Daily News Highlights – June 29, 2016 Edition

A triple suicide bombing and gun attack hit the Ataturk airport in Istanbul on Tuesday, June 28 (early Wednesday, June 29 in Manila), leaving dozens dead or injured. Attackers first sprayed bullets at airport guards at the terminal entrance, then a shootout erupted before they blew themselves up one by one. It was the 4th deadly bombing in Istanbul this year alone.

Get the latest updates on the airport attack.

Ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, June 30, Rappler gives you an in-depth profile of the country’s next leader. Can he lead the Philippines towards promised change?

Check out our profile of Rodrigo Duterte.

Could this be Duterte’s barong for his inauguration?

As part of Rappler’s #AquinoLegacy series, we take a look at President Benigno Aquino III’s decision to file a case against China over the maritime dispute in the West Philippine Sea. The decision on that case is expected in early July, shortly after the end of Aquino’s 6-year term.

Here’s a look at the president who brought China to court.

The Commission on Elections Employees’ Union appealed for unity among the Comelec’s top officials after all 6 commissioners issued a memo criticizing Chairman Andres Bautista. The employees said they “are deeply concerned that the infighting might adversely affect” preparations for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in October.

Read the rest of the statement of the Comelec employees.

The Supreme Court (SC) junked a petition that questioned the Commission on Elections (Comelec) ruling to extend the deadline for filing Statements of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCEs). In its resolution, the SC said that the petitioners “failed to attach a duplicate original or certified true copy” of the Comelec resolution and “merely submitted news reports.”

Here’s more on the SC decision.

Italy and the Netherlands agreed to split their United Nations Security Council term after getting 95 votes each. Under the agreement which will be put to a vote, Italy will serve on the council in 2017 and the Netherlands will follow in 2018. Meanwhile, Kazakhstan defeated Thailand to win the seat reserved for Asia.

Get more details of the UN Security Council vote.

Two prototype vaccines tested on lab mice “provided complete protection against the Zika virus” with just a single shot, according to researchers. This raised hopes that a safe and effective Zika vaccine for humans could eventually be developed.

Check out the researchers’ findings.

Australia’s Jason Day and Ireland’s Shane Lowry are the latest golfers to withdraw from the Rio Olympics, citing concerns over the Zika outbreak in Brazil. Day and Lowry both said they must prioritize their families’ welfare.

Read more about the golfers’ decision not to compete in Rio.

The Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) revised its selection criteria for 2016, putting more emphasis on artistic excellence than commercial viability. In its new vision statement, the MMFF said it seeks to be “a festival that celebrates Filipino artistic excellence, promotes audience development, and champions the sustainability of the Philippine film industry.”

Here’s more on the MMFF’s new selection criteria.

Reel-to-real couple James Reid and Nadine Lustre are set to star in another ABS-CBN series, Till I Met You. The show’s first trailer shows them getting ready on the day of their wedding. The trailer also hints at a possible LGBT love triangle.

Get a sneak peek at Till I Met You.