRUSSELS – The European Union (EU) has indicated its readiness to be a useful element of “balance” in the strategic situation in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) and may play a mediation role in the territorial dispute.

Speaking on EU-Southeast Asia relations in a briefing at EU headquarters here Wednesday, European External Action Service Southeast Asia Division deputy head Philippe van Amersfoort said EU would welcome any request from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to help resolve the dispute.

BRUSSELS – The European Union (EU) has indicated its readiness to be a useful element of “balance” in the strategic situation in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) and may play a mediation role in the territorial dispute.

Speaking on EU-Southeast Asia relations in a briefing at EU headquarters here Wednesday, European External Action Service Southeast Asia Division deputy head Philippe van Amersfoort said EU would welcome any request from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to help resolve the dispute.

November 20, 2011
Libyan interim PM confirms capture of Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam, promises fair trial

ZINTAN (Xinhua) - Libyan interim Prime Minister Abdel Rahim el-Keeb Saturday confirmed the capture of Saif al-Islam, the second son of late ousted Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, in the south of the country.

Keeb also promised a fair trial for Saif al-Islam, who has been on the run for months and is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity.

ZINTAN (Xinhua) - Libyan interim Prime Minister Abdel Rahim el-Keeb Saturday confirmed the capture of Saif al-Islam, the second son of late ousted Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, in the south of the country.

Keeb also promised a fair trial for Saif al-Islam, who has been on the run for months and is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity.

November 9, 2011
Life does not start at fertilization, US state decides at the ballot

 

JACKSON, Mississippi (AP) — Mississippi voters Tuesday defeated a ballot initiative that would have declared life begins at fertilization, a proposal that supporters sought in the Bible Belt state as a way to prompt a legal challenge to abortion rights nationwide.

The so-called "personhood" initiative was rejected by more than 55 percent of voters, falling far short of the threshold needed for it to be enacted. If it had passed, it was virtually assured of drawing legal challenges because it conflicts with the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established a legal right to abortion. Supporters of the initiative wanted to provoke a lawsuit to challenge the landmark ruling...

JACKSON, Mississippi (AP) — Mississippi voters Tuesday defeated a ballot initiative that would have declared life begins at fertilization, a proposal that supporters sought in the Bible Belt state as a way to prompt a legal challenge to abortion rights nationwide.

November 3, 2011
Syria agrees to Arab plan amid violence, doubts

CAIRO (AP) — Syria accepted an Arab League proposal yesterday calling for it to withdraw armored vehicles from the streets and stop violence against protesters in a bid to end the country's seven-month-old political crisis, an agreement that was met with deep skepticism by Syria's opposition.

Qatar's Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassim urged Damascus to follow through with action on the ground amid concern that Syria has continued its bloody crackdown on anti-government protesters despite international condemnation and previous promises of reform...

CAIRO (AP) — Syria accepted an Arab League proposal yesterday calling for it to withdraw armored vehicles from the streets and stop violence against protesters in a bid to end the country's seven-month-old political crisis, an agreement that was met with deep skepticism by Syria's opposition.

November 1, 2011
Despite US threats, UNESCO votes for Palestine full membership

 

PARIS (AP) — Palestine became a full member of UNESCO on yesterday in a highly divisive breakthrough that will cost the agency a fifth of its budget and that the US and other opponents say could harm renewed Mideast peace efforts.

Soon after the vote, the United States cut funding to the organization because of a US law that bars funding an organization that has Palestine as a member before an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal is reached.

PARIS (AP) — Palestine became a full member of UNESCO on yesterday in a highly divisive breakthrough that will cost the agency a fifth of its budget and that the US and other opponents say could harm renewed Mideast peace efforts.

Soon after the vote, the United States cut funding to the organization because of a US law that bars funding an organization that has Palestine as a member before an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal is reached.

October 25, 2011
Gadhafi buried in secret location

MISRATA, Libya (AP) — Longtime Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, his son Muatassim and a top aide were buried in an Islamic ceremony at dawn Tuesday in a secret location, with a few relatives and officials in attendance, officials said.

