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Taiwan president wants exchanges with China, sees lack of goodwill

TAIWAN President-elect Lai Ching-te, of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), holds a press conference, following his victory in the presidential elections, in Taipei, Taiwan, Jan. 13, 2023. — REUTERS

 – Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said on Wednesday that he welcomed equal, dignified, healthy and orderly exchanges with China, but wondered whether there was goodwill from Beijing given what he said was their blocking of simple things like tourism.

Mr. Lai, who took office in May, has regularly offered talks with China but been rebuffed. China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and detests Lai as a “separatist”. He says only Taiwan’s people can decide their future.

Speaking at a New Year’s day news conference, Mr. Lai said China was blocking normal interactions with restrictions on Chinese tourists visiting or students studying on the island, while similar bans do not apply to Taiwanese going to China.

“But I still want to stress this: Taiwan hopes to have healthy and orderly exchanges with China under the principles of reciprocity and dignity,” he said.

Journalists should ask China why its citizens can freely travel to countries like the United States and Japan, but has all these controls when it comes to Taiwan, Mr. Lai added.

“Is this really showing goodwill towards Taiwan? Can’t they treat everyone equally?”

Taiwan and China have repeatedly traded accusations about tourism and travel restrictions. In June, Taiwan told its citizens not to go to China unless absolutely necessary, following a threat from Beijing to execute those deemed “diehard” Taiwan independence supporters.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his New Year’s speech on Tuesday that no one can stop China’s “reunification” with Taiwan.

China’s military operates around Taiwan on a daily basis, and last year staged two rounds of war games near the island.

Mr. Lai said that the greater the threat from authoritarian countries the more democracies should unite, and pointed to China and Russia’s militaries operating together in the Indo-Pacific.

The cooperation between democracies needed to be on defense and security and strengthening the “democratic supply chain”, he said.

“If that is not done properly, it will impact economies and industries for all countries, and the lives of people in democracies,” Mr. Lai said.

“I really hope that in the New Year, democratic countries can be even more united, and achieve the aims of peace, democracy and prosperity.” – Reuters

Macron acknowledges error on early elections in New Year’s speech

FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON — REUTERS

 – French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday he recognized that his decision to call early parliamentary elections in June had created more political instability in the country, in a rare moment of contrition.

The speech caps a tumultuous 2024 for Mr. Macron, who shocked the nation halfway through the year by calling early elections, a gamble that backfired when voters delivered a hung parliament with a big increase in far-right lawmakers, diluting Mr. Macron’s power.

“Lucidity and humility force (me) to recognize that at this stage, this decision has produced more instability than peace, and I fully own up to that,” Mr. Macron said in a televised address ahead of New Year’s celebrations.

“The dissolution caused more divisions in the Assembly than solutions for the French people,” he added, in the clearest mea culpa since the elections.

Mr. Macron had justified his decision to call early elections in the wake of a bad score at European elections by the need to “clarify” the political situation.

But he lost his workable majority and took two months to name a minority government, which eventually collapsed in December, the first time that happened in France since 1962.

As a result, France failed to approve a budget for 2025 before the end-of-year deadline, and Mr. Macron had to name his fourth prime minister this year, centrist veteran Francois Bayrou, in December.

 

CHOICES TO MAKE

Mr. Macron also opened the door to use referendums this year, without using the word, saying he would ask the French to decide on “decisive” issues, without elaborating which ones.

“I want us to act with 2050 in our sights. We will have choices to make, for our economy, our democracy, our security, our children,” he said.

The French constitution grants powers to the president to initiate referendums.

Mr. Macron has also used “citizen conventions”, gatherings of randomly picked citizens without any binding power, in the past to quell revolts such as the yellow vest rebellion on certain issues.

On international issues, in which he retains wide diplomatic and military powers, Mr. Macron said the European Union should stop being “naive” when it comes to international trade, as the bloc faces threats of tariffs by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

“We must say no to trade rules enacted by others and that we are the only ones to still comply with, say no to everything that makes us more dependent on others, without tradeoffs and without preparing the future,” he said.

