Facebook Chat addicts, here’s good news: the social networking giant has released an instant messaging application for computers running Microsoft’s Windows7 operating system.
The app, which resembles the chat bar on Facebook.com, can be docked to the home screen, or be accessed via the Windows system tray, tech site Mashable reported Saturday (Manila time).
“Users get notifications when friends want to chat. Friend activity is also shown; however, clicking on these items will take you to a web browser. The same goes for messages in your Facebook inbox,” Mashable said.
But it said the app is a chat client and many of Facebook’s features are disabled.
Also, it said the app presently does not support video or voice calling.
“For example, you can accept pending friend requests but if you want to search for new friends or check profiles you’ll need to go to Facebook.com. Facebook says the chat bar is a trial application so expect updates and changes (it is Facebook, after all),” it said.
It added that while Facebook Messenger may take the back seat to other chat services like Google’s Gchat, Facebook’s Messenger has amassed several dedicated users.
Mashable also noted Facebook Messenger for Windows 7 was recently leaked as a private, unauthorized download.
“Facebook Messenger has been available as a mobile app for some time but this is the first (official) release for a Windows desktop,” it noted. — LBG, GMA News
source:gmanetwork.com
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 30, 2011
Russell Brand Files for Divorce from Katy Perry
Russell Brand has filed for divorce from Katy Perry ... TMZ has learned.
In the docs, filed in L.A., Brand cites "irreconcilable differences." The two were married Oct. 23, 2010 in India. They have no kids.
The divorce docs say there are "community property assets" -- it's a sign there might not be a prenup, or if there is one it doesn't cover all of the earnings and other assets they accumulated.
The docs do not give a date the couple separated.
Russell has released a statement, claiming, "Sadly, Katy and I are ending our marriage. I'll always adore her and I know we'll remain friends."
Russell proposed to Katy in India on New Year's Eve 2009 -- nearly two years ago ... to the day.
Sources had told TMZ the couple was having problems, evidenced by the fact that they spent Christmas apart and neither was wearing a wedding ring.
Although it's not 100%, based on what we now know it appears Brand may have blindsided Perry by filing the divorce petition.
Source: TMZ
In the docs, filed in L.A., Brand cites "irreconcilable differences." The two were married Oct. 23, 2010 in India. They have no kids.
The divorce docs say there are "community property assets" -- it's a sign there might not be a prenup, or if there is one it doesn't cover all of the earnings and other assets they accumulated.
The docs do not give a date the couple separated.
Russell has released a statement, claiming, "Sadly, Katy and I are ending our marriage. I'll always adore her and I know we'll remain friends."
Russell proposed to Katy in India on New Year's Eve 2009 -- nearly two years ago ... to the day.
Sources had told TMZ the couple was having problems, evidenced by the fact that they spent Christmas apart and neither was wearing a wedding ring.
Although it's not 100%, based on what we now know it appears Brand may have blindsided Perry by filing the divorce petition.
Source: TMZ
Lady Gaga's BF Cut Up Outside Beach House
Lady Gaga's new boy toy -- "Vampire Diaries" star Taylor Kinney -- has already established the pec'ing order in his blossoming relationship ... shredding out hardcore in Southern California recently to soak up some rays.
He probably wasn't born this way.
source: TMZ
He probably wasn't born this way.
source: TMZ
'Segunda Mano:' Of cursed ghostly items, coincidences, and 'watery' spirits
MANILA, Philippines — As proven in earlier hits such as “Ouija,” “Feng Shui,” and “Sukob,” Pinoy horror movies usually work when they bank on stories close to the audience’s hearts – such as old practices and beliefs gone unearthly wrong, and local urban legends.
And so the Metro Manila Film Festival entry, “Segunda Mano,” attempts at tackling the common Filipino practice of acquiring secondhand items, along with filial piety and romance. Note that this is drama and romantic-comedy movie director Joyce Bernal’s first foray into horror filmmaking.
Simply put, this latest Kris Aquino-starrer follows the story of Mabel, who is faced with paranormal phenomena after acquiring a secondhand designer bag from her secondhand bag dealer and bargain-loving best friend Anna (Bangs Garcia). Mabel has a boyfriend named Ivan (Dingdong Dantes), a widower and single dad, who turns out to be hiding more than what Mabel would want to know.
Ironically, Aquino seemed a better actress in the non-horror aspects of the film. Touted as the “horror queen,” she carries her trademark “scared” look from her older works “Feng Shui,” “Sukob” and “Dalaw.” Her character was more often than not unnecessarily jumpy even from the simplest things, depicting almost the same expression save of course for the more “horrific” scenes which had been coupled with strangled cries.
On the other hand, Dantes was surprisingly effective in portraying the role of the uptight and quietly deranged lover, delivering the right expressions as called for by the scenes. His back story was clearly explained through the flash backs interspersed in the film. Come to think of it, his was the only one justified properly enough for the audience to understand without resorting to assumptions.
As for the supporting cast, Garcia surprisingly stood out as the caring yet blunt and kikay best friend. Though she was a bit irritating on her first few scenes, she becomes likeable as the story progressed mainly because of hilariously hysterical moments brought about by fear. Gamboa was sometimes passive, but for the most part she was good in her dramatic scenes. Sofia Millares, the child actress who played Ivan’s daughter Angel, was funny and amusing due to her “maldita” act.
Jhong Hilario’s character was not given the platform it ought to have gotten. It was obvious that he has feelings for Mabel, but this wasn’t played out as much as it should have been, only showing hints of his motives toward the girl. It’s a shame because Hilario, supposedly a key character in the discovery of the actual turnout of events, looked like he did the best he could with the material given to him.
However, not much can be said about Angelica Panganiban as Ivan’s wife Mariella, only because she got less screen time – no, her “watery” and ugly ghost appearances definitely do not count – than what was supposedly needed.
“Segunda Mano” is generally passable, but horror fans might be in for a disappointment. Story-wise, it left too many questions unanswered and loopholes on major details that were only easily dismissed as supernatural occurrences. It also employed a good number of horror flick clichés like heavy rain showers signaling something sinister and otherworldly is about to happen, cats suddenly getting out of bins and under tables, and howling dogs at night. If one would also observe closely, Mariella’s first appearance as a ghost during the first few minutes of the movie, specifically that moment when she shouted, was already a dead giveaway on her husband’s involvement to her death. Intentional or just an editing booboo? Either way, it’s not a good thing. There’s a bit of the problem with the continuity, too.
Then there was the one too many unnecessary shockers. It would’ve been better if the cuts were made here and not on the parts that presumably could’ve shed more light on Mabel’s and Mariella’s back stories. Judging from the trailers, it appears that cuts were made on these more essential parts. For a horror flick, it would have been better if the story was developed gradually instead of having it all suddenly revealed in the end. Case in point, Gamboa’s last line which seemed like a lazy, last-minute production decision as an attempt to explain things. It’s like it was put there to replace a chunk of scenes portraying just that. For a two-hour flick, things still seemed a little rushed.
The movie finished in an open-ended fashion, perhaps signaling the coming of a sequel. But really, what more can be said and developed into another full-length flick?
Thankfully, the product placements are more subtle in this film.
“Segunda Mano” is currently being screened nationwide as part of the Metro Manila Film Festival. Graded A by the Cinema Evaluation Board, it also has cameo appearances by singer Rico Blanco, Chicosci frontman Miggy Chavez and the Philippines’ most popular horror film extra, Lilia Cuntapay.
source: mb.com.ph
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Michael Jordan engaged to model Yvette Prieto
US basketball legend Michael Jordan is engaged to his long-time girlfriend Yvette Prieto, his spokeswoman said on Thursday.
Jordan, 48, considered the greatest US basketball player of all time, proposed to Cuban-American model Prieto, 32, over the Christmas holidays, the spokeswoman told TV station WCNC in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The couple have been dating for about three years. It will be the second marriage for Jordan, who divorced his wife Juanita in 2006 after 17 years.
Jordan spent almost 19 years with the National Basketball Association (NBA), retiring twice from the Chicago Bulls before finally quitting the game and the Washington Wizards in 2003.
He endorsed the successful line of Nike Air Jordan athletic shoes and appeared as himself in the 1996 movie "Space Jam."
Jordan is currently the majority owner of the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats. –Reuters
source:gmanetwork.com
Jordan, 48, considered the greatest US basketball player of all time, proposed to Cuban-American model Prieto, 32, over the Christmas holidays, the spokeswoman told TV station WCNC in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The couple have been dating for about three years. It will be the second marriage for Jordan, who divorced his wife Juanita in 2006 after 17 years.
Jordan spent almost 19 years with the National Basketball Association (NBA), retiring twice from the Chicago Bulls before finally quitting the game and the Washington Wizards in 2003.
He endorsed the successful line of Nike Air Jordan athletic shoes and appeared as himself in the 1996 movie "Space Jam."
Jordan is currently the majority owner of the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats. –Reuters
source:gmanetwork.com
Actor Tyrone Perez found dead inside car
MANILA, Philippines – Former "StarStruck" Batch 1 Avenger Tyrone Perez was found dead Thursday inside a vehicle parked on the NLEX service road in Ugong, Valenzuela City.
“Natagpuang patay ang 'StarStruck' Avenger na si Tyrone Perez. Ayon sa isang witness, ipinarada ni Tyrone ang kotse sa Que Grande St. malapit sa NLEX bandang alas otso hangang alas nuwebe,” the report on “Aksyon Journalismo” said on the same night.
“Labis-labis naman ang pagdadalamhati ng ina at kapatid ni Tyrone. Mabait daw kasing anak ang 27 anyos na actor. Iniimbistigahan pa ng pulisya ang naturang insidente,” the report added.
Tyrone first joined "StarStruck" Batch 1 along with Jennylyn Mercado and Mark Herras. He worked for four years with the Kapuso network.
Last year, Tyrone made a big career decision by moving to the Kapamilya network. He was cast as Gary on “Momay” and “Mula Sa Puso” and he also appeared in a “Maalaala Mo Kaya” episode where he played the love interest of Ejay Falcon’s character.
According to a report posted on PEP on June 7, 2009, Tyrone is married to Liv Espino, a flight attendant. The civil wedding which happened inside a restaurant in Las Piñas City was officiated on May 27.
A report about Tyrone was last posted by PEP on Dec. 23, 2011 in which the actor discussed the challenges he went through while doing the "Traverse Ilocos Sur" adventure challenge. He also said in the interview that he’s not sure about his Christmas plan as his wife has a flight during the holidays.
source: mb.com.ph
New Year revelry in Boracay
MANILA, Philippines — The Yuletide season is all about celebrations. And, in a tropical country like the Philippines, perhaps we’re lucky that beaches like Boracay are just within reach if we want to spend the holidays away from the hustle and bustle of Manila. For urban dwellers, it seems like an alluring idea to just walk on shores with powdery white sand and frolic in the sea during Yuletide vacation.
According to Alfonso Chusuey, COO and assistant to the president for Boracay Garden Resort, the Yuletide season is a peak period for travelers, with an influx of guests checking in for the holidays.
Holidays in Boracay often have a happy and laid back atmosphere. However, the revelry goes on a fever pitch after Christmas Day, when people flock to the beach after spending time at home with their families during Christmas Eve. “We’re expecting full occupancy for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day,” Alfonso shares.
In anticipation of the New Year, Boracay lives up to its epicurean reputation for the next few days, becoming a party-filled venue. The merry-making series hits a crescendo on New Year’s Eve, when hotels and resorts host New Year’s Eve feasts and promote special holiday promos.
To illustrate, Boracay Garden Resort offers a special package up to January 2, 2012. Based on triple sharing, guests may avail of four days’ accommodation in a deluxe room for as low as P7, 924.00 net per person. The package includes breakfast and dinner meals together with roundtrip transfers via Caticlan.
The resort is also gearing up for a lavish Medya Noche (New Year’s Eve dinner) buffet spread at its beachfront. “We all look forward to Medya Noche to share warm, hearty meals with our loved ones,” says Mario Gatmaitan, Boracay Garden Resort’s food and beverage manager.
Set to be served buffet-style are Pinoy Roasted Calf Leg with onion gravy, Lechon de Carajay, Adobong Sugpo sa Aligue, Chicken Galantine, Beef Bulalo with Bone Marrow, Chicken Sisig, Tokwa’t Baboy, Arroz Valenciana, Rellenong Sugpo with Crab Roe Sauce, Lengua con Setas and Seafood Kare-Kare.
Other treats include Maple-brown Sugar Glazed Christmas Ham, Lemongrass Grilled Salmon Fillet in Green Thai Curry Sauce, Kalbi Tang (boiled Korean Ox-Tail), Southern Fried Chicken, London Fish and Chips, Roasted Steamship with Au Jus, Roasted Tom Turkey with Chestnut stuffing, Giblet gravy and Cranberry Sauce and Braised Duck in Star Anise.
Desserts spanning from Filipino to international cuisines will also be present. Examples include buko fruit salad, tiramisu, cheesecake, leche flan, bibingka, among others. “We have also included in the menu popular holiday drinks like hot chocolate, peppermint tea, salabat, ginumis, and buko pandan,” adds Gatmaitan.
If you want to have your food any time of the day, the resort has the Garden Café, an al fresco restaurant serving local and international cuisines. Those looking to cool off may take a dip in the resort’s 450-square meter main pool with poolside bar and deck.
But more than gastronomic fare and fun-filled days, Boracay is one of the safest places to spend the holidays. Henry Chusuey, chairman of the Henann Resorts group, which operates the Boracay Garden Resort, says that crime rates are low in Boracay. Save for petty mischief, no major crimes have been committed in the ‘island paradise’ for a long time.
In relation to New Year’s Eve, Henry also shares that igniting fireworks on the beach grounds per se is forbidden. This seems like a reassurance for guests who may worry about possible incidents of fireworks-induced injuries on hand and on land.
But for those who look forward to some fireworks, no worries. Henry says that Boracay Garden Resort, along with sister resorts Boracay Regency Beach Resort and Spa and Regency Lagoon Resort, will showcase the best fireworks display in Boracay—in a safe manner, of course.
For more information, visit www.boracaygarden.com.ph.
source: mb.com.ph
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
US seeks $670,000 in taxes from Yankees owner
NEW YORK—The U.S. government has sued New York Yankees co-owner Hal Steinbrenner and his wife to seek more than $670,000—an amount it said was erroneously refunded to the baseball team based on a late refund claim for the 2001 tax year.
The suit filed by the Internal Revenue Service in U.S. District Court in Tampa, Florida, on Tuesday stems from a time when the Yankees and the New Jersey Nets professional basketball team formed a joint venture called YankeeNets.
Hal Steinbrenner is listed as a general partner of the Yankees along with his siblings, who inherited the team when their father and longtime owner George Steinbrenner died in 2010. Hal Steinbrenner's wife Christina Steinbrenner is not listed among the team's executives.
In August 2009, the defendants filed an amended tax return for the 2001 tax year, resulting in a refund of $670,493.78, the suit said. But the return was filed more than six months after the deadline, resulting in an erroneous refund, the suit said.
"Hal Steinbrenner's representatives had no knowledge of the lawsuit and had received no prior notices regarding this matter from the IRS or any other governmental agency. We are reviewing and have no comment," Alice McGillion, a spokeswoman for the Yankees, said in a statement. — Reuters
source:gmanetwork.com
The suit filed by the Internal Revenue Service in U.S. District Court in Tampa, Florida, on Tuesday stems from a time when the Yankees and the New Jersey Nets professional basketball team formed a joint venture called YankeeNets.
Hal Steinbrenner is listed as a general partner of the Yankees along with his siblings, who inherited the team when their father and longtime owner George Steinbrenner died in 2010. Hal Steinbrenner's wife Christina Steinbrenner is not listed among the team's executives.
In August 2009, the defendants filed an amended tax return for the 2001 tax year, resulting in a refund of $670,493.78, the suit said. But the return was filed more than six months after the deadline, resulting in an erroneous refund, the suit said.
