November 13, 2014 Edition

He has tempered his words towards China, describing them now merely as “gentle reminders.” At the ASEAN Summit in Myanmar, President Benigno Aquino III admitted to reporters that his less aggressive declarations on Manila’s maritime dispute with Beijing are a result of recent “developments.” The statement came a day after Aquino and Chinese president Xi Jinping talked at the APEC Summit in Beijing. Aquino said both countries agreed to “find a constructive solution” to the dispute.

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Before he headed to Myanmar for the ASEAN Summit, US President Barack Obama expressed concerns that the pace of democratic reforms in the formerly military-ruled nation were not fast enough. “Progress has not come as fast as many had hoped when the transition began four years ago,” Obama said in an interview with The Irrawaddy published on its website on November 12. His comments follow a warning by opposition leader and democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi against US “over-optimism” over the country’s path towards democracy.

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The United States and China announced an action plan on greenhouse emissions as part of a “historic” pact that the United Nations said boosted efforts to reach a make-or-break climate change agreement next year. The US and China together produce about 45% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions. They pledged to cut emissions by close to a third over the next two decades. The pact is significant since the two countries are key players in negotiations for a new global climate agreement to be finalized in Paris in 2015.

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They can call Senator Antonio Trillanes IV names and shoot down criticism of Vice President Jejomar Binay’s failure to attend a Senate probe and a debate, but the Binay camp is mum about one thing: his alleged dollar accounts. It’s been almost a week since a former aide exposed Binay’s supposed foreign bank accounts, but his spokespersons have nothing to say about it. “There’s a deeper story to that, from what I know. But I think the lawyers have an answer to that,” Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla said without elaborating.

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The Senate Blue Ribbon committee on begins on November 13 its probe into the infrastructure project partly funded by Senate President Franklin Drilon’s pork barrel as well Malacañang’s Disbursement Acceleration Program that the Supreme Court had declared partly unconstitutional. Drilon has said he only provided the funds and had nothing to do with the implementation of the project. He’s attending the hearing but would forego his right as blue ribbon committee member to grill the resource speakers – including his accuser, his former aide and ex-Iloilo provincial administrator Manuel Mejorada.

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The Department of Health acknowledged that the 3-week island quarantine it is imposing on 133 peacekeepers who returned from Liberia was over and above international standards for stopping the spread of Ebola. All the 133 who served the United Nations Mission in Liberia underwent quarantine in the Ebola-affected country and tested negative in mandatory screens conducted by the UN medical staff. But the department wanted to take “additional precaution,” said Undersecretary Janette Garin. The troops were sent to Caballo Island off Manila Bay on November 12.

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The World Health Organization announced its first-ever guidelines for indoor air pollution related to cooking, heating and lighting, a problem estimated to kill more than 4 million people per year. The guidelines aim to help countries introduce better technologies to improve air quality in households and reduce diseases related to pollution. Data shows nearly 3 billion people worldwide – almost half the global population – lack access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking, heating and lighting.

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Europe made history on November 12 by placing the first-ever lander on a comet – but the robot failed to anchor itself properly, raising concerns at ground control. Engineers have yet to figure out what prevented the 220-pound lander from shooting its duo of harpoons into the comet’s surface to prevent it drifting away from its low-gravity host. Its fate is not entirely clear. With communications between Philae and its parent severed for the coming hours, there may be scant information that could be made immediately available to media.

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Caesars Entertainment Corporation, the largest American casino operator known for its Caesars Palace property is eyeing a $1.5-billion integrated casino-entertainment center in a 30-hectare property next to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2. The casino giant said it brought in foreign experts to look into the re-design of the airport to connect terminals 1 and 2 via a light railway transit. They’re also thinking of proposing to increase the number of flights on NAIA’s existing runways. The firm expects to bring in as many as 3.5 million visitors annually to the Philippines.

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Azkals star Emilio “Chieffy” Caligdong is retiring from international football duties. A native of Iloilo and one of the longtime members of the Azkals, the 32-year-old Caligdong has been with the team since 2004. He has scored goals for the country on countless occasions including a crucial goal in the 1-0 win of the Azkals against Vietnam in the 2012 edition of the Suzuki Cup. He also brought home the Golden Boot award in the 2011 Long Teng Cup. But he said he’s not as fit anymore, and he wants to give younger players a chance to play, too.

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