He also mentioned war in Ukraine and the Middle East, and election manipulation in Georgia, Romania and Moldova, as proof Europe should not take its security for granted.

“That’s why Europe should stop delegating its security and defense to other powers,” he said, urging EU partners, who often rely on the U.S. security umbrella, to do more for their own defense. – Reuters

Puerto Rico’s power grid collapses; could take two days to restore service

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

 – Puerto Ricans were without electricity on New Year’s Eve after a grid failure left nearly all of the island without power.

Around 87% of clients were without power at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, according to a statement from energy distribution company LUMA Energy. Puerto Rico has long dealt with chronic power outages as its infrastructure crumbles.

It will likely take 24 to 48 hours to turn the lights back on, LUMA said in a statement. It added later that power had been restored to some critical facilities, including Centro Medico and Municipal Hospital in San Juan.

“While the cause of the outage is under investigation, preliminary findings point to a failure in an underground line,” LUMA said.

Ivan Baez, a spokesperson for power generator Genera, said in a local radio interview that the line believed to have failed was operated by LUMA and brought down plants belonging to Genera, as well as private generators.

LUMA did not answer direct questions about responsibility for the power lines.

Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi said in a post on social media that LUMA and Genera “need to speed up bringing back online the generator units … and keep the people informed about the measures they’re taking to bring service back to the whole island.”

 

MORE THAN A DECADE IN THE MAKING’

Ramon Luis Nieves, 49, an attorney in San Juan, said that New Year’s Eve is typically a time for family reunions, popping champagne bottles and watching fireworks. The power outage could mute celebrations this year, he said.

“My wife and I need to figure it out,” he said. “We can’t visit my wife’s family in the dark.”

He added that he’s not surprised by the outage, especially after Hurricane Maria, a Category 4 storm that hit the island hard in 2017.

Nieves, a former senator on the island, has long been a critic of operators of the power grid.

“This disaster has been more than a decade in the making,” he said. “The (power) generators are old, long past their life expectancy and the operators have failed to properly invest for years.”

Such sentiment is common on the Caribbean island, a U.S. territory whose residents are U.S. citizens but do not have voting representation in Congress and cannot vote in presidential elections. Protesters have called for the island’s government to cancel its contract with LUMA.

In response to a 2022 protest, LUMA said it had “inherited an electrical system that suffered years, in fact decades, of abandonment.”

Steven Pacheco, a 55-year-old former lineman on the territory, was visiting for the holidays from St. Petersburg, Florida.

He said it’s frustrating for everyone to be “constantly on edge, anticipating that these emergencies could happen again.”

Jenniffer González, who takes office as governor of Puerto Rico on Thursday, said on social media that she is forming an energy task force to address the frequent blackouts.

“We cannot continue with an energy system that fails our people so often,” she wrote. “Events like this morning’s blackout and the uncertainty of a prompt restoration of power to the island continue to affect our economy and quality of life.” – Reuters

Inside luxury goods’ broken audit system

 – LVMH-owned Dior’s production arm in Italy, Manufactures Dior, relied on formal inspections to assess working and safety standards inside its supply chain last year. In some cases, such certifications missed glaring problems, a Reuters review of unpublished court documents has found.

AZ Operations, a sub-contractor of Manufactures Dior tasked with the production of leather items and based near Italy’s fashion capital Milan, was accused by Italian prosecutors in June of being a front for an operation that exploited workers.

However, AZ Operations passed two environmental and social inspections in 2023, in January and July, according to unpublished audit documents reviewed by Reuters.

Widespread Milan investigations have uncovered malpractice inside the Italian luxury goods supply chain of Dior, Giorgio Armani and Alviero Martini this year, Reuters has previously reported.

