Marcos’ cousin indicted
Prosecutors yesterday filed a criminal charge against a lawmaker and cousin of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr over his alleged involvement in a massive corruption scandal involving bogus flood control projects. Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said the “plunder” case against Martin Romualdez involved a total of 7.4 billion pesos (US$117.9 million) in alleged bribes, anomalous budget insertions and project allocations. Romualdez has repeatedly denied wrongdoing. Remulla said prosecutors intended to file additional cases against Romualdez and others implicated in the flood control scandal. Romualdez’s co-respondents include former lawmaker Elizaldy Co and several others accused of conspiring to unlawfully accumulate wealth through government funds. In a statement to reporters, Romualdez’s lawyer said his client would face the allegations against him through the courts.
RUSSIA
11 killed in avalanche
At least 11 people were killed and six injured after an avalanche struck a group of climbers in the Kabardino-Balkaria region in the North Caucasus, local emergency services said. The avalanche swept down Mount Mizhirgi, one of the highest peaks in the North Caucasus, at about 5pm on Sunday, hitting a group of 33 climbers. As of 9am yesterday, 10 climbers had made their own way down the mountain, while the fate of six others remained unknown, emergency services said. More than 50 emergency workers were involved in the search-and-rescue operation, but efforts were being hampered by difficult terrain and a high risk of further avalanches, they said.
JAPAN
Chiikawa promo canceled
Japanese conveyor-belt sushi operator Kura Sushi Inc canceled a promotion it was running in collaboration with manga character Chiikawa from Sunday after an employee was found to have stolen prizes from one of its stores. The sushi giant uncovered the misconduct through an internal investigation after a large number of items appeared for resale on an online marketplace. The promotional items included capsule toys, cups and pouches featuring the hamster-like character, whose popularity has surged following a hit movie this summer. Kura ended the month-long campaign early on Sunday and offered a temporary 10 percent discount across its stores as an apology. The company is collecting all remaining items from its stores and is consulting with police as it continues its investigation, a spokesperson for the company said.
UNITED STATES
Trump mulls ‘New America’
President Donald Trump’s name-changing spree found an unlikely new target on Sunday when he suggested the state of New Mexico could become “New America.” His proposal, which was immediately dismissed by the state’s governor, comes days after he signed an order to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America” in the middle of a trade war with Canada. “Many people suggested changing the name of New Mexico... to NEW AMERICA,” he wrote on social media. “So much more prestigious and beautiful for the people of that potentially incredible State. Wow, I Love It!!!” New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham told Fox News that the name “isn’t up for debate — it’s been ours since before the United States existed.” She said the president wanted to “distract Americans” from issues such as soaring gas prices.
A Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) cybersecurity tool called ARTEX was used in a spate of recent hacks of Japanese companies, the subsidiary of a major Tokyo-based Internet company yesterday. Dozens of Japanese companies, from restaurant chains to a car hire operator, have disclosed unauthorized access or data breaches in the past weeks — potentially impacting millions of customers. The information security arm of GMO Internet Group said it had “confirmed ARTEX was used” having investigated the attacks in collaboration with external organizations. “It also became clear ... the attacks were almost exclusively targeting Japan,” GMO cybersecurity center director Daiki Fukumori
On his terrace overlooking the forest in eastern Pennsylvania, Ed Negra lays out four letters. All are from a developer promising a US$10,000 check to each household once its data center is running. “I call it a bribe,” the US retiree said. The scene is picture-perfect. Autumn leaves are turning russet, and there is a stunning mountain view in this corner of Pennsylvania, a key state in the US’ upcoming midterm elections. “We thought it was a beautiful place to retire,” said the septuagenarian, who used to manage a large building-supply store in neighboring New Jersey. He and his wife settled in a sprawling
A STEP UP: The moving of small military positions forward should be taken seriously amid the North’s recent demonstrations of its firepower, an analyst said North Korea has moved new units into “firing positions,” the sister of leader Kim Jong-un said yesterday, days after Pyongyang warned it was considering deploying additional strike means to its border with South Korea. Tensions between Seoul and Pyongyang have soared since the South last month blamed an explosion inside the heavily fortified demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two countries on landmines laid by North Korea, an accusation it has rejected. “Our military leadership underlined the need to make those rogues aware that our new firepower units have taken their firing positions,” state media cited Kim Yo-jong as saying. Her statement came a
China’s first fully artificial intelligence (AI)-generated feature film opened in cinemas yesterday in what promised to be a tough box-office test for the country’s booming tech industry as advance ticket sales lag. More than 10,000 screenings of the sci-fi thriller Sanxingdui: Future Past were scheduled yesterday, according to ticketing platform Maoyan. However, public reception has been less than enthusiastic. Presale revenue as of yesterday morning was 80,000 yuan (US$11,992), while total box-office takings were forecast to remain below 150,000 yuan, only a fraction of the reported production cost, Maoyan said. Ticket prices range from 20 to 90 yuan, bringing the number sold to a
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