News Updates

Facebook may file for IPO next week: WSJ

2012-01-28T02:16:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK - Facebook may file papers for an initial public offering next week that would value the social network at up to $100 billion, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

The newspaper, citing people familiar with the matter, said Facebook could file IPO papers with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as early as Wednesday but the "timing is still being discussed."

It said the Menlo Park, California-based social networking giant is looking at a valuation of $75 billion to $100 billion and is close to picking Morgan Stanley as the lead underwriter for the public offering.

source: interaksyon.com

Greece, creditors report progress in debt talks

2012-01-28T00:59:00.000-08:00

ATHENS — Greece and its creditors reported progress on a major debt writedown deal after fresh talks on Friday, as Athens seeks to escape a looming default and stem further turmoil in the eurozone.

Charles Dallara and Jean Lemierre, the lead negotiators for banks, insurers and other private investors, met Prime Minister Lucas Papademos and Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos for talks lasting two hours.

The Private Sector Involvement (PSI) deal under discussion would see the creditors agree to a discount or "haircut" of at least 50 percent on the 200 billion euros in debt they hold.

A Greek finance ministry reported "great progress concerning technical and legal matters" but underlined there "is still a lot of work left to do."

And in a statement late Friday, the creditors said: "Important understandings were reached on legal and technical issues ... Progress was made and discussions will continue tomorrow (Saturday)."

Venizelos, before the start of talks, said: "We are a step away from concluding procedures on the PSI", adding the negotiations "were difficult and delicate".

The third round of talks between Athens and private creditors, which began Thursday, seeks agreement on a voluntary exchange of bonds that would wipe 100 billion euros ($130 billion) off the country's debt of 350 billion euros.

Athens faces a critical bond reimbursement worth 14.5 billion euros on March 20.

It had hoped to present European Union leaders a framework agreement on the debt writedown at their summit on Monday, and sign an agreement by February 13 so there is sufficient time for the writedown to be achieved.

Sources have indicated a potential shortfall of up to 15 billion euros ($20 billion) if Athens is to meet an EU-IMF target for debt sustainability, with banks playing hardball over a big debt writedown from their side.

"If our Greek friends do their bit, we must support them," European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso said, implying that governments would have to step in where banks would not.

Barroso argued that a messy default would signal a "major problem" not only for Greece but for the eurozone as a whole.

A new analysis will be conducted by the IMF and the eurozone to ensure that the writedown returns Greece's debt to a sustainable level, according to a Greek finance ministry official.

The IMF, which is bound by rules to lend only to countries that have sustainable debt levels, has insisted that the level of Greek debt be reduced to no more than 120 percent of gross domestic product.

It currently stands at around 160 percent and sources close to the talks said proposals on the table would only get the figure down to about 130 percent.

Jean-Claude Juncker, head of the Eurogroup of eurozone finance ministers, said Friday that Greece's creditor countries should also waive a portion of the country's debt, as cutting private debt alone was not enough.

The European Central Bank (ECB), which holds around 45 billion euros' worth of Greek bonds, has so far ignored calls for it to accept losses.

IMF chief Christine Lagarde also warned Wednesday that European public creditors would need to pitch in and help Greece.

If a deal with private creditors is reached, Athens can pursue talks with EU partners on a second public aid package worth about 130 billion euros.

But the Financial Times reported that Germany wants Greece to surrender sovereignty over fiscal policy to a eurozone commissioner before it gets a fresh bailout.

"Budget consolidation has to be put under a strict steering and control system," the FT quoted from the proposal, which it said had been circulated by Germany on Friday to other eurozone officials.

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, meanwhile, called on Greece to move quickly on economic reforms.

"We've had enough announcements, the government in Athens must act now," he was quoted as saying in an interview with the Stuttgarter Zeitung newspaper.

Greece has implemented austerity measures but has been slow to implement structural reforms and push ahead with privatizations that are considered necessary for the country to get growth back on track and pay its debts. — AFP

source:gmanetwork.com

Dennis Trillo reveals what he likes most about Bianca King

2012-01-27T23:44:00.000-08:00

Dennis Trillo finally opens up about his budding romance with fellow Kapuso actress Bianca King.

The Kapuso actor admitted they became close when they worked on the afternoon soap, Sinner or Saint.

During the press conference of Biritera held last night at Studio 7 of GMA Network, the actor dismissed talk that they were are already in a relationship.

"Nandun pa kami sa stage na getting to know each other at ine-enjoy namin ang oras naming pareho. Dahan-dahan lang...ganun kami ngayon," sabi ni Dennis.

What does he like most about Bianca?

"Pribadong tao, edukada at sophisticated."

When asked if they were already a couple, the actor said: "Hindi pa, hindi pa. Sadyang wala pa kami sa stage na yun."

What is keeping Dennis and Bianca from going to the next level?

"Aside from busy kami pareho, pare-parehong mag-i-start na ang shows namin, uhm, siguro mas ano lang para lang mas sigurado, siguro mas maganda lang na dahan-dahan."

Has Bianca met Dennis's son Calix?

"Na-meet na niya once. Okay naman."

Will they be celebrating Valentine's Day together?

"Ayokong magsalita ng tapos pero malamang ganun na nga," said the bachelor.

In a previous interview with PEP.ph, Bianca said that with effective time management, she and Dennis find time to go out.

She also said that her mother already knows Dennis.

"Basta happy ang mommy ko sa nangyayari sa lahat. Kahit sino naman, mahalaga yung approval ng mga magulang," said Bianca.

MOM'S APPROVAL. When asked to comment about gaining the approval of Bianca's mom, Dennis said, "Siyempre masaya...sino ba naman ang hindi matutuwa dun?

"Gusto kong mag-thank you dahil in-express niya freely ang nararamdaman niya at malaking bagay yun para sa akin.

"Base sa mga nakaraan ko, para sabihan ng ganun, malaking bagay yun para sa akin. Thank you.

"Kilala naman natin si Bianca at alam natin na galing siya sa matinong pamilya."

He said he first met Bianca's mother when he was still working on the GMA-7 fantaserye, Mulawin.

He recalled: "Na-meet ko ang mommy ni Bianca noong Mulawin days pa lang and after nun, hindi ko na siya nakita. Baka this coming February, umuwi siya rito."

FRIENDS AGAIN. One of the biggest stories last year was the breakup of Dennis and Jennylyn Mercado.

Dennis said he and his former girlfriend made peace in 2012.

"Kasi matagal na yun, di ba? Marami nang nangyari, marami nang naganap.

"Once pa lang naman kami nagkita sa Party Pilipinas. Okay naman at maayos na."

No hard feelings?

"Wala na po kasi hindi ka matatahimik kung magkikimkim ka lang ng galit.

"Hindi ka makakatrabaho nang maayos at hindi mo magagampanan ang kailangan mong gawin habang mayroon kang tinatagong poot sa loob ng puso mo."

Has becoming friends again rekindled old feelings?

"Old feelings natatago mo sa puso mo, pero iba na ang panahon, iba na ang sitwasyon ng mga bagong nakilala so nandun pa rin ang old feelings pero nakatago pa rin sa isang lugar ng puso mo."

Is he open to working with Jennylyn Mercado?

"Posible siguro pero sa ngayon, naka-focus ako sa ginagawa ko kasi kakasimula lang ng Biritera.

Are they friends again?

"Oo naman, kalimutan na lahat. Simula nang bago kaya kung may pagkakataon na ganun, wala naming problema."

STARRING IN BIRITERA. Starting February 6, Dennis will be seen on the primetime show Biritera along with Glaiza de Castro, and Angelika dela Cruz, among others.

It stars newbie singer-actress named Roseanne Magan who was able to beat hundreds of other girls who auditioned for the coveted role.

The show's director, Maryo J. delos Reyes, revealed that initially, there was a shortlist of five candidates. The list was whittled down to two and he picked Roseanne.

He described the 10-year-old newbie: "Maganda ang attitude niya. Maganda ang kanyang background.

"Very, very open ang kanyang mentalidad na maging artista at singer."

Dennis discussed the plot of the show: "May banda kami dito called The Bridge.

"Hindi siya ang typical na may ka-love interest ako...mas lamang ang pagmamahal ng isang tao sa nawawala niyang kapatid."

He complimented Roseann, "Kahit baguhan siya, natural talaga siyang umarte saka sobrang fresh at napakadali niyang mag-adapt." -- Jocelyn Dimaculangan, PEP

source:gmanetwork.com

Fears of eurozone credit crunch grow

2012-01-27T22:25:00.000-08:00

FRANKFURT - Fears of an emerging credit crunch in the eurozone increased on Friday as data showed a sharp slowdown in bank lending to the private sector, despite recent unprecedented injections of liquidity.

The European Central Bank calculated in regular monthly data that growth in loans to the private sector slowed substantially to just 1.0 percent in December from 1.7 percent in November.

Last month, in a series of special liquidity measures precisely to avert a credit crunch in the 17 countries that share the euro, the ECB launched its longest-ever liquidity operations, lending eurozone banks as much as they wanted for a period of three years at super-cheap rates.

And banks in the region queued up in their hundreds to borrow nearly half a trillion euros in the first-ever such operation.

Nevertheless, there have been concerns that banks are simply hoarding the cash, rather than lending it to businesses and households as the ECB hoped they would.

Ever since then, daily ECB data show that banks are parking record amounts of cash in the central bank's overnight storage facility.

In normal times, banks shy away from depositing cash at the ECB, preferring to lend any overnight surplus to other banks, where they win a higher return.

But analysts say the eurozone debt crisis has spawned a lack of trust between banks, meaning that institutions are opting to store the money at the ultra-safe ECB rather than take the riskier route of lending it to their peers.

Analysts therefore viewed the latest loan data with some degree of concern.

"The sharp moderation in annual growth in loans to the private sector in December, particularly the appreciable monthly fall in loans to businesses, will reinforce concern that credit conditions are now increasingly tightening and posing a mounting risk to already struggling eurozone economic activity," said IHS Global Insight's chief economist Howard Archer.

Christian Schulz, senior economist at Berenberg Bank, agreed.

"Signs of a modest credit crunch in the eurozone are amplifying," he said.

Analysts noted, however, that it would take some time yet for the liquidity measures to feed through into the ECB data.

"The moderation in loans to the private sector also likely reflects corporates becoming more cautious in their behaviour and in their investment plans in the current weakened and uncertain economic environment, and cutting back their demand for credit," said Archer at IHS Global Insight.

"It remains to be seen to what extent the 489 billion euros loaned to European banks in the three-year unlimited tender in December ultimately feeds through to support bank lending to businesses and households," he said.

The ECB also calculated that growth of the eurozone money supply, a key indicator of demand in the economy, slowed again in December, possibly opening up room for further interest rate cuts.

The M3 indicator rose 1.6 percent last month, following a gain of 2.0 percent in November.

The slowdown was unexpected: analysts polled by Dow Jones Newswires had been pencilling in growth of 2.1 percent for December.

The ECB regards the M3 figure as a key guide to inflation pressures and uses it to set interest rates accordingly.

The central bank seeks to keep eurozone inflation below but close to 2.0 percent but it stood at 2.7 percent in December.

The central bank cut its benchmark interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 1.00 percent in December, arguing that future inflation is likely to slow as the eurozone debt crisis puts the brakes on economic growth in the single currency area.

source: interaksyon.com

Spain's jobless rate climbs to a record in industrialized world

2012-01-27T05:41:00.000-08:00

MADRID - Spain's jobless rate shot to 22.85 percent at the end of 2011, the highest in the industrialised world, as more than half of young people were out of work, official data showed Friday.

The number of unemployed burst through the five-million mark, surging 295,300 to 5.27 million in the last quarter of 2011, the National Statistics Institute report showed.

As a result, the jobless rate at the end of 2011 surged to a near 17-year record, rising from 21.52 percent the previous quarter, the National Statistics Institute report showed.

Even more dramatic, the jobless rate among those aged 16-24 climbed to 51.4 percent at the end of the year from 45.8 percent on September 30.

The figures are a grim portent for Spain, widely considered to be sliding in to a recession in 2012 with jobless numbers set to rise even further as the new right-leaning government slashes spending further.

source: interaksyon.com

Christian Bautista deported from Indonesia

2012-01-27T03:27:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines - Singer Christian Bautista was deported from Indonesia Friday afternoon after he was caught violating immigration rules by working on a visiting visa, the Jakarta Post reported.

The Post said Bautista, who gained stardom in Indonesia on the hit single "The Way You Look at Me," arrived in Jakarta on a 30-day visiting visa on Wednesday but was found by immigration officers performing at Lippo Karawaci, Tangerang later that evening.

Bautista was sent home Friday afternoon after being questioned for two hours by immigration officers.

source: interaksyon.com

Isabel on breakup with Gab: 'Ang hirap talaga, sobra'

2012-01-27T01:36:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines – Actress-model Isabel Oli is still “hurting” over his breakup with dancer and “ASAP Rocks” mainstay Gab Valenciano.

“Mahirap. Ang hirap talaga, sobra. Hanggang ngayon, mahirap pa rin,” she was quoted as saying by PEP in an interview posted on Jan. 26.

Why the two ended their four-month old relationship just before Christmas is still unknown. However, Isabel said that they were happy during the time they were together. She also denied the involvement of a third party.

Isabel copes by turning to her parents and God.

“Kinukuwento ko sa kanya ang mga nangyayari. Siyempre, na-share ko ang mga problema ko,” she related, referring to her father who remains in a coma for about five months now.

“My mom is there, supportive naman siya. Pero iba talaga 'yung both na nandiyan,” she said.

With this, Isabel said that she wouldn’t be entertaining any suitors in the meantime.

“Sabi ko nga sa sarili ko, ito muna ang time na ako muna. Ngayon kasi, hindi pa talaga ako okay—kaya ako muna. Ang family ko muna, lalo na my dad,” she said.

Meanwhile, Isabel refused to comment on rumors romantically linking her ex to young actress Coleen Garcia. According to PEP, the two were spotted last Jan. 25 watching a basketball game at the Araneta Coliseum with Cesca Litton and Eric Tai. Gab and Coleen allegedly went to Resorts World Manila afterward, purportedly being “sweet” to one another. Photos of their get-together at Araneta can be seen on Gab’s Twitter account.

Interestingly, Gab tweeted on Friday noon, “Nanuod lang ng PBA, kayo na agad? Gumimik lang, may relasyon na!? #eksaheradaaaa”

His latest tweet, posted an hour after, read, “I believe it's about time I stand up and speak out. Tired of being accused and bashed for sins that don't exist. Be ready.”

source: mb.com.ph

Chris Masters vows to give Pinoy fans the best during tour visit

2012-01-26T23:48:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines – Coming for a stopover for the first time in the country is wrestling superstar Chris Masters.

Known as “The Masterpiece” during his tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Masters will be among several wrestling champions participating in the World Wrestling Fan Xperience (WWFX) Champions Showcase Tour 2012 to be held at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Feb. 4.

“WWFX Wrestling is all about bringing together all the popular and favorite TV wrestling superstars in regions that WWE or TNA, for example, don't come to that often,” Masters explained in an e-mail interview with Bulletin Entertainment.

“WWE TV is on in the Philippines every week but they haven't come to Manila in three years. That's where we come in,” he added.

According to Masters, WWFX is all about allowing fans a more intimate look at their wrestling idols.

“If you go to the usual wrestling show you won’t be able to meet the wrestlers. At WWFX, we offer a number of contests, give-aways, backstage passes, and post-show autograph signings where the audience can meet the wrestlers in person and 'Xperience' the event. That’s the ‘X’ in World Wrestling Fan ‘X’ -perience,” Masters explained.

But the big thing, of course, is the action and Masters promises to electrify the Filipino crowd at the event with his much lauded wrestling skills.

“I think anyone who comes to SMART Araneta on Feb 4 to see the WWFX show will see that I am one of the bests both in physique and in wrestling talent. M.V.P. (another popular wrestler appearing in the event) is a super popular wrestler, but I'm not just a body. I'm good too. And I'll beat him and prove that,” he crowed.

Among Filipinos he hopes to meet during his visit is boxing hero Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao.

“I would love for Manny and his wife, Jinkee Pacquiao to come out to crown the WWFX Championship title to the winner of the John Hennigan vs. Shelton Benjamin main event,” he said.

“What better way to be crowned world champion than by the number one fighter in the world,” he added.

Born Christopher Todd Mordetzky, Masters started his wrestling career at the age of 16, finding his way into the WWE a short three years later where he became known as “The Masterpiece” owing to his chiseled body.

Masters went on to become among the popular faces of WWE, facing stars such as John Cena, Rey Mysterio – and even his idol, Shawn Michaels.

“I idolized him as a kid and was able to wrestle him on a pay per view. How many people get to wrestle their child hood hero? It was cool,” Masters said of the experience.

Not surprisingly, his signature moves, "The Polish Hammer" and the “Master Lock,” became popular as well.

“The polish hammer was actually too powerful of a move and I gave it up after I broke another wrestlers’ nose and crushed his orbital bone. As with the Master Lock, it was basically a Full Nelson hold, which I re-dubbed and it became my hold. Even though it had been used years before, in the 2000's it was mine,” he enthused.

Still single at 29, Masters said he is not planning to settle down soon even as he admitted having hit his peak already as far as wrestling goes.

“My plan is to just keep moving forward and keep getting out there. I think it would be a shame to turn away from it now and not continue wrestling. But I'm not opposed to dabbling in acting and seeing what else is out there, while also staying a full time wrestler,” he said.

Joining Masters in the WWFX tour are Carlitos, John Hennigan, Melina and more. Tickets are available at all TicketNet outlets. For more information, log onto www.wwfxperience.com.

source: mb.com.ph

Oral HPV infections more common in men, study says

2012-01-26T21:01:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON - Mouth and throat infections of a common sexually transmitted disease known as human papillomavirus, which can lead to cancer, are more common among men than women, said a US study on Thursday.

About seven percent of the US population age 14-69 has oral HPV, said the research in the Journal of the American Medical Association, with a prevalence rate of 10.1 percent among men and 3.6 percent among women.

The findings shed more light on a growing epidemic of HPV-linked head and neck cancers which are expected to eclipse cervical cancer cases by 2020, and could warrant clinical trials of an HPV vaccine against oral lesions, the study authors said.

Currently the HPV vaccine is recommended for girls and boys as early as age nine and 10 to prevent cervical and anal cancers.

The study included 5,579 people who took part in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2009-2010, and agreed to a 30-second oral rinse test at a mobile examination center.

Oral HPV was found to be more prevalent among people who had more lifetime or recent sex partners, and was also more frequent in current smokers, heavy alcohol drinkers and among former and current marijuana users.

Peak rates of oral HPV among men were seen at age 60-64, with 11.4 percent of cases in that age range. The next highest oral HPV prevalence was seen in men age 30-34.

According to lead author Maura Gillison of the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, the data suggests that a sexual link is likely the cause of the oral HPV infections that researchers saw.

"Taken together, these data indicate that transmission by casual, nonsexual contact is likely to be unusual," she wrote, urging more study in this area to establish what researchers call the "natural history" of a disease.

"Although oral HPV infection is the cause of a cancer that is increasing in incidence in the United States, little is known regarding the epidemiology of infection," Gillison wrote.

"Natural history studies of oral HPV infection are therefore necessary to understand the effects of age, sex, and modifiable risk factors (e.g., smoking and sexual behavior) on the incidence and duration of oral HPV infection."

Oral cancers have "significantly increased over the last three decades in several countries and HPV has been directly implicated as the underlying cause," according to background information in the article.

Gillison, who has been studying HPV and cancer for 15 years, told a US science conference last year that when comparing people who have oral HPV to those who do not, "the single greatest factor is the number of partners on whom the person has performed oral sex."

People with oral HPV infections are 50 times more likely to get oral cancer than people who do not have HPV.

Researchers have found a 225-percent increase in oral cancer cases in the United States from 1974 to 2007, mainly among white men.

HPV is linked to almost 13,000 cases of cervical cancer yearly in US women, 4,300 of which are fatal. Researchers expect the number of oral cancer cases will surpass the number of cervical cancer cases in the next eight years.

The study was funded in part by the pharmaceutical giant Merck, which makes a vaccine against HPV.

Merck's Gardasil was approved for girls and women from age nine to 26 in June 2006 and for males in the same age range in October 2009. — Agence France Presse

source:gmanetwork.com

Secret Ingredient: Condensed Mushroom Soup

2012-01-26T14:53:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines — Like a true flower child of the Woodstock generation, I prefer fresh vegetables to processed and would even grow my own whenever time and space allowed. An exception to this fresh only rule is a canned product that my kitchen cannot do without: condensed cream of mushroom soup, one of the most versatile ingredients ever invented by man.

My love affair with canned mushroom soup began almost 50 years ago, when a Pasay Cartimar Market stall that sold PX goods from US military bases offered cases of discounted Campbell’s soups for a few pesos apiece. I bought several cans to use for the dinner I was hired to prepare for a dozen TV advertising executives.

With the guidance of Good Housekeeping recipes, my first catering job was a resounding success, with everyone asking for seconds. The menu: Creamed Chicken Curry, Lasagna, rice, green salad and buttered dinner rolls.

The group hired me again for their next brainstorming session, launching my second career as a sometime cook. As more and more friends took my cooking seriously, so did I. Then, as now, cans of condensed soup were my constant kitchen companions.

