THE NATIONAL Basketball Association (NBA) suspended Golden State (GS) Warriors forward Draymond Green for five games without pay for his actions during a clash with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday, the league announced Wednesday night.
According to the NBA’s statement, Mr. Green’s history of unsportsmanlike acts played a part in the length of the suspension.
Mr. Green was at the center of a skirmish during the opening minutes of the game between the Warriors and the Timberwolves in San Francisco.
After Anthony Edwards missed a 3-point attempt, Golden State’s Klay Thompson and the Wolves’ Jaden McDaniels started grabbing at each other as both teams made their way to the other side of the court.
Mr. Thompson and Mr. McDaniels then got into an altercation, and Minnesota big man Rudy Gobert came over to try and separate the two. That’s when Mr. Green came charging in, putting Mr. Gobert in a headlock before dragging him toward the Warriors’ bench.
The NBA said Mr. Green’s actions against Mr. Gobert were conducted in a “unsportsmanlike and dangerous manner.” Mr. Thompson, Mr. McDaniels and Mr. Green were all ejected just 1:43 into the game. Thompson, Gobert and McDaniels were each fined $25,000.
Mr. Green, 33, is averaging 8.8 points, 5.7 assists and 5.1 rebounds in nine games (all starts) this season. He is eligible to return for Golden State’s game against the host Sacramento Kings on Nov. 28. Mr. Green has already been ejected from two games this season, also getting tossed against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday.
The Warriors (6-6) have lost four straight games heading into a Thursday home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. — Reuters
Games Friday (Filoil EcoOil Arena) 1:30 p.m. — LPU vs SSC-R 3:30 p.m. — Mapua vs AU
LYCEUM of the Philippines University (LPU) tries to put one foot to the Final Four as it tackles an already eliminated San Sebastian College-Recoletos (SSC-R) today in NCAA Season 99 at the Filoil EcoOil Arena.
The Pirates had their chance to accomplish such feat last time but fell to University of Perpetual Help, 81-80, Sunday when Mark Omega hit the game-winning triple late.
Had they prevailed on that fateful day, LPU would have been gunning for an outright Final Four slot. Instead, the Pirates had to do it the hard way as they go for the win in their 1:30 p.m. showdown that would assure it of at least a rubbermatch for the last seat to the Final Four bus.
It would also keep them in contention for the other twice-to-beat incentive in the semis.
The first one was already booked by the Mapua Cardinals, unflappable still at the helm with a 13-3 mark.
Intrestingly, the Cardinals tangle with another eliminated team in Arellano University or AU (2-13) at 3:30 p.m. that would keep the former their perch. — Joey Villar
Say what you want of James Harden, but if there’s one thing he possesses that bears the hallmark of winners, it’s confidence. Regardless of situation or condition, he has a ton of it. You can even argue that his version of it borders on the irrational. He invariably bets on himself, period. It’s why he has a Most Valuable Player award and 10 All-Star nods to his name. It’s also why he boasts of otherworldly stats in the pace-and-space era; his extremely elevated usage rate, especially during his prime, speaks of his wizardry with the ball. So when he says the Clippers will be better, and sooner rather than later, he isn’t merely being dismissive of criticism. He absolutely believes in his capacity to contribute heavily to the cause.
Unfortunately, Harden has no filters. He gives the public heavy doses his “love your own” mentality even during times when prudence is the more viable option. Take, for example, his inaugural press conference with the Clippers. Instead of first familiarizing himself with his new digs and making sure he gets to fit in as the outsider looking in, he made sure everyone knows he’s looking out for Number One. Talking about his messy divorce with the Sixers (which, tellingly, followed just-as-controversial departures from the Rockets, Nets, and Sixers), he said he was “on a leash,” and that “they didn’t want me in the end.”
The optics notwithstanding, Harden’s distorted view of his fractured relationships reflects his unshakable faith in his capacity to do wonders either the ball in his hands. “I’m not a system player,” he contended during his introductory presser. “I’m a system.” Which isn’t a problem until, of course, it’s disproven. And, with the Clippers, even the most ardent fans will be hard-pressed to show that he’s right. So far in his brief tenure, they’ve lost six consecutive games. He suited up in five of those contests, and his norms were, not coincidentally, pedestrian at best: 15 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists.
