June 5, 2014 Edition

President Benigno Aquino III disclosed on June 5 that there is a movement of Chinese ships around disputed areas in the West Philippine Sea. The latest reports included  photos of ships in other disputed territories, specifically Gavin Reef and Cuarteron Reef in the Kalayaan Group of Islands (Spratlys). Last month, the Philippine government accused China of reclaiming land in Mabini (Johnson Reef) also in the Spratlys. “In the reports we received, we are again bothered that there seems to be developments in other areas within the disputed seas. Among them is the movement of ships,” Aquino said.

Read the full story on Rappler.

Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized nations said June 5 they were deeply concerned by tensions in the East and South China Sea. The G7 leaders meeting in Brussels warned against any use of force in the area, where the United States has warned Beijing over increasing territorial assertiveness. The statement, which did not mention any country by name, called on all countries to follow international law in resolving competing claims. China is locked in a maritime row with the Philippines and Vietnam. Japan, on the other hand, nationalized the Senkaku islands in the East China Sea, which China also claims and calls the Diaoyus.

Read the full story on Rappler.

Close to 150 government officials, disaster managers, business leaders, non-governmental organizations, and members of international organizations from 36 countries in Asia and Europe are in Manila for a conference on Disaster Risk Reduction and Management. The ASEM Manila Conference is being held at a crucial time when the decade-old Hyogo Framework of Action adopted by the world community as the global paradigm on disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) is about to end in 2015. The Philippines aims to contribute to the new global architecture on DRRM with the ASEM Manila Conference document to be called “The Tacloban Declaration” which will embody new policies and principles for DRRM.

Watch the Thursday morning session on Rappler.

Get live updates on the conference on Rappler.

Strange but true. At least 3 Cabinet secretaries have been serving the Aquino administration for 4 years now, but their appointments have yet to be confirmed by the bicameral body created by the Constitution to approve such appointments. Ilocos Norte Representative Rodolfo Fariñas, majority leader of the Commission on Appointments, said it’s about time for the CA to put an end to the cycle of bypassing and reappointing Cabinet secretaries and other nominees. He singled out the 4-year delay in the confirmation of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman. Besides De Lima and Soliman, Environment Secretary Ramon Paje has not yet been confirmed 4 years after his appointment in 2010. Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla is also unconfirmed but he was appointed only in 2012. Fariñas said the practice of issuing so-called ad interim appointments, or those done when Congress is not in session, undermines the CA’s constitutional mandate.

Read the full story on Rappler.

Tens of thousands gathered in Hong Kong on June 4 to remember the dead on the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown, the only major commemoration in China as authorities clamped tight security on Beijing. Lights were turned out as old and young alike raised their candles in the dark. The names of those who died in Beijing on June 4, 1989 were read out over loudspeakers. People bowed to pay their respects as footage of the clampdown was shown on large screens. But several Google websites were blocked in China, which prevented access to a host of websites including YouTube and Twitter using a system known as the “Great Firewall.”

Read the full story on Rappler.

Spain’s new king, Prince Felipe, a 46-year-old former Olympic yachtsman, ascends to the throne as his nation struggles with a towering 26% jobless rate, smoldering republican sentiment and a growing independence movement in the northeastern region of Catalonia. In his first public remarks since King Juan Carlos announced an end to this 39-year reign, Felipe urged Spaniards to unite for a better future. “In difficult periods such as these we are going through, past experience in history shows us that only by uniting our desires, putting the common good ahead of individual interests and promoting the initiative, curiosity and creativity of each person, can we manage to advance to better scenarios,” Felipe said.

Read the full story on Rappler.

Workers on Sao Paulo’s subway system will launch an open-ended strike June 5, the latest to hit Brazil in the run-up to the World Cup. The strike will raise fears of transport chaos in the Brazilian economic capital one week before it hosts the opening match. It will affect about 4.5 million daily passengers. On the other hand, Brazil has offered its federal police force a 15.8-percent raise in exchange for a promise not to strike during the World Cup, which kicks off on June 12. Police in the capital Brasilia have accepted the offer, which will now be put to a vote in each of Brazil’s 26 states in the coming days.

Read the story on the offer to Brazil police on Rappler.

Read the story on the planned subway strike on Rappler.

What does it mean to be a parent nowadays given society’s shifting standards? On June 4, Rappler brought together strong-willed women to talk about motherhood and their experiences, and share what kept them going. Rappler featured different mothers – single moms, cancer survivors, entrepreneurs, and corporate leaders. They are: Michelle Aventajado, blogger at Mommanmanila.com, teacher, yoga instructor, and Rappler contributor, and mother of 4 children (including one with special needs); Patty Buencamino-Balquiedra, blogger at Nonstopbabble.com, owner of Yellow Bird shoes, social media consultant, mom to two girls, and breast cancer survivor; Gladys Basinilio, General Manager/Chief Operating Officer of Carat Philippines and a single mom to two daughters; Connie Fortich, fitness ambassador, gym manager, and mother to one daughter; Jaymie Pizarro, award-winning founder of Thebullrunner.com and mother to two children; and Glaiza Garcia-Tomino, blogger at Moomymusings.com, military wife, and mother to one girl.

Watch the discussion on Rappler.

Apple showed off its upcoming operating system iOS 8 at the start of its annual WorldWide Developers Conference in San Francisco, USA. The changes are the most exciting we’ve seen from Apple in recent years but in many respects only bring the mobile OS on par with Google’s Android. The update is expected this fall. When it is released, iOS 8 will support the iPhone 4s, 5, 5c, 5s; iPod touch 5th generation; iPad 2, iPad with Retina display, iPad Air, iPad mini and iPad mini with Retina display. What to expect?

Read the full story on Rappler.

We bet you have your own pleasant memory of the Mandarin Oriental in Makati, one of the Philippines’ most iconic hotels. Almost 40 years of operations, it will close later this year and reopen after 6 years – by 2020 – with 275 spacious rooms and a variety of restaurants plus a signature spa. The current building and its existing facilities “are no longer in keeping with the group’s well-recognized, luxury hospitality offering,” the hotel said in a statement. The group said it signed a long-term management contract to brand and manage the new hotel to be developed and owned by Ayalaland Hotels & Resorts, a unit of property giant Ayala Land.

Read the full story on Rappler.