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DISASTER3d agoOver 2,000 personnel deployed in north China to contain grassland fire from MongoliaHOHHOT, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- More than 2,000 personnel were deployed in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to contain a grassland fire spreading from Mongolia, local authorities said on Sunday.thestar_my · malaysia
POLITICS3d agoAre Marcos’ minions in Congress plotting to amend the Constitution?THE controversy over whether the Senate can reduce the votes required to convict an impeached official from 16 to 14 raises a question far more consequential than the fate of Vice President Sara Duterte. If senators can change an explicit numerical requirement of the Constitution through their own procedural rules, what prevents Congress from similarly altering other safeguards — including, and especially, the rules for amending the Constitution itself? Article XI, Section 3(6) of the 1987 Constitution states: “No person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two-thirds of all the Members of the Senate.” With 24 sitting senators, that requires 16 affirmative votes. It does not say two-thirds of those present, those voting, or those who have not abstained. The phrase is “all the Members.” The proposed reduction to 14 would require excluding some senators from the denominator. Disguised as a technical adjustment, it raises a fundamental issue: Can a chamber’s procedural rules change the voting requirements categorically stipulated by the Constitution? If so, the implications extend well beyond impeachment. Numerous constitutional provisions demand specified fractions of all members precisely because certain powers should not be exercised by an ordinary political majority. [ATTACHED PHOTO NUMBER 1 HERE] CAPTION/ AI-GENERATED CARTOON UPON INSTRUCTIONS AND SUPERVISION OF MR. TIGLAO. Reducing the threshold by a mere majority vote of its members is a very dangerous precedent for tampering with the Constitution itself. The Constitution’s Article XVII, Section 1 permits Congress to propose constitutional amendments or revisions upon a vote of three-fourths of all its members. Article XVII, Section 3 separately provides for calling a constitutional convention by a two-thirds vote of all members of Congress. These provisions determine how the fundamental law may be changed. [ATTACHED TABLE HERE] If the Supreme Court does not rule unconstitutional the Senate’s majority ruling to lower the threshold for impeachment, Marcos’ minions there would claim that Congress has also the right to reduce the denominator in computing how the three-fourths, or two-thirds, are determined in calling for an amendment of the Constitution. The easy path here is for them to accept the interpretation that three-fourths of each chamber would have to vote to amend the Constitution. That would be easy in the case of the House of Representatives, since it consists of political pygmies, or easy-to-bribe politicians. Marcos may find it more difficult to get a three-fourths vote in the Senate, all of whom are elected nationally and most members think they could be president someday. So, what does he do? Do what he has managed to do in Sara’s impeachment: Jail or force to be a fugitive uncooperative senators, and get the Senate to rule that only present members of the chamber can vote whether to amend the Constitution or not. Marcos, therefore, can call for a constitutional convention with just 14 senators out of the sitting 24 senators. And as happened in the 1970 constitutional convention and 1986 Constitutional Commission, it would be easy for a president to control such bodies. Am I too suspicious to believe that Marcos would get a constitutional assembly or convention to amend the Constitution so that our system changes into a parliamentary one, which would allow him to be Prime Minister to perpetuate his rule? He is really the son of his father. The move to lower the threshold in Sara’s impeachment therefore would seem to be preparing the ground for this regime to amend the Constitution to perpetuate itself in power in 2028. I am amazed that Marcos’ minions in the Senate had the gall to lower the number of votes needed to convict Sara. Our Constitution has an internal consistency in providing for the thresholds for major Senate decisions: Treaties — Article VII, Section 21 provides that no treaty or international agreement shall be valid and effective without concurrence by at least two-thirds of all Senate members. Its wording closely parallels the impeachment clause. Treaties can impose obligations involving national security, military cooperation, territorial interests, foreign relations and economic policy. The Constitution requires more than a simple majority because treaty commitments may bind the country long after the administration that negotiated them has left office. A Senate able to adjust the denominator could declare an agreement approved that did not obtain the normally required 16 votes. Veto — Article VI, Section 27(1) requires two-thirds of all members of each chamber to override a presidential veto. The requirement embodies the separation of powers: Congress may enact a measure despite presidential objections, but only if it assembles a supermajority in both chambers. As in voting in the impeachment, this article stipulates two-thirds of all members, not of participating members. Expulsion — Article VI, Section 16(3) permits each house, with concurrence of two-thirds of all its members, to suspend or expel a member. All of its members, not members present. The supermajority is an important