MANILA: Philippine Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Roy Cimatu said on Wednesday that he will uphold President Rodrigo Duterte’s plans to ban open-pit mining.
“We will eventually abide by the instruction of the president to stop open-pit mining in the future,” Cimatu told lawmakers during a confirmation hearing in Congress.
Duterte said last month he agreed with banning open-pit mining in the world’s top nickel ore exporter, given the environmental damage it causes, but would give mining firms time to find other ways to extract minerals.
Open-pit mining is formally allowed under the Philippines’ mining law, but Cimatu’s predecessor, Regina Lopez, slapped a ban on it during the 10 months she spent in office before being forced out after failing to win congressional confirmation.
Philippine environment minister says to uphold President Duterte’s open-pit mining ban
Philippine environment minister says to uphold President Duterte’s open-pit mining ban
Denmark cut asylum figures to historic low in 2025: govt
- “My main priority is to limit the influx of refugees,” said Stoklund
- Denmark registered 1,835 asylum requests by November 2025
COPENHAGEN: Denmark’s strict immigration policies drove asylum admissions to a historic low in 2025, with 839 requests granted by the end of November, the government announced Saturday.
“It is absolutely critical that as few foreigners as possible come to Denmark and obtain asylum. My main priority is to limit the influx of refugees,” said Immigration Minister Rasmus Stoklund in a press release.
According to the ministry, “there have been very few years when the annual total remained below 1,000 ... 2025 will be a year with a historically low number of residence permits granted on asylum grounds.”
Denmark registered 1,835 asylum requests by November 2025.
The country’s immigration approach has been influenced by far-right parties for more than 20 years, and Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, the head of the Social Democrats, has pursued a “zero refugee” policy since coming to power in 2019.
Copenhagen has over the years implemented a slew of initiatives to discourage migrants and make Danish citizenship harder to obtain.
In 2024, the country of six million people accepted some 860 of the 2,333 asylum requests lodged that year.
