October 23, 2014 Edition

A Canadian soldier and the person who reportedly shot him are dead in a morning attack in Ottawa, the capital of Canada on Wednesday, October 22. The soldier, identified as Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, 24, was guarding the National War Memorial when he was shot by a man who then ran to the Parliament building a few meters away from the memorial. Police pursued the man inside the building and later shot him. The man was later identified as Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, 32. Police ordered a lock down of the building and the surrounding downtown area as they searched for other possible gunmen.

Read the full story on Rappler and the New York Times.

President Benigno Aquino III said on Wednesday, October 22 that – excluding the maritime dispute over the West Philippine Sea – the country’s relationship with China is improving. Responding to questions in a forum with the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP), Aquino said the relationship between the countries is “roughly the same” but has improved overall. Aquino said he plans to bring up China’s recent actions in the disputed waters in talks at the ASEAN Summit in Myanmar in November.

Read the full story on Rappler.

More Filipinos are opting to dine out in restaurants rather than cook their meals at home, according to a recent survey. The 2014 Nielsen Shoppers Trend Report reveals that at least a quarter of the respondents frequently ate out at restaurants and convenience stores instead of at home. This is a 11 percentage point increase from the 14% of respondents in 2012 who preferred eating out. The study reveals a shift in the behavior and attitude of some Filipinos who, because of their busy lifestyles, prefer the convenience of purchasing ready-to-eat food. Nielsen surveyed 1,783 males and females, aged 16-65 years old in urban areas throughout the Philippines.

Read the full story on Rappler.

Two North Korean defectors testified on Wednesday, October 23 before a United Nations panel discussion on the atrocities they suffered in North Korean prison camps. Kim Hye-Sook detailed the difficulties of growing up in the prison camp with few clothes and almost no food. She narrated how some prisoners were so hungry they would even kill babies just to be able to eat. Kim and another defector Jung Kwang-Il told the UN how Pyongyang’s prison camp system subjected North Koreans to decades of starvation, hard labor and torture. In a rare occasion, North Korean diplomats attended the discussion and defended the country against allegations of torture.

Read the full story of Rappler’s Ayee Macaraig who reports from the UN Headquarters in New York here and here.

French oil giant Total on Wednesday, October 22 named new bosses to lead one of the world’s biggest energy companies after its chief executive was killed in Moscow when his private jet hit a snowplough on takeoff. Executives decided at an emergency meeting to bring back its former Chairman and CEO Thierry Desmarest as the group’s Chairman while naming Philippe Pouyanne as its new chief executive. Pouyanne is the head of the refining and chemicals division. Meanwhile in Moscow, French investigators joined a local Russian team to probe Monday’s crash that killed former Total CEO Christophe de Margery.

Read the full story on Rappler.

Relatives and the fiancé of slain transgender Jennifer Laude staged a protest outside the gates of the detention facility housing US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton on Wednesday, October 22. The protestors demanded to see Pemberton and are opposed to the ‘special treatment’ accorded to the soldier who is accused of murdering Laude in Olongapo City. Marilou Laude and Marc Sueselbeck managed to get inside the compound by climbing over the fence. They were later stopped by military police and escorted out of the compound.

Read the full story on Rappler.

Malaysia’s Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said Wednesday, October 22, his country was determined to find missing Flight MH370, as he was briefed by Australian officials leading the complex search deep in the Indian Ocean. Hishammuddin, who is in the Western Australian port of Fremantle to inspect one of the search ships, the GO Phoenix, said the passengers and crew on board the Malaysia Airlines jet “remain in our thoughts and also in our prayers. “We must continue to hope because sometimes hope is all we have,” Hishammuddin told reporters.

Read the full story on Rappler.

Indian boxer Sarita Devi was on Wednesday, October 22 provisionally suspended by the sport’s world governing body after refusing to accept her bronze medal at the Asian Games in a protest against judging. It means Devi will not be allowed to participate in the world championships to be held in Jeju Island, South Korea, in November, the International Boxing Association (AIBA) said in a statement. Devi, who controversially lost after appearing to dominate her opponent, South Korean Park Ji-Na, tearfully reused to accept the bronze during the medal ceremony. She also took the bronze medal and hung it around the neck of the stunned Park. Devi later issued an “unconditional apology” to the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) for her behavior.

Read the full story on Rappler.

Popular toy store Toys R Us came under fire this week after a Florida woman complained that the kids’ store was selling dolls of a fictional drug dealing character from the hit TV show Breaking Bad. The branded dolls of Walter White and his accomplice Jesse Pinkman comes complete with a gas mask and a tray of blue crystals. The Florida woman launched an online petition to get Toys R Us to remove the dolls. The company said the dolls were clearly marked for ages 15 and up.

Read the full story on Rappler.

Last June, Sister Cristina Scuccia won the top prize in The Voice of Italy – and now she’s back with a new cover, making the unusual choice to sing Madonna’s “Like a Virgin.” The song, of course, has been modified to reflect Sister Cristina’s image and musical style, and takes on a slower, more reflective feel, different from Madonna’s energetic tune. She described the cover as more “a secular prayer than a pop song.”

Read the full story on Rappler.