DOJ urged to cooperate with ICC on Duterte's drug warIn this September 25, 2018 photo, members of local rights group Karapatan condemn the killing of human rights defender Mariam Uy Acob. MANILA, Philippines — Human rights group Karapatan has called on the Department of Justice (DOJ) to fully cooperate with the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) ongoing investigation into thousands of alleged killings linked to former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs. “There are numerous cases of extrajudicial killings and IHL violations which involved Duterte’s police and military, in his administration’s war on dissent,” she said. Drug war numbersThe government data estimates 6,000 deaths during the implementation anti-drug campaign of the Duterte administration. However, an international human rights group estimates up to 30,000 fatalities which usually consist of small-time drug pushers and users.

The Department of Agriculture bares plan to import fish amid successive typhoons at the close of the fishing season in the country. DA Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said they would wait for the approval to import 8,000 metric tons of small pelagic fish set to arrive in early December. Video by PNA

DOMESTIC rice production is expected to fall below 19.4 million metric tons (MT) this year due to damage caused by successive typhoons, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Monday. Rice imports, which stood at 3.9 million metric tons (MT) as of Nov. 7, will help mitigate the impact, he added. The DA initially projected palay output to reach 20.44 million MT this year, higher than 2023's record 20.06 million MT. It cut the forecast to 19.4 million MT due to the effects of the El Niño weather pattern earlier this year. The USDA projects the Philippines to produce around 12.3 million MT of milled rice this year, lower than their previous estimate of 12.7 million MT.

Succeeding Typhoons Nika and Ofel added losses of P248.47 million to the total, with high-value crops (P97.72 million) and rice (P49.08 million) accounting for most of the damage. Farmers and fishers groups, however, reiterated their call for the government to stop rice and fish imports, noting that these did not result in lower prices. Instead, they called for additional support for their members, who were also reeling from losses due to the recent typhoons. The KMP is against the government’s plan to import more rice to offset the losses due to typhoons, with rice imports for this year possibly reaching around 4.5 million metric tons (MT), according to the DA. “Instead of directly supporting local farmers to recover from the damages caused by recent typhoons, the government is relying on imports,” it said in a statement.

Here’s a quick roundup of today’s top stories:Pepito exits the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Monday, November 18, according to state weather bureau Pagasa. In a chance interview with reporters, Remulla was asked about possible violations committed by Duterte. Article continues after this advertisementIn a statement on Monday, Alvarez said the things that Duterte mentioned during the November 13 hearing of the quad committee were not surprising. After last week’s hikes, motorists can heave a sigh of relief as petroleum products will have slight reductions starting Tuesday, November 19. Your subscription has been successful.

Group of Friends in the UNOn the 79th founding anniversary of the United Nations last October, I was at the headquarters touring my sister around. I thought of how quite odd it was to meet with friends at 10 in the morning and of all places at the UN. He smiled to clarify he was not referring to the type of groups similar to my ladies’ coffee morning or afternoon tea meet ups, but to alliances of various countries or member-states collectively known as “Group of Friends.” The Philippines belongs to many of them. I did some research and read that the Group of Friends started in the 1990’s. Organizers usually invite a group of member-states, which may serve as the “core group” to lead the GoF’s activities, including hosting of meetings and organizing side events during high-level meetings at the UN.

ATP Finals: Sinner is winnerTURIN, Italy – Jannik Sinner says he still has areas where he can improve next year after winning the ATP Finals for the first time Sunday to cap a near-perfect season for the world number one. The 23-year-old Sinner beat Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-4 at the season-ending event in Turin, his eighth title of a remarkable season which began with a first Grand Slam triumph at the Australian Open. “I’m very happy because it’s a very nice way to finish off an incredible season,” said Sinner, the first Italian to win the Finals in its 55-year history, doing so days after becoming the first from his nation to top the ATP’s end-of-year rankings.

Debt-saddled Laos struggles to tame rampant inflationThis photo taken on October 12, 2024 shows passengers boarding a high-speed train in the railway station in Laos' capital Vientiane. Suffocating under a mountain of debt to China, communist Laos is struggling to tame rampant inflation, with food prices rising so sharply that a growing number of households are resorting to foraging. VIENTIANE, Laos — Suffocating under a mountain of debt to China, communist Laos is struggling to tame rampant inflation, with food prices rising so sharply that a growing number of households are resorting to foraging. But Vivat Kittiphongkosol of the Joint Development Bank Laos said the government had been "too slow" to react as problems unfolded. Alex Kremer, the World Bank Country Manager for Laos, warned these austerity measures would have damaging long-term consequences.

