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From the Newsrooms: March 17 to 23, 2024
By: CMFR StaffPosted on: March 25, 2024, 8:00 amUpdated on: March 25, 2024, 1:00 am THIS WEEK, "From the Newsrooms" looks at the media coverage of two events. On March 20, a hearing in the House on the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) revealed that Chinese nationals were included in the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary (PCGA). On March 21, Arnolfo Teves, the alleged mastermind of the Pamplona.....»»
From the Newsrooms: March 17 to 23, 2024
By: CMFR StaffPosted on: March 25, 2024, 8:00 amUpdated on: March 25, 2024, 1:00 am THIS WEEK, "From the Newsrooms" looks at the media coverage of two events. On March 20, a hearing in the House on the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) revealed that Chinese nationals were included in the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary (PCGA). On March 21, Arnolfo Teves, the alleged mastermind of the Pamplona.....»»
Heads should roll over Chinese recruitment in PCG – lawmaker
Whether in good faith or not, recruiting Chinese nationals into the Philippine Coast Guard should make the concerned government officials “accountable” even if the foreigners were just members of an auxiliary group, a lawmaker said yesterday......»»
Tarlac POGO hub raid: Raps filed vs 8 Chinese
Criminal complaints were filed yesterday against eight Chinese who were arrested during a raid at a Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) hub in Bamban, Tarlac on Wednesday......»»
Chinese fugitive, who became Vanuatu citizen, arrested
Despite changing his citizenship, a Chinese man wanted for various economic crimes was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Feb. 21 as he was about to board a flight for Singapore......»»
Chinese charged with kidnapping arrested
Chinese charged with kidnapping arrested.....»»
43 Chinese nationals engaged in human trafficking deported
In a press release, the BI said that the Chinese citizens are part of the more than 100 foreign nationals previously arrested in Pasay City for the alleged violation of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act......»»
3 Chinese nationals nabbed for violating Davao City’s firecracker ban
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 11 February) – Three Chinese nationals who used pyrotechnics to welcome the Chinese New Year here are facing charges for violating City Ordinance 060-02 or the firecracker ban. Arrested by operatives of the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) for using pyrotechnics at the Royal Pines Subdivision along Shrine Hills in Matina […].....»»
5 foreigners nabbed in Albay
Four Chinese and a South African have been arrested in separate operations conducted by the Bureau of Immigration in Legazpi, Albay......»»
4 nabbed for kidnap try on Chinese trader
Four persons were arrested for the foiled kidnapping of a Chinese businesswoman in Pasay yesterday, according to the Southern Police District......»»
P21.8 million smuggled cigarettes seized; 7 Chinese, 26 Pinoys held
Thirty-three people, including seven Chinese, were arrested as smuggled cigarettes worth P21.85 million were seized in Barangay Adia in Agoncillo, Batangas on Thursday......»»
2 held for trafficking
A Chinese and his Filipino companion tagged in human trafficking have been arrested in an entrapment operation in Angeles, Pampanga, according to the National Bureau of Investigation......»»