The audit papers, along with court documents, Reuters interviews with more than two dozen luxury sector workers, auditors, supply chain managers, suppliers, lawyers, industry experts, executives and trade union representatives reveal the pervasiveness of ineffective checks of social and environmental standards inside Italy’s sprawling luxury supply chain.

In the case of AZ Operations, a three-page assessment on letterhead from compliance management company Fair Factories Clearinghouse (FFC), carried out by monitor Adamo Adriano on Jan. 18, 2023, stated that AZ Operations did not have sub-contractors. The audit listed no irregularities.

In July 2023, a further audit by Davide Albertario Milano srl, a large direct supplier of Manufactures Dior that worked with AZ Operations, also found “no non-conformities” and certified the work was carried out to a high standard and in accordance with contractual terms.

Despite passing the audits, a police investigation into its 2023 activities found AZ Operations was “de facto non-existent”, according to Milan court documents. Furthermore, police inspections in April 2024 alleged the company was a front for a separate business, New Leather Italy, that exploited undocumented workers in sweatshop-like conditions, the same documents showed.

That discovery was one of the factors that prompted Milan’s prosecutors to put Manufactures Dior under court administration in June.

Dior and LVMH did not respond to multiple requests for comment about Reuters’ findings, including the audits, and on the process to inspect external manufacturers in Italy.

In a July statement following revelations from the Milan prosecutors’ inquiries, Dior said it firmly condemned illegal practices discovered at two of its contractors, saying such unworthy acts contradicted “its values and the code of conduct signed by these suppliers.”

“Aware of the gravity of the violations committed by these suppliers and the improvements to be made to its checks and procedures, the house of Dior is collaborating with the designated Italian administrator and the Italian authorities,” the French brand also said at the time.

Dior added in the statement that its teams were working intensely to reinforce the existing procedures: “Despite regular audits, these two suppliers had evidently succeeded in hiding these practices.”

After this article was published, FFC-owner Worldly responded to Reuters queries saying it had never offered facility auditing services to Worldly or FFC users, adding it asks that customers enlist external verifiers to ensure impartial, transparent audits. “Regarding the letterhead in the court documents, this is a template available to customers within the FFC platform,” Worldly added in its statement.

Adamo Adriano did not respond to Reuters attempts to reach them. Davide Albertario did not respond to queries by Reuters on inspections at AZ Operations. New Leather Italy did not reply to a Reuters request for comment.

 

“COST-REDUCTION”

Global luxury groups including LVMH usually outsource most of their production to a myriad of external contractors, industry experts say.

Many are based in Italy, famed for its artisanal skills and accounting for between 50% and 55% of the global production of luxury clothing and leather goods, consultancy Bain calculates.

“No matter how many controls we do, there is always something we miss,” Renzo Rosso, founder of Italian fashion group OTB, which makes Diesel clothing, told a business event in September, in reference to the complexity of overseeing Italy’s supply chain.

Despite the risks, insiders and experts told Reuters relying on suppliers is a deliberate strategy to keep costs down and manage demand.

“The fashion business model is driven by cost-reduction tactics, leading fashion brands to switch suppliers,” said Hakan Karaosman, Associate Professor at Cardiff University, whose research focuses on supply chain sustainability.

Even though Dior did not directly abuse workers, the mechanism of labor exploitation “was culpably fueled by Manufactures Dior srl which… did not carry out effective inspections or audits over the years to ascertain the actual working conditions and environment,” Milan prosecutors said in the June court documents.

Currently, there is no firm legal requirement in Italy for luxury groups to audit their suppliers. But poor oversight can clash with sustainability claims made to investors and consumers over craftsmanship and corporate and social responsibility standards, leading to reputational risks and in some cases civil liability if workers’ exploitation is found within the supply chain.

LVMH, for example, said in its 2023 Social and Environmental Responsibility Report it “endeavors to ensure its suppliers and their service providers uphold human rights and to support them with applying the best possible employment, health and safety conditions.”

