Hurrricane Isaac is now coming

Isaac is now a hurricane which is expected to landfall on Tuesday night in New Orleans and Louisiana. Here is the news: 

Isaac finally reached hurricane strength on Tuesday, closing in on New Orleans and the entire Louisiana coast as a slow-moving giant expected to make landfall Tuesday night and then dump up to 20 inches of rain in some spots.

"It's going to be a long period of really bad weather" for the Louisiana and Mississippi coasts as well as areas inland, National Hurricane Center Director Rick Knabb told MSNBC. 

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said he expects his city "will get the brunt of it."

Chief Justice Sereno discloses her SALN

To avoid the problem in the future regarding wealth and properties, Chief Sereno disclosed her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth. Here is the news:

MANILA, Philippines - One of the first official acts of newly appointed Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno is to authorize the unconditional disclosure of her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) to the public. 

Sereno informed the other 13 justices of her decision for full disclosure of her SALNs during today's en banc session which she presided for the first time as chief magistrate.

Her move will no longer entail compliance of a June 13 resolution issued by the high court on the manner by which SALNs of justices and judges may be released to the public.

The resolution identifies the guidelines requesting parties should comply with for the release of the SALNs. The high court says this will ensure that “requests for SALNs must be made under circumstances that must not endanger, diminish or destroy the independence, and objectivity of the members of the Judiciary in the performance of their judicial functions or expose them to revenge for adverse decisions, kidnapping, extortion, blackmail or other untoward incidents.”

Sereno's decision covers all her SALNs since she was appointed to the high court in 2010.

Early this year, Sereno, together with Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, released to the public a summary of their SALNs.

Sereno's predecessor, former Chief Justice Renato Corona, was convicted by the Senate Impeachment Court for non-disclosure of all his assets in his SALNs in spite of his insistence that it is not an impeachable offense.

Hundreds of quakes shook San Diego

 "A swarm" of several hundred earthquakes, the strongest measuring a 5.5 magnitude, were centered east of San Diego near California's border with Mexico on Sunday afternoon but caused little damage, seismologists said.

Sunday's shaking in Southern California's Imperial Valley was the most activity recorded there since the 1970s, according to U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Lucy Jones.

"We are having a swarm," Jones said. "We expect thousands of events (like this) over several days."

In Brawley, the town closest to the center of the swarm, a Fire Department dispatcher said there were no reports of injuries so far. Brawley is about 100 miles east of San Diego and about 200 miles southeast of Los Angeles.hundreds of 

Philippines is worried of prortectionsim in other advanced economies

Should some countriesd implement its protection policies, Philippines business remittances will be affected.

Here is the news: 

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is concerned about the growing protectionism in many advanced economies, particularly on employment in the services sector, describing it as a threat on investments in the country’s business process outsourcing sector.

Such a stance may reduce overseas employment opportunities for Filipinos, and affect the country’s remittances.

According to BSP Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo, governments of some advanced economies, and a few from the Middle East, have been discouraging employers in their countries from outsourcing jobs or from hiring migrant workers.

He said the Philippines, as well as other developing economies affected by protectionist policies on the services sector, should speak up against such policies.

The Philippines has submitted several papers on protectionist policies in the services sector to international bodies, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), Guinigundo said.

“The wave of protectionism seems to be rising,” Guinigundo told reporters. “This is going to affect countries like the Philippines.”

If protectionist policies in the services sector intensify, Guinigundo said, this will significantly affect growth of the Philippines and other developing or emerging economies.

In the case of the Philippines, a significant portion of the estimated $1 billion to $2 billion in foreign direct investments every year is accounted for by investments in the BPO sector.

Also, remittances from Filipinos based abroad, which amounted to about $20 billion last year, helped fuel consumption of at least 10 percent of households in the country.

The Philippines is the fourth biggest recipient of remittances in the world, next to China, India and Mexico.

Guinigundo said protectionist policies would not only harm developing countries, but also employers from those countries that have adopted these policies.

Some firms in the United States, for instance, are able to withstand its sluggish economic performance because they are able to reduce operation costs through outsourcing. Labor costs in the Philippines and other developing countries are much lower than in the advanced economies, he noted.

The adoption of such policies is not the way to move the global economy forward, he added.

philippines is wor

Massive Typhoon in Japan

 Here id the news for the destructive typhoon in Japan.

A massive typhoon crossed over Okinawa on Sunday, bringing winds more ferocious than even the typhoon-weary Japanese island has seen in decades.

Typhoon Bolaven, with wind gusts that reached as high as 259 kilometers per hour (161 mph), is the strongest to strike the region in nearly 50 years. And with a cloud field of 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles), it is 20 times larger than Okinawa's length.

