Latest news with #StateoftheNationAddress
Hans India
7 hours ago
- Business
- Hans India
Disappointed when Adani airport deal cancelled, they're credible partner: Kenya's Odinga
Nairobi: Kenya's former Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Friday said he was disappointed when the Adani Group deal to expand and manage Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) got cancelled. On the second day of the National Executive Retreat in Karen here, Odinga said that should the deal have proceeded, it would have elevated Nairobi into a regional economic hub, as per local media. "I was very disappointed when we were not able to move on with the airport contract that was very unfortunate,' the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader was quoted as saying in the Nairobi Leo publication. Citing political manoeuvring as the key reason for the deal's collapse, he said: "Kenya is very strategically located. I was very disappointed when we were not able to move on with the airport contract... If that is not done, Nairobi will become dormant." Before the cancellation of the deal, Odinga was among the leaders who defended the Adani Group. Kenyan President William Ruto ordered the cancellation of the Adani-JKIA expansion deal as well as the Adani-Ketraco deal, while issuing the State of the Nation Address in Parliament on November 21, 2024. Odinga said that the country lost a strategic opportunity after the deal fell through, adding that Adani's capabilities surpass those of other firms in East Africa. "Adani is a credible partner. They have proven their capabilities in projects that surpass what we have seen in East Africa," he said. The Adani Group has been interested in investing in Kenya since 2010, but this interest was hindered by the lack of a proper legal framework for public-private partnerships (PPPs) at the time. "I want to say that there needs to be transparency when dealing with such issues; otherwise, we risk condemning very reputable companies… Do not condemn innocent companies that are engaged in legitimate commercial transactions," the Kenyan leader was quoted as saying.
GMA Network
13 hours ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Sara Duterte to skip Marcos' SONA? Palace says it's her choice
Malacañang said Friday it is Vice President Sara Duterte's choice if she prefers not to attend the fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. next month. "Last year, hindi rin naman din po siya dumating. At sa ating pagkakaalam, siya po ay um-attend sa isang kasalan. So, kung hindi po siya a-attend ngayon, kahit siya po ay inimbita bilang Bise Presidente, again, choice niya po iyon," Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said in a briefing. (Last year, she also did not attend the SONA. She attended a wedding. So, if she will not attend the SONA this year, even if she's invited, that's her choice.) "At kung hindi niya po maririnig ang mga programa at kung ano po ang naging trabaho ng gobyerno at ni Pangulong Marcos Jr., hindi po na siguro natin kasalanan iyon. It's her choice," she added. (If she won't be able to hear the programs and the work done by the government and President Marcos Jr., that's not our fault. It's her choice.) Duterte will not be attending the fourth SONA of the President on July 28, House Secretary General Reginald Velasco revealed on Thursday. "We received this note [from her office] that she won't be attending this SONA," Velasco told reporters. Nonetheless, Velasco said the House remains prepared to receive the Vice President should she change her mind. He said that aside from a reserved seat, there will be a designated holding room for the Vice President and her immediate staff since she is considered as an institutional guest alongside heads of government agencies and justices of the Supreme Court. When she announced last year that she would not attend Marcos' third SONA, Duterte said she was appointing herself as the designated survivor. Marcos and Duterte were running mates in the 2022 national elections, campaigning on a message of unity across the country. Their relationship, however, has gone sour following investigations by the House of Representatives into the war on drugs under the administration of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, as well as the handling of confidential funds by offices under her leadership. In June 2024, the Vice President announced her resignation as education secretary and as vice chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC). She now faces an impeachment trial in the Senate, which is expected to begin after the 20th Congress opens in July. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
a day ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Presidential security inspects House ahead of SONA 2025
The Presidential Security Command on Wednesday conducted an inspection at the House of Representatives in preparation for the fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. next month. House Secretary General Reginald Velasco told reporters that the PSC was joined by the House Legislative Security Bureau, the Philippine National Police, and the Metro Manila Development Authority. 'They're really prepared for any eventuality. They will secure the place, and then there is a common agreement that the rallies will be limited to the areas before sa may [near the] UP area and they cannot come near the Batasan premises,' Velasco said. 'The perimeter will be secured by the joint military and PNP,' he added. He also disclosed that the House will also offer medical assistance. Several ambulances will be deployed to the House and nearby areas on SONA day. 'And we have also reserved some rooms in the hospitals,' Velasco added. When asked if security threats have been monitored, Velasco replied, 'Wala naman [None] at this time. It's only the usual demonstrations.' Velasco said a rally zone will be designated by the Quezon City Police District. 'We're prepared for any eventuality,' he said. 'We hope that this worst case scenario will not happen. We're still praying that it will be as successful as the last year's SONA,' he added. Marcos will deliver the SONA on July 28, 2025. — BM, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