The investigations into Italy’s luxury supply chain have prompted some LVMH shareholders to ask the $330-billion behemoth, owned by French billionaire Bernard Arnault, to better monitor how its contractors treat workers.

LVMH told a group of investors in November it was auditing all of its direct suppliers and immediate contractors. In a subsequent statement to Reuters in November, LVMH said it had conducted more than 2,600 on-site audits globally this year.

Italy’s antitrust authority said in July it was investigating whether Dior and Armani have misled consumers.

In July, Armani expressed confidence in a “positive result following the (antitrust) investigation”, saying in a statement that its companies were fully committed to cooperating with the authorities and that it believed the allegations had no merit.

 

SKIN-DEEP OVERSIGHT

Brands dictate the depth of the checks and the auditors’ scope of action and inspections are often limited to direct suppliers and not to sub-contractors, where the biggest problems usually lie, four auditors and luxury goods supply chain managers Reuters spoke to said.

Audits tend to be planned in advance, allowing suppliers to paint a better picture by, for instance, clearing premises of workers without proper contracts, these people said.

On May 9, 2023, for example, external auditor Adamo Adriano sent Pelletterie Elisabetta Yang, another supplier of Manufactures Dior based near Milan, a written notice flagging that he would hold an inspection on 26 May, 2023, the audit documents reviewed by Reuters show.

In the notice, Adriano asked to analyze employment contracts, organizational charts, pay slips and a dozen more documents.

The check-up did take place, but it was “more formal than substantial,” investigators wrote of the audit. The assessment listed no irregularities.

In March 2024, police entered Elisabetta Yang’s workshop, which housed also a refectory and several bedrooms. They found 23 workers, five of which were irregular. The workers lived and worked “in hygiene and health conditions that are below the minimum required,” the court documents read.

Adriano did not reply to Reuters requests to comment with regards to the audit of Elisabetta Yang. Reuters was not able to contact Elisabetta Yang at the official email addresses cited by the local chamber of commerce.

As private actors, auditors cannot freely access factories or workshops outside agreed hours and may not collect documents that are not spontaneously submitted by suppliers, two Italy-based luxury supply chain auditors told Reuters.

The time allocated for on-site inspections is often too short to examine documents and interview employees, these people said.

Five Tuscany-based luxury chain workers employed at separate workshops serving major brands confirmed to Reuters workshop owners knew in advance of the audits and would clear their premises and prep staff on what answers to give monitoring teams on the day of an inspection.

All declined to be named for fear of losing their job.

“We used to say we only worked four hours a day, as per our (formal) part-time contract,” said Pakistani-born Abbas, who works in the leathermaking hub of Prato.

“But how could they think we were making 1,300 bags a day with 50 workers employed only four hours a day?”, Abbas, who said he worked 14 hours a day, six days a week, added.

On the day of the audit, employees with part-time contracts were asked to leave as soon as they finished their formal shift, but had to come back and continue work after the auditors left, he added.

Another worker, also from Pakistan and employed at a separate leather workshop in the Florence area, said factory owners warned workers when the inspection would take place and asked them to lie about their working hours.

Fabio Roia, President of the Court of Milan, told Reuters that companies don’t invest enough in their control systems and don’t normally question the extremely cheap prices contractors offer to provide goods or services.

Small fashion brand Alviero Martini, famed for leather bags decorated with geographical map patterns, was also targeted by the Italian inquiries for allegedly sub-contracting work to Chinese-owned firms in Italy that mistreated workers.

The Alviero Martini group was “careful in selecting direct suppliers … but the use of sub-suppliers was not actually checked properly,” Ilaria Ramoni, who served as court administrator overseeing its operations until October, said in an interview.

The group, which is no longer under court administration, did not respond to a request for comment. It stated in September it was unaware of the illegal behavior occurring within its supply chain.

Dior and Armani are still under special judicial oversight as part of the Milan’s investigation into labor exploitation. – Reuters

Mexico unveils new tariffs, popular e-tailers like Shein, Temu may be in crosshairs

 – Mexico’s tax authority SAT issued new tariffs on Tuesday, which it said will strengthen the surveillance of goods from Asia, a measure that could impact popular online retailers like Shein and Temu.

