January 13, 2014 Edition

With emphasis on Asia, Africa and Latin America, Pope Francis appointed his first batch of cardinals, and his list bolstered expectations of continuing changes in the Catholic Church hierarchy. In the Philippines, Francis named as cardinal Orlando Quevedo, the 74-year-old archbishop of Cotabato, making him the first cardinal from Mindanao. In Asia’s largest predominantly Catholic country, Quevedo’s territory is the least populated by Catholics and has endured one of the world’s longest running Muslim insurgencies. Within his archdiocese, the Church estimates only 639,183 Catholics in a population of 1,240,173. That’s around 51.54% of the population – barely a majority.

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At least 13 people died while 34 others were hurt after landslides and flash floods brought by a low pressure area struck towns in Mindanao January 12, most of which are still rehabilitating from the devastation of 2012’s Typhoon Pablo. The state weather bureau also reported rains in areas recently hit by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in the Visayas. The low pressure area was last located 70 kilometers southwest of Cagayan de Oro City as of Monday morning, January 13. It will continue bringing cloudy skies with moderate to heavy rain over Caraga, the Zamboanga Peninsula, Eastern Visayas, Central Visayas, and Bicol.

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Despite a warning from the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) that a Supreme Court order stopping its rate hike would constrain its ability to supply power, Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla gave assurances that rotational blackouts were an unlikely scenario. He said he believes power generators were “responsible players” in the industry and would understand Meralco’s predicament. The Court  temporarily stopped Meralco from implementing a P4.15 per kilowatt hour power rate hike in December 2013. But Meralco told the Court the whole power industry may be incapacitated should the TRO continue. Petilla disagrees. He stressed there are no foreseen shortages in the power supply.

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The Philippines said it wants the United States to grant duty-free access to certain products from areas hit by Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). Looking at the Haiti model, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Cuisia Jr referred to the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act of 2008, which allowed duty-free access to the US market for certain Haitian-made apparel and other items. The Philippines needs to boost its own development after Yolanda damaged crops and infrastructure that would take at least 3 years to rebuild.

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Beginning January 20, Iran will start eliminating its stockpile of enriched uranium and dismantling nuclear weapons infrastructure, in a landmark deal  that will lift sanctions on Iran. US President Barack Obama welcomed the news but warned of a tough road ahead toward a comprehensive deal. The deal was a major achievement for President Hassan Rouhani, who won a first-round electoral victory over a pool of conservatives last year by vowing a more diplomatic approach with the West. Eight years of stalled talks had escalated sanctions against Iran.

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The US army conducted field experiments of biological weapons, which could harm rice cropping, in the island of Okinawa in the early 1960s, according to Kyodo news agency. The same experiments were also conducted on the US mainland and in Taiwan, Kyodo said, citing US military documents it said it had obtained. In the tests conducted at least a dozen times between 1961 and 1962, rice blast fungus was released over rice fields and data was collected on how it affected rice production, Kyodo said. Rice blast disease causes lesions to form on the plant, threatening the crop.

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From connected socks and bras to a connected toothbrush to personal drones, the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, which ended January 10, showcased trends that fascinated consumers and geeks alike. Wearable technology with the ability to transform computing was an overriding theme at the huge electronics fair. The major manufacturers also showed off their biggest displays, including “ultra HD,” curved screens and interactive features. And General Motors announced some cars would have 4G Internet connections.

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French President Francois Hollande’s political and personal woes deepened after his girlfriend had been rushed to hospital following a report he has been having an affair with an actress. Valerie Trierweiler, who lives with the president in the Elysee Palace, his official residence, was admitted to hospital on January 10, “for a rest and to undergo some tests,” aides said. Closer magazine reported in its edition published on the same day that Hollande, 59, has been having an affair with actress Julie Gayet, 41. Hollande threatened a lawsuit but did not deny the substance of the allegations.

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If a picture paints a thousand words, then what about a selfie? It tells the world about you more than you could imagine. The selfie generation takes photos of everything with everything, everywhere. But sometimes we don’t realize the implications of having such a public private life. We have listed down 5 things that our selfies can tell everyone about us.

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Hollywood hit the red carpet on January 13 for the Golden Globes, with a packed cast of A-list nominees vying for the first major honors of Tinseltown’s fiercely-fought awards season. The Globes are run by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), and voted on by barely 80 journalists – in contrast to the Oscars, chosen by 6,000 members of the prestigious Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Check out the list of winners on Rappler.

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