Rodrigo Duterte
A star-studded list of candidates files for president in the Philippines
Friday marks the end of the weeklong window for candidates to file paperwork to run for president of the Philippines in next year’s general elections. The list includes a world-renowned boxer and two children of former presidents.
Coronavirus case totals surge with colder temperatures; More foreign leaders call President-elect Biden; Typhoon Vamco strikes the Philippines
The number of COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations continues to soar in the US, Europe and elsewhere, with death tolls expected to rise quickly as well. And, the leaders of Japan, South Korea and Australia had their first calls with US President-elect Joe Biden, reaffirming close relations. Also, the second typhoon in a week in a half has struck the Philippines.
Duterte’s ‘weaponization of the law’ is a threat to democracy, says journalist Maria Ressa
Out on bail after facing charges of cyber libel, veteran Filipina journalist Maria Ressa tells The World’s Marco Werman that working in journalism in the Philippines is “tougher than a war zone” and that this moment is “a battle for the truth.”
NASA, SpaceX to launch rocket; EU, Japan plan huge stimulus efforts; Twitter marks Trump tweets with fact-check label
Two American astronauts are set to make history on a SpaceX rocket launching from the Kennedy Space Center today. The European Union and Japan have unveiled huge stimulus packages to help economies rebound in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. Also, Twitter slaps a fact-check label on US President Donald Trump’s tweets for the first time. In China, officials are urging a change to a long-standing chopstick tradition. And, bilingual comedians are working to reach their audiences through the pandemic.
The Philippines identified as the deadliest country for environmental activists
The NGO Global Witness detailed in its annual report how the Philippines has been identified as the deadliest country in the world for environmental activists, in large part due to violence and intimidation from the mining, energy, and logging industries.
