April 10, 2013 Edition

Nina Landicho

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

  1. US will shoot down Nokor missile if threatens US, allies


    Amid widespread speculation that North Korea could be preparing a missile launch, a top ranking US military commander says that he is in favor of shooting down a North Korean missile only if it threatened the United States or its allies in the region. Speaking to lawmakers US Pacific Command Head Admiral Samuel Locklear also said he was confident the US military would be able to detect quickly where any missile was headed. The Pacific Command chief’s comments underscored the delicate balancing act faced by President Barack Obama as his administration attempts to demonstrate US resolve without aggravating the crisis on the Korean peninsula.

    Read the full story on Rappler 

  2. Queen Elizabeth II leads mourners at Thatcher funeral


    Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II will lead mourners at next week’s funeral of Margaret Thatcher, the first time the monarch will have attended the ceremony of one of her former prime ministers since Winston Churchill died in 1965. Tributes from world leaders who hailed the role of the “Iron Lady” in bringing down communism kept flooding in as the British government announced that the funeral would be on Wednesday next week, April 17, in London’s St Paul’s Cathedral. But “Maggie” remained as polarizing in death as she did in life, with violence erupting at street parties celebrating the demise of a figure who critics say destroyed millions of lives with her free-market economic policies. Thatcher, Britain’s first female prime minister and longest serving premier of the 20th century, died on Monday, April 8, aged 87 after suffering a stroke. She had suffered dementia for more than a decade.

    Read the full story on Rappler 

  3. Study: Man’s face shape could predict sporting success


    Can the shape of a man’s face can help predict his sporting acumen? A recent study found that Japanese baseball players whose faces were relatively broad rather than long were most likely to hit a home run. University of London psychologists measured the facial width-to-height ratio of 104 batters in Japan’s professional Central League Pennant who played in the 2011 and 2012 seasons and found that players who scored the most home runs had the highest facial width-to-height ratio. Previous research has found a link between face ratio and competitiveness among politicians and financial success among corporate chiefs, but this work had focussed only on Caucasian subjects, not Asians. The new data suggests the association “may be generalizable across cultures,” according to the paper.

    Read the full story on Rappler 

    “Man looking at his reflection” image via Shutterstock

  4. The death of death penalty coming soon – Amnesty International


    The use of the death penalty is broadly diminishing around the world although a handful of countries that had not used capital punishment for several years resumed executions in 2012, Amnesty International (AI) said on Wednesday, April 10. According to its annual survey on the death penalty, India, Japan, Pakistan and Gambia resumed executions last year.  AI noted there was an “alarming escalation” in executions in Iraq. China executed more people than the rest of the world put together, but due to the secrecy surrounding the use of the death penalty there it was impossible for Amnesty to obtain accurate figures. 

    Read the full story on Rappler

  5. Imelda Marcos staged military drag show – WikiLeaks


    Former first lady Imelda Marcos once staged a grand birthday party for her husband, former president Ferdinand Marcos, complete with a runway and military generals dressed in women’s clothes, according to recently released US diplomatic cables. In a cable sent from then US ambassador to the Philippines William Sullivan in the 70s, Sullivan repots that the first lady held a “two-day blast” for the President and made the generals dress in drag – much to the chagrin of the generals’ wives. The cable was part of a massive dump of documents released by WikiLeaks on Monday. 

    Read the full story on Rappler

  6. LP bets held by Malaysian police

    At least 32 candidates and supporters of the Liberal Party are presently being held under the custody of Malaysian police in Sandakan. Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) acting governor Mujiv Hataman said the party was on its way to a provincial political rally in Mapun, Tawi-Tawi on Tuesday, April 9, when their vessel was engulfed by the waves because of the bad weather in the area. Hataman explained that Malaysian maritime authorities immediately rescued the group and brought them to Sandakan. LP Languyan mayoral candidate Rommel Matba and vice-mayoral candidate Amman Matba were included in those who are presently being held in Sandakan. With the present tension in Sabah, the local authorities are closely watching the group while under custody. Philippine Ambassador to Malaysia Jose Eduardo Malaya III has already communicated with the Malaysian authorities and is now facilitating the proper release of the group.

    Read the full story on Rappler 
  7. Controversy in inauguration of new Kenyan president


    Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni accused the International Criminal Court (ICC) based in the Hague of blackmail, incompetence and self-interest during the inauguration of newly elected Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta. The remarks were aimed at drawing support for Kenyatta, who has been indicted by the ICC for orchestrating election-related violence that killed 1000 people in 2007. Kenyatta is the son of Kenya’s founding father, Jomo Kenyatta. The elaborate inauguration ceremonies took place just outside the capital of Nairobi. 

    Read the full story on the Guardian

  8. Tibetan nuns increase core body temperature at will


    It is possible to increase your core body temperature using your mind, according to a team of scientists from the National University of Singapore. A recent study shows that by using the g-tummo meditation technique, Tibetan nuns were able to increase their body temperature by up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit – even in the cold Himalayan weather. A similar study conducted with Western participants who also used the same breathing technique were also able to increase the core body temperature. In the g-tummo meditative technique, special breathing and concentrative visualization of a hot flame helps the body retain heat and even produce more heat. 

    Read the full story on Science Daily

  9. Stephen Colbert brings Bill Clinton to Twitter

    UNITED STATES, ST LOUIS : Former President Bill Clinton and TV personality Stephen Colbert take questions from the audience during the Clinton Global Initiative University at Washington University on April 6, 2013 in St Louis Missouri. AFP/Dilip Vishwanat
    Bill Clinton may become @PrezBillyJeff on Twitter if Stephen Colbert has his way. Colbert filmed an episode of The Colbert Report at the annual Clinton Global Initiative University meeting last weekend, and in a portion of his talk with the former US President, Colbert nudged Clinton into making his first tweet, with Colbert doing the typing. The tweet in question was short, to the point, and amusing: “Just spent amazing time with Colbert! Is he sane? He is cool! #cgiu.” The account currently has more than 115,000 followers and only a single tweet. 

    Read the full story on The New York Magazine

  10. Louisville Cardinals take NCAA title

    The Louisville Cardinals won the US NCAA Division I men’s basketball championship Monday (Tuesday in Manila), defeating the Michigan Wolverines in an exciting game in Atlanta. The Cardinals won the game as sophomore guard Kevin Ware recovered from his injuries from a March 31 game – in an awkward move he snapped his right shin, with the bone protruding through his skin. Ware sat in the sidelines, and said he’s proud of his team.

    Read the full story on CNN 

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