"Hal Steinbrenner's representatives had no knowledge of the lawsuit and had received no prior notices regarding this matter from the IRS or any other governmental agency. We are reviewing and have no comment," Alice McGillion, a spokeswoman for the Yankees, said in a statement. — Reuters
source:gmanetwork.com
Pinay nurses in Austria lauded for contribution to healthcare
Austrian Federal Minister for Labor, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection Rudolf Hundstorfer praised Filipino nurses in Austria for their “very important contribution” to their host country’s healthcare system.
In his remarks during the 10th anniversary of the Philippine Nurses Association Austria on December 3, Hundstorfer "thanked the Filipino nurses in Austria for their very important contribution to the country’s healthcare system," the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.
Hundstorfer noted that a good healthcare system was "one of the criteria in the 2011 Quality of Living survey set by the global consulting firm Mercer in choosing Vienna as the best place to live in the world for three consecutive years,” the DFA said.
Hundstorfer and Philippine Ambassador Lourdes Yparraguirre were the special guests at the event.
Yparraguirre lauded the nurses for their “hard work, high skills and dedication” that helped open the gates for other nurses from the Philippines to go to Austria.
“Under a bilateral agreement, Filipino nurses came to Austria, first in trickle, then in groups. In virtually every corner of this country, there is nothing but praise for Filipino nurses. And many Austrians who have never heard of the Philippines learn about us through the most positive examples - you! Our nurses overseas are truly some of the best ambassadors of the Filipino people,” she said.
She likewise highlighted the recognition awarded by the City of Vienna to Filipino and Filipino-Austrian nurses and caregivers for their long years of dedicated services to the health sector of Austria.
The DFA said there are about 30,000 Filipino-Austrians in Austria. - VVP, GMA News
source:gmanetwork.com
In his remarks during the 10th anniversary of the Philippine Nurses Association Austria on December 3, Hundstorfer "thanked the Filipino nurses in Austria for their very important contribution to the country’s healthcare system," the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.
Hundstorfer noted that a good healthcare system was "one of the criteria in the 2011 Quality of Living survey set by the global consulting firm Mercer in choosing Vienna as the best place to live in the world for three consecutive years,” the DFA said.
Hundstorfer and Philippine Ambassador Lourdes Yparraguirre were the special guests at the event.
Yparraguirre lauded the nurses for their “hard work, high skills and dedication” that helped open the gates for other nurses from the Philippines to go to Austria.
“Under a bilateral agreement, Filipino nurses came to Austria, first in trickle, then in groups. In virtually every corner of this country, there is nothing but praise for Filipino nurses. And many Austrians who have never heard of the Philippines learn about us through the most positive examples - you! Our nurses overseas are truly some of the best ambassadors of the Filipino people,” she said.
She likewise highlighted the recognition awarded by the City of Vienna to Filipino and Filipino-Austrian nurses and caregivers for their long years of dedicated services to the health sector of Austria.
The DFA said there are about 30,000 Filipino-Austrians in Austria. - VVP, GMA News
source:gmanetwork.com
Oyo, Kristine welcome their baby girl
MANILA, Philippines – Kristine Hermosa and Oyo Boy Sotto’s “answered prayer” finally came on Dec. 26, as the former gave birth to a bouncing baby girl at 11:49 p.m.
In a statement, Sotto said their baby, Ondrea Bliss, came by way of a “normal delivery with a weight of 2680gm.”
He even added, "Tin is okay and still recovering. She was brought to the hospital around 6pm yesterday. Thanks."
Recall that in a November interview with “The Buzz,” Hermosa explained that Ondrea means “strong and courageous" while Bliss means "unmeasurable joy."
Hermosa is known for having polycystic ovary, but apparently her case didn’t affect her capacity to bear a child.
PEP’s report noted that the couple’s baby was not supposed to be due until Jan. 12 next year. Despite the earlier delivery, the couple was teeming with happiness as they welcome baby Ondrea to their family.
A father’s anticipation
In a previous interview with PEP, Sotto admitted his uncertainty in becoming a father.
"Sa akin kasi, you're not ready till you're there na. Hanggang sa wala pa, hindi ko masasabi," said the son of veteran actors Dinna Bonnevie and Vic Sotto.
Nevertheless, he confessed in the report that they’ve made the “necessary preparations” to gear themselves for their child’s birth.
"Sa akin, kung ano ‘yung puwede naming gawin ngayon, ginagawa na namin.
"I attended a birthing class—‘yung mga ganun, parenting conference, ‘yung mga ganun," said the “Valiente” star. He even added that they already have a nursery for their baby.
Aside from Ondrea Bliss, the couple has an adopted son named Quiel, who is now three years old.
Hermosa and Sotto tied the knot in private ceremony at Club Balai Isabel in Talisay, Batangas on Jan. 12 this year.
source: mb.com.ph
Monday, December 26, 2011
Ulcer bacteria may protect against diarrhea: study
NEW YORK - People who harbor ulcer-causing bacteria in their stomachs may be protected against some diarrheal diseases, according to an Israeli study.
Some previous studies had suggested that being infected with the bacterium, Helicobacter pylori, increases the risk of diarrhea, while others have reported finding the opposite, said researchers from Tel Aviv University.
"Our findings suggest an active role of H. pylori in the protection against diarrheal diseases," wrote lead author Dani Cohen in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.
The bacterium is especially common throughout the developing world, but only causes symptoms in a minority of those it infects. People with chronic H. pylori infections are known to have an increased risk of stomach cancer and related diseases.
Cohen's team studied 595 male Israeli soldiers, close to one-third of whom visited a base clinic for diarrhea during their field training.
All of the soldiers had their blood taken before the start of training, which researchers used to determine which men were chronically infected with H. pylori.
It turned out that between 32 and 36 percent of soldiers who had diarrhea due to different types of bacteria than H. pylori, or from unknown causes, had been infected with H. pylori before training.
By contrast, up to 56 percent of soldiers who had been infected with H. pylori before training reported no diarrhea.
The researchers calculated that being infected with H. pylori meant solders were about 60 percent less likely to get diarrhea from Shigella bacteria.
They also had a lower chance of having diarrhea caused by Escherichia coli bacteria -- although statistically, that particular finding could be due to chance.
An H. Pylori infection may affect how acidic the gut is, and high acidity is known to keep disease-causing bacteria from settling there, Cohen said in an email.
Having an immune system in overdrive due to chronic H. pylori infection may also keep other bacteria in the digestive system at bay, the researchers wrote. - Reuters
source:gmanetwork.com
Some previous studies had suggested that being infected with the bacterium, Helicobacter pylori, increases the risk of diarrhea, while others have reported finding the opposite, said researchers from Tel Aviv University.
"Our findings suggest an active role of H. pylori in the protection against diarrheal diseases," wrote lead author Dani Cohen in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.
The bacterium is especially common throughout the developing world, but only causes symptoms in a minority of those it infects. People with chronic H. pylori infections are known to have an increased risk of stomach cancer and related diseases.
Cohen's team studied 595 male Israeli soldiers, close to one-third of whom visited a base clinic for diarrhea during their field training.
All of the soldiers had their blood taken before the start of training, which researchers used to determine which men were chronically infected with H. pylori.
It turned out that between 32 and 36 percent of soldiers who had diarrhea due to different types of bacteria than H. pylori, or from unknown causes, had been infected with H. pylori before training.
By contrast, up to 56 percent of soldiers who had been infected with H. pylori before training reported no diarrhea.
The researchers calculated that being infected with H. pylori meant solders were about 60 percent less likely to get diarrhea from Shigella bacteria.
They also had a lower chance of having diarrhea caused by Escherichia coli bacteria -- although statistically, that particular finding could be due to chance.
An H. Pylori infection may affect how acidic the gut is, and high acidity is known to keep disease-causing bacteria from settling there, Cohen said in an email.
Having an immune system in overdrive due to chronic H. pylori infection may also keep other bacteria in the digestive system at bay, the researchers wrote. - Reuters
source:gmanetwork.com
Fil-Canadian painter places third in reality show ‘Next Great Artist’
Filipino-Canadian figurative painter Sara Jimenez recently placed third in the second season of Bravo TV’s hit reality TV show “Work of Art: The Next Great Artist.”
Jimenez competed against Korean-American/Kiwi performance artist and photographer Young Sun Han and Iranian-American drawer and painter Kymia Nawabi in the finale.
They were each given three months and $7,500 to create their own full gallery exhibits.
“I am nervous because I know I've experimented a lot with new materials and I'm not fully confident with how it works together,” Jimenez admitted during the show’s finale episode, aired on December 22 (Philippine time). “This is my very first solo show and it’s overwhelming.”
Of the three finalists, Nawabi was the one who took home the grand prize of $100,000 provided by Fiat.
Nawabi will also be featured on Blue Canvas magazine and will have a solo show at the world-renowned Brooklyn Museum.
After the grand prize winner was announced, Jimenez said, “It feels really painful to come so close and to not win. I feel sad and a little angry. I at least wanted to be in the top two.”
In an earlier challenge where the contestants had to make a work of art using car parts, Jimenez emerged as the winner and bagged $25,000.
“I can afford to go to graduate school! I can’t believe it,” Jimenez had said during that episode.
Currently, Jimenez is a graduate student of fine arts at Parsons, The New School for Design in New York. - VVP, GMA News
source:gmanetwork.com
Jimenez competed against Korean-American/Kiwi performance artist and photographer Young Sun Han and Iranian-American drawer and painter Kymia Nawabi in the finale.
They were each given three months and $7,500 to create their own full gallery exhibits.
“I am nervous because I know I've experimented a lot with new materials and I'm not fully confident with how it works together,” Jimenez admitted during the show’s finale episode, aired on December 22 (Philippine time). “This is my very first solo show and it’s overwhelming.”
Of the three finalists, Nawabi was the one who took home the grand prize of $100,000 provided by Fiat.
Nawabi will also be featured on Blue Canvas magazine and will have a solo show at the world-renowned Brooklyn Museum.
After the grand prize winner was announced, Jimenez said, “It feels really painful to come so close and to not win. I feel sad and a little angry. I at least wanted to be in the top two.”
In an earlier challenge where the contestants had to make a work of art using car parts, Jimenez emerged as the winner and bagged $25,000.
“I can afford to go to graduate school! I can’t believe it,” Jimenez had said during that episode.
Currently, Jimenez is a graduate student of fine arts at Parsons, The New School for Design in New York. - VVP, GMA News
source:gmanetwork.com
Warning out vs Facebook 'Christmas theme' malware
Facebook users, watch out: a website offering a Christmas theme for your Facebook profile may lead to malware.
Computer security firm Trend Micro on Sunday said the latest attack uses social engineering to lure people into installing a malicious browser plugin.
"Once users click the Like button, the page redirects them to a URL which allows victims to download and install a malicious plugin named Free Cheesecake Factory Coupons," Trend Micro said in a blog post.
The plugin, once activated, floods affected users’ walls with the catchy status, "Get Christmas Theme for FB on – – >>0< < – – free Christmas Theme for all FB users!!"
It is detected in Trend Micro antivirus software as TROJ_REDIR.CU.
"Users need to be extra vigilant this holiday season, since cybercriminals are surely to continue launching attacks that use the holiday season as a lure," Trend Micro said. — RSJ, GMA News
source:gmanetwork.com
Computer security firm Trend Micro on Sunday said the latest attack uses social engineering to lure people into installing a malicious browser plugin.
"Once users click the Like button, the page redirects them to a URL which allows victims to download and install a malicious plugin named Free Cheesecake Factory Coupons," Trend Micro said in a blog post.
The plugin, once activated, floods affected users’ walls with the catchy status, "Get Christmas Theme for FB on – – >>0< < – – free Christmas Theme for all FB users!!"
It is detected in Trend Micro antivirus software as TROJ_REDIR.CU.
"Users need to be extra vigilant this holiday season, since cybercriminals are surely to continue launching attacks that use the holiday season as a lure," Trend Micro said. — RSJ, GMA News
source:gmanetwork.com
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Lady Gaga to sing for tsunamin victims on Japan music show
TOKYO - American pop diva Lady Gaga will appear via videolink on a popular Japanese music competition on New Year's Eve, public broadcaster NHK said.
The eccentric star's appearance on "Kohaku Uta Gassen", an annual singing competition between male and female entertainers, will include her singing and delivering encouraging messages about Japan's devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami, the broadcaster said on Saturday.
The quake-tsunami catastrophe killed about 20,000 people on Japan's northeast coast and sparked the world's worst nuclear accident since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, leading to a plunge in visitors to the country.
The songstress visited Japan twice after the disaster and called on tourists from around the world to follow suit, and attended events to support reconstruction of disaster-hit areas.
A song and message from the singer will be recorded shortly before the show, NHK said. - AFP
source:.gmanetwork.com
The eccentric star's appearance on "Kohaku Uta Gassen", an annual singing competition between male and female entertainers, will include her singing and delivering encouraging messages about Japan's devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami, the broadcaster said on Saturday.
The quake-tsunami catastrophe killed about 20,000 people on Japan's northeast coast and sparked the world's worst nuclear accident since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, leading to a plunge in visitors to the country.
The songstress visited Japan twice after the disaster and called on tourists from around the world to follow suit, and attended events to support reconstruction of disaster-hit areas.
A song and message from the singer will be recorded shortly before the show, NHK said. - AFP
source:.gmanetwork.com
Bank Holiday
SAN JOSE, Philippines (PIA) – Twelve of 14 banks in Antique have declared December 26 a bank holiday.
In an interview with Cecile Pe, branch head of Bank of Philippine Islands (BPI) Antique, she said the Antique Bankers Association passed a resolution declaring Monday December 26 a local bank holiday in support of the provincial ordinance calling for the opening of the Binirayan, a local Antique festivity.
Pe said the bankers association had asked permission of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to declare a local bank holiday subject to nod of their head office in support of cultural festivities and significant events.
P.A. Vigilance
ILOILO CITY, Philippines – Despite the unilateral ceasefire, the Philippine Army (PA) in Panay remains vigilant as the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) marks its 43rd anniversary.
“We are monitoring the situation and ready to protect vital facilities,” said Colonel Arnold Quiapo, newly appointed commander of the PA’s 301st Infantry Brigade.
He said the Army in Panay will not lower their guard even as the CPP and armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA) have declared a truce from December 24 to 26 and December 31 to January 2, 2012.
“There’s always a possibility of the CPP-NPA breaking the ceasefire and launch a sneaky attack during the holiday season,” said Quiapo who replaced Brig. Gen. Caesar Ronnie Ordoyo, (Tara Yap)
Samar Winners
CATBALOGAN CITY, Philippines (PIA) – The Samar provincial government announced the winners in the “Light a Tree’ contest a few days before Christmas here. The judges ruled that the tree lighted by the Provincial and Natural Resources Management Office (PENRMO) beside the Pasalubong Center was the best and gave it the grand prize of P50,000.
“We did not expect to win; all we wanted was to comply, but we tried our best, we brainstormed for the best ideas,” Melva Gruta, head of the PENRMO said. Second place went to the well-lighted SAMELCO 2 corner complete with a Pinoy village and gigantic array of stars with lights flowing from the top.
Work Partners
ILOILO CITY, Philippines (PIA) – Pantawid Pamilya program beneficiaries are partners of the Iloilo City government in the latter’s solid waste management campaign. Iloilo City Mayor Jed Mabilog said the city’s 7,000 beneficiaries can spare the city about 7,000 tons of plastic garbage if each beneficiary gathers a kilo of such waste.
The beneficiaries were asked to bring one bag full of plastic bags, garbage or sando plastics when they came to get their cash grants recently.
Besides helping the city government in its campaign to reduce solid waste, especially plastics, Mabilog said the garbage said beneficiaries collect can earn them some P6,700 from scrap buyers.