The burial closed the book on Gadhafi's nearly 42-year rule and the 8-month civil war to oust him, but did not silence international calls for an investigation into whether the widely despised tyrant was executed by his captors.

MISRATA, Libya (AP) — Longtime Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, his son Muatassim and a top aide were buried in an Islamic ceremony at dawn Tuesday in a secret location, with a few relatives and officials in attendance, officials said.

The burial closed the book on Gadhafi's nearly 42-year rule and the 8-month civil war to oust him, but did not silence international calls for an investigation into whether the widely despised tyrant was executed by his captors.

October 24, 2011
Hundreds die after 7.2 quake hits Turkey

ANKARA (October 23, 2011) - A powerful 7.2 quake northeast of the city of Van in Turkey today downed many building and might have caused close to thousand deaths.

Turkey's deputy prime minister says the earthquake has collapsed around 45 buildings, including a dormitory in the eastern town of Ercis in Van province. He says 10 buildings fell in the city of Van.

ANKARA (October 23, 2011) - A powerful 7.2 quake northeast of the city of Van in Turkey today downed many building and might have caused close to thousand deaths.

Turkey's deputy prime minister says the earthquake has collapsed around 45 buildings, including a dormitory in the eastern town of Ercis in Van province. He says 10 buildings fell in the city of Van.

Search and rescue efforts are now underway. (From Philtar.com)

October 23, 2011
Gaddafi's last moments: 'Don't shoot, don't kill me'

SIRTE, Libya – Dragged from hiding in a drainage pipe, a wounded Moammar Gadhafi raised his hands and begged revolutionary fighters: “Don’t shoot, don’t kill me, my sons.”

Within an hour, he was dead, but not before jubilant Libyans had vented decades of hatred by pulling the eccentric dictator’s hair and parading his bloodied body on the hood of a truck...

SIRTE, Libya – Dragged from hiding in a drainage pipe, a wounded Moammar Gadhafi raised his hands and begged revolutionary fighters: “Don’t shoot, don’t kill me, my sons.”

Within an hour, he was dead, but not before jubilant Libyans had vented decades of hatred by pulling the eccentric dictator’s hair and parading his bloodied body on the hood of a truck.

October 21, 2011
Moammar Gadhafi is dead

SIRTE Libya (Oct 20, 2011) - The circumstances of his death are still unclear but the outcome is that Moammar Gadhafi, who ruled Libya with a dictatorial grip for 42 years until he was ousted by rebels in a bloody civil war, was killed Thursday when revolutionary forces overwhelmed his hometown, Sirte, the last major bastion of resistance two months after the regime fell.

Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril confirmed Gadhafi had been killed. "We have been waiting for this moment for a long time. Moammar Gadhafi has been killed," Jibril told a news conference in the capital Tripoli.

SIRTE Libya (Oct 20, 2011) - The circumstances of his death are still unclear but the outcome is that Moammar Gadhafi, who ruled Libya with a dictatorial grip for 42 years until he was ousted by rebels in a bloody civil war, was killed Thursday when revolutionary forces overwhelmed his hometown, Sirte, the last major bastion of resistance two months after the regime fell.

August 28, 2011
Hurricane Irene churns up coast, weaker but still ferocious

NAGS HEAD, N.C. Aug 28, 2011 (AP) — Weaker but still menacing, Hurricane Irene knocked out power and piers in North Carolina, clobbered Virginia with wind and churned up the coast Saturday to confront cities more accustomed to snowstorms than tropical storms. New York City emptied its streets and subways and waited with an eerie quiet.

NAGS HEAD, N.C. Aug 28, 2011 (AP) — Weaker but still menacing, Hurricane Irene knocked out power and piers in North Carolina, clobbered Virginia with wind and churned up the coast Saturday to confront cities more accustomed to snowstorms than tropical storms. New York City emptied its streets and subways and waited with an eerie quiet.

August 23, 2011
26th World Youth Day

The celebration of the 26th World Youth Day (WYD) officially ended last August 21, 2011, Sunday. A solemn celebration of the Holy Eucharist at ten o'clock in the morning officiated by the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, capped the momentous event. Attended by more than two million pilgrims from all over the world, the mass was held at Cuatro Vientos Air Base, Madrid, Spain.

