MANILA: A controversial decision by lawmakers in the Philippines to lower the country’s age of criminal liability to 12, has been slammed by human rights groups.
The move on Wednesday overturns a recommendation last week to slash the current minimum age of criminal responsibility (MACR) from 15 to 9 years old.
Opponents of the bill, seen as a key part of President Rodrigo Duterte’s campaign to crack down on crime, said the decision would only worsen the plight of Filipino children.
Lawmakers approved the proposed bill during a second reading, after it was initially passed by the House of Representatives’ committee on justice last Monday, saying it would better protect children from criminal exploitation.
International watchdog Human Rights Watch (HRW) criticized the proposed measure. Its representative in Asia, Carlos Conde, told Arab News: “If the Senate makes good on its promise to pass this version and it is signed into law by the president (Duterte), this would no doubt worsen the plight of Filipino children caught up in the justice system.”
Conde pointed out that children in the Philippines aged between 14 and 9, already face “mandatory confinement” of up to 12 years for committing murder, kidnapping and taking vehicles, and a range of drug-related crimes.
“Children in the Philippines have already been subjected to the extreme violence of Duterte’s ‘drug war,’ with police and government agents killing dozens during anti-drug operations for being suspected drug users or the pawns of drug dealers,” added Conde.
“The proposed law will not only stigmatize children even more, it will turn them into scapegoats in the government’s abusive anti-crime campaign.”
The Philippines’ Commission on Human Rights (CHR) also slammed the proposed bill and said that “punishing children for the crime and abuse of syndicates and other people is against the state’s responsibility to look after the interests and welfare of children.”
Julius Cainglet, advocacy committee chairman of the country’s National Child Labor Committee (NCLC), said: “We should not punish our own children for society’s failure to care for them properly. This (the bill) would be a major setback for our internationally-renowned efforts at ending child labor.”
House of Representatives’ Assistant Majority Leader Rep. Michael Romero said the proposed measure was in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child’s ruling on MACR. He said 12 years old was a “just and appropriate” minimum age of criminal liability but added that 9 years old was “simply too young.”
Rep. Doy Leachon, chairman of the House committee on justice, said that during the period when the minimum age of criminal responsibility in the country had been 15, there had been a huge rise in crime committed by children.
“This bill was brought about by the alarming increase in the number of criminal syndicates using minors to carry out criminal acts,” Leachon said. “It is time to pass this bill in order to protect our children from being used by ruthless and unscrupulous criminal syndicates to evade prosecution and punishment.”
Philippines cuts age of criminal liability from 15 to 12
Philippines cuts age of criminal liability from 15 to 12
- Earlier vote to set age at 9 overturned
- Human rights groups slam the decision
Undocumented migrants ‘forget problems’ at Madrid Ramadan meal
- Since 2018 a group of Senegalese have distributed iftar meals in the square during Ramadan to anyone
- Last year a record 46,843 migrants illegally reached the archipelago off the northwestern coast of Africa
“It fills your stomach,” he said as he ate a yassa sandwich, a speciality made with marinated beef and onions after spending more than an hour on public transport to reach the square from the migrant shelter where he lives.
“Here it is a bit like my Dakar, where you can find ways to get by,” said Serigne, a mechanic by training who arrived in the Spanish capital in October and is spending his first Ramadan alone in Spain, far from his family.
During the month of Ramadan, which this year runs through March, observant Muslims do not eat between sunrise and sundown, breaking their fast with a meal known as iftar.
Since 2018 a group of Senegalese have distributed iftar meals in the square during Ramadan to anyone, whether they are Muslim or not.
Fewer than 30 people turned up in the early days, but on some nights this year the group hands out more than 400 sandwiches, said Aliou Badara Wagnan, one of the organizers of the meal distribution.
This year between 50 and 200 people gather in the square every evening for an iftar meal under the watchful eye of the police, he added.
“For those who have just arrived in Spain, it’s very complicated,” the 33-year-old said.
“They are staying in shelters, they don’t have enough to buy what they need or to cook. We are simply trying to make sure that everyone can eat.”
’Talk and laugh’
For many west African migrants without papers, the gathering is about more than just free food — it is a chance to exchange survival tips or to talk about the disappointments of their lives as undocumented immigrants.
“I try to come every day. It feels good to have a good time and forget about the problems. We talk and laugh with each other,” said Assana, a 23-year-old former fisherman from Saint-Louis, a coastal city in northern Senegal.