EASY CREAMY CHICKEN CURRY – Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then panfry all sides until lightly brown. Set aside. In the same pan, using the leftover chicken oil and drippings, stir-fry a couple of sliced onions with a tbsp of crushed garlic. Add a tbsp of curry powder and quickly mix, watching carefully to prevent curry powder from burning and turning bitter.

Carefully stir in a cup of stock or water, scraping the brown bits sticking to the bottom and sides of the pan. Return fried chicken to the pan with all its drippings.

Simmer, covered, for 15-25 minutes depending on size of the chicken pieces. Add 1 can of condensed cream of mushroom soup and stir well to remove lumps. Season with salt and pepper and fresh chili peppers, if desired.

Serve topped with fried potato wedges. Surround the curry bowl with sidings of chopped tomatoes, minced onions, raisins, sliced hard boiled eggs, chutney, sliced chili peppers, fresh grated coconut and sour cream.

SHORTCUT LASAGNA – In an oven-proof baking tray or pan, arrange boiled lasagna sheets with alternating layers of tomato-based sauce, diluted cream of mushroom soup, fried onions, tomatoes (add fried zucchini if available) and sliced boiled eggs. Sprinkle one or several types of grated cheese between pasta layers. End with a top surface of cheese. Bake until bubbly.

EGGPLANT PARMESAN – Roast or grill eggplant slices. Use instead of pasta sheets in the recipe for Lasagna. When eggplants are aplenty, I stock up by boiling a big pot of whole eggplants, peel them and pack them in the freezer in small plastic bags, to bake or make into omelets later.

GROOVY GRAVY – Gravy is the new catsup. Filipinos have discovered, and fallen madly in love with gravy. This fad has even invaded our home; grandson Kyle prefers gravy over dip and drenches everything with the gooey brown stuff: fried chicken, lechon manok, lechon, grilled liempo, French fries, omelets, fish fillet tempura and fried camote disks.

Traditionally, I would make gravy by browning flour with or without bacon grease or drippings, then whisk in liquid in the form of water (flavored with chicken cubes) or stock.

The amount of liquid would depend on the desired thickness. Cream, or milk, is added last to add richness. Salt and pepper for seasoning, and whisk in a knob of butter or margarine just before serving.

Using canned condensed cream of mushroom soup, the gravy-making process is shortened considerably.

Whisk together in a pot, over medium heat, one can of soup and one cup of water. Heat to simmering and add more liquid as required to achieve desired thickness. Brown the gravy by stirring in a teaspoon of soy sauce. Taste for seasonings; adjust with salt and pepper. Stir in a little butter or margarine before serving.

VEGGIES WITH MUSHROOM SAUCE – My cousin Bettina Jose Manalili in Paranaque developed this new family favorite. Blanch broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus or spinach in boiling water and refresh in cold water. Set aside.

Stir-fry sliced onions in a little oil until light brown and lightly caramelized. Pour in a can of mushroom soup, thin with a little liquid and whisk until lump-free. Add a little butter, salt and pepper to taste. Mix blanched vegetables into the gravy and heat to boiling. Sprinkle with grated cheese, if available. Serve immediately.

Note: Several brands have joined the original Campbell’s and are now sold in supermarkets and grocery stores nationwide. There are even sachets and pouches of powdered instant cream of mushroom soup.

source: mb.com.ph

Next attraction: A sexy Alden Richards?

2012-01-26T06:32:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines – For teen star Alden Richards, being 20 years old means taking on new challenges and making bolder steps with his career. The young actor has recently posed topless for the summer collection of a clothing brand.

In a taped interview with “Unang Hirit” aired Thursday, Richards said he’s “happy” that his first-ever sexy pictorial was a success.

“Sabi nila bibigyan daw nila ako ng billboard pero parang I have to do a topless pictorial for them for summer. Happy. Happy din po ‘yung management din po kasi after the shoot po kailangan may result agad kasi kung hindi maganda hindi po ilababas. Pero satisfied. Satisfied naman po ‘yung management,” he shared.

Alden underwent arduous preparation to ensure he’s fit to bare skin on cam.

“Ay grabe! Sobrang araw-araw sa gym tapos ‘yung diet hangga’t maari ‘wag kumain ng fattening food. Ano ka lang, puro ka lang fish. Tapos puro broccoli na steamed lang, walang kahit ano. No salt. Walang kahit anong pampalasa, calamansi at pepper lang,” explained the 2011 Golden Screen Awards Breakthrough Actor.

Fans of the 2010 Ginoong Laguna can probably start rejoicing because after this project, the public is likely to see a “different” Richards.

“Siguro not to the point na daring. Siguro more on konting sexy. Kasi 20 years old na po ako, ‘eh. Parang graduate na po ako sa tween image so let’s try some new image, parang ‘yung other side of Alden naman,” he enthused.

source: mb.com.ph

World Bank readies $27-B rescue package for some countries

2012-01-26T05:20:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON - The World Bank said Wednesday it was making $27 billion available for countries in central and eastern Europe and Central Asia impacted hard by the eurozone crisis.

The bank said the euro area's ongoing debt crisis was hitting the former Soviet bloc countries hard by cutting trade, finance and worker remittances crucial to their growth.

It said that due to their close links with the eurozone, the countries of central and southeastern Europe face an economic slowdown this year.

The $27 billion will be made available to help them over the next two years, the bank said, to help maintain fiscal balances, continue supporting businesses, and strengthen social safety nets for the people most vulnerable to the downturn.

"While the effects of the Eurozone crisis on the largest economies of Western Europe receive most of the world's attention, the crisis is also hurting people in emerging Eastern European countries, particularly the poorest in central and southeastern Europe," World Bank President Robert Zoellick said. — Agence France Presse

source:gmanetwork.com

Actor James Farentino dies at 73

2012-01-26T04:12:00.001-08:00

LOS ANGELES - Actor James Farentino, who played more than 100 roles in TV, film and on stage, has died at age of 73, a family spokesman said on Wednesday.

Farentino died in a Los Angeles hospital on Tuesday after what the spokesman called a lengthy illness.

Farentino was a regular face in TV series such as "ER", where he played the father of George Clooney's character, in 1996, "Dynasty" and "Melrose Place".

He received an Emmy nomination for his role as disciple Simon Peter in the miniseries "Jesus of Nazareth" and was critically-acclaimed for his performance as Stanley Kowalski in a 1973 Broadway revival of "A Streetcar Named Desire".

Married four times, Farentino became as well known for his life off camera. In 1994, he pleaded no contest to a stalking ex-girlfriend Tina Sinatra, the daughter of singer Frank Sinatra, derailing his acting career.

His most recent acting credit was in the 2006 TV comedy movie "Drive/II".

Farentino's movie roles included comedy "The Pad and How to Use it" for which he received a Golden Globe Award as most promising newcomer in 1967. He also appeared in the 1996 Adam Sandler action caper "Bulletproof" and 1980 sci-fi film "The Final Countdown".

Farentino is survived by his fourth wife Stella and two sons. — Reuters

source:gmanetwork.com

Angry Birds coming to Facebook on Valentine's Day?

2012-01-26T01:08:00.001-08:00

Angry Birds lovers may get their dream date on Valentine's Day, when the lovable video game characters slingshot their way to social networking giant Facebook.

Tech news site Penn-Olson.com reported Thursday (Manila time) Rovio, the maker of the hit game, is planning a big launch in Jakarta on Feb. 14.

"Speaking exclusively to Penn Olson today in Jakarta, Peter Vesterbacka, the ‘Mighty Eagle’ of Rovio, and Henri Holm, the SVP of Rovio Asia, shared the company’s plan to release Angry Birds to more than 800 million people on Facebook. And what’s more, the company is planning its big launch to be held in Jakarta on February 14th. Why Jakarta? Well it’s obvious, Peter says, as Jakarta is the global capital of Facebook. Holding the launch here would be appropriate as it is a major Facebook hub," it said.

Angry Birds slingshot its way to success shortly after its release in 2009, and Rovio has since been busy building the brand.

Penn-Olson said the game has had more than 700 million downloads and may have more than one billion this year.

The success of "Angry Birds" is triggering Rovio's evolution into an entertainment company that will make comics, animations, and even plush toys.

Rovio has also worked with Samsung so Angry Birds will be pre-installed on every new Smart TV and the 2010 and 2011 versions of the TV sets will get an update that will install Angry Birds, Penn-Olson reported.

"Not only that, they are bringing the Angry Birds experience to the next billion by reaching the feature phone market (working together with Nokia on its Asha series). In the near future, Rovio is also working to bring a seamless and connected experience through any platform you play Angry Birds on. For example, if you start playing Angry Birds on your iPad, you can continue your progress on your Samsung TV or on a PC in an internet cafe," it said.

However, it said gamers should not get too carried away with the game on Valentine's Day, lest they risk angry girlfriends.

"We encourage our readers not to get too carried away playing the game that you forget your normal Valentine’s Day responsibilities. Angry Birds are one thing, but angry girlfriends are a different game altogether," it said.

Facebook demonstration

Penn-Olson said Vesterbacka demonstrated the game on Facebook, showing its full screen capability and higher quality animation to maximize the playing experience.

It said Rovio will also introduce new power-ups such as an earthquake or special, bigger, or stronger birds that one can buy for 99 cents or earn while playing the game.

Social gaming

Angry Birds on Facebook will be social, with leaderboards so people can try to beat each other scores by buying power-ups to earn bragging rights.

Rovio also plans to release more games than it did last year, after releasing the Rio and Seasons variants in 2011.

It hinted at making a more localized game with local content, Penn-Olson said.

Recently, Rovio released a Year of the Dragon update to Angry Birds Seasons for the Chinese New Year where it has a new theme, animations - and a swooping dragon as a power-up.

"The team is planning to do something like this in Indonesia, and that’s another part of the reason for the visit here. The forthcoming game will include local content such as Batik, Garuda, or even Komodo so that it has a more local touch filled with Indonesian cultural references," it said.

Intern recruitment at Rovio

Rovio also plans to recruit an intern by holding a game developer competition in Indonesia.

The winner will earn an internship for a month and, in return, contribute to the localized version of Angry Birds. — TJD, GMA News

source:gmanetwork.com

Obama demands fair economy from 'top to bottom'

2012-01-25T02:22:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON DC -- US President Barack Obama Tuesday vowed to build a economy that is just from "top to bottom" in which the rich pay a fair share, as he sketched a populist vision to underpin his reelection campaign.

"We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well, while a growing number of Americans barely get by," Obama said in his State of the Union address 10 months before seeking a second term.

"Or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules," he said.

The president, speaking firmly and at times in a defiant tone, said the "defining issue" of our time was how to safeguard the basic "American promise" that hard work could lead to a decent lifestyle.

He mounted a staunch defense of his efforts to revive the economy, which will form the central clash of the presidential election, as Republicans argue he delayed the recovery by wasting stimulus funds and piling up debt.

He said he had created more than three million jobs in less than two years, saved the US auto industry and said American manufacturing, the engine of the economy, was rising again.

"The state of our union is getting stronger, and we've come too far to turn back now," Obama said, delivering a sharp warning to Republicans expected to block almost all of the jobs and recovery plans contained in his speech.

"As long as I'm president, I will work with anyone in this chamber to build on this momentum," said Obama, staring into the ranks of lawmakers packed into the House of Representatives for the showpiece speech.

"But I intend to fight obstruction with action, and I will oppose any effort to return to the very same policies that brought on this economic crisis in the first place," he said to loud cheers from Democrats.

Obama stayed mostly on domestic issues, as expected in an election year, but did refer to several foreign crises -- and touched on the darkening clouds of the nuclear showdown with Iran.

"Let there be no doubt. America is determined to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and I will take no options off the table to achieve that goal," he said.

"But a peaceful resolution of this issue is still possible, and far better, and if Iran changes course, and meets its obligations, it can rejoin the community of nations."

And Obama hailed the killing of Osama bin Laden last year by a US special forces team in a daring raid into Pakistan and his promise kept to end the Iraq war as election year proof of his credentials as commander-in-chief.

Among a sheaf of job creation and economic measures, Obama demanded millionaires pay at least 30 percent tax, tapping into public anger at low rates paid by many millionaires, including his possible Republican general election rival Mitt Romney.

The president also pledged to keep up pressure on China over intellectual property piracy and promised to new measures to combat fraud in the finance industry and the mortgage sector.

But the president's tone on taxes set up an immediate clash with Republicans, given his demand for higher taxes for the wealthy.

"Millions of Americans who work hard and play by the rules every day deserve a government and a financial system that does the same," Obama said before millions of television viewers in a speech punctured by multiple standing ovations.

"It’s time to apply the same rules from top to bottom: no bailouts, no handouts, and no copouts. An America built to last insists on responsibility from everybody."

Obama's vision ran into immediate criticism from his Republican foes, including those who seek to consign him to the ignominy of a one-term presidency in November's election.

In a new advertisement, Romney, who earlier said Obama's State of the Union must be his last, compared the hope whipped up by the president in 2008 to his actual job performance.

"Three years ago, we measured candidate Obama by his hopeful promises and his slogans. Today President Obama has amassed an actual record of debt, decline and disappointment," Romney said.

And Mitch Daniels, the Indiana governor chosen to give the official Republican response to Obama's address, accused the president of adopting divisive election year tactics.

"No feature of the Obama presidency has been sadder than its constant efforts to divide us, to curry favor with some Americans by castigating others," Daniels said, according to excerpts of his speech.

"If we fail to shift to a pro-jobs, pro-growth economic policy, there will never be enough public revenue to pay for our safety net, national security, or whatever size government we decide to have."

source: interaksyon.com

Focus group suggests State of the Union speech was well-received

2012-01-25T00:48:00.000-08:00

As President Obama delivered his State of the Union speech Tuesday night, a group of 50 swing voters armed with dial meters recorded strongly favorable reactions to his proposals on taxes, renewable energy, overcoming partisan divisions and defending the middle class, according to the pollsters who supervised the study.

The group, made up of Democrats, Republicans and independents, including both McCain and Obama voters from 2008, gave the president significantly higher marks after the speech than before on whether he will stand up for the middle class, whether he can be trusted on energy policy and on measures of empathy, such as whether he shares voters’ values and “makes me hopeful,” said Democratic pollster Stanley Greenberg.

Such focus group reactions are “greater than what you see in real life” because people assembled in a conference room and instructed to watch a speech pay considerably more attention than the average viewer, noted Greenberg, who has conducted such studies for each State of the Union speech dating back to the Bill Clinton administration. Still, the reactions provide a rough gauge of the speech’s overall impact, he said.

“The most surprising” aspect of the reaction was “the lack of polarization” among the voters, he added. The speech has provoked a highly partisan reaction in Washington, but among the swing voters in the study, “the Democratic, Republican and independent lines” from the dial meters “tracked through most of the speech,” Greenberg said. “He captured people broadly.”

Not surprisingly, the moment in the speech that brought the most positive reaction was Obama’s mention of the death of Osama bin Laden. It drew an average reading of 80 on the 0-100 scale used by the meters. Obama’s call for more investment in renewable energy drew nearly as strong a reaction, however, said Andrew Baumann, another of the pollsters who conducted the study. The passages of the speech that talked about phasing out subsidies for oil companies and competing with China and Germany for new developments in wind power and solar energy did particularly well.

Not all the marks were positive. Although the voters reacted well to the speech, they remained skeptical that Obama would be able to achieve the goals he set out. When the speech ended, just under half said he was offering “realistic” proposals while about 60% said he would probably not be able to get his proposals accomplished. Both measures were slightly better than before the speech, but reflected voters’ doubts about Obama’s ability to break through Washington’s gridlock. And although the speech moved Obama’s overall job approval upward among the voters studied, the shift was small, from 50% favorable to 58%.

source: latimes.com

Newcomer Gina Rodriguez wows Sundance as 'Filly Brown'

2012-01-25T00:11:00.000-08:00

PARK CITY, Utah - Gina Rodriguez may have arrived at the Sundance Film Festival as a complete unknown, but the 27-year Puerto Rican is leaving it an indie film star.

Rodriguez became the toast of the Sundance Film Festival's opening weekend playing the title character in new movie "Filly Brown," about a young Latina rapper struggling to keep her family together after her mom is jailed on drug charges.

When Filly gets a crack at musical stardom, she must make a choice between staying true to her poetic lyrics or accepting a deal that focuses on her sexuality but guarantees a paycheck.

Under the tutelage of Latin hip-hop record veterans Lisa "Khool-Aid" Rios and Edward "E-Dub" Rios, who served as the film's music producers, Rodriguez was so convincing as a singer that in a question-and-answer session after the film's premiere, audience members asked where they could buy her music.

The Hollywood Reporter said Rodriguez delivered a "magnetic star turn" and a "dynamic breakout performance" in a film where her screen time is split between churning out dramatic acting and rapping numerous hip-hop numbers.

With reactions and reviews like that, there can be little doubt that "Filly Brown" marks a career-making performance for Rodriguez, who last year appeared on TV soap opera "The Bold and the Beautiful" and in a supporting role in the film "Go For It!"

She told Reuters that playing Filly Brown was amazing opportunity to portray a character with whom she could identify.

"It's a powerful Latina lead, and seldom do I get the opportunity to audition for something like that," said Rodriguez. "Filly is tough, or least she uses the toughness to hide her pain sometimes, and I think we all do that."

"Filly had a dream, and she didn't know how to go about doing it and she didn't really have help," Rodriguez said. "I can understand that."

From Chicago to Sundance

Born and raised in an inner city neighborhood of Chicago, Rodriguez "came from nothing" as the youngest of three sisters of Puerto Rican immigrants who stressed education with their daughters. Heeding that advice, Rodriguez's older sisters went on to become an investment banker and a lawyer, but Rodriguez wanted to act, much to her father's dismay.

She studied at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and worked in theater before booking her first guest-starring role on TV crime show "Law & Order." But it was her father seeing her play Mexican artist Frida Kahlo in an American Stage production of "Casa Blue" that served as a turning point for the young actress.

"He turned to me and said he was proud," said Rodriguez, her eyes tearing up. "Having him accept what I did, that was my big break. It's so important to me to make my father and mother proud. And I want to do it with integrity and respect."

With buzz building, she already has secured a talent development deal at the ABC television network and is plotting to work on a movie where she'd play a female boxer.

Additionally, now that she's a legitimate music artist thanks to the songs she recorded in "Filly Brown," Rodriguez is not averse to pursuing a music career.

"I've always had an alter ego; I sing in the shower like everybody else does," she laughed.

She is spending time in a recording studio with Khool-Aid and E-Dub, both of whom helped Rodriguez find her voice and introduced her to Latino hip-hop and artists and others.

But even as movie and music executives come knocking at her with the riches promised by stardom, Rodriguez wants to use any new fame to be a role model for young Latina girls.

"I want to give a voice to these girls in the 'hood where I grew up and let them know that you can be an investment banker, or a doctor, and we can portray that on screen," said Rodriguez.

"Any dream you have takes hard work, doesn't happen over night and you shouldn't be afraid of that," she said. "If you put your heart and soul into it, and you do it with honesty and integrity and respect, you will succeed. I am a testament to that." — Reuters

source:gmanetwork.com

KC Concepcion's sexy magazine cover wows Pinoy netizens

2012-01-24T07:06:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines -- Revenge is definitely best served cold for singer-TV host KC Concepcion, whose sexy cover photo for a local men's magazine title wowed men and women alike as it made the rounds of social networking sites on Tuesday.

But Concepcion's sexy unraveling on Rogue's February issue took a brief backseat in the cover laced with more contemptuous symbolisms: the snake constricted on her wrists, her white dress -- or the little that was left of it, and the disembodied head of a statue that she is gripping tightly by the locks.

The cover also teases with the blurb: "That can be on the record...," suggesting what could be a controversial tell-all that could equal her infamous TV interview in late November.

Pinoy netizens said they could not wait to get their hands on a copy of the magazine. "Uber hot cover @kc_concepcion on @rogueonline just when I thought george's anne's couldn't be topped! All fab&deserving of slow claps! Bravo!" said user Pam Begre.

"Grabe! Super sexy ka talaga sa Rouge mag @kc_concepcion Clap! Clap! The NEW YOU!!!" said user Lui Andrada.

Concepcion, daughter of Kapatid star Sharon Cuneta, called it quits with erstwhile boyfriend, actor Piolo Pascual, in November after being together for a full year. Concepcion, however, refused to disclose to the media the real reasons behind the split.

source: interaksyon.com

Brain scans spot early signs of dyslexia

2012-01-24T02:45:00.000-08:00

CHICAGO - Instead of waiting for a child to experience reading delays, scientists now say they can identify the reading problem even before children start school, long before they become labeled as poor students and begin to lose confidence in themselves.

Although typically diagnosed during the second or third grade of school—around age 7 or 8—a team from Children's Hospital Boston said they could see signs of the disease on brain scans in children as early as 4 and 5, a time when studies show children are best able to respond to interventions.

"We call it the dyslexia paradox," said Nadine Gaab of the Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience at Children's, whose study was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Gaab said most children are not diagnosed until third grade, but interventions work best in younger children, hopefully before they begin to learn to read.

"Often, by the time they get a diagnosis, they usually have experienced three years of peers telling them they are stupid, parents telling them they are lazy. We know they have reduced self esteem. They are really struggling," Gaab said in a telephone interview.

Her study builds on an emerging understanding of dyslexia as a problem with recognizing and manipulating the individual sounds that form language, which is known as phonological processing.

In order to read, children must map the sounds of spoken language onto specific letters that make up words. Children with dyslexia struggle with this mapping process.

