Daily News Highlights – January 18, 2016 Edition

The richest one percent of the world’s population now own more than the rest of us combined, aid group Oxfam said Monday, January 18, on the eve of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. To be more specific, 62 people own as much wealth as the poorest half of the world’s population, the anti-poverty agency said in its reported published ahead of the annual gathering of the world’s financial and political elites in Davos. Of the 62 richest people, 53 are men and just 9 are female, highlighting that women are ill-represented even at the highest levels. While the number of people living in extreme poverty halved between 1990 and 2010, the average annual income of the poorest 10% has risen by less than $3-a-year in the past quarter of a century, an increase in individuals’ income of less than one cent a year, the report also said. To address inequality, Oxfam is calling for an end to the era of tax havens which has seen the increasing use of offshore centers to avoid paying taxes. Oxfam International Executive Director Winnie Byanima will also attend Davos having co-chaired last year’s event.

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62 richest own as much as half the world – report

One day after the implementation of the Iran nuclear accord, United States Secretary of State John Kerry announced that the US is to repay Iran a $400 million debt and $1.3 billion in interest dating to the Islamic revolution. The repayment settles a suit brought under an international legal tribunal in relation to a trust fund used by Iran to purchase military equipment from the United States prior to the break in diplomatic ties, plus $1.3 billion in interests. The timing of the announcement is seen as pointing to a broader clearing of the decks between the old foes. US President Barack Obama defended the settlement in a televised statement from the White House, saying it was for “much less than the amount Iran sought.” The repayment is separate from the tens of billions of dollars in frozen foreign accounts that Iran can now access after the end of nuclear sanctions. The nuclear accord, which took effect on Saturday, January 16, effectively ended Iran’s international isolation. In a separate announcement, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani stressed that the deal would now make it easier for Iranian businesses to operate after years of being frozen out of the international financial system. Only last week Rouhani said Iranians should look forward to a “year of prosperity” after sanctions are lifted. In a related move, 3 Americans incuding Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian and two other Americans were released by Iran on Sunday. After the Americans were released, the Obama administration announced new sanctions related to participation in Iran’s ballistic missile program. The sanctions applied to 11 persons and companies, and were issued under U.S. restrictions that remain in place despite the lifting Saturday of international sanctions tied to Iran’s nuclear program.

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Kerry: US to pay Iran $1.7B in debt and interest

Rouhani: Skeptics of Iran nuclear deal ‘proven wrong’

Plane with freed Americans leaves Iran; U.S. imposes new sanction

Iran nuclear deal goes into force, sanctions lifted.

Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II has gained a key ally in what is shaping to be a tight 2016 presidential race: Mayor Guia Gomez of San Juan City, a member of the influential Ejercito-Estrada clan. Roxas on Monday, January 18, will be the Guest of Honor and Keynote speaker during the city’s flag raising ceremony at the San Juan City Hall. Incumbent Mayor Guia Gomez and other local officials are expected to grace the event, according to a media advisory from the Roxas campaign team. Another presidential aspirant, Vice President Jejomar Binay, spoke at the General Membership Meeting and Fellowship Night of the Alpha Phi Omega (APO) in the UAE on Wednesday, January 13. The Vice-President told his fraternity brothers to help uplift Filipinos’ lives. Meantime, Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte, another presidential hopeful, managed to avoid political hot waters in General Santos City.

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Roxas gets Guia Gomez’s nod in San Juan 

Binay to APO frat brothers: Help uplift Filipinos’ lives

No drama in Gensan for Duterte, Marcos, Cayetano

A man who was left brain-dead after suffering serious side effects during a drugs trial in France died on Sunday, January 17, according to the hospital, which had been treating him. Five other volunteers hospitalized a week ago when the drugs trial went wrong were “in a stable condition”, the hospital in the western city of Rennes said in a statement. The patients took part in what is known as a Phase I trial to test the safety of a new pain and mood disorder medication for Portuguese pharmaceutical company Bial.  The medication was being tested on humans for the first time by private laboratory Biotrial. French authorities launched investigations on the research laboratory, which is located in the northwestern city of Rennes. 

