Daily News Highlights – May 5, 2015 Edition

After his loss from the much-hyped fight against boxing rival Floyd Mayweather Jr, Manny Pacquiao said his chances of winning were sabotaged. In a press conference with Philippine media, he said he was not allowed to get painkillers for a shoulder injury right before the fight. He said the Nevada Athletic Commission barred him from injecting numbing agents to his injured shoulder even if it was legal. Asked why he didn’t ask for a postponement of the fight, he said, “I didn’t want the fans to be dismayed.” He added Floyd Mayweather Jr knew of his injury, consistently pulling at his arm during the fight. If I were to grade my performance last night, I was just at 60%.” Mayweather said after the fight that he also had injuries, but still pushed himself to win the match. Pacquiao wants a rematch, but Mayweather is already considering retirement.

Read more on Pacquiao’s claim of ‘sabotage’ and highlights of the post-fight presscon.

After Mary Jane Veloso’s 11th-hour reprieve on April 29, the next question is: What happens now? The legal process in the Philippines begins on Friday, May 8, when the first hearing on the preliminary investigation will be held. If the preliminary investigation finds enough evidence against Sergio and the rest, the case would proceed to trial, where Veloso’s testimony would still be needed. And if Sergio and the rest are found guilty of the charges against them, Ismail said they can use this verdict to try to file a 3rd case review request for Veloso in Indonesia. A 3rd review could be tricky, though, as Indonesian law normally only allows for one. But Ismail said they would work with both the Indonesian Attorney General’s Office and the Supreme Court to determine legal options available.

Read more on Veloso’s legal case.

Senators on Monday, May 4, welcomed news that members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) helped in operations against bombmaker Abdul Basit Usman that led to his death on Sunday, May 3, but stressed that more needs to be done. If proven true, Senate President Franklin Drilon said the gesture would help rebuild trust for the MIL. Other senators were not so easily appeased. Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said that helping in the hunt for Usman was a “good gesture” on the part of the MILF but rebuilding trust would be a “long process.” Usman was one of the targets of the botched police operation on January 25 in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, that killed 44 elite cops, at least 17 MILF rebels and 5 civilians.

Read more on Usman’s death and the BBL’s passage.

A district in Indonesia’s Aceh passed legislation banning unmarried men and women from riding together on motorbikes. The regulation, which will come into effect in a year. Authorities said the move was part of “efforts to implement sharia law fully”. Lawmaker Fauzan Hamzah said, “Unmarried people sitting closely together on a motorcycle is clearly against Islamic sharia as it could lead to sinful acts.”

Read more on the unmarried couples on motorbike ban in Aceh.

Spiky and unorthodox hairstyles have reportedly been banned in Iran because they imply devil-worship, while tattoos and other male bodily adornments are also being outlawed. Jagged haircuts have become fashionable among all strata of Iran’s youthful population in recent years, but have divided opinion and been deemed by the authorities as western and un-Islamic. Solarium treatments – or artificial tanning – and the plucking of eyebrows will also not be tolerated.

Read more on Iran’s ban on jagged haircuts, tattoos, and body art.

Kenya’s deputy president, William Ruto, told worshippers at a church service in Nairobi that homosexuality had no place in the east African nation. Ruto’s comments came on the day US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Kenya promising to push human rights, alongside discussions on security and terrorism. Homophobia is on the rise across much of Africa and homosexuality remains illegal in many countries, including Kenya where it was outlawed under British colonial legislation. Homosexuality is illegal in 36 out of 54 African countries and punishable by death in four, according to human rights group Amnesty International.

Read more on homosexuality in Kenya and the rest of Africa.

After 4 years of immense preparation, Davao del Norte hosts the Palarong Pambansa, but bad weather cuts short the opening ceremonies of the multi-sports event Monday. Both Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II and Education Secretary Armin Luistro insisted that the Palaro’s opening ceremony be done fast so as not to put the athletes’ health at risk, after heavy downpour disrupted the festivities at the Davao del Norte Sports and Tourism Complex. The Palarong Pambansa is the largest grassroots sporting event in the Philippines that aims to develop the potentials of the youth to become responsible and globally competitive citizens.

Read more on the Palaro in Tagum.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced Monday that Golden State Warriors All-Star point guard Stephen Curry is the 2014-2015 NBA Most Valuable Player. Curry, who broke his own record of three-point field goals made in a single season, led the Warriors in scoring, assists, and steals averaging 23.8 points, 7.7 assists, and 2 steals per game. Curry, who plays shooting guard, received a total of 1,198 points to win the award. Houston Rockets’ high-scoring shooting guard James Harden came in second with 936 points, 4-time MVP LeBron James finished third with 552 points.

Read more on the new NBA MVP.

Right in time for Star Wars Day “May the Fourth be with you”, new details and images have been revealed about the characters played by Adam Driver and Lupita Nyong’o in the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Details about the characters have been kept on lockdown during the last Star Wars Celebration but a feature on the June issue of Vanity Fair, accompanied by photos by Annie Leibovitz, reveals a few key tidbits. First, that Adam does indeed play villain Kylo Ren, the one wielding the red lightsaber with the unique design we saw in the first teaser. Second, we also learn that Lupita will play pirate Maz Kanata, a character that’s created fully through motion capture technology.

Read more on the characters played by Driver & Nyong’o.

The name of Britain’s new royal princess has been revealed via social media – Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. The baby will be known as Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge. Kensington Palace made the announcement on its official Twitter account Monday, May 4. No other details have been released. Charlotte, the female version of her paternal grandfather’s name Charles, carries two special names – Elizabeth named after her great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth and her late grandmother Princess Diana, Prince William’s mother who died in a car crash in Paris in 1997.

Read more on Will & Kate’s new baby.