"The beauty is spoken language can present before written language so people can look for symptoms," said Dr. Sally Shaywitz, a director of the Center for Dyslexia and Creativity at Yale University.

Signs of early dyslexia might include difficulty with rhyming, mispronouncing words or confusing similar-sounding words.

"Those are all very early symptoms," Shaywitz said.

Dyslexia affects roughly 5 percent to 17 percent of all children and up to 1 in 2 children with a family history of the disorder will struggle with reading, have poor spelling and experience difficulty decoding words.

In her study, Gaab and colleagues scanned the brains of 36 preschool children while they did a number of tasks, such as trying to decide if two words start with the same sound.

They found that during these tasks, children who had a family history of dyslexia had less brain activity in certain regions of the brain than did children of similar ages, intelligence and socioeconomic status.

Older children and adults with dyslexia have dysfunction in these same areas of the brain, which include the junctions between the occipital and temporal lobes and the temporal and parietal lobes in the back of the brain.

Gaab said the study shows that when children predisposed to dyslexia did these tasks, their brains did not use the area typically used for processing this information. This problem occurred even before the children started learning to read.

"The important point of this paper is it shows the need to look for signs of dyslexia earlier," said April Benasich, director of the Carter Center for Neurocognitive Research at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, who was not part of the study.

Benasich studies language processing in even younger children—babies who have a family history of learning disorders.

"There is evidence to suggest that what is thought to be reading failure is there before the kids fail," she said.

Gaab said her study is too small to form the basis of any test for dyslexia but her team has just won a grant from the National Institutes of Health to do a larger study.

Ultimately, she hopes parents will be able to go to their pediatrician and ask for their child to be assessed.

"Families often know that their child has dyslexia as early as kindergarten, but they can't get interventions at their schools," she said in a statement.

"If we can show that we can identify these kids early, schools may be encouraged to develop programs," she said. –Reuters

source:gmanetwork.com

Katy Perry kissed a Pinoy and she liked it

2012-01-24T00:38:00.000-08:00

American singer-songwriter Katy Perry promised to deliver fireworks and she did just that in her jam-packed concert at the SM Mall of Asia concert grounds Sunday evening.

Perry is in town to promote her new fragrance line Purr and as part of her "California Dreams" concert tour. Earlier, Perry tweeted: "I am so excited to PEACOCK in front of 25,000 Filipinos tonight singing every word, lil girls dreams do come true!"

Perry didn't fail her followers as she made her flashy costume changes and sang all her hit songs as the enthusiastic audience danced and sang along with her. The singer sang "Firework" wearing nothing more than a white maillot with colorful bulbs that lighted up.

At one point, Perry asked a hunky male fan to come up on stage and she surprised him with a kiss on the cheeks. Perry teased her, "I want to make your dream come true because obviously you haven’t kissed a pop star, have you?"

Perry was in a playful mood and even pinched the man’s nipple. The lucky guy turned out to be Ivan Dorschner, 21, a TV host, model, and former housemate of the reality show, Pinoy Big Brother. Dorschner took off his shirt for the kiss. Dorschner even got to kiss back Perry on the cheeks.

In her previous concert in Indonesia, Perry also kissed another guy. Though fans are now arguing on Twitter and Facebook whether the act was staged or not, what was very certain last night was that the audience screamed with delight as a very game Perry thrilled the crowd. Photos and videos of the kiss immediately went viral.

Perry's kissing Dorschner was also picked up by Mail Online, the website of The Daily Mail, a newspaper in the United Kingdom. In the article, the writer questioned whether the newly single 27-year-old singer pulled the act just to make her ex-husband, English comedian and actor Russell Brand, jealous. But the website also cited sources saying that Perry was reportedly just so happy to work again and be half a world away from Brand whom the singer unfollowed on Twitter recently.

After the concert, Perry thanked the Filipino audience for the successful show through her Twitter account: "Thanks for an AMAZING FINAL CDT date Manila! Sorry to keep u waiting earlier…had to solve a security issue, but THE SHOW WENT SPLENDIDLY!"

source: interaksyon.com

RIM and BlackBerry on the edge under new CEO

2012-01-23T14:13:00.000-08:00

TORONTO/LONDON — The new leader at Research In Motion said on Monday the BlackBerry maker did not need seismic change, a declaration seized on by impatient investors who pledge Thorsten Heins will be an interim CEO if he does not turn RIM around in 12 to 18 months.

Takeover talk swirled around RIM as Heins took the helm at the struggling company, whose co-CEOs Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie finally bowed to investor pressure and resigned on Saturday.

In a conference call early Monday morning, Heins, who joined RIM in 2007 and was previously a chief operating officer there, said he would focus on a consumer push and a smooth delivery of its products, rather than allowing a churn of innovation to disrupt rollout, as in the past.

"We innovated while we were developing the product and that needs to stop," Heins said. "We need to innovate, don't get me wrong, but... when we say a product is defined and a product is a product, execution has to be really, really precise."

Still, the former Siemens AG executive hinted he would stick to the current strategy, saying the company needed scaling up, not a dramatic transformation. Lazaridis and Balsillie also gave up their position as co-chairman of the RIM board, but retained seats on the board, suggesting continuity was a goal.

"I don't think that there is some drastic change needed. We are evolving... But this is not a seismic change," Heins said.

The changes at the top of RIM did little to reassure investors. RIM's US-listed shares fell 6.4 percent to $15.90 in early trade on Monday.

Key shareholders and analysts alike signaled they are impatient for drastic improvement at a company that has lost market share and market value after being comprehensively outplayed by the likes of Apple and Google.

"If Thorsten really believes that there are no changes to be made, he will be gone within 15 to 18 months. He will be a transitional CEO and this will be a transitional board," said Jaguar CEO Vic Alboini, who leads an informal group of 16 RIM shareholders holding just under 10 percent of the company's shares.

Alboini criticized the retention of Balsillie and Lazaridis on RIM's board and called for several other board members to step down before the company's mid-year annual meeting.

"If we're wrong, prove us wrong," Alboini said in an interview, referring to the group of shareholders who support his view. "This group is not going anywhere. This is just putting RIM in a position where it might be able to get back into the game. It's early days."

RIM looks badly in need of a leader that can rejuvenate both the design and operational sides of the business or prepare it for sale to one of a raft of rumored buyers, its critics said.

"If there are no meaningful signs of an imminent turnaround then I think the spotlight will turn back on to the assets that RIM holds and who they might be attractive to," CCS Insight analyst Ben Wood told Reuters.

"The annual analyst event in May will now become the focal point to the unveiling of Thorsten's vision. We know the speed with which you make strategic changes and implement them is absolutely critical because the mobile phone business will not stand still."

On the surface, the former Siemens AG executive appeared to suggest he would stick to the current strategy, but analysts expect that to change in the coming months.

RIM's existing product lineup has struggled to compete with Apple's iPhone and iPad and the slew of large-screen and powerful devices from Samsung and other manufacturers using Google's Android operating system.

US woes

First on the agenda will be a need to improve execution, with a particular focus in North America where RIM has hemorrhaged market share after a year marked by product delays and a botched launch of its PlayBook tablet.

"It takes nine months for a product to get to market once you have thought about what you want to do," Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi told Reuters. "They are looking at least a year from a transitional perspective.

"Picking Thorsten is a sign that they haven't quite decided that (a sale is what) they want to do, so they might give it yet another shot at looking at the business and trying to come back."

As the window for a turnaround closes, the clamor from shareholders for the company to license its technology to third parties or even sell the business has got louder.

"RIM's Achilles heel is its hardware focus," said Victor Basta, managing director at Magister Advisors.

"IBM is a very rare exception to the rule, but it took them a decade to transition from a hardware to a software focus. RIM does not have the luxury of a decade."

Investors have seized on any rumor of a deal, whether with Amazon as reported by Reuters in December or with Samsung last week, as reason to celebrate.

Nokia in the frame

Analysts have said that logical buyers for RIM also include fellow-struggler Nokia, perhaps with support from Microsoft, and Facebook which is increasingly pushing its content to users via their mobile phones.

If there is no obvious buyer, Heins does have more immediate options to add value to the business.

Heins says his most immediate concern was to sell RIM's current lineup of BlackBerry 7 touchscreen devices, deliver on a promised software upgrade for its PlayBook tablet computer by February, and rally RIM's troops to launch the next-generation BlackBerry 10 phones later this year.

Longer term, RIM could license its software or integrate its email package, a strategy that many analysts and investors have thought the company might pursue. Heins, formerly one of RIM's chief operating officers, said it would be wrong to focus on that option but he is still open to discussions.

The two men who Heins replaces together built Lazaridis' 1985 start-up into a global business. Both men, also two of RIM's three largest shareholders with more than 5 percent each, will remain board members while Lazaridis will stay on as the head of a newly created innovation committee.

"RIM have had big challenges in the past and they succeeded in moving from a corporate product to be also a consumer product, to get a foot in the consumer market and very few people expected them to do that," consultant John Strand said.

"Now they have to reinvent themselves again." — Reuters

source:gmanetwork.com

Rachel Grant: Beyond Being a Bond Girl (First of three parts)

2012-01-23T07:48:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines — While we all got starstruck with The Bourne Legacy’s Rachel Weisz, the real-life leading lady of Skyfall’s Daniel Craig, we grabbed the chance to talk to another Rachel – Rachel Louise Grant de Longueuil – who was also here recently.

Internationally known as –Rachel Grant – this former Miss Hawaiian Tropic and Miss Great Britain finalist, by the way, is half-Filipino. Her mom, Isabel Padua, is a Spanish mestiza whose pedigree is distantly related to such actors as Alicia and Ace Vergel and Alma Moreno as well as singers like Joanne Lorenzana and Martin Nievera. According to Rachel, her maternal great-grandfather who was a doctor was one of the pioneers of the World Health Organization (WHO) regional office in Southeast Asia. Her dad, on the other hand, is Michael Charles Grant – the 12th Baron de Longueuil – and her granddad is Baron Raymond De Longueuil – second cousin to Queen Elizabeth II of England – whose mother was Lady Ernestine Maude Bowes-Lyon.

Supposedly baptized “Phoenix,” she was born prematurely when in 1977, a fire that gutted her grandparents' home where her parents were vacationing forced her mom to give birth. Within the month of her arrival to their newfound home in the Philippines, a typhoon caused a flood that would drive them back to England. Her sisters Angela, born in 1974, is now an international model/ballet teacher and Rebecca, born in 1981, is also a famous actress like her. All three of them – beautiful, brainy and be-medalled – used to perform regularly around the United Kingdom at dance and drama festivals and competitions as well as numerous charitable events, notably the Royal Society of the Blind. Third cousin to Princes William and Harry, Rachel was raised in England where she studied drama in London. But she remains very Asian. In fact, her hobbies include martial arts, origami, sushi, and weaponry – from nun-chakus to the single sword.

However, it was television that gave her the big break. She, as hot warped Nina, hosted the highest-rating horror-show Sci-Fright in 1999 that led her to doing different commercials for Galaxy Chocolate, Lynx Pulse, Carlsberg Lager, Anadin Tablets, Bank of Bangkok, Gouda Cheese, Vics Menthols, to name a few. Eventually, having the same height and measurement as Angelina Jolie, 5’8” Rachel – who took up Kali under Grandmaster Dan Inosanto – became the body double for Lara Croft: Tomb Raider in 2001.

And would you believe Rachel’s first-ever feature film appearance was in Pierce Brosnan’s fourth and final turn as James Bond in Die Another Day in 2002?

In 2003, she popularized in Sky One series Brainiac: Science Abuse the character of Professor Myang Li! Later, she was able to play “Li” in The Purifiers (2004) with Dominic Monaghan, “Jill” in Brotherhood of Blood (2006) with Sean Connery’s son Jason; “Maria Ronson” in Until Death (2007) with Jean Claude Van Damme; and “Lina Sofia” in The Tournament (2009) with Robert Carlyle. Then, she appeared in the critically acclaimed short film Red Princess Blues, where she bagged the Best Actress and Best fight awards at the 2010 Shockfest Film Festival in Los Angeles, where is now based.

Aside from being Cathay Pacific’s regular art and travel host on inflight entertainment, Rachel, who has reached more than 35 countries, can still find time to write for magazines namely – Travelife, Monday and Only The Good – where she, as a photographer too, has a column called Rachel Writes.

We can also find her, not only inside, but on the cover of such leading magazines as Martial Arts Illustrated (2011) and Inside Kung Fu (2010). After she, being a sports lover with an IQ of 140, won the Tour of the Hamptons Car Rally trivial pursuit contest – she also won the hearts of every Filipino when she served as one of the Miss Earth judges. While in the Philippines, she helped poor farmers and the underprivileged – as both the Global Ambassador to Human Nature and supporter of the United Nations-recognized Gawad Kalinga. Back in London, where she grew up in the legendary Robin Hood city of Nottingham, she launched Breast Cancer Awareness Month twice, aside from aiding the Cancer Research UK, World Society for the Protection of Animals, SPARKS Sports Aiding Medical Research for Kids, the ban-bear-farms campaign, among others.

Today, as we celebrate Chinese New Year, let us listen to the humanitarian Rachel who assumed the role of a Dragon Lady posing as a masseuse named Peaceful Fountains of Desire, the Bond Girl with a record-breaking long name.

And, by the way, as we also commemorate the 50th anniversary of Agent 007, allow us to announce that for that particular part, Rachel was ranked #6 by M16, or The Home of James Bond, as the Most Popular Bond Girls of all time, with Halle Berry (#5), Cecilie Thomsen (#4), Cassandra Harris (#3), Caroline Munro (#2) and Caterina Murino (#1).

Vim Nadera: Your dad is a great doctor, hypnotist and nobleman, and you end up as a versatile artist. Is your Filipina mom’s DNA responsible it?

Rachel Grant: My mother’s family is composed of several pianists and opera singers, as well as academics. My childhood involved many lessons in piano, singing and dancing. Filipinos are known to be naturally gifted in music and dance. My father is tone deaf and does not dance. So yes, I would say so!

(To be concluded)

source: mb.com.ph

A fallback for unemployed nurses

2012-01-23T03:16:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines — To ease the unemployment woes of nursing graduates, a Quezon City councilor has filed a resolution that will include entrepreneurial subjects in the nursing curriculum.

Fourth District Councilor Jessica Castelo Daza said her proposal was meant to provide a fallback for nurses in case they land jobs outside of their nursing courses.

Under Resolution 5381, the Quezon City government will have to address the ballooning problem of unemployment of new nursing graduates by urging the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) to add entrepreneurial subjects in the course to help nursing graduates to venture into other fields in case of the unavailability of nursing jobs.

The never-ending story of what the nursing profession can offer to those who wanted to be successful in life is one of the reasons why the country produces an oversupply of nursing graduates who end up unemployed.

According to Daza, the majority of the nursing graduates fail to find employment in their preferred profession and finding the opportunity to have jobs related to their chosen career has become part of their efforts to survive after graduation.

It is a common knowledge, according to Daza, that nursing job opportunities in the country are scarce, hence, most of nursing graduates opted to work abroad as caregivers, dental assistants, nursing aides, or become part of the unemployment statistics.

Daza wants the city’s nursing graduates to be successful entrepreneurs but they will have to prepare for it while in the nursing schools.

There are more than 450 nursing schools in the country that produce hundreds of thousands of nursing graduates annually.

Most of the nursing graduates, even those who passed the board examinations, have remained unemployed due to the decreasing demand for the profession.

source: mb.com.ph

Shalani, Roman say 'forever' in simple, elegant rites

2012-01-23T02:32:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines – (Update2: 10:30 PM) – He waited 44 years, but when the right girl came along, they didn’t take long to decide on “forever.”

In simple but elegant rites at St. Benedict Church in Ayala Westgrove in Silang, Cavite, Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo and TV5 host and Valenzuela councilor Shalani Soledad tied the knot early Sunday evening.

Though simple, all details of the wedding were done so tastefully that it was billed, both because of the couple’s power status and the VIP list of sponsors and guests, as the wedding of the year.

As picture-perfect as the church set-up was the “dreamland” ambience in the reception site, at the Nuvali dockside in nearby Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

Soledad, as expected, exuded a luminous beauty in an Inno Sotto gown. She arrived at the church a little past 5 with her mother Evelyn San Ramon. An uncle, Mon Soledad, walked her down the aisle.

Romulo's parents, former Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo and wife Lovely, looked quite excited as they arrived earlier in church.

Dreamland reception

A veritable dream land: that’s how guests described the peaceful and beautiful reception site.

Everything about the preparation was simple yet regal and tasteful, with touches of the color motif of beige and violet. From the table centerpiece to the smallest flower detail on the side, everything was picture-perfect, in keeping with the personalities of the power couple.

The chef and organizer of the reception whipped up a “Filipino with a twist” 4-course meal for the sit-down dinner.

The course included: salmon with romaine lettuce, garlic and herb croutons and spicy longanisa, chicken binakol soup with spinach from Baguio.

The main course was roast angus rib eye with bistek Tagalog sauce.

For dessert, VIP guests were treated to queso de bola cheesecake.

Spectacular cake, fireworks display

The spectacular 5-layer banana walnut fondant cake---described as shining, shimmering, splendid with its swarovski crystals---was a scene stealer.

And in a manner of “killing two birds with one stone,” the newly-weds and guests ushered in the Chinese New Year with a grand fireworks display.

And, because the bride falls for dirty ice cream, a dirty ice cream stand was set up for people to gather around while awaiting the newlyweds.

Happily ever after for charming Kapatid host

Feng shui experts believe that to be married on Chinese New Year’s Eve, today, is auspicious. And those who’ve been watching Valenzuela councilor and TV personality Shalani’s romantic life are wishing that it’s happily ever after for the charming Kapatid co-host of “Wil Time Big Time.”

Shalani, 31, and Roman, 44, were engaged in September last year.

Earlier this month, the couple had expressed their desire to keep the celebration as simple and private as possible, only among family members and their closest friends. The couple, however, has allowed a select list of media members from print and broadcast to cover the wedding.

Power cast of sponsors

The couple’s entourage included 22 principal wedding sponsors and 21 flower girls. Among them are TV5 Chairman Manny V. Pangilinan, Bench founder Ben Chan, San Miguel president and CEO Ramon Ang, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, former Las Piñas Representative Cynthia Villar, Amb. Antonio Cabangon Chua and Senator Ping Lacson.

Fortune General Insurance chairman and CEO J. Antonio Cabangon was Roman’s Best Man. The Matron of Honor is Shalani’s childhood friend Joy Marie Castellvi. The list of groomsmen includes Rep. Rudy Fariñas and Rep. Anton Lagdameo, husband of actress Dawn Zulueta. Among the bridesmaids are Catherine May Hervas, Annaliza Jacinto, and Diamond Villar.

For offerers, the couple asked good friends Marikina Mayor Del de Guzman and Representative Toby Tiangco to do that part.

Representative Lucy Torres-Gomez and broadcaster Karen Davila were tapped as readers during the Mass.

Topnotch wedding suppliers made sure Shalani got her dream wedding. Celebrity chef Florabel Co prepared the sit-down dinner for 700 guests.

Marichelle Ligon of Bride’s Maid & Co. was tapped as wedding coordinator. Award-winning bakers Penk Ching and Shen Ratilla created an elegant wedding cake based on Shalani’s Inno Sotto gown, which consists of a 17-layer tulle skirt and a bit of sparkle.

Events stylist Zenas Pineda created an all-white setting of casablancas and roses at the church while the reception followed the lilac and green motif, with flowers like lilacs, hyacinths, and cabbage roses as part of the table arrangements.

For the couple’s giveaways, Roman’s parents provided St. Benedict medallions blessed by His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI.

source: interaksyon.com

Historic exhibit on Fil-Am presence in US to be held at a university in NY

2012-01-22T03:45:00.000-08:00

The centuries-long presence and contributions of Filipinos in American Society will be celebrated in an exhibit at the Stony Brook University in New York next month.

Titled “Singgalot—The Ties that Bind: Filipinos in America from Colonial Subjects to Citizens,” the free two-month “historic traveling exhibit” will showcase the place of Filipino Americans in the US through rare images and trivia.

The exhibit will highlight “the tenuous political relationship between the United States and the Philippines” from as early as the 1500s, and will follow through the beginnings of the Filipino-American communities in Louisiana in the 1600s and the participation of Filipinos that fought for the US Army during the Second World War.

“[It] will feature rarely seen historical image of Filipino migration between 1906 and 1935 as workers at Hawaii sugar plantations, West Coast farms, and Alaskan canneries,” the news site Filipino Reporter said.

Last December, US First Lady Michelle Obama named the Historic Filipinotown in Los Angeles, California as one of the five new Preserve America communities in the country, a part of the “federal initiative that encourages community efforts to preserve cultural and natural heritage.”

Historic Filipinotown is a newly created district in the southwest portion of Echo Park in Los Angeles, via a resolution proposed by city council member Eric Garcetti in 2002.

The Filipino community is considered one of the largest and influential ethnic groups in the US. According to the 2010 US Census, there are more than 2.5 million Filipinos there, with the largest concentrations in the states of California (nearly 1.2 million), Hawaii (more than 197, 000), and Illinois (around 114, 000).

Developed by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program in cooperation with a number of organizations, “Singgalot” will be open to the public from February 12 to April 22 at the Charles B. Wang Center, Room 201 in Stony Brook.

There will also be a community opening program on March 3 at 3 p.m., followed by a campus opening reception on March 8 at 6 p.m. — ELR, GMA News

source:gmanetwork.com

Last-minute shoppers crowd Chinatown on eve of Chinese New Year

2012-01-22T01:36:00.000-08:00

Last-minute shoppers and groups making preparations for programs crowded Manila's Chinatown district on the eve of the Chinese New Year.

