May 21, 2012 Edition

Lala Rimando

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

  1. Who is Facebook’s First Lady?

    The wedding of Facebook’s founder Mark Zuckerberg to his college sweetheart, Priscilla Chan, put the newly wed wife in a spotlight. Exactly, who is Mrs. Zuckerberg, the ever-so-secret partner of the guy behind one of the world’s most valuable internet firms? Chan just finished her pediatrics studies (their wedding was reportedly held back as the couple waited for her to graduate). Before that, she taught science to 4th and 5th graders in a San Jose, California school after she graduated biology from Harvard where he met Zuckerberg. Her influence on Zuckerberg ranged from vegetarian dishes, Mandarin Chinese classes, and organ-donation initiative on Facebook, which reportedly took off during the couple’s dinner conversations on sick kids she met who were “getting sicker as they don’t have the organ that they need.

    Read more on CNN. Check their wedding pictures on Business Insider.

  2. After the floods, Thailand economy grow strong in Q1

    After the 2011 devastating floods that caused Thailand’s economy to hit the breaks, its economy may already be up for a rebound based on strong performance in the first 3 months for the year. Its factories and manufacturing facilities that were damaged and had suspended production as a result of the floods, recovered quickly. The boost in production, as well as accelerated investment spending due to the reconstruction efforts, fueled a dramatic 11% growth in the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in the quarter after sinking 8.9% in the previous quarter. Thailand now expects its economy to grow between 5.5% and 6.5% this 2012 — faster than the Philippines’ projection of around 5%. 

    Read more from BBC

  3. Lockerbie bomber-turns-free man dies in Libya

    The only person convicted for the Lockerbie airline bombing that killed 270 died a free man on Sunday, May 21, and buried on Monday, May 21. Libyan government and family members said Abdelbeset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi, 60, who was convicted of murder for blowing up the Pan Am flight 103 over Scotland suffered from prostate cancer and died at a Tripoli hospital 2.5 years after he was freed from a life sentence on “compassionate grounds.” Relatives of those killed in the bombing expressed relief and, in some cases, anger. There are calls to conduct a new round of inquiries since as”unanswered questions’ remain.

    Read more on BBC, CNN and Guardian.



  4. World leaders watch soccer at G8 Summit

    World leaders may have been busy discussing the fate of the eurozone and debating the austerity measures vs. stimulus approach at the G8 Summit over the weekend, but they found time for fun. White House official photographer Pete Souza posted on the official Flickr page an iconic picture of the world leaders watching a soccer game while in a conference room at Camp David. Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom, President Barack Obama, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, and others watched the overtime shootout of the Chelsea vs. Bayern Munich Champions League final. With Bayern Munich losing the shootout, Business Insider quipped it hopes Merkel “isn’t gong to push for double austerity out of some sense of revenge.”

    Read more on Business Insider.

  5. Lonely Planet’s 6 best Philippine beaches

    One of the world’s best travel companies has spoken. Lonely Planet recently listed 6 places a tourist in the Philippines who is looking for alternative Asian spots with idyllic beach could visit. These are Dumaguete, El Nido, Boracay, Cebu, Pagudpud and Siargao. On the other hand, its other good bets include Baler, Anda, Coron, and Camiguin Island. It added: “Or just check out a map of the country, point to an island, and go. You’ll inevitably find a lonely stretch of sand that few tourists have trod on before – your own private patch of paradise.”

    View the gallery on Lonely Planet
    Read more

  6. Disco pioneer Robin Gibb of Bee Gees succumbs to prostate cancer

    Another disco legend in the music industry passed away on May 20. Days after singer Donna Summer succumbed to cancer, Robin Gibb who top-billed international chart-topping group the Bee Gees with his brothers, died at 62, after a protracted struggle against prostate cancer. The singer behind disco hits of the 1970s, which included Stayin’ Alive, Night Fever and Jive Talkin,’ touched fans both from that generation and the current one. Obituaries and expressions of gratitude abound on social media. 

    View gallery here.

  7. Aquino gov’t still not spending more

    Despite promises to boost spending this year — especially during the summer months — to counter criticisms that the Aquino government did not spend allotted funds to support economic growth targets, recent data on the national budget deficit showed otherwise. Government spending grew 12.1% in the January to April period, but even the economic managers acknowledged they have yet to catch up on their target of a faster pace of spending growth. Thus, while deficit (revenues minus spending) during the period reached only P2.89 billion — equivalent to only 1% of the full-year target – national economic growth targets for 2012 may be at stake. Underspending was blamed for the drastic slowdown in the 2011 GDP growth to 3.7% from 7.6% in the previous year. 

    Read more on Rappler.



  8. American Idol fever lives on as finale nears

    In the run up to the finale nights of the hit show American Idol, fans anticipate a win by 16 year old Jessica Sanchez who has Filipino roots but are not discounting rival Phillip Phillips who fits the guitar-playing-white-man profile of past winners. Each will sing 3 songs on Tuesday, May 22 (shown in Manila on May 23) while the winner of the show’s 11th season will be crowned the day after. Buzz on social media, which has been a hot venue for exchanges and debates in past performance and results nights, continues.

    Read more on Rappler:

    Can social media predict American Idol winner?

    Will Phillips drop out of American Idol?




  9. How will Corona defend himself?

    There is much anticipation on what Chief Justice Renato Corona will say or do when he takes the witness stand at his impeachment trial on Tuesday, May 22. He will likely be asked to justify alleged discrepancies in his statement of assets, liabilities and networth (SALN), and most importantly, the source of his wealth, which the prosecution had presented as composed of real estate assets and hefty bank accounts. So far, his alleged dollar-denominated bank accounts — which had multi-million transactions that former Supreme Court colleague and now Ombudsman Conchita Morales has told the senator-judges she has unearthed — seem to account for a chunk of his asset portfolio. Corona is also expected to discuss the messy Basa-Guidote Enterprises Inc. legal and financial woes that has hounded his wife and her family. Corona is also expected to cite this trial as a presidential conspiracy against him and the judiciary.

    Read Rappler’s 10 key points on what Corona would say.
    Check Rappler’s coverage
    .

  10. Lady Gaga rocks Manila

    PUSHING THRU. The Manila concerts of singer-songwriter Lady Gaga are pushing thru, according to officials and organizers who vowed to secure the 2-day gig. In this photo, Filipino fans swarmed Lady Gaga when she arrived on May 19. Photo from SMART Communications, Inc.

    International singer-songwriter Lady Gaga is set to perform at the newly finished SM Arena in Pasay City amid protests from conservative groups that criticize her songs for being blasphemous and immoral. On Monday and Tuesday nights, (May 21 and 22), Lady Gaga is expected to be under scrutiny as critics and fans listen to her lyrics and watch her dance moves and attire. Her Manila gig is pushing through, unlike in Indonesia where Muslim groups asked to ban her concerts.

    Read more on Rappler.

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