4 Chinese working illegally nabbed
The Bureau of Immigration announced on Friday in Manila the arrest of four Chinese nationals in separate operations in Palawan. The four were identified as Lin Yongzhen, 45; Zhang Haicong, 49; Lin Tsung-Te, 58; and Zhang Jinfei, 47. They were arrested over immigration-related violations, including working without the proper permits, misrepresenting themselves as Filipino citizens, and involvement with a crime group. According to BI Intelligence Division Chief Fortunato Manahan Jr., the operations were conducted in coordination with government intelligence units, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the National Bureau of Investigation. The foreigners were held at the BI’s detention facility in Bicutan, Taguig, while facing deportation cases. Lin Yongzhen and Zhang Haicong were arrested in El Nido. Lin was found to be working under a tourist visa, while Zhang was found to be working under a working visa under a separate company. Zhang Haicong and Lin Tsung-Te, on the other hand, were arrested in Taytay. Zhang possessed a working visa, but he was working at a different worksite. Lin failed to present his passport and was found to have been overstaying since 2016. Meanwhile, Zhang Jinfei was arrested in Puerto Princesa. He was found to be working in the area despite holding a working visa in a different location, in violation of immigration rules. The BI said the Chinese were all found to be working in fisheries near naval bases. The post 4 Chinese working illegally nabbed appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Iran women’s activist Narges Mohammadi wins peace Nobel
The Nobel Peace Prize was on Friday awarded to imprisoned rights campaigner Narges Mohammadi, honored for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran. Mohammadi's award comes after a wave of protests that swept Iran after the death in custody a year ago of a young Iranian Kurd, Mahsa Amini, arrested for violating Iran's strict dress rules for women. Mohammadi, a 51-year-old journalist and activist, has spent much of the past two decades in and out of jail for her campaign against the mandatory hijab for women and the death penalty. She is the vice-president of the Defenders of Human Rights Centre founded by Iranian human rights lawyer Shirin Ebadi, herself a Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 2003. Mohammadi was honored "for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all," said Berit Reiss-Andersen, the head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee in Oslo. "Her brave struggle has come with tremendous personal costs. Altogether, the regime has arrested her 13 times, convicted her five times, and sentenced her to a total of 31 years in prison and 154 lashes," Reiss-Andersen said in the jury's citation. Speaking to reporters after the announcement, she called for Mohammadi's release. "If the Iranian authorities make the right decision, they will release her. So she can be present to receive this honor, which is what we primarily hope for," she said. The recent protests in Iran "accelerated the process of realizing democracy, freedom, and equality in Iran," a process that is now "irreversible", Mohammadi told AFP last month in a letter written from her prison cell. She and three other women held with her at Tehran's Evin prison burned their hijabs to mark the anniversary of Amini's death on 16 September. Iran is ranked 143rd out of 146 countries on the World Economic Forum's gender equality ranking. Iranian authorities cracked down harshly on last year's "Woman, Life, Freedom" uprising. A total of 551 protesters, including 68 children and 49 women, were killed by security forces, according to Iran Human Rights, and thousands of others were arrested. The movement has since continued in other forms. In what would have been unthinkable a year ago, women now go out in public without the headscarf, in particular in Tehran and other big cities, despite the risks. Wearing the hijab is one of the pillars of the Islamic Republic. Authorities have stepped up controls, using surveillance cameras among other things, and have arrested actresses who post pictures of themselves on social media without the hijab. No prospect of freedom In September, Iran's conservative-dominated parliament announced heavier penalties for women who refuse to wear it. "This year's Peace Prize also recognizes the hundreds of thousands of people who in the preceding year have demonstrated against the theocratic regimes policies of discrimination and oppression targeting women," Reiss-Andersen said. Offenders will face heavy prison sentences if the "Hijab and Chastity" bill is approved by Iran's Guardian Council. Incarcerated this time since November 2021, Mohammadi has not seen her children, who live in France with her husband, for eight years. Considered a "prisoner of conscience" by Amnesty International, she told AFP in her letter that she had "almost no prospect of freedom." The prize comes on the 20th anniversary of the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Ebadi, who was honored "for her efforts for democracy and human rights", especially those of women and children. This year's prize also symbolically coincides with the 75th anniversary of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In 2003, Ebadi defied conservative Iranians by refusing to wear the hijab when she received her prize in Oslo. If she remains behind bars, Mohammadi will not be able to make the trip to Oslo to receive her award, consisting of a diploma, a gold medal, and $1 million, at the annual prize ceremony on December 10. The Peace Prize has on several occasions honored jailed activists, including last year when it went to Ales Bialiatski of Belarus, whose prize was accepted by his wife, and Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo in 2010, whose chair remained empty. The post Iran women’s activist Narges Mohammadi wins peace Nobel appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Indian police raid homes of media people
