April 10, 2014 Edition

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  1. US grants PH aviation upgrade

    AFP file photo

    The Philippines regained its much-coveted Category 1 rating from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on April 11. This means Philippine carriers can add flights and service to the US and carry the code of US carriers – ending a 6-year wait. In 2008, the FAA downgraded its safety rating to Category 2 due to “significant concerns” over the Philippines’ ability to meet international safety standards.

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  2. Indonesia opposition wins polls, sets stage for Jokowi

     

    Photo by Romeo Gacad/AFP

    Indonesia’s main opposition party won the most votes in parliamentary elections April 9, unofficial tallies showed, setting its popular presidential candidate, Jakarta governor Joko Widodo, on course to become the country’s next leader. Support for President Susilo Bambang’s party fell by about half after a string of corruption scandals, but backing for Islamic parties in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country jumped. The polls determine who can run in presidential elections in July and all eyes were on frontrunner Widodo and the PDI-P, which has long been tipped to win the biggest share of the vote on the back of the governor’s popularity. Known by his nickname “Jokowi,” he is from a new generation of leaders in the world’s third-biggest democracy.

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  3. Bridge the gap, Chinese Filipinos urged

    Stressing the need for negotiations, an analyst said Chinese Filipinos should bridge the Philippines and China as the two countries suffer the lowest point in their diplomatic relations. Marwyn Samuels, who has written extensively about the dispute over the South China Sea, said Chinese Filipinos “should be proactive and seek to gain the understanding of China and to represent the Filipino people and society.” They comprise at least 1.5% of Philippine population but dominate the economy. Two of the Philippines’ wealthiest men, Henry Sy and Lucio Tan, come from Chinese families. Manila and Beijing are locked in an escalating dispute over the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

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  4. 18th century map of smaller China rattles diplomats, Chinese

    Screenshot of Time.com report

    German Chancellor Angela Merkel gifted Chinese President Xi Jinping during his recent visit to Berlin with a map of 18th century  China. But the gift offended many Chinese for it might as well have been Germany’s gift to the Philippines and other countries caught in maritime disputes with China. The ancient map debunks China’s historical claim over several territories including those claimed by the Philippines. The map was supposedly drawn with the help of Jesuit missionaries. Chinese media had a different version of Merkel’s gift, however.

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  5. IMF cuts world growth forecast

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) cut its growth forecast for the global economy, pointing to the threat from the Ukraine crisis and the slowdown in major emerging economies. While the world economy has picked up pace, anchored by the United States and China, the global crisis lender pointed to looming risks, from the standoff between Russia and the West over Ukraine, to poorly handled policy in countries like Brazil, and deflation in the euro area. The report, released ahead of the annual IMF-World Bank spring meetings in Washington beginning April 10, cut back the global growth forecast to 3.6% this year and 3.9% in 2015. The global economy grew 3% in 2013.

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  6. Cebu Pacific goes to Europe!

    File photo from Airbus

    Budget airline Cebu Pacific of billionaire John Gokongwei Jr. is set to become the second local carrier allowed to fly to Europe. European Union, aviation and Cebu Pacific officials are set to announce April 10 the lifting of the EU ban on the budget carrier. In July, the EU lifted the ban on Philippine Airlines (PAL), allowing the legacy carrier to fly to the 28-nation bloc again. The EU blacklisted Philippine carriers in 2010 in the wake of “a significant safety concern.” In January, Cebu Pacific informed the Directorate General for Mobility and Transport of the EU in Brussels that it already complied with all outstanding safety concerns.


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  7. Another blow: Toyota recalls 6.39 million vehicles

    This file picture taken on May 11, 2012 shows Toyota Motor's best selling car

    In yet another blow to its reputation for quality and safety, Toyota on April 9 recalled 6.39 million vehicles worldwide for 5 different problems. The vehicles affected include the Corolla sedan, the RAV4 sport utility vehicle and Yaris subcompact. The vehicles, made over the past decade, include 1.08 million in Japan, 2.3 million in North America, about 770,000 in Europe and 62,000 in China, Toyota said. Despite record sales and bumper profits, Toyota has been fighting to protect its brand after millions of earlier recalls and in the wake of a $1.2-billion settlement last month to settle US criminal charges.

    Read the full story on Rappler.

  8. NASA plans: Throwing asteroid at moon, sending people to Mars

    Screenshot from the video from the Huffington Post

    At a US Senate hearing focused on intermediate space missions, NASA disclosed some of its ambitious plans, including the goal to send human missions to Mars and a manned spacecraft to the asteroid, the Huffington Post reported April 9. “Our architecture is designed for long-term human exploration of our solar system, including the goal of human missions to Mars,” William Gerstenmaier, an associate administrator at NASA, was quoted as saying during testimony before the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Science and Space. “We’re going to grab a piece of the solar system, we’re going to deflect it around the moon and insert it into a distant retrograde orbit around the moon where our crews can go visit.” NASA hopes to have the Mars trip by 2030s.


    Read the full story on the Huffington Post

  9. Combative prosecutor jolts Pistorius

    Photo by AFP

    “You killed Reeva Steenkamp, didn’t you? Say it. Say, ‘Yes, I shot and killed Reeva Steenkamp.'” After 2 tumultuous days in which he gave his account of the night he shot and killed Reeva Steenkamp, the Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius faced a blistering cross-examination April 9 by the combative state prosecutor Gerrie Nel. The Pistorius trial in South Africa continued to attract viewers from around the world. Nel’s style brought gasps from the courtroom when he displayed a photograph of Ms. Steenkamp’s head after the shooting, and ordered Pistorius to look at it. Pistorius refused. The judge adjourned proceedings multiple times to allow Pistorius time to collect himself.

    Read the full story on Rappler.

    Read a related story on the New York Times.

  10. Mark the date: Archie to die July 2014

    Screengrab from Facebook (Official Archie Comics)

    Who doesn’t know Archie Andrews? Who expected him to die? CNN reported that the iconic freckled redhead will meet his untimely death in issue #36 of the Life with Archie series to be published in July 2014. His death will revolve around how he makes a sacrifice to save another friend. Issue #37, which will be published a week later, will be the last for the series and will be set one year after Archie’s death. The story was created by longtime writer Paul Kupperberg. Archie’s death is seen to drive home the iconic character’s impact on pop culture as well as pay tribute to the smiling everyman.

    Read the full story on Rappler.

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