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- Thailand army declares coup, imposes curfew
Thailand’s army chief declared a military coup, which he expects to end months of political bloodshed. General Prayut Chan-O-Cha also imposed a curfew from 10 pm to 5 am. Prayut justified the military take-over as a move to “start political reform.” The Philippines, for its part, warned its nationals to heed the curfew and to exercise “extreme caution.”
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Read a related story here. - Philippines, Indonesia sign deal on sea boundary
The Philippines and Indonesia signed a historic agreement that draws a boundary between their overlapping exclusive economic zones (EEZs) in the Mindanao Sea and Celebes Sea. This is the Philippines’ first maritime boundary treaty, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said. The agreement, it added, will help fishermen in the long run.
Read the full story on Rappler. - Vietnam slams China, considers ‘legal actions’
Before political and business heavyweights at the World Economic Forum on East Asia, Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung slammed China for “slandering and blaming Vietnam.” He said China is “continuing to use force and escalating its increasingly adventurous and serious act of intimidation and violation.” In the face of rising tension, Dung told Reuters that China is considering “legal actions” against the rising superpower.
Read the full story here and here. - Philippines stresses inclusive growth as ‘yardstick’
While the Philippines enjoys a “dramatic turnaround” in all sectors, the point is to make its milestones trickle down to the poor. Philippine President Benigno Aquino III stressed this point at the World Economic Forum on East Asia, which his country is hosting for the first time in two decades. “This is why inclusive growth is not just a mantra for us; it is the yardstick by which we measure any government undertaking,” Aquino said. Protesters, however, slammed Aquino for his “hypocrisy.”
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Read a related story here. - 2 more Filipinos die because of MERS
Two more Filipinos died because of the fatal Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) Coronavirus, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said. This brought to 5 the number of Filipinos killed by the MERS Coronavirus. Worldwide, at least 181 people have died because of MERS. A contagious respiratory disease, the MERS Coronavirus involves symptoms such as fever, coughs, shortness of breath, and other breathing difficulties.
Read the full story on Rappler. - Justice secretary to submit whistleblower’s drive
Philippine Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said she will submit to the Senate the digital records of pork barrel scam whistleblower Benhur Luy. De Lima said she has requested the National Bureau of Investigation to reproduce a copy of Luy’s hard drive to comply with a Senate subpoena. In the meantime, the camp of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles couldn’t submit her affidavit as promised because of medical problems.
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Read a related story here. - China, Russia block attempt to refer Syria to ICC
China and Russia vetoed a draft resolution by the United Nations Security Council to refer Syria to the International Criminal Court for crimes committed in a 3-year civil war. It was the 4th time China and Russia have blocked Western resolutions on the conflict. This paralyzed Security Council efforts to end a war estimated to have killed more than 160,000 people. British ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said, “It is disgraceful that they have yet again vetoed the Security Council’s efforts to take action on human rights violations in Syria.”
Read the full story on Rappler. - Russia to Britain: Explain Prince Charles’ ‘remarks’
The Russian Foreign Ministry demanded an official explanation from British authorities after Prince Charles reportedly compared Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions in Ukraine to those of Hitler. “If these words were really said, then undoubtedly they are not worthy of a future British monarch,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said. He also assailed Western media for its “propaganda campaign” against Russia, which he described as “unacceptable, disgusting, and low.”
Read the full story on Rappler. - 7 ‘secrets’ that overseas Filipino workers keep
Is landing a job abroad your ultimate dream? Rappler contributor Shakira Sison, a Palanca Award-winning essayist who is based in New York, listed 7 things that “are often kept secret” from those whom overseas Filipino workers leave behind. She said working abroad, for one, is a “lonely life.” “It isn’t whining to speak about OFW realities, nor does it mean that they are ungrateful for their overseas jobs. It’s simply a peek into our not-so-ideal lives,” Sison wrote.
Read her piece for Rappler’s iSpeak. - 2 Filipino women impress ‘Voice Australia’ judges
Two Filipinas wowed judges during the blind auditions of The Voice Australia. Fely Irvine, a Filipino-Scot based in Sydney impressed judges Ricky Martin and Joel Madden, that both of them turned their chairs when they heard her rendition of Rihanna’s “We Found Love.” Irvine joined another Filipino Jhoanna Aguila, who also made it to the blind auditions where she sang Florence & The Machine song, You’ve Got The Love. Aguila chose will.i.am as her coach over Madden and Australian superstar Kylie Minogue.
Read the full story on Rappler.
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