"It's been very, very severe," said storm chaser James Reynolds, who was on the northwestern coast of the island during the worst of the storm.Tree branches were flying through the air amid torrential rain, he said.

The infrastructure on Okinawa is designed to withstand violent storms. "Everything's made of solid concrete," said Reynolds.

Later, driving toward the capital, Naha, during the middle of the night, he saw some power outages but no major infrastructure damage.

"Many other countries could learn a lot from Okinawa," Reynolds said.

The last storm of this scale was Typhoon Naha in 1956.

At 3 a.m. Monday local time (2 p.m. ET Sunday), Bolaven had winds of 194 kilometers per hour, with gusts at 240 kilometers per hour, CNN International meteorologist Jennifer Delgado reported.

Bolaven could make landfall at the Korean peninsula on Tuesday morning, or potentially in South Korea on Monday night, Delgado said.

Newly Sworn-in Chief Justice of Supreme Court has low psycho rating

The psychological test results of the new Chief Justice of Supreme Court was found to be low. Here is the news:

The Palace on Sunday played down reports claiming that newly appointed Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno scored low in a psychological test required by the Judicial and Bar Council, saying the leaked information was unverified.

“We do not want to comment on the supposed results. The sources of the report have not been verified. It is an unconfirmed report,” said deputy presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte.

She said there was no official statement from the council on the subject.

A daily newspaper (not the Manila Standard) on Friday published alleged leaked information about the psychological tests, which allegedly had Sereno and Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza scoring a 4 on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the lowest.

The report also said the test results characterized Sereno as “dramatic and emotional.”

Sereno took her oath before President Benigno Aquino III on Saturday, making her the first female chief magistrate with a potential to serve for the next 18 years before reaching the retirement age of 70.

“Everyone can be assured of independence of the chief justice,” Sereno told reporters after the Palace ceremony, addressing concerns that she was beholden to the President who appointed her to the Court in 2010.

Valte also denied the claims by some groups that Sereno would be a Palace puppet in the high court.

Neil Armstrong, the First Man in the Moon Died

He was the first man to walk on the moon and now he died at age 82. Here is the news:

Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, has died, his family said Saturday. He was 82.

"We are heartbroken to share the news that Neil Armstrong has passed away following complications resulting from cardiovascular procedures," Armstrong's family said in a statement.

Armstrong underwent heart surgery this month.

"While we mourn the loss of a very good man, we also celebrate his remarkable life and hope that it serves as an example to young people around the world to work hard to make their dreams come true, to be willing to explore and push the limits, and to selflessly serve a cause greater than themselves," his family said.

First Female Supreme Court Chief Justice Sworn in

Maria  Lourdes Sereno was sworn in as the first female Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines after she was appointed by President Benigno Aquino. Here is the news:

MANILA (1st UPDATE) - The new Chief Justice, Maria Lourdes Aranal Sereno, has taken her oath of office before President Aquino in Malacañang a day after the Palace announced her appointment.

Sereno was accompanied by her husband Mario Jose Sereno and children Maria Sophia and Jose Lorenzo.

Former Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban and other members of Supreme Court attended Sereno's oath-taking, including Associate Justices Martin Villarama, Mariano del Castillo, Bienvenido Reyes, and Estela Perlas-Bernabe.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima congratulated Sereno, giving her a buss on the cheek after the oath-taking.

De Lima said she feels no rancor now even after she was disqualified by the Judicial and Bar Council in the final selection process due to a pending disbarment case against her.

"I congratulated her and I said that the Supreme Court will now be in good hands," de Lima told reporters.

"Her youth and brillance would go a long way in ensuring that we can look forward to a judiciary that would be worthy of the people's trust," de Lima added.

It was also at the Palace where Sereno first took her oath as the President’s first appointee to the Supreme Court in August 2010.

Today, Sereno becomes the first female chief justice of the country.

At the age of 52, Sereno will serve a term of 18 years until her age of retirement at 70.

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda earlier said that the President Aquino chose Sereno, believing that she can lead the judiciary in carrying out “much-needed reforms.”

Lacierda added that the judiciary now has a “historic opportunity to restore the people’s confidence in the judicial system.”fem

The raid and killing of Bin Laden is now in the book. Here is the news:

A book company said Wednesday that it will release on September 11 a firsthand account of the raid that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

Christine Ball, director of marketing and publicity for Dutton, a subsidiary of Penguin Group USA, said the book was written by a Navy SEAL under a pen name.

The book is entitled "No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama bin Laden."

A Department of Defense official said the SEAL is no longer on active duty.

U.S. Special Operations Command has not reviewed the book or approved it, the official said. Officials only recently became aware the former SEAL was writing a book but were told it encompasses more than just the raid and includes vignettes from training and other missions.