Goods that enter Mexico via courier companies originating from countries that do not have an international treaty with Mexico will be subject to a duty of 19%, SAT said in a statement shared with reporters.

Mexico does not have an international treaty with China, where Shein and Temu are based.

Goods entering via courier companies from Canada and the U.S., which are part of the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA), will be subject to a 17% duty if the value is greater than $50 but does not exceed $117.

A 19% duty will also apply to goods that exceed $1 from other countries that have international treaties with Mexico, SAT said.

The tax authority said the tariffs will strengthen the “fight against abusive practices.”

Previously, countries were not required to pay duties on goods of those values, according to a SAT spokesperson.

The new measures, which go into effect on Jan. 1, come amid a slew of new tax guidelines that impact e-commerce companies, including a Dec. 19 decree by the administration of President Claudia Sheinbaum that increased import duties to as much as 35% on a swath of clothing, including dresses and shirts, home goods like blankets and curtains, as well as tents and awnings.

Officials said earlier this month that the move was aimed at preventing the importation of some products that evaded taxes, guaranteeing a level playing field for Mexican companies and protecting sector jobs.

Some industry experts have said the decree could mark a major disruption of Mexico’s IMMEX program that allows foreign companies to import goods into Mexico tax-free for manufacturing, assembly or packaging for direct sale to U.S. shoppers.

E-commerce powerhouses Shein and Temu, which compete with U.S. retailers like Walmart and Amazon, could be particularly vulnerable to the impacts of higher tariffs.

The decree takes effect ahead of the Jan. 20 inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who has threatened to slap a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico. – Reuters

Europe’s Russian gas era comes to an end as Ukraine transit stops

REUTERS

 – Russia’s once-dominant gas supply to Europe via Ukraine, which flowed for decades, is set to end on New Year’s Day with the collapse of a contract between the two warring countries that paid out billions to Moscow in gas revenue and to Kyiv in transit fees.

The shutdown of Russia’s oldest gas route to Europe ends a decade of fraught relations sparked by Russia’s seizure of Crimea in 2014.

The European Union redoubled its efforts to reduce its dependence on Russian energy after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2022 by seeking alternative sources.

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar and United States has helped the EU find alternative supply. Piped supply has come from Norway.

The change was clear last year as Russian state-controlled gas exporter Gazprom recorded a $7 billion loss, its first since 1999, despite its efforts to boost exports to new buyer China.

The remaining buyers of Russian gas via Ukraine such as Slovakia and Austria have also arranged alternative supply.

A spokesperson for Austria’s energy ministry said on Tuesday that due to purchases made via Italy and Germany and the filling of storage, supply for consumers was guaranteed.

Slovakia will also not risk a shortage, though now faces an extra 177 million euros ($184 million) in fees for alternative routes, its Economy Ministry said.

A European Commission spokeswoman said EU preparations had included energy efficiency measures, renewable energy development and a flexible gas system.

“The European gas infrastructure is flexible enough to provide gas of non-Russian origin to Central and Eastern Europe via alternative routes. It has been reinforced with significant new LNG import capacities since 2022,” said Anna-Kaisa Itkonen.

 

MARKET IMPACT

Analysts foresee minimal market impact from the stoppage which was confirmed on Tuesday as data from Ukraine’s gas transit operator showed Russia had not requested any gas flows for Jan. 1 through the Ukrainian pipeline to Europe as of 1700 GMT.

They say the end of the transit deal is unlikely to cause a repeat of the 2022 EU gas price rally as the remaining volumes are relatively small.

The gas market showed little reaction on Tuesday, with European benchmark gas prices ending at 48.50 euros per megawatt hour, up only marginally on the day.

