x

House EJK probe proceeds as ex-president Duterte attends

After postponing the eleventh hearing into the drug-related extrajudicial killings on November 11, the House Quad Committee proceeded as initially scheduled on Wednesday, November 13.




x

Relieved PAOCC spox slapped with slander for slapping BPO worker

A former employee of a Bataan-based business process outsourcing firm has filed a "slander by deed" case against Winston Casio, the relieved spokesperson of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission.




x

Police crack down on taxi-related murders in East London




x

SAMRC and Thermo Fisher Scientific launch Centre of Excellence in molecular biology




x

Glenrose Xaba dominates inaugural Boxer Super Run Tshwane




x

Mngxitama accuses SKG Africa of corruption in Public Works contracts




x

Local government is a mess – let’s fix it




x

Court delays R26 million tax fraud case against Duma ka Ndlovu




x

Boity Thulo and Roiii collaborate on groundbreaking album ‘The Extra Mile’




x

Expect a reality TV summer with engaging new local productions




x

Anti-Bullying Week: toxic family dynamics among indicators of bullying in children




x

Una tumba vacía con una explicación angelical A

La enseñanza bíblica en profundidad de John MacArthur lleva la verdad transformadora de la Palabra de Dios a millones de personas cada día.




x

Una tumba vacía con una explicación angelical B

La enseñanza bíblica en profundidad de John MacArthur lleva la verdad transformadora de la Palabra de Dios a millones de personas cada día.




x

La iglesia perseguida se extiende A

La enseñanza bíblica en profundidad de John MacArthur lleva la verdad transformadora de la Palabra de Dios a millones de personas cada día.




x

La iglesia perseguida se extiende B

La enseñanza bíblica en profundidad de John MacArthur lleva la verdad transformadora de la Palabra de Dios a millones de personas cada día.




x

SC: Sulu exclusion from BARMM takes effect immediately

A ruling upholding the constitutionality of the Bangsamoro Organic Law but excluding Sulu from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao is immediately executory, according to the Supreme Court.




x

The Perplexities of the Cross




x

Burkina Faso extends military rule for 5 years to 2029

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso — Burkina Faso's military regime, in power since a 2022 coup, will extend its rule for five years under an accord adopted during national consultations on Saturday, the talks' chairman said.  "The duration of the transition is fixed at 60 months from July 2, 2024," Colonel Moussa Diallo, chairman of the organizing committee of the national dialogue process, said after the talks.  He added that coup leader and acting president Ibrahim Traore could run in any elections at the end of the transition period.  What was supposed to be a two-day national dialogue began earlier Saturday, ostensibly to chart a way back to civilian rule for the West African nation beset by jihadi violence.  The army has governed Burkina Faso since 2022, carrying out two coups that it said were justified in large part by the persistent insecurity.  Jihadi rebels affiliated with al Qaida and the Islamic State group have waged a grinding insurgency since 2015 that has killed thousands and displaced millions.  An initial national dialogue had resulted in a charter that installed Traore as president and put in place a government and a legislative assembly.  Under the new charter, quotas will no longer be used to assign seats in the assembly to members of traditional parties. Instead, "patriotism" will be the only criteria for selecting deputies.  "You have just rewritten a new page in the history of our country," said Minister of Territorial Affairs Emile Zerbo, who opened the meeting on Saturday morning.  The initial charter set the transition to civilian rule at 21 months, with the deadline set to expire July 1.  But Traore had repeatedly warned that holding elections would be difficult given the perilous security situation.  The new charter also calls for a new body called the "Korag" to "monitor and control the implementation of the country's strategic vision in all areas and through all means." Its composition and operations are at the discretion of the president.  Civil society representatives, the security and defense forces and lawmakers in the transitional assembly took part in the weekend talks, which most political parties boycotted.  Human rights groups have accused Burkina Faso's junta leaders of abuses against civilians during their military campaigns against jihadis, and of silencing media and opposition leaders.   After taking power, the coup leaders expelled French troops and diplomats, and have instead turned to Russia for military assistance.   




x

Global index for free and fair elections suffers biggest decline on record in 2023, democracy watchdog says

