July 16, 2014 Edition

Typhoon Glenda (Rammasun) brought severe winds and heavy rains as it swept across Luzon on Tuesday, July 15, prompting mandatory evacuations in many coastal towns. Glenda first hit Legazpi City in the early evening of Tuesday and quickly proceeded in a northwesterly direction towards Metro Manila. More than 96,000 families were moved to evacuation centers as a precaution, according to DSWD secretary Dinky Soliman. The DSWD says about 338,413 people or 132,160 families have been displaced. The provinces of Albay, Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte were put under a state of calamity on Tuesday.

Rappler has received reports of damaged power lines, fallen trees and other critical information through its Project Agos Disaster Information Map and social media accounts. Most of Luzon is without power due to downed pole lines. The government has warned of possible storm surges and landslides in these affected areas. 

Read the full story on Rappler 

Follow our live coverage on the Live Blog

Help map critical information on our Project Agos Alert Map

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported on Wednesday, July 16 at least one person has died and 2 others are injured due to typhoon Glenda (Rammasun). Lourdes Ongray Lim, 25, was killed by a toppled electric post in Allen, Northern Samar. In Bgy. Nato, Camarines Sur, 2 people were electrocuted and injured – 16-year old Antonio Haban and 84-year old Jesus Vargas. Both were taken to the Bicol Medical Center. No casualties were reported in Albay. PAGASA and the NDRRMC advise the public from venturing outdoors in areas under public warning signal number 3. 

Read the full story on Rappler

With typhoon Glenda imposing a threat on normal operations, businesses took steps as early as Tuesdaymorning July 15 to prepare for the severe weather. Airlines cancelled domestic flights on Tuesday as it diverted airplanes to Cebu or Clark to avoid the risk of damage due to the typhoon. International flights were later cancelled on Wednesday morning as typhoon Glenda traversed southern Luzon. Banks and government offices were shut down on Wednesday, echoing schools which called off classes as early asTuesday. The Philippine Stock Exchange also suspended trading on Wednesday. Power distributor Meralco said it has place its personnel on standby to immediately respond to power outages. Typhoon Glenda is sending a message that its clearly not business as usual. 

Read the full story on Rappler here, here and here. 

Only hours after typhoon Glenda (Rammasun) made landfall and battered the province of Albay, the provincial government announced Tuesday evening, July 15, that the province would begin recovery and return to normal operations by Wednesday. Governor Joey Salceda issued a directive through his Facebook page ordering response teams to clear broken wires and fallen trees and for the local government to resume operations. Classes are still suspended at all levels to enable “clearing and cleaning of school facilities and to allow school children to help in their homes.” “Our goal tomorrow morning is for people to wake up to an Albay that’s already starting to recover,” Salceda told Rappler in an interview on Tuesday evening. Albay is under a state of calamity with at least 26% of its population affected by typhoon Glenda.

Read the full story on Rappler

Twenty people died and nearly 130 more were hurt after a train derailed in Moscow’s packed metro during rush hour on Tuesday, July 15, in the worst accident to hit one of the world’s busiest subways. Russian television described scenes of chaos and panic on the capital city’s famed system, saying passengers fell like dominoes when the train braked abruptly and three carriages derailed. Initial investigations point to a train derailment caused by sudden breaking due to a false alarm triggered by a supply voltage dip. 

Read the full story on Rappler

“The road to unconstitutionality is often paved with ostensibly good intentions,” wrote Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justice Antonio Carpio in his separate opinion on the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP). Carpio, the most senior magistrate, concurred with the High Court’s decision to declare unconstitutional the Aquino administration program. He issued a separate opinion on DAP to further explain his vote. In it, he writes: ‘This Court cannot allow a castration of a vital part of the checks-and-balances enshrined in the Constitution, even if the branch adversely affected suicidally consents to it.’ On July 1, the Supreme Court declared DAP unconstitutional for allowing the realignment of government savings, with a vote of 13-0-1. 

Read the full story on Rappler

Israel resumed a punishing air campaign against Gaza Tuesday, July 15, after its Palestinian foe Hamas rejected a truce and fired dozens of rockets over the border, killing an Israeli for the first time. The renewed Israeli strikes killed five Palestinians, raising the Gaza death toll in eight days of violence to 197, medics said. An Israeli man was killed in a rocket attack on an Israeli position near the Erez crossing with Gaza, the army said. The civilian had been delivering food to soldiers serving in the area, a spokesman for the Israeli emergency services told Agence France-Presse. The first Israeli death of the conflict came after nearly 1,000 rockets and mortar rounds hit the Jewish state. Four Israelis have been seriously wounded. 

Read the full story on Rappler

Tens of thousands of jubilant fans massed at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate on Tuesday, July 15, to welcome the World Cup winners and new national heroes bringing home football’s top prize for the first time to a reunified Germany. The flag-waving crowd broke out in applause after news spread that the special airplane carrying the triumphant players from Rio de Janeiro touched down at the airport shortly after 0800 GMT. Crowds began massing in central Berlin before dawn and thousands more supporters gathered on a viewing platform under warm summer sunshine at Tegel airport to meet the plane, a Lufthansa jet rebranded “Fanhansa” for the team. It is the fourth time Germany has won the World Cup, but only the first as a reunited country. 

Read the full story on Rappler

President Benigno Aquino III made a public commitment to have the much demanded Freedom of Information Bill pass before the end of his term in 2016. Aquino made the promise at the Daylight Dialogue in Malacanang on Tuesday, July 15 before members of the government and private sector. “I regret I cannot certify it as urgent because the Constitution requires an emergency,” said the President, “but the assurance I think should be given, at this point in time, that it will be passed before the end of my term.” The President made the statement in response to a question from Makati Business Club Chairman Ramon del Rosario. If passed, the FOI law would require government agencies to release information requested by the public. The bill remains at the committee level in the House of Representatives.  

Read the full story on Rappler

Pullitzer-prize winning journalist and activist Jose Antonio Vargas, who revealed in 2011 that he is an undocumented immigrant, was freed by US border agents after being held for several hours on Tuesday, July 15. Vargas was in Texas to highlight the plight of tens of thousands of children from Central America who have flooded across the border and into the United States in the past year in search of a better life, his campaign group Define American said. Campaigners and leaders including the mayor of New York had called for the Philippine-born 33-year-old’s release from detention. Over 57,000 have illegally entered the United States since October, the majority arriving in Texas, according to official US data. 

Read the full story on Rappler