#ThewRap: Things you need to know, April 26, 2017

Hello Rappler readers,

The ASEAN 2017 Summit in Manila begins today, with the main event for leaders happening on Saturday, April 29. Philippine officials say it’s a chance to showcase the best of the country even as we hope President Rodrigo Duterte himself will also learn a lesson or two from the Summit.

At the Palarong Pambansa in Antique, student athletes in Metro Manila continue to dominate the games.

South Korea, meanwhile, feels China’s boycott.

 Manila begins ASEAN 2017 Summit hosting

The Philippines plays host to the 30th ASEAN Summit, with meetings beginning today and culminating in the leaders’ summit on Saturday, April 29. Why should you care about issues to be tackled in these meetings, such as integration?

‘Dutertenomics’ gives room for big business play

At the second of a series of forums with the private sector on infrastructure, the Duterte administration gave assurances to the sector that big business will continue to play a huge role even as China and Japan have pledged to help. Ayala and SM Prime said they will in fact defy China’s slowdown through their infrastructure projects.

Death penalty bill ‘dead’ in the Senate

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said at least 13 senators are expected to vote against the measure seeking to restore capital punishment in the country. This means the bill, which passed the House with overwhelming votes, is dead in the upper chamber, Drilon said. 

South Korea tourism suffers over China boycott

The number of Chinese tourists in South Korea dropped 40% in March, following China’s boycott over the deployment of a US missile defense system. Washington and Seoul insist the deployment was for purely defensive purposes.

Palarong Pambansa Day 2: NCR dominates games

Student athletes from the National Capital Region continued to rule Palarong Pambansa as it entered its second day on Tuesday, April 25. Heavy rains put some sports events to a halt, but that did not dampen the search for new records in swimming and athletics.

Madonna fumes over unauthorized biopic

Madonna was furious over news that a Hollywood studio plans an unauthorized biopic of her early years in New York. “Nobody knows what I know and what I have seen. Only I can tell my story,” Madonna wrote on Instagram.