Needless to say, the atrocious record provides fuel for naysayers who deem Harden a net negative. And they have history on their side, too; in every stop, he has shown an alarming predisposition for disappearing during big moments. The flipside is that the Clippers are too good not to improve. The wonder is whether they will do so because of him, or in spite of him.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
The rise of the FinTech industry paved the way to easier financial access, addressing the need for financial inclusion. JuanHand, a leading online lending platform duly licensed by the Securities and Exchange Commission, continues to blaze the trail in serving millions of Filipinos who are credit-worthy yet underserved.
To give more financial access to those who need it the most, WeFund Lending Corp., owner of the JuanHand app, recently signed a loan channeling agreement with SeaBank Philippines Inc. (A Rural Bank). With this collaboration, SeaBank plans to provide around 300 million pesos of loan capital to eligible borrowers via the JuanHand app. SeaBank is a duly licensed rural bank by the BSP and is a subsidiary of SEA Limited, one of the largest consumer tech companies in Asia.
The agreement was signed last September 20, 2023, by WeFund Lending Corp. President and CEO, Francisco Mauricio and SeaBank Executive Vice President of Operations, Siew Ghee Kung Lim. This marks a milestone as one of the first cross-institution loans channeling financing structures in the country.
“We are honored to have been selected by SeaBank Philippines as its one of its first loan channeling partners in the country,” said Francisco Mauricio. “With this partnership, JuanHand will sustain its momentum as the premier fintech loan app providing the easiest way for Filipinos to access cash, leading to a much better financial well-being.”
Since the introduction of JuanHand in 2019, it has had over 10 million downloads, over 6 million registrations and has approved close to 3 million loans. JuanHand offers loans from Php 2,000 to up to Php 50,000, payable within 30 to 120 days. JuanHand can approve loans in less than 5 minutes and can disburse cash to the borrower’s bank or e-wallet in less than 45 seconds. JuanHand is a leading fintech platform known among its loyal customers as an easy-to-use app with a friendly and always available customer service team. And with partners like SeaBank, JuanHand continues to fulfill its noble mission of providing financial empowerment to every Juan. The JuanHand app can be downloaded via Google Play or App Store. For more information, visit their website, https://www.juanhand.com/
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The Aboitiz Group highlights marked accomplishments this year as it continues with its Great Transformation journey to become the Philippines’ first techglomerate. By successfully leveraging innovation and sustainability initiatives, capitalizing on the strengths of its diverse business units, the Group has firmly established itself as a trailblazer across multiple industries. Having laid a solid foundation, the Aboitiz Group is positioned to move to the future with continuing transformation and innovation.
“Our Great Transformation journey embodies our commitment to innovation, sustainability, and the synergistic power of our techglomerate ecosystem. As we steer towards our 2024 goals, we are not just evolving; we are building a legacy of excellence and a future where every challenge is met with innovative solutions. This is our path, not just to lead, but to redefine the meaning of industry and community in the digital age,” said Aboitiz Group President and CEO Sabin Aboitiz.
AboitizPower
AboitizPower’s work in power generation, power distribution, and retail electricity services energizes businesses, communities, and households across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Advancing further, close to a thousand megawatts (MW) of ongoing and disclosed energy projects bring the company nearer to its 2030 goal of growing its generation portfolio to 9,200 MW, 50% of which will be sourced from renewable energy. Two solar projects in Laoag and Cayanga in Pangasinan — with a combined capacity of 261 MW peak — and the 17 MW Tiwi Binary Geothermal Power Plant in Albay would soon contribute indigenous, clean energy to the Philippine grid.
Currently, together with its partners, AboitizPower already presides over the largest and most diversified renewable energy portfolio in the country in terms of installed capacity under its operational purview. On the thermal side, the 1,336 MW coal-fired GNPower Dinginin in Mariveles, Bataan continues to be a model of reliability and efficiency for the company’s fleet of baseload plants.
