MANILA, Philippines — Among Southeast Asian countries, the Philippines has had the longest history of democratic elections but the country still has a long way to go in terms of protecting the integrity of one of the exercises of democracy — the right to vote. Human rights advocacy group Freedom House labeled the Philippines as “partly free” in the 2019 world freedom index with a score of 61 out of 100. Aside from the Philippines, other Southeast Asian countries deemed partly free were Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and Singapore. Freedom House defined “partly free” countries as those with “limited respect for political rights, and civil liberties and often a high rate of corruption, weak rule of law, ethnic-religious strife and a dominant political party despite the façade of pluralism.” The current electoral system in the Philippines faced several changes over the years as attempts to stem persistent issues such as campaign violence … [Read more...] about The fault in our system: How to fix elections in the Philippines
George harrison living in the material world
Podcasters find niche in the Arab world
DUBAI: Rana Nawas left the corporate world nearly two years ago to produce and host a podcast - one that is now considered the most popular in the Arab world.The English-language series, When Women Win, tells the stories of successful women from all over the world and, according to Apple, has become the most listened to podcast in the Middle East.It first gained traction in 2017 in Dubai, where it is produced, before it started to spread across the region.Nawas said she created the series "to give women all over the world access to role models" by highlighting the "extraordinary things" ordinary women are doing."I've been surprised at how the region has embraced When Women Win," the 40-year-old told AFP, adding aviation giant Emirates Airline would start airing her show this month."There's clearly a thirst for this content, there's clearly a thirst for female role models," said the Briton of Lebanese and Palestinian origins.When Women Win, which is available to download in … [Read more...] about Podcasters find niche in the Arab world
Peter Mayhew, Chewbacca in the ‘Star Wars’ films, dies at 74
Mayhew died at his home in north Texas on Tuesday, according to a family statement. He was 74. No cause was given. As Chewbacca, known to his friends as Chewie, the 2.2 metre-tall Mayhew was a fierce warrior with a soft heart, loyal sidekick to Harrison Ford’s Han Solo, and co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon. Mayhew went on to appear as the Wookiee in the 2005 prequel Revenge of the Sith and shared the part in 2015’s The Force Awakens with actor Joonas Suotamo, who took over the role in subsequent films. “Peter Mayhew was a kind and gentle man, possessed of great dignity and noble character,” Ford said in a statement Thursday. “These aspects of his own personality, plus his wit and grace, he brought to Chewbacca. We were partners in film and friends in life for over 30 years and I loved him... My thoughts are with his dear wife Angie and his children. Rest easy, my dear friend.” Mayhew defined the incredibly well-known Wookiee and became a … [Read more...] about Peter Mayhew, Chewbacca in the ‘Star Wars’ films, dies at 74
US trade, economic policy toward the Phl in the 1900s
Old economic problems resurrect themselves in the same form over and over. An example was the resolution of trade and protection affecting the Philippines as a colony during the early years of the 1900s. The clash of US interests with the economic interest of the new colony. More than 100 years ago, US tariff policies were established toward the Philippines, its newly acquired colonial territory. A year before the acquisition of the Philippines, the US Congress passed a highly protectionist tariff law, the Dingley Tariff of 1897. The high protection rates of the Dingley tariffs which applied to the colony were detrimental to Philippine exports to the US market. The US colonial administrators wished to promote economic growth and that could be pushed more by the expansion of Philippine exports. The problem was well-articulated by then William Howard Taft, who had recently left his post as civil governor of the Philippines to become Secretary of War (the office in charge of running the … [Read more...] about US trade, economic policy toward the Phl in the 1900s
‘Outlandish’: Finding the cosmic in the abstract
Bandung artists Rendy Raka Pramudya and Restu Taufik Akbar translate their experienced reality into abstract pieces for an ongoing exhibition in Bandung, West Java.For the general public, abstract artworks can be, well, abstract. But perhaps in these abstractions viewers can find something deeper, something infinitely astounding.These abstractions are inherently present in an ongoing exhibition organized by Art Sociates at the Lawangwangi Creative Space in Bandung, West Java.Running until May 13, the exhibition features works by the two contemporary artists, who were selected as finalists for the Bandung Contemporary Art Award (BaCAA) #5.“Outlandish”, the exhibition’s title, refers to a state that is “bizarre, foreign, or unfamiliar”, explained the exhibition’s curator, Danuh Tyas, in describing the word that perfectly encapsulates the duo’s works.“Outlandish is also an analogy or metaphor for the appreciation of artworks that are … [Read more...] about ‘Outlandish’: Finding the cosmic in the abstract