 

UKRAINE WAR

Despite the EU’s progress in replacing Russian supply via Ukraine, Europe has felt the impact, with higher energy costs hitting its industrial competitiveness versus the United States and China, for example.

That has contributed to a major economic slowdown, a spike in inflation and has worsened a cost-of-living crisis.

Ukraine now faces the loss of some $800 million a year in transit fees from Russia, while Gazprom will lose close to $5 billion in gas sales.

Moldova, once part of the Soviet Union, is among the countries worst affected. It says it will now need to introduce measures to reduce its gas use by a third.

 

OTHER ROUTES

Russia and the former Soviet Union spent half a century building up a major share of the European gas market, which at its peak stood at around 35%, but the war in Ukraine has all but destroyed that business for Gazprom.

The Yamal-Europe pipeline via Belarus has also shut and the Nord Stream route across the Baltic Sea to Germany was blown up in 2022.

Combined, the various routes delivered a record high 201 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas to Europe in 2018.

Russia shipped about 15 bcm of gas via Ukraine in 2023, down from 65 bcm when the last five-year contract began in 2020.

The only Russian gas route still operating is TurkStream which crosses the Black Sea to Turkey.

TurkStream has two lines – one for the Turkish domestic market and the other supplying central European recipients including Hungary and Serbia. – Reuters

Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt reach divorce settlement ending eight-year dispute

FILE PHOTO: Actor Brad Pitt and actress/director Angelina Jolie pose at the AFI Awards 2014 honoring excellence in film and television in Beverly Hills, California on January 9, 2015. REUTERS/Kevork Djansezian

Actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have reached a divorce settlement, her lawyer told Reuters on Tuesday, bringing an end to one of Hollywood’s most contentious and closely followed celebrity splits.

Ms. Jolie filed for divorce from Mr. Pitt, her husband of two years and romantic partner since 2005, eight years ago. The relationship between two of Hollywood’s most well-known actors had provided steady fodder for the tabloid media for years.

“This is just one part of a long ongoing process that started eight years ago. Frankly, Angelina is exhausted, but she is relieved this one part is over,” Ms. Jolie’s lawyer James Simon said in a statement, adding that a divorce settlement has been finalized, signed and filed with the court.

No details of the settlement were immediately revealed.

A representative for Mr. Pitt declined to comment when reached by Reuters.

Oscar-winning Jolie cited irreconcilable differences in the divorce filing. She subsequently sought full physical custody of their six children, then aged eight to 15 with visitation rights for Pitt.

The filing triggered a bitter custody dispute, during which allegations of child abuse were made against Mr. Pitt and reviewed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, but no charges were brought.

Both sides accused each other of trying to manipulate media coverage in their favor.

The couple initially reached a custody decision through a private judge, granting equal custody of their children. That decision was vacated after the judge handling the case was ordered to step down by a California appeals court following a complaint by Jolie that he was not impartial.

A source close to the actress was cited as saying in the lawyer’s statement: “She doesn’t speak ill of him (Pitt) publicly or privately. She’s been trying hard to be light after a dark time.”

The kids had wanted her to “speak up for herself, to defend herself over these years,” the source added.

Ms. Jolie, who won a best-supporting actress Oscar for “Girl, Interrupted” in 2000, was previously married to actors Jonny Lee Miller and Billy Bob Thornton.

Mr. Pitt was married to actress Jennifer Aniston in 2003 when he and Ms. Jolie filmed Mr. & Mrs. Smith, the story of assassins unknowingly assigned to kill each other. There were reports of an affair, but Jolie told Vogue they were only “very, very good friends” until Mr. Pitt and Ms. Aniston split in 2005. — Reuters

Whoscall’s Web Checker: A powerful tool for verifying legitimate online shop links for buying Christmas gifts

Among the tips from various platforms and experts, one constant piece of advice is to avoid clicking random links from unsolicited SMS messages, messaging apps, or emails.

As the Christmas season ushers in, the concept of holiday shopping has shifted online, aligning with the ongoing digital transformation of today’s generation.