AboitizPower executives, including President and CEO Emmanuel Rubio (3rd from right), showcase three new electric vehicles (EV) manufactured by Build Your Dreams that will kickstart AboitizPower’s EV Fleet Transformation Program.
Recently, AboitizPower presented its Electric Vehicle (EV) Fleet Transformation Program in support of the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act or EVIDA and its vision of cleaner mobility in the Philippines. The company unveiled new plug-in EVs for its distribution utilities in Visayas and Mindanao to kick off the transition of 40% of its fleet of four-wheeled vehicles and motorbikes to be electric by 2030 en route to 100% by 2040.
UnionBank
UnionBank continues to lead in defining the future of banking with Artificial Intelligence (AI), both for its retail customers and its corporate clients. It is supercharging its offerings with AI capabilities across Ecosystem Banking, Fraud Management and Digital Service. From supporting Aboitiz Data innovation’s very first “PH AI Summit” earlier in the year, UnionBank continues its AI thrust by participating in the 2023 Singapore Fintech Festival this month. Now on its 6th year of participating in the “world’s most impactful FinTech festival”, UnionBank will showcase “The Application of AI in Financial Services,” highlighting how the bank and its subsidiaries drive business results towards its aspiration to be A Great Retail Bank. It emphasizes UnionBank’s dedication to ‘Tech Up, Pilipinas’ by leveraging innovative technologies for nation-building, fostering inclusive financial solutions, and enhancing customer experiences.
In photo (from left to right): Albert Cuadrante, Chief Marketing Officer, Manoj Varma, Consumer Banking Head, Edwin Bautista, President and CEO, Carissa Sindiong, Cards Products Head, and Vishal Kadian, Cards and Loans Head
Reaping the rewards of the Citi retail business acquisition, UnionBank forged ahead with integration activities as it launched the new UnionBank credit card line. Four (4) new credit cards were introduced: UnionBank Rewards, UnionBank Cash Back, UnionBank Miles+, and UnionBank Reserve. The new UnionBank Credit Cards enable customers to experience more, through its best-in-class value propositions that cater to the different needs and lifestyles of customers: from dining and shopping aficionados, to value-minded customers looking to save on essentials, to those who love exploring the world and traveling in style, and the select few who enjoy the finer things in life.
Aboitiz InfraCapital
Aboitiz InfraCapital remains relentless in its mission of enabling business and uplifting communities through smart and sustainable infrastructure. It creates thriving ecosystems with its investments across four key sectors. Under Economic Estates, AIC has strategically expanded to Central Luzon with the recent acquisition of 200 hectares of land in Tarlac City by its subsidiary Lima Land Inc. This will amplify AIC’s current portfolio of Economic Estates and expand its footprint to more than 1,600 hectares. In line with its goal of championing sustainability across its Estate operations, it also recently introduced Red Link electric mini-buses and Red Pass access cards for seamless estate-wide mobility in LIMA Estate.
Aboitiz InfraCapital (AIC) is strategically expanding its Economic Estates portfolio with the acquisition of 200 hectares in Tarlac City. This forthcoming industrial development is set to emerge as the second-largest manufacturing hub in the Philippines, spurring economic growth in the region and generating thousands of jobs for Filipinos.
In the water sector, AIC’s LIMA Water successfully installed a 99.9 kW solar panel in one of its sewage treatment plants in Batangas, which is projected to eliminate around 100 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. Meanwhile, Apo Agua has signed a tripartite agreement with the Davao City Water District and the Barangay Water System Associations for a community-based water solutions project helping unserved communities gain access to safe water.
Unity Digital Infrastructure continues to expand its tower footprint across the country as it currently has 762 active macro towers and 538 small cell poles installed nationwide. It has also completed the transfer of 405 out of the 1,097 telco towers from the sale and lease back agreements with Globe and Smart-PLDT. Lastly, Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) continues to benefit from a strong rebound in air traffic with approximately 7.5 million individuals traveling to Cebu via MCIA in the first three quarters of the year. MCIA also became the first and only Philippine airport to be conferred with the Airport Customer Experience Accreditation by ACI World and was also the recipient of the Austrian Green Planet Building Award from Advantage Austria and the Austrian Federal Ministry of Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology.