Indian anti-terror police said Tuesday they had arrested two people linked to a news website and raided the homes of 44 others, in a case reportedly connected to alleged Chinese funding. The dawn raids in the capital New Delhi raised international concerns over the situation for media in a country where press freedom has nosedived. Those raided are reported to be connected to NewsClick, an English-language news website that Indian authorities filed a case against in 2021 alleging it was receiving foreign funding. The New York Times in August reported that NewsClick was financed by United States millionaire Neville Roy Singham, saying it “sprinkled its coverage with Chinese government talking points” — claims Singham rejected. The report accused Singham of working closely with Beijing and of “financing its propaganda worldwide.” The post Indian police raid homes of media people appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Two dead in Bangkok mall shooting, 14-year-old boy arrested
A 14-year-old boy was arrested Tuesday after a shooting at a packed Bangkok mall that left two people dead and five wounded, and sent hundreds of panicked shoppers running in terror into the streets. Witnesses told AFP of chaotic scenes as shots rang out at the upmarket Siam Paragon mall in the heart of the Thai capital around 4:30 pm (0930 GMT). The shooting comes just days before the first anniversary of the deadliest massacre in modern Thai history, when an ex-policeman armed with a gun and knife attacked a nursery in the country's north, murdering 24 children and 12 adults. National Police Chief Torsak Sukwimol told reporters that two women -- one Chinese, one from Myanmar -- were killed in the mall shooting, and five other people wounded. He said the 14-year-old suspect was in custody but was too confused to undergo questioning. "He is a mental patient at Rajavithi hospital and he has not been taking his medication," Torsak said. "He said it felt like someone told him to 'go shoot people'. It's like there's another him. This is what we got from the initial talk with him." Video footage showed a long-haired boy wearing a black shirt, glasses and a cap with a US flag motif being taken into custody by police. Yuthana Srettanan, director of the Erawan Emergency Centre, told reporters that all but one of those who were shot were women. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin visited the scene of the shooting as well as calling on the wounded in hospital. Srettha posted on X, formerly Twitter, that he had spoken to the Chinese ambassador and offered condolences. "From now on, the Thai government will implement the highest safety measures for the safety of all tourists," Srettha wrote. Thailand is keen to attract more Chinese visitors as it rebuilds its tourism industry after the pandemic, but numbers are lower than hoped, partly because of safety fears. A private school called The Essence, just metres from Siam Paragon, confirmed the suspect was one of their students and offered condolences to the victims' families. "We will collaborate with the authorities and investigators for the benefit of those involved," Wiwat Catithammanit, director of the $4,000-a-term school said in a statement. 'Multiple gunshots' Witnesses described scenes of panic as the attack unfolded at Siam Paragon, one of Bangkok's top shopping destinations, hugely popular with tourists and Thais alike. "At around 4:30 pm, I heard loud gun noises, continuously, about 10 times," Thanpawasit Singthongkham, 31, who works at a Japanese restaurant in the mall, told AFP. "Then the department store announced that there was a shooting. The emergency sign was turned on and everyone ran to get out." In footage shared with AFP, he recorded a scrum of terrified shoppers scrabbling under metal security gates blocking shop entrances, before they fled down emergency stairwells as sirens blared. In another video, shared on Facebook and verified by AFP, scores of people can be seen in the mall's basement car park being directed by loudspeakers. Dozens of police vehicles and a number of ambulances could be seen outside one of the shopping centre's main entrances in the wake of the shooting. "I heard multiple gunshots -- about three times -- and saw people running around towards the exits," Nattanon Dungsunenarn, who was shopping in a branch of Boots pharmacy, told AFP. "It was very chaotic and seemed like many people didn't know what exactly was going on." 'Terrified' "We didn't know what was happening, then staff from a shop asked us to go inside and said there was a shooter," Chinese tourist Xiong Ying, 41, told AFP. "Everyone was trying to find a place to hide. So many people were terrified, just like a scene in the zombie movies. "I now feel quite scared. It happened just like two minutes after we left by crossing the bridge. We even took photos there." Almost a year on from the October 6 nursery massacre, the mall shooting will raise fresh questions about gun control in Thailand, which has one of the highest rates of firearm ownership in the region. In 2020, a former army officer went on a rampage in a shopping mall in Korat, murdering 29 people and wounding scores more. The post Two dead in Bangkok mall shooting, 14-year-old boy arrested appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Narcolepsy, cancer tipped as Medicine Prize opens Nobel week