Maasin Donation
MAASIN CITY, Philippines (PIA) – Rank and file employees of the city government here dipped into their pockets to chip in for victims of tropical storm ‘Sendong’ in Cagayan De Oro City and Iligan City. City mayor Maloney Samaco convened the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (CDRRMC) to pass a resolution for setting aside funds for the Sendong survivors.
In 2006, the Guinsaugon landslide happened, and it can be recalled that the cities of Cagayan De Oro and Iligan were among the first to send in their rescue teams and relief assistance.
source: mb.com.ph
In an interview with Cecile Pe, branch head of Bank of Philippine Islands (BPI) Antique, she said the Antique Bankers Association passed a resolution declaring Monday December 26 a local bank holiday in support of the provincial ordinance calling for the opening of the Binirayan, a local Antique festivity.
Pe said the bankers association had asked permission of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to declare a local bank holiday subject to nod of their head office in support of cultural festivities and significant events.
P.A. Vigilance
ILOILO CITY, Philippines – Despite the unilateral ceasefire, the Philippine Army (PA) in Panay remains vigilant as the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) marks its 43rd anniversary.
“We are monitoring the situation and ready to protect vital facilities,” said Colonel Arnold Quiapo, newly appointed commander of the PA’s 301st Infantry Brigade.
He said the Army in Panay will not lower their guard even as the CPP and armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA) have declared a truce from December 24 to 26 and December 31 to January 2, 2012.
“There’s always a possibility of the CPP-NPA breaking the ceasefire and launch a sneaky attack during the holiday season,” said Quiapo who replaced Brig. Gen. Caesar Ronnie Ordoyo, (Tara Yap)
Samar Winners
CATBALOGAN CITY, Philippines (PIA) – The Samar provincial government announced the winners in the “Light a Tree’ contest a few days before Christmas here. The judges ruled that the tree lighted by the Provincial and Natural Resources Management Office (PENRMO) beside the Pasalubong Center was the best and gave it the grand prize of P50,000.
“We did not expect to win; all we wanted was to comply, but we tried our best, we brainstormed for the best ideas,” Melva Gruta, head of the PENRMO said. Second place went to the well-lighted SAMELCO 2 corner complete with a Pinoy village and gigantic array of stars with lights flowing from the top.
Work Partners
ILOILO CITY, Philippines (PIA) – Pantawid Pamilya program beneficiaries are partners of the Iloilo City government in the latter’s solid waste management campaign. Iloilo City Mayor Jed Mabilog said the city’s 7,000 beneficiaries can spare the city about 7,000 tons of plastic garbage if each beneficiary gathers a kilo of such waste.
The beneficiaries were asked to bring one bag full of plastic bags, garbage or sando plastics when they came to get their cash grants recently.
Besides helping the city government in its campaign to reduce solid waste, especially plastics, Mabilog said the garbage said beneficiaries collect can earn them some P6,700 from scrap buyers.
Maasin Donation
MAASIN CITY, Philippines (PIA) – Rank and file employees of the city government here dipped into their pockets to chip in for victims of tropical storm ‘Sendong’ in Cagayan De Oro City and Iligan City. City mayor Maloney Samaco convened the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (CDRRMC) to pass a resolution for setting aside funds for the Sendong survivors.
In 2006, the Guinsaugon landslide happened, and it can be recalled that the cities of Cagayan De Oro and Iligan were among the first to send in their rescue teams and relief assistance.
source: mb.com.ph
US economy hopes boost stocks, oil
NEW YORK — Wall Street stocks rose Friday and oil prices edged up as upbeat data reinforced a slightly better outlook for the US economy, curbing a bid for safe-haven US Treasury debt.
The euro was little changed, but was expected to face further weakness. Euro zone governments face large refinancing needs in early 2012, and investors say the region's leaders have not made much progress in dealing with their fiscal problems.
US economic data Friday was mixed, with consumer spending growth tepid and a gauge of business investment down for a second month. But there were new signs of improvement in the housing market, and there have been signs in recent weeks that the economy is improving .
"The data itself has been modestly stronger in the fourth quarter, but nothing that changes the baseline slow-growth story," said Andrew Slimmon, managing director, Global Investment Solutions of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney in Chicago.
This cautious outlook could keep stocks and other growth-oriented assets from appreciating much above current levels.
"Ultimately I'm not looking for a risk-positive first quarter. The growth picture is too troubling," said Brian Dolan, chief currency strategist, at Forex.com in Bedminster, New Jersey.
The Dow Jones industrial average ended up 124.35 points, or 1.02 percent, at 12,294.00. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index closed up 11.33 points, or 0.90 percent, at 1,265.33. The Nasdaq Composite Index finished up 19.19 points, or 0.74 percent, at 2,618.64.
The S&P finished up 3.7 percent for the week, breaking above its 200-day moving average and bringing its year-to-date result into positive territory. The Dow was up 3.6 percent on the week, and the Nasdaq closed up 2.5 percent on the week.
MSCI's world equity index rose 0.6 percent, but was on track to finish down 7.7 percent for the year.
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index closed up 0.8 percent to its highest level in two weeks, though volume was far below average in advance of the Christmas holiday. The index ended up 3.5 percent for the week, paring its year-to-date loss to 12 percent.
The Japanese market was closed on Friday for a holiday.
US, European and some Asian markets will be closed Monday for the Christmas holiday.
Also Friday, the US Congress, after months of fierce bickering between the two major political parties, approved a two-month extension of a payroll tax cut that President Barack Obama argued is vital to the health of the economy as unemployment remains high.
The extension of the tax cut will preserve income for most Americans, supporting their purchases of goods and services.
A Wall Street Journal report published late Thursday that the Federal Reserve could leave interest rates near zero for longer than it has already said also fanned hopes of faster US growth and higher corporate profits.
The US central bank has previously said it would probably leave rates unchanged until at least the middle of 2013, and officials are considering offering interest rate forecasts that could suggest the Fed will keep rates on hold for longer.
Despite some encouraging signs from the world's biggest economy, the festering euro zone debt crisis has reined in investor enthusiasm for stocks, the euro and commodities.
The euro was flat against the US dollar at $1.3042 in light, choppy trading. The 17-nation common currency erased earlier losses and held above a recent 11-month low of $1.2945.
In a sign that the euro zone debt crisis is far from over, the yield on 10-year Italian government debt was just a touch below 7 percent, while the yield on 10-year Spanish sovereign debt was at 5.40 percent. If those yield levels persist, they are seen as crippling for the euro zone's third- and fourth-biggest economies, given Italy's and Spain's heavy debt loads.
US crude futures settled up 15 cents at $99.68 a barrel, while the February Brent contract in London ended up 7 cents at $107.96, erasing earlier losses.
For the week, spot US crude and London Brent futures were up 0.35 percent and 5.5 percent, respectively.
Spot gold prices edged up 0.1 percent at $1,605.70 an ounce and closed up 0.5 percent for the week after losing 8.4 percent over the previous two weeks.
As the demand for riskier investments rose, investors pared holdings of safe-haven US and German government bonds.
German Bund futures were down 0.2 percent on the day at 137.56, ending 0.2 percent lower on the week.
The yield on benchmark 10-year US Treasury note rose 7 basis points to 2.02 percent, its highest close in two weeks. — Reuters
source:gmanetwork.com
The euro was little changed, but was expected to face further weakness. Euro zone governments face large refinancing needs in early 2012, and investors say the region's leaders have not made much progress in dealing with their fiscal problems.
US economic data Friday was mixed, with consumer spending growth tepid and a gauge of business investment down for a second month. But there were new signs of improvement in the housing market, and there have been signs in recent weeks that the economy is improving .
"The data itself has been modestly stronger in the fourth quarter, but nothing that changes the baseline slow-growth story," said Andrew Slimmon, managing director, Global Investment Solutions of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney in Chicago.
This cautious outlook could keep stocks and other growth-oriented assets from appreciating much above current levels.
"Ultimately I'm not looking for a risk-positive first quarter. The growth picture is too troubling," said Brian Dolan, chief currency strategist, at Forex.com in Bedminster, New Jersey.
The Dow Jones industrial average ended up 124.35 points, or 1.02 percent, at 12,294.00. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index closed up 11.33 points, or 0.90 percent, at 1,265.33. The Nasdaq Composite Index finished up 19.19 points, or 0.74 percent, at 2,618.64.
The S&P finished up 3.7 percent for the week, breaking above its 200-day moving average and bringing its year-to-date result into positive territory. The Dow was up 3.6 percent on the week, and the Nasdaq closed up 2.5 percent on the week.
MSCI's world equity index rose 0.6 percent, but was on track to finish down 7.7 percent for the year.
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index closed up 0.8 percent to its highest level in two weeks, though volume was far below average in advance of the Christmas holiday. The index ended up 3.5 percent for the week, paring its year-to-date loss to 12 percent.
The Japanese market was closed on Friday for a holiday.
US, European and some Asian markets will be closed Monday for the Christmas holiday.
Also Friday, the US Congress, after months of fierce bickering between the two major political parties, approved a two-month extension of a payroll tax cut that President Barack Obama argued is vital to the health of the economy as unemployment remains high.
The extension of the tax cut will preserve income for most Americans, supporting their purchases of goods and services.
A Wall Street Journal report published late Thursday that the Federal Reserve could leave interest rates near zero for longer than it has already said also fanned hopes of faster US growth and higher corporate profits.
The US central bank has previously said it would probably leave rates unchanged until at least the middle of 2013, and officials are considering offering interest rate forecasts that could suggest the Fed will keep rates on hold for longer.
Despite some encouraging signs from the world's biggest economy, the festering euro zone debt crisis has reined in investor enthusiasm for stocks, the euro and commodities.
The euro was flat against the US dollar at $1.3042 in light, choppy trading. The 17-nation common currency erased earlier losses and held above a recent 11-month low of $1.2945.
In a sign that the euro zone debt crisis is far from over, the yield on 10-year Italian government debt was just a touch below 7 percent, while the yield on 10-year Spanish sovereign debt was at 5.40 percent. If those yield levels persist, they are seen as crippling for the euro zone's third- and fourth-biggest economies, given Italy's and Spain's heavy debt loads.
US crude futures settled up 15 cents at $99.68 a barrel, while the February Brent contract in London ended up 7 cents at $107.96, erasing earlier losses.
For the week, spot US crude and London Brent futures were up 0.35 percent and 5.5 percent, respectively.
Spot gold prices edged up 0.1 percent at $1,605.70 an ounce and closed up 0.5 percent for the week after losing 8.4 percent over the previous two weeks.
As the demand for riskier investments rose, investors pared holdings of safe-haven US and German government bonds.
German Bund futures were down 0.2 percent on the day at 137.56, ending 0.2 percent lower on the week.
The yield on benchmark 10-year US Treasury note rose 7 basis points to 2.02 percent, its highest close in two weeks. — Reuters
source:gmanetwork.com
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Michael Buble brings 'Christmas' to 'CityVille'
LOS ANGELES - Singer Michael Buble is taking his "Christmas" spirit into the virtual realm, collaborating with popular Facebook game "CityVille" and giving an interactive gift to his fans over the holidays.
"CityVille" players will be able to socialize with Buble's personal avatar, which will talk and sing in different settings including a holiday bonfire, as well as hunt for presents that Buble himself would like under his own Christmas tree.
"Social gaming has opened up a new door for artists to connect with their fans," Buble told Reuters, adding that "CityVille" players will "see a different side of me in the game and also connect with me in a really personal way."
"CityVille," developed by social network game company Zynga, allows players to create and grow their own towns, and according to Appdata.com, is the No. 1 game on Facebook. It can also be played through Google Plus and smartphones.
The collaboration with Buble follows Zynga's partnership with Lady Gaga earlier this year, who had her own town called GagaVille on Zynga game "FarmVille." It featured unicorns, crystals and unreleased songs, coinciding with the release of her album "Born This Way."
Grammy-winning Buble, 36, is currently enjoying a fourth week at the top of the Billboard 200 album chart with his holiday record "Christmas," which features a selection of festive classics.
"I set out to record a classic Christmas album in the old style recorded off the floor in the studio. I wanted it to sound and feel authentic," said Buble of his holiday album.
"I think no matter what a person's musical taste is, there is always room to enjoy a great holiday record," he said.
After releasing "Christmas" in October, sales of the album were boosted in the run-up to the holidays, with Buble fending off competition from Rihanna, The Black Keys and Amy Winehouse to keep the top spot on the album chart.
"I don't really look at is as a contest against other artists or releases," said the Canadian singer, adding that he was "thrilled" with the public's enthusiastic response to it. - Reuters
source:gmanetwork.com
"CityVille" players will be able to socialize with Buble's personal avatar, which will talk and sing in different settings including a holiday bonfire, as well as hunt for presents that Buble himself would like under his own Christmas tree.
"Social gaming has opened up a new door for artists to connect with their fans," Buble told Reuters, adding that "CityVille" players will "see a different side of me in the game and also connect with me in a really personal way."
"CityVille," developed by social network game company Zynga, allows players to create and grow their own towns, and according to Appdata.com, is the No. 1 game on Facebook. It can also be played through Google Plus and smartphones.
The collaboration with Buble follows Zynga's partnership with Lady Gaga earlier this year, who had her own town called GagaVille on Zynga game "FarmVille." It featured unicorns, crystals and unreleased songs, coinciding with the release of her album "Born This Way."
Grammy-winning Buble, 36, is currently enjoying a fourth week at the top of the Billboard 200 album chart with his holiday record "Christmas," which features a selection of festive classics.
"I set out to record a classic Christmas album in the old style recorded off the floor in the studio. I wanted it to sound and feel authentic," said Buble of his holiday album.
"I think no matter what a person's musical taste is, there is always room to enjoy a great holiday record," he said.
After releasing "Christmas" in October, sales of the album were boosted in the run-up to the holidays, with Buble fending off competition from Rihanna, The Black Keys and Amy Winehouse to keep the top spot on the album chart.
"I don't really look at is as a contest against other artists or releases," said the Canadian singer, adding that he was "thrilled" with the public's enthusiastic response to it. - Reuters
source:gmanetwork.com
Pauleen Luna on rumored relationship with Vic Sotto
Nagsalita na ang young actress at television host na si Pauleen Luna tungkol sa napabalitang romantikong relasyon nila ng kanyang kapwa Eat Bulaga host na si Vic Sotto.
Sa taped interview na ipinalabas sa Startalk TX nitong Sabado, sinabing naganap ang panayam kay Pauleen kamakailan sa birthday show ni Alan K na isa ring host ng Eat Bulaga.
Nandoon din si Ruby Rodriguez na nagpahayag na hindi siya nakikialam sa lovelife ni Pauleen basta masaya ang dalaga.
“Kung ano man o sino man ‘yon, masaya ako for her," deklara ni Ruby.
Ganito rin ang posisyon ni Alan nang tanungin, sabay tanong sa katabing si Pauleen kung sa tingin nito ay masaya rin si Vic.
“I think so…" natatawang sagot ni Pauleen sabay dagdag na lahat sila ay masaya.
Pero pakiusap ni Pauleen, hayaan muna siyang sarilinin kung ano man ang nagaganap sa kanyang buhay.
“For me lang, whatever it is kung mayroon (o) wala, I wanna keep things private... I wanna keep things private first," pahayag ng magandang aktres.
Bagay na sinundan naman ni Alan ng biro na: “First? So alam mo na meron second, third, by then hindi na ‘yan private."
Dagdag pa ni Pauleen, hindi siya apektado ng mga komento tungkol sa isyu dahil alam nila kung ano ang totoo.
“Alam naman kung ano ang nangyayari and the comments doesn’t really matter as long as… as a person I know the truth, you know the truth. Kung ano man ang pinagdadaanan dapat hindi ka naapektuhan ng ibang comments."
Kasabay nito, itinanggi ni Pauleen na nakakatanggap siya ng mga mamahaling regalo kay Vic na sinasabing isa sa mga dahilan kaya napalambot ang komedyante ang puso niya.
