August 27, 2013 Edition

Valerie Castro

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

  1. Success: 1st social media-organized protests

    The Rappler map of the online communities behind #MillionPeopleMarch

    Filipinos held anti-corruption protests in at least 27 cities in the Philippines and abroad, sparked by a scandal on the misuse of the pork barrel and first organized on social media. As of 8pm August 26, there were more than 140,000 social media mentions about the August 26 movement, with online mentions peaking from 10am to 11am getting as many as 5 tweets per second. On the ground, police estimated 80,000 to 100,000 protesters attended the Luneta rally. At least 23 other cities across the country witnessed similar protests, while Filipinos in New York, Melbourne and Canberra held their own anti-pork barrel rallies. Key national figures, such as Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, former lawmakers and ex-Cabinet secretaries also attended the Luneta rally. Former Chief Justice Renato Corona, dismissed in 2012 over charges of unexplained wealth, tried to join the protests but was booed by the crowd.

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  2. Where are the Napoleses? Still in PH

    FUGITIVE: Janet Lim Napoles

    Fugitive Janet Lim Napoles and her brother Reynald “Jojo” Lim are hiding in the country, based on leads gathered by the National Bureau of Investigation, according to Justice Secretary Leila De Lima. It’s been two weeks since a Makati court issued arrest warrants against the two over charges they illegally detained a cousin who eventually turned whistleblower. De Lima faced the media on August 27 to announce the investigation of the Inter-Agency Graft Coordinating Council (IAGCC) on the pork barrel misuse. The council is composed of De Lima, Commission on Audit (COA) chairperson Grace Pulido-Tan and Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales.

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  3. Gov’t begins inter-agency probe on pork scam

    The Office of the Ombudsman will play a key role in filing cases against people behind pork barrel scams. Along with the National Bureau of Investigation in the Inter-Agency Coordinating Council (IAGCC), it will not only run after Janet Lim-Napoles and the lawmakers allegedly involved in her alleged scam but other groups that may have misused the funds, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales said on August 27. The IAGCC is composed of Morales, Commission on Audit (COA) chairperson Grace Pulido-Tan, and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.  The Ombudsman has great powers as shown in the impeachment trial of removed Chief Justice Renato Corona. It can direct all government agencies to cooperate in its investigation.

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  4. A US-led strike against Syria?

    The US has built a humanitarian and legal case for military action against Syria, rooted in the proposition that an “undeniable” chemical attack had shattered international codes of war. US rhetoric, led by an emotional indictment of Syria by Secretary of State John Kerry, is suddenly hawkish: a remarkable turn, since the White House has spent months trying to halt a slide into another Middle Eastern war. There was a growing sense in Washington that the clock was relentlessly ticking down towards US strikes against President Bashar al-Assad’s regime: the only questions were when and how. US President Barack Obama has the authority to launch air strikes against Syria. But he has to notify lawmakers in Congress — a process which has begun, according to both sides.

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  5. Pentagon boss visiting Manila

    MANILA-BOUND: US Defense Chief Chuck Hagel. AFP photo

    US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel will be in Manila on August 29 and 30 to conclude his week-long Southeast Asian trip meant to stress Washington’s strategic “pivot” to the Asia-Pacific. He earlier met with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and his defense counterparts in the two countries to discuss military cooperation against the backdrop of security issues in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea.) From Jakarta, Hagel jumped to Brunei on Wednesday for the ASEAN Defense Ministers annual retreat. The US pivot to Asia-Pacific means a resurgence of US warships and planes, which is believed to be a move aimed to contain China’s aggression. All 4 countries have territorial claims that overlaps with China’s.

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  6. Brazil diplomat helps Bolivian senator escape

    A Brazilian diplomat has resigned following his own revelations that he helped a Bolivian opposition senator escape to Brazil after he was holed up for 15 months in Brasilia’s embassy in La Paz. Sen Roger Pinto, an opponent of Bolivian President Evo Morales, made his escape August 23 in an embassy car escorted by Brazilian marines, driving 22 hours to the southwestern Brazilian city of Corumba, 1,600 kilometers from La Paz. Eduardo Saboia, the Brazilian charge d’affaires in La Paz, said he took the personal decision to help Pinto escape “because there was an imminent threat to the life and dignity of the senator.” Bolivian Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca expressed “deep concern over the transgression of the principle of reciprocity and international courtesy.”

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  7. Gov’t needs to act fast, say business leaders

    ROUNDTABLE TALKS. Senate President Franklin Drilon and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr sit with members of the business community to further inclusive growth in the country. Photo taken from the Wallace Business Forum Facebook page

    The business community expressed concern that the country’s fast economic growth has not made a dent on unemployment. During the Wallace Business Forum (WBF) Second Quarterly Roundtable, top business executives acknowledged the improvement in the economy but said gains are not trickling down as fast as needed. “If the government wants to promote inclusive growth, then it must focus on improving the ease of doing business as it is businesses that provide employment,” added Wallace. WBF managing director and former finance chief Gary Teves said economic growth will not be inclusive if investments do not come in.

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  8. Ocean: New source of global warming

    ICY NORTH. An aerial view of the research ship 'Polarstern' (North Star) sailing on the Artic Ocean at the North Pole, October 6, 2011. Photo by EPA/Stefan Hendriks / Alred Wegener Institute handout

    Oceans that grow more acidic through Man’s fossil fuel burning emissions, can amplify global warming by releasing less of a gas that helps shield Earth from radiation, a study said on August 25. The authors warned the potentially vast effect they uncovered is not currently factored into climate change projections. Scientists say that man’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions contribute to planetary warming by letting the Sun’s heat through the atmosphere but trapping heat energy reflected back from Earth, so creating a greenhouse effect. They also lower the pH balance of the world’s oceans, making them more acidic, and hamper production of dimethyl sulfide (DMS). Using climate simulations, the team said an 18% decline in DMS emissions by 2100 could contribute as much as 0.48°C (0.9°F) to the global temperature.

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  9. US Open: Nadal, Serena with a bang

    STREAK CONTINUES. Nadal went on with another stellar game. File photo by AFP.

    Rafael Nadal took his 2013 hardcourt record to 16-0 to reach the US Open second round on August 26 while Serena and Venus Williams also breezed through. Nadal, the second-seeded 2010 champion who watched the 2012 US Open from his home in Spain as he endured a 7-month injury layoff, cruised to a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 win over American wildcard Ryan Harrison. Defending women’s champion Serena Williams, a 4-time winner, needed just an hour to see off Italian veteran Francesca Schiavone, 6-0, 6-1.


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  10. Safe sex and drive-in

    ‘SEX BOXES.’ The city government of Zurich takes prostitutes off the streets and into this former industrial zone west of the city. Photo by Fabrice Coffrini/AFP

    Switzerland’s first sex drive-in opened in Zurich on August 26, aimed at creating a safer space for sex workers and taking prostitution off the city’s streets. The drive-in, in a former industrial zone in the west of the city, has a track where the sex workers can show off their assets and negotiate a price, and 9 so-called “sex boxes” where they and their clients can park and conclude the transaction. It’s designed to be safer, with security guards on hand to ensure there is only one man in each car that enters as well alarm buttons in each “sex box” and on-site doctors and social workers.


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