Rappler Newscast | October 24, 2014

Today on Rappler.

• Slain transgender woman Jennifer Laude is laid to rest
• The deadly Ebola virus reaches New York City
• A US report says ISIS is the wealthiest terrorist group

 

JENNIFER LAUDE LAID TO REST
Slain transgender woman Jennifer Laude is laid to rest Friday afternoon.
Over 200 family members, friends and supporters attend her funeral.
Unable to suppress her tears, her sister Marilou Laude thanks supporters for the outpouring of love.
Laude died on October 12 minutes after she met with US Marine Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton in a club in Olongapo City.

 

Watch Buena Bernal’s full report.

PHILIPPINES REVIEWING UNCLEAR PROVISIONS IN VFA
With the Laude case in full swing, the Philippines reviews “ambiguous” provisions in its Visiting Forces Agreement or VFA with the United States.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima says clearer guidelines are needed since some provisions are interpreted differently by the Philippines and the US.
But US Ambassador Philip Goldberg says it’s not a good time to review the VFA while a murder case is ongoing.

 

HOW ART IS INSTRUMENTAL TO PEACE
Mindanao is a study in contrasts: behind the beauty, diversity is a  decades-old conflict.
Rappler talks to Mindanao-based artist Kublai Millan.
He is a man with a mission — he wants to show the world that not all of Mindanao is war-torn.

 

KUBLAI MILLAN, ARTIST: It’s kind of bad for the image of Mindanao, it’s bad for our growth, but in many ways it protects our mountains and the culture, the villages. There are pros and cons.

 

But Millan says art paves the way for peace.

 

KUBLAI MILLAN, ARTIST: The ideal setup is to project a culture of peace. You put images of people from different diversities – Christians, Moslems, lumads – all in one place and then they would say, oh, my brother Moslem is beside me and we are not having problems.
Because the art is big enough to block your eyes, it’s there to put an image in your head.

 

Watch our full interview with Kublai Millan.

 

PEACE NOT ENOUGH TO ATTRACT TOURISTS
How can Mindanao become a top tourist destination?
Tourism Assistant Secretary Art Boncato says restoring peace is a start, but it’s not enough.

 

ART BONCATO, TOURISM UNDERSECRETARY: It’s a given, it’s peaceful… but if they decide to come and bring hundreds and thousands and the nation is not ready, then we do not achieve

 

Boncato says there are efforts to turn sites that saw a lot of conflict before the peace agreement into tourist destinations.

 

ART BONCATO: TOURISM UNDERSECRETARY: We’re dealing with the ARMM as a potential destination for certain markets.

 

Boncato says there’s a lot of work to be done, including building airports and accommodations and establishing airline routes.

 

ART BONCATO, TOURISM UNDERSECRETARY: Tourism is beyond showing the beauty of the Philippines. I think the underlying and the most important thing is giving an opportunity for every Filipino to have a sustainable livelihood.

 

Watch Art Boncato’s full interview on Rappler.

 

BIMP-EAGA & IMT-GT EVENT BRINGS TOGETHER ASEAN NATIONS
Two major subregional economic groups in Asia conclude their joint conference in Davao City Friday.
The East Asia growth corridor BIMP-EAGA is composed of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.
IMT-GT is made up of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.
The event, which brings together ASEAN nations, aims to further strengthen regional economic cooperation, access and integration.
Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte says the regional conference is proof that “all is well” in Mindanao despite travel advisories discouraging foreigners from visiting.
Mindanao Development Authority secretary Lualhati Antonino says the gathering is an “attempt to boost each other’s economies by taking advantage” of the diversity and similarities of the countries.

 

NEW YORK CONFIRMS FIRST EBOLA CASE
The deadly Ebola virus is now in New York City.
Craig Spencer, a doctor who worked in Guinea, tests positive for Ebola.
He flew in October 14 and was rushed to the Bellevue Hospital after exhibiting symptoms.
The city’s health department deployed disease detectives to trace Spencer’s contacts to identify anyone at risk.
3 days before Spencer arrived, New York’s JFK Airport rolled out new screening measures to prevent Ebola from entering.

 

ISLAMIC STATE MILITANTS NOW WORLD’S RICHEST: EXPERTS
A US official reveals terrorist group ISIS or the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria has become the world’s wealthiest terror group.
Terrorism intelligence undersecretary David Cohen says ISIS earns tens of millions of dollars a month from illegal oil sales, ransoming kidnap victims, and extortion.
Cohen adds “there is no secret weapon to empty ISIS’s coffers overnight.”
ISIS seized a large swath of territory in Iraq and Syria, and is inching closer toward the Turkey boundary.

 

CANADA FACES JIHADIST THREAT AFTER HOME-GROWN ATTACKS
Canadian officials say two men involved in two violent incidents wanted to travel to Syria where they might join Islamist extremists.
But officials admit there’s still no evidence of a wider plot.
On Wednesday, Montreal petty criminal Michael Zehaf-Bibeau shot dead an unarmed soldier at the Ottawa war memorial before storming the corridors of the Canadian parliament.
The attack followed a similar one Monday in Quebec when Martin Couture-Rouleau killed one of two soldiers he ran over.

THE wRap: YOUR WORLD IN ONE READ

 

EU COMMITS TO 40% CUT IN GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY 2030
European Union leaders agree on a climate change deal committing their countries to cut 40% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
The agreement also includes putting in place 27% targets for the amount of renewable energy and energy efficiency gains.

 

AMY TAN TALKS ABOUT HER INSPIRATIONS, CHARACTERS, AND NEW NOVEL
Best-selling author Amy Tan was in Manila to meet fans and the media.
Best known for her novel “The Joy Luck Club,” Tan tells Rappler how her stories of the Asian diaspora in the US are inspired by people in her life.

 

For the full top 10 visit Rappler.com’s ‘the wRap.’

 

CHINA LAUNCHES FIRST MISSION TO MOON AND BACK
China launches its first space mission to the moon and back Friday.
Authorities say the unnamed, unmanned probe will travel to the moon, fly around, and head back to Earth.
The project plans to build a permanent orbiting station by 2020, and one day land a Chinese man on the moon.
China currently has a rover, the Jade Rabbit, on the surface of the moon.

 

CHRISTIAN BALE TO PLAY APPLE’S STEVE JOBS
Award-winning actor Christian Bale will play Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in an upcoming biopic.
The screenplay will be written by Aaron Sorkin based on the 2011 biography Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson.
Jobs’ storied life already has been turned into a movie in last year’s Netflix drama Jobs starring Ashton Kutcher – which received lukewarm reviews.

 

– Rappler.com

Newscast Production Staff

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER / WRITER	Lilibeth Frondoso
DIRECTOR	Rupert Ambil
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER / PUBLISHER	Rodneil Quiteles
	Dindin Reyes
HEAD WRITER / PROMPTER	Katerina Francisco
	Marga Deona
MASTER EDITOR / PLAYBACK	Exxon Ruebe
	Emerald Hidalgo
	Jaene Zaplan
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR / CAMERAMAN	Charlie Salazar
	Adrian Portugal
	Francis Lopez
	Naoki Mengua
GRAPHICS	Jessica Lazaro
	Raffy de Guzman