What's happened
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. faces backlash for using a presidential helicopter to avoid traffic and attend a Coldplay concert in the Philippines.
Why it matters
The use of official resources for personal activities and the resulting backlash highlight issues of misuse of government resources and public perception of leadership priorities.
What the papers say
The South China Morning Post and The Independent highlight public criticism of the president's use of taxpayer money for personal activities, while The Times and The Guardian provide a more sympathetic view, emphasizing the need for the president's safety in the face of unprecedented traffic.
How we got here
The Philippines President's use of an official helicopter to attend a concert has sparked public debate and criticism.
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Coldplay are a British rock band that were formed in London in 1996. Vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, and drummer Will Champion met at University College London and began playing music together from 1996 t
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Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the capital of the Philippines and a highly urbanized city. It is the most densely populated city proper in the world as of 2019.
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The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Situated in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of about 7,641 islands that are broadly categorized under three main geographical divisions from
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Christopher Anthony John Martin is an English singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, and philanthropist. He is the lead singer, primary songwriter, and co-founder of the rock band Coldplay.