HEADS UP: Top News Stories You Need to Know Today, May 18

Here’s a Heads Up from reportr on top news stories that you need to know today, May 18: 

NEWS EXPLAINED

• What you need to know about Angat Buhay, Vice President Robredo’s outreach arm that she plans to transform into a volunteer-driven NGO after her term.
• Robin Padilla joins an elite club of senators who finished number one in their respective races. Here’s why that distinction matters.

TRENDING NEWS

• Cebu Pacific has apologized to Vice President Leni Robredo after one of its pilots falsely accused her of requesting priority landing and supposedly snarling NAIA traffic.
• Megaworld said it “clarified and resolved” a closure order from the BIR that was circulated on Twitter.

NEWS YOU CAN USE

• Here's the list of the 12 winning senators who will be proclaimed today.
• Here’s how you can bring your pet on board the MRT-3.

NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Presumptive president Bongbong Marcos is in Australia for a three-day private trip, his spokesman said.
• Candidates who have been proclaimed winners in the May 9 elections may take their oath even before formally assuming their posts on June 30, the Comelec said.
• The DOH said it had confirmed a local transmission of an omicron subvariant that’s believed to be more contagious.
• Civil society groups who petitioned Comelec unsuccessfully to cancel presumptive president Bongbong Marcos’ candidacy have brought the matter before the Supreme Court.
• The Tampakan gold-copper mine project in South Cotabato, one of the world’s largest, can finally proceed after local officials lifted a ban on open-pit mining.
• The Malacanang website is down to “update” its content and improve security, the Presidential Museum and Library said.
• McDonald’s is leaving Russia after 30 years, illustrating the global economic fallout of the Ukraine invasion.