Sinabi pa ng young actress na masaya siya at maganda ang pagtingin niya sa 2012 dahil sa maraming magagandang inaasahan katulad ng ipinapagawang bahay ng kanyang pamilya.
Nang tanungin kung may regalo siyang natanggap ngayong Pasko kay Vic, sagot ni Pauleen, “wala." -- FRJimenez, GMA News
source:gmanetwork.com
Friday, December 23, 2011
US payroll tax-cut extension signed
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama has signed legislation extending a payroll tax cut for two months. The action concludes an end-of-year drama that split Republicans and threatened a tax hike on 160 million Americans.
Obama acted Friday after the House and Senate approved the tax cut extension, which will maintain a pension tax at 4.2 percent. The legislation also extends unemployment insurance for jobless workers and forces Obama to make a decision within 60 days on whether to permit construction of a Canada to Texas oil pipeline opposed by environmental groups.
By signing the bill, Obama capped nearly a week-long standoff with House Republicans who demanded a full-year extension. Under a deal reached Thursday, House and Senate leaders named negotiators to begin working on a longer-term bill.
The developments were a clear win for Obama. The payroll tax cut was the centerpiece of his three-month, campaign-style drive for jobs legislation that seems to have contributed to an uptick in his poll numbers - and taken a toll on those of congressional Republicans.
''I am pleased to say we got this done,'' Obama told reporters at the White House. The president urged Congress to return to work next month ''without drama, without delay,'' and pushed lawmakers to approve a further, one-year extension of the cuts.
Congress passed a two-month payroll tax-cut extension earlier Friday, after House Republicans caved the previous day under mounting political pressure to pass a near-term extension. House Republicans had previously refused to pass the two-month solution favored by Senate Democrates, instead pushing for the one-year extension.
The plan would extend a 2-percentage-point payroll tax cut for two months. Lawmakers plan to negotiate a longer-term extension in the new year.
House Republicans were under fire from their constituents and Republican establishment figures incensed that they would risk losing the tax cut issue to Democrats at the dawn of the 2012 presidential and congressional election year in which Obama is seeking a second term. The measure passed despite lingering grumbling from conservative tea party Republicans. It buys time for negotiations early next year on how to finance a year-long extension of the 2 percentage point payroll tax cut.
It will keep in place a salary boost of about $20 a week for an average worker making $50,000 a year and prevent almost 2 million unemployed people from losing jobless benefits averaging $300 a week.
Passage in the House of the measure took less than a minute. Republican efforts to force a holiday season confrontation with Obama and Senate Democrats had threatened millions of workers. But it backfired badly.
Preventing the tax hike and extending jobless benefits had been embraced by virtually every lawmaker in the House and Senate but had been derailed in a quarrel over demands by House Republicans for immediate negotiations on a long-term extension bill. Senate leaders of both parties had tried to barter such an agreement among themselves a week ago but failed, instead agreeing upon a 60-day measure to buy time for talks next year.
Obama will travel Friday to Hawaii for a delayed Christmas vacation. The White House announced the president's departure plans shortly after the House and the Senate signed off on a deal to extend payroll tax cuts after House Republicans reversed course and dropped their opposition.
source: mb.com.ph
Obama acted Friday after the House and Senate approved the tax cut extension, which will maintain a pension tax at 4.2 percent. The legislation also extends unemployment insurance for jobless workers and forces Obama to make a decision within 60 days on whether to permit construction of a Canada to Texas oil pipeline opposed by environmental groups.
By signing the bill, Obama capped nearly a week-long standoff with House Republicans who demanded a full-year extension. Under a deal reached Thursday, House and Senate leaders named negotiators to begin working on a longer-term bill.
The developments were a clear win for Obama. The payroll tax cut was the centerpiece of his three-month, campaign-style drive for jobs legislation that seems to have contributed to an uptick in his poll numbers - and taken a toll on those of congressional Republicans.
''I am pleased to say we got this done,'' Obama told reporters at the White House. The president urged Congress to return to work next month ''without drama, without delay,'' and pushed lawmakers to approve a further, one-year extension of the cuts.
Congress passed a two-month payroll tax-cut extension earlier Friday, after House Republicans caved the previous day under mounting political pressure to pass a near-term extension. House Republicans had previously refused to pass the two-month solution favored by Senate Democrates, instead pushing for the one-year extension.
The plan would extend a 2-percentage-point payroll tax cut for two months. Lawmakers plan to negotiate a longer-term extension in the new year.
House Republicans were under fire from their constituents and Republican establishment figures incensed that they would risk losing the tax cut issue to Democrats at the dawn of the 2012 presidential and congressional election year in which Obama is seeking a second term. The measure passed despite lingering grumbling from conservative tea party Republicans. It buys time for negotiations early next year on how to finance a year-long extension of the 2 percentage point payroll tax cut.
It will keep in place a salary boost of about $20 a week for an average worker making $50,000 a year and prevent almost 2 million unemployed people from losing jobless benefits averaging $300 a week.
Passage in the House of the measure took less than a minute. Republican efforts to force a holiday season confrontation with Obama and Senate Democrats had threatened millions of workers. But it backfired badly.
Preventing the tax hike and extending jobless benefits had been embraced by virtually every lawmaker in the House and Senate but had been derailed in a quarrel over demands by House Republicans for immediate negotiations on a long-term extension bill. Senate leaders of both parties had tried to barter such an agreement among themselves a week ago but failed, instead agreeing upon a 60-day measure to buy time for talks next year.
Obama will travel Friday to Hawaii for a delayed Christmas vacation. The White House announced the president's departure plans shortly after the House and the Senate signed off on a deal to extend payroll tax cuts after House Republicans reversed course and dropped their opposition.
source: mb.com.ph
Grandma's Mustard Prime Rib Recipe
Here's the recipe that my family has been doing for generation and generations. This very simple prime rib recipe has been a favorite not only by my family but to all those who have tasted and generously asked how to make it. Its very simple:
What you need:
1.a slab of prime rib roast (trimmed off the fat,but don't get rid of it!)
2.1 tbs pepper, and 1 tbs rosemary and tyme.
3. Salt vigorously preferably with sea salt.(about 3 tbs)
4. brush the slab all over with "Frenchs" yellow mustard.
5. now layer the trimmed fat over the slab then brush it with yellow mustard again.
now your all set!
next thing to do is to roast your prime rib in the oven (325') for about more or less 3 hours. And that's it! Trust me, If I can make this I'm sure any novice cook can make this as well. Merry Christmas and happy eating guys!
Christmas celebration
MANILA, Philippines — The nation joins the rest of the world in the celebration of Christmas Eve (bisperas ng Pasko) on Saturday night, marking the culmination of months of preparation for Christmas Day on Sunday. At the Manila Cathedral in Intramuros, Manila, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Tagle will celebrate the Christmas Eve mass at 8:30 p.m. Church services will include the lighting of the white center candle – the Christ candle -- in the Advent wreath to herald the Birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. The Belen will also finally be complete with the addition of the Baby Jesus, which has been conspicuously missing since it was set up. (Christina I. Hermoso)
Presidential satisfaction
Malacañang said on Friday the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showing an increase in President Benigno S. Aquino III’s satisfaction rating shows the continuing trust and confidence of the Filipino people in the Aquino administration. “Our people are affirming their trust and confidence in the President’s leadership,” Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma said. “They are rallying behind his call for good governance. They are witnessing concrete gains as an outcome of reforms in the economic and social spheres,” he said. The latest SWS survey conducted from December 3 to 7 this year and released on Friday showed that the net satisfaction rating of the President slightly increased to +58 in December from +56 in September. (Madel Sabater)
MMFF parade
Motorists are advised to avoid using Roxas Boulevard and other roads leading to the Quirino Grandstand at the Rizal Park on Saturday afternoon to avoid being caught in traffic congestion because of the annual Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) parade. Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Francis Tolentino said the parade of showbiz stars in the yearly film fest will kick off at 2 p.m. at the Mall of Asia where casts of MMFF movie entries and their floats would assemble. The parade will then pass through to EDSA, turning left to Roxas Boulevard, and pass the Quirino Grandstand in Luneta, Manila. “Motorists may experience snarl traffic during the parade participated in by the celebrities of the Metro Manila Film Festival that attracted thousands of fans,” said Tolentino. (Anna Liza T. Villas)
Registration suspended
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said voter registration will take a break from December 23 up to January 2. Voter registration will resume on January 3, 2012. Comelec spokesman James Jimenez, in a statement, earlier urged all qualified voters to register early to avoid the deadline rush. Deadline for registration for the next scheduled elections is October 31, 2012. He said any Filipino citizen, who is at least 18 years of age, a resident of the Philippines for at least one year, and in the place where he intends to vote for at least six months immediately preceding the election, can register. (Leslie Ann G. Aquino)
Torotot warning
The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) warned against the use of toy trumpets or ‘torotot’ following the hospitalization of two children aged three and eight who accidentally swallowed the whistle that had been detached from the noisemaker. “Certain types of ‘torotot’ are made locally from plastic, foil and paper attached together using adhesives and are used to produce noise during the celebration of the New Year. (Jenny Manongdo)
source: mb.com.ph
Presidential satisfaction
Malacañang said on Friday the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showing an increase in President Benigno S. Aquino III’s satisfaction rating shows the continuing trust and confidence of the Filipino people in the Aquino administration. “Our people are affirming their trust and confidence in the President’s leadership,” Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma said. “They are rallying behind his call for good governance. They are witnessing concrete gains as an outcome of reforms in the economic and social spheres,” he said. The latest SWS survey conducted from December 3 to 7 this year and released on Friday showed that the net satisfaction rating of the President slightly increased to +58 in December from +56 in September. (Madel Sabater)
MMFF parade
Motorists are advised to avoid using Roxas Boulevard and other roads leading to the Quirino Grandstand at the Rizal Park on Saturday afternoon to avoid being caught in traffic congestion because of the annual Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) parade. Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Francis Tolentino said the parade of showbiz stars in the yearly film fest will kick off at 2 p.m. at the Mall of Asia where casts of MMFF movie entries and their floats would assemble. The parade will then pass through to EDSA, turning left to Roxas Boulevard, and pass the Quirino Grandstand in Luneta, Manila. “Motorists may experience snarl traffic during the parade participated in by the celebrities of the Metro Manila Film Festival that attracted thousands of fans,” said Tolentino. (Anna Liza T. Villas)
Registration suspended
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said voter registration will take a break from December 23 up to January 2. Voter registration will resume on January 3, 2012. Comelec spokesman James Jimenez, in a statement, earlier urged all qualified voters to register early to avoid the deadline rush. Deadline for registration for the next scheduled elections is October 31, 2012. He said any Filipino citizen, who is at least 18 years of age, a resident of the Philippines for at least one year, and in the place where he intends to vote for at least six months immediately preceding the election, can register. (Leslie Ann G. Aquino)
Torotot warning
The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) warned against the use of toy trumpets or ‘torotot’ following the hospitalization of two children aged three and eight who accidentally swallowed the whistle that had been detached from the noisemaker. “Certain types of ‘torotot’ are made locally from plastic, foil and paper attached together using adhesives and are used to produce noise during the celebration of the New Year. (Jenny Manongdo)
source: mb.com.ph
Adam Lambert says 'lesson learned' after arrest
LOS ANGELES - Former "American Idol" finalist Adam Lambert brushed off his arrest in Finland on Thursday, blaming his bad behavior on travel, booze and "irrational confusion" and adding "lesson learned" on Twitter.
"Jetlag+Vodka=blackout. Usblackout=irrational confusion. jail+guilt+press=lesson learned. Sauli+Adam+hangover burgers= laughing bout it. :)," Lambert tweeted to fans.
The "Whataya Want From Me" singer, 29, was involved in an argument in a Helsinki bar with his boyfriend, Finnish reality TV star Sauli Koskinen. Their quarrel became physical and the pair were arrested, questioned then later released by authorities, according to media reports.
Koskinen also addressed the incident on his blog, writing in Finnish, "publicity is not easy. But celebrities are only human people."
Lambert, whose colorful costumes and makeup earned him the nickname "Glambert," rose to fame in 2009 on U.S. singing contest "American Idol," but lost in the final round of the No. 1-rated TV show to Kris Allen.
Despite being the runner-up, Lambert forged a solid career and now enjoys a loyal following as a singer. His single "Better Than I Know Myself" was released on Tuesday, and is currently at No. 30 on the iTunes singles chart. - Reuters
source:gmanetwork.com
"Jetlag+Vodka=blackout. Usblackout=irrational confusion. jail+guilt+press=lesson learned. Sauli+Adam+hangover burgers= laughing bout it. :)," Lambert tweeted to fans.
The "Whataya Want From Me" singer, 29, was involved in an argument in a Helsinki bar with his boyfriend, Finnish reality TV star Sauli Koskinen. Their quarrel became physical and the pair were arrested, questioned then later released by authorities, according to media reports.
Koskinen also addressed the incident on his blog, writing in Finnish, "publicity is not easy. But celebrities are only human people."
Lambert, whose colorful costumes and makeup earned him the nickname "Glambert," rose to fame in 2009 on U.S. singing contest "American Idol," but lost in the final round of the No. 1-rated TV show to Kris Allen.
Despite being the runner-up, Lambert forged a solid career and now enjoys a loyal following as a singer. His single "Better Than I Know Myself" was released on Tuesday, and is currently at No. 30 on the iTunes singles chart. - Reuters
source:gmanetwork.com
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Rufa Mae still looking for Mr. Right
MANILA, Philippines – Rufa Mae Quinto believes finding the right man is “tsambahan lang.”
“Sabi nga nila, tsambahan lang, ‘di ba? Yung tipong swak kayong dalawa sa isa't isa. ‘Yon ang hindi ko mahanap, ‘yung swak sa akin!" Rufa Mae candidly told PEP in an article posted on Dec. 23.
Apparently, this pronouncement was made when talk about her recent separation from her non-showbiz fiancé, only identified as Mr. M, came up.
She mused, “Nakakatawa nga, ‘di ba?”
“Ako itong dapat matagal nang ikinasal, pero mas nauna pang ikinasal si Regine [Velasquez-Alcasid] at si Pia [Guanio-Mago] kesa sa akin. Tapos, kailan lang, sila Jolina [Magdangal-Escueta] at Kyla [Alvarez] naman ang mga kinasal na,” Ruffa Mae said, referring to her fellow Kapuso artists who all tied the knot this year.
“Parang, 'Ano ba?' ‘di ba?” she added.
Nevertheless, Rufa Mae remains hopeful that she’ll find her match soon.
“Who knows? Baka next year, doon ko na mahanap ang taong swak sa akin. ‘Yung dadalhin ako to the highest level!” said she.
Rufa Mae also debunked anew rumors romantically linking him to “Bubble Gang” co-actor Boy 2 Quizon, claiming that they are only “extremely close” to one another.
“Tsaka na-mention ko naman na business partners kami, kasi nga babalikan ko ang pagiging producer via Brown Sugar Production. Kami-kami nila Boy 2 at ibang mga friends namin. May gagawin kaming movies, TV shows, at albums,” she explained.
“But, of course, I am not closing my doors or my windows!” she quipped.
Aside from her love life, Ruffa Mae opened up about celebrating Christmas without her grandmother Luisa Vergara Peña or Lola Lucing, who passed away in August due to colon cancer. A self-confessed “lola’s girl,” the comedienne admitted, “masakit para sa akin na mawala siya.”
“Kaya ngayong Christmas, parang ang hirap isipin nga na she's gone. Every Christmas kasi, may party sa bahay. Kahit kami-kami lang. Ang dami naman kasi namin. Magpapa-raffle pa 'yang si Mama [her lola]. Kaya ang saya-saya namin every Christmas.
“Ngayon, medyo tahimik kami, kasi nga malungkot ang lahat,” she related.
However, Rufa Mae is sure that her lola wants them to be happy, “kaya we will do our best para kahit papa'no, kahit wala na si Mama, merry pa rin ang Christmas namin,” she told PEP.
source: mb.com.ph
More Americans are moving abroad
MANILA, Philippines — Are you one of those itching to go to the United States to work or relocate permanently to the so-called land of milk and honey?
