AFP

NASA readies for dramatic return of asteroid sample to Earth

September 24, 2023
 AFP
The climactic end of a seven-year voyage comes Sunday when a NASA capsule is due to land in the Utah desert, carrying to Earth the largest asteroid samples ever collected. Scientists have high hopes for the sample, saying it will provide a better understanding of the formation of our solar system and how Earth became […]
The post NASA readies for dramatic return of asteroid sample to Earth appeared first on Manila Standard.

Biden blames ‘extreme Republicans’ for threatening US government shutdown Washington, United States

September 24, 2023
 AFP
President Joe Biden on Saturday blamed “a small group of extreme Republicans” for a budget impasse that has placed the US government a week away from a shutdown, urging the lawmakers to solve the issue. Speaking at a Congressional Black Caucus awards dinner, Biden said he and top House Republican Kevin McCarthy had previously agreed […]
The post Biden blames ‘extreme Republicans’ for threatening US government shutdown Washington, United States appeared first on Manila Standard.

China rowers win first gold of Asian Games

September 24, 2023
 AFP
Host nation China won the first gold medal of the Asian Games on Sunday, when Zou Jiaqi and Qiu Xiuping dominated the women’s lightweight double sculls rowing final. The Chinese pair finished in 7min 6.78sec, with Uzbekistan’s Luizakhon Islamova and Malika Tagmativa taking silver, almost 10 seconds behind. Indonesia’s Chelsea Corputty and Rahma Mutiara Putri won […]
The post China rowers win first gold of Asian Games appeared first on Manila Standard.

Russia accuses West of ‘de facto’ fighting in Ukraine

September 24, 2023
 AFP
Western powers through their support for Ukraine are “de facto” fighting against Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Saturday, as Kyiv claimed fresh advances on the ground. “You can call it anything you want, but they are fighting with us, they are straight-up fighting with us,” Lavrov told journalists at the United Nations. “We […]
The post Russia accuses West of ‘de facto’ fighting in Ukraine appeared first on Manila Standard.

US experts carry out second pig-to-human heart transplant

September 24, 2023
 AFP
A 58-year-old man this week became the world’s second patient to receive a transplant of a genetically modified pig heart, the latest milestone in a growing field of medical research. Transplanting animal organs into humans, called xenotransplantation, could offer a solution to the chronic shortage of human organ donations. More than 100,000 Americans are currently […]
The post US experts carry out second pig-to-human heart transplant appeared first on Manila Standard.

Armenia urges UN to send mission to Karabakh to monitor rights

September 24, 2023
 AFP
Armenia on Saturday urged the United Nations to send a mission to ensure the safety of ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh after the territory was seized back by Azerbaijan, which promised to respect minority rights. For the second time since the swift Azerbaijani operation in the mountainous territory, the top diplomats of the adversaries clashed at […]
The post Armenia urges UN to send mission to Karabakh to monitor rights appeared first on Manila Standard.

A migrant rest stop in Panama after brutal crossing of the Darien Gap

September 24, 2023
 AFP
Once Marcel Maldonado had finally made it across, he broke down in tears. The Venezuelan migrant, limping on a prosthetic leg, had survived the infamous trek through the Darien jungle from Colombia and, having crossed the Tuquesa River, he was now in Panama. Perched on the riverside is Bajo Chiquito, the first Panamanian village where […]
The post A migrant rest stop in Panama after brutal crossing of the Darien Gap appeared first on Manila Standard.

French rapper MHD gets 12 years in prison for youth’s murder

September 24, 2023
 AFP
French rapper MHD was sentenced Saturday to 12 years in prison for the 2018 murder of a young man in Paris who was rammed with a car before being set upon by a mob and stabbed. Five of his fellow defendants were also jailed over the killing, receiving jail terms of between 10 and 18 […]
The post French rapper MHD gets 12 years in prison for youth’s murder appeared first on Manila Standard.

One week after flood in Libya, aid arrives for Derna survivors

September 17, 2023
 AFP
Derna, Libya – A week after a wall of water devastated the Libyan coastal city of Derna, sweeping thousands to their deaths, the focus on Sunday increasingly turned to caring for the survivors. Amid the chaotic rescue efforts in the war-scarred country, the death toll from the floods has varied widely, from more than 3,000 […]
The post One week after flood in Libya, aid arrives for Derna survivors appeared first on Manila Standard.

