War

FILE PHOTO: Senator Francis Tolentino during a Senate proceeding. Senate PRIB photo / Voltaire F. Domingo MANILA, Philippines — The International Criminal Court’s (ICC) denial of the Philippine government’s request to suspend its probe into the previous administration’s war on drugs has “no binding effect,” Senator Francis Tolentino said Tuesday. Tolentino, the chairperson of the Senate committee on justice and human rights, said the country’s plea before the ICC  Appeals Chamber was just a “courteous assertion” of Philippine sovereignty. “The Appeal made by the Philippines was a courteous assertion of our sovereignty; its denial has no binding effect. It will not clothe the ICC with jurisdiction, as there was none in the first place. ICC should recognize the fundamental pillar of the international legal order, which is sovereignty,” he said in a statement. Last year, Tolentino expressed his “full support” to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s declaration that the Philippines … [Read more...] about ICC denial of PH bid to suspend ‘drug war’ probe has ‘no binding effect’ – Tolentino

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — After freeing six militiamen, the New People’s Army (NPA) released eight other prisoners of war on Tuesday in the hinterlands of Agusan del Sur. The six POWs — two soldiers and six other militiamen — were taken captive last December 19 when the communist rebels raided a military detachment in Barangay New Tubigon, Sibagat town, Agusan del Sur. Sandara Amihan, spokesperson of the NPA Northeastern Mindanao region, said they turned over the captive soldiers and militiamen to former Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go and Presidential son Sebastian “Baste” Duterte in a remote village in Bayugan City on Tuesday afternoon. The military earlier confirmed that Corporal Eric Manangan and PFC Darlino Carino, of the 3rd Special Forces Battalion, were held captives by the communist rebels. Manangan and Carino were not part of the group that was freed by the NPA last February 14 in Barangay San Juan, Bayugan City. /ee Your … [Read more...] about NPA frees 8 more ‘prisoners of war’ in Agusan del Sur

The Senate voted Wednesday 66-30 to repeal a pair of resolutions allowing the president to conduct military operations against Iraq, marking the first time in half a century Congress has rescinded the president’s war authorizations. Republican Sen. Todd Young of Indiana and Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia first introduced legislation overturning the Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMFs) for the 1991 Gulf War and 2002 Iraq War in 2019. Although no ongoing military campaigns rely on the two authorizations, proponents of the repeal say it serves as a significant step in reasserting Congress’ authority and reining in the president’s war powers. “It’s been long past time for Congress to fulfill its constitutional duty in matters of where, when, and why we send American troops to sacrifice in defense of our country,” Russ Duerstine, executive director of Concerned Veterans for America, said in a statement. “Repealing these AUMFs also removes the possibility … [Read more...] about Senate Votes To Overturn Presidential War Authorizations Against Iraq

After months of disagreement about a U.S. mission against the Islamic State, a bipartisan team of senators is attempting to give American efforts legal backing. Sens. Tim Kaine and Jeff Flake have introduced a stand-alone measure that would provide legal basis for sending ground troops to fight against the terrorist group, to “protect the lives of United States citizens and to provide military support to regional partners in their battle to defeat ISIL.” A White House-drafted bill has gone largely untouched in Congress since February. That bill blocks permanent deployment of ground troops in Iraq until 2018. In the meantime, it would justify the ongoing airstrikes and advisory forces participating in the limited fight against ISIS. President Barack Obama’s administration justifies ongoing American efforts against the Islamic State with a law, called an Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMF), that allows for military actions against those who perpetrated the 9/11 … [Read more...] about Congress Reconsiders Untouchable Iraq War Bill

The White House is set to introduce a new Authorization for Use of Military Force against ISIS, designed to maximize American flexibility and minimize boots on the ground. Representatives of the administration, including the White House and State Department, have revealed details of the proposed bill, BloombergView reported Tuesday . The suggested AUMF would prohibit permanent American ground troops from deploying against ISIS until 2018, well after President Obama will have left the presidency. While preventing full-time boots on the ground, or “enduring offensive ground operations,” the bill would allow for the existing 3,000 advisers helping the Iraqi military, as well as special operations forces, airstrike coordinators and Search and Rescue teams. Those exceptions would also expire in 2018, which would prompt another round of congressional approval. Notably, the proposal would break from the opinion of Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Martin Dempsey, widely regarded on … [Read more...] about Obama’s ISIS War Proposal Blocks Future Commitments