MANILA, Philippines — Super Typhoon Pepito (international name: Man-yi) is expected to bring heavy rainfall over many parts of Luzon on Sunday night, the state weather bureau said. In an 8 p.m. advisory, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said intense to torrential rains (greater than 200 millimeters) may affect Aurora and Quirino from Sunday evening to Monday evening. Article continues after this advertisementThe state weather bureau also cautioned residents in these areas of widespread severe flooding and landslides. Meanwhile, heavy to intense rains (ranging from 100 to 200 mm) may be seen in the following parts of Luzon during the same forecast period:Nueva EcijaBenguetIfugaoKalingaMountain ProvinceNueva VizcayaIsabelaAccording to Pagasa, areas which are urbanized, low-lying, or situated near rivers are at risk of frequent flooding due to heavy and intense rains brought by Pepito. Article continues after this advertisementREAD: LIST: Class suspensions on Nov. 18 due to Super Typhoon Pepito

MANILA, Philippines — A police, who is also a registered midwife, assisted a woman in giving birth to a healthy baby boy in Catanduanes province on Sunday amid the onslaught of Super Typhoon Pepito (international name: Man-yi). READ: Pepito makes landfall in CatanduanesOn the other hand, PNP said its personnel in the Bicol Region continue to assist with the clearing operations in areas affected by Pepito. Pepito was last spotted over the coastal waters of San Fernando, La Union, according to the state weather bureau. The typhoon is moving 25 kilometers per hour (km/h), carrying maximum sustained winds of 155 km/h and gusts of up to 255 km/h. Pepito is expected to exit the Philippine area of Responsibility on Monday morning or noon.

Asia pivot: This time with feeling! Barack Obama’s Asia pivot was a dud, as America was too preoccupied with Afghanistan and other Middle Eastern hotspots. Now, the United States may finally manage an honest-to-goodness Asia pivot as Trump’s new Secretary of State, Senator Marco Rubio, takes office. “Communist China is not, and will never be, a friend to democratic nations,” Rubio wrote on X, formerly Twitter, in August. “In 2016, the United Nations rejected China’s claim to the Philippines’ historically recognized territory in the South China Sea.

NEW DELHI — Nuclear-armed India has tested its first hypersonic missile, the defense minister said Sunday, publicizing the super-fast high-tech weapon days after rival China showcased its latest military aviation powers. The United States, Russia, China and North Korea have all tested hypersonic missiles, and several others are developing the technology. "India has achieved a major milestone by successfully conducting flight trial of long range hypersonic missile," Minister of Defense Rajnath Singh said in a statement. New Delhi has deepened defense cooperation with Western countries in recent years, including in the Quad alliance with the United States, Japan and Australia. AdvertisementIndia is also a major buyer of Russian military hardware, including Moscow's S-400 missile defense system — despite the threat of US sanctions over the multi-billion dollar deal.

THE 29th United Nations Climate Conference is underway in Baku, Azerbaijan. As Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama pointed out, "Our speeches, full of good words about fighting climate change, change nothing." "Our civilization is at a great risk as we continue to promote self-destructive values," Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh pointed out. Civil society groups across the globe are preparing for the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) on a Global Plastics Treaty. However, precise information is rarely available, making proper and safe management of plastic waste impossible.

The December 2024 priority datesEach month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month for the various family and employment-based categories. A priority date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority date is earlier than the cut-off dates listed below in the Visa Issuance or Final Action Date column. If your priority date was “current,” but later retrogressed (or “moved backwards” and became unavailable) before your immigrant visa was issued (or before you adjusted status in the US), you would have to wait until it becomes current again. Caution: if your Final Action/Visa Issuance date has been current for more than a year and you were notified by the NVC but you did not respond, you could risk your case being canceled or terminated. The priority dates for the Philippines for December 2024 are:* * *WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.comFollow us on Facebook.com/GurfinkelLaw, YouTube: US Immigration TV and Instagram.com/gurfinkellawFour offices to serve you: Los Angeles; San Francisco; New York: Toll free number: 1-866-GURFINKEL (1-866-487-3465); Philippines: +632 88940258 or +632 88940239

(UPDATE) LUCKNOW, India — A fire at the neonatal unit of a hospital in northern India killed 10 newborns, authorities said on Saturday, with another 16 clinging to life after a blaze blamed on a faulty oxygen machine. Babies rescued from the fire, all only days old, were laid side by side on a bed elsewhere in the hospital as hospital staff hooked up their arms to intravenous drips. "All children rescued are safe and getting medical attention," Singh told Agence France-Presse (AFP). Advertisement'War footing'Pathak said a safety audit of the hospital was carried out in February, followed by a fire drill three months later. Friday's fire comes six months after a similar blaze at a children's hospital in New Delhi that killed six newborns.