In silent protest, Russian volunteers help refugees

September 17, 2023
 AFP
Saint Petersburg, Russia—For a year and a half Galina Artyomenko had been raising funds to help refugees from Ukraine after the Kremlin sent troops to the pro-Western country. Then in July the 58-year-old resident of Saint Petersburg in northwestern Russia discovered that one of her bank cards as well as those of two other volunteers […]
The post In silent protest, Russian volunteers help refugees appeared first on Manila Standard.

Indigenous rights supporters rally around Australia

September 17, 2023
 AFP
Sydney—Australians rallied around the country on Sunday to fight for a landmark Indigenous rights reform that is bleeding support in the polls before an October 14 referendum. Thousands joined “Walk for Yes” events in major cities, ahead of the vote that could grant Indigenous Australians a constitutionally enshrined right to be consulted on policies that […]
The post Indigenous rights supporters rally around Australia appeared first on Manila Standard.

Prepare for a long war in Ukraine—NATO chief

September 17, 2023
 AFP
Frankfurt, Germany—NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has warned there will be no swift end to the Ukraine war, in an interview published Sunday, as Kyiv pushes on with its counteroffensive against Russia. “Most wars last longer than expected when they first begin,” Stoltenberg said in an interview with Germany’s Funke media group. “Therefore we must prepare […]
The post Prepare for a long war in Ukraine—NATO chief appeared first on Manila Standard.

How cyber scammers are trying to make AI tools pay

September 12, 2023
 AFP
By Jules Bonnard Paris, France — Proponents of artificial intelligence say its potential is limitless. But cyber scammers could also use it to their advantage. Analysts explained to AFP how the technology could increase the risk from online crime. Phishers of emails Chatbots are the best-known of all AI tools thanks to the rampant success […]
The post How cyber scammers are trying to make AI tools pay appeared first on Manila Standard.

Lead poisoning causes far more death, IQ loss than thought: study

September 12, 2023
 AFP
By Daniel Lawler Paris, France — Lead poisoning has a far greater impact on global health than previously thought, potentially contributing to over five million deaths a year and posing a similar threat to air pollution, modelling research suggested Tuesday. The study, described as “a wake-up call”, also estimated that exposure to the toxic metal […]
The post Lead poisoning causes far more death, IQ loss than thought: study appeared first on Manila Standard.

N. Korea’s Kim in Russia for Putin talks as US warns on arms deal

September 12, 2023
 AFP
By Claire Lee and Cat Barton Seoul, South Korea — North Korea’s Kim Jong Un was in Russia on a rare overseas visit Tuesday ahead of a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, sparking warnings from Washington over a possible arms deal for Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Wearing a black suit and flanked by uniformed defence […]
The post N. Korea’s Kim in Russia for Putin talks as US warns on arms deal appeared first on Manila Standard.

US signs off on transfer of funds to Iran in prisoner deal

September 12, 2023
 AFP
By Shaun TANDON Washington, United States — The United States confirmed Monday it had signed off on the transfer of $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds from South Korea, paving the way for five US citizens to leave Tehran. The archenemies announced last month, after protracted negotiations, a deal in which the US citizens were […]
The post US signs off on transfer of funds to Iran in prisoner deal appeared first on Manila Standard.

US, Vietnam warn China on SCS

September 11, 2023
 AFP
HANOI—The United States and Vietnam warned on Monday against the “threat or use of force” in the disputed South China Sea, days after the latest clash involving Chinese vessels. President Joe Biden and Vietnam’s Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong said the competing claims on the strategic waterway must be settled under international norms. Last […]
The post US, Vietnam warn China on SCS appeared first on Manila Standard.

Germany beat Serbia to win basketball world cup gold

September 10, 2023
 AFP
Germany beat Serbia 83-77 on Sunday to win the Basketball World Cup for the first time. The Germans, who went unbeaten through the tournament and were appearing in their first final, broke clear of Serbia in the third quarter in Manila. Serbia launched a furious fourth-quarter fightback but Germany managed to hold them off and […]
The post Germany beat Serbia to win basketball world cup gold appeared first on Manila Standard.