STOCKHOLM — Lower voter turnout and increasingly contested results globally are threatening the credibility of elections, an intergovernmental watchdog warned on Tuesday, as its sub-index for free and fair elections suffered its biggest decline on record in 2023. In its report, the Stockholm-based International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) said 2023 was the eighth consecutive year with a net decline in overall democratic performance, the longest consecutive fall since records began in 1975. The watchdog bases its Global State of Democracy indexes on more than 100 variables and is using four main categories - representation, rights, rule of law and participation - to categorize performance. The category of democracy related to free and fair elections and parliamentary oversight, a sub-category of representation, suffered its worst year on record in 2023. "This report is a call for action to protect democratic elections," IDEA's Secretary-General Kevin Casas-Zamora said in the report. "The success of democracy depends on many things, but it becomes utterly impossible if elections fail." The think-tank said government intimidation and electoral process irregularities, such as fraudulent voter registration and vote-counting, were increasing. It also said that threats of foreign interference, disinformation and the use of artificial intelligence in campaigns added to challenges. It also said that global voter participation had fallen to 55.5% of eligible voters in 2023 from 65.2% in 2008. Globally, in almost 20% of elections between 2020 and 2024, one of the losing candidates or parties rejected the results. IDEA said that the democratic performance in the U.S., which holds a presidential election this year, had recovered somewhat in the past two years, but the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in July highlighted continued risks. "Less than half (47%) of the Americans said the 2020 election was 'free and fair' and the country remains deeply polarized," IDEA said.




x

Palestine: Political Realities in an Explosive Region

Standing between Palestinians and a two-state resolve are a militant Hamas, a militant Israel and a Middle East flooded with weaponry of all kinds.




x

Cats can learn words approximately four times quicker than human toddlers


Cat’s fast language acquisition process differs from how dogs learn words, often requiring training and rewards. However, cats form associations through subtle behaviors, such as gaze.




x

Jew-hunting riots in Amsterdam expose dangers of bystander inaction


By staying silent, these bystanders betray themselves, their communities, and democratic ideals—abandoning Amsterdam’s Israeli and Jewish guests.




x

Israel moves forward on sixth submarine from Germany


Moreover, the IDF said that it marked the start of Germany building the next submarine, the Dakar, which is due to be delivered sometime in the next decade.




x

Trump taps Jewish ex-congressman Lee Zeldin to head EPA


Zeldin, a Republican, voted for key environmental legislation just 14% of the time during his tenure in the House of Representatives.




x

'Emilia Perez': From Mexican cartel leader to Tel Aviv's operating table


Emilia Perez tells a colorful story of cartels, gender, and redemption.





x

Tel Aviv Spirit Festival explores mindfulness, resilience, and healing from trauma


Spirit Film Festival brings films on resilience, spirituality, and healing to Tel Aviv.





x

Trump will nominate Fox News host Pete Hegseth for defense secretary


Hegseth, if confirmed, could aid Trump's promise to remove generals he believes prioritize progressive diversity policies opposed by conservatives.




x

Nigeria: Police Dismiss Rumour of Bomb Explosion in Jos

[Premium Times] The police on Tuesday morning received a report that a bomb was allegedly planted around Murtala Way, Jos.




x

Lesotho: Recruitment Rot Exposed At Home Affairs

[Lesotho Times] Damning revelations have emerged over the "corrupt" recruitment process for 3400 temporary staff at the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftainship, Home Affairs, and Police.




x

Liberia: Sources - Executive May Submit Draft Budget to the Breakaway Bloc This Week

[Liberian Investigator] Monrovia -- Sources have hinted to The Liberian Investigator that the Executive Branch, through the Ministry of Finance & Development Planning, is contemplating submitting the 2025 draft national budget to the breakaway "majority bloc" in the House of Representatives later this week.




x

Ethiopia: Dereja, in Partnership with the Ministry of Labor and Skills and the Mastercard Foundation, to Host the 5th National Career Expo, Connecting Over 30,000 Recent Graduates

[Mastercard Foundation] Addis Ababa, Ethiopia -- Dereja, in partnership with the Ministry of Labor and Skills (MOLS) and the Mastercard Foundation, will host the 5th National Career Expo on November 6 - 7, 2024, at Millennium Hall, Addis Ababa. The event will connect over 30,000 skilled professionals to the job market.




x

Extradition to US of man accused with malware sale quashed, case to be reheard

Maltese judge quashes extradition to the US of Daniel Meli, ordering that his case be reheard by the magistrates’ court 




x

Portraying the Xinjiang Attack: Ethnic Conflict or Terrorism?

