Since Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte took office in June, as a result of his extreme approach on the war on durgs, nearly 6,000 people have been killed across the country. Of that number, around 2,000 drug suspects were killed during police operations and around 3,800 deaths are under investigation, as they were killed by unknown gunmen and are believed to… Read more »
Al Jazeera: In the Philippines, the war on drugs by President Rodrigo Duterte has led to nearly 6,000 deaths, including an estimated 2,051 killed during police operations. Along with these, the number of inmates in prisons, in police detention cells or being held in rehabilitation centres is also on the rise. The space inside prisons is not adequate to receive such… Read more »
Reuters: Japan and Russia agreed at a leaders’ summit on Thursday to revive security talks and start discussing economic cooperation on disputed islands at the core of a row that has kept them from signing a peace treaty formally ending World War Two. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin also talked about Syria, with Abe conveying… Read more »
Reuters: China defended its right on Thursday to put “necessary military installations” on artificial islands in the South China Sea, after a U.S. think-tank said Beijing appeared to have deployed weapons such as anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems. The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies said its findings, made available first to Reuters on… Read more »
Al Jazeera Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte risks impeachment after he admitted “personally” killing criminals when he was the mayor of Davao City, according to two Philippine senators. The firebrand leader boasted to business leaders on Monday that as Davao City mayor he used to prowl the streets on a motorcycle looking for “an encounter to kill”, just to show to… Read more »
South Korea’s President, Park Geun-hye, was recently impeached in an overwhelming vote by the Korean Parliament. Before being removed from office the ruling must be upheld in court. This will mark the first time a South Korean leader has been ousted from office. Park has been accused of colluding with a friend and a former aide, both of whom have… Read more »
Reuters: Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo said on Monday she was determined to lead a campaign against President Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly war on drugs and did not believe his assurances there was no plot to oust her. Police say that just over 2,000 people have been killed in anti-drug operations since Duterte took office in July, and a further 3,060… Read more »
Reuters: South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn began getting official briefings from aides of President Park Geun-hye on Monday, after assuming presidential authority as a caretaker following Park’s impeachment by parliament. Hwang has sought to calm anxiety over national security and to reassure financial markets while Park’s presidency is in limbo pending the outcome of a Constitutional Court review of… Read more »
Reuters: Japan said on Monday it had protested to China over a Chinese complaint that Japanese fighter jets had engaged in “dangerous and unprofessional” behavior when they scrambled at the weekend as Chinese aircraft flew near Japanese islands. Chinese military aircraft on Saturday flew between Japan’s Okinawa and Miyako islands, and over waterways near self-ruled Taiwan – seen by Beijing… Read more »
Reuters: China expressed “serious concern” on Monday after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said the United States did not necessarily have to stick to its long-held stance that Taiwan is part of “one China”, calling it the basis for relations. Trump’s comments on “Fox News Sunday”, questioning nearly four decades of U.S. policy, came after he prompted a diplomatic protest from… Read more »