The celebration of the 26th World Youth Day (WYD) officially ended last August 21, 2011, Sunday. A solemn celebration of the Holy Eucharist at ten o'clock in the morning officiated by the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, capped the momentous event. Attended by more than two million pilgrims from all over the world, the mass was held at Cuatro Vientos Air Base, Madrid, Spain.

August 22, 2011
Tripoli falls to the rebels

Electrifying atmosphere erupts again in Benghazi tonight as celebration erupts in reaction to two pieces of information released by no less than the Transitional National Council (TNC): one, that the Presidential Guards of Moammar Gadhafi have surrendered to the rebels and, secondly, that Gadhafi's son, Seif al Islam, was captured by the rebels in the in the Rixos Hotel in Tripoli.

Electrifying atmosphere erupts again in Benghazi tonight as celebration erupts in reaction to two pieces of information released by no less than the Transitional National Council (TNC): one, that the Presidential Guards of Moammar Gadhafi have surrendered to the rebels and, secondly, that Gadhafi's son, Seif al Islam, was captured by the rebels in the in the Rixos Hotel in Tripoli.

Both news have been confirmed by Waheed Burshan of the TNC

Gadhafi's troops continue to defect to the rebel forces.

August 5, 2011
Mubarak trial in Egypt

The trial of ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak began Wednesday in Cairo. Mubarak and his two sons pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and corruption. Mubarak's former interior minister, Habib el-Adly, and six former Mubarak aides were also on trial. Businessman and Mubarak confidant Hussein Salem is being tried in absentia.

The trial of ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak began Wednesday in Cairo. Mubarak and his two sons pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and corruption. Mubarak's former interior minister, Habib el-Adly, and six former Mubarak aides were also on trial. Businessman and Mubarak confidant Hussein Salem is being tried in absentia.

August 5, 2011
Syrians protests to continue during Ramadan

Syrian troops stormed the restive city of Hama on Sunday, the day before the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Tanks have now been shelling the city for three days. A human rights organisation reported 136 people were killed across the country on Sunday. Syrian protestors have vowed to demonstrate every night during Ramadan.

Syrian troops stormed the restive city of Hama on Sunday, the day before the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Tanks have now been shelling the city for three days. A human rights organisation reported 136 people were killed across the country on Sunday. Syrian protestors have vowed to demonstrate every night during Ramadan.

August 5, 2011
US maintains credit rating after passing debt ceiling bill

The US congress passed a debt ceiling bill, signed by Barack Obama on Tuesday, that will permit the US government to borrow more money, preventing a default on bond payments. The bill passed the House of Representatives by 269-161, and the Senate by 74-26, with opposition from Tea Party Republicans and liberal Democrats.

The US congress passed a debt ceiling bill, signed by Barack Obama on Tuesday, that will permit the US government to borrow more money, preventing a default on bond payments. The bill passed the House of Representatives by 269-161, and the Senate by 74-26, with opposition from Tea Party Republicans and liberal Democrats.

The bill calls for $2.1 trillion in spending cuts over the next ten years, and stipulates that a 12-member committee that will identify ways to reduce spending by November. No new revenues will be raised.

July 23, 2011
Terror in Oslo Norway

OSLO Norway (July 23, 2011) - Two massive explosions in succession rocked central Oslo and in seconds the area looked like a war zone.

OSLO Norway (July 23, 2011) - Two massive explosions in succession rocked central Oslo and in seconds the area looked like a war zone.

Seven deaths were immediately confirmed after the blasts but this number is expected to rise. Dozens were injured, 11 very seriously.

July 17, 2011
Australian woman auctions her 2 kids at eBay

CANBERRA (Xinhua) -- An Australian woman is being investigated by police after she offered her children for sale on the Internet, local media reported on Sunday.

CANBERRA (Xinhua) -- An Australian woman is being investigated by police after she offered her children for sale on the Internet, local media reported on Sunday.

