March 2, 2015 Edition

Samsung unveiled Sunday, March 1 (March 2 Manila time) the latest smartphones in its Galaxy smartphone line, introducing the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge. Apart from a robust Octacore application processor and 3GB of memory, both models also contain 32, 64, or 128GB of internal flash storage. The Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge sport 5.1 QuadHD Super Amoled screens supporting 577 pixels per inch, with the Edge also taking advantage of dual edges with special functions that can be set on the edges for notifications and other functions. Both models boast of a 5 megapixel front and 16 megapixel rear camera. But the most notable update is the built-in battery that could be charged wirelessly. The battery could stack up to 4 hours of juice while taking only 10 minutes to charge.

Read the full story on Rappler.

Detained senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr will request the Sandiganbayan to visit his son, Cavite vice-governor Jolo, who is in the hospital after sustaining a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Saturday, February 28. In a text message, Revilla’s lawyer Raymond Fortun told Rappler that Revilla will be filing a motion for a 24-hour furlough. The elder Revilla’s request to visit his son comes amid controversy over his unauthorized visit to fellow detainee senator Juan Ponce Enrile last February 14. The visit led to the sacking of Philippine National Police officials.

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In a rare admission, the US said one of its most advanced aircraft, the new P-8A are on patrol missions to the South China Sea or West Philippine Sea. Two Filipino soldiers joined the bilateral mission. the US 7th Fleet’s public affairs office added the spy plane – a long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft – shows the US’ commitment to a strategic pivot to Asia. The Philippines filed an international arbitration case against China, which claims almost all of the South China Sea.

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Supreme Court (SC) Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno is the only female country representative in a gathering of judiciary leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Sereno has been the only female chief justice in ASEAN since 2012. State figures show, only 14 women have successfully secured an SC associate justice seat in the Philippines while only one-third of judges and justices are women. Court observers say Sereno stayed true to the legacy of the first female justice Cecilia Muñoz-Palma who penned decisions unfavorable to the president who appointed her, Ferdinand Marcos.

Read the full story on Rappler.

Supporters of Russian deputy premier Boris Nemtsov marched through Moscow Sunday in a rally the slain leader had organized himself before his brutal murder. Nemtsov, an opposition leader and critic of Russian strongman Vladimir Putin, was shot in the back several times just before midnight Friday on a bridge near the Kremlin walls. Nemtsov’s killing turned teh opposition protest into a memorial march. CNN reports government critics point to Putin or one of his supporters as being behind the killing. State media also reported Nemtsov received threats linked to his stance on the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris.

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Security footage appears to show 3 British girls, believed to be heading for Syria to join Islamic State (ISIS) militants, waiting at a bus station in Istanbul. Close friends Kadiza Sultana, 16, and 15-year-olds Shamima Begum and Amira Abase, boarded a flight from London to Istanbul on February 17. The CCTV images show the 3 girls entering a bus terminal in Istanbul’s Bayrampasa district on the European side of the city, which the trio reached by metro from the airport. The footage was recorded in the early hours of February 18, less than 24 hours after the girls left their homes in east London, telling their families they were heading out for the day. An estimated 550 Western women have travelled to join the militants in Iraq and Syria.

Read the full story on Rappler.

Mohammed Emwazi, the London man believed to be Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) executioner “Jihadi John” told a journalist four years ago that surveillance by British security services had left him contemplating suicide. Emwazi told the online site Mail on Sunday he felt like a “dead man walking”. Cage, a British civil rights group that was in contact with Emwazi, claims that domestic spy agency MI5 had been tracking him since at least 2009, and blamed his radicalization on their “harassment”. Prime Minister David Cameron and a former MI6 leader strongly rejected the idea, while London mayor Boris Johnson accused Cage of an “apology for terror”. Emwazi was born in Kuwait but moved to London when he was a child and attended school and university there. The Daily Telegraph reported this weekend that he went to high school with two other boys who went onto become militants – Choukri Ellekhlifi, who was killed fighting in Syria, and Mohammed Sakr, killed fighting in Somalia.

Read the full story on Rappler.

Manny Pacquiao arrived at Los Angeles International Airport at 8:05 pm on Saturday, February 28 (Sunday Manila time) to officially begin training camp for his May 2 fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. Pacquiao, 36, will report to the gym on Monday under the guidance of his coach Freddie Roach’s assistant Marvin Somodio. Roach is in Macau finishing up preparations for Chinese boxer Zou Shiming’s March 7 challenge of IBF flyweight titleholder Amnat Ruenroeng. The 38-year-old Mayweather (47-0, 26 KOs) is expected to start training the same day. The fight will take place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Read the full story on Rappler.

Australia is testing a “world first” system with Malaysia and Indonesia that increases the tracking of aircraft over remote oceans, allowing authorities to quickly react to abnormal situations such as the disappearance of MH370. Australian Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss said the technology “can increase realtime monitoring should an abnormal situation arise.” If an aircraft deviates more than 200 feet from its assigned level or two nautical miles from its expected track, the system would automatically monitor the jet more closely, such as every five minutes or almost continuously. The trial, using automatic dependent surveillance contract technology, will commence at the air traffic services centre in Brisbane before being extended to Melbourne and to Indonesia and Malaysia.

Read the full story on Rappler.

With the death of Leonard Nimoy of Star Trek fame on Friday, February 27 (Saturday, February 28 Manila time), CNN posts photos of 21st century everyday items in fond remembrance of character Spock’s legacy, whose weapons and gizmos served as the prototype of the gadgets we tinker with. The lists includes communicators (much like present-day mobile phones), automatic doors, translators, view screens, and interactive computers.

Read the full story on CNN.