Daily News Highlights – April 6, 2016 Edition

Arnel Tagyawan, a farmer from Antipas, North Cotabato, told Rappler that he was shot by a sniper on a fire truck during the deadly protest in Kidapawan City on Friday, April 1. He said he had been standing a safe distance away from the chaos when the sniper fired. Tagyawan’s right leg was fractured due to the gunshot wound. He is now among the 79 people still detained over the protest, but said he does not know what the charges are against him.

Read more about the struggles of the farmers in North Cotabato. 

Read about the fact-finding panels formed to probe the Kidapawan clash.

Next week, Pope Francis will travel to the Greek island of Lesbos – the frontline of Europe’s refugee crisis. The pontiff will be accompanied by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the head of the Eastern Orthodox Church. News of the visit came as a last-minute rush of asylum applications stalled operations to return migrants from Greece to Turkey.

Here’s a look at the latest developments in Europe’s migrant crisis.

Iceland Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson has resigned amid the global scandal stemming from the so-called Panama Papers. It had been revealed that Gunnlaugsson and his wife invested millions of dollars in an offshore company that had stakes in 3 Icelandic banks. These banks collapsed in 2008, leading to a deep recession. The prime minister denied any wrongdoing, but was forced to step down after thousands of protesters took to the streets.

Get more details about the allegations against Gunnlaugsson.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will no longer push through with its controversial plan to buy “bib vests” for teachers who will serve as election inspectors on May 9. The uniforms, worth P26.55 million, were criticized as unnecessary. Comelec commissioners Rowena Guanzon, Christian Lim, Luie Guia, Arthur Lim, and Sheriff Abas all “sent written memos to cancel the purchase.”

Check out this story on the Comelec’s decision not to buy “bib vests” anymore.

In the fourth Senate hearing on the Bangladesh Bank fund heist, Bangladesh Ambassador to the Philippines John Gomes expressed disappointment over the status of the funds returned by casino junket agent Kim Wong. Gomes asked the Anti-Money Laundering Council whether the money could be turned over to the Bangladesh Bank immediately, as he has to give updates to the Bangladesh government on Wednesday, April 6. But AMLC Executive Director Julia Bacay-Abad said that a civil forfeiture case must be filed first.

Take a look at the highlights of the fourth Senate hearing.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Christine Lagarde said global economic recovery is still “too fragile” in the face of growing risks. These risks stem from the slowdown in China and subdued growth in developing economies. Lagarde also hinted the IMF will cut its current 2016 global growth forecast of 3.4% next week, saying “there will be a slight revision.”

Read about the IMF chief’s latest remarks.

A study published in the online journal Open Heart revealed that the death of a life partner may trigger an irregular heartbeat, itself potentially life-threatening. The study, conducted in Denmark, showed that the risk was highest “8-14 days after the loss, after which it gradually declined.” Researchers used population data collected between 1995 and 2014 to search for a pattern.

Here’s more on the findings of the study.

A California judge junked a lawsuit against Porsche filed by the widow of a man who died alongside Hollywood actor Paul Walker in 2013. Roger Rodas’s widow Kristine had alleged in her wrongful death suit that several defects in the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT her husband was driving caused the fatal crash. But US District Judge Philip Gutierrez ruled that Kristine’s claims were not supported by any evidence.

Read the full story on the judge’s decision. 

The offer for Manny Pacquiao to compete in the 2016 Rio Olympics still stands. Amateur boxing body AIBA reiterated its offer during the recent Olympic qualifying tournament in Hebei, China. Ed Picson, executive director of the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines, said he has to find out if Pacquiao is interested.

Get more details about Pacquiao’s possible bid for an Olympic gold medal. 

Find out when and where the Olympic Flame will be lit. 

The WhatsApp messaging service now uses end-to-end encryption for all of its messages. This means that “when you send a message, the only person who can read it is the person or group chat that you send that message to.” The message will not be accessible to cybercriminals, hackers, or “oppressive regimes.”