protection against a ruling coalition’s use of disciplinary proceedings to eliminate opponents. It is important to emphasize that Article XI, Section 3(3-4), the impeachment process, uses a different threshold for the House of Representatives: at least one-third of all its members may approve articles of impeachment or file a verified complaint or resolution under the specified procedure. In the Senate, two-thirds of members are required to convict. The Constitution deliberately makes impeachment easier to initiate than to conclude in conviction. That difference recognizes the gravity of removing an official, particularly one elected by millions of citizens — in Sara’s case, 32 million voted to make her vice president, or 62 percent of those who cast their ballots. A minority large enough to represent one-third of the House may initiate the process, but a much broader Senate consensus must be assembled to convict. Impeachment is not a parliamentary vote of no confidence, in which an incumbent falls simply because a temporary majority has turned against him or her. If the House likewise claimed the power to subtract abstaining or absent representatives from “all its Members,” it could attempt to transmit articles of impeachment with fewer affirmative votes. The protection against politically motivated proceedings would then be weakened at both ends: initiation in the House and conviction in the Senate. The Constitution’s framers were very well aware of the distinction between total membership from attendance. Article VI, Section 16(4), for example, permits one-fifth of the members present to require the “yeas” and “nays” on a question to be entered in the journal. That wording is different from “all the Members.” Such distinctions are not ornamental. They identify different constitutional denominators for different governmental actions. More importantly, the framers couldn’t have missed the fact that the US Constitution categorically says that to convict, “two-thirds of members present.” The framers of our Constitution didn’t just follow the US precedent, and stipulated only “two-thirds of all members.” The issue is ultimately whether the Constitution’s supermajorities are genuine limits on political power or numbers that legislators may adjust when inconvenient. If those entrusted to obey constitutional restraints can alter them through their own procedures, the restraints lose much of their meaning. The question is no longer merely whether 14 or 16 senators can convict Sara Duterte. It is whether the numerical safeguards of the Constitution remain safeguards at all. Facebook: Rigoberto Tiglao X: @bobitiglao Website: www.rigobertotiglao.commanilatimes · philippines
BUSINESS3d agoParis motor show: Macron calls for European preference against ChinaOn Monday, the French president will open his final Paris Motor Show, pushing his "Made in Europe" agenda: tying state aid for this key industry to genuinely EU-based production.EuroNews [en]
POLITICS3d agoPutin aide looks to boost Russian shipbuilding ties with China during visitRussia is looking to expand shipbuilding cooperation with China through technology partnerships and joint investment, visiting presidential aide and Maritime Board chairman Nikolai Patrushev said. Patrushev held talks in Beijing with Ke Jixin, Chinese vice-minister of industry and information technology, the Russian Maritime Board said in a statement on Saturday. It said the two sides discussed the possibility of Chinese shipbuilders becoming technology partners and equipment suppliers for new...South China Morning Post
WORLD3d agoVerstappen cruises to Singapore Grand Prix victory as Hamilton apologises for strategy errorMax Verstappen is back and Mercedes are already worriedThe Telegraph
POLITICS3d agoWuhan’s Covid mayor Zhou Xianwang jailed for 14 years for corruptionZhou Xianwang, the former mayor of Wuhan widely criticised for the initial handling of the Covid-19 outbreak, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for corruption. Zhou used various positions he held between 2003 and 2025 – including party secretary of Huangshi, mayor of Wuhan and vice-governor of Hubei province – to “provide assistance to companies and individuals in contracting projects, business operations and administrative approvals”, Shangqiu Intermediate People’s Court in Henan...South China Morning Post
MILITARY3d agoJapan weighs railway upgrades as part of defense spending pushJapan is considering railway upgrades as part of an initiative to increase defense spending. This suggests a strategic integration of civil infrastructure with national defense capabilities.Seeking Alpha Tech
WORLD3d ago[UPDATED] Zheng Qinwen Beats Andreeva, Wins China OpenRanked 54th, Zheng, 24, is the first Chinese player to win the tournament since its inception in 2004. The post [UPDATED] Zheng Qinwen Beats Andreeva, Wins China Open appeared first on Channels Television.Channels TV
DISASTER3d agoP180-M underdrainage project eyed to address Baguio lagoon floodingBAGUIO CITY — The city government is coordinating with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on a proposed P180-million underdrainage project to address recurring flooding in City Camp Lagoon, with the construction schedule still under discussion. City Engineer Richard Lardizabal, in a statement on Friday, Oct. 10, said the approximately 11,033-square-meter Lagoon area receives water from Naguilian Road, Quezon Hill, City Camp Lagoon and Lower Rock Quarry. The area has two sinkholes, identified as Lagoon 1 and Lagoon 2, which serve as natural collection points for water. Lardizabal said the city had previously widened the lagoon’s throat to accommodate […]... Keep on reading: P180-M underdrainage project eyed to address Baguio lagoon floodinginquirer · philippines
