April 4, 2014 Edition

Valerie Castro

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

  1. Napoles, relatives can’t touch assets – court

    A Manila Regional Trial Court froze the properties of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles and her relatives and former aides. The court said Napoles has the burden to prove in a trial that the assets were not illegally acquired. The Anti-Money Laundering Council applied for the court order. In granting the order, the court denied the appeal of principal whistleblower Benhur Luy to be exempted from the assets freeze.

     

    Read the full story on Rappler.

  2. Bill Clinton hopes for Pacquiao presidency

    Former US President Bill Clinton said he wants to see boxing champion Manny Pacquiao become president of the Philippines. On Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Clinton said of Pacquiao, “He’s already in the Philippine parliament and I hope he goes right on up the ladder.” In response, Pacquiao said he is focused on being Sarangani congressman and dismissed suggestions he and wife Jinkee could be a “power couple” like the Clintons. Pacquiao is expected to run for senator in 2016.

    Read the full story on Rappler.

  3. China to PH: Friends don’t sue each other

    China pulled the cultural card on the Philippines, saying friends avoid lawsuits in Chinese culture. The Chinese Embassy in Manila said Beijing rejected the evidence the Philippines submitted to a United Nations tribunal in its maritime dispute with China because the two sides should “sit down and resolve problems through negotiations.” China reiterated that it prefers to settle the dispute through bilateral negotiations, not in international fora.

     
    Read the full story on Rappler.

  4. ‘Fort Hood gunman may have snapped’

    The US army said there is a “strong possibility” the gunman who killed 3 people in Fort Hood, Texas was involved in an argument before the shooting. Officials said there was strong evidence Specialist Ivan Lopez had an unstable psychological condition. The 34-year-old Lopez served in Iraq and was being assessed for post-traumatic stress disorder. Lopez shot himself after the attack on Wednesday. It was less than 5 years ago that a gun rampage on the base left 13 soldiers dead. Security screening in the base remained spotty.


    Read more on BBC and the New York Times.

  5. Erap orders Pandacan depot closed by 2016

    Former President now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada ordered oil firms to submit a relocation plan to close down the Pandacan depot by January 2016. Estrada’s order ends over a decade of flip-flopping of the Manila city government over the issue. Citing safety and health concerns, Estrada said he will assess the plans of Chevron, Petron and Shall to ensure the relocation does not pose a danger to Manila residents.

     

    Read the full story on Rappler.

  6. Osmeña: Binay vulnerable to corruption issue

    Senator Sergio “Serge” Osmeña III said Vice President Jejomar Binay is vulnerable to corruption allegations in his 2016 presidential bid. The political strategist said corruption is a “no-no” issue that can derail the chances of Binay, whose allies have been indicted over the pork barrel scam. Osmeña said Senator Grace Poe has a strong chance of winning and called her a “marvelous candidate.” Osmeña said surveys a year before the election will determine who will be the viable candidates.

     

    Read the full story on Rappler.

  7. DOST plans single portal for gov’t services

    The Department of Science and Technology plans to integrate all government websites into a portal that will be a one-stop shop for public services. The portal aims to offer a menu of services like renewing passports, paying taxes and applying for business permits, saving citizens from the hassle of lining up in different agencies. The portal www.gov.ph is expected to be operational in June but it will not complete the services until after the Aquino administration.

     

    Read the full story on Rappler.

  8. US Senate votes to make CIA report public

    A US Senate panel voted to declassify key aspects of its controversial report on the Central Intelligence Agency’s interrogation program during the George W. Bush administration. The Senate Intelligence Committee report concludes that the CIA misled the Justice Department, Congress and the public by inflating the effectiveness of so-called “enhanced” interrogation and detention practices. Civil rights groups celebrated the announcement as proof that embracing torture was neither effective in gaining intelligence nor moral.

     

    Read the full story on TIME.

  9. Mozilla CEO resigns after gay marriage row

    The CEO of Mozilla resigned after sparking outrage over his donation to an anti-gay marriage campaign. In 2008, Brendan Eich donated $1,000 to California’s Proposition 8 campaign that sought to make same-sex marriage illegal. Just 10 days after taking the Mozilla job, Eich stepped down Thursday after the gay community took to blogs and Twitter to protest his appointment. Mozilla announced the decision, saying, “Equality is necessary for meaningful speech, and you need free speech to fight for equality. Figuring out how to stand for both at the same time can be hard.”

     

    Read the full story on CNN.

  10. David Letterman to retire in 2015

    David Letterman, the longest-serving late-night host in American TV history, announced he is retiring next year. The iconic CBS host announced the news during the taping of his Late Show on Thursday. His show lagged behind in ratings after Jimmy Fallon took over The Tonight Show from Jay Leno, who also stepped down this year. The 66-year-old Letterman has been a late-night staple since 1982. CBS said, “David letterman has given television audiences thousands of hours of comedic entertainment, the sharpest interviews in late night, and brilliant moments of candor and perspective around national events.”

     

    Read the full story on Entertainment Weekly.

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