September 14, 2014 Edition

Zamboanga City marks one year since the siege of the city by a faction of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), which resulted in a three week urban battle with the Philippine military. One year on, the city is still reeling from the siege – evacuees still live in evacuation centers, rehabilitation efforts are still going slow, and fears of another attack still haunts the residents. Despite this, the city is committed to rise from the ashes.

Watch the Rappler documentaries “Sameer” and “Hostage,” tales from a city still on edge – yet vowing to move forward.

ISIS claimed Saturday, September 13, it beheaded British aid worker David Haines, in what would be the third such execution in recent weeks, after 2 US journalists were shown murdered. This comes as US President Barack Obama pledges to lead a “war” against the jihadist group, along with its allies in the West and the Middle East. Obama is seeking to build a broad coalition to defeat ISIS, which has declared a caliphate straddling Iraq and Syria, attacked minorities, posted videos of gruesome beheadings online and vowed to take the fight to the West.

Read here and here on Rappler.

Is the 3-century-old United Kingdom in peril? As the campaign to win the hearts and minds of Scots comes down to the wire, the polls are showing a razor-thin margin between the pro-independence and pro-union sides in Scotland. In less than a week, polls have shown slight leads first for the “Yes” side, then to the “No” side. London’s top politicians stormed Scotland as part of a last-minute push to persuade voters to vote against separating from the UK, and celebrities are also lending their voices in the debate. The referendum, set for September 18, has rattled the business community, and has inspired other independence movements across Europe.

Read stories on the referendum on Rappler. 

President Benigno Aquino III defended his top police official amid news of an extortion case involving rogue cops. Aquino said Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima will stay in his post despite calls for his resignation, saying that the issue of “scalawags” in the police force isn’t anything new. He also touted the police’s record of solving a number of high-profile crimes, and said the PNP now has an improved image due to reforms his administration has done.

Read here and here on Rappler.

Citing their “unity” with the national government on concerns over the economy, Manila officials finally agreed to lift the truck ban “indefinitely” to help ease port congestion. In a press conference Saturday, city officials led by Mayor Joseph Estrada said they are “giving way to the national government” in the issue of port and traffic congestion currently plaguing the capital city. Earlier in the week, President Benigno Aquino III apologized to the public over the huge traffic jam at the North Luzon Expressway, citing port congestion. The transport woes in the capital region has been impacting not just the daily lives of citizens across the region, but also the country’s economy as a whole.

Read more on Rappler.

President Benigno Aquino III embarked Saturday, September 13, on a four-nation trip to Europe, in a bid to woo investors to the country. His trip will bring him to Spain, Belgium, France, and Germany, where he will meet with top officials, businessmen, and the Filipino community. Also on top of his agenda: the South China Sea disputes, the Philippines’ Generalized System of Preferences application, the welfare of Filipino seafarers, and the peace process in Mindanao. After the Europe trip, he will proceed to the United States for the UN Global Climate Change Summit.

Read more on Rappler.

The UN on Wednesday, September 10, said Earth’s damaged ozone layer was “well on track” for recovery by mid-century, although fixing it over Antarctica would take longer. In their first review in four years on Earth’s vital shield, UN agencies said a 1987 treaty to protect the ozone layer was so successful it was indirectly adding to problems in another area – global warming. Without the landmark Montreal Protocol, two million extra cases of skin cancer would have occurred each year by 2030 and levels of ozone-damaging compounds could have increased tenfold by 2050, the report said.

Read the full story on Rappler.

The High Court in Pretoria declared “Blade Runner” Oscar Pistorius guilty of culpable homicide on Friday, a day after he was cleared of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. The earlier decision clearing him of intentionally killing his model-girlfriend shocked a country that had been gripped by the year-long trial. Judge Thokozile Masipa also found the paralympian guilty of negligently handling a gun in a restaurant, but acquitted him of two other firearm charges.

Read here the full story on the decision to clear him of murder charges, and the full story on the guilty verdict on homicide charges here.

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.

Read the full story on the iPhone and the Apple Watch on Rappler.

Save the date: The PH+SocialGood 2014 is happening on Sept 16-17 in Manila and Sept 19-20 in Tacloban! Rappler, Microsoft Philippines, the US-based Global Center for Journalism and Democracy (GCJD), and +SocialGood, join a global community for this year’s Social Good Summit – a look at how technology and new media can help solve age-old problems. Join us at PH+SocialGood 2014 to see how technology is changing our world and how you can help!

Get details on this year’s SGS events in Manila and Tacloban on Rappler.