DISASTER3d agoNovita, the orangutan who saved herself from the flames in Indonesia clinging to the branches of a treeShe is between 3 and 4 years old and is in intensive care. It is possible that she will not fully recover her physical condition.Clarín
DISASTER3d agoChild's arm caught and injured in station elevator; immediately after door opened, in gap - NishitetsuAsahi Shimbun
DISASTER3d agoWater accident in Kiso River, Vietnamese national dies - Fuso Town, AichiA Vietnamese national has died in a water accident that occurred in the Kiso River, within Fuso Town, Aichi prefecture. This reports a fatal local accident.Asahi Shimbun
BUSINESS3d agoRound trip via Northern Sea Route a first for South Korean container shipIn vijftig dagen van Zuid-Korea naar Europa en weer terug met een gigantisch containerschip. Dat was lang onmogelijk, maar is nu gelukt. De 212 meter lange en 33 meter brede Panstar Acro vertrok op 22 augustus uit Busan, een havenstad in Zuid-Korea. Nu, vijftig dagen later, is het schip terug nadat het verschillende Europese havens heeft aangedaan, waaronder Rotterdam op 11 september. Dat is gelukt door een route te kiezen die tot een paar jaar geleden zonder ijsbreker onmogelijk was voor dit soort containerschepen. De Panstar Acro voer als eerste Zuid-Koreaanse containerschip heen en terug viNOS Buitenland
BUSINESS3d agoShipping lines, ICTSI tackle overstaying imports at MICTThe Association of International Shipping Lines and International Container Terminal Services recently…portcalls · united states of america
BUSINESS3d agoAISL, ICTSI tackle overstaying imports at MICTThe Association of International Shipping Lines and International Container Terminal Services, Inc…portcalls · united states of america
HEALTH3d agoDistrict Health Centres to match high-risk residents with dentists from next yearResidents with high-risk oral health problems will be paired with dentists by District Health Centres (DHCs) from next year, Director of Health Ronald Lam Man-kin said on Sunday.thestandard_hk · hong kong
DISASTER3d agoTsukuba Express door opens before stopping - passenger may have operated emergency cockA Tsukuba Express train door opened before the train fully stopped, with a passenger potentially having operated the emergency cock. This incident raises concerns about railway safety and passenger actions.Asahi Shimbun
SCI & TECH3d agoLeading Chinese mathematicians unite behind use of AI in researchLeading China’s mathematicians joined forces in Beijing on Sunday to launch an alliance aimed at integrating artificial intelligence into mathematical research. The Yau Laboratory Alliance for Mathematics and Artificial Intelligence is being spearheaded by Fields medallist Shing-Tung Yau, who warned that China was lagging behind the United States in using AI to advance frontier science. It will bring together eight leading institutions and aims to create a network of more than 1,000...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECH3d agoThese Chinese coastal cities might be flooded by 2100International scientists have warned that rising sea levels, driven by melting Antarctic ice, will be 15-20% higher in China's coastal cities like Hong Kong and Shanghai than the global average.newsbytesapp · india
POLITICS3d agoThe EU’s China dilemma: how to counter Beijing without alienating friendsIn September, the Jaecoo 7 – a budget SUV from China’s Chery Automobile – made headlines when it shifted more than 10,000 units to become Britain’s bestselling car. Christened the “Temu Range Rover” online, a nod to the cheap goods available on the Chinese online marketplace and the luxury 4X4 made by Jaguar Land Rover that it resembles, its success showed British drivers’ new-found taste for cut-price Chinese cars. Overall, 23 per cent of new cars bought in Britain last month were Chinese...South China Morning Post
BUSINESS3d agoEurope can fight the ‘China shock’But it requires Brussels to prioritise creative destruction over protectionismFinancial Times
WORLD3d agoHong Kong hiker dies, Singaporean teen discharged after 2 trail emergenciesAt least two people were airlifted to hospital in the past two days after falling ill while hiking in Hong Kong, with a middle-aged man dying and a 17-year-old Singaporean girl discharged. The teenager was flown to Ruttonjee Hospital in Wan Chai on Saturday morning after vomiting and experiencing chills while hiking on Lion Rock, a 495-metre (1,624-foot) peak. In a separate incident, a 66-year-old man suddenly felt unwell and collapsed while hiking with his nephew in Plover Cove Country Park in...South China Morning Post
WORLD3d agoMarco Bezzecchi wins in Indonesia as Martin takes MotoGP leadBezzecchi's win, the 300th victory for an Italian in MotoGP, also kept his faint championship ​hopes alive.Al Jazeera [en]
WORLD3d ago‘Special-forces’ travel: Chinese woman wins admiration after climbing 5 famous peaks in 5 daysA woman from southwestern China has climbed five famous mountains in five provinces in five days, earning widespread admiration on social media. The climber, surnamed Peng, began her journey in her hometown of Guiyang, Guizhou province, on September 23, the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald reported. She climbed Mount Hua in northwestern Shaanxi province the following day, then Mount Heng in neighbouring Shanxi province on September 25, Mount Tai in eastern Shandong province on September 26, Mount Song...South China Morning Post
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