Since Saturday afternoon, several roads in Chinatown were closed to traffic as a stage was set up along Ongpin Street for a Chinese New Year program.

A buyer along Ongpin Street in Chinatown looks at the fruits being sold by vendors on the eve of the Chinese New Year. The streets of Chinatown were crowded Sunday with last-minute shoppers. GMA News
Many shoppers crowded the streets to buy lucky charms and food items from vendors who set up shop along Ongpin Street.

Near the Binondo Church area, vendors set up tents where food and charms were sold. Some of the booths featured groups that asked for donations for the less fortunate.

On the other hand, some politicians took advantage of the occasion, having their supporters wear shirts bearing their names.

In the case of one local politician, a pickup with a tarpaulin bearing his name and "greetings" went around the streets of Chinatown.

The Chinatown district has been in a festive mood since Friday, as Filipinos and Chinese there prepared to welcome the New Year. — LBG, GMA News

source:gmanetwork.com

Be part of Katy Perry's video diary

2012-01-21T07:38:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines – Katy Perry has just issued an invitation.

Not only is the pop superstar performing once again in Manila on Sunday, Jan. 22, she is also asking her Pinoy fans to interact with their fellow Katy Cats in the country by being part of her “California Dreams” tour diary.

On the Tour Dates page of her official website, www.katyperry.com, under the Tour Diary tag, it says: “Want to help Katy remember all of the amazing places she visits around the world? Share your photos, videos, comments, and tweets with fellow fans in your city…”

Perhaps the very welcoming Filipino audience could help Katy remember how much more fun is to be in the Philippines. According to a press release, when fans share their videos on YouTube with the hashtag #ManilaDreams, their videos would also appear on Katy Perry’s official YouTube channel—and perhaps elicit a comment or a shout out from Katy herself! Videos have also been uploaded by other fans from several cities throughout the tour.

Aside from her numerous hits singles, Katy Perry is a bona fide new media darling. She has over 37 million Facebook fans and over 13 million Twitter followers. Her Vevo YouTube channel also has over 730 million video views and over 1million subscribers! As such, the Manila leg of her tour is made possible by the country’s number one telecommunications giant, Smart Communications, which touts itself as a trendsetter in utilizing social media to promote its concerts, Katy’s “California Dreams” tour included.

Katy likewise underscores her being a trendsetting social media powerhouse with her People’s Choice Award-winning music video for “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.).” Aside from hot celebrities doing a cameo for the video, Katy’s music video alter ego, Kathy Beth Terry, has followed her footsteps as an Internet sensation—Kathy Beth apparently has her own Facebook and Twitter accounts as well.

Katy’s “California Dreams” Tour has already broken records as one of the top 50 tours in the world, and has even won an MTV EMA award for Best Live Act. It also earned her a nomination as Favorite Tour Headliner in the People’s Choice Awards 2012.

Kicking off in 2011, it has a total of 122 shows all over Europe, Australia, Japan, South America and North America. For 2012, Manila is one of the only two Asian stops—the other one being Indonesia on Jan. 19—and as per reports, the tour wraps up here in the Philippines.

For her fans, the “Firework” singer, promises the show would be a spectacle that would “engage all of your senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, touch.” So, Pinoy fans can naturally expect a visual and aural feast for which Katy has come to be known, an all-around vibrant and fun experience and perhaps a giant sing-along to boot!

Kick start your 2012 with your candy dreams and catch Katy Perry’s California Dreams Tour LIVE IN Manila, presented by SMART, on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012 at the SM Mall of Asia concert grounds.

source: mb.com.ph

BPO players set UK roadshow

2012-01-21T03:36:00.000-08:00

CEBU CITY, Cebu, Philippines – To maintain Cebu’s strong competitive advantage in the global business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, industry players here are set to conduct a roadshow in the United Kingdom (UK) to present Cebu as an investment destination.

Joel Mari Yu, managing director of the Cebu Investment and Promotions Center bared they will be partnering with the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) for the roadshow scheduled mid-2012.

“It is only logical to target the UK for its potential investors because it is the only English-speaking country in the Eurozone,” Yu said.

According to Yu, BPO stakeholders here are now tapping other markets apart from the United States following the submission of a bill pending in the US Congress that seeks to discourage US-based companies from outsourcing.

US House Bill 3596 or the Call Center and Consumers Protection Bill discourages outsourcing by making those that outsource ineligible for federal grants and loans for five years.

The said Bill states that companies must be required to disclose physical location of agents in customer service and allows the option to be transferred to a local agent. Companies failing to report overseas locations risk paying a penalty of $10,000 a day.

“But there is a bigger untapped market out there apart from the US and the UK is an example of that. It will not be difficult to sell Cebu to UK investors because of our track record in the global BPO industry,” Yu pointed out.

Cebu City has been in Tholons’ top 10 list of outsourcing destination, staying in the ninth spot as an emerged destination for global outsourcing for two years in a row.

Tholons is a strategic advisory firm for global outsourcing and investments.

Yu said part of their strategy to entice more UK companies to outsource here is by naming the big names in the IT industry that have set up their offices in Cebu.
“Nothing sells better than being able to identify who is already here,” he added.

source: mb.com.ph

Jailbreak for iPhone 4S, iPad2 finally out

2012-01-21T01:57:00.000-08:00

After finally cracking the code running Apple's newer mobile devices, developers have released jailbreaks for the iPhone 4S and iPad 2.

Tech site CNET reported the new jailbreaks are for devices running Apple's newer A5 processors, including the iPhone 4S and iPad 2.

It said a dream team of iOS hackers including the iPhone Dev Team, Chronic Dev Team and pod2G have been working to liberate iOS devices built around the more powerful A5 since the "corona untether" jailbreak for A4 devices running iOS5 was released in December.

But CNET also noted the site hosting the jailbreak, greenpois0n.com, was very difficult to access as of Friday.

A check of the site before 7 a.m. Saturday (Manila time) showed the site would time out.

For now, the jailbreak is only available for computers running Mac OS X. A version for computers running Microsoft's Windows will be available soon, according to a couple of the hackers.

Jailbreaking is a process of allowing devices running Apple's iOS to customize the device and access apps not found in the App Store, such as those available on Cydia.

Previously, hackers managed to jailbreak iPhones and iPads running Apple’s A4 processor but could not quite break those running the A5 processor. — TJD, GMA News

source:gmanetwork.com

NFL: Giants' tight end Ballard questionable with knee swelling

2012-01-20T23:25:00.000-08:00

EAST RUTHERFORD—New York Giants tight end Jake Ballard missed practice for Sunday's NFC title game because of swelling in his knee, and several other Giants were limited in training but listed as probable for the showdown in San Francisco against the 49ers.

Ballard was listed as questionable for the clash that will produce the NFC representative in the Super Bowl, while center David Baas (illness), wide receiver Hakeem Nicks (ankle) and running back Ahmad Bradshaw (foot) were considered probable for the game.

"They did a little procedure yesterday and he's got a little swelling," Giants coach Tom Coughlin told reporters about Ballard, declining to divulge anything more other than to say it did not involve surgery.

"He's very important, as they all are. He's had an outstanding year," Coughlin said. "He gives us a big strong body blocking and also has done a very good job of getting open and catching the ball."

Nicks, who caught four touchdown passes in New York's playoff wins over the Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers, turned his ankle during Thursday's practice but it was not considered a serious problem.

"He's got a little basketball ankle that from time to time he rolls, and he did it to a certain extent this afternoon," the coach said. "He doesn't think it's going to be too bad."

Baas missed practice because of a stomach bug. Quarterback Eli Manning quit during practice Wednesday because of a similar complaint, but returned to his regular work routine Thursday.

Coughlin was asked if the team was taking any precautions to keep the sick bug from racing through the team.

"Everybody's wearing masks, everybody's washing their hands, everybody's doing everything they can. Like when your sister came home with whatever and you got it. So there's where we are," joked Coughlin.

Offensive lineman Kevin Boothe was unconcerned about his line-mate.

"The good thing is Eli bounced back quickly. Dave is already starting to feel better so he'll be fine," Boothe said.

Bradshaw's foot problem has been a lingering issue for the Giants, who have routinely limited him in practice to ensure he is ready to go by game time.

The possible loss of Ballard was of greater concern and could have an impact on the Giants' attack, both on the ground and in the air.

"They are vital," Boothe said about the tight ends. "In the run game they're an extra lineman and in the pass game they're an extra receiver. Often the big runs result from their blocks that seal the edge or cut off a man off the edge."

Travis Beckham, who along with Bear Pascoe serve as back-ups to Ballard, said the tight end could be a factor in Sunday's game and that he was ready if needed.

"I think I did a good job when he was out earlier," Beckham said. "I'm sure he'll be back tomorrow, but I'm ready to step in."

"I think there's some holes, some gaps in the defense we saw from the last time we played them" that could be exploited by a pass-receiving tight end, he said. — Reuters

source:gmanetwork.com

PLDT expands control of Digitel to 98%

2012-01-20T02:58:00.000-08:00

Minority shareholders of Digital Telecommunications Phils Inc. (Digitel) have accepted the tender offer of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company and paved the way for PLDT to “own 10,165 million common shares or 98 percent of the enlarged capital base of Digitel."

PLDT revealed the results of its tender offer in a news release Thursday. The telecom giant said it will spend P600 million in cash to buy 13 percent of the minority Digitel shares.

It will also exchange 1.6 million PLDT common shares—valued at P2,500 per share—for 2.5 billion Digitel shares.

Digitel shareholders residing outside the country will be paid only in cash.

“The tendered shares are to be crossed in the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) on 24 January 2012 and settlement of both cash and share transactions will be on 27 January 2012,” PLDT said.

Delisting of Digitel from the PSE would soon follow now that Digitel public ownership will fall below the 10 percent minimum. — ELR, GMA News

source:gmanetwork.com

Diwal, inuburan at Ilang-ilang foodfest

2012-01-19T06:32:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines’ rich culinary heritage is the focus of a series of Manila Hotel food festivals featuring dishes from all the regions and islands from Northern Luzon to Mindanao. Launched Monday is the first of the series, a week-long fiesta that showcases the Ati-Atihan tribal dancers and Aklan’s unique food preparations.

Last Monday, while devouring a plate of rare Diwal (angel wing clams) and Inuburang Manok (chicken with banana trunk pith), I realized how far I’ve gone from the culinary illiterate that I was when I first came to live in Manila 50 years ago.

I entered college, and life in the city, with culinary naivete typical of probinsiyanas of the era. A very Tagalog upbringing shielded my taste buds from what my grandparents considered unusual meals. Our own table, meanwhile, served only food items harvested in the Cavite-Las Pinas-Paranaque corridor, including many items that others consider unusual: bayawak (monitor lizard), palakang bukid (rice paddy frogs) and pan-roasted salagubang (large beetles from siniguelas trees).

Although no specific recipes were followed, there were strict rules in our kitchen. Hito (rice paddy catfish) adobo had to be cooked with luyang dilaw (turmeric); alagaw leaves were absolutely necessary when preparing sting ray, shark and eel. Lola used coconut milk exclusively for desserts and meriendas, never for viands. Her vegetables, meats and fish were sautéed with garlic, onion and tomatoes and nothing else. Ginger was used mainly for tinola-style soups; tanglad (lemon grass) was as unknown as the climbing alugbati.

We did not believe rumors that Visayans, “poor ignorant souls,” cooked and ate tiniban (banana trunk). Tagalogs felt superior to island-dwellers who ate only boiled green bananas and yams instead of white rice. We basked in the bliss of our ignorance.

Travel and hotel festivals changed all that.We are now familiar with Pampanga’s stuffed frogs, can distinguish between the empanadas of Vigan and Batac, and have learned to prefer Leyte’s lawot-lawot to Bicol’s laing.

While much of our culinary exposure came from travel for journalistic assignments, we also learned a lot from regional food festivals held by Manila’s five-star hotels many decades ago, when it was the rage to fly in dance troupes, mat weavers, carvers and chefs to wipe away the gastronomic ignorance of Manilans. However, hotel festivals slowly dwindled and died, leaving city folk’s kids more familiar with American fast food than with Filipino fiesta fare.

Foodies, do not despair; there is good news in the air: Regional Food Festivals are coming back to Manila. The Manila Hotel, in connection with celebrations for its 100th anniversary, will bring in to the newly-refurbished Café Ilang-Ilang the dances, culture and food from all over the Philippines.

Anticipating a whole year of food festivals, I can almost feel and taste the kinulob na kalabaw (carabao pot roast) and hardinera (steamed ground pork casserole) of the Pahiyas Festival from Quezon. Also to be expected are Mexico-influenced empanada, igado (stewed pork innards), langgonisa (spicy garlic sausage) and bagnet (crispy-skinned deep fried pork belly) from Ilocos. Mindanaons could offer piyangga (meat stew blacked with burned coconut meat), pyuto (steamed grated kamoteng kahoy) and shanglag (stir-fried leftover pyuto).

Aklan’s Ati-Atihan, the first of the Manila Hotel’s festivals, was a big hit on its first day. People in the know flocked to the seafood station to fill their plates with Diwal, a type of long-necked clam with very fragile shells that resemble angel wings. Aficionados prefer the Diwal simply grilled and seasoned with a touch of lemon, calamansi or vinegar with onions. Tender throughout and not too strongly flavored, the Diwal also takes well to a dip in melted butter with a squeeze of lemon.

One could tell who the Visayans were in the coffee shop by the amount of Diwal shells on their plates. They ate Diwal to their hearts' content, knowing that the bivalve is not only rare, it is also very seasonal. A campaign to protect the Diwal ensures that only mature bivalves are gathered; licenses and permits are also issued to qualified gatherers to limit the amount and quality of the harvest.

Among Aklan’s main courses, most popular is the inuburan, which is chicken stewed in coconut milk with slices of banana trunk pith (ubud). Executive Sous Chef Roberto Bulawit explained that he substituted ubud with the innermost part of coconut heart of palm.

“Coconut ubud provides a welcome contrasting texture to the creamy coconut milk gravy and the tender chicken flesh,” explained Chef Amang, who learned to prepare food from all over the Philippines in his 35 years with the hotel.

Another chicken stew, the Binakol, was flavored with tender noodle-like strips of young coconut, whose juice gave body to the gravy.

The buffet also showed off a freshwater fish and an ocean behemoth: grilled hito (catfish) and skewered cubes of yellow fin tuna, to be dipped in either coco sap (tuba) vinegar or calamansi with soy sauce.

The vegetable dish featured was linabog nga langka (green jackfruit in coconut cream) which Chef Amang flavored with peeled prawns.

“At home, in the province, this dish uses salted dried fish. But for special visitors and fiestas, prawns are used,” he pointed out.

Next is a labor-intensive dish that’s really a labor of love: tinumkan. It calls for river shrimps to be pounded with young coconut meat, then wrapped in gabi (taro) leaves and simmered in coconut milk for several hours. Bicolandia’s pinangat pales in comparison.

The Aklan food festival is ongoing daily for lunch and dinner at the Café Ilang Ilang until January 21. For reservations, call 5270011.

For feedback and comments, email to: solvanzi2000@yahoo.com.

source: mb.com.ph

Regine Velasquez reveals experiencing post-partum blues

2012-01-19T05:19:00.000-08:00

Sa presscon ng Valentine concert nina Ogie Alcasid at Regine Velasquez, ang Mr. & Mrs. A, noong Miyerkules, ipinakilala ng mag-asawa sa mga imbitadong movie press ang kanilang anak na si Baby Nate.

Isinilang ni Regine si Baby Nate noong November 8, 2011.

Halos kay Regine at sa anak nila naka-focus ang usapan dahil ngayon pa lamang humarap uli sa publiko ang Asia's Songbird pagkatapos niyang manganak.

Iyon din ang unang pagkakataong nasilayan ng press ang kanilang anak.

LOSING WEIGHT. Ayon kay Ogie, malaki na ang nabawas sa timbang ni Regine.

Pero medyo mataba pa rin ang singer-actress, kaya todo pa rin ang exercise nito para mabawasan pa ang timbang niya.

Ito ay paghahanda na rin sa concert nila na gaganapin sa Araneta Coliseum sa February 14.

Sabi naman ni Regine, hanggang exercise lang daw muna talaga siya, dahil ayaw naman daw niyang mag-diet para pumayat.

"Ang galling-galing ko pa naman mag-diet, pero ayoko, kasi nagpapa-breastfeed ako kay Nate.

"Si Nate pa rin ang priority ko, kaya okay lang kahit mataba.

"Basta ang focus ko, ang pag-aalaga sa baby," pahayag ni Regine.

POST-PARTUM BLUES. Inamin din ng Songbird na nagkaroon siya ng post-partum blues dahil sa hirap niya nung una sa pagpapa-breastfeed sa kanyang anak.

Kuwento ni Regine, "Nung una kasi, hindi nagla-latch si Nate. And I have very little milk.

"For about three weeks, bumibili ako ng breast milk sa breast-milk bank ba yun?

"Merong days na iyak na lang ako nang iyak, kasi hindi ko alam kung papa'no ko pakakainin ang baby, kasi ayokong mag-[milk] formula sana.

"Kasi nag-prepare talaga ako ng lahat. Mga things niya, everything, mga gamit.

"Nag-prepare ako psychologically, na pati pagpupuyat.

"Ang hindi ko na-prepare, ang breastfeeding.

"Kasi, ang feeling ko, may breast ka naman, nandiyan lang ang milk.

"Akala ko, ganun kadali.

"Iyon pala, it's one of the hardest.

"Pag premature baby, pag pre-term, hindi agad nagla-latch.

"Nakaka-depress na hindi mo mapadedede ang baby, umiiyak na tina-try mo i-feed, umiiyak siya.

"You feel inadequate."

Patuloy pa niya, "May mga breastfeeding counselor pa ako na nagpunta sa akin.

"Sa dami ng mga nakausap ko, 'Ilabas ko kaya ang boobs ko, 'tapos pahanap ko na lang sa kanya?' And he did.

"Nahanap naman niya.

"A, okay, ready na siya.

"Nung time na yun, nakadede na siya, parang nawala na yung baby blues ko.

"Yun lang pala yun!" natatawa niyang sabi.

THANKS TO OGIE. Malaki ang pasasalamat ni Regine sa kanyang asawa dahil naintindihan daw nito ang mga pinagdaanan niya.

Nandiyan lang daw ito para umalalay.

Sabi ni Ogie, "Si Regine naman kasi, if she wants to focus on something, nagagawa naman niya, e.

"Yung pag-iiyak niya, hindi naman out of depression yun, e.

"Tingin ko, napu-frustrate lang siya.

"So, ang role ko dun siyempre, i-encourage siya na 'Kaya mo naman yun, e.'"

BIG CHANGE. Sabi naman ni Regine, inasahan na niya ang malaking pagbabago sa buhay niya sa pagdating ng kanilang Baby Nate.

Bulalas nito, "Pero hindi ko akalaing mababago pala talaga nang bonggang-bongga!

"Iba na kasi ngayon ang mga priorities ko.

"Sa baby na lang talaga naka-focus lahat."

Kaya ayaw na nga raw muna niyang gumawa ng soap dahil sa magdamagang taping, at tiyak mahihirapan siya sa pag-alaga sa kanilang anak.

Sabi nga ni Ogie, "Ano 'yan talaga, full-time kay Nate. E, ako humahalili lang.

"Actually, nagpapasalamat ako sa asawa ko kasi alam niya at naiintindihan niya na medyo marami akong trabaho.

"Kumbaga, may career din naman si Regine, pero parang naiintindihan niya na kailangan ko munang gawin ito, at siya na muna ang full time na mag-alaga sa baby namin."

Sambit naman ni Regine, "I don't mind.

"I love it actually.

"And as much as possible talaga, I don't wanna bother him kasi nakikita mo naman pagod, e.

"So, parang common sense na lang yun.

"And right now naman, my network [GMA-7], our network is very really understanding.

"So, hindi pa nila ako ino-offer-an ng kahit ano.

"And I'm hoping na hindi na muna, para I can take care of our baby hanggang sana mag-one year old.

"But yung ibang job, like hosting job and all that, Party Pilipinas, I can do that."

NATE'S BAPTISM. Sa Linggo, Enero 22, nakatakda ang binyag ni Baby Nate.

Siyam na pares na ninong at ninang ang kinuha nina Ogie at Regine.

Ilan sa mga ito ay sina Senator Bong Revilla, ang mag-asawang Manny at Jinkee Pacquiao, Dingdong Dantes, Atty. Jimmy Duavit, Kris Aquino, Judy Ann Santos, Ai-Ai delas Alas, ang mag-asawang Raul at Cacai Mitra, at ang dating asawa ni Ogie na si Michelle Van Eimeren.

Sa Catholic church pa lang daw na binyag yun.

Meron ding dedication naman sa kanilang Christian church, pero wala pang schedule.

Sa Christian dedication naman, sina Gary Valenciano at Piolo Pascual ang ilan sa tatayong ninong.

VALENTINE CONCERT. Excited din ang mag-asawa sa pagkuwento na may special participation ang kanilang anak sa kanilang concert na Mr. & Mrs. A.

Ayaw pa nilang i-share kung ano ang gagawin ng kanilang baby, pero maganda raw itong ideya ni Regine.

Punung-puno raw ng sorpresa ang Valentine concert nila.