Like Serigne, Assana, who did not want to give his surname, is spending his first Ramadan far from his homeland. He scrapes by on the little more than 1,000 euros ($1,080) a month he earns doing odd jobs.
“The biggest problem is not the work, but the lack of papers,” Assana said.
Without permission to work, many young migrants like Assana — who cannot stay in their shelters during the day — wander aimlessly around Lavapies, with its narrow streets filled with Bangladeshi fruit shops and African restaurants.
“We do nothing all day. If someone gave me money to leave, I think I would,” said one migrant who declined to be named.
Pro-immigration stance
Most still hope to become legal residents.
All of the undocumented migrants interviewed by AFP in Lavapies, aged 18 to 30, risked their lives to reach Spain’s Canary Islands in the Atlantic from Africa in precarious boats.
Last year a record 46,843 migrants illegally reached the archipelago off the northwestern coast of Africa, often the first port of call for people quitting the continent hoping for a better life in Europe.
Spain needs “more hands” to work, said Wagnan, who has lived in Spain for the past seven years where he says he has easily found work on building sites.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez seems to agree.
Unlike the bulk of his counterparts in Europe, the Socialist premier argues immigration is needed to fill workforce gaps and counteract an aging population that could imperil pensions and the welfare state.
Spain’s economy expanded by 3.2 percent in 2024, far outperforming its eurozone peers due to a booming tourism sector and a rising population as a result of immigration.
London’s Heathrow airport closed after fire causes major power cut
London: Britain’s Heathrow airport, Europe’s busiest, was shut down early Friday for 24 hours after a major fire at an electricity substation cut power to the sprawling facility west of London, officials said.
Airport authorities said they “expect significant disruption” over the coming days, with hundreds of flights and thousands of passengers affected.
“Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage,” the airport operator said in a statement on its website, adding it would be closed until just before midnight Friday (2359 GMT).
“Passengers should not travel to the airport under any circumstances until the airport reopens.”
Online flight tracking service FlightRadar24 said Heathrow’s closure would affect at least 1,351 flights to and from the airport.
It said 120 flights to the airport were in the air when the closure was announced.
London Fire Brigade said there had been a “significant” fire at a substation in Hayes, a nearby town in the London borough of Hillingdon, which caused the power outage.
It said 10 fire engines and around 70 firefighters were on the scene, while around 150 people had been evacuated from nearby properties.
Images on social media — which could not immediately be verified by AFP — showed huge flames and smoke rising from the substation.
Other videos, apparently shot inside Heathrow’s terminals, showed shuttered shops and deserted corridors, lit only by emergency lighting.
“The fire has caused a power outage affecting a large number of homes and local businesses, and we are working closely with our partners to minimize disruption,” said London Fire Brigade assistant commissioner Pat Goulbourne.
He said the blaze was first reported at 11:23 p.m. (2323 GMT).
“This is a highly visible and significant incident, and our firefighters are working tirelessly in challenging conditions to bring the fire under control as swiftly as possible,” a statement said.
British utility firm Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks said on its website that an “unplanned outage” had left more than 16,000 homes without power in the area.
Heathrow handles more than than 80 million passengers a year and the operator says there are around 1,300 takeoffs or landings a day.
Seven United Airlines flights returned to their airport of origin or to other airports and all Friday flights to London Heathrow are being canceled, a spokesperson said.
In Sydney, Qantas said two flights en route to Heathrow — a non-stop flight from Perth and another via Singapore — had both diverted to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport.
It said two other flights scheduled to fly out of London on Friday were likely to be impacted.
In January, the government gave permission for Heathrow to build a third runway — which could be ready by 2035 — after years of legal wrangling brought on by complaints from local residents.
Five major airports serve the capital and towns nearby.
But capacity is stretched, especially at Heathrow whose two runways each measure almost four kilometers in length, while the airport covers a total area 12.3 square kilometers.
It opened in 1946 as London Airport before being renamed Heath Row, a hamlet demolished two years earlier to make way for the construction.
Situated 25 kilometers (15 miles) west of central London, the present Heathrow serves 200 destinations in more than 80 countries, with passengers having access to four terminals.
Among its main flight destinations last year were Dublin, Los Angeles, Madrid and New York.
67,000 white South Africans express interest in Trump’s plan to give them refugee status
- Trump has offered refugee status to some white South Africans who claimed they are victims of racial discrimination by their Black-led government
CAPE TOWN, South Africa: The United States Embassy in South Africa said Thursday it received a list of more than 67,000 people interested in refugee status in the US under President Donald Trump’s plan to relocate members of a white minority group he claims are victims of racial discrimination by their Black-led government.