Aboitiz Land
Reside, thrive and delight. The Strides at LIMA is the first condominium development in Aboitiz-owned LIMA Estate developed by Aboitiz Land. This sustainable development features efficient energy use through solar panels that will power its common areas.
In October, the residential real estate arm of Aboitiz Group, Aboitiz Land, launched The Strides at LIMA, a Php 2.5B venture with three mid-rise condominiums. The first building, known as Slate, will offer a total of 217 units that come with studio and 1-bedroom units, aligning perfectly with the rising demand for housing in the thriving 5-star BERDE-certified LIMA Estate. With LIMA Estate’s bullish progress, The Strides at LIMA is a smart and sustainable investment.
Aboitiz Land’s real estate developments have received numerous awards, including Best Housing Development and Best Waterfront Housing Development in the Philippines from PropertyGuru’s Philippines Property Awards for Seafront Residences in San Juan, Batangas. The Villages at Lipa in LIMA Estate was recognized as the Best Central Business District (CBD) Development and received an excellence award from CREBA for Horizontal Residential Development. Ajoya Cabanatuan in Nueva Ecija was named the Best Housing Development in Luzon and Best Affordable House in Luzon.
Meanwhile in Cebu, Amoa received multiple accolades including commendation for Best Housing Development in Visayas, Bronze awards for Affordable House of the Year for Visayas Mindanao, and award for Horizontal Market category. Aboitiz Land’s progressive work culture is recognized by HR Asia, naming it one of the Best Companies to Work for in Asia. The company also received the Circle of Excellence Award for Diversity Company of the Year, highlighting its dedication to innovation and inclusivity in the workplace.
Aboitiz Construction
Aboitiz Construction, the official construction arm of the Aboitiz Group, is celebrating its 48th anniversary this year. To foster continued growth, the company has embraced new horizons, introducing its latest business segment earlier this year: Industrial Maintenance.
Recently, Aboitiz Construction safely concluded maintenance works at GNPower Dinginin’s power plant in Mariveles, Bataan. Simultaneously, in collaboration with GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation, the company accomplished a vital waterproofing project at Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) Terminal 1.
Forging its expertise and operational excellence, Aboitiz Construction is set to embark on another construction project for Monde Nissin Corporation’s expanded bakery facility in Brgy. Ilang, Davao City.
Venturing into the light industries sector, Aboitiz Construction is gearing up for another construction for Monde Nissin Corporation and this includes the expansion of a bakery plant facility in Davao City. The firm is also engaged in six site development projects within LIMA Estate in Batangas. Moreover, the firm has secured a land development project for a renowned food company based in Bulacan.
For nearly half a century in the industry and its unwavering dedication to progress and innovation, Aboitiz Construction continues to help shape the nation, one project at a time.
Aboitiz Data Innovation
As the data science and AI arm of the Aboitiz Group, Aboitiz Data Innovation (ADI) remains dedicated to making AI work in various industries by fostering close collaborations with other business units within the Group. Notably among several initiatives, the award-winning AI-powered Asset Inspection System (AIS) to enhance operational efficiency and accuracy in utility asset management is a testament to the synergistic efforts of ADI and AboitizPower distribution utilities.
CELEBRATING INNOVATION AND EXCELLENCE. Proud winners at the Asian Technology Excellence Awards 2023 awarding ceremony on September 18, 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand. In photo (from L to R): Luis F. Gonzalez, Chief Operating Officer for Power, Aboitiz Data Innovation (ADI); Gratz Redoble, Lead Solution Architect – Power Grid and Distribution, ADI; Mark Catalan, Metershop Supervisor – Power Metering Department, Davao Light; Raul Lucero, President and COO, Visayan Electric; Rodger Velasco, President and COO, Davao Light; and Tim Charlton, Editor-in-Chief, Asian Business Review
Recognizing the importance of AI in diverse fields and industries, ADI held the inaugural AI Summit in the Philippines last May. In partnership with UnionBank, Aboitiz Equity Ventures, and Google Cloud, the event sparked meaningful dialogues and spurred proactive steps toward shaping the nation’s future with AI. The summit convened more than 1,000 professionals from key sectors—public and private sector, academe, media, and startups.