They would like to see a copy, the official said, to make sure no classified information is released or the book contains any information that might out one of the team members.

Officials have been told that some of the profits are going to charity.

Former Special Forces officers slam Obama over leaks on bin Laden killing

About two dozen U.S. Special Operations members and two helicopters were involved in the raid early May 2, 2011, in Abbottabad, Pakistan, that killed bin Laden.

The raid occurred in a span of 38 minutes, after CIA reports of repeated sightings of a tall man doing "prison yard walks" around the yard of the housing compound in Abbottabad, which was under constant surveillance, a official said on condition of anonymity a few days after the raid.

PRince Harry Naked in Vegas

The naked pictures of Prince Harry  in Vegas ere conffirmed by the Palace that it is him. Here is the news: 

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas -- unless you're Prince Harry and TMZ publishes pictures of you cavorting naked during a game of strip billiards.

The tabloid website posted the photos online Tuesday night. It said the romp featuring the royal, who is third in line to the throne, took place four days earlier at a "high rollers hotel suite" on the Las Vegas strip.

One photo shows Harry, stark naked but for a wristwatch and a necklace. His hands cup his genitals. His face is turned toward the television set in the suite. And his body partially shields that of another person, also naked.

A second picture shows him hugging a woman from behind next to a pool table. Both are naked.

Commission on Appointments to confirm DILG Secretary Robredo

After five times of refusing to confirm the appointment of the late DILG Secretary Robredo,  Commission on Appointments is doing it posthumously. Here is the news:

With or without a confirmation of his appointment by the Commission on Appointments (CA), the late Jesse Robredo will still be in the official roster of interior and local government secretaries.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, chairman of the CA, made this clear yesterday even as he bared that the late DILG chief was set for confirmation this month.

“He had a valid appointment as secretary. He will be a secretary of the interior and local government in the political history of this country, confirmation or no confirmation. It has no bearing. Every signature that he made before his death are all valid,” Enrile said.

The CA bypassed Robredo five times.

“There were questions about him from some members of the commission and that’s why there was a delay on his confirmation. That problem was settled earlier and his confirmation was scheduled for this month,” Enrile said.

But CA members are in a quandary over what to do with Malacañang’s nomination of the late DILG chief.

“We are facing a dilemma. Do we still confirm him or do we send his nomination to the archives?” a member of the House panel in the commission told The STAR yesterday.

He said he did not want to be quoted by name for fear of being labeled a kontrabida (villain). The lawmaker also said he doubted whether the CA could confirm Robredo posthumously.

National Days of Mourning for DILG Jesse Robredo

In honor of the late DILG Secretary Robredo, the Philippines is going to observe days of mourning. Here is the news:

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino signed last night Proclamation No. 460, declaring National Days of Mourning for Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo starting yesterday until the day of his interment.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Aquino signed the proclamation upon arriving from Naga City where he escorted the body of Robredo back to his family from Masbate City, site of the plane crash that killed the secretary and two pilots.

As provided for by law, the proclamation said the national flag “shall be lowered to half mast from sunrise to sunset in all government buildings and installations in the Philippines and in our posts abroad, for a period of six days.”

From yesterday until the date of internment, the national flag shall be lowered to half mast in Malacañang, the City of Naga, and in all offices and installations of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Bureau of Fire Protection, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Local Government Academy, National Police Commission, Philippine National Police and Philippine Public Safety College.

Rosie O' Donnel suffered a heart attack

Rosie O' Donnel experience the symptoms of a heart attack. Here is the news:

Rosie O'Donnell is "happy to be alive" after suffering a heart attack last week.

“I am lucky to be here,” she wrote on her blog Monday.

O'Donnell, 50, wrote that she began experiencing symptoms, such as sore arms and an ache in her chest, on Tuesday after helping “an enormous woman/struggling to get out of her car.”

After a Google search suggested she was having a heart attack, O'Donnell said she took Bayer Aspirin, but did not call 911.

The next day, O'Donnell recalled, her doctor sent her to a hospital where a stent was put in, and she was also informed her that her “LAD was 99 percent blocked.”

Prince Philip discharged from hospital

The husband of Queen Elizabeth was discharged from the hospital last Monday. Here is the news:

Queen Elizabeth II's husband Prince Philip was released from a hospital in Scotland on Monday after being treated for a bladder infection.

Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, was admitted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary in Scotland on Wednesday.

The 91-year-old, who first suffered the problem in June, fell ill again as he was staying at the royal residence in Balmoral, Scotland, where the queen traditionally spends part of the summer.

Buckingham Palace said Wednesday he had been taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure and was likely to be kept in for several days.