Hundreds of people have marched in the capital of the Philippines to protest what they claim is an increase in extrajudicial executions and other injustices under the leadership of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The demonstrators, coordinated by a Philippine rights organization, gathered in a Manila public square before marching to the presidential palace to seek justice for the victims. The …

The flu season has returned to Singapore, and physicians are reporting a 20 percent increase in instances of respiratory illness. During the winter season, health officials overseas have warned of a “tripledemic” including concurrent epidemics of COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus. Clinics have been scrambling to guarantee sufficient drug availability during this period, as a COVID-19 outbreak looms and …

The confiscation of a private plane, supercars, narcotics, and sumptuous residences are just some of the rewards of crime that are raising uncomfortable concerns about how international criminals have effortlessly transferred millions of dollars worth of illegal money through the kingdom of Thailand. Late in the month of October, during a statewide anti-drug operation conducted by the Thai police, a …

Maria Ressa, Nobel laureate and CEO of Rappler, presented her book How to Stand Up to a Dictator in the Philippines at the Estancia mall at Capitol Commons in Pasig City on Saturday, December 10, the International Day of Human Rights. In attendance were former Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio, Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay, economist Winnie Monsad, and architect …

Manny Pacquiao succeeded in his comeback to the ring, defeating DK Yoo by majority decision in an exhibition battle at the Korean International Exhibition Center on December 11. In the six-round bout, the Filipino boxing legend dominated the Korean mixed martial artist with bursts of brilliance that made him the only eight-division world champion in boxing. Pacquiao has not fought …

After many setbacks, on December 11 a new space firm in Japan successfully launched a spacecraft toward the moon. This is an important step toward achieving a first for both the country as a whole and for a private enterprise. After two delays brought on by inspections of its SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, the HAKUTO-R mission that was being carried …

Forty years after the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) was formed, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) commemorated the convention’s role in establishing the marine rights of coastal governments, such as the Philippines. The 2016 Hague judgement that invalidated China’s sweeping claim to the West Philippine Sea was based on the UNCLOS, popularly known as …

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is advocating for a bill that will institutionalize the inclusion of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Department of Foreign Affairs’ legal aid fund (LAF) (DFA). This week, Migrant Workers Undersecretary Bernard Olalia emphasized the need to increase the LAF’s coverage at a House of Representatives meeting. He said that despite the fact that …

Despite persistently rising prices, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is confident that the Philippines will not enter a recession, noting improvements in the local labor situation. In a video, Marcos remarked in Filipino, “We are certain that we will not have a recession in the Philippines since the unemployment rate is very low.” A technical recession occurs when an economy has …

The Anti-Corruption Commission of Malaysia said on Thursday that it has launched an inquiry into the suspected theft of 600 billion ringgit ($136.39 billion) in government monies. The probe was initiated when the new prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, launched a review of billion-dollar government projects granted by his predecessor, Muhyyyddin Yassin, on the grounds that they did not adhere to …