The list was given to the embassy by the South African Chamber of Commerce in the US, which said it became a point of contact for white South Africans asking about the program announced by the Trump administration last month. The chamber said the list does not constitute official applications.
Trump issued an executive order on Feb. 7 cutting US funding to South Africa and citing “government actions fueling disproportionate violence against racially disfavored landowners.”
Trump’s executive order specifically referred to Afrikaners, a white minority group who are descendants of mainly Dutch and French colonial settlers who first came to South Africa in the 17th century. The order directed Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem to prioritize humanitarian relief to Afrikaners who are victims of “unjust racial discrimination” and resettle them in the US under the refugee program.
There are approximately 2.7 million Afrikaners in South Africa, which has a population of 62 million. Trump’s decision to offer some white South Africans refugee status went against his larger policy to halt the US refugee resettlement program.
The South African government has said that Trump’s allegations that it is targeting Afrikaners through a land expropriation law are inaccurate and largely driven by misinformation. Trump has posted on his Truth Social platform that Afrikaners were having their farmland seized, when no land has been taken under the new law.
The executive order also criticized South Africa’s foreign policy, specifically its decision to accuse Israel of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza in a case at the United Nations’ top court. The Trump administration has accused South Africa of supporting the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Iran and taking an anti-American stance. The US has also expelled the South African ambassador, accusing him of being anti-America and anti-Trump.
An official at the US Embassy in the South African capital, Pretoria, confirmed receipt of the list of names from the South African Chamber of Commerce in the US but gave no more detail.
Neil Diamond, the president of the chamber, said the list contains 67,042 names. Most were people between 25 and 45 years old and have children.
He told the Newzroom Afrika television channel that his organization had been inundated with requests for more information since Trump’s order and had contacted the State Department and the embassy in Pretoria “to indicate that we would like them to make a channel available for South Africans that would like to get more information and register for refugee status.”
“That cannot be the responsibility of the chamber,” he said.
Diamond said only US authorities could officially register applications for resettlement in the United States. The US Embassy in South Africa said it is awaiting further instructions on the implementation of Trump’s order.
In latest blow to Tesla, regulators recall nearly all Cybertrucks
- NHTSA warned that an exterior panel that runs along the left and right side of the windshield can detach while driving, creating a dangerous road hazard
- The recall of 46,096 Cybertrucks covers all 2024 and 2025 model years, manufactured from November 13, 2023, to February 27, 2025
US safety regulators on Thursday recalled virtually all Cybertrucks on the road, the eighth recall of the Tesla-made vehicles since deliveries to customers began just over a year ago.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s recall, which covers more than 46,000 Cybertrucks, warned that an exterior panel that runs along the left and right side of the windshield can detach while driving, creating a dangerous road hazard for other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
The stainless steel strip, called a cant rail assembly, between the windshield and the roof on both sides, is bound to the truck’s assembly with a structural adhesive, the NHTSA report said. The remedy uses an adhesive that’s not been found to be vulnerable to “environmental embrittlement,” the NHTSA said, and includes additional reinforcements.
Tesla will replace the panel free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed May 19, 2025.
The recall of 46,096 Cybertrucks covers all 2024 and 2025 model years, manufactured from November 13, 2023, to February 27, 2025. The NHTSA order says that Tesla became aware of the problem early this year.
Videos posted on social media showing people ripping the panels off of Cybertrucks with their hands have gone viral in recent days.
The Cybertruck, which Tesla began delivering to buyers in late 2023, has been recalled eight times in the past 15 months for safety problems, including once in November because a fault in an electric inverter can cause the drive wheels to lose power. Last April, the futuristic-looking trucks were recalled to fix acceleration pedals that can get stuck in the interior trim. Other recalls were related to windshield wipers and the display screen.
It’s the latest setback for the Elon Musk-owned electric automaker, which has come under attack since President Donald Trump took office and empowered Musk to oversee a new Department of Government Efficiency that’s slashing government spending.
While no injuries have been reported, Tesla showrooms, vehicle lots, charging stations and privately owned cars have been targeted.
Prosecutors in Colorado charged a woman last month in connection with attacks on Tesla dealerships, including Molotov cocktails thrown at vehicles and the words “Nazi cars” spray-painted on a building.
And federal agents in South Carolina last week arrested a man they say set fire to Tesla charging stations near Charleston. An agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives wrote in an affidavit that authorities found writings critical of the government and DOGE in his bedroom and wallet.
