Daily News Highlights – October 11, 2015 Edition

“Next, China will continue to build other civil facilities on occupied islands reefs in the Nansha Islands.” A Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman said China would continue improving “safety of navigation” for its ships. The statement came after reports said that the US would send navy ships close to the islands built by China, testing whether Beijing will defend them. State media earlier said construction had finished on two lighthouses on reefs claimed by other countries. 

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Greece was hit by a huge new surge in migrants as the United Nations approved a European seize-and-destroy military operation against people smugglers in the Mediterranean. New data emerged showing a massive surge in the number of migrants arriving in Greece to 7,000 from 4,500 a day at the end of September. The International Organization for Migration said the surge in numbers arriving in Greece “may be due to expected worsening weather conditions.” The head of the UN’s refugee agency warned of a humanitarian disaster this winter unless Greece was given much more help to house the new arrivals. 

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He chose to remember the Philippine revolution against Spain, noting that the current administration squandered the heroism of Filipinos who fought for independence. But when asked about the 1986 peaceful revolution that ousted his father, Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr said that it was caused by politics. Before hundreds of supporters, Marcos on October 10 launched his bid for the vice presidency by declaring he intends to wage his own revolution “in heart, mind and action.”

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In an unprecedented decision, the Ombudsman on October 9 ordered the dismissal from public service of suspended Makati Mayor Jejomar “Junjun” Binay over the alleged overpricing of the Makati City Hall Parking Building II. The Ombudsman also recommended that Binay, who is set to file his certificate of candidacy this week for Makati mayor, be barred from holding any public office. On the same day, his father, Vice President Jejomar Binay, launched his presidential bid in Cebu still without a running mate and in a sortie that was packed with bloopers – cracked dentures, among them.

Read the story on Junjun Binay’s dismissal on Rappler.

Read the story on Binay’s Cebu sortie on Rappler.

International help to assist Indonesia in combatting forest and agricultural fires cloaking Southeast Asia in haze began to arrive on Sumatra Island on October 10. Fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan have been blanketing Southeast Asia for weeks, with pollution levels in both locations recorded far above hazardous levels. The haze has also forced Malaysia and Singapore to close schools and cancel outdoor events. The Indonesian government insisted on not accepting international help for weeks before finally agreeing to accept the offers from several countries to combat the haze. Help is coming from Singapore and Australia, among others.

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The Pentagon said it would issue “condolence payments to civilian non-combatants injured and the families of civilian non-combatants killed” in the fatal US air strikes on a Doctors Without Borders hospital in the northern Afghan city of Kunduz. The group, known by its French acronym MSF, has demanded an independent international investigation, saying 33 people are still missing after the October 3 attack, in addition to 12 MSF staff and 10 patients already confirmed dead. The Pentagon said they would determine “appropriate payments” in talks with the victims.

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The Manila Summit of Conscience for the Climate was held in the Senate on October 9,  a gathering of government officials, diplomats, artists, environmentalists, and concerned citizens. Its primary aim was to tackle climate change not just as a matter of politics, economics, or science, but as a matter of conscience and personal concern. Aside from reaching out to policymakers and scientists, the event involved artists and faith-based groups. Other speakers shared their personal stake in solving the climate crisis.

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Gold medals went to 6 Filipinas in the 2015 Asian Junior Figure Skating Challenge in Hong Kong from October 5 to 7, as they bested representatives from China, Indonesia, Thailand, and other participating Asian nations. Metro Ice Skating Club’s Charmaine Skye Chua copped her gold medal after outperforming 5 other participants in the Basic Novice Subgroup A Girls category. The Philippines’ rookie and youngest delegate, 7-year old Amanda Sophie Hernandez, scored 48.56 in the Basic Juvenile Girls category to outskate Shuhen Zhang 37.51 by a gap of 10 points. The yearly competition is among the many events of the Philippine national figure ice skating team, which is followed by the Philippine Nationals Finals this coming November in the preparation for the coming 2017 SEA Games at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

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To encourage more Filipinos to vote, Rappler is holding the #PHVote Challenge, an online platform that takes netizens on a journey, from registration, to discussing issues, engaging candidates, and safeguarding votes. It gives you the information you need on the issues you care about and the province you come from. From October 12 to 16, the deadline for the filing of certificates of candidacy, join us in quickly mapping out who are filing their candidacies and their location.

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Katy Perry – one of the top-selling pop stars of recent years who, at 76.3 million, has more Twitter followers than anyone, including President Barack Obama – will join Hillary Clinton in Iowa, the critical first state in the presidential nomination contest, on October 24. Perry’s support of Clinton, who is vying to be the first female US president, is already well-known. The 30-year-old singer – who has released a string of blockbuster hits including “Roar,” “Firework” and “Teenage Dream” – was raised in a conservative Christian household and does not generally bring politics into her music.

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