June 24, 2014 Edition

San Miguel Corporation president Ramon Ang is set to acquire a stake in broadcast giant GMA Network Inc (GMA 7) after owners agreed to sell shares. In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Tuesday, June 24, GMA 7 said: “The company has been informed by its major shareholders that they have agreed to sell to Mr Ramon Ang a participating minority equity interest in the company’s outstanding capital stock.” Final terms and conditions are still being negotiated. The deal comes months after businessman Manny Pangilinan’s offer to buy the network had expired. Price and other issues got in the way of long-running negotiations.

Read the full story on Rappler.

The combined average temperature in May across the globe was 1.33°F or 0.74°C higher than the 20th century average. The month’s 59.93°F sizzling temperature set a new record for the planet, making it the warmest May over land and water since 1880. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said record heat was recorded in eastern Kazakhstan, parts of Indonesia, and central and northwestern Australia. Over the past 39 years, the month of May has been hotter than the 20th century average.

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Is it a question of privacy or a question of privilege? On Monday, June 23, the Philippine National Police said it would not release the mugshots of prominent suspects in the pork barrel scam case, but government sources leaked the mugshots of Senator Jinggoy Estrada anyway. PNP spokesman Theodore Sindac said the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group had decided not to release the mughots, explaining that “while it is still a public document…the authority holding it can restrict access when circumstances require us to do so.” But this was in stark contrast to the alleged mastermind of the pork barrel scam, Janet Napoles, whose mugshots were released to the media soon after she was turned over to the police. Sindac admitted they do not have a “clear-cut policy” on the release of mugshots.

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US State Secretary John Kerry met with key politicians in Baghdad on Monday, June 23, vowing “intense and sustained support” for Iraq. At the same time, Sunni rebels continued their advance across the country’s north and west. The BBC reported that in his meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki, Kerry pressed for a new government that is more inclusive of minority Sunni Arabs. While Maliki asked for targeted US air strikes, Kerry replied he was concerned about resulting civilian casualties. The State Secretary also met with both Shia and Sunni leaders.

Read the full story on the BBC.

More details are on Rappler.

A related story is also on Rappler.

At least US$13 billion a year in damage is being caused by plastic waste dumped into the world’s oceans. A report by the United Nations Environment Programme presented at the launch of a global environment conference in Nairobi said that scientists have found tiny plastic fragments trapped in sea ice in polar regions, while plastic waste has killed marine life, caused chemical contamination, and damage to “critical habitats such as coral reefs.” Andrew Russell of the Plastic Disclosure Project, said companies should “consider their plastic footprint, just as they do for carbon, water and forestry.

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Close to 4 hours after he arrived at the Philippine National Police headquarters a little past noon on Monday, June 23, Senator Jinggoy Estrada was committed to the Camp Crame custodial center. He went through a “booking process” that included medical exams, fingerprinting and taking of mugshots. It took all of 10-15 minutes, his staff said. Estrada turned himself in to his father, former president Joseph Estrada, now mayor of Manila, before surrendering at Camp Crame.

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Manila Regional Trial Court Judge Ma Theresa Gomez-Estoesta was appointed by President Benigno Aquino III on Monday, June 23, to the anti-graft court’s 5th division, filling the vacancy at last. Three days before, Supreme Court Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno rebuffed the Palace for asking the Judicial and Bar Council to review the list it had submitted to the Office of the President in February 2014. The Constitution prescribes a 90-day deadline for the president to fill vacancies from the time the JBC submits its nominees. In 2012, Estoesta received the Chief Justice Cayetano Arellano award as most outstanding judge for second-level courts. Her division is handling the plunder and graft cases against Senator Jinggoy Estrada.

Read the full story on Rappler.

The well-preserved skeletons of two dinosaurs were dug up by Russian paleontologists, a Russian museum announced on Monday, June 23. The dinosaurs roamed the Earth some 100 million to 120 million years ago. Each skeleton was about two meters long and the species, identified as Psittacosaurus sibiricus, was found 2.5 meters below the surface. Excavation began in late May 2014 and involved Feofanova’s museum, which obtained permission to excavate with a team of Moscow-based paleontologists.

Read the full story on Rappler.

Dethroned World Cup champion Spain bowed out with a 3-0 win over Australia on Tuesday, June 24, Philippine time. Goals were scored by David Villa, Fernando Torres and Juan Mata in Curitiba, Brazil. Villa became the fourth Spanish player to score in 3 World Cups, hitting his 59th international goal in his 97th and final appearance for La Roja, 9 minutes before half-time. Meanwhile, the Netherlands beat Chile 2-0 to secure the top spot in Group B. Substitutes Leroy Fer and Memphis Depay scored goals for the Netherlands.

Read the full story on Rappler.

A related story on the Netherlands win is also on Rappler.

Swedish designer Olle Lindén, with the help of a Kickstarter campaign,  designed Earin, a device designed specifically for “the best and most comfortable music experience possible.” Looking like typical in-ear earphones minus the wires, it uses Bluetooth with aptX to communicate with a paired smartphone. The new device will be commercially available for a price of about US$250. On Kickstarter, within 5 days of launch, Earin raised $680,000, surpassing its target of $304,000 within 5 days of its launch.

Read the full story on Rappler.