Going forward, ADI’s commitment to transforming industries like financial services, power, and smart cities through its expert advisories and reliable DSAI solutions remains steadfast. Meaningful partnerships such as its partnership with Connected Women continue to empower women in the digital and AI space. ADI’s partnership with Canada-based research community MILA fosters innovation to combat climate change in the Philippines and beyond. Its collaboration with Gorriceta Africa Cauton & Saavedra ushers transformation in the legal industry while its endeavors with LBC Express, Inc. and UnionBank aim to champion financial sustainability through AI-powered scoring. ADI also recently forged a partnership with Victorias City, Negros Occidental local government unit to develop its smart city master plan.
Pilmico & Gold Coin
Pilmico’s poultry farm in Tarlac has achieved a significant milestone by having one hen produce 500 eggs at Week 100, first time this happened in Asia.
Pilmico and Gold Coin (Food Group), the food and agribusiness unit of the Aboitiz Group, is achieving new standards of excellence with its top-notch feed formulations and facilities. Last June, Pilmico’s poultry farm in Tarlac was recognized by Hendrix Genetics for achieving a milestone of 500 eggs laid by a single hen at Week 100, which is a first in Asia. Additionally, its meat-cutting facility, Tarlac MeatMasters, received a triple-A accreditation from the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) in September, becoming one of only seven facilities in the Philippines that have received this accreditation. This new accreditation is on top of its other achievements for its slaughter facility.
Meanwhile, Gold Coin continues to expand its facilities in the Asia Pacific region with the ongoing construction of new feed mills in Yunnan, China, and Long An, Vietnam, which are expected to add a production capacity of 150,000 MT and 200,000 MT, respectively.
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U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli war cabinet in Tel Aviv, Israel, Oct. 18, 2023. — REUTERS
WOODSIDE, California – United States President Joe Biden on Wednesday said he had made it clear to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that a two-state solution was the only answer to resolve the Israel-Palestinian conflict and that occupying Gaza would be “a big mistake.”
Biden told reporters he was doing everything in his power to free hostages held by the Hamas militant group in Gaza, but that did not mean sending in the US military.
The US president had told reporters this week that his message to the hostages was “Hang in there, we’re coming,” raising questions about what he meant.
Asked to clarify the comment, Biden told a news conference: “What I meant was, I’m doing everything in my power to get you out. Coming to help you, get you out. I don’t mean sending in military in there … I was not talking about the military.”
Biden said he was working on the issue constantly, and would not stop until the hostages – including a three-year-old American child – were freed.
Qatar, where Hamas operates a political office, has been leading mediation between the Islamist militant group and Israeli officials for the release of more than 240 hostages. They were taken by militants when they stormed into Israel on Oct. 7. Israel says 1,200 people were killed during the rampage.
Israel then launched an unrelenting bombardment of Hamas-ruled Gaza and late last month began an invasion of the enclave, where more than 11,000 people have been killed, around 40% of them children with more buried under the rubble, according to Palestinian officials.
Biden said Hamas was committing war crimes by having its military headquarters under a hospital, repeating a statement made a White House spokesperson on Tuesday, and he was confident about the US intelligence supporting that “fact.”
He said Israel had gone into Gaza’s biggest hospital, Al Shifa, with a limited number of troops with guns, and was not carpet-bombing the site.
“They were told … we discussed the need for them to be incredibly careful,” Biden said, adding that Israel had an obligation to use as much caution as possible in going after targets.
But he said it was “not realistic” to expect Israel to stop its military actions, given threats by senior Hamas officials that they intended to attack Israel again and their past “horrific” actions.
“Hamas has already said publicly that they plan on attacking Israel again, like they did before, where they cut babies’ heads off,” Biden said, reviving an assertion he made last month, when he said he had seen images of beheaded babies.
The White House last month clarified that US officials had not seen evidence of this, and said Biden was referring to news reports of such actions. It was not immediately clear if new intelligence had emerged confirming that babies were beheaded.
On Wednesday, Biden said Israel was now bringing in incubators and other equipment to help people, and its soldiers giving doctors, nurses and other staff the opportunity to “get out of harm’s way.”
