November 1,2013 Edition

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  1. Vinta to leave PH by afternoon

    If predictions hold, it looks like Typhoon Vinta (international codename Krosa) will be leaving the Philippine area of responsibility by Friday afternoon. In its 11am update, state weather bureau Pagasa says the typhoon was located 190 km west-northwest of Laoag City.

    Public storm warning signal number 1 is up over Ilocos Norte, Apayao, Abra and Ilocos Sur. Pagasa warns residents to be on alert against possible flashfloods, landslides, and storm surges in coastal areas. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) allocated in advance P92 million worth of relief assistance for the families to be affected by the typhoon.

    Read the full story on Rappler.

  2. The fight over Taal Basilica project

    HERITAGE GEM. The authenticity and beauty of the Taal Basilica may be threatened by the construction of an events venue on its left side. Photo from Wikimedia Commons

    An artist and a parish priest clashed over plans to build an events venue beside a historic church in Taal, Batangas. Artist Ramon Orlina mounted a campaign to “preserve the antiquity and beauty” of Taal Basilica, also known as Basilica de San Martin de Tours. Orlina is opposing the construction of an arcade which he believes will ruin the chances of the basilica and the entire town to be declared a World Heritage Site. Taal Basilica, said to be the biggest Catholic church in Asia, is the centerpiece of the heritage town of Taal, dubbed as the “Vigan near Metro Manila.” Parish priest Alfredo Madlangbayan plans to put up a two-storey events venue for wedding receptions, debuts, conferences and church meetings. Its first level is almost complete.

    But its construction was not approved by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.

    Read the full story on Rappler.

  3. US spying? PH: Envoys should follow law

    SPY POST? A map leaked by fugitive intelligence officer Edward Snowden shows the US Embassy in Manila as one of 90 'listening posts' used to monitor communications in the region. In this photo, commuters pass in front of the highly-secured US embassy in Manila on July 6, 2013. File photo by AFP/Jay Directo

    Following a new report that the United States uses its embassy in Manila as a ‘listening post,’ the Philippines said embassies should follow the law. On Thursday, October 31, Philippines foreign affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said the functions of embassies are governed by treaty obligations like the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. This comes after a German news magazine reported Washington uses the US embassy in Manila to spy on communication networks and phone calls in the region. A top-secret map leaked by US whistleblower Edward Snowden lists Manila as one of 90 surveillance facilities at embassies and consulates around the world. If the allegations are true, Article 27 of the Vienna Convention will likely apply. It says a receiving state “shall permit and protect free communication on the part of the mission for all official purposes.” But it added that a wireless transmitter may only be installed with the consent of the receiving state.

    Read the full story on Rappler.

  4. More bad news for storm-hit Europe

    After a storm battered parts of Europe earlier this week, more bad news of extreme weather is on the horizon. A new report by the Norwegian Meteorological Institute and the European national science academies suggested extreme weather phenomena are “increasing in frequency and intensity within Europe.” This means more frequent and intense heat waves and a reduction in rainfall and temperatures in southern Europe, and “high intensity and extreme precipitation” within the next 70 years in Northern Europe. The warning about extreme weather is not new. In June, the European Environment Agency predicted a rise in extreme weather after floods affected the Czech Republic, Austria and Germany. The latest report aims to help policy makers to adapt to climate change.

    Read more on TIME.

    Thermometer image from Shutterstock

  5. Lonely Planet’s top destinations for 2014

    El Nido, Palawan photo from Wikitravel

    Lonely Planet reveals its top travel destinations for 2014. In its Best in Travel guide published Tuesday, the famed travel guide rated destinations based on their “topicality, excitement and that special x-factor.” The 2014 FIFA World Cup host tops the list, with Lonely Planet heaping praises on Brazil’s coasts, verdant-green mountains and colonial villages. Antarctica and Scotland round up the top 3 destinations. In cities, Paris tops the list, while Sikkim in India is voted the best region for 2014. The Philippines gets a nod too – Palawan makes it to the list of best value travel destinations, thanks to its jungle rivers, limestone cliffs and beaches.

    Read more on CNN and Lonely Planet.

  6. Facebook to track cursor on screen?

    Facebook is considering expanding the scope of its data collection – and that may include tracking how long a user’s cursor hovers on screen. The Wall Street Journal reports Facebook’s analytics chief Ken Rudin says the site is testing technology that can collect data on user interactions with the social network, like whether the newsfeed is in a viewable area or how long you spend on a page. Rudin says Facebook may use the information for product development to targeted advertising, among other purposes. WSJ reports the tests are ongoing, and the social network will know “within months” if it will incorporate the data collection system into the site.

    Read more on the Wall Street Journal.

  7. Napoles’ mother will miss her

    LESS PEOPLE. On the eve of All Saints' Day, there are less visitors in the Napoles mausoleum. All photos by LeAnne Jazul/Rappler

    For the first time in years, Janet Napoles will miss visiting the grave of her mother, Magdalena Lim, at the family mausoleum in Heritage Park in Taguig City. Napoles is detained in Fort Sto Domingo over an illegal detention charge involving key pork barrel scam witness Benhur Luy. Janet’s mother, Magdalena, died in February 2008. She was a deeply religious woman known to have helped poor priests and seminarians in China. On the eve of All Saints’ Day, the air-conditioned mausoleum – valued at about P30 million – had only a few people inside. It was also at the mausoleum where Janet Napoles previously hosted Halloween parties. She invited VIPs from both political and entertainment circles, including Senate President Franklin Drilon and his wife Mila. The mausoleum is the same place where Napoles met with Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda on August 28 to negotiate her surrender to President Benigno Aquino III.

    Read the full story on Rappler.

  8. Geographical ‘horror map’

    MAPPING HORROR FILMS. Software maker Esri plots out horror movie locales for users. Map background from http://mediamaps.esri.com/geography-of-horror/

    Map locations along with your horror movie marathons using an interactive map by Geographic information Systems software maker Esri. Esri released an interactive map that plots around 200 scary movies based on where they took place. Taking data and images from Wikimedia Commons and the Internet Movie Database, Esri places the locales for these movies on a world map, linking them to information for each of the movies listed. Users can also track trends, such as a movement from Europe to the United States for popular horror movie settings.

    Read the full story on Rappler.

  9. ‘Undas Online’ for OFWs, homebound Pinoys

    UNDAS ONLINE. The CBCP Media Office offers a website that sets the mood for Undas. Screen grab from undasonline.com

    For those who can’t visit the cemetery on Friday, November 1, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) offers a website for All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. The CBCP Media Office relaunched www.undasonline.com, a site that contains prayers, readings, videos, and podcasts on Undas, a Filipino and Catholic custom to honor dead relatives and friends. The website also accepts prayer requests for the dead. The CBCP Media Office said the project is intended for homebound Filipinos and overseas Filipino workers who cannot visit the graves of their loved ones. The site has been up since as early as 2011, and is revived each year in time for Undas.

    Read the full story on Rappler.

  10. FAA allows passengers to use gadgets on planes

    The US Federal Aviation Administration relaxed rules banning passengers from using electronic devices on planes. The FAA will allow passengers to use their devices during takeoffs and landings on planes with systems that protect against electronic interference. This means passengers can read, listen to music, and play games – but cellphone calls are still prohibited. TIME reports connections to the Internet will still be prohibited below 10,000 feet. A U.S. travel industry group applauded the changes, adding enjoyable passenger experience is not incompatible with air safety.

    Read more on TIME.

    Man using tablet inside plane image from Shutterstock

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