The former chief police enforcer of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly war on drugs will be charged with corruption for allegedly protecting officers linked to the narcotics trade, the justice department said Thursday.Oscar Albayalde resigned in October after serving as Philippine police chief for more than a year, having presided over an anti-narcotics crackdown that left thousands of drug suspects dead.The episode that led to his sudden fall cast an unwelcome light on a drug war…
China admits fishing in Indonesian-claimed waters in South China Sea, vows to resolve things in ‘friendly manner’
China admitted on Thursday that its fishermen had recently caught fish in disputed waters claimed by Indonesia as part of its exclusive economic zone and by the Chinese as traditional fishing grounds.China’s Ambassador Xiao Qian told reporters after meeting with Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD that Chinese fishermen entered the waters on the southern edge of disputed South China Sea for a period of time last December to catch fish.Suggesting…
2019 was second hottest year ever, with more extreme weather on the way as expert warns to ‘raise the red flag’
Last year was the second hottest year since records began, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said on Wednesday, adding that heat was likely to lead to more extreme weather events like the Australian bush fires in 2020 and beyond.The figures from the Geneva-based WMO crunches several data sets, including ones from Nasa and the UK Met Office.It showed that the average global temperature in 2019 was 1.1 degrees Celsius (1.98 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels, creeping…
Singapore debt collector wears Chinese funeral outfit to harass victim, gets 5 weeks’ jail
A Singapore debt collector, who showed up at a debtor’s workplace in a Chinese funeral outfit in a desperate bid to harass him to return his client’s money, was on Wednesday sentenced to five weeks’ jail.Peh Chong Wee, 59, pleaded guilty to four charges of harassment and using criminal force on a police officer, with another charge of harassment taken into consideration for sentencing.Peh’s loud shouting and whistle-blowing as he walked along a corridor caught the attention of the debtor’s…
US sanctions China-based entity over North Korean overseas workers
The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on two North Korean entities it accused of facilitating the export of workers from North Korea in violation of United Nations sanctions.The US Treasury Department announced the sanctions on the Korea Namgang Trading Corp and China-based North Korean lodging facility Beijing Sukbakso, despite US efforts to revive stalled talks aimed at persuading North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons.It said the former entity had facilitated, or been…
A MeToo moment, Malaysia? Defamation charge against South China Morning Post reporter Tashny Sukumaran withdrawn
Malaysia’s attorney general has withdrawn a criminal defamation charge against the South China Morning Post journalist Tashny Sukumaran, who tweeted about her experience of alleged sexual harassment by a male dermatologist in what some see as a MeToo moment for Malaysia. Attorney General Tommy Thomas told The Malaysian Insight on Tuesday that the defamation charge over a series of tweets last year, alleging inappropriate physical contact during a medical examination, had been withdrawn. “I…
Singapore man on trial for terrorism financing admits to sending money to Isis
The first Singaporean to be charged with terrorism financing began his trial in a district court on Monday by admitting to giving S$450 (US$330) to Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (Isis), but claimed trial for his actions because he did not recognise Singapore law.Imran Kassim, a 36-year-old former managing director of logistics firm Novo Logistics, faces one charge under the Terrorism (Suppression of Financing) Act.He is accused of remitting the money on October 31, 2014, through Western Union…
Taal volcano eruption: lava, lightning and a ‘hazardous explosion within hours’, but for some Filipinos, an eerie calm
Fountains of lava and columns of ash illuminated by lightning rising to the sky; once bustling towns reduced to silence; empty streets swirling with dust and houses hastily abandoned; cars driving blindly through dust storms; gardens and orchards reduced to a uniform, eerie grey.It was not the sort of Monday morning Filipinos were planning for.“The scary thing is, right now it’s so dark, the entire sky has become cloudy grey,” said Jonathan Domingo, who lives on a ridge in Tagaytay City, a…
Australia’s Scott Morrison regrets handling of bush fire crisis, proposes high-level inquiry
After weeks of criticism over the handling of the bush fires scorching Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Sunday he will propose a national review into the response to the disaster, as the fires claimed another firefighter’s life.With the Australian bush burning for nearly three months now, killing 28 people, claiming 2,000 homes and raging across millions of acres of land and wildlife, the crisis is becoming increasingly political.“There is obviously a need for a national review…
Manila airport suspends flights, thousands evacuate as Taal Volcano in Philippines spews ash
A volcano just south of the Philippine capital on Sunday spewed ash and steam reaching about 15km high, resulting in flights being suspended and thousands of people in villages nearby being forced to evacuate their homes as a precautionary measure, officials said.A huge cloud of white and grey ash was seen billowing out of the main crater of Taal Volcano in Batangas province, 66km south of Manila, indicating it could lead to a hazardous eruption, while residents reported ash falls and showers…