Give your urges a second thought.
The unthinkable is happening. America, the top place on earth where people from many parts of the world would like to immigrate, is fleeing from itself.
This is the gloomy message of “The Economic Collapse Blog,” one of a series of articles by its editor, Michael Snyder. He is a graduate of the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia, and has two law degrees from the University of Florida. He is an attorney who has worked for some of the largest and most prominent law firms in Washington, DC. Snyder is a very active blogger and is also a respected researcher, writer, speaker, and activist
In his latest work, Snyder based his assessment of why Americans are leaving in droves by announcing that millions have already left the United States in search of a better life. And for those planning to do the same, the author asks “What is the best country for Americans to relocate?”
Those who are trying to run away are hoping that other countries would offer a safe haven for their families and their future. They hope that despite some cultural and social differences, not to mention economic and personal freedom that America used to dispense in abundance, they hope their new-found sanctuary would be better off or at least not as bad as the one they are leaving behind.
“As the economy continues to crumble and as our society slowly falls apart, millions of others are thinking about it. But moving to another country is not something to be done lightly. The reality is that there are a vast array of social, cultural, economic, and safety issues to be considered,” warns the author.
A recent CNBC program contained the following amazing statistics. According to the US State Department, 6.3 million Americans are either working or studying overseas. That is the highest number that has ever been recorded.
One recent survey says; “the percentage of Americans aged 25 to 34 actively planning to relocate outside the US has quintupled in just two years, from less than 1 percent to 5.1 percent.”
That same survey found that 40 percent of all Americans in the 18-to-24 age group are expressing interest in relocation outside of the United States. Two years ago that figure was only at 15 percent.
The American economy continues to get worse and worse. “If you have not heard yet, it has been announced that an all-time record 46 million Americans are now on food stamps,” Snyder says.
A lot of Americans want to escape this country before they get sucked into the vortex of poverty that has trapped so many other American families. 2.6 million more Americans fell into poverty last year. In addition, according to the US Census Bureau, the percentage of Americans living in extreme poverty today is higher than has ever been measured before.
“A staggering 48 percent of all Americans are either considered to be low- Income or living in poverty. There are fewer payroll jobs in the United States today than there were back in 2000 even though 30 million extra people have been added to the population since then.”
source: mb.com.ph
Give your urges a second thought.
The unthinkable is happening. America, the top place on earth where people from many parts of the world would like to immigrate, is fleeing from itself.
This is the gloomy message of “The Economic Collapse Blog,” one of a series of articles by its editor, Michael Snyder. He is a graduate of the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia, and has two law degrees from the University of Florida. He is an attorney who has worked for some of the largest and most prominent law firms in Washington, DC. Snyder is a very active blogger and is also a respected researcher, writer, speaker, and activist
In his latest work, Snyder based his assessment of why Americans are leaving in droves by announcing that millions have already left the United States in search of a better life. And for those planning to do the same, the author asks “What is the best country for Americans to relocate?”
Those who are trying to run away are hoping that other countries would offer a safe haven for their families and their future. They hope that despite some cultural and social differences, not to mention economic and personal freedom that America used to dispense in abundance, they hope their new-found sanctuary would be better off or at least not as bad as the one they are leaving behind.
“As the economy continues to crumble and as our society slowly falls apart, millions of others are thinking about it. But moving to another country is not something to be done lightly. The reality is that there are a vast array of social, cultural, economic, and safety issues to be considered,” warns the author.
A recent CNBC program contained the following amazing statistics. According to the US State Department, 6.3 million Americans are either working or studying overseas. That is the highest number that has ever been recorded.
One recent survey says; “the percentage of Americans aged 25 to 34 actively planning to relocate outside the US has quintupled in just two years, from less than 1 percent to 5.1 percent.”
That same survey found that 40 percent of all Americans in the 18-to-24 age group are expressing interest in relocation outside of the United States. Two years ago that figure was only at 15 percent.
The American economy continues to get worse and worse. “If you have not heard yet, it has been announced that an all-time record 46 million Americans are now on food stamps,” Snyder says.
A lot of Americans want to escape this country before they get sucked into the vortex of poverty that has trapped so many other American families. 2.6 million more Americans fell into poverty last year. In addition, according to the US Census Bureau, the percentage of Americans living in extreme poverty today is higher than has ever been measured before.
“A staggering 48 percent of all Americans are either considered to be low- Income or living in poverty. There are fewer payroll jobs in the United States today than there were back in 2000 even though 30 million extra people have been added to the population since then.”
source: mb.com.ph
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
No white Christmas for much of Canada for the first time
OTTAWA - Most Canadians will not wake up to a white Christmas on December 25 for the first time since Canada's weather office began recording snowfalls in 1955, the government agency said Wednesday.
With just days before the Christian holiday, Environment Canada senior climatologist Dave Phillips told AFP he has never seen so little snowpack in Canada's cities.
And the forecast for the coming days is sunny and very mild.
"A white Christmas is usually a sure thing in Canada, but not this year," Phillips said.
"We are usually the snowiest country in the world," he said. "But this year, like no other since we've been monitoring in 56 years, there will be many Canadians just dreaming of a white Christmas and not getting one."
For a city to qualify as having a white Christmas, Environment Canada must note at least two centimeters (0.79 inches) of snow on the ground at 7 am on December 25.
This month has been on average six to seven degrees (Celsius) warmer than normal and most snow that has fallen has melted soon after hitting the ground.
Gander, Newfoundland -- usually "the snowiest place in Canada" -- only has a trace of snow on the ground today, Phillips noted.
Winnipeg, Manitoba -- once ranked the coldest metropolis on Earth -- usually has a 98 percent chance of snow at Christmas. But temperatures in the west of the country are expected to hover just above freezing in the coming days.
Other cities in the east like Saint John's, Newfoundland have a few centimeters of snow on the ground but rain is forecast.
Phillips said Canadian winters are generally becoming milder, and starting later, and so the idea of a white Christmas may be something of the past.
He pointed to a combination of climate change and an "urban heat island effect" created by Canada's growing cities. High energy use generates heat that is retained by materials in urban developments, resulting in areas that are consistently hotter than surrounding rural areas. — Agence France Presse
source:gmanetwork.com
With just days before the Christian holiday, Environment Canada senior climatologist Dave Phillips told AFP he has never seen so little snowpack in Canada's cities.
And the forecast for the coming days is sunny and very mild.
"A white Christmas is usually a sure thing in Canada, but not this year," Phillips said.
"We are usually the snowiest country in the world," he said. "But this year, like no other since we've been monitoring in 56 years, there will be many Canadians just dreaming of a white Christmas and not getting one."
For a city to qualify as having a white Christmas, Environment Canada must note at least two centimeters (0.79 inches) of snow on the ground at 7 am on December 25.
This month has been on average six to seven degrees (Celsius) warmer than normal and most snow that has fallen has melted soon after hitting the ground.
Gander, Newfoundland -- usually "the snowiest place in Canada" -- only has a trace of snow on the ground today, Phillips noted.
Winnipeg, Manitoba -- once ranked the coldest metropolis on Earth -- usually has a 98 percent chance of snow at Christmas. But temperatures in the west of the country are expected to hover just above freezing in the coming days.
Other cities in the east like Saint John's, Newfoundland have a few centimeters of snow on the ground but rain is forecast.
Phillips said Canadian winters are generally becoming milder, and starting later, and so the idea of a white Christmas may be something of the past.
He pointed to a combination of climate change and an "urban heat island effect" created by Canada's growing cities. High energy use generates heat that is retained by materials in urban developments, resulting in areas that are consistently hotter than surrounding rural areas. — Agence France Presse
source:gmanetwork.com
Experimental malaria vaccine shows early promise
LONDON (Reuters) - British scientists have developed an experimental malaria vaccine that may have the potential to neutralize all strains of the most deadly species of malaria parasite.
Results from very early tests of the vaccine in mice and rabbits show it induces an antibody response able to halt many strains of the P. falciparum parasite, the form that causes almost all of the 655,000 malaria deaths worldwide each year.
The researchers, whose work was published in the journal Nature Communications on Tuesday, plan to take the vaccine into early stage human trials in two to three years, but it may be a decade or more beyond that before it is fully developed.
"Vaccines against malaria are notoriously difficult to develop," said Adrian Hill of Britain's Oxford University, who worked on the vaccine research team.
This vaccine builds on work published last month by the same team, who pinpointed a single receptor for a protein called RH5 that is critical for the malaria parasite to gain entry into red blood cells where it multiplies and spreads.
The researchers said in November they thought that by blocking this process, they could halt the disease in its tracks - and Tuesday's results confirm their thinking.
"What's exciting about RH5 is that we've shown that antibodies against this protein have so far knocked down every parasite we've been able to test in the laboratory," Simon Draper of Oxford's Jenner Institute, who also worked on the study, said in a telephone interview.
"We haven't found one yet that the vaccine isn't able to stop."
Malaria is a mosquito-borne parasitic disease that killed around 655,000 in 2010 according to latest World Health Organisation data. The vast majority of malaria deaths are among children and babies in sub-Saharan Africa.
The blood stage of the parasite's life cycle begins when it invades human red blood cells, and it is this stage that is responsible for malaria illnesses and deaths.
Scientists have been working for decades on trying to develop an effective vaccine against the disease, but this has proved particularly tricky because the parasites' antigens - the target of vaccines - tend to be genetically too diverse.
Researchers say RH5 doesn't show this diversity, making it a particularly good target for a vaccine to exploit.
British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline published data in October showing its experimental vaccine, RTS,S, halved the risk of children getting malaria in a large trial in Africa, making it likely to become the world's first licensed malaria vaccine.
Other teams of researchers around the world are also working on other approaches to a malaria vaccine.
Experts agree that wiping out the disease - a goal the scientific community says could be achieved in the next few decades with the right tools - will need a vaccine that is more effective than RTS,S.
"Unlike RTS,S, which aims to stop the parasite getting into the liver, this RH5 vaccine is trying to kill the parasite in the blood," Draper explained. "So it may be possible that the RH5 vaccine could complement RTS,S."
"Ultimately we don't know until we test our vaccine in humans whether it will be more efficacious than RTS,S. But these data on RH5 are some of the most exciting in the field at the moment."
source: mb.com.ph
Results from very early tests of the vaccine in mice and rabbits show it induces an antibody response able to halt many strains of the P. falciparum parasite, the form that causes almost all of the 655,000 malaria deaths worldwide each year.
The researchers, whose work was published in the journal Nature Communications on Tuesday, plan to take the vaccine into early stage human trials in two to three years, but it may be a decade or more beyond that before it is fully developed.
"Vaccines against malaria are notoriously difficult to develop," said Adrian Hill of Britain's Oxford University, who worked on the vaccine research team.
This vaccine builds on work published last month by the same team, who pinpointed a single receptor for a protein called RH5 that is critical for the malaria parasite to gain entry into red blood cells where it multiplies and spreads.
The researchers said in November they thought that by blocking this process, they could halt the disease in its tracks - and Tuesday's results confirm their thinking.
"What's exciting about RH5 is that we've shown that antibodies against this protein have so far knocked down every parasite we've been able to test in the laboratory," Simon Draper of Oxford's Jenner Institute, who also worked on the study, said in a telephone interview.
"We haven't found one yet that the vaccine isn't able to stop."
Malaria is a mosquito-borne parasitic disease that killed around 655,000 in 2010 according to latest World Health Organisation data. The vast majority of malaria deaths are among children and babies in sub-Saharan Africa.
The blood stage of the parasite's life cycle begins when it invades human red blood cells, and it is this stage that is responsible for malaria illnesses and deaths.
Scientists have been working for decades on trying to develop an effective vaccine against the disease, but this has proved particularly tricky because the parasites' antigens - the target of vaccines - tend to be genetically too diverse.
Researchers say RH5 doesn't show this diversity, making it a particularly good target for a vaccine to exploit.
British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline published data in October showing its experimental vaccine, RTS,S, halved the risk of children getting malaria in a large trial in Africa, making it likely to become the world's first licensed malaria vaccine.
Other teams of researchers around the world are also working on other approaches to a malaria vaccine.
Experts agree that wiping out the disease - a goal the scientific community says could be achieved in the next few decades with the right tools - will need a vaccine that is more effective than RTS,S.
"Unlike RTS,S, which aims to stop the parasite getting into the liver, this RH5 vaccine is trying to kill the parasite in the blood," Draper explained. "So it may be possible that the RH5 vaccine could complement RTS,S."
"Ultimately we don't know until we test our vaccine in humans whether it will be more efficacious than RTS,S. But these data on RH5 are some of the most exciting in the field at the moment."
source: mb.com.ph
David Archuleta The Emotional Announcement We All Saw Coming ...
David Archuleta made a pretty big announcement about his personal life at a concert in Utah last night ... but to people who know the guy, it probably wasn't that shocking.
The former "American Idol" runner-up told his home crowd ... that he's ... (wait for it) ... putting his music career on hold for two-years to fulfill a full-time mission with the Mormon church!!
The announcement was pretty emotional -- with the crowd erupting in cheers ... and David breaking down and crying on stage.
20-year-old Archuleta explained, "It's not because somebody told me that I was supposed to do it, not because that I no longer want to do music anymore, but it's because it's the feeling that I felt that I need to do next in my life."
source: http://www.tmz.com/2011/12/20/david-archuleta-announcement/#.TvGpsVs6hog
The former "American Idol" runner-up told his home crowd ... that he's ... (wait for it) ... putting his music career on hold for two-years to fulfill a full-time mission with the Mormon church!!
The announcement was pretty emotional -- with the crowd erupting in cheers ... and David breaking down and crying on stage.
20-year-old Archuleta explained, "It's not because somebody told me that I was supposed to do it, not because that I no longer want to do music anymore, but it's because it's the feeling that I felt that I need to do next in my life."
source: http://www.tmz.com/2011/12/20/david-archuleta-announcement/#.TvGpsVs6hog
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
The Best of 'Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho' on December 31
This Christmas and New Year’s Eve, join Jessica Soho as she recounts the year that was in The Best of Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho 2011.
Soho sums up the year as she looks back on some of the most interesting fads and most hilarious stories of 2011. Have a second serving of the most sumptuous dishes of the year and witness once more some of the world’s biggest events in 2011 such as the Royal Wedding and the Beatification of the world’s most beloved pope, Pope John Paul II.
These and more in a two-part yearend special of The Best of Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho 2011 on December 24, 8:15 p.m. and December 31 in an earlier timeslot of 7:15 p.m on GMA-7.
source:gmanetwork.com
Soho sums up the year as she looks back on some of the most interesting fads and most hilarious stories of 2011. Have a second serving of the most sumptuous dishes of the year and witness once more some of the world’s biggest events in 2011 such as the Royal Wedding and the Beatification of the world’s most beloved pope, Pope John Paul II.
These and more in a two-part yearend special of The Best of Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho 2011 on December 24, 8:15 p.m. and December 31 in an earlier timeslot of 7:15 p.m on GMA-7.
source:gmanetwork.com
New policy in Canada fast-tracks processing of work permits for caregivers
Canada has shortened the procedures needed for foreign caregivers to obtain permanent resident status and has enacted several measures to protect the caregivers from abusive employers.
Canadian Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney said this was the Canadian government’s response to reports of abuse to foreign caregivers by their employers.
He said it is “frustrating” that many live-in caregivers have to stay in their employer’s home even though they have already completed their work obligations because they are waiting for their application for permanent residence to be reviewed. He said in several cases, this set-up had resulted to maltreatment of workers.
“This is understandably frustrating,” Kenney said. “That's why we have started issuing open work permits to live-in caregivers as soon as they have completed their obligations and submitted an application for permanent residence.”
Under the new procedure, a foreign caregiver can obtain permanent resident status in 18 months or less. They can apply for permanent residence after 3,900 work hours, rather than two years of work, to ensure overtime is appropriately recognized.
