Indonesia

June 4, 2014 Edition

Valerie Castro

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

  1. UN tribunal orders China to answer PH pleading on SCS

    File photo by Jay Directo/AFP

    A UN-backed tribunal has ordered China to respond to a case filed by the Philippines on its territorial claim over the West Philippine Sea, which China disputes. In a statement issued on June 3, the Permanent Court of Arbitration based in The Hague, Netherlands ordered China to respond to the petition filed by the Philippines not later than December 15, 2014. China has refused to acknowledge the designated arbitral tribunal’s jurisdiction to hear the case.

    Read the full story on Rappler.

  2. Divers explore Benham Rise for the first time

    For the first time, Filipino divers were able to explore Benham Rise, the newest part of the Philippine archipelago. Located 50 meters under the sea off the coast of Aurora Province, the land mass is believed to be rich in minerals and natural gas. The Philippines successfully claimed ownership of the underwater plateau in 2012 before the United Nations. A team of scientists and researchers visited the shallowest portion of the plateau recently and found clear waters and plenty of corals.

    See the video and photos from the dive expedition on Rappler.

  3. SC blocks BIR rule on reporting doctors fees

    Photo by Jee Geronimo/Rappler

    The Supreme Court on Tuesday, June 3, issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) blocking the implementation of a Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) order requiring doctors to disclose their service fees. The TRO also covers other self-employed professionals, such as lawyers. The BIR ruling was aimed at increasing transparency and revenue collection from self-employed professionals. But doctor’s groups, such as the Philippine College of Physicians (PCP), protested against the ruling.

    Read the full story on Rappler.

  4. Turkey lifts ban on YouTube

    Kilic / AFP

    Turkey lifted a controversial ban on video steaming site, YouTube, on Tuesday, June 3, days after the country’s top court ruled in favor of ending the ban. The government blocked YouTube on March 27 after it was used to leak alleged audio recordings of top government, military and spy officials discussing military action in neighboring war-torn Syria. But Turkey’s constitutional court said that the ban violated individual rights and freedoms. The government earlier scrapped a similar ban on Twitter. Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has openly voiced his anger at Twitter and other social media sites for inciting anger against his administration.

    Read the full story on Rappler.

  5. Spanish king abdication sparks protests

    Photo by Quique Garcia / AFP

    The abdication of Spain’s King Juan Carlos revived anti-royalist fervor, as thousands of young Spaniards took to the streets clamoring for a referendum on the monarchy itself. Leftist political parties and anti-monarchist protestors demanded a vote on the survival of the institution. However, Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said he believes most Spaniards still support the monarchy. “I think now would be a good time to proclaim a republic,” said 24 year old Paola Torija. “He (the King) had his moment of glory but today it is a bit archaic, a bit useless, an extra cost especially in the crisis we are living in,” she said.

    Read the full story on Rappler.

  6. Ruby Tuason’s P40M not enough?

    Rappler file photo

    Ruby Tuason, a self-confessed conduit for pork barrel kickbacks, returned P40 million derived from her commissions from the illegal transactions in exchange for immunity from suit for her role in the pork barrel scam. But, according to Janet Lim-Napoles, this money is just the tip of the iceberg. In her May 12, 2014 affidavit, Napoles revealed that Tuason earned more than P50 million in commissions alone from transactions involving senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Jinggoy Estrada from 2007 to 2009. Napoles also said that Tuason took home around P540 million from the P900 million Malampaya fund that was meant to be used for energy development projects. Tuason has yet to be charged for her participation in the Malampaya fund scam.

    Read the full story on Rappler.

  7. Who is slender man?

    A 12-year-old girl was stabbed 19 times by two of her friends in a forest in Wisconsin who say they were inspired by a mythical Internet creature known as “Slender Man.” The girl miraculously survived and the two girls were arrested. But just who is “Slender Man?” According to Mashable.com, Slender Man is a ‘true Internet creation’ that started out with a photoshopped picture of a tall white ghost figure haunting children in the woods. Since then, hundreds of fans have added on to the myth, creating new stories and memes. The two Wisconsin girls said they attempted to murder their friend because they believed they needed to or else Slender Man would kill their families. Horror story enthusiasts have denounced the connection between reading horror stories and murder. One horror story website owner said of the stabbing, “most people don’t watch Hannibal and turn into serial killers.”

    Read the full story on Rappler here and Mashable.

  8. Apple brings Macs and iPhones closer

    John Mabanglo/EPA

    Apple unveiled its new operating software it hopes will create a seamless experience for users on all platforms. A next generation operating system (OS) called “Yosemite” and new iOS8 software for mobile devices were unveiled on Monday, June 2, before 6,000 developers in San Francisco. Apple CEO Tim Cook said the integrated software would allow users to start tasks on one device and continue it on another. Cook also announced a host of other developer tools that will allow developers to innovate in new ways previously not allowed by the Apple ecosystem. The new software won’t be publicly released until the fall.

    Read the full story on Rappler.

  9. British police solve Google Street View ‘axe murder’

    Photo by Google Earth

    A man with a pick axe stands over a lifeless body on the street, all captured on camera by Google’s Street View. This was the horrific scene that had the internet abuzz last month. Police in Leith, Edinburgh conducted an investigation and found out that the whole think was a prank. Two mechanics, who saw the Google car approaching, decided to stage a fake attack as a joke. “It was in the spur of the moment,” said Dan Thompson, 56, the manager of the car repair shop. The pair forgot all about the joke until the photos were uploaded on Google.

    Read the full story on the New Zealand Herald.

  10. For TV news, funny beats boring – study

    Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images/AFP

    A new study at the University of Pennsylvania found that comedy and satire can go a long way in making TV news more informative. The study found that viewers were better informed after watching comedy news reports delivered by Colbert Report host Stephen Colbert instead of regular news channels like CNN, Fox News, or MSNBC. The researchers found that Colbert’s narrative structure and the use of humor and satire made learning more fun. Now that’s food for thought for traditional news programs!

    Read the full story on Rappler.

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