Ilan sa mga special guests ay sina Dingdong, Vice Ganda, Eric Santos, Kyla, Angeline Quinto, at pati mga kasamahan ni Ogie sa Bubble Gang. -- Gorgy Rula, PEP

source:gmanetwork.com

It's Hollywood or bust for Sam Milby

2012-01-19T03:25:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines – Sam Milby admits that he is apprehensive about his plan to move to New York next month in order to pursue a career in Hollywood.

A big reason is that he dreads that his fans here might forget about him in his absence.

"Siyempre, nandun yung kaba," said he in a report on PEP. "Napaka-importante talaga na nakikita ka ng tao sa TV. So, it's something that you do fear.”

Despite his trepidation, Milby knows that the chance to shine in the international stage is something he can’t afford to pass up.

“Opportunities like this don't come for anyone," he acknowledged.

But as to what that “opportunity” actually is, Milby is keeping mum, admitting only to having done an “audition” that was “liked” by a “station.” Apparently, as Milby himself would reveal, nothing is concrete as yet in relation to an actual project.

“But still, the fact that the station really liked it [the audition], it's really a big thing na din,” he pointed out.

"I'm not expecting, but I'm very, very hopeful. Ayokong iniisip ng mga tao, 'Anong project ang gagawin ni Sam sa States, e, wala pa naman.'

Pero I just pray that I will get a project,” he added.

First thing, though, is that he has to find a talent agent to represent him.

"Yeah, one of the hardest things is finding an agency,” he mulled aloud.

When compared with actor Jericho Rosales, who, last year, successfully penetrated the international film market via the indie, “Subject: I Love You,” Milby was more than cordial.

"Expected naman ‘yun,” he said. "He's [Jericho] actually ahead of me kasi may nagawa na siyang Hollywood movie, so that's a big thing already. I'm very, very happy for him and I hope that things will work out for him too.

"Pero ayoko ng comparison. No matter who makes it to another country, that's our success, the Philippines, para yun sa buong Pilipinas."

Milby's New York stint will last for three months.

source: mb.com.ph

Judge clears Bruno Mars of cocaine charge

2012-01-19T01:32:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES -- A Las Vegas judge on Wednesday dismissed the cocaine possession case against pop star Bruno Mars after he successfully completed court-ordered drug education classes and community service, even exceeding the amount of hours he was told to serve.

Clark County District Court Judge Jessie Walsh cleared Bruno of the charge, said Mary Ann Price, court information officer for the 8th Judicial District Court.

Mars, whose real name is Peter Hernandez, was arrested in September 2010 after a bathroom attendant at the Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel caught him with "a baggy of white powder," later found to be cocaine, according to a police report at the time.

He pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing cocaine and received a $2,000 fine, 200 hours of community service, drug counseling and was told to stay out of trouble during a year of informal probation. Bruno performed all the requirements and exceeded the 200 hours of service, his attorney told Reuters.

Mars' original guilty plea was nullified and will not show up on his record.

The "Grenade" singer, 26, burst onto music charts in 2010 after collaborating with rapper B.o.B on "Nothin' On You" and Gym Class Heroes' Travie McCoy on "Billionaire." He is currently nominated in six categories at the upcoming Grammy Awards in February.

Judge Walsh took over Mars' case after County Clark Deputy District Attorney David Schubert, who prosecuted Mars in early 2011, was arrested for buying cocaine himself a few months later.

source: www.interaksyon.com

Prosecution to present Marikina register of deeds as next witness vs Corona

2012-01-18T05:47:00.000-08:00

The prosecution will present on Thursday as its next witness in the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona the register of deeds of Marikina City in connection with his alleged questionable assets.

The prosecution team had called on the witness during Wednesday's trial, but before he could be identified, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, the presiding officer, moved that the Senate adjourns the trial as the impeachment court for the day. It will resume on Thursday at 2 p.m.

Chief prosecutor Niel Tupas Jr. had manifested that they have eight witnesses lined up. Enrile asked the witnesses to mark the evidence they have with them before appearing before the Senate on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, SC clerk of court Atty. Enriqueta Esguerra-Vidal testified and was compelled to surrender the Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) of Corona from 2002 to 2011.

Malacañang Records Office head Marianito Dimaandal was also called to the stand in connection with Article II of the Articles of Impeachment, which accuses Corona of failure to disclose his SALNs.

The Senate has also subpoenaed the registers of deeds and city assessors of Quezon City, Marikina City, Makati City, Taguig City, Pasay City, and Paranaque City. - Kimberly Jane Tan/KBK, GMA News

source:gmanetwork.com

Uncle to escort Shalani Soledad down the aisle

2012-01-18T04:09:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines – Valenzuela Councilor Shalani Soledad has chosen her uncle Mon Soledad to walk her down the aisle at her wedding with Congressman Roman Romulo on Jan. 22.

The TV host-politician made the revelation during a pre-wedding reception held at the Manila Polo Club in Makati on Jan. 17, which was tendered for the soon-to-be husband-and-wife’s constituents who will not be able to attend their wedding.

Her uncle looked to have gotten emotional over Shalani’s announcement.

“Sana pagpasensyahan niyo ko, hindi ako handa,” he tearfully said in an interview aired on “Bandila,” Tuesday night.

It was just in 2010 when Shalani got reunited with her biological father, former bank chairman Adolfo Aguirre.

Instead of hiring a professional events planner, Roman’s sister, Mons Romulo, took it upon herself to organize the affair. She told “Bandila” in a separate interview, “Gusto rin naman namin [na may] personal touch namin [itong event]. Parang it’s our way of welcoming Shalani also to our family.”

Shalani and Roman performed their theme song that night, the OPM classic, “Kahit Maputi Na Ang Buhok Ko," which apparently symbolizes their promise to forever.

The couple, who will exchange vows at St. Benedict Church in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, trimmed their wedding budget in order to give donations for Typhoon Sendong victims. They will also hand out some gifts to affected families, according to “Bandila.”

Shalani was elegantly stunning at the reception, wearing a gold sleeveless v-neck long gown by Inno Sotto, who also designed her traje de boda.

As for their wedding, Shalani had this to say: “I just want it simple lang, not too much details.”

Shalani also related to “Bandila” that aside from their current respective residences, she and Roman “want to have a house of our own both in Pasig and Valenzuela.”

She is grateful for all the support they have been receiving. In one of her earlier tweets this year, Shalani said, “for all the well wishes - thank you! May we all have a happy 2012! :).”

source: mb.com.ph

Kris Aquino's new travel goal: Listen intently to safety drills

2012-01-18T00:56:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines – Following the capsizing of cruise ship Costa Concordia on Jan. 13 in Italy—which left six people dead and nearly 30 others reportedly missing out of over 4,000 passengers—TV host-actress Kris Aquino vows to pay more attention to safety instructions when traveling.

"Nakailang cruise na kami tapos hindi ako nakikinig talaga sa safety drill. So sinabi ko sa sarili ko, now makikinig na ako. Kasi ‘di ba knowing where the proper exits are and knowing kung ano ‘yung tamang paraan to save yourself and save your family is so important," she said on “Kris TV,” Jan. 16.

Kris will likewise apply such attentiveness when traveling by plane.

"After watching... [the] news kung ano ‘yung pinagdadaanan nila na nakatagilid kang ganoon na, oh my God, sabi ko pati sa eroplano makikinig na ‘ko. Kasi ‘di ba normally ‘pag nagse-safety drill din sila at nagde-demonstrate dumi-dedma tayo. Ako normally nagdadasal-dasal, hindi ako nakikinig. So from now on makikinig na ko talaga,” she added.

In the last two years, Kris has taken her sons Joshua and Bimby to Disney Cruises both in Florida and California, as well as to a Mexican Riviera cruise.

Another goal

In the same “Kris TV” episode, the Queen of All Media shared footage of her recent “quick trip” to Boracay for what she dubbed a “wellness experience to start my 2012 right.”

She, together with some friends, and at some points, her two sons, embarked on a four-mile walking spree along the Boracay coast.

“This is a type of exercise na kakayanin ko [and] since nasimulan ko nung vacation I may as well pursue it now,” she said in the video clip.

They also had a field trip of sorts afterwards, walking on the streets of the world-renowned tourist destination. According to the pedometer application on her cellphone, Kris walked a total of 10.075 miles that day.

Although she has already exceeded her initial goal (four miles), Kris continued her fitness pursuit the following day and did 10 kilometers in a recumbent exercise bike and then another seven kilometers walking by the beach.

source: mb.com.ph

Wikipedia, Google blackout sites to protest SOPA

2012-01-18T00:31:00.000-08:00

Three of the Internet's most popular destinations--Google, Wikipedia, and Craigslist--launched an audacious experiment in political activism this evening by urging their users to protest a pair of Hollywood-backed copyright laws.

Wikipedia's English-language pages went completely black at 9 p.m. PT, with a splash page saying "the U.S. Congress is considering legislation that could fatally damage the free and open Internet." The online encyclopedia's blackout, intended to precede next week's Senate floor vote on the legislation, is scheduled to last 24 hours.

Craigslist and Google have taken a more modest approach. Unlike Wikipedia, the sites will remain online during Wednesday's virtual protest, but the home pages now feature exhortations to contact members of Congress and urge them to vote against the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Senate version called Protect IP. Craiglist's snarky note: "Corporate paymasters, KEEP THOSE CLAMMY HANDS OFF THE INTERNET!" (See CNET's FAQ on the topic.)

It's a novel experiment in grassroots-outreach-by-the-millions that could, if successful, derail SOPA and Protect IP, which have come under increasing criticism since last fall. Their authors -- Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Tex.) and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) -- responded in the last week by offering some changes. But Smith said in a statement today that, one way or another, a House committee vote will be held in February.

CNET predicted the protest in a December 29 article that said opponents of the bills may "simultaneously turn" their home pages "black with anti-censorship warnings that ask users to contact politicians about a vote in the U.S. Congress."

This is "classic Hollywood trying to do heavy handed legislation to protect its business interests," Casey Rae-Hunter, deputy director of the Future of Music Coalition, told reporters this morning.

Among the other Web sites that, in one way or another, have joined the blackout: Metafilter, the Consumer Electronics Association, BoingBoing, OpenDNS, WordPress, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and what is almost certainly the Internet's most popular dinosaur comic strip. Some physical protests are also planned tomorrow.

Because Web companies are typically reluctant to involve their users in political spats, nothing exactly like today's protest has ever been tried before, and it's difficult to predict how it will affect Congress' willingness to proceed. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid indicated on Sunday that he expected the floor vote on Protect IP to happen as scheduled.

But Google.com is the most popular Web site in the world, according to Alexa, with about half of global Internet users visiting it per day -- meaning that if only a small percent sign the company's petition against SOPA and Protect IP, the total number of voters lodging protests could be in the hundreds of thousands or even millions. (Google pointedly refrained from asking its users to call the U.S. Capitol's switchboard at (202) 224-3121 , which likely would have overwhelmed the system within minutes.)

In a blog post this evening, Google's chief legal officer, David Drummond, predicted that Protect IP and SOPA "will censor the Web," "risk our industry's track record of innovation and job creation," and ultimately be unsuccessful in curbing piracy.

SOPA, of course, represents the latest effort from the Motion Picture Association of America, the Recording Industry Association of America, and their allies to counter what they view as rampant piracy on the Internet, especially offshore Web sites. It would allow the Justice Department to obtain an order to be served on search engines, Internet service providers, and other companies, forcing them to make a suspected piratical Web site effectively vanish. It's opposed (PDF) by many Internet companies, users, and civil liberties groups.

Some Internet companies including Facebook, Twitter, eBay, and Yahoo have expressed concerns about the bill but have not said they would join the blackout. Twitter CEO Dick Costolo wrote that "closing a global business in reaction to single-issue national politics is foolish."

In one early sign that the blackouts and protests are having an effect, the MPAA today characterized them as "stunts." The group's chairman, Chris Dodd, took a thinly veiled swipe at Wikipedia by denouncing the protests as "an irresponsible response and a disservice to people who rely on [the sites] for information and [who] use their services." News Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch took to Twitter to offer similar thoughts.

Tomorrow's protest was originally designed to coincide with a hearing that SOPA foe Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) had scheduled on the measure's technical aspects, especially the portions relating to Domain Name System, or DNS, blocking. Issa said over the weekend that the Republican leadership had promised him that a floor vote would not happen "unless there is consensus on the bill," a rather implausible scenario. As a result, Issa postponed the hearing.

"There's a lot of sort of technologically ignorant language in" SOPA and Protect IP, said Erik Martin, general manager of Reddit, which has become a focal point of anti-SOPA activism and can probably claim credit for convincing GoDaddy to flip-flop on the legislation. Both bills, he said, were "done without a lot of thought about the impact and the execution and without a lot of knowledge technically about how the Internet operates."

Mozilla will join the protest at 5 a.m. PT (8 a.m. ET) tomorrow in what it's calling a "virtual strike" against SOPA and Protect IP. It will black out the default start page for Firefox users and ask them to take action.

"SOPA makes all of us potential criminals if we don't become the enforcement arm of a new government regulatory and policing structure," Mozilla chairwoman Mitchell Baker wrote in a blog post today.

The protest had a few hiccups. For the first 20 minutes or so, Google's initial sign-this-petition Web page delivered this message: "Error: Server Error / The server encountered an error and could not complete your request."

Not all of Wikipedia's pages are blacked out. Entries for the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act are still visible. More than a few users of the encyclopedia seemed confused.

source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-57360754-281/wikipedia-google-blackout-sites-to-protest-sopa/?tag=mncol

PLDT extends free Cebu WiFi

2012-01-17T12:55:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) has extended its free wifi access to Cebu-based landline and Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) subscribers after successfully implementing the service during the Sinulog Festival.

The PLDT WiFi Zones roll out in Cebu was the first outdoor wifi service implemented in the country, with each access point allowing Internet users connection speeds of up to 1mbps.

PLDT WiFi Zones were initially set up to allow users free online access in several key areas during the Sinulog festival but this free service will be extended until the end of the month.

The PLDT WiFi Zones were made accessible on Gen. Maxilom Avenue, Gorordo to Fuente Osmeña Circle, Osmeña Boulevard, Portions of N. Bacalso Avenue and P. del Rosario, the Cebu City Sports Center, Cebu City Hall, Provincial Capitol, Magellan's Cross and Plaza Independencia.

"With the unveiling of the PLDT WiFi Zones during Sinulog, locals and guests alike were able to connect online and share their experiences on the streets as they happen,” says PLDT Head of Cebu Operations Bong Lintag.

“The access points for the wifi service were right where the festivities are centered," he explained. But now, "We've decided to extend the free period to allow people who were not able to experience the free wifi access during the Sinulog a chance to have a feel of the connection speeds in the covered areas."

Attendees of the festival were able to post photos and videos of the festivities as these were happening on the streets.

Located in Cebu's leading commercial districts and tourist sites, access points set up can accommodate more unique users at a time as more access points are deployed in other areas.

“This value-added service is an extension of our customers’ broadband service at home carrying with it the same strong connections that they experience with Mydsl and Fibr. Wherever it is available, users will get to enjoy fast, reliable wifi service in popular locations throughout the city,” noted PLDT Retail Business Group Head Dan Ibarra.

source: mb.com.ph

'Charice, One for the Heart'

2012-01-17T10:57:00.000-08:00

International singing sensation Charice, comes home once again to celebrate Valentine's Day with her Kapuso fans thru a television special aptly entitled "Charice, One for the Heart."

The Pinoy Pride is back, and she is all grown up–her voice more breathtaking, and her stance more powerful before her audience. This time with her very own band that she takes to her international tours, Charice performs songs closest to her heart–songs that talk about her journey as an artist, and her plight as a daughter ever loving to her parents and family.

Charice also pays tribute to well-loved OPM love songs as she shares the stage with Pop Balladeer Mark Bautista, and RNB Prince Jay-R. Another must-see on the show is a tender moment where Charice sings to her father Ricky Pempengco who passed away last year.

Get to know the latest from Charice as she sings a few hits off her second international studio album Infinity, and talks about an Asian tour happening very soon.

Watch also the country’s most sought-after love teams, newly-weds, and most celebrated couples, as they share their love stories and give a prelude to each special performance by Charice.

Directed by Louie Ignacio with his team behind the acclaimed "Charice – Home for Valentine’s" (2011), the International singing sensation promises to captivate and capture hearts once again on "Charice, One for the Heart" airing this February on GMA. - GMA News

source:gmanetwork.com

Verizon Offers Call Center Solutions

2012-01-17T07:26:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines — US communications and technology giant Verizon Communications Inc. has partnered with inContact, the leading provider of cloud contact center solutions, to offer an advanced suite of cloud-based virtual contact center services beginning January 2012.

The innovative offering is expected to enable customers of businesses and government agencies to choose how they want to contact and interact with the organization. Its rich features provide customers an option of speaking with a live agent or requesting a call back if one is not immediately available. Customers could also use the Web for an online chat or to get answers to frequently asked questions.

Other features include:

• Special software that can recognize incoming callers and refer specific customers to agents with the appropriate level of expertise. This “first-call resolution” eliminates the need to transfer a customer from one agent to another, an often lengthy process that frustrates customers.

• Comprehensive agent desktop tools to help educate and prepare agents to field customer inquiries and resolve them quickly.

inContact, which built its Asia-Pacific headquarters at the Bonifacio Global City in the Philippines, provides the world’s largest cloud-based call center solutions, with over 800 call center deployments and is used by more than 60,000 agents globally.

The partnership between Verizon and inContact is expected to help accelerate the adoption of cloud-based customer contact solutions in the Philippines, India and other markets with strong contact center industries. Several technology research firms have already tagged 2012 as the year of cloud solutions.

Verizon, which is present in more than 100 countries including the Philippines, said that since virtual contact center solutions are cloud-based, there is no large upfront capital investment and they can be employed to augment and adjust existing customer service operations to more flexibly address changing business requirements.

Nine of the 10 largest banks in the US and many other world-class businesses rely on Verizon’s contact center solutions to strengthen their customer relationships.

source: mb.com.ph

Rivals defend attacks on Mitt Romney in GOP debate

2012-01-16T23:37:00.000-08:00

Newt Gingrich defended the questions he's raised about Mitt Romney's record at Bain Capital while Rick Perry called on the GOP front-runner to offer greater disclosure of his finances as the Republican presidential candidates began the first of two debates before what could be the decisive nominating contest in South Carolina on Saturday.

Perry, the Texas governor, urged Romney to release his tax returns so that Republican voters could fully vet the candidate they will put up against President Obama this fall.

"As Republicans, we can't fire our nominee in September. We need to know now," Perry said.

source: latimes.com

Tennis: Sharapova ruthless in Dulko thrashing

2012-01-16T20:32:00.000-08:00

Maria Sharapova marched into the second round of the Australian Open Tuesday with a ruthless 6-0, 6-1 victory over Agrentina's Gisela Dulko in just 58 minutes.

The 24-year-old Russian had been heading for a 'double bagel,' 6-0, 6-0 victory until she temporarily lost control of her serve in the third game of the second set and was broken.

Dulko, who had beaten Sharapova at Wimbledon in 2009 in their only other meeting, punched the air in delight after winning the game while the crowd on the second show court of Hisense Arena gave her a massive cheer and sustained applause.

Sharapova, however, was not prepared to stay on court any longer than she had to in the intense heat, breaking Dulko's next two service games. And while the Argentine had three break points when the fourth seed was serving for the match, she was unable to stave off the inevitable. — Reuters

source:gmanetwork.com

'Artist,' 'Descendants' top Golden Globes

2012-01-16T12:52:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES - Silent-era film "The Artist" and family drama "The Descendants" were the top film picks at the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday in one of the major Hollywood film honors programs leading up to the Oscars later this year.

"The Artist," a romantic tale about a failing actor who finds love at a time when movies were changing from silents to talkies, picked up three awards including best musical or comedy and best actor in a musical or comedy for its star, French actor Jean Dujardin.

Onstage, Dujardin did the most appropriate thing -- gave his speech, thanked his colleagues, then signed off by not saying a word. And true to stealing the show in the movie, the little dog Uggie, detracted from an emotional speech by the film's director, Michel Hazanavicius. Uggie wanted a treat.

"The Descendants," starring George Clooney as a man steering his family through a tragic time when his wife is in a coma, won two Golden Globe trophies, including best dramatic movie and for Clooney as best dramatic actor.

Other major winners included Meryl Streep for best actress in a film drama with her portrayal of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady." Michelle Williams took the trophy for best actress in a comedy or musical with her role as Marilyn Monroe in "My Week with Marilyn."

"I consider myself a mother first and an actress second. The person I most want to thank (is) my daughter, my little girl," Williams said referring to her child with the late actor Heath Ledger. "I want to say thank you for sending me off to this job everyday with a hug and a kiss."

Veteran Christopher Plummer, 82, for supporting actor with his portrayal of an elderly man who comes out as gay to his family in "Beginners," bringing both poignancy and a touch of humor to their lives.

Octavia Spencer, playing a beleaguered housemaid in the U.S. South during the civil rights era in "The Help" was best supporting actress, and Woody Allen was given a Golden Globe for his screenplay for "Midnight in Paris" and Steven Spielberg won best animated film with his rollicking "The Adventures of Tintin."

Iranian film "A Separation" was named best foreign language film, and its director, Ashgar Farhadi, used the opportunity to tell world audiences that "my people. I think they are a truly peace-loving people."

