Rappler Newscast | July 4, 2013

Story 1: EGYPT’S ARMY CHIEF OUSTS MORSI
After weeks of protests, Egypt’s Mohamed Morsi’s one-year presidency ends in a coup.
Egypt’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ousts Morsi, after the military’s ultimatum for the embattled leader to “meet the people’s demands” ends Wednesday.
Egypt’s army confirms it is holding Morsi and several of his top aides.
Adly Mansour, head of the Supreme Constitutional Court, is named interim president.
Sisi, the defense minister in Morsi’s government, also announces the suspension of the Islamist-drafted constitutionand the holding early presidential elections.
The army’s dramatic move comes after millions of Egyptians took to the streets to call for his ouster, accusing him of betraying the 2011 revolution that brought him to power.
Morsi’s ouster marks a violent week for Egypt, after Morsi supporters died in clashes with police when they stormed the city’s security headquarters.
Following Sisi’s  announcement of the ouster in a televised address, thousands took to the streets of the capital to celebrate.
Western leaders though express unease that Egypt’s first democratically elected leader is overthrown after only a year in office.
US President Barack Obama urges a quick return to elected civilian government, adding, “We believe that ultimately the future of Egypt can only be determined by the Egyptian people. We are deeply concerned by the decision of the Egyptian Armed Forces to remove President Morsi and suspend the Egyptian constitution.”
UN leader Ban Ki-moon says he understood Egyptians had –quote– “deep frustrations” but expresses concern over the army’s intervention.
But Saudi King Abdullah praises the army’s intervention and congratulates the new caretaker president.

Story 2: AL-JAZEERA SHUT DOWN AFTER MORSI OUSTER
News website Al Jazeera says its live Egypt service was taken off the air, along with several other TV channels.
The raid and shutdown happened after the ouster of President Mohamed Morsi.
In a blogpost, Al Jazeera says the shutdown happened when –quote– “security forces stormed the building and arrested the presenter, guests and producers” during a live broadcast.
Reuters reports Al-Jazeera staff broadcasting a pro-Morsi rally were prevented from broadcasting, and the crew detained.
In  post on Twitter, Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights head Hossam Bahgat says 26 staff members of Al Jazeera Misr were arrested.
All of them, except for director Ayman Gaballa, have been released.

Story 3: PH EMBASSY OFFICIALS STAYING DESPITE EGYPT UNREST
Despite the unrest in Egypt over the ouster of president Mohamed Morsi, the Philippines will not pull out its embassy officials so they can ensure the safety of Filipinos there.
The Philippine Foreign Affairs department raises crisis alert level 1 over Egypt because of the political situation.
Filipinos are advised to stay indoors and avoid places with protests.
Foreign affairs spokesperson Raul Hernandez says the situation could affect at least 6,569 Filipinos in Egypt.

Story 4: 18 PINOYS ARRESTED OVER SAUDI PROTEST
The Philippine foreign affairs department says Saudi Arabia police arrested 18 Filipinos over a protest demanding their immediate repatriation.
The protest was staged Tuesday, before Saudi announced an extension for illegal workers to legalize their status.
The Filipinos were arrested for blocking the gate of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Riyadh.
Philippine foreign affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez says police eventually released the 18 Filipinos.
Mass actions are banned in Saudi Arabia.

Story 5: PH INVITES CHINA AFTER ‘TESTY EXCHANGES’
Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario says he will not deny reports he broke “diplomatic niceties” to defend the Philippines, after Reuters reported –quote– “testy exchanges” between Del Rosario and Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi during a closed-door meeting in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations forum in Brunei.
Reuters says Del Rosario rebutted Yi’s allegations after the Chinese minister complained about the Philippines’ moves in the South China Sea dispute.
Speaking to reporters Thursday, Del Rosario says, “I will not deny what has been reported, but I feel there’s no need to add to it.”
Del Rosario says he invited Yi to the Philippines for a –quote– “constructive discussion on all issues.”
Del Rosario adds, China has agreed to meet within the next few months to talk about the South China Sea disputes.

Story 6: FERRER: PANEL EAGER TO RESUME TALKS
It’s make or break for peace talks between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
Four days before government and Muslim rebels resume talks in Kuala Lumpur, chief government negotiator Miriam Ferrer says both parties are eager to resume talks on wealth sharing and power sharing — the 2 annexes that remain sticking points in the negotiations, 8 months after the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro was signed.
Talks stalled after disagreements over the 2 annexes, but Ferrer says there are formal and informal talks on the issues that remain unresolved.