Israel on Wednesday said its troops found Hamas weapons and combat gear in Al Shifa hospital during a search on Wednesday. Hamas dismissed the announcement as “lies.”
Biden said he had told Netanyahu that he did not believe the war would end until a two-state solution was reached.
“I made it clear to Israel that I think it’s a big mistake to for them to occupy Gaza,” he said. — Reuters
WOODSIDE, California – Chinese President Xi Jinping told United States President Joe Biden during their four-hour meeting on Wednesday that Taiwan was the biggest, most dangerous issue in US-China ties, a senior US official told reporters.
The official quoted Xi as saying China’s preference was for peaceful “reunification” with the Chinese-claimed island of Taiwan, but that he went on to talk about conditions in which force could be used.
Xi was trying to indicate that China is not preparing for a massive invasion of Taiwan, but that does not change the US approach, the official said.
“President Xi … underscored that this was the biggest, most potentially dangerous issue in US-China relations, laid out clearly that, you know, their preference was for peaceful reunification but then moved immediately to conditions that the potential use of force could be utilized,” the senior US official told reporters, referring to Xi’s comments on Taiwan.
Biden responded by assuring Xi that Washington was determined to maintain peace in the region.
“President Biden responded very clearly that the long-standing position of the United States was … determination to maintain peace and stability,” the official said.
“President Xi responded: look, peace is … all well and good but at some point we need to move towards resolution more generally,” the official said.
China has long taken a carrot and stick approach towards Taiwan, both promising to work for peaceful “reunification” at the same time as threatening force. In the past year and a half China has staged two large-scale war games around the island.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry, responding to the Biden-Xi meeting, said the government has never sought to predict whether or when China might attack but was concentrating on boosting its defenses and winning international support.
This is to “let China understand the high importance the international community attaches to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, the high price of starting a war, and to not act blindly without thinking,” ministry spokesperson Jeff Liu said in Taipei.
Taiwan will neither provoke nor “advance rashly” but will also not succumb to pressure, Liu said.
Biden and Xi met for the first time in a year on Wednesday for talks aimed at easing friction between the two superpowers over military conflicts, drug-trafficking and artificial intelligence, and said they had made “real progress.”
China has stepped up military activity to try and force democratically governed Taiwan to accept Beijing’s sovereignty, despite strong objections from Taipei government, which says only the island’s people can decide their future.
Senior US military officers have said that Xi has ordered the People’s Liberation Army to be prepared to invade Taiwan by 2027. Beijing has not ruled out using force to take the island, though it has never shared details about war preparations. — Reuters
RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN — KREMLIN.RU-COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG
PRAGUE – The Czech government said on Wednesday it froze Russian state-owned properties in the Czech Republic, expanding a sanctions list set up in retaliation for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
The government press office said the EU country widened its national sanctions list to include a Russian company, which is controlled by the Russian presidential administration, and is in charge of managing Russian assets abroad. It did not name the company in the statement.
“Its income from operations serves directly for financing of the Putin regime,” the government said in a statement.
“The company’s commercial activities are as of today illegal, as well as circumventing and violating this sanction, and its entire assets in the Czech Republic have been frozen,” it said.
In the Czech Republic, the Russian company manages a number of real estate properties, the Czech government said.
Diplomatic missions are excluded from the sanctions, news agency CTK quoted Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky as saying.
The Czech sanctions list goes beyond the EU’s sanctions packages and includes six other entities or persons.
The Czech Republic has been among the strongest backers of Ukraine since the February 2022 full invasion by Russia.
Russia has said it acted in Ukraine to remove what it perceives as a potential threat to its own security. — Reuters
SYDNEY – Australia’s government said on Thursday it would introduce legislation to allow ankle bracelets, curfews and other rules to monitor dozens of foreigners with criminal records after a court released them from indefinite immigration detention.
The High Court ruling last week said indefinite immigration detention, pursued by Australia for more than two decades, was unlawful.
The ruling forced the government to release 83 foreigners, which included those convicted for crimes like murder and sexual assault in Australia and overseas, sparking a public and political backlash.