The Golden Globe Awards are given out by the roughly 90 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association at what annually is among the key events during Hollywood's awards season because of the media exposure it brings. — Reuters

source:gmanetwork.com

Alleged Corona ill-gotten wealth irrelevant to trial — defense lawyer

2012-01-16T07:22:00.000-08:00

The alleged ill-gotten wealth of Chief Justice Renato Corona during his 10-year tenure as a Supreme Court justice is “irrelevant” in the Senate impeachment trial, one of his lawyers said Monday.

Lawyer Eduardo delos Angeles explained in his opening statement at the start of the trial that the prosecutors were creating “the impression that he [Corona] accumulated ill-gotten wealth,” noting that the impeachment bid should not focus on Corona’s properties as he is accused of graft and corruption and not of acquiring ill-gotten wealth.

Delos Angeles clarified that Corona only owns five real properties, adding that “the pictures of Bellagio [condominium] and the bloated list of titles are therefore irrelevant to this trial.”

The House prosecutors had earlier presented 45 land titles of properties that allegedly belonged to Corona. The titles were acquired from the Land Registration Administration.

The House of Representatives impeached Corona on the following grounds:

partiality and subservience in cases involving the Arroyo administration;
failure to disclose to the public his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN);
issuance of flip-flopping decisions in final and executory cases;
issuance of the “status quo ante” order against the House of Representatives in the case concerning the impeachment of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez;
decision in favor of gerrymandering in the cases involving 16 newly-created cities, and the promotion of Dinagat Island into a province;
mproper creation of the SC ethics committee
granting temporary restraining order in favor of former President Arroyo; and
failure and refusal to account for the Judicial Development Fund (JDF) and special allowance for the judiciary collections.

Delos Angeles said the defense has “documentary evidence” to prove that Corona accounted for the Judiciary Development Fund, as opposed to the accusation by the prosecutors.

“The Supreme Court and the Chief Justice cannot be considered the enemies of the people,” Delos Angeles said, adding that “this impeachment sends a chilling threat to the Supreme Court, to withhold the exercise of it judicial power and just let the President have his way.” — Rouchelle Dinglasan/KBK, GMA News

source:gmanetwork.com

US Embassy closed on Jan. 17 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day

2012-01-16T01:21:00.000-08:00

The United States Embassy and its affiliated offices will be closed to the public on January 17, 2011, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

According to a press release issued by the embassy on Friday, regular services will resume on January 18.

King (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman and a prominent leader in the African American civil rights movement.

He is an iconic figure in promoting civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods. – VVP, GMANews.TV

source:gmanetwork.com

Canada says marriages of foreign gays invalid

2012-01-15T12:17:00.000-08:00

OTTAWA - The Canadian government is abruptly arguing that the same-sex marriages of many foreigners who wed in Canada are not valid, a move that stunned the gay community and could affect thousands of couples.

In 2005, Canada became one of the first nations in the world to formally legalize gay marriage. Same-sex couples have been marrying in their thousands in Canada, and lenient rules on residency requirements for those seeking a marriage license mean many of them are from abroad.

Ottawa now says many, if not all, the unions involving foreign residents are invalid. It made the argument in a case where two women, one from England and the other from Florida, sought a divorce after their 2005 Canadian marriage.

The government's position has prompted sharp questions about why Ottawa allowed so many foreign same-sex couples to get married for so long before deciding the unions were not valid.

"(This) is about to, if it hasn't already, make us look like fools on the international stage," said Martha McCarthy, a lawyer for the couple at the center of the furor.

"We're the leaders of gay marriage ... and the federal government is saying 'Oh, yes, sorry, we forgot to mention that for the last nine years we've been marrying people that we didn't think those were valid'," she told Reuters on Thursday.

Critics blamed the right-of-center Conservative government, which they say wants to roll back social rights such as gay marriage and abortion.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said he was unaware of the case. Justice Minister Rob Nicholson said in a statement he would be "looking at options to clarify the law so that marriages performed in Canada can be undone in Canada".

He gave no further details and did not make clear whether Ottawa would continue to argue that marriages that had already taken place could not be ended in Canada.

Activists estimate that around 7,500 same-sex couples have married in Canada since 2003, when some provinces first allowed gay marriages. About 2,500 involved were foreigners, many from countries and US states that do not recognize gay unions.

Ottawa says the 2005 marriage in the latest case "was not legally valid under Canadian law" because the women could not have lawfully wed in England or Florida. It also cited the Canada Divorce Act, which says any couple seeking to end a marriage in Canada must have lived there for a year.

McCarthy said her clients' message was: "We can't get divorced in our own jurisdictions because they don't recognize the validity of our marriage. You guys here in Canada married us so please give us a divorce because no one else will."

A Toronto judge will hear the case on Feb. 27 and 28 and decide whether the government's argument is valid, although the loser is bound to appeal any ruling.

The gay marriage surge was a boon for the tourist industry, which quickly offered wedding packages to US couples.

Evan Wolfson, president of New-York-based gay rights group Freedom to Marry, said it would be "extreme, absurd and cruel" to now declare the Canadian marriages invalid.

"This will come as giant shock not only to the couples but to the businesses, employers, banks and others who deal with them so hopefully they're going to walk back this preposterous undermining of families," he told Reuters.

The issue could become a political problem for Harper, who said he had no intention of reopening the gay marriage file.

Nick Bala, a professor and family law expert at Queen's University, said the case underlined existing problems with the way gay marriage works in Canada.

"There are good reasons why Canadian family courts are only going to take jurisdiction over relationships that have a significant (link) to Canada," he told Reuters.

Foreign gays who only came to Canada to marry and then returned to seek a divorce could have major problems if child custody were an issue, and there was little logic in asking Canadian courts to make decisions about children living elsewhere, he said.

"There are good reasons for Canada to be a marriage haven for same-sex couples. It's not clear that it should be a divorce haven for same-sex couples," Bala said. –Reuters

source:gmanetwork.com

Ricky Gervais keeps Golden Globe targets under wraps

2012-01-15T11:23:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES - Ricky Gervais said on Friday he has already come up with jokes against "specific targets" for his weekend Golden Globe Awards hosting gig -- and that he will stand by every gag.

But the comedian said he had felt no enmity with any of the A-list Hollywood stars who will be attending Sunday's televised awards dinner and ceremony, and knew no-one who was upset by his acerbic comments last year.

"I know what I'm going to say outside the odd ad lib. I can justify it. I stand by it as I do every joke I did last year," Gervais told television reporters.

But he kept mum about which celebrities would feel his acid tongue on his third stint at hosting the Golden Globes. Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Meryl Streep are among the nominees and are expected to attend.

"I have specific targets. I've written the gags, although targets isn't the word I'd use -- subjects maybe."

"I've got nothing against anyone in the room, I've worked with many of them, I like many of them, I admire most of them. They're just gags. I'm not trying to hurt anyone's feelings or give them a bad name or undermine the moral fabric of America. I'm a comedian, I rather they laugh than gasp but I'll cherish the laughs along with the gasps," he said.

Gervais said he didn't think his jokes last year offended any of the movie and TV stars he made fun of. He has since worked with Johnny Depp, whose film "The Tourist" Gervais ridiculed last year.

"I don't know anyone who was outraged last year, because everyone I spoke to who I made a joke about was cool about it," he said.

Gervais, who created the TV mockumentary "The Office", was invited to host the Golden Globes for a third time despite organizers saying last year he would never be invited back. - Reuters

source:gmanetwork.com

San Francisco 49ers playoff report: Ted Ginn leaves game but returns

2012-01-14T23:22:00.000-08:00

SAN FRANCISCO-- Three 49ers -- receiver Ted Ginn, center Jonathan Goodwin and special teams ace Blake Costanzo -- all left Saturday's game for a stretch but were able to return to the contest.

The most severe appeared to be Ginn, who had missed the last two games of the regular season with an ankle sprain. Ginn dealt with both ankle and knee injuries against the Saints, but did return to handle punts in the second half.

Meanwhile, tight end Delanie Walker said he is scheduled to have the wiring in his broken jaw removed Monday. Walker broke his jaw in two places Dec. 24 and has not practiced since.

source: http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2012-01-15/san-francisco-49ers-team-report-ted-ginn-leaves-game-but-returns#ixzz1jVdtTUZk

3 die, 50 missing as cruise ship runs aground in Italy

2012-01-14T12:46:00.000-08:00

PORTO SANTO STEFANO, Italy - At least three people were killed and rescuers were searching for other victims after an Italian cruise ship carrying more than 4,000 people ran aground and keeled over in shallow waters.

Dozens were injured and around 50 people remained unaccounted for after the 114,500-tonne Costa Concordia hit a sandbar near the island of Giglio off the coast of Tuscany as passengers sat down to dinner on Friday evening.

Passengers spoke of panic and described some people leaping into the sea from the listing ship, which finally came to rest on its side, with decks partly submerged, a few hundred metres from the shore.

Photographs showed a large gash along its side but officials declined to speculate on what had caused the accident in calm seas close to the shore.

They said rescue efforts were continuing after a night-time operation involving helicopters, ships and lifeboats.

"We have about 40 men at work and we're expecting specialist diving teams to arrive to check all the interior spaces of the ship," said fire services spokesman Luca Cari.

"We don't rule out the possibility that more people will be lost," he said.

But there was confusion around passenger lists.

"It's a very complex operation because some of the passengers may have jumped into the sea and not been picked up by rescuers, while others may have been sheltered in private houses and therefore not been identified yet," said Giuseppe Linardi, police chief in the nearby town of Grosseto.

Panic

"We were sitting down to dinner and we heard this big bang. I think it hit some rocks. There was a lot of panic, the tables overturned, glasses were flying all over the place and we ran for the decks where we put on our lifevests," passenger Maria Parmegiano Alfonsi told Sky Italia television.

Police and passengers quoted on television spoke of people jumping off the 290-metre-long ship, a floating resort hotel with spas, theatres, swimming pools and a discotheque.

"We had a blackout and everybody was just screaming. All the passengers were running up and down and then we went to our cabins to get to know what is going on," said another passenger, who did not give his name.

"They said we should stay calm, it is nothing, it's just some electrical problem or just some blackout thing."

Several passengers criticised the response to the emergency.

"We'll be able to say at the end of the investigation. It would be premature to speculate on this," coastguard spokesman Filippo Marini told SkyTG24 television.

Many of the 3,206 passengers and 1,023 crew were taken to the mainland port of Porto Santo Stefano where they were given shelter in schools, churches and other public buildings.

The website of the ship's operator, Genoa-based Costa Crociere, had apparently collapsed under the volume of searches but the company set up a helpline to answer public enquiries. Costa said it would cooperate fully with authorities.

There was no word on the identities of casualties.

"We are going through the list of passengers at a reception centre that's been set up but most of the passengers didn't have their papers with them of course, so it's been difficult to get full identification," an official said.

Most of the passengers were believed to be Italian but people of several other nationalities were thought to be on board. British consular officials travelled to the area. — Reuters

source:gmanetwork.com

David Archuleta accepted TV5 deal for love of Pinoy fans

2012-01-14T04:42:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines – David Archuleta accepted the TV5 series out of love for his Filipino fans, all of whom, he said, have been very supportive of him through the years.

"Even though I may not be a [professional] actor, I thought this [acting stint] would be a really great new experience to try. Especially in the Philippines because I feel very comfortable with the people and I feel the fans here are very warm," he explained in a recent press conference.

Archuleta arrived Jan. 13 and will be staying in the country for the next three weeks. Already, he is looking forward to having fun here.

“ I always have a blast when I come [here], so [for me], it's always fun when I come to the Philippines," he said.

"I feel comfortable here. The people are very friendly and they're very supportive."

Archuleta, who has visited the country four times already, added that he looks forward to eating sisig, papaitan and tokwa’t baboy again.

Archuleta’s mini-series for TV5 dubbed “Nandito ako,” will have him share screen time with Eula Caballero and Jasmine Curtis both of whom he has already met.

"I look forward to working with them. It's [going] to be a different experience. It will be fun working with people my age," he said.

He does not discount the possibility of falling for either Caballero or Curtis.

"I guess you can never say whom you'll fall in love with. I never say never,” he said.

As for the character his role on the series, Archuleta said it won’t be too much of a stretch as it is "just like him."

He takes comfort that he is not required to learn Filipino for the series.

"Most of the script will be in English. There will be a few words in Tagalog, but it should be easy," he said.

The 21-year old reiterated in the same press conference that his two-year mission as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will push through middle of this year.

"Coming to the Philippines... [the TV5 project] fit my schedule before my departure. I will be leaving in a couple of months, but this is something I want to do before I go," he said.

Archuleta is not at the least worried about the period of time he will be away from the limelight.

"Two years will go really fast, man, it's been four years since ‘American Idol.’ So, two years, it is part of my life, and it's an important decision that I want to do in my life," he said.

He hopes to record enough material to be able to keep releasing songs even in absentia.

"Once I get back to the States, I'm gonna spend as much time as I can to record. So even though I won't be here, hopefully, I will still be here, you know, releasing new songs. I want to make sure I have something for my fans," he promised.

source: mb.com.ph

Nicki Minaj, Foo Fighters to perform at Grammys

2012-01-14T01:16:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES - Rapper Nicki Minaj will make her debut Grammy performance next month, joining Foo Fighters, Bruno Mars and country singer Jason Aldean on the list of artists who will take to the stage on the recording industry's biggest night.

Grammy organizers said on Thursday that Minaj, who has four Grammy nominations, will perform at the February 12 awards show, as well as country sensation Taylor Swift, and Kelly Clarkson.

But there was no official word on Thursday on whether Britain's Adele, whose album "21" was the biggest seller of 2011, will be singing at the Grammys following surgery on her vocal cords in November.

Adele, who has been on doctor-ordered vocal rest since November, was not among the first list of Grammy performers. But the 23 year-old "Someone Like You" singer was listed on Thursday as being down to sing at the BRIT music awards ceremony in London on February 21.

Rapper Kanye West, who leads this year's Grammys with seven nominations, is also yet to be confirmed as a performer at the live awards show in Los Angeles.

Organizers said additional performers and presenters will be announced in the coming weeks. –Reuters

source:gmanetwork.com

Mena Suvari I'm Ending My Marriage

2012-01-14T00:30:00.000-08:00

Mena Suvari's Vatican wedding is ending in divorce ... TMZ has learned.

The 32-year-old "American Beauty" actress has filed court papers to end her marriage to 25-year-old concert promoter Simone Sestito.

The two were married back in 2010 at a private church in Vatican City.

According to the divorce papers, filed today in L.A. County Superior Court by Mena's attorney Mark Gross, Mena is blaming the split on "irreconcilable differences."

Mena wants the judge to PREVENT Simone from getting spousal support. She also wants the judge to change her name back from Mena Suvari-Sestito to good, ol' Mena Suvari.

In the docs, Mena lists the date of separation as Nov. 1, 2011. The two have no children together.

It's Mena's 2nd divorce -- she ended her 5-year marriage to cinematographer Robert Brinkmann in 2005.

source: TMZ

Actress Heather Locklear in hospital after 911 call

2012-01-12T23:53:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES - "Melrose Place" actress Heather Locklear was taken to the hospital on Thursday after emergency services were called to her home near Los Angeles, police said.

The Sheriff's department in Ventura County, west of Los Angeles said that emergency services responded to a 911 call from Locklear's home and "determined that she needed to be transported to the hospital for further medical attention."

Representatives of the actress did not return calls for comment but celebrity websites TMZ and RadarOnline said Locklear may have mixed prescription drugs and alcohol.

Locklear, who also appeared in the TV comedy "Spin City" has a history of depression, spending time in rehab in 2008.

The actress was married to rock star Tommy Lee and later Richie Sambora in the 1990s. In 2007 she began dating fellow "Melrose Place" actor Jack Wagner but their engagement was called off two months ago. — Reuters

source:gmanetwork.com

UK PM wants film makers to focus on box office hits

2012-01-12T05:42:00.000-08:00

LONDON - British Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday urged UK film makers, whose critical hits often fail to translate into commercial success, to focus more on the box office.

The movie industry is worth an estimated 4.2 billion pounds ($6.5 billion) to the British economy each year, but much of that comes from blockbusters like the Harry Potter franchise that are bankrolled by Hollywood studios.

The government wants to see that change, after recent British hits like "The King's Speech" and "Slumdog Millionaire" proved that small budgets can be turned into box office gold.

"The UK film industry, the skills and crafts that support it, and our creative industries more widely, make...an incalculable contribution to our culture," Cameron said.

"Our role, and that of the BFI (British Film Institute), should be to support the sector in becoming even more dynamic and entrepreneurial, helping UK producers to make commercially successful pictures that rival the quality and impact of the best international productions," he added.

"Just as the British Film Commission has played a crucial role in attracting the biggest and best international studios to produce their films here, so we must incentivise UK producers to chase new markets both here and overseas."

Cameron's remarks came ahead of a visit to Pinewood studios, the spiritual home of British cinema, where he was due to meet small and medium-sized businesses involved in film.

A review of the government's policy on the movie industry was also due to be published next week.

"Golden era"?

Experts debate whether British cinema ever had the kind of "golden era" Hollywood enjoyed from the 1920s to 1960s, although it has regularly punched above its weight in terms of awards and ticket sales.

Most recently, "The King's Speech" won four Oscars including best picture in 2011, and earned $414 million in global ticket sales from a production budget of just $15 million, according to Boxofficemojo.com.

Two years earlier, "Slumdog Millionaire" was the big winner picking up eight Oscars including best picture and hitting $378 million at global box offices from a $15 million budget.

Official figures show that UK films accounted for 14 percent of the global 2010 box office tally of $31.8 billion. However, 12.6 percent was accounted for by UK movies wholly or partly financed and controlled by U.S. studios.

Some directors, including Ken Loach a long-time critic of Cameron's Conservative party, have argued that focusing on mainstream movie making could stifle the creativity for which British cinema is renowned.

"Nobody knows who's going to see it (a film) until it's made," Loach told BBC Radio in response to Cameron's remarks.

"If everyone knew the film that was going to make money before it was made we'd have no problem. I mean that's silly isn't it?"

Loach also said that next week's review by former Labour culture minister Chris Smith was likely to miss an opportunity to loosen the grip of multiplex cinemas over what films audiences see.

"If you want to fulfil the possibility that cinema has then you have to allow the films to be seen," he said. "At the moment they are not seen."

But Loach conceded that one positive aspect of the recommendations expected in the review was that revenues from publicly funded films would go back to producers rather than the body that issued the funds in the first place. - Reuters

source:gmanetwork.com

Obama readies rewards to keep US firms from outsourcing jobs

2012-01-11T10:19:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama, under pressure in an election year to boost the economy and reduce high unemployment, will unveil tax proposals aimed at encouraging U.S. firms to keep jobs at home, the White House said on Wednesday.

"In the coming weeks, the president will put forward new tax proposals to reward companies that choose to invest or bring back jobs to the United States, and to eliminate tax advantages for companies moving jobs overseas," the White House said in a statement.

Obama was hosting a forum with executives on Wednesday on "Insourcing American Jobs" at which he will call on companies to invest and hire in the United States instead of moving jobs abroad.

The emphasis on keeping U.S. jobs at home is in line with a populist economic message championed by Obama that could play well with unionized workers, whose support the Democratic president will need to win re-election in November.

The practice of U.S. companies moving jobs to foreign countries such as India and China, where labor is cheaper, is a source of concern to many U.S. workers and resonates strongly in Midwest industrial states such as Ohio and Michigan that are expected to be battlegrounds in this year's election.

At the business forum, Obama will urge companies investing overseas "to take this opportunity to get the American people back to work," the White House said.

"That's how we'll rebuild an economy where hard work pays off and responsibility is rewarded - and a nation where those values live on," Obama will say, according to an excerpt from his prepared remarks.

For the past several years, Obama has proposed closing what he calls tax loopholes used by multinational firms, including those restricting the use of foreign tax credits, and preventing companies from deferring taxes on income earned abroad.

Although these ideas have the support of some Democrats, they generally landed with a thump in Congress, where most lawmakers want to tackle reforms to the voluminous U.S. tax code in one fell swoop.

The Obama administration had been drafting revisions to just the corporate side of the tax code but largely abandoned the effort over the past year after complaints that the tax code needs a massive overhaul and that many businesses file as individuals. — Reuters

source:gmanetwork.com

Should Microsoft buy Nokia's phones?

2012-01-11T09:20:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines — Rumors are again circulating that Microsoft will buy Nokia's mobile division. For how much? USD $19 Billion.

Russian editor-in-chief of Mobile-Review.com Mr. Eldar Murtazin tweeted that "Steve Balmer, Andy Lees and Stephen Elop, Kai Ostamo will meet in Las Vegas to finalize agreement about Nokia smartphone unit." Of course Nokia denied the rumor and Nokia UK issued the following statement “We’ve put these rumours to rest a long time ago. The focus for Nokia is on executing on our partnership around Windows Phone and growing the ecosystem, and each company has the tools they need to do so”.

Nokia Spokeman, Doug Dawson dispelled the rumor by email saying, “We put these rumors to rest a long time ago”.

Why would Microsoft buy Nokia? Maybe because two of its closest competitors Google and Apple have their own offering. Google with Motorola, Apple with its iPhone. Apple is successful with its iPhone but the same cannot be said with Google's Moto as the deal has not been closed. So what assurance will Microsoft get that acquiring Nokia will make Microsoft a force to reckon with in the handset business?