Numerous websites are available for people to shop for Christmas gifts. However, this convenience has also become an opportunity for online scammers to exploit.

They create fake websites designed to steal personal information from unsuspecting victims.

Gogolook Philippines Country Head Mel Migriño referenced a report from the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) detailing the scams Filipinos commonly encounter.

“The study found that over 30% of Filipino respondents encounter shopping website scams,” Ms. Migriño said.

“This is followed by investment scams, advance fee scams, and identity theft,” she added.

With this, Ms. Migriño highlighted the Web Checker feature of Whoscall, a global anti-scam application, as a useful tool for the public.

“Users can leverage on the auto web checker functionality to verify if the URL or domain is suspicious or not, and secures your internet connection,” Ms. Migriño explained.

AI for victim profiling

Furthermore, online scammers are increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to profile victims more efficiently.

“With AI, scammers can quickly analyze and profile their targets, which helps them decide what type of social engineering tactics to use,” Ms. Migriño said.

“I urge everyone to always protect your data, uphold your right to privacy, and carefully choose the level of information you share online. To scammers, our personal information is the ultimate prize,” she added, stressing the importance of safeguarding privacy.

 


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Whoscall’s Caller ID & Security: Your ultimate online protection partner

Authorities and experts frequently remind the public not to answer calls or respond to messages from unknown numbers.

This precaution helps prevent online scams and marks phone numbers as “inactive” in scammers’ databases, reducing the likelihood of being targeted.

Many people, however, may wonder if their phone number or email has already been compromised.

Scammers often trade stolen personal data on underground platforms, particularly on the Dark Web.

Unfortunately, accessing the Dark Web to check for leaked information is not an option for most individuals.

To address these challenges, Whoscall, a global anti-scam application, provides two powerful tools to help users protect themselves from these threats.

Mel Migriño, Country Head of Gogolook Philippines, highlighted that Whoscall’s Caller ID and ID Security features are essential tools to help users address and avoid the problems mentioned.

“To combat the growing threat of scams and data breaches, Whoscall’s Caller ID and ID Security feature are tools designed to help users identify unknown callers, block potential threats, and safeguard their personal information, empowering them to stay protected in an increasingly digital world,” Ms. Migriño said.

Whoscall’ s Caller ID feature

The Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) report also showed that most scams are delivered via text or SMS messages and social media.

This data represents a 10% increase in text and SMS message scams compared to 2023.

Whoscall offers a range of features designed to protect users from unwanted communications.

With real-time caller identification, users can instantly recognize if a call is legitimate or potentially harmful.

The app also includes message screening, which detects and blocks spam or scam messages before they reach in users’ inbox.

For added customization, Whoscall allows users to tailor their settings to filter specific numbers or categories of calls and texts.

Additionally, the app benefits from community-driven updates, with a robust database that is continuously updated by users worldwide.

ID Security

When sensitive information — such as name, phone number, address, ID, bank details, passwords, or shopping history — get exposed, it can lead to serious consequences: account hacks, financial theft, identity theft, corporate vulnerability, and various online scams.

With ID Security, users can easily monitor their personal information. By simply entering their phone number or email address, Whoscall will search for any websites associated with it, including linked names, addresses, accounts, passwords, phone numbers, and emails.

“If any of their details are found, users will receive an alert, giving them a chance to take immediate action,” Ms. Migriño said.

“This proactive alert system empowers Whoscall users to identify potential leaks in their personal information and take steps to prevent further issues, such as changing compromised passwords or securing accounts,” she added.

 


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Thailand reach Asean final as Suphanat’s extra-time header downs Philippines

STOCK PHOTO | Image by PIRO from Pixabay

Thailand will face Vietnam in the final of the Asean Championship after Suphanat Mueanta’s extra-time header earned the defending champions a 3-1 win over the Philippines in Bangkok on Monday to register a 4-3 aggregate victory.