The woman placed an auction on eBay offering to sell two children, her son and daughter, both under the age of 10, to the highest bidder.

Several people placed bids on the auction, which has alarmed authorities.

Police has closed the auction and tracked the woman down, but she told detectives she was only joking.

Bill Muehlenberg from the Family Council of Victoria said it is no laughing matter.

July 13, 2011
African clergy advise quick action on South Sudan's challenges

KHARTOUM, Sudan (July 11, 2011) - African clergy say the Republic of South Sudan, which gained independence on July 9, must take steps to resolve an increasingly violent conflict in the troubled border region of South Kordofan.

KHARTOUM, Sudan (July 11, 2011) - African clergy say the Republic of South Sudan, which gained independence on July 9, must take steps to resolve an increasingly violent conflict in the troubled border region of South Kordofan.

“If the Government of South Sudan does not sit down to address the issues raised by the militia groups, it could become a nightmare with no stability for the South,” said Bishop Daniel Adwok of Khartoum in a recent interview with the international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need.

July 5, 2011
Hindu temple treasure trove now worth $20 billion and counting

NEW DELHI, India (July 5, 2011) - Five of six secret chambers at a Kerala Hindu temple have already revealed centuries-old treasure in gold, silver and stone worth over $20 billion.

NEW DELHI, India (July 5, 2011) - Five of six secret chambers at a Kerala Hindu temple have already revealed centuries-old treasure in gold, silver and stone worth over $20 billion.

The accumulated treasure trove came from offerings made to the temple by devotees for the last 500 years and lied in secret vaults now labeled A to F.

July 4, 2011
Landslide win for Thanksin's party in Thailand election

BANGKOK Thailand (July 3, 2011) - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has conceded defeat to the party allied with the controversial ex-Prime Minister Thanksin Shinawatra in Thailand'a election that is seen as a prelude to more tension.

BANGKOK Thailand (July 3, 2011) - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has conceded defeat to the party allied with the controversial ex-Prime Minister Thanksin Shinawatra in Thailand'a election that is seen as a prelude to more tension.

Thaksin's sister, 44-year old Yingluck Shinawatra, who is an admitted stand-in for him, is set to become Thailand's first female prime minister. But even as they are victorious, supporters fear that 'dark hands will take away our rights again.'

June 25, 2011
Brazen, publicity-seeking hackers on attack spree

LONDON (AP) - Can you be famous if no one knows your name? A new band of hackers is giving it its best shot, trumpeting its cyber-capers in an all-sirens-flashing publicity campaign.

LONDON (AP) - Can you be famous if no one knows your name? A new band of hackers is giving it its best shot, trumpeting its cyber-capers in an all-sirens-flashing publicity campaign.

Lulz Security has stolen mountains of personal data in a dozen different hacks, embarrassing law enforcement on both sides of the Atlantic while boasting about the stunts online.

June 19, 2011
Obama takes time out, talks about fatherhood

Ahead of Father's Day, President Barack Obama took time out from heavy rhetorics and devoted his regular Saturday radio and Internet adress to a universally domestic concern - fatherhood.

WASHINGTON – Ahead of Father's Day, President Barack Obama took time out from heavy rhetorics and devoted his regular Saturday radio and Internet adress to a universally domestic concern - fatherhood.

But for Obama, fatherhood is not simple or trivial calling it being sometimes his hardest job - but the most rewarding.

June 11, 2011
Gadhafi forces shell Misrata anew killing 22 rebels

Gadhafi's forces shelled  outskirts of Misrata anew killing 22 and wounding 61 rebels. (From philstar.com)

TRIPOLI, Libya (June 11 2011) — A doctor stationed in a Misrata hospital said that 22 people were killed in the latest attacks by Gadhafi's forces in the outskirts of the rebel-controlled city.

The doctor who identified himself as Ayman works at Hikma hospital said Gadhafi loyalists bombed Dafniya, a town 18 miles (30 kilometers) west of Misrata, using tanks, artillery and incendiary rockets. The attacks began about 10 a.m. resulting in the deaths of 22 and wounding of 61 people.