September 7, 2012 Edition

World leaders meet in Vladivostok, Russia, this weekend for the 20th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ meeting. Philippine President Benigno Aquino III himself was to leave Friday for the meeting, along with an official delegation of 66 people. Philippine and Chinese authorities were still finalizing the details of the meeting between Aquino and Chinese President Hu Jintao on the sidelines of the APEC meeting. While the South China Sea dispute is expected to be tackled once Aquino and Hu meet, the Philippines would not want this issue to overshadow APEC, according to Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda.

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President Benigno Aquino III has received his highest net satisfaction rating since he assumed his post in June 2010, said the Social Weather Stations (SWS) said in its latest report. Aquino got a net satisfaction rating of +67 in a poll conducted from August 24 to 27. This rating was equivalent to “very good.” In the latest survey, 77% of respondents expressed satisfaction with his performance, rising from 63% in May. Only 10% showed dissatisfaction, a dip from May’s 21%. The survey period covered the following events that could have raised Aquino’s rating, said SWS: Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo’s death, the monsoon rain that inundated parts of Luzon, and the dismissal of former Chief Justice Renato Corona.

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Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Rico Puno, a longtime friend of President Benigno Aquino III, reportedly tried to enter the apartment of his late boss, Jesse Robredo, a day after the latter died in a plane crash off the waters of Masbate on August 18. This was the basis of the request of the Robredo family to have his home and office secured by presidential guards. Rappler sources disclosed that the President decided to let go of Puno even before Robredo’s death, due to complaints about him that reached Malacañang. Palace officials said Puno will be leaving the department once incoming Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas formally assumes the post.

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Bishop Robert Finn was found guilty of failing to report suspected child abuse, becoming the highest-ranking US Catholic Church official convicted in clergy sex abuse scandals. Jackson County Circuit Court Judge John Torrence issued the ruling in Kansas City, Missouri after Finn, 59, declined to fight the charges and instead agreed to a stipulated finding of facts in the case. Finn will not serve jail time or pay a fine for the misdemeanor charge. He was instead placed on probation, which requires him to ensure the diocese trains staff and clergy to detect and report abuse, as well as create a US$10,000 fund for counseling abuse victims.

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The foreign staff of international charity organization Save the Children have been asked to leave Pakistan on government suspicion they aided American forces in the raid that led to the killing of terror leader Osama bin Laden. BBC reports that the 6 foreign staff — out of 2,000 Save the Children employees in Pakistan — have been given two weeks to wrap up their work in the country. The charity, which has operations all over the world including the Philippines, has worked in Pakistan since 1979. The aid agency’s spokesman told BBC they were trying to seek “clarification” with Pakistani officials on the reason for the expulsion.

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Rappler sits down with the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Morphlabs, Winston Damarillo, a top Filipino entrepreneur who has had success with top technology firms. At 30 years old, he founded his own company and sold it for about US$100 million to IBM. Damarillo answers questions about making it big as a technology entrepreneur and how we can develop and sustain the rich IT talent in the Philippines.

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Vice President Jejomar Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) might end up adopting Sen Francis Escudero and Grace Poe-Llamanzares as guest candidates in its 2013 senatorial slate. Poe-Llamanzares is the chairperson of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board. Escudero and Poe-Llamanzares have also been named as potential candidates of the administration coalition. The Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino  joined forces with Binay’s Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban). PMP and PDP-Laban formed UNA for the 2013 midterm elections So far, UNA has only 10 senatorial bets and will need two more candidates to complete its slate.

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Amazon on September 6, unveiled a new, larger version of its Kindle Fire tablet computer with a high-definition display, in a move by the retail giant to take on the market-leading iPad. The new Kindle Fire HD will be offered with an 8.9-inch display, along with an upgraded version of the tablet launched in a smaller format last year. The large-display tablet is only 8.8 millimeters thick, and weighs 560 grams. Amazon will offer 3 versions of the tablet. The Kindle Fire HD 7-inch will cost US$199 and ships September 14, while the iPad-challenging larger version, with 16 GB of memory will cost $299 and will go on sale on November 20.

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Brillante Mendoza said at the Venice Film Festival on September 6 that he wanted to show a different side of Muslim communities in a conflict-torn part of the Philippines. His new film “Sinapupunan” (“Thy Womb”), is set in the islands of Tawi-Tawi in Mindanao. It is premiering in Venice and one of the 18 movies vying for the prestigious Golden Lion award. The beautifully-shot movie tells the story of a wife who cannot conceive. She sets out with her husband to find a second wife who can give him a child.

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US President Barack Obama on September 7 (Manila time) implored Americans to grant him a second term to complete his battered crusade for change, warning of the starkest election choice in a generation. Four years after his historic election win, Obama accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination for a second time, dispensing hard truths on US economic ills and warning that Republican Mitt Romney would endanger America abroad. The primetime address came with Obama waging a too-close-to-call race with Romney, who argues that 8.3% unemployment and sluggish growth prove the president is out of ideas and should be sent home to Chicago after one term.

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