MOGADISHU: More than 2 million people across the Horn of Africa have been forced from their homes by torrential rains and floods, according to an Agence France-Presse (AFP) tally compiled Thursday from government and UN figures. Almost 300 people have also lost their lives in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia as the region grapples with its latest devastating climate disaster. East Africa is experiencing torrential rainfall and floods linked to the El Niño climate pattern. Hundreds of thousands have been forced to flee their homes after the devastating floods caused by the heavy rains struck parts of the Horn of Africa, exacerbating the already existing humanitarian crisis in Somalia. "Regions that were struggling to recover from the economic and environmental impacts of prolonged drought are now doubly burdened with flooding," it said.

The Philippine coast guard inaugurated a new monitoring base Friday on a remote island occupied by Filipino forces in the disputed South China Sea as Manila ramps up efforts to counter China's increasingly aggressive actions in the strategic waterway. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)The Philippine coast guard inaugurated a new monitoring base Friday on a remote island occupied by Filipino forces in the disputed South China Sea as Manila ramps up efforts to counter China’s increasingly aggressive actions in the strategic waterway. It’s pure bullying,” Ano told reporters after the ceremony, describing the actions of Chinese ships as flouting international law. Surrounded by white beaches, the tadpole-shaped Thitu Island is called Pag-asa — Tagalog for hope — by about 250 Filipino villagers. It’s one of nine islands, islets and atolls that have been occupied by Philippine forces since the 1970s in the South China Sea’s Spratlys archipelago.

TOKYO: Japanese auto giant Honda said it plans to invest 500 billion yen ($3.4 billion) in production of electric motorcycles and mopeds this decade. The firm, the world's biggest makers of two-wheelers, also said it plans to launch 30 new electric models by 2030 and to reduce the current cost of electric motorcycles by 50 percent. "For the electrification of its motorcycles, Honda is investing 100 billion yen over the five-year period from 2021 to 2025 and will invest an additional 400 billion yen over the five-year period from 2026 to 2030," Honda said in a statement on Wednesday. It also hiked its global annual sales target for 2030 to 4 million units, up from its previous goal of 3.5 million announced last year. It added that it will initially use its existing infrastructure for internal combustion engine models but will begin the operation of dedicated electric motorcycle production plants from around 2027.

December 1, 2023MANILA, Philippines — How prevalent is sexual violence in schools? However, Enough is Enough (EIE), a youth group that is keeping track of cases of sexual violence in schools said “there is no way that there were only 70 cases of sexual abuse of students in the past year.”According to data from the 2015 National Baseline Study on Violence Against Children (NBS-VAC), 17.1 percent of children 13 to 18 years old have experienced sexual violence. Some 5.3 percent took place “in the school.”“There is an understatement,” Sophie Reyes of EIE said. Silent screamsReyes, lead convenor of EIE, which is composed of victims-survivors of sexual violence and advocates for gender equality, pointed out that a lot of factors come into play whether a victim-survivor will report his or her ordeal. According to the NBS-VAC, out of all the children and young people who experienced sexual abuse, only 11.9 percent—11.3 percent of male and 12.8 percent of female victim-survivors—disclosed the assault to someone, like friends and mothers.

MANILA -The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is moving to block cryptocurrency trading leader Binance within three months after it was found to be selling securities in the country without the necessary licenses. ADVERTISEMENTIn its Nov. 28 advisory, the corporate watchdog said Binance was not authorized to publicly sell or offer securities in the Philippines, pursuant to Republic Act No. 8799, or The Securities Regulation Code (SRC). READ: Binance’s Zhao pleads guilty, steps down to settle US illicit finance probeADVERTISEMENTThe fresh SEC crackdown came a week after Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao had pleaded guilty to violating US antimoney laundering rules and resigned from his post. Registered in the Cayman Islands, Binance is the world’s biggest crypto trading exchange, which allows users to buy and sell bitcoin, ether and other cryptocurrencies.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is working "to artificially stimulate oil demand" even as it publicly backs a transition away from fossil fuels, a report said ahead of COP28 climate talks in Dubai. The report paints a different picture, contending the OSP which in Arabic is known as the Oil Demand Sustainability Program works to maximize use of oil-consuming vehicles in Asia and Africa. Authorities from the world's biggest oil exporter are also, according to the report, backing fuel-intensive supersonic air travel, lobbying against government subsidies for electric vehicles and promoting energy infrastructure in developing countries that would run on Saudi oil. However, Saudi officials also argue that continued new investments in hydrocarbons are necessary for energy stability. Speaking this month at a Saudi-hosted conference on economic cooperation with Africa, Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said policies to address climate change should not "crush the bones" of countries grappling with energy poverty.

Charles Munger was for many years more bullish than Warren Buffett, near right, when it came to investing in China. Munger was vice chairman of Berkshire and one of its biggest shareholders, with stock valued at about US$2.2 billion (HK$17.16 billion). Munger was for many years more bullish than Buffett when it came to investing in China. Munger started sharing his vice chairman title at Berkshire in 2018 with two next-generation senior executives, Greg Abel and Ajit Jain. "In some important ways," Munger wrote of the pair in 2015, "each is a better business executive than Buffett."

