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Austrian’s death in Davao del Sur raises questions for cops

News

Jan 162014

Austrian’s death in Davao del Sur raises questions for cops

By Orlando B. DinoyInquirer Mindanao 8:18 am | Friday, January 17th, 2014 BANSALAN, Philippines—Police authorities said they have decided to investigate further the death of an Austrian national to determine if it was indeed suicide as it appeared to be. The body of Ernesto Rossi, 45, of Bregenz City in Austria, was found hanging on a chain by his Filipino wife inside their house in Sitio (subvillage) Bolhoon in Barangay (village) Buenavista here around 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 14. Senior Insp. Jeffrey Latayada, the town police chief, said Rossi’s wife, Teresa, had told police she and her relatives rushed Rossi to the Centeno Medical Hospital here. But Latayada said Teresa told police Rossi died at 5:25 p.m. while being treated at the medical facility. “We are trying to determine if there was no foul play,” he said. Follow Us Recent Stories: Complete stories on our Digital Edition newsstand for tablets, netbooks and mobile phones; 14-issue free trial. About to step out? Get breaking alerts on your mobile.phone. Text ON INQ BREAKING to 4467, for Globe, Smart and Sun subscribers in the Philippines. Tags: Davao del Sur , Death , death investigation , Ernesto Rossi , Foreign Nationals , Philippines – Regions , Police , suicide Factual errors? Contact the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s day desk. Believe this article violates journalistic ethics? Contact the Inquirer’s Reader’s Advocate. Or write The Readers’ Advocate: c/o Philippine Daily Inquirer Chino Roces Avenue corner Yague and Mascardo Streets, Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines Or fax nos. Read More …

Filipino singer captures Israeli hearts in TV show

News

Jan 062014

Filipino singer captures Israeli hearts in TV show

In this Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2014 photo, Rose Fostanes sings during a rehearsal of the X-Factor Israel in Tel Aviv. The 47-year-old Filipino caregiver has emerged as the newest star of Israeli reality television, putting a human face on the thousands of foreign workers who toil away in menial, back-breaking jobs in this country. AP PHOTO/ARIEL SCHALIT JERUSALEM—A 47-year-old Filipino caregiver has emerged as the newest star of Israeli reality television, putting a human face on the thousands of foreign workers who toil away in menial, back-breaking jobs in this country. Israeli viewers of the country’s myriad of reality shows have grown accustomed to successful candidates from various backgrounds, including black-clad ultra-Orthodox Jews, Ethiopian immigrants and a German convert to Judaism who became a celebrity chef. But they’ve never seen someone like Rose Fostanes before. The diminutive woman with a booming voice has taken “X-Factor Israel” by storm and emerged as a national phenomenon. Known simply as “Rose,” she is mobbed by fans wherever she goes. “It’s a big change in my life because before nobody recognized me, nobody knew me. But now everybody, I think everybody in Israel knows my name. And it is very funny,” she said. Fostanes arrived six years ago to work as a caregiver so, like millions of other Filipino workers around the world, she could send money back home to her family and her girlfriend. She spends her days caring and cleaning for an ailing woman in her 50s. To save money, Fostanes lives Read More …

In the Know: Naphthalene

Economy

Jan 032014

Philippine Daily Inquirer 4:04 am | Saturday, January 4th, 2014 Naphthalene, a main ingredient in producing mothballs, is a chemical compound widely used as an insecticide and pest repellent. Made from crude oil or coal tar, this crystalline can be colorless but also range in color from solid white to brown. It can be found in car exhaust, cigarette smoke, or smoke from forest fires. Naphthalene, which was first registered as a pesticide in the United States in 1948, is primarily used to control clothes moth and silverfish through vapors that, in airtight containers, can kill insects. It is also used to repel animals such as squirrels and bats. Some hanging toilet bowl deodorizers may also contain naphthalene. Naphthalene is considered moderately toxic to some species of fish, water fleas and Pacific oysters, and slightly toxic to green algae. Apart from mothballs, this toxic and active ingredient is also used in the production of plastics, dyes, resins, lubricants and fuels. Exposure to naphthalene vapors may result in headache, nausea, dizziness or vomiting. Children who accidentally consume mothballs may also develop diarrhea, fever, abdominal pain and painful urination with discolored urine. Breathing in napthalene vapors or consuming the product may result in hemolytic anemia, which occurs when red blood cells break apart and fail to carry oxygen through the body. When naphthalene enters the body, it breaks down to alpha-naphthol, which is linked to the development of hemolytic anemia. Kidney and liver damage may occur as alpha-naphthol and other metabolites are Read More …

