Philippines
Plan to lower age of responsibility to 9 meets controversy
President Rodrigo Duerte’s proposal to reduce the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to nine has provoked much controversy in the Philippines, where several groups regard it as a violation of children’s rights. Duerte sees this as a way to stop criminal groups from using children to commit serious crimes, however Human Rights Watch (HRW) in the Philippines says this will worsen the already difficult situation of children in the country and will only involve shutting them away in youth prisons until they are 12.
Snow reaches the Pre-Pyrenees and the lowlands
J.C/D.BThis is the first great snowfall of the year which has affected counties in the Pre-Pyrenees and central Catalonia as well as the higher areas. It has not caused any serious problems, but has stopped 829 students from going to class as 65 school transport routes have been affected. Meanwhile 12 schools in Osona decided to send their students home early. The depth of snow varied enormously, while in some areas it just whitened the ground, in others more than 1 meter of snow was registered.
Polemic 9M729 cruise missile criticized by US
AgenciesThe Russian government yesterday called the press and foreign diplomats based in Moscow to a meeting at the “Patriot” military estate and showed them the Novator 9M729. Russia denies US allegations that the treaty for the elimination of intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles (the INF treaty) has been violated. In relation to these allegations, lieutenant general Mikhail Matveevsky, the chief of the military’s missile and artillery forces, explained that the 9M729 cruise missile is nothing more than the previous 9M728 updated.