Press ReleaseNovember 29, 2023 SENATOR RONALD "BATO" DELA ROSACOMMITTEE ON PUBLIC ORDER AND DANGEROUS DRUGSSTUDENT RADICALIZATION IN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS TO THE LOCAL COMMUNIST TERRORIST GROUPS OPENING STATEMENT Ladies and gentlemen, again, magandang umaga. We heard the plight of the parents of those missing minors, as well as the testimonies of those returning rebels. Meanwhile, in 2020, the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 was enacted which effectively repealed the Human Security Act of 2007. Sa kabila ng mga naging pagdinig patungkol sa missing minors at mga pag-rerecruit ng CPP-NPA-NDF at pagpasa ng bagong batas, nitong mga nakaraang araw, muling nakatanggap ang ating komite ng mga report hinggil sa pagpasok ng communist ideologies at recruitment efforts ng Communist Terrorist Groups (CTGs) sa loob ng mga eskwelahan. As we convene today, let us keep in mind our shared responsibilities to ensure that the laws and policies in place align with the principles of Parens Patriae.

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announced on Wednesday, Nov. 29 the date and venue for the in-person mass oathtaking ceremony for new midwives. PRCOther participants will take their oath on Dec. 15 in Naga City, Dec. 19 in Zamboanga City, and Dec. 19 in Iloilo City. For those unable to attend the in-person oathtaking ceremony, arrangements can be made for a special appointment, or an online ceremony option will be made available. Details about the online ceremony will be posted once the schedule is confirmed, PRC said. It added that participants must complete their initial registration by making an online appointment on the official PRC website following the oathtaking ceremony.

House joint panel swiftly passes resolutions urging ICC cooperationThe seat of the International Criminal Court in the Hague, Netherlands is seen in this photo release by the International Commission of Jurists, a non-governmental organization advocating for human rights. The three House resolutions approved by the joint panel are House Resolution 1477 authored by Rep. Bienvenido Abante (Manila, 6th District) and Rep. Ramon Gutierrez (1-Rider Partylist), House Resolution 1393 authored by the Makabayan bloc, and House Resolution 1482 authored by Lagman. Just months ago, another House resolution — declaring an “unequivocal defense” of Duterte from the ICC — was filed in the lower chamber. “Consequently, rejoining the ICC at the moment is not a precondition to the government's cooperating with the ICC and its prosecutors,” Lagman said. Marcos told reporters last Friday that proposals for the country to rejoin the ICC are now "under study" but maintained that the House resolutions urging his administration's cooperation with the international tribunal are "not unusual."

Willian fights for the ball with Wolves' Matt Doherty, left, at Craven Cottage. AFPFurious Wolves boss Gary O'Neil said bad refereeing decisions are hurting his reputation and "people's livelihoods" after his team were on the wrong end of more VAR controversy in their 3-2 Premier League defeat at Fulham. Wolves are 12th in the Premier League with 15 points from 13 games but O'Neil said the VAR decisions had cost them another seven points. "I'm managing a big football club here, and the difference you're making to my reputation, to the club's progression up the league, to people's livelihoods, it's huge," O'Neil said of the VAR decisions. "I've always been for VAR, but I think it is causing problems ... VAR is not helping with subjective decisions.

The aim is to keep voters in Hong Kong on polling day, December 10. Government officials have been trying to play down the significance of a high turnout, even as they try to achieve one. This will be the biggest meeting in the Hong Kong Jockey Club's horse racing calendar. It could also help if the fun fairs and concert planned for December 9 could be extended by another day to help keep voters in the SAR. Unless they campaign hard to whip up enthusiasm, the help provided by fun fairs, concerts or even horse races will be limited.

Philippine government, NDFP to revive peace talksUndated file photo of members of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines. MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines have agreed to restart peace negotiations six years after former President Rodrigo Duterte called off peace talks with the group behind Asia’s longest-running insurgency. The NDFP is the diplomatic arm and umbrella group representing communist rebels in peace talks with the government. According to the joint statement from Oslo, both the Philippine government and the NDFP have agreed to create a framework that "sets the priorities for the peace negotiations with the aim of acheiving relevant socioeconomic and political reforms towards a just and lasting peace." The practice of red-tagging also intensified during the Duterte administration following Duterte's abrupt termination of the peace negotiations with the CPP in 2017.

DepEd told: Sexual abuse in schools could be worse than reportedStudents of the Marikina Elementary School in Marikina City attend a two-hour class orientation before the formal school opening on August. MANILA, Philippines — A group that keeps its own record of sexual harassment incidents in schools said that there is “no way” that just 70 sexual abuse incidents have taken place on Philippine campuses since 2022. According to the DepEd’s Learner Rights and Protection Office on Monday, its direct hotline for student safety concerns has received 70 complaints related to sexual harassment since its creation in 2022. “We laud the bravery of the 70 who did report cases of sexual abuse in schools and hope that they receive the support that they need,” Reyes said. “But until DepEd takes the next steps, students as well as their parents will continue to come to school not knowing if they are safe from sexual abuse,” she added.

A sedan rammed into a police car and a seven-seater sedan while fleeing during a police investigation in Kowloon City early Tuesday morning. Around 2 am today, Kowloon City police were patrolling near Sa Po Road and found a white sedan behaving suspiciously, opting to tail and intercept it near Shek Ku Lung Road. The fleeing sedan damaged the door of the police van, along with ramming a Mercedes-Benz seven-seater at the scene. The white sedan fled in the direction of Kowloon Tong and was later found near the junction of Junction Road and Kam Shing Road with no one inside. The case has been handed over to the Kowloon City Police District, and they are currently looking for two men aged between 20 and 25.