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Man dies after being left brain-dead in French drug trial – hospital

3 probes launched into tragic France drug trial

Democratic presidential candidates square off for a crucial debate Sunday, January 17 (Monday, January 18 in Manila), with frontrunner Hillary Clinton feeling the heat from challenger Bernie Sanders in a tightening nomination race two weeks before the first vote is cast in Iowa. The pair, along with Maryland former governor Martin O’Malley, takes the stage in Charleston, South Carolina with the temperature rising in the primary battle. All 3 are aware that their performance – the final Democratic debate before the Iowa caucuses on February 1 – could have a crucial impact on who wins the state. The debate has the potential to be more contentious and personal than the previous three Democratic debates. Facing an uphill battle in New Hampshire and tightening polls in Iowa, Clinton recently went on the offensive – not just against Republicans, but also against Bernie Sanders, her chief rival in the Democratic nomination race. 

SpaceX’s latest attempt to land a rocket upright on a platform in the Pacific Ocean failed on Sunday. The unmanned mission, powered by a SpaceX rocket, accomplished its primary goal of carrying Satellite Jason-3 into low orbit. But its secondary goal — to land the rocket safely on a floating platform called a droneship in the middle of the ocean — did not go as planned. On Twitter, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said ‘the touchdown speed was ok, but a leg lockout didn’t latch, so it tipped over after landing.’ Satellite Jason-3, the rocket’s payload, will be on a 5-year mission to collect data that will aid climate change and fisheries management.

The police command of Northern Mindanao has identified 54 municipalities and cities in the region as Election Watchlist Areas (EWAs), its spokesman said this week. At the first joint multi-stakeholder’s peace and security forum on Thursday, January 14, Police Superintendent Ronnie Francis Cariaga gave a breakdown of localities being monitored in each of the 4 provinces for being prone to election-related violence. You can check for the full list in the links below. Earlier, the local Commission on Elections (COMELEC) officials of Negros Occidental announced “after a thorough evaluation” with the army and the police, that “Negros Occidental has no areas of concern at this point in time.” Even Isabela town, where a provincial board member and his bodyguard were shot dead in 2015, is not an area of concern, the provincial election chief said.

Northern Mindanao poll violence watchlist: 47 towns, 7 cities

No election hot spots in Negros Occidental for now – Comelec

Sri Lanka’s prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, announced on Sunday, January 17, that officials would use social media to seek public opinion on a proposed new constitution aimed at preventing a return to ethnic war. Wickremesinghe said Sri Lanka will use social media to help draft the new statute to devolve more powers to minority Tamils and ensure unity after decades of war. Sites such as Facebook and Twitter played a key role in supporting Wickremesinghe’s election in August as well  during the January 2015 presidential election at which he supported Maithripala Sirisena. Since coming to power, the new government has set up free wi-fi zones in many public places to encourage the use of web-based services.

Filipino-American Ronnie del Carmen is an Oscar nominee, earning the nod with Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve, and Josh Cooley in the Best Original Screenplay category for Pixar’s 2015 mega hit Inside Out. Pete and Ronnie, the film’s director and co-director respectively, hold story credits for the film. Pete, Meg, and Josh wrote the screenplay. A critical and commercial hit, Inside Out, examines the goings-on in the mind of Riley, a cheerful 11-year-old girl who goes through major life changes as she makes the move with her parents to a big city. Aside from Best Original Screenplay, the film is also a nominee for Best Animated Feature (director Pete Docter and producer Jonas Rivera are nominated).

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Fil-Am Ronnie del Carmen gets Oscar nod for ‘Inside Out’

‘Inside Out’ review: A triumph of emotions

Days after her husband and manager died of cancer, Canadian singer Celine Dion has lost a brother also to cancer, a family spokesman said Saturday, January 16. Daniel Dion was 59. He was the eighth of 14 Dion siblings. Dion’s husband Rene Angelil, who discovered the Canadian pop diva and long managed her career, died Thursday, January 14 aged 73 after a struggle with cancer.

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A brother of Celine Dion dead of cancer, days after her husband died

Celine Dion’s husband, manager Rene Angelil dies