Pope Benedict XVI at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery
This handout photograph released on January 1, 2023 by the Vatican Media, shows the body of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in the chapel of the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican. Benedict, a conservative intellectual who in 2013 became the first pontiff in six centuries to resign, died on December 31, 2022, at the age of 95. Pope Francis hailed the "beloved" Benedict XVI as he addressed thousands of Catholics in New Year's Day services at the Vatican. Vatican Media, AFP/handout
End of the road for EDSA Busway free ride
Commuters take the EDSA busway at a station in Quezon City on Monday. The EDSA busway, which was rolled out in 2020 during the pandemic, started charging fares on January 1. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News
Long lines as flights resume at NAIA
People fall in line at the check-in counters of NAIA Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Monday. The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines’ (CAAP) Air Traffic Management Center experienced technical problems which caused the cancellation of hundreds of flights on New Year’s Day affecting 65,000 passengers. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News
Thai devotees hold resurrection ceremony to welcome 2023
Thai devotees offer prayers with flowers, candles and joss sticks inside coffins as a Buddhist monk officiates at a ritual believed to help getting rid of bad fortune to mark the New Year at Wat Bang Na Nai temple in Bangkok, Thailand, Sunday. Thai devotees attended the resurrection ceremony at the Buddhist temple by laying down inside coffins with a white cloth cover over them as a Buddhist monk chanted a dirge for the symbolic death to, then rise up again believing that they have been cleansed of their karma, get rid of bad luck and have been reborn for a fresh start in life. Rungroj Yongrit, EPA-EFE
Brazil President Lula takes oath for 3rd time
Brazil's new President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva gestures at supporters making a heart sign with his hands at Planalto Palace after the inauguration ceremony at the National Congress, in Brasilia, on Sunday. Lula da Silva, a 77-year-old leftist who already served as president from 2003 to 2010, is the first Brazilian president to have been elected to a third term in office after defeating incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro in October last year. Evaristo Sa, AFP
