5 d. ago 17,000 police deployed as protests erupt in Philippines over flood control scam

Thousands massed in the Philippine capital of Manila on Sunday demanding accountability over a multibillion-dollar infrastructure scandal that has seen scores of officials, lawmakers and construction firm owners accused of corruption. Rage over so-called ghost flood control projects has been mounting for months in the archipelago country of 116 million, where entire towns have been buried in floodwaters driven by powerful typhoons in recent months. President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has seen friend...

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8 d. ago As Philippines targets more Pogo figures, can Marcos regain public trust?

A travel ban imposed by the Philippines against two figures tied to its notorious offshore gaming industry (Pogos) marks a bid by the Ferdinand Marcos Jnr administration to boost public standing, but the country’s unfolding flood-control scandal remains the biggest mover of political fortunes. On Tuesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that it had cancelled the passports of Harry Roque, a former spokesman for ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, and Cassandra Li Ong, an associate of former...

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1 week ago Philippine military says ‘no junta’ in its ranks, warns against destabilisation

The Philippine military has confirmed that plots to oust President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr were “not far-fetched”, but downplayed fears of a coup led by troops and said there was “no junta” forming within its ranks. “There is no such thing as a military junta within the AFP,” military spokeswoman Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla said on Tuesday, referring to the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Her comments come amid rising public anger over a corruption scandal linked to flood-control...

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1 week ago Amazon faces Italian probe over alleged smuggling of Chinese goods

Italian police carried out searches and seizures at two Amazon sites in Italy on Monday as part of an investigation into the alleged smuggling of Chinese goods, three people with direct knowledge of the matter said. Dozens of officers from the Guardia di Finanza tax police and the customs agency seized around 5,000 products at a logistics hub operated by the e-commerce giant in Cividate al Piano, in the northern province of Bergamo, the sources said. At Amazon’s Italian headquarters in central...

Politics

1 week ago 8 arrested in Philippine flood control scandal, but will ‘big fish’ get away?

Eight officials from the Philippines’ Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) have been arrested, marking a more assertive phase in President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s response to the sprawling flood control corruption scandal. Analysts, however, have described the step as narrowly focused on minor players, noting that investigators have yet to confront the high-profile lawmakers and contractors accused of driving the scheme, raising doubts about how far the inquiry is prepared to reach. The...

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1 week ago China protests reported Japan plan to deploy missiles on island near Taiwan

China protests reported Japan plan to deploy missiles on island near Taiwan  Anadolu Ajansı

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2 w. ago Philippines’ Marcos orders arrest of Zaldy Co, 17 others in flood control scandal

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has confirmed that an arrest warrant has been issued for former lawmaker Zaldy Co and 17 others accused of involvement in anomalous infrastructure projects. The move marks the first major enforcement action since authorities began probing so-called “ghost” flood control projects, referring to substandard or non-existent works now at the centre of a sprawling corruption scandal. Marcos announced the development in a video posted to his social media...

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2 w. ago Can ‘passive’ Philippine body deliver accountability in anti

A new Philippine commission tasked with investigating alleged corruption in thousands of public flood control projects has begun issuing its first findings, but analysts warn the body was designed with too little power and independence to deliver real accountability. Created by President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr in response to mounting public anger over so-called ghost projects – flood control works that were paid for but either poorly built or did not exist at all – the Independent Commission for...

Politics

3 w. ago Stale food, tiny rooms, falling badges: South Korean police blast Apec mess

After last month’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) events in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang province – which saw up to 19,000 police officers deployed daily from across South Korea – Kim Keon-pyo, director of the Korean National Police Workers Council, said the reports he received from officers on the ground were far from commendable. “They said they were treated like homeless people,” Kim said. Angered by their accounts, Kim began collecting photos of the poor working conditions officers...

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