January 13, 2015 Edition

In the wake of last week’s twin attacks by extremists, President Benigno Aquino III on Monday, January 12, stressed the importance of working together to solve global threats like terrorism. Speaking before the diplomatic corps and Filipino government officials at the annual Vin D’Honneur, he said that now more than ever complex issues cannot be viewed with a parochial mindset. “We are responsible for our world and its future. Whether in combating climate change and its effects, or in fighting inequality, or in taking a stand against terrorism and instability, the time to act is now,” he said.

Read the full story on Rappler.

The black box of the AirAsia plane that crashed with 162 people on board was recovered on Monday, January 12. Bambang Soelistyo, Indonesia’s national search and rescue chief said that they are, however, still trying to locate the cockpit voice recorder. Stormy weather, according to Indonesia’s meteorological agency, might have caused the crash but this can be established with certainty only with the data recorders.

Read the full story on Rappler.

A related story is on the BBC.

The cover of the first edition of the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo since its staff were murderously attacked by Islamist gunmen last week shows a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed crying and holding up a “Je suis Charlie” sign under the words: “All is forgiven.” The front page was released to media ahead of the magazine’s publication on Wednesday, January 14. Three million copies of the special “survivors’ edition” are being printed and will be made available in 25 countries, translated into 16 languages because of international demand.

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Pope Francis on Monday, January 12, slammed “deviant forms of religion” following deadly attacks by Islamist militants in France last week which left 17 people dead. “Losing their freedom, people become enslaved, whether to the latest fads, or to power, money, or even deviant forms of religion,” he said, laying the blame on “a culture of rejection” which leads to “the breakdown of society and spawning violence and death.” The 78-year-old was speaking after France’s bloodiest attacks in half a century, which began with a massacre at the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, and ended with the deaths of four Jews in a kosher supermarket. He pointed to “chilling repercussions” from conflicts in the Middle East and “the spread of fundamentalist terrorism in Syria and Iraq.”

Read the full story on Rappler.

Following a string of corruption allegations during his term as mayor of Makati, Vice President Jejomar Binay recorded net satisfaction ratings at their lowest since his election as second highest official of the land. He registered a net satisfaction rating of 44% in November-December, a steep decline from his 73% recorded in March 2014. March was when the first Social Weather Stations survey was conducted. In September, Binay’s rating stood at 52%. His camp however said the survey results showed a majority still remained satisfied with his performance.

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A group declaring support for Islamic State (ISIS) jihadists hacked US Central Command’s social media accounts on Monday, January 12, forcing the military to take down the command’s Twitter feed. In an embarrassing propaganda setback for the US military, a black-and-white banner with the words “CyberCaliphate” and “I love you ISIS” replaced Central Command’s usual logo on Twitter and YouTube before the pages were suspended. The military downplayed the effect of the hacking, however, saying no sensitive computer networks were penetrated and no state secrets were revealed.

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Budget airline Cebu Pacific Air Inc was slapped with a P52-million fine over complaints about flight delays and cancellations during the Christmas holidays. Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) director Jose Victor Luciano said 10,400 passengers were inconvenienced between December 24 and 26. On top of the fine, Cebu Pacific was also at the receiving end of a strong reprimand from the CAB. Executive director Carmelo Arcilla said the main culprit was “Cebu Pacific’s operational lapses and mishandling of passengers.”

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Organizers are preparing 3 vehicles for the visit of Pope Francis this week. Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, a member of the papal visit committee, said one jeepney-style vehicle and an Isuzu vehicle – both made in the Philippines – and one Kia car borrowed from South Korea will be used for the visit. The Pope will be using one popemobile in Manila, another in Tacloban, and the third as a standby vehicle. A member of the papal entourage from the Vatican will be driving the vehicles.

Read the full story on Rappler.

Swiss scientists announced Friday, January 9, that they created the e-Dura neuroprosthetic implant, a flexible device that can be attached to the spinal cord to help the paralyzed move again. There are devices out there that have similar functions: sending electrical signals to the spine. However, these are stiff, rigid devices that rub against nerve tissues when it stretches. This causes inflammation and scar tissue buildup that leads to rejection of the device. The team under Stéphanie Lacour and Grégoire Courtine from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne) were able to create an implant that can be placed directly on the spinal cord, with elasticity similar to the living tissue that will surround it, reducing friction and inflammation.

Read the full story on Rappler. 

 

Actor George Clooney led the winners of the 2015 Golden Globe Awards, bringing home with him the Cecil B DeMille award. Actress Gina Rodriguez, in a surprise win, took the Best Actress award for Jane the Virgin, while Jeffrey Tambor won Best Actor for Transparent, which also won the Best TV Series award. The Grand Budapest Hotel took the Best Motion Picture Award (musical or comedy), while Boyhood won the Best Motion Picture Award for Drama. In his acceptance speech, Clooney spoke about the importance of free speech and stood in solidarity with Paris after the Charlie Hebdo massacre.

Read the full story on Rappler.

A related story is in the New York Times.

The story on George Clooney’s speech is also on Rappler.