While the Chinese government has made clear that the Xinjiang attack was an act of terrorism, Western media has misreported it as an incident related to ethnic conflict.




x

Bo Xilai: Anti-Corruption Failure in China

At the root of Bo Xilai's fall from a shining political career is a chronic, systemic problem of corruption in China's single-party political system.




x

Iranian Footballer Amir Nasr-Azadani Could Face Execution

According to reports, Amir Nasr-Azadani, a soccer player from Iran may face execution for participating in ongoing anti-government protests in the country.




x

Minigrids: The Next Energy Beacon

Village-scale solar-powered minigrids are the most promising path for India to meet its linked aims of GDP growth and access to electricity for all.




x

Sudanese Civil War Exacerbates Economies in Neighbouring Countries

Critical levels of nationwide hunger in Sudan has only increased to critical levels since the start of the Sudanese civil war in April 2023. Escalated hostilities between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have led to limited mobility and repeated blockages of humanitarian aid. This, coupled with the volatile floods […]




x

Viewpoints: Is Tax Avoidance Destroying America?

Why don't the rich pay their fair share in taxes?




x

Viewpoints: Donald Trump Denies Existence of Climate Change

Donald Trump has claimed he doesn't believe in climate change, but that didn't stop him from citing it as a reason to build a sea wall to protect one of his golf courses.




x

'Sextortion' in Naga: Man nabbed for trying to blackmail girl, 14

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu — A 37-year-old man was apprehended in an entrapment operation, after a 14-year-old girl lodged a complaint against him for sextortion on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, at around 9:50 a.m. in a lodge in Purok Jaguar, Brgy. Panadtaran, San Fernando town in southern Cebu. The suspect is a construction worker from Brgy. South Poblacion in San Fernando town. Meanwhile, the victim was a 14-year-old grade 9 student from Naga City. READ MORE: Sextortion: The sinister side of online romance Taiwanese jailed for attacking a transwoman; claims he was blackmailed Married man from Talisay City accuses single mom […]...

Keep on reading: 'Sextortion' in Naga: Man nabbed for trying to blackmail girl, 14




x

Excess campaign funds used for drug war reward system, Duterte admits

MANILA, Philippines — The excess campaign funds of then-president Rodrigo Duterte were used for the reward system of police officers during his administration’s brutal war on drugs.  Duterte himself admitted this to Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez during the House of Representatives quad committee during its 11th probe on his controversial anti-drug campaign.  “I still remember that you mentioned na yung pera galing sa donation ng inyong campaign funds will be utilized for the reward system, that’s private money,” Fernandez said.  (I still remember you mentioned that the money from the donation for your campaign funds would be utilized […]...

Keep on reading: Excess campaign funds used for drug war reward system, Duterte admits




x

BIR to monitor online sellers' tax compliance during holiday season

MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) will closely monitor the tax compliance of online marketplaces and online sellers during the holiday season, Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. has said. In a statement Wednesday, Lumagui warned that online businesses violating tax laws would be blocked. Section 115 of the National Internal Revenue Code, as […]...

Keep on reading: BIR to monitor online sellers' tax compliance during holiday season




x

Bank of Thailand tempers anxiety about chair

Satit Limpongpan, chairman of the selection committee tasked with choosing the new board chairman of the Bank of Thailand, has confirmed the position will not have any influence on the central bank's monetary policy.




x

Restrained and tortured: Hamas abuse of Palestinians exposed by IDF


The materials were recovered by IDF soldiers during operations in the Gaza Strip.




x

Taiwan closes exploding pagers case, says not made by Taiwanese firms


Security sources have previously said the pagers carried the name of a Taiwan-based company that has asserted that it did not make them.




x

'Wishful thinking': War cannot be stopped before wide-reaching goals achieved, IDF spox. says


Lt. Col. Peter Lerner speaks to TML about the state of war after 400 days, including the UN Security Council 1701 Resolution and additions that would allow Israel to secure its borders.




x

The monkeys that science has experimented on for over a century

The monkeys that science has experimented on for over a century




x

Record number mariachis belt out classic songs in Mexico City plaza

Record number mariachis belt out classic songs in Mexico City plaza