China to reorganize military defense setup

News

Jan 022014

China to reorganize military defense setup

In this Dec. 26, 2013 photo, Chinese People’s Liberation Army navy personnel salute in front of a new Type 052C guided missile destroyer Zhengzhou during its commission ceremony in Zhoushan, in eastern China’s Zhejiang province. China is considering reorganizing its seven military regions into five to respond more swiftly to a crisis, the Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun reported. AP PHOTO TOKYO—China is considering reorganizing its seven military regions into five to respond more swiftly to a crisis, the Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun reported. The news comes amid rising tensions over Beijing’s territorial claims in the region, with China and Japan squaring off over a chain of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea. Each of the new military regions will create a joint operations command that controls the Army, Navy and Air Force, as well as a strategic missile unit, the daily said, citing senior Chinese military officials. The revamp would mark a shift from the current defense-oriented military that relies mainly on the Army to one that ensures more mobile and integrated management of the Army, Navy, Air Force and strategic missile units, Yomiuri said. “It is a proactive measure with eyes on counteracting the Japan-US alliance,” the daily quoted one of the officials as saying. Tokyo and Beijing are locked in a territorial row over the Tokyo-controlled Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, which China also claims and calls the Diaoyus. The United States, while insisting it does not take sides on sovereignty disputes, has said the Read More …

What Went Before: Damage wrought by USS Guardian

News

Jan 022014

What Went Before: Damage wrought by USS Guardian

Philippine Daily Inquirer 5:25 am | Friday, January 3rd, 2014 MANILA, Philippines-On Jan. 17 last year, the Avenger-class minehunter USS Guardian ran aground on the south atoll of the Tubbataha Reefs while sailing to Indonesia following a port call on Subic Bay. The grounding damaged 2,345 square meters of coral on the reefs, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) World Heritage Site in the middle of the Sulu Sea. After 10 weeks, the salvage operation was completed by a Singapore-based salvor company hired by the US Navy. The ship had to be dismantled piece by piece so it could be lifted without damaging the reef further. It was then decommissioned and stricken off the naval registry. In April 2013, the commanding officer of the Guardian, Lt. Cmdr. Mark Rice, the executive officer and navigator Lt. Daniel Tyler, the assistant navigator and the officer of the deck at the time of the grounding were relieved. In the same month, the Tubbataha Management Office (TMO) said it would fine the United States not more than $1.4 million (about P60 million) for the damage to the Tubbataha Reefs. The report of the assessment team, composed of divers and researchers from the TMO and World Wide Fund for Nature-Philippines, showed that the damaged area spanned 2,345.67 sqm, smaller than the initial estimate of 4,000 sq m, which would have pushed the fine to $5 million, or about P200 million. Under Republic Act No. 10067, or the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park Act Read More …

US has not paid Tubbataha fine

General

Jan 022014

MANILA, Philippines—Almost a year after an American warship ran aground on an atoll of the Tubbataha Reefs in the Sulu Sea, the US government has yet to pay the fine imposed by the Philippines for the damage to the environment. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said Thursday that the fine amounted to P58.3 million, imposed after a determination of the damage caused by the grounding of the USS Guardian on the Tubbataha Reefs, a protected World Heritage Site. “According to Director Lim, nothing has been paid yet,” Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said in a text message to the Inquirer, referring to a statement from Theresa Mundita Lim, head of the Biodiversity Management Bureau (formerly the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau). Lim later confirmed the information in a separate text message to the Inquirer. No request A US official, however, said the Philippines had not formally requested settlement of the damage. “The United States has committed to processing any request by the Philippine government for damage expeditiously,” the official who is privy to the matter said on Thursday. “To my knowledge, a request has not yet been made.” Paje said it was up to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to make arrangements with the US government on the payment of the fine. “If it were up to the DENR, of course, we would insist that the penalty be imposed and that they pay in cash, regardless of whether it was the US or China or whoever. But Read More …

US embassy releases its list of 2014 holidays

News

Jan 022014

US embassy releases its list of 2014 holidays

By Bong LozadaINQUIRER.net 10:20 pm | Thursday, January 2nd, 2014 MANILA, Philippines—The United States Embassy has released its own list of holidays for 2014, dates that would inform the public that the embassy is closed for the day, following the release of the Philippine Government’s release earlier. The 19-holiday list contains events in the Philippines and also important holidays from the US. Only two dates are joint holidays for Philippines and US: New Year’s Day and Christmas. From the list, eight are exclusively American holidays and these are Martin Luther King Jr. day (January 20), US President’s day (February 17), US Memorial day (May 26), US Independence day (July 4), Columbus day (October 13), US Veterans day (November 11) and Thanksgiving (November 27). The embassy also lists the Muslim event of Eid-ul-Fitr as one of its holidays, though the date hass yet to be announced. Heroism Day (April 9), Maundy Thursday (April 17), Good Friday (April 18), Labor Day (May 1), Philippine Independence Day (June 12), Ninoy Aquino Day (August 21), Rizal Day (December 30) and the last day of the year are the exclusive Filipino holidays on the embassy’s list. Related story Philippine holidays for 2014 Follow Us Recent Stories: Complete stories on our Digital Edition newsstand for tablets, netbooks and mobile phones; 14-issue free trial. About to step out? Get breaking alerts on your mobile.phone. Text ON INQ BREAKING to 4467, for Globe, Smart and Sun subscribers in the Philippines. Tags: 2014 , Global Nation , Holidays Read More …

