While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, March 13, 2025
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Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte shared a video as he was about to land in The Netherlands.
SCREENSHOT: FACEBOOK
Duterte says he’s ‘responsible’ as ICC takes him into custody
Former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte said he was “responsible” as the International Criminal Court took him into custody on March 12 to face charges of crimes against humanity over his war on drugs.
The ICC, based in The Hague, has said there were “reasonable grounds” to believe Mr Duterte committed the crime against humanity of murder as an “indirect co-perpetrator” during the anti-drug campaign that rights groups estimate killed tens of thousands of people.
“I am the one who led our law enforcement and military. I said that I will protect you and I will be responsible for all of this,” Mr Duterte said, in a video shared on his and a close adviser’s Facebook pages as he was about to land in The Netherlands.
“I have been telling the police, the military, that it was my job and I am responsible,” said the 79-year-old, the first Asian former head of state to face charges at the ICC.
Zelensky expects ‘strong’ US action if Russia refuses truce
EPA-EFE
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on March 12 said that the United States would issue a “strong” response to Russia if the Kremlin refused a 30-day ceasefire offer put forward by Washington and Kyiv.
The proposal to pause fighting between Russia and Ukraine after more than three years of brutal warfare came after intensive talks between Ukrainian and US officials in Saudi Arabia.
Mr Zelensky told reporters in Kyiv that the US would pile pressure on Moscow if it did not accept a halt to fighting that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.
German spy agency: Covid-19 likely leaked from lab
REUTERS
Germany’s foreign intelligence service in 2020 put at 80 per cent - 90 per cent the likelihood that the coronavirus behind the Covid-19 pandemic was accidentally released from China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology, two German newspapers reported on March 12.
According to a joint report by publications Die Zeit and Sueddeutscher Zeitung, Germany’s spy agency BND had indications that the institute had conducted gain-of-function experiments, whereby viruses are modified to become more transmissible to humans for research purposes.
It also had indications that numerous violations of safety regulations had occurred at the laboratory, the papers said.
Pope remains stable, chest scan confirms improvements
AFP
Pope Francis remains stable in hospital and a recent chest scan confirmed improvements in his condition, the Vatican said on March 12, in a further sign of progress as the 88-year-old pontiff battles double pneumonia.
Francis was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Feb 14 with a severe respiratory infection that has required evolving treatment.
In its latest medical update, the Vatican said the pope’s clinical condition was stable. It said a chest X-ray performed on March 11 had “confirmed improvements observed in previous days”.
Bencic stuns Gauff to reach Indian Wells quarters
EPA-EFE
Former Olympic champion Belinda Bencic stunned third seed Coco Gauff 3-6 6-3 6-4 on March 12 to reach the Indian Wells quarter-finals.
The Swiss wildcard, who gave birth to her daughter Bella in April last year, won 69 per cent of her first-serve points and broke the former US Open champion three times during a match lasting two hours 20 minutes.
In the tightly-contested third set, it was Bencic who struck first as she came back from 0-40 down to break Gauff for a 5-4 lead and closed out the victory on her first match point when the top-ranked American ripped a forward long.
