March 31, 2014 Edition

The Philippines filed on Sunday, March 30, a lawsuit before a United Nations court in The Hague, challenging the validity of China’s claims on the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea). It submitted a close to 4,000-page memorial to the UN-backed arbitral tribunal, notwithstanding incentives and sanctions from China, one of the country’s largest trading partners. Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said in a media briefing Sunday, “It is about defending what is legitimately ours. It is about securing our children’s future. It is about guaranteeing freedom of navigation for all nations. It is about helping to preserve regional peace, security, and stability.”

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Out to prove it is not an international outlaw, China argued on Sunday, March 30, that its position on the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea) is “solidly based on international law.” The arbitral tribunal at the United Nations’ Permanent Court of Arbitration has no jurisdiction over the Philippine case, China argued. This is because the disputes involve land and delimitation of maritime boundaries, over which China had rejected arbitral proceedings in its declaration under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said in a statement his country rejects the Philippine quest for arbitration.
 

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A lazy Sunday evening at the Mall of Asia was rudely interrupted by a shooting incident that created panic among shoppers and left one wounded. At least two suspects belonging to the Martilyo Gang tried to rob a jewelry shop at the SM department store, prompting mall guards to respond. A commotion resulted in an employee of an outdoor kiosk getting hurt. The employee was brought to a nearby hospital and was declared out of danger. A similar incident occurred in December 2013 at the SM North EDSA mall.

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Seven ladies were crowned winners during Sunday Bb Pilipinas Coronation Night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Mary Jean Lastimosa was chosen Bb Pilipinas-Universe, along with Kris Tiffany Janson who was crowned Bb Pilipinas-Intercontinental and Mary Anne Guidotti who won as Bb Pilipinas-International. Other winners were: Yvethe Marie Santiago (Bb Pilipinas-Supranational), Parul Shah (Bb Pilipinas-Tourism), Laura Lehmann (1st runner-up) and Hannah Sison (2nd runner-up).

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29 relatives of Chinese passengers who were on board a disappeared Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, March 30, as the search for the missing plane intensified. Some demanded answers, while others just sought closure. “Some of the next of kin want to see for themselves the last place where their loved ones ever set foot,” one of the family members said. Eight ships and 10 planes have been sweeping the Indian Ocean off Australia, searching for wreckage from the plane. The hunt has entered its 4th week.


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Even as the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), the New People’s Army, celebrated its 45th anniversary on Saturday, March 29, the military predicted its eventual death. Armed Forces chief General Emmanuel Bautista told reporters, “After 5 years, they will be irrelevant. Hindi aabutin ng 5 years.” (They won’t last another 5 years.) The recent arrest of top NPA leaders Benito Tiamzon and Wilma Austria signals the end of Asia’s longest-running communist insurgency, the military predicted.

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After the poisoning of 3 patients with contaminated medical products Filipino nurse Victorino Chua was rearrested on Friday, March 28. Eight patients died in 2011 and Chua was charged with murdering 3 of them – 44-year-old Tracey Arden, 71-year-old Arnold Lancaster, and 83-year-old Derek Weaver. Chua was held on suspicion that he was responsible for contaminating their saline drops with insulin. He was released on bail. The police continued with inquiries and investigations until Assistant Chief Constable Steve Heywood said, “We are now at a point where we have charged Victorino Chua with a number of very serious offenses.”
 
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A complaint affidavit submitted by a US Federal Bureau of Investigation special agent, Emmanuel V. Pascua, identifies dentist Wilson Sy Lim as being a conduit for smuggled guns from the Philippines to the United States. A supporter of arrested California State Senator Leland Yee, Lim has been arrested for “Conspiracy to Traffic in Firearms Without a License, and to Illegally Import Firearms.” Originally from Mindanao, the affidavit described Lim as a gun lover who had “no moral arguments” about selling weapons.

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Prior to their tour of New Zealand and Australia, an official photograph of Prince George with his parents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – Prince William and his wife Kate – was released. Taken by royal christening photographer Jason Bell, the royal family looks through an open window of their Kensington Palace home. The 8-month-old prince, 3rd in line to the throne, is in his mother’s arms beside Prince William and their dog Lupo. The royal family is expected to arrive in New Zealand on April 7 and on April 16 in Australia. It will be Prince George’s first overseas tour.


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The Monday that immediately follows spring time daylight saving time records a 25% increase in heart attacks, a US study has shown. During this time, clocks are turned forward by an hour and the rise in heart attacks seems to indicate that people are “very sensitive to the loss of even one hour’s sleep,” lead author the study, Amneet Sandhu, said. Sandhu also said that it could mean that those who are already vulnerable to heart disease “may be at greater risk right after sudden time changes.” The study was based on a database of hospitals in Michigan.

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