MIRIAM FERRER, GPH PEACE PANEL HEAD: I won’t exactly call it a deadlock, maybe it’s that kind of a process that took some time to be achieved and now we’re at this stage where we’re actually all set to come face to face again, there have actually been communications going on formally and informally through…formally through the facilitator and informally through other channels all this time, so to that extent, it wasn’t exactly a deadlock or an impasse.

Since the signing of the Framework Agreement, Ferrer says there have been no hostilities between government forces and the MILF.
But she adds, there have been incidents between some local officials and MILF commanders.

MIRIAM FERRER, GPH PEACE PANEL HEAD: Since the signing of the FAB we have had zero hostilities between the AFP and the MILF. But we do have some incidents that have involved some local commanders of the MILF on the ground vis a vis officials on the locality, so in that sense these are localized problems and the good thing is that our ceasefire mechanisms have been able to address these.

Story 7: SOON IN PH: CROWDSOURCED LAWS?
Senator TG Guingona refiles his crowdsourcing bill for the 16th Congress.
The Crowdsourcing Act of 2013 would allow social media users to participate in the lawmaking process by allowing netizens to comment on pending bills through e-mail and the Internet.
It also lets people reach lawmakers during the period of interpellations and debates.
Guingona says people’s views at this stage will –quote– “serve as vital guidance for the senators and congresspersons to make their final vote on pending measures.”
Guingona first filed the bill in October 2012, soliciting suggestions via e-mail and social media to improve the measure.
While the Crowdsourcing Act is still a proposed measure, Sen Miriam Santiago says her Magna Carta for Philippine Internet Freedom will become the first law to be created through crowdsourcing if passed.
The Magna Carta aims to establish a framework for information and communication technology in the Philippines.

Story 8: SERENDRA UNIT 501 OCCUPANT DIES
Five weeks after a gas leak blew off 2 walls of a Two Serendra unit in Taguig, more bad news.  
The man inside the unit died Thursday in St. Luke’s Hospital.
Angelito San Juan was one of the 4 injured in the May 31 blast that killed 3 others.
Based in the United States, he came to the Philippines to attend a wedding and rented the unit from a friend.
The specific cause of his death is unknown, but his lawyer says it may be due to multiple complications.
San Juan suffered burns on 89% of his body and had to undergo dialysis because of weak kidneys.
His heart beat was erratic heart beat, and he had trouble breathing.
Doctors were also unable to remove the poison his body sustained from the explosion.
San Juan has been in the intensive care unit since he was admitted.  
He went critical about 10 days ago.
San Juan’s lawyer says Serendra developer Ayala Land Inc. has been paying the hospital bills, but did not send representatives to check on his condition.
In a statement, Ayala Land Inc. says, “We are saddened by the demise of Mr. Angelito San Juan and we extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to his family.”
An investigation shows a gas leak caused the explosion, although the source of the leak remains unknown.
Interior Secretary Mar Roxas assures the San Juan family the investigation will be “thorough and conclusive.”

Story 9: THE wRap: YOUR WORLD IN ONE READ
At number 3, Leaked court documents show South Africa’s anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela is in “perilous” condition on life support.
Mandela’s relatives submitted the papers on June 28 as part of legal efforts to return the remains of his 3 children to his hometown, earlier moved by Mandela’s grandson.
Quoting from the court documents, the South African Mail & Guardian weekly paper says, “Nelson Mandela’s health is perilous. (An) affidavit will be provided from physicians that he is assisted in breathing by a life support machine.”
South Africa’s president, Jacob Zuma, earlier described Mandela’s condition as –quote– “critical but stable” but without much detail.

At number 7, the BBC reports bone marrow transplants seem to clear the human immunodeficiency virus from 2 patients.
Doctors from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in the US report the findings at the International AIDS Society Conference.
The two men had HIV for about 3 decades and developed a cancer which required a bone-marrow transplant.
Following the transplant, the virus was not detected in their blood.
But doctors say it’s too early to talk about a cure as the virus could return any time.

And at number 9, the United Nations World Meteorological Organization says the first decade of the 21st century was the hottest on record.
The same period was marked by climate and weather extremes that killed more than 370,000.
The organization says that period was the warmest, the second-wettest since 1901, and had the most tropical cyclones since 1855.
The agency says rising concentrations of greenhouse gases cause the acceleration in global warming.

Newscast production staff