March 1, 2013 Edition

At 3 am of March 1 (Philippine time), Benedict XVI was considered officially resigned. No longer pope, he is now called pontiff emeritus. His is a case that hasn’t happened for 600 years. On board a helicopter, the 85-year-old pontiff left the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City (at around 12:30 am in the Philippines) and was flown to his retreat at Castel Gandolfo near Rome. Minutes before he retreated to a life of monasticism, Benedict said from the balcony of his temporary retirement home, “I am no longer the Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church, or I will be until 8:00 this evening and then no longer.” (8 pm of February 28 in Rome is 3 am of March 1 in the Philippines.) He also posted his last tweet on Friday: “Thank you for your love and support. May you always experience the joy that comes from putting Christ at the center of your lives.” In a few days, the public will anticipate the conclave to elect the new pope after Benedict on February 25 allowed cardinals to hold it before March 15.

Read the full story on Rappler. 

More details are available on the BBC. 

Senatorial candidates of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) are counting on personal ties and friends from other parties as key players in their ground war. On the sidelines of a sortie in Dasmariñas City in Cavite on Thursday, February 28, UNA senatorial candidate Gregorio Honasan II said, “This will be the defining character of UNA’s campaign. We are crossing party lines because first of all, there is no political party system in our country.” He is being supported by Cavite 7^th District Rep Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla of the Nacionalista Party, which is part of the administration coalition Team PNoy. The partnership does not apply to Cavite politics, however. Zambales Rep Milagros “Mitos” Magsaysay echoed Honasan’s belief, saying that in politics no demarcation line exists between political parties. “This election will show leaders will not support you based on party lines but they will support you because they are your personal friend.”

Read the full story on Rappler. 

A report by the World Health Organization (WHO) released Thursday, February 28, said that the trauma caused by radioactive emissions of the Fukushima Daiichi power plant two years ago is worse than the actual threat of human diseases. The report on health effects of the “Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami” said the lifetime risk of contracting certain cancer types was small and is “likely to remain below detectable levels.” It is the psychological effects of the disaster – fear, anxiety and depression – that can be worse because radiation is invisible. Victims have a hard time understanding the magnitude of its effects, the report said. The young emergency workers at the plant who inhaled high doses of radioactive iodine are likely to be more vulnerable to developing thyroid cancer, the WHO said, but because the thyroid is relatively resistant to cancer, overall risk still remains low. The Fukushima disaster was prompted by an 8.9-magnitude earthquake that generated a tsunami of historic proportions on March 11, 2011.

Read the full story on CNN. 

Most of the world’s billionaires are in Asia, according to the Hurun Report, a China-based wealth magazine. The continents of North America and Europe follow in the footsteps of Asia, which has 608 billionaires. North America has 440 compared to Europe’s 324. The report said that real estate, telecommunications, media and technology, and retail were the most common sources of wealth. Mexican telecoms czar Carlos Slim was identified as the “Richest Man on the Planet” with US$66 billion. He was also the world’s richest in Forbes magazine’s list in 2012. Rupert Hoogewerf, chairman and chief researcher of the Hurun Report, previously compiled the Forbes rich list. He told a press conference the true number of billionaires could actually be thrice what has been recorded because some of the super-rich deliberately hide their wealth especially if these were acquired through illegal means.

Read the full story on Rappler. 

Forbes Asia magazine included two second-generation Filipino-Chinese businesswomen in its 2013 list of Top 50 stellar women leaders. Lourdes Josephine Gotianun-Yap and Teresita Sy-Coson, daughters of the country’s richest, were chosen for heading companies that posted higher profits in 2012. Sy-Coson, 62, is the daughter of Henry Sy Sr., who topped the Forbes’ 2012 list of 40 Richest in the Philippines. She has been steering the family’s businesses largely through SM Investments Corp, the family’s listed holding firm. Gotianun-Yap, 57, is the daughter of Andrew Gotianun Sr who placed 17^th in the Forbes richest list. In October, she took over from her husband as president and CEO of Filinvest Land.

Read the full story on Rappler. 

