Dismissing issues against him as “baseless attacks,” Vice-president Jejomar Binay expressed anew his resolve to be the next Philippine president and stressed that the issue in the coming elections is ‘experience and competence’. In an earlier speech to business owners, Binay stressed the need for leaders with the political will to implement growth-driving economic policies, citing his experience in Makati City, the business capital of the country, as example. The vice-president is accused of approving questionable government deals under his watch as Makati’s chief executive. There is an ongoing probe into bank accounts under his name over suspicions of money laundering in relation to corruption complaints. The Court of Appeals on May 11 issued a freeze order on the bank accounts of Binay, his relatives, and his alleged dummies.

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Days after a deadly fire at a footwear plant claimed 72 lives, Labor secretary Rosalinda Baldoz called for criminal penalties for factory owners who violate job safety standards. Baldoz said occupational safety standards have been in place since 1978 but they lack teeth because Congress has failed to pass a law imposing penalties against violators. Owners of the Valenzuela City factory are accused of various illegal labor practices, among them failure to pay mandated minimum wages, failure give workers overtime pay, and forcing workers to constantly inhale foul-smelling chemicals.

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Senator Miriam Santiago urged the Philippine government to cite an international agreement to hold Canada accountable for illegally exporting trash to the Philippines. The chairperson of the Senate committee on foreign relations said that Canada should be held responsible for exported waste under the Basel Convention. She also said that it should be forced to take back trash it has illegally shipped to the Philippines since 2013.

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With over 8,500 dead, thousands still missing, and many more injured and homeless due to the earthquake that shattered Nepal on April 25, the Himalayan country will need US$2 billion in donor assistance to rebuild damaged infrastructure. Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala announced on Sunday, May 17, that his administration has set up a national rehabilitation and reconstruction fund towards this end. He said that the Nepalese government has earmarked US$2 million for the fund and appealed to donor communities and the private sector to contribute to the fund.

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Ramadi, a key city in central Iraq, fell to Islamic State militants on Sunday, May 17, as the Iraqi military retreated along with hundreds of police personnel and tribal fighters. The fall of Ramadi, the capital of Iraq’s Anbar province, represents a huge victory for ISIS and is also seen to have dealt a profound blow to Iraq’s US-backed government. The US military has been supporting the Iraqi forces through air strikes. In an attempt to win back control, Iraqi premier Haider al-Abadi has ordered Iranian-aligned Shiite militias to join the fight ignoring US concerns that their presence could spark sectarian bloodshed in the region.

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John Philip “Balang” Bughaw, the 6-year old Filipino kid who became known for his adorable dancing appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show last week. In his interview with Ellen, Balang told the American comedian through an interpreter that it was his visit to the United States and he was very happy because he loves chocolates. After his performance, Balang was rewarded by Ellen, who also loves to dance, with a giant stash of chocolates.

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A brand new island emerging off the coast of Japan offers scientists a rare opportunity to study how life begins to colonize barren land. The newly created Nishinoshima island is 1,000 kilometers south of Tokyo and is part of the Ogasawara island chain. With an area of 2.46 square kilometers (0.95 square miles) – roughly the size of 345 football pitches – it is currently almost all bare rock, formed from cooling lava. Scientists believe the island will one day be humming with plant – and possibly animal – life, as nature moves in to what is being called a “natural laboratory.” Bird waste will be the secret ingredient that will kickstart Mother Nature’s grand experiment, researchers say.

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To promote her new movie ‘Pitch Perfect 2,’ Anna Kendrick challenged English comedian James Corden to a sing-off on The Late Late Show. Accompanying them is Fil-Am a cappella group, The Filharmonic. The Fil-Am group plays Manila Envy, one of the groups competing against the Barden Bellas, in ‘Pitch Perfect 2.’

Read more and watch the video on Rappler.

Twin sisters Danah and Stacy Gutierrez share helpful tips about swimsuit season, particularly for plus-sized ladies. The sisters created body acceptance blog, theplumpinay.com, and recently launched their new swimsuit line.

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Swimming in open water has its unique set of challenges. Unlike in a pool, there are no lane lines, the water may have waves and currents and in a triathlon there many others swimming right beside you. Coach Moi Yamoyam of the Swim Academy shares tips which should help anyone in an open water swim triathlon.

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