September 10, 2014 Edition

A year has passed since September 9, 2013 when a faction of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) attacked Zamboanga City which resulted in a three week urban battle with the Philippine military. Rappler’s Karlos Manlupig reports that ‘normal life’ has slowly resumed in Lustre street, the site where some of the most intensive fighting took place. However, there is still evidence left over of a battle that interrupted an otherwise peaceful neighborhood. Today, many hundreds of families still live in evacuation centers. About 167 evacuees, mostly children, have died since last year due to malnutrition and illnesses inside the evacuation centers. The United Nations says a continuing humanitarian crisis threatens to kill more lives if something is not done soon to relocate these families to better, more permanent homes.

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As deaths continue to rise among the internally displaced in Zamboanga a year after rebels laid siege to the city, Malacañang defended government’s efforts, saying there is no undue delay in the city’s rehabilitation. Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr said on Tuesday, September 9 that it was not possible to complete the resettlement of internally displaced persons due to the “sheer number of families” that need permanent housing. “So there is no undue delay that’s being referred to. We are doing all we need to in order to move affected families from temporary to permanent housing,” said Coloma. Zamboanga City Mayor Isabelle “Beng” Climaco admitted the number in deaths among internally displaced people (IDP) has risen since the conflict. A separate United Nations report said IDP deaths have gone up to 158 in August, from 147 in July.

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In a much anticipated move, tech giant Apple announced on Tuesday, September 9 (September 10, Philippine time) new models of its popular iPhone line of smartphones as well as a wearable digital watch. The iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus are bigger and thinner than the current iPhone 5s models and have several feature upgrades including the use of curved sapphire crystal, longer battery life, and new iOS8 software. The company also introduced the Apple Watch, a comprehensive health and lifestyle device that integrates with the iPhone. Apple CEO Tim Cook claimed it is “the most personal device we have ever created.” The Apple Watch will be available starting in 2015.

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Surging carbon dioxide levels boosted greenhouse gases in the atmosphere to a new high in 2013, amid worrying signs that absorption by land and sea is waning, the UN warned Tuesday, September 9. “An alarm bell is ringing,” Michel Jarraud, head of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), told reporters in Geneva. In its annual report on Earth-warming greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the UN agency said concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and nitrous oxide all broke records in 2013. “We must reverse this trend by cutting emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases across the board,” Jarrud said in a statement, and warned: “we are running out of time.”

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As countries all over the globe observe World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10, psychiatrists stressed the need to dispel myths about suicide and to use media to help vulnerable individuals. Over 800,000 people die by suicide each year around the world, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a landmark report capping a decade of research on suicide. The Philippines has a low incidence of suicide. Based on 2012 data, the national suicide rate for the Philippines is at 2.7 per 100,000. But most suicide deaths come from the 15-29 and 70+ years age groups, showing a worrying trend of more young Filipinos and the elderly taking their own lives. Psychiatrist Rhea Concepcion cautioned against simplifying the underlying causes of suicide and added there are many factors that lead to a decision to take one’s own life.

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President Benigno Aquino III said the public should point the blame on the administration of former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for the problems with the Metro Rail Transit (MRT). Aquino vowed he was “on top of the situation,” but said part of the problem was the inaction of those who came before him. “There is a problem, but it’s a problem that should have less problems attached to it if certain things were done before we took it over,” he told reporters in Davao on the sidelines of the Mindanao Inclusive Agribusiness Program launch on Monday, September 8. Aquino cited complications with maintenance contracts, as well as difficulties in finding the right coaches for the best price.

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The crash of Malaysia Airlines flight 17 was caused by external forces, the Dutch Safety Board said in a preliminary report released on Tuesday, September 9. The Boeing 777 was blown out of the sky over eastern Ukraine as it was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur on July 17, killing all on board including 193 Dutch citizens. There were also 3 Filipinos on board. The investigators also said that based on the pattern of the wreckage on the ground “suggests that the aircraft split into pieces during flight (an in-flight break up).” While the preliminary report from Dutch investigators does not point the finger of blame over the July air disaster, it could heighten Western pressure against Moscow over its role in the bloody Ukraine conflict. Shortly after the release of the report, pro-Russian rebels in east Ukraine said they did not have the capability to shoot down MH17.

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At least two policemen involved in the EDSA robbery and kidnapping case are facing charges for a similar incident in 2011. On Tuesday, September 9, National Police Commission (Napolcom) Vice Chairman and Executive Officer Eduaro Escueta said two of the 8 police officers involved in the incident were charged in 2011 for a illegal arrest, detention, and extortion of money from innocent victims. Both cops belong to the La Lima police. One of the suspects is in police custody. Six other suspects are still at-large.

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Iconic band U2 surprised Apple fans and music lovers worldwide after they released their latest album “Songs of Innocence” for free during Apple’s launch event on Tuesday, September 9 in San Francisco. The tech giant said it sent out the album to almost half a billion iTunes customers around the world at no cost. Apple CEO Tim Cook described the move as “the largest album release of all time.” Bono described the album – the band’s first since 2009 – as “deeply personal” and said the release served as “instant gratification.”

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Marin Cilic clinched his first Grand Slam title Monday, September 8, shattering Kei Nishikori’s bid to become the first Asian man to win a major with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 victory in the US Open final. Cilic, the 14th-seeded 25-year-old, becomes the first Croatian man to win a major since Goran Ivanisevic, now his coach, at Wimbledon in 2001. Cilic, playing in his 28th Grand Slam event, is the lowest-ranked champion since Pete Sampras, then 17th in the world, claimed the 2002 title in New York. Nishikori admitted he had been outplayed.

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