After avoiding appearance in court previously, Haiti’s former ruler Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier finally came and denied responsibility for abuses he allegedly committed as president between 1971 and 1986. The hearing will determine if he can be charged with crimes against humanity, as human rights groups have accused him of being behind the torture and murder of political prisoners during his rule. He returned to Haiti in 2011 after 25 years of exile in France. He told the hearing he had limited power over government officials who “had their own authority.” Three judges sitting on the panel must decide whether Duvalier should face trial. As president, he relied on a brutal militia known as the Tontons Macoutes, to control the country. He was ousted in 1986 by a popular uprising, rendering useless the title of “president for life,” which he inherited from his father, Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier.

Read the full story on the BBC. 

The American soldier accused of leaking secret documents to Wikileaks pleaded guilty to 10 of 22 charges against him. He however denied the most serious charge – aiding the enemy – which carries a potential life sentence. Pfc Bradley Manning, 25, told a military court he divulged documents to Wikileaks to spark public debate about US military action. He said he had previously tried to contact the Washington Post and the New York Times but was unsuccessful. Appearing in uniform before the court, Manning said, “I thought these cables were a prime example of the need for a more open diplomacy.” He is accused of sending out thousands of battlefield reports from Afghanistan and Iraq, 250,000 diplomatic cables, and other confidential information while he was based in Baghdad. He said he was shocked at discovering video of an aerial combat mission in Iraq that shot down two Reuters news agency employees. If found guilty, he faces 20 years in prison.

Read the full story on CNN. 

Additional details are on the BBC. 

The medieval king Richard the Lionheart, known for his courage as a military leader, was not killed by a poisoned arrow. This was among the findings of a team of forensic experts who analyzed the mummified heart of King Richard I. The remains of his heart, now gray-brown powder, were locked away and preserved in a small lead box, which was discovered in 1838 during an excavation. Dr Philippe Charlier, a forensic scientist in France, said they did microscopic examination, toxicological and pollen analyses. While they did not find arsenic or any other metals that were poisonous, the research team found pollen. This suggested his time of death at the end of April, May or the start of June, when grains from poplar and bellflowers are in bloom. King Richard’s heart also had traces of myrtle, daisy, mint, and possibly lime – which could have been used to give him an “odor of sanctity” that was “similar to Christ,” Charlier said.

Read the full story on the BBC. 

Older pessimists tend to live longer than optimists, a study by a German research institute has found. “It is possible that a pessimistic outlook leads elderly people to look after themselves and their health better and take greater precautions against risks,” Frieder Lang, one of the researchers said Thursday, February 27. In contrast, older people who are optimists face a 10% higher mortality risk, and are more prone to developing physical health problems, the Berlin-based DIW think tank said. The research team analyzed data over a 10-year period starting 1993. They covered the same people belonging to 3 different age groups, and who were asked every year about their level of life satisfaction. They were also asked how satisfied they expected to be in 5 years. DIW said it appears that “older people who have a lower expectation of how contented they will be in the future lead longer and healthier lives than those who believe their future is rosy.”

Read the full story on Rappler. 

At least 12 “Sulu raiders” and two Malaysian security personnel were killed when security forces attacked Lahad Datu, Sabah on Friday, March 1. Sabah police chief Datuk Hamza Taib told a press conference they were killed in a shootout shortly before 10 am. The assault ended the 17-day standoff instigated by followers of the Kirams who are heirs of the Sultan of Sulu Jamalul Kiram III. The Kirams are pursuing their claim on the resource-rich Sabah. Earlier, the Malaysian ambassador to Manila reported only 3 killed — two Malaysian police officers and one civilian. Sulu Sultanate spokesman Abraham Idjirani previously said at least 10 Filipinos were killed in Sabah but Malacañang insisted no firefight took place. The Philippine government had sent a ship to Sabah to bring home Kiram’s group but they refused and have remained holed up in Lahad Datu. Idjirani insisted they would continue to fight and would not leave Sabah.

Read the full story on Rappler. 

Another story on the gunshots being fired is also on Rappler.

A related story on President Aquino’s admonition to Sultan Jamalul Kiram III is also on Rappler.