April 17, 2013 Edition

Boston University has confirmed that one of its graduate students – a Chinese national – was one of the three who died in the twin explosions during the Boston Marathon. On its website, it said the victim — whose name was not disclosed “pending permission to do so from the family” — was among a trio of students who had gone to watch the race at the finish line. A second female student, Zhou Danling, was in stable condition after undergoing surgery. The third student escaped harm. Monday’s other fatalities included eight-year-old Martin Richard from the Boston suburb of Dorchester and 29-year-old restaurant worker Krystle Campbell from Medford, Massachusetts, north of the city.

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Thousands of Coldplay fans got the chance to be a part of a Coldplay-endorsed music video made to highlight the injustice of land grabbing. Produced jointly with British-based non-profit Oxfam, the video features pictures and video clips of people doing familiar things – like brushing their teeth, eating or sleeping – in abnormal settings such as on train tracks or underwater. The concept and film was created by award winning director Mat Whitecross to echo the dislocation and displacement thousands of families experience as a result of land grabs. Oxfam asked people to send in their photos and videos and received nearly seven thousand submissions from 55 countries around the world. The popular British band has been a long time supporter of Oxfam and its causes, even inviting the non-profit to tour with the band in 2012 to promote food security.

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It just might be the hardest job in the world. A Chinese non-government organization (NGO) called the “Safety Alliance” is looking for a “Chief Pornography Identification Officer” to “research and study pornographic videos and images”. The group describes itself as a “neutral and impartial third-party organization, establishing industry standards for internet safety, improving China’s internet usage environment, protecting netizens’ internet rights and interests.” The job posting has gone viral over popular Chinese microblogging site Sina Weibo. The job description calls for “familiarity with different standards of determination of pornographic content.” It also includes the following benefits: book allowance, and free fruits and yogurt every day. At 200,000 RMB a year (P1.3-million), only serious job applicants need apply.

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More than 2 weeks after a Senate hearing on proposed amendments to it, the new residency rule approved by the league has been upheld by the UAAP Board of Trustees in its annual meeting, Tuesday, April 16. In a statement sent to Rappler, UAAP President Nilo Ocampo said that the controversial rule that requires players transferring from one UAAP school to another to serve 2 years of residency will be implemented effective UAAP Season 76. Senator Pia Cayetano has opposed the new rule, calling it a “setback” for young players nationwide. “This ruling is a huge setback in sports development and in my humble opinion, it is a grave abuse of their authority to regulate the participation of our youth in competitive sports,” said the Senator in an opinion piece sent to Rappler.

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Despite election-related spending, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Philippine economic growth would slow down in 2013 and in 2014. In the main chapters of its World Economic Outlook, IMF said the economy would grow 6% in 2013 and 5.5% in 2014, after growing 6.6% in 2012. The national government targets growth of 6% to 7% in 2013, and 6.5% to 7.5% in 2014. IMF projects Asia’s growth to pick up to 5.7% in 2013 and 6% in 2014 on the back of solid domestic demand and recovering external demand. Growth would be boosted by the ASEAN-5 economies, which are expected to post an average growth of 5.9% in 2013, and 5.5% in 2014, it said.

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Taiwan staged its biggest live-fire drill since 2008 Wednesday, April 17, in an operation involving more than 7000 troops that simulated a Chinese attack as its leader warned of Beijing’s arms build-up. The operation, part of a five-day round-the-clock annual exercise codenamed “Han Kuang 29” (Han Glory 29), took place on the Penghu Islands in the middle of the 180-kilometer strait separating Taiwan from the Chinese mainland. A cross-military-force involving the army, navy and air force were carrying out drills aimed at preparing a defense of the strategically important islands from a surprise Chinese attack. President Ma Ying-jeou, who initiated Taipei’s much-touted detente with Beijing, said the live-fire exercise was a reminder of the lingering threat from China.

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The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is appealing to overseas Filipinos workers (OFWs) camping out beside the Philippine Consulate building in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to return to their respective homes in that country. The number of Filipinos who have set up camps outside the Philippine Consulate in Jeddah surged to about 1,450 in just 6 days, the Middle East chapter of Filipino migrants’ rights group Migrante said, as the crackdown on illegal and overstaying migrant workers continues in Saudi Arabia. In a statement, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator John Leonard Monterona urged the Philippine Consulate to fast-track their repatriation and provide temporary shelter for the OFWs. Monterno warned the situation could lead to a “full-blown humanitarian crisis” if the situation is not resolved immediately. Hernandez said the government is working at securing “no-objection certificates” for the the Filipinos, which would entail payment of penalties based on their conditions.

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Pakistani troops scrambled Wednesday to aid the remote victims of an earthquake that hit nearby Iran. The epicenter of Tuesday’s 7.8 magnitude quake lay in southeast Iran but all 40 deaths reported so far have been across the border in Pakistan’s dirt-poor province of Baluchistan, where hundreds of mud-built homes suffered damage. The powerful tremor shook the ground and caused panic as far afield as Kuwait and the Indian capital New Delhi. Thousands of people evacuated towering residential and office buildings in Dubai. The quake came a week after another struck near Iran’s Gulf port city of Bushehr, killing at least 30 people. Putting aside America’s longstanding enmity with Iran, and its more recent strains in relations with Pakistan, US Secretary of State John Kerry offered “our deepest condolences” to the families of the dead and to the injured. “We stand ready to offer assistance in this difficult time,” he said. UN chief Ban Ki-moon also expressed condolences after Tuesday’s disaster and said the “United Nations stands ready to help as necessary if asked to do so.”

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A US drone fired two missiles into a Taliban training camp in Pakistan on Wednesday, destroying the compound and killing at least five militants, local officials said. The attack took place in the Baber Ghar area of the South Waziristan tribal district on the Afghan border, a stronghold of Pakistani Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud where the faction runs several camps. According to a local security official, “The target was a base of Pakistani Taliban. Five militants were killed and two injured. Pakistan repeatedly denounces US drone strikes, criticizing them as a violation of sovereignty that inflame anti-Americanism despite leaked US diplomatic cables that showed leaders allegedly agreed to them in private. According to Britain’s Bureau of Investigative Journalism, CIA drone attacks in Pakistan have killed up to 3,587 people since 2004, up to 884 of them civilians.

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Four days after it was posted on YouTube “Gangnam Style” star Psy’s new music video crossed the 100 million views mark on YouTube Wednesday, April 17, shattering another record on the video-sharing site. As of Wednesday April 17 the new video entitled “Gentleman” received more than 105 million hits, reaching the 100 million views mark in record time. The previous record was set in 2009 by the video of Britain’s Got Talent star Susan Boyle singing “I Dreamed A Dream” which received 100 million hits in just over a week. Psy’s latest offering also racked up around 20 million hits in the first 24 hours, smashing the previous record for first-day views of 8.0 million set by Canadian star Justin Bieber’s “Boyfriend” video in May 2012.

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