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin The Bafta Games Awards returns for its 2023 ceremony tomorrow (March 30), bringing 18 fresh gongs from the U.K.’s most prestigious industry gathering. Following 2022’s gaming Baftas, when Returnal rose above the competition with four awards including Best Game–while the superb Deathloop and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy were snubbed–the line-up of potential winners at this year’s event is just as varied, even though there’s one huge stand-out. Front and center of this year’s get-together is God of War Ragnarök , which set an all-time record as the most-nominated game since the Bafta Games Awards began in 2004, with 14. Admittedly, nearly half of these are due to its stellar acting talent; six nominees dominate the Performer in a Leading Role and Performer in a Supporting Role categories. Top Bafta Games Awards 2023 nominations God of War Ragnarök (14 nominations); Stray (eight); Elden … [Read more...] about BAFTA Games Awards 2023 Nominees: Your Definitive List Of This Year’s Hopefuls

FILE PHOTO: Senator Francis Tolentino. INQUIRER FILES MANILA, Philippines — Taking note of recent pronouncements of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. about the Philippines’ ties with the International Criminal Court (ICC), Senator Francis Tolentino on Wednesday said the Bureau of Immigration (BI) should bar the tribunal’s prosecutors from entering the Philippines. Tolentino, chair of the Senate committee on justice and human rights, said the BI should “prevent the actual presence of the ICC members here either as tourists or in an official capacity.” “I’m moving for a more extreme measure since this is now an order coming from the Chief Executive. The Bureau of Immigration should likewise follow. Alam naman natin sino iyong pupunta dito na mga prosecutor na mag-iimbestiga. Do not allow entry dito pa lang sa airport,” Tolentino said in an online news conference. (I’m moving for a more extreme measure since this is now an order from the chief executive. The Bureau of Immigration … [Read more...] about Tolentino wants BI to bar ICC prosecutors from entering PH

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Q: What do American radar operators in World War II have in common with modern day patients trying to decide if a whole body MRI scan is worth the money? A: Both have to be concerned if a blurry dot on a screen might indicate something serious that needs to be dealt with. In the case of the wartime radar operators, a critical issue was deciding if a “blip” on the screen represented an enemy aircraft, a friendly plane, or just noise. Ideally, a radar system (which includes both the electronic hardware and the human operator) would correctly identify incoming enemy aircraft, while avoiding the twin errors of a false alarm (mistakenly reporting an enemy plane when there wasn’t one) or a miss (failing to detect an enemy aircraft when there actually was one.) A similar issue arises with any form of medical testing — for example, an MRI image, a home Covid-19 test to detect active infection or a screening mammogram to … [Read more...] about What Does It Mean To Say A Medical Test Is ‘Sensitive’ Or ‘Specific’?

PHOTO: A group on Patong Beach protest the invasion of Ukraine that has left thousands of Russians and Ukrainians stranded. (via NNT) While it’s common to discuss the influx of Russians as they pour into the country and are investing more and more in villas and homes , it’s easy to forget about the thousands of people who are not staying by choice in Thailand. Around 7,000 Russians and Ukrainians are currently stranded in Thailand due to the ongoing war between the two countries. Many of them are in Phuket, an island that used to attract seven million overseas visitors every year. The collapse of tourism due to the pandemic has already caused a lot of damage, and, while the island is welcoming back tourism now, the situation with stranded Russian and Ukrainian tourists looms in the background. The Russians have become the largest group of foreign visitors in Phuket, with around 17,000 arriving in December for example. Signs in Cyrillic script and restaurants … [Read more...] about About 7,000 Russians and Ukrainians stranded in Thailand

Two weeks ago, on what seemed like a typical Wednesday, Brex cofounder and co-CEO Henrique Dubugras discovered something curious: a “weird” amount of inflows to deposits, as Brex’s enterprise customers moved cash onto the platform. Brex, a six-year-old startup worth $12.3 billion, offers spend management solutions for businesses, including cash accounts that can be used to pay bills and fund payroll. Though Brex now serves large companies, it got its start serving fellow Y Combinator participants; tech startups remain a significant portion of its customer base. Later that day, Dubugras got a couple of text messages about Silicon Valley Bank : there were rumors that the storied Silicon Valley institution could be in trouble. Brex banked with SVB, and Dubugras knew it well. He also knew that there had been questions about its risk profile for months. Back in November, one of Brex’s investors and board members, Greenoaks managing partner Neil Mehta, had sent an email … [Read more...] about 4,000 new customers and $2 billion in deposits: How Brex sprang into action as Silicon Valley Bank collapsed