File photoChina has executed two Filipinos for drug trafficking despite high-level Philippine government appeals to commute their death sentences to life in prison, the Philippine government said Saturday. It added that it did not announce the Nov. 24 executions until the Philippine government was formally notified by China. No other details were immediately given by Chinese or Philippine authorities about the executions and the drug trafficking cases. Two other death penalty cases involving Filipinos are on appeal and under final review in China, DFA spokesperson Teresita Daza said, without elaborating. One other Filipino, Mary Jabe Veloso, is facing execution in Indonesia after being convicted of drug trafficking.

A powerful earthquake of magnitude of 6.9 (earlier reported as 7.5) struck the region near Hinatuan in Surigao del Sur at 10:37 p.m. Saturday, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs). “It is forecasted that the first tsunami waves will arrive between 10:37 PM to 11:59 PM, 02 Dec 2023 (PST). Evacuation in JapanThe earthquake triggered evacuation orders for some areas in the southwestern Japanese coasts because of warnings of tsunami waves of a meter (3 feet) or more. According to an advisory from the Agusan del Sur Electric Cooperative (Aselco), the brownout occurred at the height of the tremor. Significant shaking was felt in several areas, with Intensity V reported in the City of Bislig, Surigao Del Sur, and the City of Cabadbaran, Agusan Del Norte.

PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES: Israel carried out deadly bombardments in Gaza for a second day on Saturday after a weeklong truce with Hamas collapsed despite international calls for an extension. BACK TO BOMBARDMENT Three Palestinians inspect a building damaged during an Israeli strike in Rafah, on the southern Gaza Strip, on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023. "What we're doing now is striking Hamas military targets all over the Gaza Strip," Jonathan Conricus, Israel Defense Forces spokesman, told reporters on Saturday. But in a diplomatic breakthrough, both sides agreed to a seven-day truce, during which Hamas freed 80 Israeli hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners, and more aid entered Gaza. The Israeli military said "ground, air and naval forces struck terror targets in the north and south of the Gaza Strip, including in Khan Younis and Rafah."

The new agreement is the next step in a widening military cooperation with Australia that was first announced in 2021. The three nations have laid out plans for the so-called Aukus — Australia, UK and US — partnership to help equip Canberra with a fleet of eight nuclear-powered submarines. As an island nation, Australia has a need for improved maritime drones and precision strike capabilities, he added. Shapps said that with China "undermining the freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific, we've never had a greater need for more innovation." He said open navigation of the seas, including in the Pacific and the South China Sea, was critical.

The FEU Cheering Squad reclaimed the glory it lost last year, ruling the UAAP Season 86 Cheerdance Competition at the Mall of Asia Arena on Saturday, December 2. Dazzling the crowd with a Super Mario-inspired performance, FEU leveled up with 702.5 points to claim its fourth overall title before 18,122 fans at the venue. FEU, which made the podium for the 21st time, the most in tournament history, also seized all the special awards — Skechers Most Stylish Award, Yamaha Most Unique Dance Move, BYS Best Toss, Juicy-fied Pyramid, and Sikat Best Awra Dance Move. Overall, the FEU Cheering Squad won a total of P250,000. Video by Niel Victor Masoy

Former Overseas Filipino Workers turned Entrepreneurs Danilo Hizon of Danizon Farms and Jose Crisanto Lasam of Dentista nina Juan disclose to The Manila Times the reasons why they ventured into entrepreneurship and their advice to future entrepreneurs. Video by Red Mendoza

ADVERTISEMENTIt said the lack of postharvest facilities, especially rice dryers, in farming areas had prompted the food agency to develop high-capacity dryers and modern rice processing centers across the archipelago. The planned facility in Dingras town features four 30-metric ton batch recirculating mechanical dryers designed to improve local production, as well as boost rice and corn storage capacity. This represents the first phase of the NFA’s postharvest facility modernization program, aimed at setting up dozens of rice processing centers composed of high-capacity, industrial-grade mechanical dryers, grain silos, and rice mills across the country. “These centers will have the combined capacity to store rice and corn enough to cover national requirements for 30 days,” it said. Figures from the PSA showed palay production slightly rose by 0.21 percent to 3.79 million MT in the third quarter of this year.

Six people including four wanted by police were arrested during an anti-crime operation in which officers raided a number of premises in Mong Kok on Friday. Mong Kok police first busted an illegal gambling den at the building on Sai Yeung Choi Street South and arrested the 40-year-old operator surnamed Chan. Police also arrested another 39-year-old woman in the unit and further seized two fishing arcade machines, three jet arcade machines. The two were arrested for possessing offensive weapons as well after officers found a beef knife, a hammer, and a baton. During the operation, police also raided 18 other premises in the area , including nightclubs, bars, mahjong parlors, and billiard rooms, and found three men and a woman aged 34 to 51 that were wanted.

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."