Daily News Highlights – March 24, 2016 Edition

Three suicide bombers who struck Brussels airport and a metro train in attacks claimed ISIS were identified. Prosecutors said brothers Ibrahim and Khalid El Bakraoui had carried out attacks at Zaventem airport and Maalbeek station. Bomb-making expert Najim Laachraoui was identified by police sources as the second airport bomber, while police stepped up a huge manhunt for a third airport attacker whose suitcase bomb failed to detonate. All 3 suspects have been linked to the November attacks in Paris, which like the Brussels bombings were claimed by ISIS.

Read the full story on Rappler.

An Associated Press report said that ISIS has trained at least 400 attackers for deployment to Europe, underscoring the threat European nations face from the jihadist group. AP quoted intelligence officials as saying the recruits are in camps designed to train for attacks against the West, where attackers are given orders “to find the right time, place and method to carry out their mission.” The focus on Europe comes as the extremist group loses ground in Syria.

Read the full story on AP.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) president and CEO Lorenzo Tan has gone on indefinite leave amid the probe into the $81-million stolen funds from Bangladesh Bank that slipped through one of its branches. RCBC said that its board has accepted Tan’s second offer to go on leave pending the internal investigation onthe money-laundering incident. It announced that RCBC chair Helen Y. Dee, the eldest child of taipan Alfonso Yuchengco, will take over in Tan’s absence.

Read the full story on Rappler.

A Singaporean couple were convicted on March 23 of violating employment laws for starving their Philippine maid until her weight dropped to 64 pounds. Trader Lim Choon Hong and his wife, Chong Sui Foon, both 47, admitted failing to provide enough food for a foreign domestic worker over a 15-month period. The offense is punishable by up to a year in jail plus a maximum fine of $7,300. Gawidan was only allowed two meals a day, usually a few slices of white bread and small portions of instant noodles prepared by Chong.

Read the full story on Rappler.

There was an undercurrent tension during a public rally for Rodrigo Duterte on March 23 in Mambajao town in Camiguin, an island province led by a political family allied with the Liberal Party. The Duterte camp says the crowd was smaller because of moves by the Camiguin local government to sabotage the event. A Duterte spokesman quoted local coordinators as saying local officials threatened those who would attend the rally. Besides alleged removal of benefits, including cash allowances for government employees, those attending the rally were told to be desired from government programs, the spokesman added. Duterte said this merely reflects “feudal” politics in the Philippines.

Read the full story on Rappler.

As Myanmar takes another leap toward economic revitalization, the Yangon Stock Exchange (YSX) is due to debut its first listed company on Friday, March 25, just days before a new civilian government overseen by Aung San Suu Kyi comes to power. The start of trading, long after the bourse was first envisaged, is a vivid illustration of Myanmar’s economic handicap – a country that still has no credit rating and where business has long been hamstrung by ingrained corruption. But it also captures the excitement and optimism that has gripped both local and foreign investors alike.

Read the full story on Rappler.

The Esplanade in Iloilo City is a game changer in the region. Here, Ilonggos have swapped 4-wheeled motorized vehicles for two-wheeled ones. The 1.2-kilometer riverside lateral park, which opened in 2012, is now a popular site for joggers, bikers, tourists, and locals looking for some breathing space in the bustling hub of Western Visayas. For Iloilo City Councillor Jay Treñas, the Esplanade was born out of the Ilonggo people’s own clamor for what they wanted in their city. “The people themselves said, no, we don’t want cars, we want to walk here. The Ilonggo people fell in love with that street,” Treñas said.

Read the full story on Rappler.

The Holy Week (or Mahal na Araw) features the story of Jesus Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection. The different levels of devotion of the Catholic faithful are visible this week, as they reflect on the agony and sacrifice of the Son of God to deliver the world from sin. Holy Thursday starts with the “Chrism mass,” where the Chrism oil – used during baptism, confirmation rites, and the anointing of the sick – is blessed. Priests also renew their vows during the Chrism mass. Later in the day, the priest officiates the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, where he commemorates Jesus’ Last Supper and performs the washing of the feet ritual with 12 people, like what Jesus did with his 12 apostles.

Read the full story on Rappler.

Great news for Wicked fans in the Philippines! The musical is set to return to Manila in early 2017, according to Concertus Manila, which will be presenting the show locally with Lunchbox Theatrical Productions. A Facebook post from Concertus Manila lists February 2 as the opening day. Wicked is based on Gregory Maguire’s novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West and adapted for the stage by Winnie Holzman. Joe Mantello directs, while staging is by Wayne Cilento.

Read the full story on Rappler.

They mispronounced his name. The reasons that led Nike to lose Curry and allow Under Armour to pull off a marketing coup had long been murky at best, but Curry’s father Dell helped shed some light on the circumstances behind the sports giant’s blunder. The elder Curry tells of a pitch meeting in which a Nike official called the Golden State Warriors star “Steph-on.” Then the PowerPoint the Nike execs had shown contained a slide with Kevin Durant’s name, suggesting that it had been recycled from an old presentation.

Read the full story on Rappler.