Thousands rally on New Year’s Day for Hong Kong democracy

News

Jan 012014

Thousands rally on New Year’s Day for Hong Kong democracy

Thousands of protesters march during a demonstration demanding universal suffrage for the people of Hong Kong on New Year’s Day in Hong Kong Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2014. The white banner, right, reads “Real universal suffrage, No filtering.” (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) HONG KONG – Thousands marched in Hong Kong Wednesday to demand a greater say in how their future leaders will be chosen, expressing fears that China will limit long-awaited political reforms. “Democracy will prevail” read some banners as protesters sang and shouted slogans against the government of the semi-autonomous Chinese city, less than one month after the start of an official public consultation on a future electoral system. “Because we are Hong Kong citizens, we must vote,” said Sharon Tang, a 49-year-old trading company employee, adding that residents of the former British colony have the intelligence to choose their leaders. Mainland Chinese tourists took pictures of the march as protesters chanted “End one-party rule!” China, which took back Hong Kong in 1997, has promised that its people will be able to vote in 2017 for their next chief executive. Currently the leader is elected by a 1,200-strong pro-Beijing committee. But many fear that China will control the choice of candidates to secure the election of a sympathetic official. “Hong Kong people have been on the streets over the years to strive for what we deserve, and what the Chinese government has not given us,” Charles Tam, 25, told AFP. One protester had red tape wrapped around her arms and covering Read More …

Speed up PH aid, UN tells donors

General

Dec 222013

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon gestures during a press conference in Makati, south of Manila, Philippines on Sunday Dec. 22, 2013. Ban called on donor countries to ramp up aid for the reconstruction program for the survivors of Supertyphoon “Yolanda.” AP PHOTO/AARON FAVILA MANILA, Philippines—United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday called on donor countries to ramp up aid for the reconstruction program for the survivors of Supertyphoon “Yolanda.” “I hope my visit will provide occasion to the international community to keep focused. This should not be a forgotten crisis. That’s why I’m here,” Ban said at a joint news conference with Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario at the close of a three-day visit. Ban said so far only 32 percent of the amount requested for the UN-led humanitarian community’s Strategic Response Plan for Yolanda victims had been filled. On Saturday, Ban visited Tacloban City and saw for himself the massive devastation wrought by Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) on Nov. 8. The government said the supertyphoon affected 14.1 million persons, displaced 4.1 million, and damaged 1.1 million houses. It said 6,102 persons were killed and another 1,779 were missing. On Friday, Ban met with President Aquino and discussed with him the government’s rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts. Del Rosario thanked Ban for his visit, saying that this demonstrated “the UN’s firm commitment of helping victims of Typhoon Yolanda.” “Your presence here is a manifestation of your personal leadership which has touched our hearts,” he said, noting the UN’s “dedication in Read More …

UN leader Ban coming to get firsthand view of Tacloban

News

Dec 162013

UN leader Ban coming to get firsthand view of Tacloban

Agence France-Presse 3:47 am | Tuesday, December 17th, 2013 UN leader Ban Ki-moon will go to the typhoon-stricken Philippines city of Tacloban this week to highlight the growing number of weather disasters. AP PHOTO/THE UNITED NATIONS, MARK GARTEN UNITED NATIONS—UN leader Ban Ki-moon will go to the typhoon-stricken Philippines city of Tacloban this week to highlight the growing number of weather disasters. “2013 was another year of extreme weather—as we saw most recently with Typhoon Haiyan. On Thursday, I will depart for Manila and Tacloban for a firsthand assessment of the aftermath,” Ban said Monday as he announced the visit. The UN secretary general is to arrive in Manila on Friday for talks with government leaders and will go to Tacloban on Saturday, UN spokeswoman Eri Kaneko said. “He will visit affected communities in Tacloban,” Kaneko said. The UN leader will leave the Philippines on Sunday. The Philippines government says that more than 6,000 people died in the Nov. 8 typhoon—one of the strongest storms ever recorded—which badly hit Tacloban and surrounding regions. Almost 1,800 people are still missing. Ban said that he is organizing a major summit on climate change for Sept. 23 next year, just ahead of the UN General Assembly. RELATED STORIES: Citing Philippines, UN chief urges action at climate talks Philippine typhoon warning to man, says UN chief UN to launch major aid appeal for battered Philippines Follow Us Recent Stories: Complete stories on our Digital Edition newsstand for tablets, netbooks and mobile phones; 14-issue free Read More …

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