Now on the other hand, why would Nokia sell? I really don't know. A recent Gartner survey shows that Symbian retains the top spot as the world's most popular mobile operating systems with 36.6%, followed by Android (25%) and then iOS (17%). In as far as handset sales is concern, Nokia is still on top with a 28.2%, Samsung second (17.2%), LG was third (6.6%), Apple fourth (3.2%) and RIM fifth (2.9%). Both Sony Ericsson and Motorola, 6th and 7th respectively. So with the numbers - should Nokia sell?

The strategic partnership formed earlier this year between Microsoft and Nokia to which Nokia will be dumping Symbian and MeeGo in favor of Windows Phone 7 as the primary smartphone platform for its handsets is paying off.

A recent Appcelerator and IDC study finds Microsoft is enjoying symbiotic success with Nokia. The study, which surveyed over 2100 mobile developers, looks at how companies are making the move from web to mobile, and how mobile is fundamentally transforming customer relationships.

Furthermore, the study reveals that out of 2100 mobile developers surveyed - 91% of developers are interested in the iPhone, while 83 percent are interested in Android handsets. Only 21 percent are interested in Blackberry and 38 percent of respondents saying they are ‘very interested’ in Windows 7, the highest ever for Microsoft.

When asked why developers are more interested in Windows Phone 7 now than a year ago, a plurality (48%) said it was the Microsoft/Nokia partnership. Nokia also received high marks from its new Lumia Windows Phone 7 smartphone announcement last month, with 28% of developers saying they are ‘very interested’ in developing for the device.

Now we are just talking about Windows Phone 7 here, Windows 8 will soon become available and if Windows 8 delivers as what Microsoft says it will, you can expect the numbers to even go up more.

My point here is this, if the Microsoft/Nokia partnership really become successful, I see no reason why Microsoft should buy Nokia and I don't see why Nokia should sell. Now if the partnership fails, both companies should go back to the drawing board and see what went wrong and then fix it - buying and selling may not be the solution.

I maintain that Microsoft and Nokia are at their best with their core competence - Microsoft for software and Nokia as a handset manufacturer. But I am not Microsoft nor Nokia. They might be seeing something that we don't. There must be some opportunity somewhere that we failed to analyze. So let's wait and see.

source: mb.com.ph

Schottenheimer leaves Jets, to be replaced by Sparano

2012-01-11T00:50:00.000-08:00

Brian Schottenheimer is out after six seasons as the New York Jets' offensive coordinator. The New York Daily News and ESPN report former Miami Dolphins coach Tony Sparano will be named Wednesday to replace him.

The Jets said Tuesday that Schottenheimer informed management that he would not be back next season.

“After much thought and consideration, I have decided not to return to the New York Jets in 2012,” Schottenheimer said in a statement released by the Jets. “I am very proud of what we have accomplished in the six years I have been here. I am grateful for the relationships that I have with our players and coaches and appreciate the hard work and dedication that went into our success. My family and I would like to thank (head coach) Rex Ryan and the entire Jets organization and wish them continued success. I look forward to the exciting opportunities that lie ahead.”

Ryan said he spoke with Schottenheimer about the decision.

Read more: http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2012-01-11/schottenheimer-leaves-jets-to-be-replaced-by-sparano#ixzz1j8c1tQL4

Van Halen with Roth release single 'Tattoo'

2012-01-10T20:12:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK - With frontman David Lee Roth back on board, American rock group Van Halen released on Monday their first single and video with the flamboyant frontman in 27 years.

The black and white video for the new song, "Tattoo," from the band's upcoming album, "A Different Kind of Truth," shows Roth and the Van Halen brothers, Eddie and Alex, performing on stage complete with a trademark guitar solo, and Roth, now 57, singing and dancing.

Roth returned to touring with Van Halen in 2007 after leaving in 1985 for a solo career that included the hit remake of the Beach Boys classic, "California Girls."

The new album will be the first for the rock group, whose first album "Van Halen" was released in 1978, in 14 years. The group was admitted into the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.

The group produced such hits as "Jump." –Reuters

source:gmanetwork.com

Cameras roll for 'Bourne Legacy' in Manila on Jan. 11

2012-01-10T02:52:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines – Filming for “The Bourne Legacy” will begin tomorrow, Jan. 11, in Malate, Manila.

This is what Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Francis Tolentino disclosed on “Mornings@ANC” on Tuesday, as reported by abs-cbnnews.com. He specifically mentioned “tourist district areas” San Andres and Remedios Circle, assuring that the production team “[is] ready to shoot tomorrow.”

This comes shortly after the arrival of Hollywood actress Rachel Weisz in Manila on Sunday evening. Jeremy Renner, Weisz’s co-star and “Bourne Legacy” lead star, arrived on Saturday. The movie’s directors and production crew arrived last week, as disclosed by Tolentino in a separate interview with ABS-CBN News.

More, the chairman mentioned that a group from “Entertainment Tonight” is scheduled to follow soon for a behind-the-scenes shoot.

“I think they [‘Bourne’ team] will only shoot Wednesday to Sunday. Pero ang hours I don't have that right now pero hindi naman po whole day,” Tolentino said, adding that traffic advisories will be issued two days prior to each shoot.

The MMDA has already confirmed the shooting locations to be on Ayala Avenue, in Intramuros, and at Jones Bridge, Marikina City Market, Navotas Fishport, and Pasay Taft Rotonda in Metro Manila, as well as in Palawan.

A report by Manila Bulletin on Jan. 4 specified some of the shooting dates and locations as follows: San Andres street (from Jan. 11 to 15); streets in Remedios (Jan. 18 and 19); San Andres corner Quirino and Taft Avenue (Jan. 14), areas in Intramuros (Jan. 25, Feb. 17 and 18); Jones Bridge (Feb. 5), and Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard (Feb. 8 to 15).

More, “Bourne Legacy” Philippine producer Lope ‘Jun’ Juban Jr. said that the duration of the Philippine shoot is from 40 to 45 days, with the scenes taken in Manila to comprise 20 to 25 minutes of the whole movie.

On the reason the “Bourne Legacy” team included the Philippines in the movie, Juban was quoted as saying in the same abs-cbnnews.com story, “They felt very welcome, and nakita nila 'yung ating pedigree o history of films made in the Philippines. More importantly, it's our attitude, yung welcoming nature ng Pilipino.”

source: mb.com.ph

Black Sabbath guitarist Iommi diagnosed with cancer

2012-01-10T02:36:00.000-08:00

LONDON - Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi has been diagnosed with the early stages of lymphoma, according to a statement on his website on Monday.

The British heavy metal group's original lineup is writing and recording its first album in 33 years, and the band members will move from Los Angeles to London in order to work with Iommi while he undergoes treatment.

"His bandmates would like everyone to send positive vibes to the guitarist at this time," the statement read, adding that the new album was still scheduled for release in the autumn.

"Iommi is currently working with his doctors to establish the best treatment plan -- the 'Iron Man' of Rock & Roll remains upbeat and determined to make a full and successful recovery."

Iommi, 63, is a founding member of Black Sabbath, one of the most successful hard rock acts in history who have sold an estimated 70 million records worldwide.

The veterans announced in November that they were reuniting in their original four man line-up, including Ozzy Osbourne on vocals, for their first new album in more than three decades and a 2012 world tour.

The quartet released their last studio album of all original material in 1978 with "Never Say Die".

Osbourne was fired from the band in 1979, leading to changing lineups for several years. The original foursome reunited for a 1998 release and played sporadically together in the early 2000s. - Reuters

source:gmanetwork.com

Branson's Virgin Money opens first bank branch in Britain

2012-01-09T11:22:00.000-08:00

LONDON — Richard Branson's Virgin Money opened its first bank branch on Monday in northeast England after its takeover of state-rescued Northern Rock.

Nationalized at the height of the global financial crisis in 2008, Northern Rock was sold in November to Virgin Money for £747 million ($1.18 billion, 872 million euros) in cash.

"The Virgin Group has always gone into markets where there's been an opportunity to make things better for customers," Branson told reporters at the group's first converted branch in Newcastle, where Northern Rock was based.

"We've been doing it for 40 years, with some real milestone moments along the way, from our first steps in the record industry to launching Virgin Atlantic. Now we want to do the same for banking.

"It's not something we take lightly. There's a lot of hard work ahead. But we have the people, the products and the plans in place," he added.

The takeover deal covered 75 Northern Rock branches, one million customers, 2,100 employees, a £14-billion mortgages book and £16-billion of retail deposits.

All the branches will be rebranded under the Virgin Money banner over the next nine months, while the acquisition gives the former online lender a presence in the mortgage market for the first time.

Northern Rock was plunged into crisis in mid-September 2007 when its exposure to the credit crunch forced it to seek emergency assistance from the Bank of England, sparking the first run on a British bank in recent history.

The lender was last year split in two, forming a so-called "good bank" for its healthy businesses and a "bad bank" management company to wind down toxic assets. Only the "good" bank — Northern Rock Plc — was sold to Virgin.

Founded in 1995, Virgin Money is backed by Wilbur Ross, the billionaire Wall Street investor, as well as an Abu Dhabi investment fund.

The group has pledged to make no compulsory redundancies at Northern Rock for at least three years. — Agence France-Presse

source:gmanetwork.com

Elton John to pen personal story about AIDS

2012-01-09T09:58:00.000-08:00

LONDON — Elton John will write a personal account of his life during the AIDS epidemic, including his friendship with Queen frontman Freddie Mercury who died of an AIDS-related illness in 1991 aged 45.

The "Rocket Man" musician founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation around 20 years ago to raise funds to help fight the disease, and proceeds from "LOVE IS THE CURE: Ending the Global AIDS Epidemic" will go to the charity.

In a statement released on Monday, publishers Hodder & Stoughton promised a "very personal story of... Elton's life during the AIDS epidemic, including his agony at seeing friend after friend perish needlessly."

Among the individuals it describes are Mercury and Ryan White, an American boy who became a "poster child" for HIV/AIDS after he was banned by a school because of his condition.

According to reports at the time, John was with White when he died in a US hospital in 1990 aged 18.

"This is a disease that must be cured not by a miraculous vaccine, but by changing hearts and minds, and through a collective effort to break down social barriers and to build bridges of compassion," John said.

"Why are we not doing more? This is a question I have thought deeply about, and wish to answer — and to help change — by writing this book."

An estimated 34 million people worldwide had the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS in 2010, up 17 percent from 2001 when 28.6 million were living with HIV.

According to the Hodder statement, HIV/AIDS has claimed 60 million lives.

Hodder & Stoughton acquired LOVE IS THE CURE with US sister company Little, Brown and Company.

It is due to be published in July 2012 to coincide with the 2012 XIX International AIDS Conference to be held in Washington DC. — Reuters

source:gmanetwork.com

Rolling Stones' Keith Richards has eye surgery

2012-01-08T01:24:00.000-08:00

LONDON - Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards has undergone laser eye surgery and is "doing very well", a spokeswoman said on Friday.

British media reported that the 68-year-old, famous for surviving years of rock-n'roll excess, underwent the procedure to correct his deteriorating vision.

The Rolling Stones, one of rock music's most successful acts, celebrate their 50th anniversary this year.

The music press, including Rolling Stone magazine, has reported that another tour could be on the cards, although internal rifts within the band would have to be resolved first. - Reuters

source:gmanetwork.com

Impossible-to-stop offense, opportunistic defense power Saints past Lions

2012-01-07T23:44:00.000-08:00

NEW ORLEANS—Three observations from watching the New Orleans Saints defeat the Detroit Lions 45-28 in front of a raucous home crowd to advance to the divisional playoff round on the road in San Francisco next week:
The only thing stopping the Saints’ offense at the moment is the Saints’ offense

New Orleans didn’t need to punt once on Saturday night, and the two times it booted the ball away via fumbles, Detroit couldn’t capitalize with much-needed first-half points on either rare occasion.

The Saints, with Sean Payton and Drew Brees, have all three levels of their offense working.

When the Lions played the deep ball well, the Saints simply had their backs hew up yards in the wide open spaces underneath.

"We saw a defense that was very, very patient," coach Sean Payton said. "Sometimes that can be frustrating, but they sat in coverage and periodically would break that shell.

When the Lions were lulled into closing in on the rushing damage of Pierre Thomas, Darren Sproles and Chris Ivory, Brees’ eyes lit up in seeing easy downfield opportunities to speedsters Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem.

"The big plays in the second half really helped us," Payton said.

As usual, a big factor in opening up both the short and long was uncoverable tight end Jimmy Graham occupying the attention of linebackers and safeties in the middle of the field. The Lions played “pick your poison,” but somehow swallowed every pill as the Saints posted a playoff record 626 yards of total offense.

In the modern pass-happy era, because New Orleans also excels at rushing the ball, we’ve never seen an NFL team move the ball quite like this.

Read more: http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2012-01-07/saints-beat-lions-drew-brees-matthew-stafford-passing-yards-darren-sproles#ixzz1iqnsBJTJ

Obama discourages US firms from outsourcing jobs

2012-01-07T04:51:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama kicked off an effort to encourage US businesses to keep jobs at home instead of outsourcing them overseas, as he rolled out a new election-year theme on Saturday aimed at courting middle-class voters.

In his weekly radio and video address, Obama previewed an event he will hold next week with business executives to highlight the advantages of investing in the United States.

"We'll hear from business leaders who are bringing jobs back home and see how we can help other businesses follow their lead," Obama said.

The White House forum on "Insourcing American Jobs" will be held on Wednesday. Executives from more than a dozen companies will attend, including padlock maker Master Lock, furniture company Lincolnton Furniture, software application developer GalaxE Solutions, and chemicals company DuPont.

The emphasis on keeping US jobs at home is in line with a populist economic message championed by Obama that could play well with union workers, whose support the Democratic president will need to win re-election in November.

The White House sees an increasing trend of companies deciding to "insource" jobs and invest in U.S.-based plants and factories, according to a White House official. It wants to encourage more businesses to follow that trend, the official said.

The practice of US companies moving jobs to foreign countries such as India and China, where labor is cheaper, is a source of concern to many U.S. workers.

The issue resonates strongly in Midwest industrial states such as Ohio and Michigan that have been hard hit, not only by the 2007-2009 economic crisis, but also by years of shrinkage in the manufacturing jobs sector. Many of those states are battlegrounds that are vital to Obama's re-election hopes.

Republicans vying to challenge Obama in November, including front-runner Mitt Romney, have hammered him over his economic stewardship. They contend that his regulatory policies, including new rules for Wall Street and the overhaul of the healthcare system, have discouraged investment. They also say his fiscal stimulus measures have not succeeded in bringing down high unemployment.

But the White House was encouraged by the December jobs report, released on Friday, which showed a drop in the jobless rate to 8.5 percent, its lowest level in nearly three years.

"We're heading in the right direction. And we're not going to let up," Obama said. — Reuters

source:gmanetwork.com

Exciting new year for comic book cartoons

2012-01-07T00:16:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines — While 2011 had been a huge year for comics, the year 2012 looks to be an even bigger year.

Cartoons may seem childish to teenagers and young adults, but animated films and TV series are an effective gateway for people to get into comics. The secret to good animation is finding the balance between adapting its original source and translating the essence of a comic into the screen, taking the viewers’ mindset into consideration.

Looking back

Last October, DC came out with its animated adaptation of “Batman: Year One.’’ The film was a very faithful take on Frank Miller’s original work. The producers said it was easy to turn the comic into a cartoon because of Miller’s cinematic style of writing.

What made “Batman: Year One’’ so unique and fascinating is how it delves into the life of James Gordon. The film acts as an origin story for Batman, but it spends just as much time detailing the pressures that Gordon fights through, as he finds himself stuck in a corrupt police system. The film takes us into his personal life as well, exploring his relationship with his wife and child.

What also makes Year One thrilling is its depiction of Catwoman, especially in the bonus short film, starring our favorite cat burglar with a heart. It turns out that more than a simple desire for money and jewelry, Selina Kyle is really Ijust trying to protect the women of Gotham City.

“Thor: Tales of Asgard’’ was Marvel’s 2011 animated release that tells the story of a young Thor who learns the consequences of great power, and the responsibility that goes with it. The plot is very traditional, and Thor as a character is pretty dull. But what I really appreciated was how Loki is made into such a likable, innocent, and caring brother. The end of the film foreshadows his dark future, but most of the movie has Loki aiding Thor and performing heroic tasks.

Party like it’s 2012

DC has so many animated projects in the coming year, it gets me giddy every time I think about it.

“Justice League: Doom’’ will come out early 2012. The animated film is a loose adaptation of Tower of Babel, the famous JLA storyline that had the World’s Greatest Heroes systematically beat down and humiliated by their enemies who are using Batman’s files to devise their strategies. Finding out that Batman is keeping dangerous, intrusive files on his teammates creates a rift in the team, making Batman an untrustworthy figure.

The movie has sentimental value as well. The project was Dwayne McDuffie’s last, as he wrote it right before his death in February 2011. McDuffie was the creator of Static Shock, and he also wrote and produced Justice League Unlimited.

Also in the works is an animated film adaptation of Frank Miller’s “The Dark Knight Returns.’’ This is sure to either make fanboys rejoice or shake with fear. Along with Watchmen, The Dark Knight Returns is considered by many as a classic to top all classics. So while the potential for such a project is mind-blowing, fans around the world will surely be critical.

I guess the best advice is for viewers to accept any animated adaptation as a separate piece of work from its original source. It’s hard to enjoy a movie when you’re constantly comparing it to the comic books. We have to look at animated films as a whole different entity. Of course, that is easier said than done.

On TV, “The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes’’ will start its second season early 2012. The show boasts of an all-star line-up featuring the likes of Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America, and Thor. Lesser known heroes like Hawkeye, Black Panther, Wasp and Hank Pym also play major roles in the TV series. Obviously targeted at kids, adults will nevertheless enjoy the cartoon because of its fast pace, sleek animation, and big action.

There are a lot more animated comic book adaptations scheduled for 2012, so do try to keep yourselves posted on the newest releases. Always buy original. Either buy the original copies of the cartoon, or catch it on TV. Let’s give the animators more incentive and more reason to keep on coming back with new, progressive projects.

Happy new year to all of you, and may the force be with you!

source: mb.com.ph

Pinoys in Maryland to mark Santo Niño feast, Ati-atihan

2012-01-06T22:24:00.000-08:00

Filipinos in Maryland in the United States will hold the 9th annual celebration of the Sinulog and Ati-Atihan Festival in honor of the feast of the Holy Child Jesus or "Santo Niño" this month.

The celebration will be held at 3:00 p.m. on January 29 at the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church 11701 Clopper Road, Gaithersburg MD 20878.

The dinner /dance donation is:

US$15 for adults, and
US$5 for children 7 to 12 years old.

Children six years old and below are free.

The proceeds will go to the PACP Medical and Dental Mission in the Philippines

Those who would like to obtain more information about the event are asked to call:
Remy/Ding 240-731-2032 ,
Grace Valera 202-247-0117 ,
Marie-Tess/John Cabrera 301-515-9015
Or email : migrantheritage@gmail.com, marieding0321@yahoo.com, marie-tess@cfalliance.com,

Checks are payable to PACP Foundation and must be sent by mail to 19006 Leatherbark Dr., Germantown MD 20874 by January 20, 2012.

The attendees are asked to bring their images of the Santo Niño for the special blessing. - RJMD/VVP, GMA News

source:gmanetwork.com

US jobless rate falls to 8.5% in big job surge

2012-01-06T06:17:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON - The US unemployment rate dropped to 8.5 percent in December, the lowest level in nearly three years, as hiring surged more than expected, government data showed Friday.

The Labor Department report confirmed an improving trend in the ailing job market. The department noted that the number of unemployed as well as the jobless rate "continued to trend down in December."

The economy added 200,000 nonfarm jobs last month, the department said, sharply higher than the average analyst estimate of 150,000.

The job gains occurred in transportation and warehousing, retail trade, manufacturing, health care, and mining, the department said.

Most analysts had expected the jobless rate to tick higher to 8.7 percent.

Instead, at 8.5 percent, the jobless rate was the lowest since February 2009, when the United States was battling the worst recession in decades. — Agence France Presse

source:gmanetwork.com

Kodak edges toward bankruptcy

2012-01-06T00:02:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK — Eastman Kodak, the company which brought photography to the masses a century ago, faces a gloomy future amid new reports that it is on the edge of bankruptcy.

Never able to rebuild after the digital wave blew its core film business away from the mass market, the Wall Street Journal reported late Wednesday that Kodak has already begun preparing to ask for protection from creditors.

On Tuesday, the New York Stock Exchange told the company, once one of the fabled 30 Dow Jones blue chips, that it faces delisting from the exchange if it cannot get its stock price back above $1.00 level.

In its heyday, Kodak shares topped $80 in 1996 — just at the outset of the digital photo revolution that eventually replaced the need for consumers to buy Kodak film, once a virtual monopoly in the US market.

On Wednesday its share price plunged 28 percent to 47 cents a share; Thursday it sank another 10.6 percent to 42 cents as Moody's downgraded the company's debt rating to a very low Caa3, citing "a heightened probability of a bankruptcy over the near term."

And on Thursday the company's chief communications officer quit, following in the wake of three board directors in the past two weeks.

The Wall Street Journal said the company is still hoping that it can sell off some of its valuable patent portfolio to raise money.

But if that last-ditch effort fails, it could file for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 protection, later this month or in February, the Journal said citing sources familiar with the issue.

That would place the jobs of its 19,000 employees in question. At its height in the 1980s, it had 145,000 workers.