Morocco mourns quake victims as death toll surges past 2,000

September 10, 2023
 AFP
Tafeghaghte, Morocco—Moroccans on Sunday mourned the victims of a devastating earthquake that killed more than 2,000 people as rescue teams raced to find survivors trapped under the rubble of flattened villages. The strongest-ever quake recorded in the country has killed at least 2,012 people and injured over 2,059, many of them seriously, according to the […]
The post Morocco mourns quake victims as death toll surges past 2,000 appeared first on Manila Standard.

US Open queen Coco Gauff: Doubters fueled fire to win

September 10, 2023
 AFP
New York—Coco Gauff said critics who doubted her ability to win a major title fuelled her breakthrough Grand Slam victory at the US Open on Saturday. The 19-year-old American captured the first major championship of her career with a battling 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 defeat of incoming world number one Aryna Sabalenka in front of a […]
The post US Open queen Coco Gauff: Doubters fueled fire to win appeared first on Manila Standard.

Amid devastation, mud, Brazil buries victims of cyclone

September 10, 2023
 AFP
Mucum, Brazil—Families in southern Brazil have begun to bury victims of a cyclone that left at least 42 dead and affected some 150,000 people, many of whom lost their homes or faced isolation from landslides that washed away roads and bridges. In the cemetery of Mucum, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, mourners […]
The post Amid devastation, mud, Brazil buries victims of cyclone appeared first on Manila Standard.

6.8-magnitude quake kills 820 in Morocco

September 9, 2023
 AFP
MARRAKESH—Morocco’s deadliest earthquake in decades has killed at least 820 people, officials said Saturday, causing widespread damage and sending terrified residents and tourists scrambling to safety in the middle of the night. The 6.8-magnitude quake struck a mountainous area 72 kilometers (45 miles) southwest of tourist hotspot Marrakesh at 11:11 pm (2211 GMT) Friday, the […]
The post 6.8-magnitude quake kills 820 in Morocco appeared first on Manila Standard.

Chinese PM: Major powers must keep cool to avoid ‘new Cold War’

September 6, 2023
 AFP
China’s premier said on Wednesday that major powers must keep their differences under control and avoid “a new Cold War,” in a thinly veiled reference to Washington, as top Asian and US officials gathered for talks in Indonesia. Beijing has expressed concern about US-backed blocs forming on its doorstep while facing disputes with other powers […]
The post Chinese PM: Major powers must keep cool to avoid ‘new Cold War’ appeared first on Manila Standard.

Great Wall of shame: two held after smashing hole in China landmark

September 5, 2023
 AFP
Beijing, China — Two people have been detained after using an excavator to dig a hole in the Great Wall of China, state broadcaster CCTV said. Police in Shanxi province followed tracks made by machinery used to dig a shortcut through a segment of the wall — remains of the immense structure built by China’s […]
The post Great Wall of shame: two held after smashing hole in China landmark appeared first on Manila Standard.

S. Korea, Southeast Asia must ‘join forces’ to counter N. Korea: Yoon

September 5, 2023
 AFP
Jakarta, Indonesia — South Korea and Southeast Asian nations must “join forces” to respond to North Korea’s nuclear threats, president Yoon Suk Yeol said Tuesday, as Washington warned Pyongyang’s leader was set to make a rare trip to Russia for arms talks. Yoon will meet with counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) […]
The post S. Korea, Southeast Asia must ‘join forces’ to counter N. Korea: Yoon appeared first on Manila Standard.

Exodus begins at drenched Burning Man party in US desert

September 5, 2023
 AFP
Black Rock City, United States — Revelers stuck in the mud for days at the Burning Man festival in Nevada finally began heading home on Monday after Mother Nature rained on their big party. With the sun now shining on the colorful makeshift community of 70,000 people called Black Rock City, the roads opened Monday […]
The post Exodus begins at drenched Burning Man party in US desert appeared first on Manila Standard.

Denzel Washington film boosts box office to post-pandemic high

September 4, 2023
 AFP
Sony’s The Equalizer 3, starring fan favorite Denzel Washington, helped boost the North American box office to a post-pandemic high over the long holiday weekend, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday. The vigilante action film, which closes out the Equalizer trilogy, took in an estimated $34.5 million for the Friday-through-Sunday period and $42 million when […]
The post Denzel Washington film boosts box office to post-pandemic high appeared first on Manila Standard.