November 27, 2012 Edition

The world being taken over by robots isn’t an unusual plot for science fiction movies but starting next year, researchers will be looking into the possibility of machines taking over the human race. Cambridge philosophy professor Huw Price, cosmology and astrophysicist Martin Rees and Skype co-founder Jaan Tallinn of the Cambridge Project for Existential Risk are setting up the Center for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER) that will be tasked to look into the dangers posed by biotechnology, artificial life and nanotechnology. On its website Cambridge scientists state that, “the seriousness of these risks is difficult to asses but that in itself is a cause of concern.”


Read more on BBC and The Cambridge Project for Existential Risk.

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly is set to embark on a mission that will make him the American who has spent the most time in space on one single mission. Set to take place in 2015, Kelly will join Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko onboard the International Space Station for a whole year to study the effects living in space has on the human body. Only 4 humans have lived in space for a year or more on one single mission. The current record is held by cosmonaut Valery Polyakov whose mission to the Russian Mir space station from January 1994 to March 1995 lasted 438 days.

Read more on CNN and New York Daily News.

Twitter promises a new feature that will allow users to download a full archive of their tweets. The service was announced by Twitter CEO Dick Costolo and is expected to roll out before the end of 2012. Costolo made the announcement during a talk at the University of Michigan’s Ford School of Public Policy. But don’t get your hopes up just yet, Tech Crunch reports the CEO made a similar promise at another event last September. Post the US elections Twitter continues to grow, Costolo says Twitter has grown to 500 million users that send a billion tweets every two and a half days.


Read more on TechCrunch.

It looks like the Ateneo de Manila University and business tycoon Manny Pangilinan have kissed and made up. In a memo released November 26, Ateneo President Fr Jett Villarin SJ confirmed reports that Pangilinan was returning as one of the university’s biggest donors. His return also means that the Blue Eagles will finally have a new head coach in former PBA coach Bo Perasol. Perasol takes over the role vacated by Norman Black starting December 1. Villarin’s memo indicates that it was MVP who arranged the meeting between Perasol and the University President. Last September Pangilinan announced that he was cutting ties with Ateneo citing the school’s stand on mining and the RH Bill.


Read more on Rappler. 

Another fire broke at a 10-story building in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka Monday, a day after a fire at a garment factory claimed more than 100 lives. No one was killed in this most recent incident that happened as thousands of protesters took to the streets demanding justice for the workers. The protest turned violent with protesters smashing into vehicles and throwing stones at factories. Some 200 factories in the industrial zone closed for the day due to the incident. Because of low labor costs, Bangladesh is home to over 4,500 garment factories that make clothes for international brands such as Wal-Mart, H&M and Marks & Spencer. But it is also known for its poor industrial safety record. Its state-run news agency reports that fires kill about 6,000 people each year.


Read more on the Financial Times and CNN.

10 children were killed after an attack on a playground in the Damascus suburb of Deir al-Asafir Sunday, November 25. Activists reporting of the attack say government jets dropped cluster bombs over the playground. Video taken after the attack showing graphic images of dead children was posted on YouTube and has since spread on social media. Activists reporting of the attack say, “none of those killed were older than 15 years old.” The International Red Cross however has been unable to confirm the claims. CNN reports about 67 people were killed across Syria on Monday as fighting continued. Almost 40,000 civilians are believed to have died since the war broke in March 2011. Rebels continue to fight against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.


Read more on Huffington Post, CNN, and BBC.
Watch the original video on YouTube.

Three new record levels were set at Philippine capital markets on Monday, November 26. The local stock market’s main index hit its 29th highest this 2012 gaining 0.49% or 27.08 points to close at 5,579.42. This surpassed the November 23 record close of 5,552.34, and marked the 52nd high for the Aquino administration. The peso traded against the dollar at a 56-month high closing at P41.06 to the dollar. And at the bond market, the 364-day Treasury Bill rate also hit a historic low of 0.549% surpassing November 13 record lows for all T-bill tenors.


Read more on Rappler. 

After half a day of talks, Eurozone financial ministers and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) struck a new deal to help Greece face its massive debt burden on Tuesday. In the deal, creditors agreed to bring down Greece’s debt-to-GDP ratio to 124% by 2020, in exchange for the release 43.7 billion euros for the cash-strapped nation. The meeting is the 3rd of its kind in the last two weeks, the 3rd bailout package was supposed to be released in May but the 17 eurozone members have failed to come up with a consensus. Greece has already incurred about US$40-B in bailout loans representing about 190% of its gross domestic product.


Read more on Rappler and the New York Times.

Members of Egypy’s Islamist party the Muslim Brotherhood called off a planned demonstration in protest of extent of new powers President Mohammad Morsi gave himself via a constitutional declaration last week. The said powers ban Egypt’s Supreme Judicial Council from overturning presidential decisions and dissolving the assembly tasked to draft Egypt’s new constitution. Morsy met with senior Judges Monday assuring them that the decree was limited to matters of sovereignty.


Read more on BBC. 

Three weeks before Congress breaks for Christmas, House Speaker Sonny Belmonte is making one last-ditch attempt to get President Noynoy Aquino to step in and push for the passage of the controversial Reproductive Health bill (RH bill). Belmonte said he is arranging to meet the President next week. Aquino first gave the RH bill a major push in August when he asked solons to terminate the period of debates to make way for the period of amendments. On Monday, November 26, lawmakers mustered a quorum and started amending the RH bill.


Read more on Rappler.