The need for second medical examination when the caregiver applies for permanent residence has likewise been eliminated in the new guidelines. Also, a standardized employment contract has been adopted so that both the employer and the caregiver agree to the salary, hours of work, vacation time, overtime, holidays, sick leave, and the terms of termination and resignation.
The new policy also defines the costs the employer is obliged to pay, including the caregiver's travel expenses in coming to Canada, medical insurance, workplace safety insurance, and third-party representative fees. It also provides for emergency processing of work permits and employer authorizations to hire live-in caregivers who have been abused and need to leave their employment immediately while a dedicated phone service for live-in caregivers has been set up.
To assess the legitimacy of a job offer, Canadian authorities would verify if caregivers would be residing in a private residence and providing child care, senior home support care or care of a disabled person in that household without supervision, as well as whether the employer has sufficient financial resources to pay the wages of the caregiver and whether the accommodations being provided are adequate.
For employers who have failed to live up to the terms of past job contracts, they will be banned from hiring foreign workers, including live-in caregivers, for two years.
Philippine Ambassador to Canada Leslie Gatan said the revised labor policies for caregivers demonstrates “the continued trust and confidence of the Canadian society on the skills and dedication to work of Filipinos in general.”
Government estimates Filipino caregivers in Canada to be more than 100,000, some of them have complained of labor abuse from their employers ranging from non-payment of salaries to physical maltreatment.
Kenney said the Canadian government has taken action to protect live-in caregivers from exploitation with regulatory improvements implemented under its Live-in Caregiver Program in 2010 and the Temporary Foreign Worker Program in 2011. — KBK, GMA News
source:gmanetwork.com
Canadian Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney said this was the Canadian government’s response to reports of abuse to foreign caregivers by their employers.
He said it is “frustrating” that many live-in caregivers have to stay in their employer’s home even though they have already completed their work obligations because they are waiting for their application for permanent residence to be reviewed. He said in several cases, this set-up had resulted to maltreatment of workers.
“This is understandably frustrating,” Kenney said. “That's why we have started issuing open work permits to live-in caregivers as soon as they have completed their obligations and submitted an application for permanent residence.”
Under the new procedure, a foreign caregiver can obtain permanent resident status in 18 months or less. They can apply for permanent residence after 3,900 work hours, rather than two years of work, to ensure overtime is appropriately recognized.
The need for second medical examination when the caregiver applies for permanent residence has likewise been eliminated in the new guidelines. Also, a standardized employment contract has been adopted so that both the employer and the caregiver agree to the salary, hours of work, vacation time, overtime, holidays, sick leave, and the terms of termination and resignation.
The new policy also defines the costs the employer is obliged to pay, including the caregiver's travel expenses in coming to Canada, medical insurance, workplace safety insurance, and third-party representative fees. It also provides for emergency processing of work permits and employer authorizations to hire live-in caregivers who have been abused and need to leave their employment immediately while a dedicated phone service for live-in caregivers has been set up.
To assess the legitimacy of a job offer, Canadian authorities would verify if caregivers would be residing in a private residence and providing child care, senior home support care or care of a disabled person in that household without supervision, as well as whether the employer has sufficient financial resources to pay the wages of the caregiver and whether the accommodations being provided are adequate.
For employers who have failed to live up to the terms of past job contracts, they will be banned from hiring foreign workers, including live-in caregivers, for two years.
Philippine Ambassador to Canada Leslie Gatan said the revised labor policies for caregivers demonstrates “the continued trust and confidence of the Canadian society on the skills and dedication to work of Filipinos in general.”
Government estimates Filipino caregivers in Canada to be more than 100,000, some of them have complained of labor abuse from their employers ranging from non-payment of salaries to physical maltreatment.
Kenney said the Canadian government has taken action to protect live-in caregivers from exploitation with regulatory improvements implemented under its Live-in Caregiver Program in 2010 and the Temporary Foreign Worker Program in 2011. — KBK, GMA News
source:gmanetwork.com
Negotiated bid for FTI planned, still subject to 'Swiss challenge'
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Finance (DoF) will enter into a negotiated bid for the disposal of the 103-hectare Food Terminal Incorporated (FTI) property in Taguig City after its three failed bidding during the previous administration.
Finance Secretary Cesar V. Purisima said that the sale of the agro-industrial commercial estate was moved to next year and a reappraisal is currently being conducted by state-owned lender Land Bank of the Philippines.
“The finance department will push through with a negotiated bid which will then be subjected to a Swiss challenge after,” Purisima told reporters.
The Aquino administration hopes to sell the property at a price higher than the P7 billion to P9 billion tab set by the previous government for the agro-industrial estate.
The property has been offered to giant developers including the Ayala Group, Robinson’s Land, Henry Sy’s SM Development Corporation and Empire East Land Holdings.
FTI is a 120-hectare agro-industrial commercial estate in Taguig. It was originally built to be a food processing and consolidation center for agricultural products. It houses more than 300 small-to-medium scale companies engaged in different industries such as manufacturing, garments and electronics.
Of the 120-hectare property, the government is selling 103 hectares because the remaining 17 hectares are owned by cash-strapped National Food Authority (NFA).
FTI is among the three big-ticket items the Macapagal-Arroyo administration had attempted to sell.
source: mb.com.ph
Finance Secretary Cesar V. Purisima said that the sale of the agro-industrial commercial estate was moved to next year and a reappraisal is currently being conducted by state-owned lender Land Bank of the Philippines.
“The finance department will push through with a negotiated bid which will then be subjected to a Swiss challenge after,” Purisima told reporters.
The Aquino administration hopes to sell the property at a price higher than the P7 billion to P9 billion tab set by the previous government for the agro-industrial estate.
The property has been offered to giant developers including the Ayala Group, Robinson’s Land, Henry Sy’s SM Development Corporation and Empire East Land Holdings.
FTI is a 120-hectare agro-industrial commercial estate in Taguig. It was originally built to be a food processing and consolidation center for agricultural products. It houses more than 300 small-to-medium scale companies engaged in different industries such as manufacturing, garments and electronics.
Of the 120-hectare property, the government is selling 103 hectares because the remaining 17 hectares are owned by cash-strapped National Food Authority (NFA).
FTI is among the three big-ticket items the Macapagal-Arroyo administration had attempted to sell.
source: mb.com.ph
Pinoys abroad warned vs. donation scams for 'Sendong' victims
Filipinos, especially those based abroad, were warned Monday against falling for scams claiming to raise funds for victims of tropical storm "Sendong" (international name: Washi).
In the United Arab Emirates, Consul General Benito Valeriano particularly warned against new Facebook and Twitter accounts soliciting such donations.
"They can always send their donations to the Philippine ... Red Cross (PRC). If there's any official advisory from the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila regarding this matter, we will let the public know," Valeriano said in an interview posted Monday night on Gulf News.
Valeriano said Filipino expatriates who wish to give financial assistance to the victims should send it through credible and recognized organizations.
Online donations can be made through the website of the PRC, he said.
Last weekend, flash floods from Sendong hit several areas in Mindanao and Visayas, particularly devastating Iligan and Cagayan de Oro cities.
Nearly 700 had been confirmed killed as of Monday evening.
The Gulf News report said the Filipino Community in Dubai and the Northern Emirates (Filcom-DNE), the umbrella organization of 99 groups in the UAE, have begun collecting funds through its member groups for the victims of the devastating storm.
"We have requested all heads of Filipino organizations in the UAE to seek assistance from their members who have something extra to give—be it Dh 1, Dh5, or whatever is convenient for them," Alan Bacason, president of Filcom-DNE, told Gulf News. — KBK, GMA News
source:gmanetwork.com
In the United Arab Emirates, Consul General Benito Valeriano particularly warned against new Facebook and Twitter accounts soliciting such donations.
"They can always send their donations to the Philippine ... Red Cross (PRC). If there's any official advisory from the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila regarding this matter, we will let the public know," Valeriano said in an interview posted Monday night on Gulf News.
Valeriano said Filipino expatriates who wish to give financial assistance to the victims should send it through credible and recognized organizations.
Online donations can be made through the website of the PRC, he said.
Last weekend, flash floods from Sendong hit several areas in Mindanao and Visayas, particularly devastating Iligan and Cagayan de Oro cities.
Nearly 700 had been confirmed killed as of Monday evening.
The Gulf News report said the Filipino Community in Dubai and the Northern Emirates (Filcom-DNE), the umbrella organization of 99 groups in the UAE, have begun collecting funds through its member groups for the victims of the devastating storm.
"We have requested all heads of Filipino organizations in the UAE to seek assistance from their members who have something extra to give—be it Dh 1, Dh5, or whatever is convenient for them," Alan Bacason, president of Filcom-DNE, told Gulf News. — KBK, GMA News
source:gmanetwork.com
Japan, Taiwan send aid for 'Sendong' victims
Japan and Taiwan have sent assistance to the Philippines to help victims of floods brought by Tropical Storm Sendong (Washi) over the weekend in parts of Mindanao and the Visayas.
Among the hardest hit areas were Cagayan de Oro and Iligan Cities.
As of Tuesday morning, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said the number of fatalities stood at 957.
The Japanese government extended P14 million (Y25 million) in emergency assistance while Taiwan extended $150,000.
"Aimed at alleviating the difficulties of the victims, the assistance comes in the form of relief goods such as water tanks, generators, and other relief items," the Japanese Embassy in Manila said in a news release.
Last Sunday, Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba sent a message to Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario expressing his condolences and sympathy for the loss of many lives and for the people affected by the disaster.
He also said Japan will spare no efforts in providing necessary assistance and cooperation for rehabilitation of affected people and areas.
"The Government of Japan reiterates its commitment in assisting the Philippine Government's disaster management efforts," it said.
For its part, Taiwan donated $150,000 to the Philippine government to help the victims.
A report on Taiwan's Central News Agency said the amount is to assist post-disaster relief efforts.
The CNA report said Taiwan's Foreign Ministry also sent condolences to the people of the Philippines over the tragedy. — RSJ, GMA News
source:gmanetwork.com
Among the hardest hit areas were Cagayan de Oro and Iligan Cities.
As of Tuesday morning, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said the number of fatalities stood at 957.
The Japanese government extended P14 million (Y25 million) in emergency assistance while Taiwan extended $150,000.
"Aimed at alleviating the difficulties of the victims, the assistance comes in the form of relief goods such as water tanks, generators, and other relief items," the Japanese Embassy in Manila said in a news release.
Last Sunday, Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba sent a message to Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario expressing his condolences and sympathy for the loss of many lives and for the people affected by the disaster.
He also said Japan will spare no efforts in providing necessary assistance and cooperation for rehabilitation of affected people and areas.
"The Government of Japan reiterates its commitment in assisting the Philippine Government's disaster management efforts," it said.
For its part, Taiwan donated $150,000 to the Philippine government to help the victims.
A report on Taiwan's Central News Agency said the amount is to assist post-disaster relief efforts.
The CNA report said Taiwan's Foreign Ministry also sent condolences to the people of the Philippines over the tragedy. — RSJ, GMA News
source:gmanetwork.com
Monday, December 19, 2011
Big quakes no more likely than in past, says UC Berkeley study
WASHINGTON - Massive earthquakes are no more likely today than they were a century ago, despite an apparent rise of the devastating temblors in recent years, US researchers said on Monday.
The deadly 9.0 earthquake this year in Japan, an 8.8 quake in Chile last year and the 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake that registered 9.0 on the moment magnitude scale have raised alarm in some science and media circles that such events may be linked.
But researchers at the University of California went back over the world's earthquake records dating back to 1900 and found over time there was no statistically significant rise in the number of big quakes 7.0 and higher.
"One has to be careful, because humans have a tendency to see patterns in random sequences," lead author Peter Shearer of the UC Berkeley Department of Statistics told AFP.
"So what we wanted to do here was apply statistical tests to see whether you could say it wasn't just a random sequence of events," said Shearer, whose study appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"Those tests showed that you can't say that it is not random; that is, there is not a statistically significant degree of the clustering of events," he said.
Even though there is "a disproportionate number of very large 8.5 earthquakes between 1950 and 1965," there were uncommonly fewer of these during a much longer period afterward from 1965 to 2004.
And although there has been a more frequent rate of 8.0 and larger quakes since 2004, with the last five years in particular at a record high, "there have been rates nearly as high in the past," said the study.
The researchers also looked for any clues from the Earth's crust that could explain why or how big quakes might be linked.
"And the conclusion was no, there isn't a likely physical cause that would link for example a large earthquake in South America to one in Japan," Shearer told AFP.
"The events are just too far away for it to be very likely that there is a physical link between them."
Taken together, the two approaches "suggest that the global risk of large earthquakes is no higher today than it has been in the past," concluded the study.
The findings are in line with a study in Nature Geoscience earlier this year that found the regional hazard of larger earthquakes is increased after a main shock, but the global hazard is not.
That study countered an earlier 2009 paper in Nature that suggested seismic waves might have an effect on distant fault lines, potentially increasing the risk of earthquakes far away. — Agence France Presse
source:gmanetwork.com
The deadly 9.0 earthquake this year in Japan, an 8.8 quake in Chile last year and the 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake that registered 9.0 on the moment magnitude scale have raised alarm in some science and media circles that such events may be linked.
But researchers at the University of California went back over the world's earthquake records dating back to 1900 and found over time there was no statistically significant rise in the number of big quakes 7.0 and higher.
"One has to be careful, because humans have a tendency to see patterns in random sequences," lead author Peter Shearer of the UC Berkeley Department of Statistics told AFP.
"So what we wanted to do here was apply statistical tests to see whether you could say it wasn't just a random sequence of events," said Shearer, whose study appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"Those tests showed that you can't say that it is not random; that is, there is not a statistically significant degree of the clustering of events," he said.
Even though there is "a disproportionate number of very large 8.5 earthquakes between 1950 and 1965," there were uncommonly fewer of these during a much longer period afterward from 1965 to 2004.
And although there has been a more frequent rate of 8.0 and larger quakes since 2004, with the last five years in particular at a record high, "there have been rates nearly as high in the past," said the study.
The researchers also looked for any clues from the Earth's crust that could explain why or how big quakes might be linked.
"And the conclusion was no, there isn't a likely physical cause that would link for example a large earthquake in South America to one in Japan," Shearer told AFP.
"The events are just too far away for it to be very likely that there is a physical link between them."
Taken together, the two approaches "suggest that the global risk of large earthquakes is no higher today than it has been in the past," concluded the study.
The findings are in line with a study in Nature Geoscience earlier this year that found the regional hazard of larger earthquakes is increased after a main shock, but the global hazard is not.
That study countered an earlier 2009 paper in Nature that suggested seismic waves might have an effect on distant fault lines, potentially increasing the risk of earthquakes far away. — Agence France Presse
source:gmanetwork.com
NoKor leader Kim Jong-il dies
SEOUL, South Korea – Kim Jong-il, the North Korean leader who realized his family’s dream of turning his starving country into a minor nuclear weapons power even as the isolated nation sank further into despotism, died on Saturday of a heart attack, according to the country’s state-run media.
The North had kept news of the death of its leader secret for roughly two days, perhaps a sign that the leadership was struggling to position itself for what many believe Workers’ Party and government officials released a joint statement suggesting Mr. Kim’s chosen successor, his youngest son, Kim Jong-un, was in charge.
The Workers’ Party announcement said that “Under the leadership of our comrade Kim Jong-un, we have to turn sadness into strength and courage, and overcome today’s difficulties.”
KCNA, the official news agency, said North Korean soldiers and citizens were swearing allegiance to Kim Jong-un. People on the streets of Pyongyang broke into tears as they learned of Mr. Kim's death, The Associated Press reported from Pyongyang.
Kim Jong-un is believed to be in his late 20s and his youth and relative inexperience could make him vulnerable to power struggles; some analysts have questioned the depth of the military’s support for him.