Amid growing political pressure, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government said it has introduced legislation into parliament that will give it powers to put in place strict new visa restrictions and criminal penalties on these individuals.
“If I had any legal power to do it, I would keep every one of those people in detention,” Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil told reporters.
The new conditions will include the ability to impose ankle monitoring bracelets, the power to impose very strict curfews, and a number of other new conditions, she said.
O’Neil said breaking these visa conditions would lead to jail terms.
“So, for the people who are released from detention … we have a simple message for them. We will set the strictest possible conditions for you. If you do not follow them, you will end up back in jail,” she said.
The released individuals have all served their jail sentences in Australia, but were still being held in detention and not granted a visa because of concerns over their character or potential risks to national security, according to the government.
They can not be sent back to their home country due to fear of prosecution, or because they are stateless.
By attempting to introduce restrictions on people released after years of unlawful detention, the government is substituting one form of punishment for another, said Sanmati Verma, Acting Legal Director at the Human Rights Law Centre.
“Every single day, Australian citizens who have been convicted of an offense re-enter the community after serving their time. For the government to suggest that migrants and refugees in the same position pose a different or greater risk is dangerous dog-whistling,” she said. — Reuters
RUSSIA’s President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un during a meeting at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, Sept. 13, 2023. — SPUTNIK/MIKHAIL METZEL/KREMLIN VIA REUTERS
SEOUL – Russian and North Korean officials held talks in Pyongyang to discuss expanding cooperation in economy, science and technology to follow up on the agreements reached by their leaders in September, the North’s state media reported on Thursday.
The meeting took place on Wednesday in Pyongyang, led by North Korea’s minister of external economic relations Yun Jong Ho and Russia’s natural resources minister Alexander Kozlov, the KCNA news agency said.
“The meeting discussed and confirmed in detail the measures for revitalizing and expanding the multi-faceted bilateral exchange and cooperation in different fields, including trade, economy, science and technology,” the news agency said.
The two countries signed a protocol of the meeting, KCNA said, without disclosing details.
Sports ministers of the two countries also held talks in Pyongyang to expand cooperation and agreed on a plan for exchanges in 2024-2026, KCNA said.
A Russian delegation led by Kozlov arrived in North Korea on Tuesday as Moscow and Pyongyang have been stepping up cooperation following their leaders’ summit in September.
Washington has said North Korea is supplying military equipment to Russia for use in its war with Ukraine, while Moscow is providing technical support to help North Korea advance its military capabilities.
North Korea and Russia have denied any arms deals. — Reuters
The Philippines’ foreign ministry on Thursday called on China to remove illegal structures, cease reclamations and be accountable for environmental damage in the South China Sea.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that resupply missions to the Second Thomas Shoal located within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) are legitimate activities, and it will not give prior notification to China.
The Philippines was responding to a statement by the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson regarding the Philippines’ recent resupply mission.
“We are being asked to give prior notification each time we conduct a resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal. We will not do so. The resupply missions are legitimate activities within our EEZ, in accordance with international law,” said Philippine foreign ministry spokesperson Teresita C. Daza.
The regular resupply missions support the Philippines’ troops stationed in an intentionally grounded, dilapidated warship on Second Thomas Shoal, a hotly disputed atoll in the South China Sea that Manila calls Ayungin and is known as Renai Reef in China.
China’s embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment. — Reuters
Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. said on Thursday that the government is committed to bringing down inflation and maintaining overall price stability.
The government will pursue supply-side interventions and demand-side management measures to address inflation, Mr. Marcos said at an economic briefing in San Francisco aired live on Facebook.
The consumer price index rose 4.9% in October, less than the 6.1% in September, owing to slower increases in prices for food. But year-to-date average inflation stood at 6.4%, beyond the central bank’s 2% to 4% target range for the year.
The Philippine central bank sees inflation easing to within target next year, its governor said.
“We’re not out of the woods yet but we are within striking distance of our target range which is between 2% to 4%,” Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Eli M. Remolona, Jr. said in the economic briefing.
Philippine monetary authorities later on Thursday will decide on the target reverse repurchase rate which was increased by 25 basis points to 6.50% in an off-cycle rate-setting meeting in October. — Reuters