Narcolepsy, cancer, or mRNA vaccine research could win the Nobel Medicine Prize on Monday when a week of announcements kicks off, but experts see no clear frontrunner for the Peace Prize. The awards, first handed out in 1901, were created by Swedish inventor and philanthropist Alfred Nobel in his 1895 will to celebrate those who have "conferred the greatest benefit on mankind." The Medicine Prize is first out and will be announced in Stockholm on Monday around 11:30 a.m. (0930 GMT), followed by the awards for physics on Tuesday, chemistry on Wednesday, and literature on Thursday. The Peace Prize, the most highly-anticipated Nobel and the only one announced in Oslo, will follow on Friday, before the Economics Prize rounds things off on October 9. The Medicine Prize has over the years crowned groundbreaking discoveries like the X-ray, penicillin, insulin, and DNA -- as well as now-disgraced awards for lobotomy and the insecticide DDT. Several Nobel watchers have suggested this year's prize could go to research into narcolepsy and the discovery of orexin, a neuropeptide that helps regulate sleep. It could also go to Hungarian-born Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman of the United States for research that led directly to the first mRNA vaccines to fight COVID-19, made by Pfizer and Moderna. Their discovery has already won a slew of major medicine prizes, but the Nobel committee nowadays often waits decades to bestow its laurels to ensure the research stands the test of time. "Maybe the Academy thinks it needs to look into it more, but someday they should win," predicted Annika Ostman, science reporter at Swedish public radio SR. Gene engineering and IceCube telescope But Ostman said her guess for this year was on Kevan Shokat, an American biologist who figured out how to block the KRAS cancer gene behind a third of cancers, including challenging-to-treat lung, colon, and pancreatic tumors. T-cell therapy for cancer treatment and work on the human microbiome could also be contenders, said David Pendlebury, head of the Clarivate Analytics group which identifies Nobel-worthy research. "There are more people deserving of a Nobel Prize than there are Nobels to go around," he told AFP. Lars Brostrom, Ostman's colleague at SR, singled out two American biologists, Stanislas Leibler, and Michael Elowitz, for their work on synthetic gene circuits which established the field of synthetic biology. It enables scientists to redesign organisms by engineering them to have new abilities. But Brostrom noted the field could be seen as controversial, raising "ethical questions about where to draw the line in creating life". For the Physics Prize, twisted graphene or the IceCube Neutrino Observatory in Antarctica were seen as possible winners, as well as the development of high-density data storage in the field of spintronics. Peace Prize to Iranian women? For Wednesday's Chemistry Prize, Pendlebury suggested next-generation DNA sequencing could get the nod, or research into how to target and deliver drugs to genes. Brostrom said he would love to see it go to US-based chemist Omar Yaghi for his work into porous materials known as MOFs, which can absorb poisonous gases or harvest water from desert air, and is an "important field for the future" with enormous potential for the environment. Criticism over a lack of gender and geographical diversity has plagued the Nobels over the years. US-based men have dominated the science fields, while women account for just six percent of overall laureates -- something the various award committees insist they are addressing. Among the names making the rounds for Thursday's Literature Prize are Russian author and outspoken Putin critic Lyudmila Ulitskaya, Chinese avant-garde writer Can Xue, British author Salman Rushdie, Caribbean-American writer Jamaica Kincaid and Norwegian playwright Jon Fosse. But for the Peace Prize, experts have been scratching their heads over possible winners, as conflicts rage around the globe. Some have pointed to the Iranian women protesting since the death in custody a year ago of Mahsa Amini, arrested for violating Iran's strict dress code imposed on women. Others suggest organizations documenting war crimes in Ukraine, or the International Criminal Court, which could one day be called upon to judge them. "I think that climate change is a really good focus for the Peace Prize this year," Dan Smith, the head of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, told AFP after a year of extreme weather around the world. For the Economics Prize, research on income and wealth inequality could be honored. Recent winners of the Nobel Medicine Prize Here is a list of the winners of the Nobel Medicine Prize in the past 10 years: 2022: Swedish paleogeneticist Svante Paabo for his discoveries on the genomes of extinct hominins and human evolution. 