THE PHILIPPINES
Territory law signed
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr signed two laws yesterday reaffirming the extent of his country’s maritime territories and right to resources, including in the South China Sea, where the new laws clash with Beijing’s extensive territorial claims. The laws, called the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act, were signed by Marcos in a nationally televised ceremony attended by top military and national security officials. They further cement Manila’s rejection of China’s claims to virtually the entire sea passage, and stipulate jail terms and stiff fines for violators. “These signal our resolve to protect our maritime resources, preserve our rich biodiversity and ensure that our waters remain a source of life and livelihood for all Filipinos,” Marcos said.
SOMALIA
US signs debt relief
More than US$1.1 billion of outstanding loans would be canceled by the US, a sum representing about one-quarter of the country’s remaining debt, Somalia announced on Tuesday, the latest in a series of agreements in which Somalia’s creditors have committed to forgiving its debt obligations. Most of Somalia’s debt had built up during the era of Siad Barre’s military dictatorship, which collapsed in the early 1990s and triggered a three-decade civil war. The US was Somalia’s largest bilateral lender, holding about one-fifth of its total debt in 2018, IMF figures showed. Speaking at the US embassy in Mogadishu on Tuesday where the announcement was made, US Ambassador to Somalia Richard Riley said: “This was the largest single component of the $4.5 billion debt that Somalia owed to various countries, which was forgiven through the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative.” The initiative is an economic reform program led by the IMF aimed at relieving the poorest countries of unsustainable debt levels.
THE NETHERLANDS
Anti-Semitic rioters detained
Amsterdam police yesterday said that five people were hospitalized and 62 arrested after authorities said anti-Semitic rioters attacked Israeli supporters following a soccer match. The police wrote on X that they have started a major investigation into multiple violent incidents. The post did not provide further details about those injured or detained in Thursday night’s violence. Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema’s office described the events following the UEFA Europa League match between Dutch giants Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv, which the hosts won 5-0, as “very turbulent, with several incidents of violence aimed at Maccabi supporters.”
INDIA
Samosa probe launched
Five officers are facing disciplinary action for allegedly eating a plate of samosas intended for a senior politician, media reports said yesterday. Samosas are a staple of government receptions, including one staged last month by police in Himachal Pradesh for an official visit by the northern state’s chief minister, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. A special helping of samosas specially intended for Sukhu’s relish instead allegedly found their way into the mouths of five police officers. The resulting high-level enquiry culminated in a report by the state’s Crime Investigation Department that dubbed the affair an “anti-government act.” The Indian Express said the five police personnel accused of feasting on the chief minister’s samosas had been served notices demanding they explain their conduct.
Seven people sustained mostly minor injuries in an airplane fire in South Korea, authorities said yesterday, with local media suggesting the blaze might have been caused by a portable battery stored in the overhead bin. The Air Busan plane, an Airbus A321, was set to fly to Hong Kong from Gimhae International Airport in southeastern Busan, but caught fire in the rear section on Tuesday night, the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said. A total of 169 passengers and seven flight attendants and staff were evacuated down inflatable slides, it said. Authorities initially reported three injuries, but revised the number
‘BALD-FACED LIE’: The woman is accused of administering non-prescribed drugs to the one-year-old and filmed the toddler’s distress to solicit donations online A social media influencer accused of filming the torture of her baby to gain money allegedly manufactured symptoms causing the toddler to have brain surgery, a magistrate has heard. The 34-year-old Queensland woman is charged with torturing an infant and posting videos of the little girl online to build a social media following and solicit donations. A decision on her bail application in a Brisbane court was yesterday postponed after the magistrate opted to take more time before making a decision in an effort “not to be overwhelmed” by the nature of allegations “so offensive to right-thinking people.” The Sunshine Coast woman —
BORDER SERVICES: With the US-funded International Rescue Committee telling clinics to shut by tomorrow, Burmese refugees face sudden discharge from Thai hospitals Healthcare centers serving tens of thousands of refugees on the Thai-Myanmar border have been ordered shut after US President Donald Trump froze most foreign aid last week, forcing Thai officials to transport the sickest patients to other facilities. The International Rescue Committee (IRC), which funds the clinics with US support, told the facilities to shut by tomorrow, a local official and two camp committee members said. The IRC did not respond to a request for comment. Trump last week paused development assistance from the US Agency for International Development for 90 days to assess compatibility with his “America First” policy. The freeze has thrown
TESTING BAN: Satellite photos show a facility in the Chinese city of Mianyang that could aid nuclear weapons design and power generation, a US researcher said China appears to be building a large laser-ignited fusion research center in the southwestern city of Mianyang, experts at two analytical organizations said, a development that could aid nuclear weapons design and work exploring power generation. Satellite photos show four outlying “arms” that would house laser bays, and a central experiment bay that would hold a target chamber containing hydrogen isotopes the powerful lasers would fuse together, producing energy, said Decker Eveleth, a researcher at US-based independent research organization CNA Corp. It is a similar layout to the US$3.5 billion US National Ignition Facility (NIF) in northern California, which in 2022 generated
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