December 7, 2012 Edition

Is this the end for Manny Pacquiao? The Filipino boxing champion was knocked out by arch rival Juan Manuel Marquez on the 6th round in front of a predominantly pro-Marquez crowd at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, December 8 (Sunday Manila time). This put the epic rivalry between the two to a definitive end. Marquez knocked Pacquiao out cold with a short right, giving Marquez his first ever victory over the Filipino. It’s Pacquiao’s first loss by knockout since 1999.

Read the full story on Rappler.

Desperate families in the provinces hit by Typhoon “Pablo” continued to beg for food on December 9, days after it brought death and destruction to Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley. In New Bataan, Compostela Valley, which took the brunt of the typhoon, families lined the roads holding signs begging for food. Rescuers also scrambled to find the 827 who remain missing. Officials said 548 people are confirmed dead. “Have mercy on us, please donate,” read one sign held by a group of ragged kids in New Bataan. “We need food,” read another sign displayed by a group standing amid ruined banana plantations.

Read the full story on Rappler.

The United Nations has offered to mobilize international support for the Philippines after Typhoon “Pablo” left more than 400 dead. Rescue and relief operations intensified 3 days after the typhoon smashed into Mindanao; at least 300 more people remain missing. President Benigno Aquino III was scheduled to visit the worst-hit provinces, Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental, on Friday, December 7. The government has appealed for food, bottled water, hygiene kits, thermos, tents, among others. In New York, UN leader Ban Ki-Moon’s spokesman Martin Nesirky said: “The United Nations stands ready to provide humanitarian assistance and to mobilize international support for the response.”

Read the full story on Rappler

Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi has called for a dialogue with his opponents this weekend, but is not backing off from an earlier order granting himself sweeping powers. As Morsi was delivering his televised address to the nation on December 6, protesters gathered at Cairo’s Tahrir Square chanting, “leave! leave!” He warned those “fomenting violence” that they will not escape punishment. Overnight clashes left 5 people dead and 644 injured. The government has detained at least 80 protesters. The New York Times also reported that the director of Egypt’s state broadcasting and the vice president of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party have resigned. Morsi’s November 22 edict makes his decisions immune from judicial scrutiny until a constitutional referendum is held.

Read the full story on BBC 

Read the story on resignations on the New York Times

Filipino terror suspect Ralph Kenneth De Leon on December 6 pleaded not guilty before a federal court in California of “conspiring to provide material support to terrorists,” according to media reports. The 23-year-old De Leon was brought to the court in shackles, wearing the traditional orange jail uniform. His relatives were also present inside the court. De Leon, a U.S. permanent resident, was arrested in November when he was supposedly on his way to Afghanistan reportedly to join the Taliban and the Al Qaeda. 

Read the full story on Rappler

The Senate and the House did meet halfway, setting the stage for the signing of a sin tax law before the end of the year. The bicameral conference committee on the sin tax reform bill agreed on December 6 to target P33.96-B in revenues for 2013. The House of Representatives’ original version of the bill projected to generate revenues of between P31-B to P33-B. The Senate version calculated revenues of at least P39.5-B. Both figures are lower than the government’s original target of P60-B revenues. The joint congressional meeting ironed out provisions on target revenues, tax rates and burden sharing, and the only contentious provision left to discuss next week is the rate of earmarking for services such as the government’s universal healthcare program. The Aquino administration said it needs these additional revenues from alcohol and cigarettes to fund its health care program.

Read the full story on Rappler

Former NASA executives have launched a private venture to send two people to the moon before the end of the decade for a cost of US$1.4-B, the BBC reported December 7. And they’re hoping to sell future voyages to other countries to make a “commodity” of it. Golden Spike Company, run by former Nasa associate administrator Alan Stern, said it hopes to make its first launch by the end of the decade. Other countries such as South Africa, South Korea and Japan will be offered to join the voyage, he added. “It’s not about being first. It’s about joining the club,” Stern said. “We’re kind of cleaning up what Nasa did in the 1960s. We’re going to make a commodity of it in the 2020s.” The US became the first and only country to reach the Moon in the 1960s. US President Barack Obama, however, has cancelled a planned NASA return to the moon.

Read the full story on BBC

Meet the Pope App, courtesy of the Vatican. Catholics around the world will soon have a new way to bring themselves closer to their faith. The Vatican will soon be releasing a new application that will allow users to view stories related to activities in the Vatican and video of papal events. The application will send out alerts and news links to reports from Vatican news outlets, as well as video of papal events, streams from Vatican webcams and archived media featuring Pope Benedict XVI.

The Pope App will be ready for iPhones and iPads on December 10, with an Android version coming in January 2013. 

Read the full story on Rappler

Om…. It’s just not good for the health; it seems yoga is good for other people’s pockets, too. A recent study in the US shows that at least 20.4 million Americans practice yoga, a 29-percent increase from numbers in 2008, according to the Yoga Journal. Yogis spend US$10-3-B a year on classes, products, clothing, and vacation, among others, the same study showed. Majority of yoga practitioners — 82.2% — are women and fall within the age range of 18-44. Those surveyed said they started yoga for flexibility (78.3%), general conditioning (62.2%), and stress relief (59.6%), among others.

Read the full story on the Yoga Journal

She’s feeling better now. Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, left the hospital with her husband Prince William on December 6 after being admitted due to morning sickness, the BBC reported. Catherine was photographed holding a bouquet of flowers and smiling at the media. When asked if she was feeling better, she nodded to reporters. Catherine was admitted to the hospital on December 3  with hyperemesis gravidarum or severe morning sickness. Her condition forced St James Palace to announce her pregnancy, which has not yet passed the 12-week mark.

Read the full story on Rappler