Turkey on Tuesday, November 24, shot down a Russian war plane over the border between Turkey and Syria. Turkey said the Russian plane violated Turkish airspace 10 times within a five-minute period and was warned repeatedly before it was shot down. Russia countered the claim saying the incident happened over Syria, where Russia is conducting anti-ISIS operations. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the downing would have “serious consequences” for ties between the two key protagonists in the Syria war. Aside from Russia, the US, France, Turkey and some Gulf states are conducting military operations in Syria, leading to fears that an incident such as this could quickly escalate into a major diplomatic and military crisis.

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The Philippines on Wednesday, November 25, said it complained to a UN-backed arbitral tribunal that China has robbed the Southeast Asian country of its right to fish in the disputed West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). The Philippines’ lead counsel in its case against China, Paul Reichler, presented this argument on Tuesday, November 24, the start of the hearings on the merits of the case. Reichler pointed out on Tuesday that China’s 9-dash line is baseless under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the so-called constitution of the oceans. To counter China’s claims, the Philippines presented 8 maps to the tribunal, one of which dates back to the Ming dynasty, which did not include the territory engulfed by the 9-dash line. China, however, is not participating or accepting the arbitration.

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At least 147 heads of state and government will attend a climate summit due to start in Paris next week. The November 30-December 11 conference is tasked with signing the first-ever truly universal pact to curb global warming, and opens just two weeks after jihadists killed 130 people in the French capital. France has said there had been no cancellations, and US President Barack Obama has urged fellow world leaders to come to Paris “to send a signal that the viciousness of a handful of killers does not stop the world from doing vital business.” France has insisted it will not “give in” to violence by postponing a summit which must produce a deal committing all the world’s nations to climate action starting in 2020. The meeting’s goal is to produce a pact that can limit average global warming to 2ºC (3.6ºF) over pre-Industrial Revolution levels.

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The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has suspended a new policy requiring applicants for a professional driver’s license to get clearances from both the police and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). DOTC Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya stopped the order after Senators Franklin Drilon and Ralph Recto questioned the directive at the agency’s budget hearing in the Senate. The Senators said the requirements adds another layer of red tape to the licensing process. Instead, they proposed an information sharing agreement between the NBI, PNP and LTO to identify people with criminal cases that should not be allowed to drive. About 1.5 million Filipinos are licensed to drive professionally.

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President Benigno Aquino III met with several Lumad, the indigenous peoples in Mindanao, on Tuesday, November 24, in Malacañang, months after a spate of killings that have pitted the indigenous community against the military. Malacañang said the President listened to the concerns of the indigenous peoples and issued directives to come up with concrete action plans to address their concerns. No other details of the discussion were revealed. Several local and international groups have called on the Aquino administration to look into the spate of killings of activists and Lumad in Mindanao. The military is accused of having a hand in the spate of attacks by militias against Lumad leaders in areas influenced by the communist New People’s Army.

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Philippine authorities on Tuesday, November 24 showcased necklaces with diamonds the size of marbles and other jewels seized from the family of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos in preparation for a possible multi-million-dollar auction. Appraisers from Christie’s auction house examined about 600 pieces of jewelry, including gold chains with sparkling gems, and a necklace dripping with pink and yellow diamonds at a special vault at the Philippine central bank. It will take at least 5 days for the appraisers to go over all the items, according to the Philippine government. Other auction houses will also examine the sequestered jewelry. The move is seen as a step forward in a future sale of the Marcos collection, which has since been forfeited in favor of the Philippine government. But the former first lady is disputing the ownership of part of the collection.

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France on Monday, November 23, launched the first air strikes from its aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean as global efforts to combat the Islamic State (ISIS) group gathered pace and world leaders met for talks on the Syrian conflict. In the first sorties from the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier on Monday, newly deployed in the eastern Mediterranean, France bombed ISIS targets in the Iraqi cities of Ramadi and Mosul, followed by air raids in Syria. A week of frantic international diplomacy meanwhile was under way with Hollande set to meet all 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council, and the United States trying to rally support for a ceasefire in Syria. Russia and Iran want to keep Syrian president Bashar al-Assad in power to fight Syrian rebels and ISIS but the US and its allies say Assad must go, without necessarily saying when he needs to go.

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Security forces are readying for Pope Francis’ 3-nation Africa tour this week amid fears of jihadist attacks and violence, with authorities insisting the pontiff’s trip can pass off peacefully. The 5-day visit to Kenya, Uganda and Central African Republic (CAR), which have significant Catholic communities but have been troubled by civil conflicts and violence, has led to increased security concerns. Authorities in these countries have ramped up security measures to secure the Pope. Nairobi and Kampala are both targets for Al-Qaeda’s East Africa branch, the Shebab. Kenyan newspaper The Standard has warned of a “security nightmare”.

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A staunchly Islamic district in Indonesia plans to ban the sale of condoms in convenience stores in a bid to halt premarital sex, an official said Tuesday, November 24, but activists criticized the move as misguided. In Luwu, on central Sulawesi Island, convenience stores will be barred from selling condoms due to fears that “premarital sex is on the rise among teenagers.” Condom sales would still be allowed in pharmacies but only for customers aged above 17. But activists say the move would not address risky sexual behavior. They urged the local government to instead promote early sex education so teenagers will know how to be responsible.

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An Australian man is the latest Internet sensation after claiming his Facebook page kept being shut down on account of his name: Phuc Dat Bich. Yes, that’s his real name. Bich, 23, who is of Vietnamese origin, posted a complaint on Facebook in January to show that he wasn’t making up his name. Facebook has a policy against using fake names or impostors. But Bich was adamant and even showed the Internet a copy of his passport bio page. Bich has taken his name and his fame in stride, however, saying that he’s happy he was able to make people laugh.

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