LUZON ISLAND, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has been working round the clock to help people in the aftermath of the Typhoon Ulysses, which struck the island nation late last week. The country’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council had reported 67 deaths and 13 missing persons from the storm as of Nov. 16. The typhoon’s devastating effects were caught in videos released by the PCG in action that were filmed Nov. 15-16 in the provinces of Isabela and Cagayan on Luzon Island. PCG personnel unloading relief supplies for the people affected by the typhoon. (@coastguardph/Clipzilla)“The sick,…
Author: zenger.news
SYDNEY, Australia— — A rare Goodfellow Tree Kangaroo is growing strong after leaving his mother’s warm pouch almost three years ago. The Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia, shared a “throw back” video on social media on Nov. 15, which shows the moment the endangered joey hopped out of the pouch and learned to walk in April 2018. “Things were getting a little cramped in Mum’s pouch, so it was time to venture out!” the zoo said on Facebook. “Hopping for the first time is no walk in the park, but he quickly got the hang of it!” The joey, a…
TARIFA, Spain— A high-speed chase between a police helicopter and a speedboat believed to be involved in drug trafficking ended on a Spanish beach. One suspect was arrested and two others made their escape. The crew of a Maritime Rescue Service helicopter reportedly spotted a suspicious speedboat carrying a set of white fuel cans off the coast of Tarifa, in the Spanish province of Cadiz, on Nov. 15. “The boat in question was a semi-rigid speedboat with two engines, commonly used to refuel other boats carrying drugs.” (Guardia Civil M° Interior, RealPress)The boat in question was a semi-rigid speedboat with…
Spain— — Spanish authorities have dismantled two criminal organizations and arrested 21 people, including a British national, for the illegal trafficking of exotic animals. Several busts were conducted across the country, including in Murcia, A Coruna, Gran Canaria, Madrid, Barcelona and Girona, the Spanish Civil Guard announced on Nov. 11. The investigation resulted in the discovery of 300 animals of different species, some of which were found dead, with an estimated value of $944,000. Among the animals were several huge tortoises valued at $35,000 each. The operation was carried out in coordination with Europol and the Flora and Fauna Support…
TENERIFE, Canary Islands—A boat carrying about 80 migrants arrived at the Canary Islands as authorities struggle to keep up with a flood of refugees in the area. Maritime rescue teams and the Spanish Civil Guard rescued those aboard, which included three seriously ill people, and brought them to the port of Los Cristianos on Tenerife on Nov. 4. Doctors from the Canary Islands Emergency Service (SUC) offered medical assistance to the migrants, who are believed to be of sub-Saharan origin. One person on the vessel was already dead at the time of discovery. It was not immediately clear if any…
LONDON–The funeral for a policeman in London who was killed in the line of duty included the ex-captain of New Zealand’s national union rugby team leading a traditional Haka dance to honor the fallen officer, who was born in the Pacific Ocean country. The remembrance was for Matt Ratana, who was killed earlier this fall by a handcuffed suspect who had managed to keep a gun in his possession. “Haka for Sgt. Matt Ratana. As part of the service of celebration and thanksgiving for Ratana, a traditional Maori Haka was performed as a mark of respect,” said the Metropolitan Police…
Kolkata — Ten ASEAN members and five regional partners — including China — have formed the world’s largest trading bloc, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). Absent from the agreement is India, which opted out in November 2019, citing “significant outstanding issues which remain unresolved.” India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said at the time, “No pact was better than a bad agreement.” The partnership had been in making since 2012. The agreement signed by 10 member nations of the Association of Southeast Asian nations, along with China, South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, covers a market of almost…
Mumbai — India meets only 29 percent of the internationally recommended key policies for tuberculosis, a new report by Médecins Sans Frontières and the Stop TB Partnership states. Of the 10 million tuberculosis cases globally, India has 27 percent. The disease is curable and preventable. The report, released on Nov. 16, assessed policy implementation in 37 high-burden countries. It states that India fully meets only four out of the 14 policies for diagnosis, treatment models, prevention, and procurement of medicines. India’s neighbor Pakistan met 31 percent of the policies; for Bangladesh the number was 46 percent. Among countries with better…
Islamabad — In the wake of a day-long sit-in by a far-right Islamist political party that blocked the main road to Pakistan’s capital of Islamabad, Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government has agreed to demands to boycott French products and to ask parliament to consider expelling the French ambassador to Pakistan. Demands by Tehreek-e-Labaik also include the government releasing all workers of the party, and not sending an envoy to Paris. Thousands of protesters took part in the sit-in, led by religious leader Khadim Hussain Rizvi to protest recent remarks by French President Emmanuel Macron linking Islam and terrorism, and defending the right…
Tamil Nadu — The retail arm of multinational conglomerate Reliance Industries has acquired a 96 percent stake in online furniture company Urban Ladder in a cash deal of INR 182 crore ($24.4 million) — a move aimed at boosting Reliance’s play in India’s vibrant e-commerce sector, where it is competing with Amazon. Reliance Industries, under CEO Mukesh Ambani, in September became the first Indian company to hit market capitalization of $200 billion. In January, Jeff Bezos’ Amazon soared above $1 trillion in market valuation. The acquisition is Reliance Retail’s second this year in the online segment. On Aug. 14, it…