Even before the attacks ramped up in recent weeks, Tesla has been struggling, facing increased competition from rival electric vehicles, particularly out of China.
Though largely unaffected by Thursday’s recall announcement, Tesla shares have plummeted 42 percent in 2025, reflecting newfound pessimism as sales crater around the globe.
With regard to Thursday’s recall, Cybertruck owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752 and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236, or go to nhtsa.gov.
Judge stops Elon Musk’s DOGE team from ‘unbridled access’ to millions of Americans’ private data
- DOGE accessed sensitive SSA data without proper vetting
- Democracy Forward calls ruling a win for data privacy
A federal judge said on Thursday the Social Security Administration likely violated privacy laws by giving tech billionaire Elon Musk’s aides “unbridled access” to the data of millions of Americans, and ordered a halt to further record sharing.
US District Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander of Maryland said Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency was intruding into “the personal affairs of millions of Americans” as part of its hunt for fraud and waste under President Donald Trump.
“To be sure, rooting out possible fraud, waste, and mismanagement in the SSA is in the public interest. But, that does not mean that the government can flout the law to do so,” Hollander said.
The case has shed light for the first time on the amount of personal information DOGE staffers have been given access to in the databases, which hold vast amounts of sensitive data on most Americans.
The SSA administers benefits for tens of millions of older Americans and people with disabilities, and is just one of at least 20 agencies DOGE has accessed since January.
Hollander said at the heart of the case was a decision by new leadership at the SSA to give 10 DOGE staffers unfettered access to the records of millions of Americans. She said lawyers for SSA had acknowledged that agency leaders had given DOGE access to a “massive amount” of records.
“The DOGE Team is essentially engaged in a fishing expedition at SSA, in search of a fraud epidemic, based on little more than suspicion. It has launched a search for the proverbial needle in the haystack, without any concrete knowledge that the needle is actually in the haystack,” Hollander said.
‘Crown jewels’
One of the systems DOGE accessed is called Numident, or Numerical Identification, known inside the agency as the “crown jewels,” three former and current SSA staffers told Reuters. Numident contains personal information of everyone who has applied for or been given a social security number.
Thursday’s ruling is one of the most significant legal setbacks for DOGE to date. It comes two days after a federal judge ruled Musk’s efforts to shut down the US Agency for International Development were likely illegal because he is not a Senate-confirmed cabinet official.
DOGE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A White House spokesman criticized the decision in a statement and said Trump will “continue to seek all legal remedies available to ensure the will of the American people goes into effect.”
“This is yet another activist judge abusing the judicial system to try and sabotage the President’s attempts to rid the government of waste, fraud, and abuse,” spokesman Harrison Fields said.
Judges have declined to block DOGE from accessing computer systems at the departments of Labor, Health and Humans Services, Energy and others, although the team has been barred from accessing sensitive Treasury Department payment systems.
The two labor unions and an advocacy group that sued SSA, Musk, DOGE and others, said in their lawsuit the agency had been “ransacked” and that DOGE members had been installed without proper vetting or training and demanded access to some of the agency’s most sensitive data systems.
The advocacy group Democracy Forward said the ruling was an important win for data privacy.
“Today, the court did what accountability demands — forcing DOGE to delete every trace of the data it unlawfully accessed. The court recognized the real and immediate dangers of DOGE’s reckless actions and took action to stop it,” Democracy Forward President and CEO Skye Perryman said in a statement.
Records to the 1930s
Musk says that millions of people are using the identities of dead people to claim social security payments, or that checks are still being sent to people who died long ago.
Two of the former SSA officials told Reuters the names of millions of dead people are inside the main database because it contains records dating back to the agency’s founding in the 1930s. But the fact they are listed in the systems does not mean they receive payments, the officials said.
“We will work to comply with the court order,” said an SSA spokesperson.
In a statement on March 3, the SSA said it had identified over $800 million in cost savings for the 2025 fiscal year.
“The SSA continues to make good on President Trump’s promise to protect American taxpayers from unnecessary spending,” it said in the earlier statement.
The information in SSA’s records includes Social Security numbers, personal medical and mental health records, driver’s license information, bank account data, tax information, earnings history, birth and marriage records, and employment and employer records, Judge Hollander said.
Hollander also noted that DOGE staffers had been granted anonymity in the proceeding due to fears for their safety.
“(The) defense does not appear to share a privacy concern for the millions of Americans whose SSA records were made available to the DOGE affiliates, without their consent, and which contain sensitive, confidential, and personally identifiable information,” the judge said.
