6 h. ago Philippine contractors allege political bribery in flood control scandal

Two contractors at the centre of the Philippines’ growing flood control scandal have named nearly 20 lawmakers and government officials they accuse of demanding kickbacks and offered to turn state witnesses, but legal experts say their alleged role in the scheme could undermine their plea for immunity. In sworn testimony presented to the Senate on Monday, Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya and Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya – a married couple – claimed that corrupt politicians and Department of Public Works and...

Events

5 d. ago In too deep? Filipino couple under scrutiny in flood control scandal

As public furore mounts over the revelation of widespread corruption in flood control projects in the Philippines, few names have captured public attention more than Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya and her husband Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya. The couple, once virtually unknown, emerged in the spotlight after Sarah Discaya ran against popular Pasig City mayor Vico Sotto in the May midterm elections – only to lose by a landslide. Her biography has since become a lightning rod for scrutiny. Born in London in...

Events

2 w. ago Top EU envoy in Hong Kong says alleged Russian transshipments a ‘major concern’

Hong Kong’s alleged transshipment of Western-sanctioned dual-use goods for Russia’s war effort in Ukraine remains a “major concern” for the European Union, the bloc’s top envoy in the city has said. At an event on Friday to mark Ukraine’s Independence Day, Harvey Rouse, the head of the EU office in Hong Kong, said he had continued to raise the issue with city authorities and hoped there could be “progress together”. “It remains a major concern that Russia keeps receiving dual-use goods for its...

Politics

2 w. ago Elon Musk must face lawsuit claiming he ran illegal US$1 million election lottery

Elon Musk was ordered on Wednesday by a federal judge to face a lawsuit by voters accusing the world’s richest person of defrauding them into signing a petition to support the US Constitution for a chance to win his US$1 million-a-day giveaway. US District Judge Robert Pitman in Austin, Texas said Jacqueline McAferty plausibly alleged in her proposed class action that Musk and his political action committee America PAC wrongly induced her to provide personal identifying information as part of...

Politics

2 w. ago Musk must face lawsuit claiming he ran illegal US$1 million election lottery

Elon Musk was ordered on Wednesday by a federal judge to face a lawsuit by voters accusing the world’s richest person of defrauding them into signing a petition to support the US Constitution for a chance to win his US$1 million-a-day giveaway. US District Judge Robert Pitman in Austin, Texas, said Jacqueline McAferty plausibly alleged in her proposed class action that Musk and his political action committee America PAC wrongly induced her to provide personal identifying information as part of...

Politics

3 w. ago ‘Bargaining chips in power games’: China report slams US on human rights

China has accused the United States of using human rights as a “bargaining chip” in its latest annual report on the issue. The report released on Sunday criticised what it called the hypocrisy of the US political system, its unequal social welfare, widespread racism, and the politicisation of immigration, where immigrants become “scapegoats for political parties”. The US had turned human rights into “props for political theatre” and “bargaining chips in power games”, it alleged. The year 2024...

Politics