April 8, 2014 Edition

The Philippine Supreme Court on Tuesday declared the highly contested Reproductive Health (RH) law constitutional with 8 provisions struck down. SC spokesman Theodore Te said in a press briefing: “The RH law is not unconstitutional.” An SC insider said the “core provisions were upheld.” The RH law – which took 13 years and 4 months to pass in Congress –was temporarily halted by the Supreme Court in March 2013, following the filing of 14 petitions questioning its constitutionality. The verdict lifts the Court’s temporary restraining order against its implementation.

Read the full story on Rappler.

Former Vice President Noli de Castro insisted that Pag-IBIG Fund under his leadership did not give “special treatment” to Globe Asiatique Realty Holdings Corp. Owned by developer  Delfin Lee, it is accused of using ghost borrowers and fake documents to obtain P7 billion in loans from 2008 to 2010. Globe Asiatique became the only developer to obtain P5 billion in loans and a 5-year buy-back guarantee. Under the usual arrangement, other developers could only loan a maximum of P500 million a year from Pag-IBIG and have a two-year buy-back guarantee. The broadcaster-turned-politician-turned-broadcaster-again said Lee’s Xevera development in Mabalacat, Pampanga became a “special program” because of its complete amenities. “This project is a township: there is a municipal hall, plaza. This is the dream of developers.”

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An Italian diplomat is being detained in the Philippines for alleged child abuse. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said police arrested Daniele Bosio at a water fun park in Biñan, Laguna, south of Metro Manila, over the weekend following a tip from a local child rights group. “He was caught in the company of 3 boys, ages 8 to 12 years old,” De Lima said. Police said the Italian violated the country’s law on anti-trafficking and abuse of children. Bosio, the Italian ambassador to Turkmenistan, was on holiday in the Philippines. De Lima said Bosio would be unable to invoke diplomatic immunity because he was not stationed in the Philippines.

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Malaysia joined other Islamic countries in banning the Hollywood biblical epic “Noah” starring Russell Crowe, saying it violates Islamic law against depicting prophets. Neighboring Indonesia, Egypt and United Arab Emirates banned the film because of scenes that contradict Islam. The film has already angered some Christian institutions in the United States over Crowe’s unconventional portrayal of Noah, an important figure in both Christianity and Islam. Muslims make up 60 percent of multi-ethnic Malaysia’s 30 million population. Malaysia censored other movies on religious grounds in the past, including Brokeback Mountain and The Passion of the Christ.

Read the full story on Rappler.

South African athlete Oscar Pistorius opened his defense trial with an emotional apology to the family of Reeva Steenkamp, the girlfriend he killed last year allegedly in self-defense. As he took the stand for the first time since the high-profile trial began, Pistorius addressed Steenkamp’s family, saying, “I can’t imagine the pain and the sorrow and the emptiness that I have caused you and your family.” Pistorius is accused of intentionally murdering Steenkamp, but the athlete maintains he thought she was an intruder and accidentally shot her in self-defense.

Read the full story on Rappler.

3 Rappler panelists give their fearless forecasts on the upcoming Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley April 12 rematch in Las Vegas. The stakes are as high as they get. Pacquiao’s status as a top draw in the sport hinges on his ability to overcome Bradley, who won a controversial decision in their first meeting back in 2012. WBO welterweight titleholder Bradley needs to conclusively beat Pacquiao in their rematch. Bradley, a native of Palm Springs, Calif., has won titles in two divisions but has not fully won over the fans’ respect.

Read more of the story on Rappler.

See photos of Pacquiao training in Los Angeles.

A nine-month-old boy charged with attempted murder in Pakistan has been granted bail. The toddler, Muhammad Mosa Khan, was arrested in February along with family members for allegedly throwing stones at police during a raid in Lahore. The residents reportedly failed to pay for electricity. Police arrested the toddler, took his fingerprints, and was made to sit on his grandfather’s lap while in court. Although the judge noted the absurd nature of the case and quickly granted bail for the toddler, he cannot dismiss the case against him. The police officer who arrested the child has reportedly been suspended. The boy’s grandfather told Reuters, “He doesn’t even know how to pick up his milk bottle properly. How can he stone the police?”

Read the full story on Belfast Telegraph

Peaches Geldof, the socialite daughter of Band Aid founder Bob Geldof, died at her home in Britain. She was 25. Police were called to her home outside Wrotham in Kent, southeast England, but she was pronounced dead at the scene by medics. Police said her death is being treated as “an unexplained and sudden death.” In a statement, her father Bob said, “We are beyond pain. She was the wildest, funniest, cleverest, wittiest and the most bonkers of all of us. How is this possible that we will not see her again?” Peaches Geldof’s husband Tom Cohen, the singer in the now-disbanded group S.C.U.M, said: “My beloved wife Peaches was adored by myself and her two sons Astala and Phaedra and I shall bring them up with their mother in their hearts every day. We shall love her forever.”

Read the full story on Rappler.

Protesters in San Francisco waved banners outside the home of Google Ventures partner Kevin Rose, calling him a “parasite”. CNN reported it was the latest in a wave of anti-tech-industry protests in the city over the past year. “Protesters complain an influx of highly paid tech workers is driving up rent, forcing out longtime residents and robbing the city of its famously eccentric character.” Most of the anger are focused on big companies Google and Twitter. The 37-year-old Rose is the co-founder of Digg, a news aggregation site. After Rose’s last startup was acquired by Google, he went to work at Google Ventures. Rose met the protesters head-on by posting an image of their flier to Instagram and Twitter. He agreed in part with the protesters. “We need to solve rising rents, keep the SF culture, and crack down on landlords booting folks out,” Rose tweeted. “SF is such a great place, definitely need to figure out a way to keep the diversity.”

Read the full story on CNN.

Prince George took all the attention in stride as his glamorous mom stepped off the plane and he was greeted by a long line of dignitaries including New Zealand Prime Minister John Key. CNN reported the baby was “perfectly happy” and “a natural” on his first official public engagement. CNN reporter Max Foster said, “He wasn’t in the slightest bit fazed by it, despite the epic journey from London.” The journalist added, “This may be a lot of fuss about a baby, and he has no idea what’s going on.”

Read the full story on CNN.