2 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
VP Sara Duterte to skip SONA anew —House SecGen
Vice President Sara Duterte will not be attending the fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on July 28, House Secretary General Reginald Velasco said Thursday. "We received this note [from her office] that she won't be attending this SONA," Velasco told reporters. Still, Velasco said the House remains prepared to receive the Vice President should she change her mind. He said aside from a reserved seat, there will be a designated holding room for the Vice President and her immediate staff since she is considered as an institutional guest alongside heads of government agencies and justices of the Supreme Court. "We are not excluding the possibility that she will attend," Velasco said. "There will be a seat for her reserved at the center of the [House plenary] gallery, the VIP gallery. If she decides to come, there will be a seat for her," he added. 2025 marks the second straight year that the Vice President will miss the SONA. Last year, the Vice President also skipped the President's SONA by saying that she is appointing herself as the designated survivor. Her statement drew flak since a popular US and South Korean series titled Designated Survivor is a story about a Cabinet official who is a designated survivor and thus skipping the State of the Union address, only for all the rest of those present in the address to be killed in a bomb explosion. Marcos and Duterte formed the Uniteam and resoundingly won the 2022 elections over their rivals. Their relationship, however, has gone sour. The House of Representatives impeached the Vice President in February over allegations of confidential fund misuse and making threats to kill the President and his family.—AOL, GMA Integrated News
IOL News
5 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
South Africa's Shame: How government is failing young women
With over 10,600 reported rapes in just one quarter, South Africa faces a crisis that demands urgent government action. Image: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers The fourth quarter crime statistics for 2024/25 paint a sobering picture. More than 10,600 cases of rape; 1,872 cases of sexual assault; 656 attempted sexual offences; 236 contact sexual offences. This is one quarter, from January 1, 2025 to March 31, 2025. Extrapolate that over four quarters and you have well over 42,000 cases of rape in a year. That's 115 rapes a day. And those are just the reported cases. Some believe the actual number may be at least four times as high. As a woman, you are four times more likely to be assaulted in your own home. It's estimated around 90% of the victims of reported rape cases are women. Following the news coverage of the murders of young women on IOL, you'll recognise that nowhere is safe for women. You get murdered going on a date. You get murdered using ride-sharing. You get murdered going to the post office. You get murdered going to the bathroom at night. You get murdered going to school. You get murdered at varsity. The poem Siphokazi Jonas penned in 2018, first published by The Cape Argus and IOL still rings true: We Are Dying Here. And yet, year after year, we are subjected to a State of the Nation Address where our president promises to do more to end the scourge of GBV, to set up specialised task teams, to hold national dialogues, to urge the NPA and the rest of the justice system to get its act together to properly investigate and prosecute these matters, to Youth Day speeches where we are sold a dream... We are tired. We demand action. No more empty promises. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Our quarterly crime statistics may show some green shoots: There were 809 fewer murders between January 2025 and March 2025 than there were in the corresponding period in 2024 — but that's still 5,727 murders a quarter too many. Femicide accounts for about 1,500 of the country's total murders per annum — around four per day. Women are five to eight times more likely to be murdered by their intimate partner, according to SAPS in 2024. According to the World Health Organization, the femicide rate in South Africa is five times the global average. Just this year alone: Olorato Mongale, 30; Likhona Fose, 14; Imaan Syms, 30... The list goes on. This Youth Day we need to remember their names. Remember their names when President Cyril Ramaphosa is addressing us on June 16. Think about the number of young women and girls who have been raped, murdered, or gone missing, like little Joshlin Smith. Think about how this system, this society, this government has failed them. As we honour the youth activists of the June 16, 1976 Uprising, remember that many of those who participated are now in government and leadership positions in this country, in positions where they can make a difference but choose not to. Thousands of youth gave up their lives for the freedoms we now cherish. What are we prepared to offer up to stem the tide of grave crimes committed against our young women? * Lance Witten is the editor of IOL.