Kim Jong-il’s death came after a long illness, dating to 2008, that American intelligence agencies believed involved some form of a stroke. The North has indicated he was 69 years old, but scholars have said he could have been a year older.
source: mb.com.ph
The North had kept news of the death of its leader secret for roughly two days, perhaps a sign that the leadership was struggling to position itself for what many believe Workers’ Party and government officials released a joint statement suggesting Mr. Kim’s chosen successor, his youngest son, Kim Jong-un, was in charge.
The Workers’ Party announcement said that “Under the leadership of our comrade Kim Jong-un, we have to turn sadness into strength and courage, and overcome today’s difficulties.”
KCNA, the official news agency, said North Korean soldiers and citizens were swearing allegiance to Kim Jong-un. People on the streets of Pyongyang broke into tears as they learned of Mr. Kim's death, The Associated Press reported from Pyongyang.
Kim Jong-un is believed to be in his late 20s and his youth and relative inexperience could make him vulnerable to power struggles; some analysts have questioned the depth of the military’s support for him.
Kim Jong-il’s death came after a long illness, dating to 2008, that American intelligence agencies believed involved some form of a stroke. The North has indicated he was 69 years old, but scholars have said he could have been a year older.
source: mb.com.ph
Warning on fake peso bills
MANILA, Philippines — Quezon City authorities are asking retailers and other businessmen to use “bill verifiers’’ and other safety measures to detect fake peso bills which continue to flood the market as Christmas approaches.
Alarmed by the growing complaints against counterfeit bills, Councilor Jaime Borres of the city’s third district urged the police to concentrate on cracking down on money-faking syndicates.
He said that even small businesses like variety stores, flea markets and food stalls were not spared by the swindlers putting the financial not only to the owners but also to the crew, sales clerks or house helps manning the shops.
Mayor Herbert Bautista said the proliferation of counterfeit bills calls for drastic measures because even gasoline stations, fast food stores and other retail outlets have been victimized by counterfeiters passing off fake P100, P500 and P1,000 bills.
“Throughout the year we would occasionally receive complaints about the use of counterfeit bills but surprisingly there were a significant number of reports about similar problems in the last few days. I believe there is now a basis for the PNP, the NBI and banking authorities to start an investigation,’’ Bautista said.
Bautista said reliable sources confirmed the widespread number of bogus bills in the groceries and stores not only Metro Manila but also in the provinces of Bulacan and Pampanga.
Wholesale and retail businessmen said the fake P100, P500 and P1,000 look very similar to the genuine bills, making it difficult for their staff to detect the difference.
Former Barangay Chairman Mario de Guzman exhorted the police to intensify their campaign against bogus bills especially during the Christmas season.
De Guzman noted that unscrupulous political aspirants distribute fake bills as Christmas gifts to their voters.
“Since commercial activities are at its peak, unprincipled candidates tend to take advantage of the people by handing out the bogus peso bills either as payment for their services or as grease money to sway the votes in their favor,’’ De Guzman added.
He asked the public to immediately report individuals involved in the distribution of bogus bills.
“I am not an economist but I know that if there are lots of bills in circulation more than what is necessary without the corresponding amount of gold reserves from the Central Bank then it could spell economic disaster,” de Guzman added.
De Guzman is also a member of the city government’s People Law Enforcement Board (PLEB) that hears complaints against abusive policemen.
He promised full protection for informers who can positively pinpoint any member of the Philippine National Police (PNP) involved with fake bill syndicates.
source: mb.com.ph
Alarmed by the growing complaints against counterfeit bills, Councilor Jaime Borres of the city’s third district urged the police to concentrate on cracking down on money-faking syndicates.
He said that even small businesses like variety stores, flea markets and food stalls were not spared by the swindlers putting the financial not only to the owners but also to the crew, sales clerks or house helps manning the shops.
Mayor Herbert Bautista said the proliferation of counterfeit bills calls for drastic measures because even gasoline stations, fast food stores and other retail outlets have been victimized by counterfeiters passing off fake P100, P500 and P1,000 bills.
“Throughout the year we would occasionally receive complaints about the use of counterfeit bills but surprisingly there were a significant number of reports about similar problems in the last few days. I believe there is now a basis for the PNP, the NBI and banking authorities to start an investigation,’’ Bautista said.
Bautista said reliable sources confirmed the widespread number of bogus bills in the groceries and stores not only Metro Manila but also in the provinces of Bulacan and Pampanga.
Wholesale and retail businessmen said the fake P100, P500 and P1,000 look very similar to the genuine bills, making it difficult for their staff to detect the difference.
Former Barangay Chairman Mario de Guzman exhorted the police to intensify their campaign against bogus bills especially during the Christmas season.
De Guzman noted that unscrupulous political aspirants distribute fake bills as Christmas gifts to their voters.
“Since commercial activities are at its peak, unprincipled candidates tend to take advantage of the people by handing out the bogus peso bills either as payment for their services or as grease money to sway the votes in their favor,’’ De Guzman added.
He asked the public to immediately report individuals involved in the distribution of bogus bills.
“I am not an economist but I know that if there are lots of bills in circulation more than what is necessary without the corresponding amount of gold reserves from the Central Bank then it could spell economic disaster,” de Guzman added.
De Guzman is also a member of the city government’s People Law Enforcement Board (PLEB) that hears complaints against abusive policemen.
He promised full protection for informers who can positively pinpoint any member of the Philippine National Police (PNP) involved with fake bill syndicates.
source: mb.com.ph
Sunday, December 18, 2011
US teen youngest golf winner
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — American teenager Lexi Thompson has made history as the youngest winner on both the LPGA and Ladies European Tours.
The 16-year-old Thompson shot a 5-under 67 Saturday to win the Dubai Ladies Masters, becoming the youngest professional winner on that side of the Atlantic.
Thompson pulled away from Lee-Anne Pace of South Africa to win by four strokes for her second professional victory. In September, she became the youngest winner of an LPGA tournament at the Navistar LPGA Classic in Alabama.
“It feels amazing,” Thompson said.
Poulter wins
In Melbourne, Australia, England's Ian Poulter won the Australian Masters on Sunday, spoiling Geoff Ogilvy's bid for a victory on his boyhood course.
Poulter, two strokes behind Ogilvy entering the round, closed with a 4-under 67 in windy conditions to finish at 15-under 269 at Victoria Golf Club.
source: mb.com.ph
US 'ready' to help Philippines after deadly storm
WASHINGTON — US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sent condolences to the Philippines Saturday after more than 600 people were feared killed in a storm, and said the United States stood "ready" to help.
Relief workers said that 440 people had died and nearly 200 left missing after tropical storm Washi (local codename Sendong) wreaked havoc in the southern Philippines, unleashing mammoth floods across vast areas of the country and destroying whole neighborhoods.
"On behalf of President (Barack) Obama and the people of the United States, I want to send my deepest condolences for the devastation and loss of life caused by flooding from Tropical Storm Washi," Clinton said in a statement.
"The US government stands ready to assist Philippine authorities as they respond to this tragedy."
The top US diplomat said "our thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected."
About 20,000 soldiers have been mobilized in a huge rescue and relief operation across the stricken north coast of the island of Mindanao, where the major ports of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan were worst hit.
President Benigno Aquino expressed concern at the extent of the tragedy and ordered government agencies to map out areas in the country most vulnerable to future flash floods. — AFP
source:gmanetwork.com
Saturday, December 17, 2011
As residents slept, flash floods entered homes, killing 180 in Mindanao
A storm slashing through the southern Philippines has triggered flash floods and landslides that have killed nearly 180 people and forced about 100,000 from their homes, government and army officials say.
"Most were already sleeping when floodwaters entered their homes," Iligan City Mayor Lawrence Cruz said. "This is the worst flooding our city has experienced in years."
Tropical Storm Sendong, with winds gusting up to 90km/h, hit Mindanao late on Friday and swept across the island, bringing heavy rain that also grounded domestic flights and left wide areas without power.
In Iligan City, which is usually spared the disastrous consequences of passing storms, residents were apparently caught by surprise despite warnings of the approaching storm. Officials said Saturday morning that they couldn't recall the last time such a powerful flood smashed into their city.
Photos sent in by YouScoopers showed cars piled on top of each other, scenes that recalled the epic Typhoon Ondoy in Manila in 2009.
Army spokesman Colonel Leopoldo Galon said emergency workers had recovered 97 bodies, most of them children, who drowned in floods in Cagayan de Oro City. Seventy-five people drowned in Iligan City. The national disaster agency said five miners were also buried in a landslide.
"I can't explain how these things happened, entire villages were swept to the sea by flash floods," Galon told Reuters, saying the death toll could rise as hundreds of people were unaccounted for.
"I have not seen anything like this before. This could be worse than Ondoy," he said.
Television images showed bodies covered in mud, piles of cars and wrecked bridges and homes. Helicopters and boats searched the sea for survivors and victims.
Rescue boats pulled at least 15 people from the sea, another army spokesman, Lieutenant-Colonel Randolph Cabangbang, told reporters.
Iligan City Mayor Lawrence Cruz said many people were caught by surprise when water rose one meter high in less than an hour, forcing people onto roofs.
"Most of them were already sleeping when floodwaters entered their homes," he said. "This is the worst flooding our city has experienced in years.
The national disaster agency said it could not estimate crop and property damage because emergency workers, including soldiers and police officers, were evacuating families and recovering casualties.
The social welfare department said about 100,000 people were displaced and brought to more than a dozen shelters in the two cities.
Six domestic flights of Cebu Pacific were cancelled due to the rain and near-zero visibility in the southern and central Philippines. Ferry services were also halted, stranding hundreds of people. — Reuters, HS, GMA News
source:gmanetwork.com
"Most were already sleeping when floodwaters entered their homes," Iligan City Mayor Lawrence Cruz said. "This is the worst flooding our city has experienced in years."
Tropical Storm Sendong, with winds gusting up to 90km/h, hit Mindanao late on Friday and swept across the island, bringing heavy rain that also grounded domestic flights and left wide areas without power.
In Iligan City, which is usually spared the disastrous consequences of passing storms, residents were apparently caught by surprise despite warnings of the approaching storm. Officials said Saturday morning that they couldn't recall the last time such a powerful flood smashed into their city.
Photos sent in by YouScoopers showed cars piled on top of each other, scenes that recalled the epic Typhoon Ondoy in Manila in 2009.
Army spokesman Colonel Leopoldo Galon said emergency workers had recovered 97 bodies, most of them children, who drowned in floods in Cagayan de Oro City. Seventy-five people drowned in Iligan City. The national disaster agency said five miners were also buried in a landslide.
"I can't explain how these things happened, entire villages were swept to the sea by flash floods," Galon told Reuters, saying the death toll could rise as hundreds of people were unaccounted for.
"I have not seen anything like this before. This could be worse than Ondoy," he said.
Television images showed bodies covered in mud, piles of cars and wrecked bridges and homes. Helicopters and boats searched the sea for survivors and victims.
Rescue boats pulled at least 15 people from the sea, another army spokesman, Lieutenant-Colonel Randolph Cabangbang, told reporters.
Iligan City Mayor Lawrence Cruz said many people were caught by surprise when water rose one meter high in less than an hour, forcing people onto roofs.
"Most of them were already sleeping when floodwaters entered their homes," he said. "This is the worst flooding our city has experienced in years.
The national disaster agency said it could not estimate crop and property damage because emergency workers, including soldiers and police officers, were evacuating families and recovering casualties.
The social welfare department said about 100,000 people were displaced and brought to more than a dozen shelters in the two cities.
Six domestic flights of Cebu Pacific were cancelled due to the rain and near-zero visibility in the southern and central Philippines. Ferry services were also halted, stranding hundreds of people. — Reuters, HS, GMA News
source:gmanetwork.com
Friday, December 16, 2011
Basketball star Kobe Bryant, wife file for divorce
LOS ANGELES — Basketball superstar Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and his wife Vanessa have filed for divorce after more than 10 years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences, a representative for the couple said on Friday.
"We ask that in the interest of our young children and in light of the upcoming holiday season, the public respect our privacy during this most difficult time," the couple, who have two children, said in a statement.
The couple's spokesman said Bryant, 33, and Vanessa, 29, resolved all issues regarding the divorce privately and both filed petitions. Vanessa went first and Kobe shortly thereafter.
Bryant has helped lead the Lakers to five National Basketball Association championships, has been named a most valuable player, been the league's top scorer and played on numerous all-star teams.
He was drafted into the NBA directly from high school in 1996 at the age of 17 and in his initial years enjoyed a stellar reputation with fans as a highly skilled player.
In 2003, Bryant was accused of sexual assault by an employee at a Colorado hotel, tarnishing his reputation and leading to a media storm to cover his trial. He denied the claims and charges eventually were dropped after the woman refused to testify.
Bryant and his wife were married in April 2001 and throughout the sex scandal she stayed with her husband. — Reuters
source:gmanetwork.com
"We ask that in the interest of our young children and in light of the upcoming holiday season, the public respect our privacy during this most difficult time," the couple, who have two children, said in a statement.
The couple's spokesman said Bryant, 33, and Vanessa, 29, resolved all issues regarding the divorce privately and both filed petitions. Vanessa went first and Kobe shortly thereafter.
Bryant has helped lead the Lakers to five National Basketball Association championships, has been named a most valuable player, been the league's top scorer and played on numerous all-star teams.
He was drafted into the NBA directly from high school in 1996 at the age of 17 and in his initial years enjoyed a stellar reputation with fans as a highly skilled player.
In 2003, Bryant was accused of sexual assault by an employee at a Colorado hotel, tarnishing his reputation and leading to a media storm to cover his trial. He denied the claims and charges eventually were dropped after the woman refused to testify.
Bryant and his wife were married in April 2001 and throughout the sex scandal she stayed with her husband. — Reuters
source:gmanetwork.com
Fitch reviews credit ratings of Spain, Italy, four other eurozone countries
PARIS - Fitch Ratings said Friday it was reviewing the credit ratings of six eurozone countries, including Spain and Italy, warning that their credit scores could be downgraded.
Placing Belgium, Spain, Slovenia, Italy, Ireland and Cyprus on Ratings Watch Negative "indicates that the above ratings are under active review and are subject to a heightened probability of downgrade in the near-term," said Fitch.
The ratings agency added that any downgrades of ratings would likely be limited to one or two notches and that it expects to make decisions by the end of January.
Belgium currently has an AA+ rating from Fitch, Spain AA-, Slovenia AA-, Italy A+, Ireland BBB+, and Cyprus BBB. — Agence France Presse
source:gmanetwork.com
Placing Belgium, Spain, Slovenia, Italy, Ireland and Cyprus on Ratings Watch Negative "indicates that the above ratings are under active review and are subject to a heightened probability of downgrade in the near-term," said Fitch.
The ratings agency added that any downgrades of ratings would likely be limited to one or two notches and that it expects to make decisions by the end of January.
Belgium currently has an AA+ rating from Fitch, Spain AA-, Slovenia AA-, Italy A+, Ireland BBB+, and Cyprus BBB. — Agence France Presse
source:gmanetwork.com
Telcos still charge P1 per text, defying government order
Smart Communications, Globe Telecom, and Sun Cellular were ordered by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to explain why they failed to lower the rate for short messaging service (SMS) to 80 centavos from P1 per text.
Glem Ecal of the NTC Public Information Office on Friday told GMA News Online that they have yet to verify if the networks already received the order, which was released on Dec. 12.
The telcos have 15 days to reply once they have received the NTC order.
[See also NTC to sue telcos for violating order to lower sms rates]
Globe maintained earlier this week that it has complied with the NTC order to reduce the SMS access charge, but a source told GMA News Online on Friday that its legal department declined to comment on the show-cause order "because it's sub judice."
Smart, Globe, and Sun informed the NTC last November that they will heed the commission's order earlier this year for the telcos to reduce the access or interconnection charge to P0.15 from P0.35.
The access charge is — among other components — part and parcel of the SMS rate, according to Globe.