Trailing 2-1 from the opening encounter in Manila on Friday, Suphanat’s 116th minute header secured victory for Masatada Ishii’s side and sets up a re-run of the 2022 decider, which Thailand won 3-2 on aggregate.

Peeradon Chamratsamee had put the Thais ahead on the night in the 37th minute when he shot past Quincy Kammeraad and Patrik Gustavsson gave the title-holders the aggregate lead nine minutes after the restart with a first-time angled finish.

But with seven minutes remaining the Philippines‘ Norway-born striker Bjorn Kristensen bent a low shot from 20 yards into the bottom corner of Patiwat Khammai’s goal to take the game into extra-time.

Proceedings looked destined to go to penalties until Suphanat rose highest to meet Worachit Kanitsribampen’s cross from the right and his downward header gave Kammeraad little chance as the seven-times champions prevailed.

Vietnam secured their place in the final on Sunday when two goals from Nguyen Xuan Son helped Kim Sang-sik’s side to a 3-1 win over Singapore on the night in Viet Tri and a 5-1 victory on aggregate having won the first leg 2-0 on Thursday.

Vietnam will host the first leg of the final in Viet Tri on Thursday with the return in Bangkok on Sunday. – Reuters

South Korea court issues arrest warrant for President Yoon

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol. — REUTERS

 – A South Korean court on Tuesday approved an arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol, who has been impeached and suspended from power over his decision to impose martial law on Dec. 3, investigating authorities said.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) confirmed the Seoul Western District Court approved the warrant requested by investigators examining Yoon’s short-lived imposition of martial law.

This is the first arrest warrant issued for an incumbent president in South Korea, according to local media.

The current arrest warrant is viable until Jan. 6, and once it is exercised, Mr. Yoon is expected to be detained in Seoul Detention Center, Yonhap said citing CIO.

The CIO did not comment on the court’s reasoning for granting the arrest warrant. The court declined to comment.

Mr. Yoon is facing criminal investigation on allegations that he was the leader of an insurrection. Insurrection is one of the few charges for which a South Korean president does not have immunity.

It was unclear when or how the arrest warrant for Yoon will be carried out. South Korea’s presidential security service said in a statement on Tuesday that it will treat the arrest warrant according to due process.

The court also approved a search warrant for Mr. Yoon’s residence, the CIO said.

Previously, police have tried but failed to successfully raid the presidential office as part of the investigation, due to the presidential security service blocking access.

The acting leader of South Korea’s ruling People Power Party, Kweon Seong-dong, said on Tuesday that attempting to detain a sitting president is inappropriate.

Kim Yong-min, a lawmaker in the opposition Democratic Party, which holds a majority in parliament and brought on Yoon’s impeachment vote, said on Tuesday “the process of executing the warrant and investigation could be very difficult”, calling for investigators to immediately execute the warrants. – Reuters

Elon Musk wants weak Europe, says Germany’s vice chancellor

ELON MUSK — REUTERS

 – U.S. billionaire Elon Musk’s support for Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is a “logical and systematic” play for a weak Europe that will not be able to regulate as strongly, Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck said in his New Year’s address.

The calls by Mr. Musk are not made out of ignorance, said Mr. Habeck, who is the chancellor candidate for the Greens party in German national elections due in February.

“It is logical and systematic. Musk is strengthening those who are weakening Europe. A weak Europe is in the interest of those for whom regulation is an inappropriate limitation of their power,” added Mr. Habeck.

The German government on Monday accused Musk, who owns social media platform X and is CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, of trying to influence the upcoming election with a guest opinion piece for the Welt am Sonntag newspaper.

Mr. Musk, the world’s richest person, spent more than $250 million to help Mr. Trump get elected and has been tasked by Trump to prune the federal budget as a special adviser.

Mr. Musk endorsed the AfD as Germany’s last hope in the piece that prompted the commentary editor to resign in protest, praising the anti-establishment, anti-immigrant party’s approach to regulation, taxes and market deregulation. – Reuters