2021: US duo David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian for discoveries on human receptors responsible for our ability to sense temperature and touch. 2020: Americans Harvey Alter and Charles Rice, together with Briton Michael Houghton, for the discovery of the Hepatitis C virus, leading to the development of sensitive blood tests and antiviral drugs. 2019: William Kaelin and Gregg Semenza of the US and Britain's Peter Ratcliffe for establishing the basis of our understanding of how cells react and adapt to different oxygen levels. 2018: Immunologists James Allison of the US and Tasuku Honjo of Japan, for figuring out how to release the immune system's brakes to allow it to attack cancer cells more efficiently. 2017: US geneticists Jeffrey Hall, Michael Rosbash, and Michael Young for their discoveries on the internal biological clock that governs the wake-sleep cycles of most living things. 2016: Yoshinori Ohsumi of Japan for his work on autophagy -- a process whereby cells "eat themselves" -- which when disrupted can cause Parkinson's and diabetes. 2015: William Campbell, an Irish-US citizen, Satoshi Omura of Japan, and Tu Youyou of China for unlocking treatments for malaria and roundworm. 2014: American-born Briton John O'Keefe, May-Britt Moser, and Edvard I. Moser of Norway for discovering how the brain navigates with an "inner GPS". 2013: Thomas C. Sudhof, a US citizen born in Germany, and James E. Rothman and Randy W. Schekman of the US for work on how the cell organizes its transport system. The post Narcolepsy, cancer tipped as Medicine Prize opens Nobel week appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Boss of Chinese property giant Evergrande being held by police: report
The billionaire boss of beleaguered Chinese property developer Evergrande is being held by police, Bloomberg reported Wednesday, as the debt-ridden company continues to grapple with severe financial troubles. Xu Jiayin, who is also known as Hui Ka Yan in Cantonese, was taken away by authorities earlier this month and is now being held, according to anonymous sources cited by Bloomberg. He is being held under "residential surveillance", the report said, which does not mean he has been arrested or charged with a crime. Evergrande's enormous debt has contributed to the country's deepening property market crisis, raising fears of a global spillover. The company's property arm this week missed a key debt payment due, and Chinese financial website Caixin reported that former executives at the firm had been detained. The post Boss of Chinese property giant Evergrande being held by police: report appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Foreign nationals involved in scams deported
The Bureau of Immigration on Sunday confirmed the deportation of 75 foreign nationals last 22 September at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1. According to BI commissioner Norman Tansingco, a total of 75 Chinese nationals departed on Friday afternoon via a Royal Air flight RW410 bound for Nanning, Guangxi and the deportees were the first group of foreign nationals to be kicked out of the country for engaging in scams while posing as an online gaming customer care provider. He added that the foreign nationals were part of the group arrested in an operation led by the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission against SA Rivendell Global Gaming Corporation, located in Pasay City. They were later charged by the BI for undesirability after being tagged as part of a scam syndicate. The National Bureau of Investigation, which made the arrests, kept custody of the foreigners throughout their deportation procedures. The post Foreign nationals involved in scams deported appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Chinese national intercepted at NAIA
The Bureau of Immigration arrested a Chinese national last Monday at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport after being found to be facing charges in China for illegal gambling. The BI-NAIA identified the suspect as Jiang Ning, a 27-year-old male who attempted to depart via a Philippine Airlines flight bound for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, when the BI officers noted a derogatory record in their system issued against him by the Chinese authorities. Upon verification, the Bureau confirmed that Jiang is the subject of an Interpol Red notice after allegedly being wanted in China for involvement in setting up a gambling group, which was said to control 14 gambling platforms for illegal profits in China and the Philippines. The BI-NAIA added that his group was said to have operated from 2014 to 2021 and to have induced more than 100 thousand Chinese to engage in illegal gambling activities. A warrant of arrest was already issued against him by the Qijiang District Public Security Bureau of Chongqing Municipality. He was charged with opening a casino in violation of the Criminal Law of China and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Jiang was immediately referred to the BI Legal Division to be charged with undesirability. He will be detained at the BI Warden Facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, pending his deportation proceedings. The post Chinese national intercepted at NAIA appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»