NTC Deputy Commissioner Delilah Deles said last month "the new SMS access charge will take effect on their respective networks" on Nov. 30.
NTC's One-Stop Public Assistance Center said in an affidavit that they have received complaints from December 5 to 9 that the telcos were still charging P1 per text message.
After those complaints, a series of tests by the the NTC using prepaid mobile numbers from the three telcos established that the text message rates remain at P1 per SMS. — Bea Cupin/ Rose-An Dioquino/VS/HS, GMA News
source:gmanetwork.com
Glem Ecal of the NTC Public Information Office on Friday told GMA News Online that they have yet to verify if the networks already received the order, which was released on Dec. 12.
The telcos have 15 days to reply once they have received the NTC order.
[See also NTC to sue telcos for violating order to lower sms rates]
Globe maintained earlier this week that it has complied with the NTC order to reduce the SMS access charge, but a source told GMA News Online on Friday that its legal department declined to comment on the show-cause order "because it's sub judice."
Smart, Globe, and Sun informed the NTC last November that they will heed the commission's order earlier this year for the telcos to reduce the access or interconnection charge to P0.15 from P0.35.
The access charge is — among other components — part and parcel of the SMS rate, according to Globe.
NTC Deputy Commissioner Delilah Deles said last month "the new SMS access charge will take effect on their respective networks" on Nov. 30.
NTC's One-Stop Public Assistance Center said in an affidavit that they have received complaints from December 5 to 9 that the telcos were still charging P1 per text message.
After those complaints, a series of tests by the the NTC using prepaid mobile numbers from the three telcos established that the text message rates remain at P1 per SMS. — Bea Cupin/ Rose-An Dioquino/VS/HS, GMA News
source:gmanetwork.com
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Healthy Christmas tips on 'Pinoy MD'
Healthy Christmas Tips on Pinoy MD this Saturday
Having a healthy merry Christmas is as easy as pie with the help of broadcaster Connie Sison and her team of medical experts—internist Dr. Oyie Balburias, dermatologist Dr. Jean Marquez, cancer surgeon Dr. Dave Ampil II and OB-Gynaecologist Dr. Raul “Dr. Q” Quillamor in this Saturday’s episode of Pinoy MD in GMA-7.
Discover healthy Noche Buena recipes that are sure to keep the calories and cholesterol at bay. Learn how to cook Minestrone, Christmas pasta and honey lemon fruit salad to help stave off the guilt of indulging in food this Noche Buena.
Fruits are also a perennial staple during the holidays. Eating apples and pears in particular, is said to lower the chances of stroke in a person, according to a 10-year study from the American Heart Association. Discover all the health benefits of fruits that earned it the right to be the star of the dinner table this holiday season.
Also this Saturday, learn the truth behind the impression that cooler weather triggers frequent trips to the bathroom in one of the show’s segments, Doc, Totoo Ba?
All these and a lot more in this Saturday’s episode of Pinoy MD (December 17, 2011) 8 a.m., on GMA-7
source:gmanetwork.com
Having a healthy merry Christmas is as easy as pie with the help of broadcaster Connie Sison and her team of medical experts—internist Dr. Oyie Balburias, dermatologist Dr. Jean Marquez, cancer surgeon Dr. Dave Ampil II and OB-Gynaecologist Dr. Raul “Dr. Q” Quillamor in this Saturday’s episode of Pinoy MD in GMA-7.
Discover healthy Noche Buena recipes that are sure to keep the calories and cholesterol at bay. Learn how to cook Minestrone, Christmas pasta and honey lemon fruit salad to help stave off the guilt of indulging in food this Noche Buena.
Fruits are also a perennial staple during the holidays. Eating apples and pears in particular, is said to lower the chances of stroke in a person, according to a 10-year study from the American Heart Association. Discover all the health benefits of fruits that earned it the right to be the star of the dinner table this holiday season.
Also this Saturday, learn the truth behind the impression that cooler weather triggers frequent trips to the bathroom in one of the show’s segments, Doc, Totoo Ba?
All these and a lot more in this Saturday’s episode of Pinoy MD (December 17, 2011) 8 a.m., on GMA-7
source:gmanetwork.com
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
A little reward might get kids to eat veggies
If your preschooler turns her nose up at vegetables, giving her a small reward for taking even a taste might help, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that when parents gave their 3- and 4-year-olds a sticker each time they took a "tiny taste" of a disliked vegetable, it gradually changed the preschoolers' attitude.
After a couple weeks, kids rewarded with stickers were giving higher ratings to a vegetable they'd previously sworn off. On average, the vegetable moved up the scale from between 1 and 2—or somewhere between "yucky" and "just OK"—to between 2 and 3 ("just OK" and "yummy").
The children were also willing to eat more of the vegetable in taste tests in the lab.
Verbal praise, on the other hand, did not work so well, the study found.
The bottom line for parents? It might not hurt to try the sticker approach, according to Jane Wardle, a researcher at University College London in the UK who worked on the study.
"We would recommend that parents consider using small non-food rewards, given daily for tasting tiny pieces of the food—smaller than half a little finger nail," Wardle told Reuters Health in an email.
It might seem obvious that a reward could entice young children to eat their veggies. But the idea is actually controversial, Wardle and her colleagues note in their report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
That's because some studies have suggested that rewards can backfire, Wardle explained. In most of those studies, rewards caused kids to lose interest in foods they already liked.
In the latest study, the researchers focused on vegetables that their preschool group had little taste for.
They randomly assigned 173 families to one of three groups. In one, parents used stickers to reward their child each time he took a tiny sample of a disliked vegetable (either carrots, celery, cucumber, red pepper, cabbage or sugar snap peas).
A second group of parents used praise as a reward (as in, "Brilliant, you're a great vegetable taster!") The third group served as a "control," where parents used to no special veggie-promoting tactics.
Parents in the reward groups offered their child a taste of the "target" vegetable every day for 12 days.
Soon afterward, children in the sticker group were giving higher ratings to their previously disliked vegetable. And in the research lab, they were willing to eat more as well: from an average of 5 grams at the study's start, to about 10 grams after the 12-day experiment.
The turnaround also seemed to last, Wardle's team found. Preschoolers in the sticker group were still willing to eat more of the once-shunned veggie three months later.
Verbal praise, on the other hand, seemed ineffective.
It's possible, the researchers say, that parents' words seemed "insincere" to their little ones. Or the preschool set may just really like stickers. Whatever the reason, Wardle suggested that parents give the sticker reward a shot. (Children in this study, she noted, were also given a special sheet where they could place their well-earned rewards.)
And it's unlikely you would have to bribe your children with stickers until they are 18. This research, according to Wardle, suggests that about 10 days is typically enough to change young children's attitudes. –Reuters
source:gmanetwork.com
Researchers found that when parents gave their 3- and 4-year-olds a sticker each time they took a "tiny taste" of a disliked vegetable, it gradually changed the preschoolers' attitude.
After a couple weeks, kids rewarded with stickers were giving higher ratings to a vegetable they'd previously sworn off. On average, the vegetable moved up the scale from between 1 and 2—or somewhere between "yucky" and "just OK"—to between 2 and 3 ("just OK" and "yummy").
The children were also willing to eat more of the vegetable in taste tests in the lab.
Verbal praise, on the other hand, did not work so well, the study found.
The bottom line for parents? It might not hurt to try the sticker approach, according to Jane Wardle, a researcher at University College London in the UK who worked on the study.
"We would recommend that parents consider using small non-food rewards, given daily for tasting tiny pieces of the food—smaller than half a little finger nail," Wardle told Reuters Health in an email.
It might seem obvious that a reward could entice young children to eat their veggies. But the idea is actually controversial, Wardle and her colleagues note in their report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
That's because some studies have suggested that rewards can backfire, Wardle explained. In most of those studies, rewards caused kids to lose interest in foods they already liked.
In the latest study, the researchers focused on vegetables that their preschool group had little taste for.
They randomly assigned 173 families to one of three groups. In one, parents used stickers to reward their child each time he took a tiny sample of a disliked vegetable (either carrots, celery, cucumber, red pepper, cabbage or sugar snap peas).
A second group of parents used praise as a reward (as in, "Brilliant, you're a great vegetable taster!") The third group served as a "control," where parents used to no special veggie-promoting tactics.
Parents in the reward groups offered their child a taste of the "target" vegetable every day for 12 days.
Soon afterward, children in the sticker group were giving higher ratings to their previously disliked vegetable. And in the research lab, they were willing to eat more as well: from an average of 5 grams at the study's start, to about 10 grams after the 12-day experiment.
The turnaround also seemed to last, Wardle's team found. Preschoolers in the sticker group were still willing to eat more of the once-shunned veggie three months later.
Verbal praise, on the other hand, seemed ineffective.
It's possible, the researchers say, that parents' words seemed "insincere" to their little ones. Or the preschool set may just really like stickers. Whatever the reason, Wardle suggested that parents give the sticker reward a shot. (Children in this study, she noted, were also given a special sheet where they could place their well-earned rewards.)
And it's unlikely you would have to bribe your children with stickers until they are 18. This research, according to Wardle, suggests that about 10 days is typically enough to change young children's attitudes. –Reuters
source:gmanetwork.com
Pinoy firms join Korean food expo
To promote Philippine trade and tourism, three Philippine companies took part in a recently concluded food expo in Seoul, South Korea.
The Philippine Embassy and the Bureau of Export Trade Promotions led the Philippines in the Korean Food Expo 2011, which ran at COEX Seoul from November 9 to 12.
A report of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the three companies that joined the expo were:
BrandExports Philippines, Inc., a consolidator of Philippine food export products
Jarla Trading, tuna exporter
Orient Foods Industries Corporation, a dried fruits exporter.
The ASEAN-Korea Center gathered 29 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) companies at the ASEAN Pavilion to introduce ASEAN food and beverage products to the Korean market.
The Food Expo provides ASEAN exhibitors with opportunities of establishing business contacts with potential Korean importers and buyers.
“The Korean Food Expo 2011 is hosted by Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. It is expected to surpass the record of last year’s event at 678 exhibitors and 93,732 visitors,” the DFA said. - VVP, GMA News
source:gmanetwork.com
The Philippine Embassy and the Bureau of Export Trade Promotions led the Philippines in the Korean Food Expo 2011, which ran at COEX Seoul from November 9 to 12.
A report of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the three companies that joined the expo were:
BrandExports Philippines, Inc., a consolidator of Philippine food export products
Jarla Trading, tuna exporter
Orient Foods Industries Corporation, a dried fruits exporter.
The ASEAN-Korea Center gathered 29 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) companies at the ASEAN Pavilion to introduce ASEAN food and beverage products to the Korean market.
The Food Expo provides ASEAN exhibitors with opportunities of establishing business contacts with potential Korean importers and buyers.
“The Korean Food Expo 2011 is hosted by Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. It is expected to surpass the record of last year’s event at 678 exhibitors and 93,732 visitors,” the DFA said. - VVP, GMA News
source:gmanetwork.com
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
And all I really want for Christmas is a Nokia
MANILA, Philippines — Let this Christmas be the merriest ever by giving yourself and your loved ones the best gift ever: a Nokia phone! For this Holiday season, Nokia presents new mobile phone offerings that fit any budget and personality, too. Whether it’s for someone who wants style and simplicity in one package or for another who’s looking for the latest in smartphone technology, Nokia offers a wide variety of handsets that cater to all kinds of users.
The latest touchscreen smartphone below P25,000
For those on the lookout for a smartphone that looks good yet works better, and at a price range of below P25,000, the Nokia N9 (16GB) fits your requirements perfectly. This unique all-screen smartphone is built for people who appreciate a stunning blend of design and the latest smartphone technology.
What sets this apart from current smartphones in the market today is its innovative new design where the home key is replaced by a simple gesture: a swipe. This means, no keys to bring you to the home screen, just a simple swiping from the edge of the display does the trick.
What’s more, this ultra-stylish smartphone boasts of three home views of the user interface to give fast access to the most important things you do with your phone: using apps, staying up to date with notifications and social networks, and switching between activities.
It is also packs an 8-megapixel Carl Zeiss autofocus sensor, wide-angle lens, HD-quality video capture and large lens aperture for great camera performance; a free turn-by-turn drive and walk navigation with voice guidance; and the Dolby Digital Plus audio technology for a great surround sound experience.
Complementing this impressive technology is its exceptional design and craftsmanship: the body is precision-machined from a single piece of polycarbonate and flows seamlessly into beautiful curved glass. The Nokia N9 is available in colors black, cyan and magenta with an SRP of P24,990 for the 16GB model.
Touch and QWERTY options below P15,000
Nokia’s new touch devices – Nokia 700 and Nokia 500 – are perfect for those who want a smartphone that doesn’t break the bank. They pack the latest in touch technology and stylish mobile design and let you enjoy these features at prices you can afford.
Gift yourself this Christmas with a Nokia 700, dubbed the most compact touch screen monoblock smartphone in the world, at only 50 cubic centimeters, 96 grams, and 110x50.7x9.7mm.
It boasts of a 3.2-inch AMOLED screen ClearBlack display with a 1Ghz processor and 2GB internal memory, and a 5-megapixel full focus camera with LED flash. It is powered by the new Symbian software, Symbian Belle, with single-tap NFC technology for a one-of-a-kind sharing experience. It lets you do your share in protecting the environment, too, as it boasts of having a long battery life and designed using eco-friendly materials and features that minimize battery consumption.
If you want to introduce your loved one to smartphones, the Nokia 500 is a good choice. For only P9,290, this entry-level smartphone offers high quality and high performance without the high price, incorporating Nokia’s fastest processor to date, a 5-megapixel camera, great music and entertainment experiences and preloaded Ovi Maps, and turn-by-turn navigation.
For the QWERTY user who also wants the benefits of touch, the new Nokia Asha 303 gives just that for a price that’s a steal. Style meets speed for this stylishly slim device that also features an exceptionally responsive touch screen that is great for browsing, scrolling, and opening apps. You can also enjoy a full QWERTY keyboard for fast texting – all on the vivid 2.6-inch display.
It’s also a powerful social networking hub: stay connected fast with its 1 GHz processor and the latest 3.5G and Wi-Fi support that allows you to get in touch on your social networks, chat and access mail more conveniently.
For the serious music lover, it features a dedicated music key for instant access to your playlist and also comes preloaded with apps like Angry Birds Lite. It’s fast, slim and stylish – everything that you want in a QWERTY-touch smartphone.
Dual SIM devices below P5,000
If your budget allows for not more than P5,000, Nokia offers Dual SIM handsets that offer superior performance. For those who want the best of both worlds, there’s the Nokia C2-03, a Dual SIM Touch and Type phone that gives the best value out of your networks while offering the convenience of keypad for email and documents with quick touch pad for browsing music or navigating your phone.
It also features Nokia’s innovative Easy Swap technology that allows you to change between SIMs with ease, and provides setting for up to five separate SIM cards that can each be personalized.
Nokia’s Easy Swap Dual SIM can also be enjoyed in the new Nokia Asha 200 (coming soon!), which lets you type with convenience, thanks to its QWERTY feature.
You can also personalize your phone for up to 5 SIM cards. This colorful handset makes staying in touch easy as it lets you access your favorite email accounts, chat quickly and update Facebook and other social networks.
You can also download music, apps and games directly to your phone. You can even customize your homescreen, letting you add your favorite contacts or app shortcuts with ease.
For Dual SIM that’s cheap yet packs great features, the Nokia 101 is your best bet. It lets you connect to two different networks to receive calls and messages and features a Nokia SIM manager that allows you to select which SIM card to use to make a call or send a text message, so you can manage costs and maintain network coverage without needing several phones.
It also lets you store settings for up to five SIM cards and can be personalized by assigning names and logos for each SIM setting. You can also enjoy features like an FM radio, integrated MP3 player, and a 103-phon loudspeaker, and provides support for up to 16 GB microSD memory cards.
source:mb.com.ph
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