Kodak declined to comment on the reports, but its books have been awash with red ink for years. The last time it reported a net profit was the small gain in 2007. Its steady decline was already marked when it was dropped from the prestigious Dow Jones Industrial Average of 30 top US companies in 2004.

Founded in 1892 by inventor George Eastman, Kodak developed handheld "Brownie" cameras that were sold at popular prices, and furnished the film that would keep consumers pumping profits into the country for decades.

Three generations of Americans and many in other countries learned to snap photos with Brownies.

And "Kodak Moment", the company's advertising catchphrase for its film, was embedded deep into the vernacular.

The company meanwhile was lauded as one of the country's top technology innovators —the Apple or Google of its time.

Ironically, it pioneered research into digital photography beginning in the mid-1970s. But it was Asian electronics manufacturers that stole a march in that market in the 1990s as Kodak failed to see the need to break from its old business lines.

"They were the ones who invented the digital camera, but they didn't believe in it," said Gregori Volokhine of Meeschaert Capital Markets.

In September, Kodak hired the law firm Jones Day as advisors for restructuring, though many analysts noted that the firm also advises bankruptcies.

Kodak though sought to shore up its finances by selling often some of its huge portfolio of patents, including in digital imaging.

That could bring substantial cash and buy time, though Moody's said the threat of bankruptcy will make such sales more difficult.

"But when one is a desperate seller, the buyers have no interest in rushing because it will be cheaper when Kodak is completely on the floor," said Volokhine.

"The problem with a bankruptcy is that it does nothing to increase the value of Kodak's patents," said Douglas McIntyre of 247WallSt.com.

"If they have a very large value, Kodak would have gotten that already. It has had months to complete a process to use its intellectual property to bolster its balance sheet. That has not happened." — Agence France-Presse

source:gmanetwork.com

Broadcom 802.11ac Wi-Fi chips hit CES 2012

2012-01-05T06:07:00.000-08:00

Following a CES preview event last month, Broadcom today announced its first family of 802.11ac (also known as 5G Wi-Fi) chips, designed for a broad range of product segments.

The chipmaker says the new IEEE 802.11ac chips are three times faster and up to six times more efficient than equivalent existing 802.11n (known as Wi-Fi) solutions. This makes 5G Wi-Fi a major step up from from the existing and popular 802.11a/b/g/n wireless solutions.

According to Broadcom, its 5G Wi-Fi chips will dramatically improve the wireless range and data rates, allowing consumers to watch HD video, and transfer large amounts of data to and from more devices, in more places at once.

The fact that the chips can transmit a much larger amount of data in the same amount of time, compared with 802.11n devices, means that the 5G Wi-Fi devices can enter low-power mode faster and more frequently, resulting in significant reductions in power consumption.

Read more: http://www.cnet.com/8301-33372_1-57352574/broadcom-802.11ac-wi-fi-chips-hit-ces-2012/#ixzz1iaojxJ7r

Fil-Am competing in Miss America pageant

2012-01-05T03:09:00.000-08:00

Filipino-American Kristina Janolo is representing Florida in the upcoming Miss America 2012 Pageant, a report of the Asian Journal said.

Janolo, 24, a student of University of Central Florida, won the Miss Florida crown in July last year, the Asian Journal said.

The 2012 Miss America Pageant will be broadcast live from Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on January 14.

Janolo, of Kissimmee, Florida, is the first Filipino-American to win the title of Miss Florida.

She was born in the United States but her mother is from Manila while her father is from Mindoro.

Miss America

According to the Miss America website, the pageant began in 1921, when East Coast newspapers sent their city representatives to the Second Annual Fall Frolic as special guests.

Once Miss America is chosen, she embarks on a year-long national speaking tour. "As a national spokesperson and advocate, Miss America travels approximately 20,000 miles a month, to a different city every other day, addressing diverse audiences, increasing awareness and promoting her chosen platform," the website says.

Miss America contestants are from 17 to 24 years old. Scholarships are available to contestants, even non-winners. - VVP, GMA News

source:gmanetwork.com

PayPal makes buyer destroy $2500 antique violin

2012-01-04T03:02:00.000-08:00

PayPal reportedly made a buyer of an antique French violin destroy the instrument instead of shipping it back to the seller, due to a dispute over the instrument's providence.

The seller —identified only as "Erica"— wrote of her "heartbreaking" experience, which was posted on the Regretsy.com website.

"Rather than have the violin returned to me, PayPal made the buyer DESTROY the violin in order to get his money back. They somehow deemed the violin as 'counterfeit' even though there is no such thing in the violin world," she said.

"The buyer was proud of himself, so he sent me a photo of the destroyed violin," she added.

She said she sold the old French violin to the buyer in Canada, and the buyer disputed the label.

But she said that such disputes are "not uncommon", as labels found inside violins are not permanent and are therefore not a major factor when evaluating the providence and value of an instrument.

Erica noted that some of the most expensive violins in the world have disputed labels, "but they are works of art nonetheless."

"I am now out a violin that made it through World War II as well as $2500. This is of course, upsetting. But my main goal in writing to you is to prevent PayPal from ordering the destruction of violins and other antiquities that they know nothing about," she said.

"It is beyond me why PayPal simply didn’t have the violin returned to me," she added.

Erica said she spoke on the phone to numerous reps from PayPal who "100% defended their action and gave me the party line."

She also noted the violin was examined and authenticated by a top luthier prior to its sale.

Presently, PayPal's terms say it "may also require you to destroy the item and to provide evidence of its destruction." — TJD, GMA News

source:gmanetwork.com

PHL starts selling 25-yr. US dollar bonds

2012-01-04T00:15:00.000-08:00

The Philippines on Wednesday started selling 25-year US dollar bonds to finance its infrastructure projects this year.

According to Finance Undersecretary Rosalia de Leon, the offering is of “benchmark size.”

National Treasurer Roberto Tan said Tuesday government intends to sell $500 million to $1.5 billion in global bonds.

The Aquino administration needs to spend P500 million for infrastructure development to achieve a 5-percent to 6-percent economic growth this year, said former Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno

Hired to sell the bonds were Citigroup Inc., Credit Suisse Group AG, Deutsche
Bank AG, Goldman Sachs Group Inc., HSBC, JP Morgan Chase, Standard
Chartered Plc. and UBS AG, according to a Department of Finance statement Wednesday.

Government emphasized in a presentation released by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Investor Relations Office that the Philippines has a strong points as a global bond issuer, including “a strong domestic consumer base, effective monetary policy, strong external payments position, prudent fiscal management,
stable banking system and a reform minded administration.”

In an emailed statement Wednesday, Fitch Ratings noted it “has assigned the Republic of the Philippines' upcoming USD-denominated global bonds due 2037 an expected 'BB+' rating.”

“The final rating is contingent on the receipt of final documentation conforming to information already received,” Fitch added. — VS, GMA News

source:gmanetwork.com

'Segunda Mano' overtakes 'Panday,' zooms to 2nd place

2012-01-03T06:07:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines – It looks like Kris Aquino is having the last laugh.

The controversial actress-TV host’s prediction that her Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) entry, “Segunda Mano” would eventually wind up at second place based on box-office earnings has come true.

Tallies gathered in the last eight days – from Dec. 25 to Jan. 1 — of the ongoing MMFF, show Aquino’s film entry, “Segunda Mano” now at the number two spot raking in a hefty P94,629,812.45M at the box-office.

Aquino made her bold forecast in an earlier interview with PEP prior to the festival opening last Dec. 25.

“Number two. Very honest ako sa number two,” said she.

She went on to insist that she would get her wish, going on to recall how she correctly predicted “Dalaw” – her entry in last year’s festival – landing on the third spot.

“Di ba, dati sinabi ko gusto ko mag-number three? I was so happy. Ngayon, gusto ko mag-number two, kaya ‘segunda mano.’"

Not a few scoffed at Aquino’s calculation given the odds. She is, after all, competing against the box-office triumvirate of Vic Sotto and Ai Ai delas Alas of “Enteng Ng Ina Mo” and Bong Revilla with “Ang Panday 2.”

Aquino herself thought the fight was over, having already thanked her fans for helping her movie land on third spot after the first two days of the festival.

Past rankings based on opening day returns had allowed only for “Segunda Mano” to maintain third position behind both “Enteng Ng Ina Mo” and “Ang Panday 2.”

But Aquino’s fortunes suddenly changed. It helped that her co-star and co-producer, Dingdong Dantes, also bagged the Best Actor trophy during the recently concluded 37th MMFF Awards.

Aquino, now recognized as the country's official "Queen of Horror Movies," started out his acting career doing comedy.

Her first foray into filmmaking "Pido Dida Sabay Tayo" in 1990 opposite the now deceased comedian Rene Requiestas allowed her the tag "Box-Office Queen."

In 1993, she shifted to doing crime films based on real-life events, which again became hits earning her the moniker, "Massacre Queen."

She went on to forge a career in horror films starting with "Feng Shui" in 2004, which grossed P137.56 million at the box-office. she followed this with "Sukob (2006) and "Dalaw" (2010).

Meanwhile, the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), which is behind the annual festival is confident that this year’s total gross will exceed P600-M.

Last year’s total gross was more than P500M.

The filmfest ends on Jan. 7.

Here are the official earnings of the seven official entries from Dec.

25 to Jan. 1, according to the MMFF executive committee:

l. "Enteng Ng Ina Mo" – P183,213,717.35M

2. "Segunda Mano" – P94,629,812.45M

3. "Ang Panday 2" -- P86,316,624.55M

4. "My Househusband" – P42,587,787.58M

5. "Shake, Rattle & Roll XIII" – P41,935,473.35M

6. "Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story" – P31,781,973.55M

7. "Yesterday Today Tomorrow" – P7,359,070.85M

source: mb.com.ph

Ditch the New Year's resolutions, make a bucket list instead

2012-01-03T00:57:00.000-08:00

As far as I can remember, I have had New Year resolutions since I was four. It was part of a series of traditions I have learned to live with until 2011. What happens after January 1 is another story altogether.

Looking back, I realized how my resolutions remained as subtle motivations or a series of must-change. Whether it was reducing my consumption of mint-flavored candies, or losing those ten pounds, it remained the same. There seems to be a viral machine that pushes me to suspend it or just let it go.

I guess this has been a problem for just about everyone, or at least mine, for the last 16 years. Not that I wasn’t sincere or determined to become a better person. It’s just that, at some point, you’d start to realize that unless it’s a matter of life and death, you’d like to keep yourself as it is, regardless of its flaws.

So this time, I made sure 2012 was going to be different. Instead of making another resolution to postpone, I decided to make my own bucket list.

It’s not just in cinemas

I remember it clearly. The first time I heard about the idea was inside a movie house four years ago while I was watching the 2007 Rob Reiner film entitled “The Bucket List” with my best friend, Chynna Cuna. It was a movie about two terminally ill individuals who in the middle of contemplating death decided to make a wish list (e.g., try sky diving, drag racing, etc.) and go on a final expedition to fulfill them.

I guess the idea pierced my heart in the sense that Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) and Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman) in the latter part reached the pinnacle of satisfaction, before they both kicked the bucket. I mean, honestly, how many people are capable of saying they’re completely contented with their lives?

No damsel in distress

I know. Some people might say it’s another contemporary fairytale–one that suits those who find the Old Cinderella story a little overrated. But if there’s one thing I’m sure: A bucket list doesn’t turn you into a damsel in distress. For one, it taught me how to maneuver my way to happiness.

Here are some steps in making your own bucket list:

STEP 1: Know what you want.
Unlike exams, projects, or work, this is personal. In other words, there’s no specific criteria, no standard to follow, no tradition to live by: just you and your bucket list. Whether you want a trip to Europe or a trek up Mt. Pulag (Luzon’s highest peak), it’s all up to you. What would make you happy? What have you been dying to do?”

STEP 2: Write it down.
While you can always trust your memory, it always pays to just write it down. Not only are you able to monitor progress by crossing out adventures you’ve done, you’re assured your list is safe from going down the drain of oblivion. (Unless, of course, Invisible Woman tries to show up and creates a mess.)

STEP 3: Own it!
Tell it to your friends. You could even post in on Facebook, Twitter or your own blog. Not only do you increase the level of accountability on your part, you also open up the chances of doing it as a group. Won’t it be better if you do it with people close to your heart?

STEP 4: Take action!
Just as I said, this is all about you. If you don’t move then nothing really happens. Don’t worry though. We usually have a lifetime to fulfill it. Just make sure to cross out at least one every year. –KG, GMA News

source:gmanetwork.com

Psychics, showbiz experts dish out predictions, forecasts

2012-01-02T05:57:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines – Psychic experts claim that the Year of the Water Dragon will generally be a good one for the local entertainment industry.

For one, many actors and actresses are predicted to bring honor to the country through international recognitions and possible stints in Hollywood.

“Maraming actors and actresses ang nakikita ko [na] would win international awards. And these are the people pa na hindi natin halos napapansin pa rito, or ‘yung mga dark horses na makakapasok o gagawa ng isang proyekto sa Hollywood,” Stargazer told “The Buzz” in a taped interview aired on Jan. 1.

Bro. Mhon Co, for his part, saw a “very vibrant” industry with more “promising developments.” He also felt that “more people will support the Filipino movie industry” this year.

However, he revealed that news about an actress’ first pregnancy will “shock” the public because she will get knocked up not by her boyfriend but by another man.

“Very popular itong dalawang ito. Kinikilala ‘to ng madla eh,” Co added.

Kapamilya stars’ predictions

In the same “Buzz” report, Co and Stargazer aired their predictions on the career and health of some of ABS-CBN’s biggest stars.

For comedian and “Showtime” resident judge Vice Ganda, Co said that his career “will still continue to grow to a larger extent” but was advised to “take care of his health."

"He might be even [rushed to the] hospital [in] the middle of this year," Co claimed.

Things are also looking up for “Star Power” champ Angeline Quinto, as Stargazer predicted her career to remain “okay” because she will be blessed with breaks and more projects “left and right.”

Piolo Pascual, according to Co, will receive more awards this year. He even extended his early congratulations to the actor, saying, “I know someday makikilala ka sa larangan ng iyong pag-arte hindi lang sa Pilipinas kundi sa ibang bansa pa.”

Stargazer encouraged Andi Eigenmann, who took a break from showbiz when she got pregnant, to “bounce back” because “there’s so much waiting for her. She’s gonna be welcomed [back] with open arms.”

Anne Curtis will be able to acquire more properties this year; however, Co warned her of a possible vehicular accident.

Stargazer asserted that Enchong Dee’s career will also be “okay” in 2012, but advised him, “while the iron is very hot itong 2012, kailangan matuto siyang mag-save.”

Both psychics also touched on the fortunes of some of the popular reel and real life couples from the Kapamilya stable.

Stargazer believed that “My Binondo Girl” stars Kim Chiu and Xian Lim have “good” chemistry, and wished, “sana mag-prosper nang mabilis.” Individually, she said that “something positive is brewing up with Kim Chiu.”

As for Bea Alonzo, Stargazer said that the actress “has to make a choice at this point whether she really wants to focus on love or focus on work.” On the other hand, her boyfriend Zanjoe Marudo “would be busy” with “a lot of projects.” More, Stargazer predicted that he will have “the tendency to be always out.”

Meanwhile, the lady psychic asserted that Shaina Magdayao needs to accept certain issues before she’d be able to reconcile with her boyfriend John Lloyd Cruz.

“Medyo mahirap para sa kanya itong, sabihing, pagbabalikan [nila]. Medyo ang burden ay nandodoon sa babae,” Stargazer added.

On the other hand, Co said that TV host-actress and presidential sister Kris Aquino’s love life “is still affected by the family decisions.”

“‘Di siya makapag-decide alone. Kailangan din niyang makinig sa kanyang mga kapatid,” said he.

For young actress Julia Montes, Co said, “marami siyang love life na dapat layuan. May mga mali-link sa kanya na pwede niyang iwasan muna.”

On the other hand, he claimed that Montes’ “Mara Clara” co-star Kathryn Bernardo will be involved with older guys, adding, “‘yung mga younger sa kanya or ‘yung ka-age niya, hindi siya swerte.”

Lastly, Stargazer advised Gerald Anderson to control his “aggressiveness” “when it comes to love life.”

She continued, “This is the year definitely that he will get involved with somebody else, na it would be made public. Ito ‘yung year na, ako suggestion ko lang, ‘wag na niyang ilabas para maging maayos.”

Showbiz experts’ ‘fearless forecasts’ on young Kapuso stars

In a separate report on “Unang Hirit” on Jan. 2, entertainment writers Gorgy Rula and Jojo Gabinete, along with GMA showbiz reporter Lhar Santiago, gave their forecasts on five of the Kapuso network’s biggest young actors.

Speaking about Derrick Monasterio, Rula said, “Pagpasok pa lang talaga ni Derrick, nakikita mo na talagang promising siya and mukhang malayo ang mararating niya.

“Leading man material talaga. At saka si Derrick, anak siya ni Tina Monasterio. Pero sandali lang ‘yung tinakbo ng career niya sa showbiz, nakilala siyang sexy star. Itong anak niyang si Derrick, mukhang babawi ng bonggang-bongga,” he said.

For other tween star, Alden Richards, Gabinete opined that his career will likewise improve this year.

“Kasi si Alden may dalang swerte. Nung sumali siya sa ‘StarStruck,’ hindi siya nanalo pero siya ‘yung nagkaroon ng pinakamalaking break,” he said.

Rula added, “At saka kung swerte ka, dagdagan mo pa ng talent. Kasi ang sabi nila siya daw ang susunod na John Lloyd Cruz. So dapat patunayan ni Alden ‘yon. Galingan niya.”

Referring to both Monasterio and Richards, Santiago said, “Sinasabi na sila talaga 'yung mga future matinee idols dahil sila 'yung may height, saka' yung looks.”

Meanwhile, Rula noticed that Rocco Nacino, “sa lahat ng pinapasok niya, kina-career niya. Lahat ng pinapagawa sa kanya, maliliit na bagay, kina-career niya.

“Kaya talagang deserving siya kung ano man ang makukuha niya,” he concluded, adding later on that the actor “has talent.”

Gabinete praised Bea Binene for her acting ability and good looks, but advised her to tone down "‘yung pagiging minsan pa-cute siya.”

“Kasi magaling ka na eh, hindi mo na kailangang gumawa ng isang bagay para mapansin,” said he.

For his part, Rula predicted, “malay natin medyo after mga two to three years, magpo-pose ‘yan sa FHM. Sexy kasi siya eh.”

Lastly, Gabinete praised Kristoffer Martin for his acting, specifically on the primetime soap “Munting Heredera."

Rula opined, “At saka kay Kristoffer dapat talaga alagaan mabuti ng GMA Artist Center. Kasi pwede siyang sumunod sa yapak ni Aljur Abrenica, pwede siyang magpa-sexy-sexy, pwedeng hunk ang dating. Kasi ang gwapo niya ngayon saka ang ganda ng katawan niya.”

In parting, Rula stressed the importance of the network’s support to their talents.

“‘Yun rin nga ‘yung sana gusto kong sabihin, nasa GMA Artist Center na rin ito kung papa’no nila maaalagaan ng husto ‘yung career. Kasi kung ‘di napapansin ng iba, merong ibang artista na ang lakas sa TV [pero] pagdating sa movies mahina.

“Challenge ‘din ‘to sa GMA Artist Center na mapaganda ‘yung career ng talents nila para lumakas din sila sa movies. Hindi ‘yung pang-TV lang. Marami eh. Ang daming fans na papuntahin mo sa mall show, punong-puno ang mall. ‘Pagdating sa sine, ba’t walang nanood?” said he.

source: mb.com.ph

HK ushers in 2012 with spectacular pyrotechnic show

2012-01-02T03:39:00.000-08:00

On New Year’s Eve (31 December), multi-colored “shooting stars” glided across the sky above Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour, while a “golden dragon” spiralled up the iconic building Two ifc. These auspicious motifs created by pyrotechnics were part of the 5th Hong Kong New Year Countdown Celebrations organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), with The Hong Kong Jockey Club as the supporting sponsor. The event instilled great excitement among the Hong Kong people and visitors, as they wished for a better year in 2012.

The officiating ceremony of the Hong Kong Countdown Celebrations was performed by the event’s Guest of Honor Mr Donald Tsang, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), who was accompanied by Mrs Tsang; Mr James Tien, HKTB Chairman; Mr Gregory So, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the Hong Kong SAR; Sir C K Chow, Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, supporting sponsor of the event; and Hong Kong’s 40-millionth visitor in 2011 Ms Nancy Ryan from Chicago, US.

The Countdown Celebrations featured a total of 10 buildings on Hong Kong Island, including Two ifc. The event took on the theme “Soaring Dragon with a Happy Heart”, which ties in perfectly with the Year of the Dragon on the lunar calendar. Beginning at 11pm on 31 December, pyrotechnics were launched atop the 10 buildings every 15 minutes to create shooting stars in four colors, symbolising luck in career, health, fortune and love in 2012.

Entering the final 10 seconds of 2011, visitors and local residents on both sides of Victoria Harbour began counting down in unison along with the numeric countdown generated by pyrotechnics atop the 10 buildings. When the clock struck midnight, a large-scale pyrotechnic show lasting four minutes commenced, against the music of the theme song written by Hong Kong-based music producer and composer Mr Chiu Tsang Hei. The show reached a climax when the greetings “Happy New Year” appeared on the rooftops of the buildings, while a “golden dragon” encircled Two ifc to allude to a vibrant Hong Kong economy in 2012.

Besides providing major news media worldwide with satellite feed, the HKTB broadcast the event live on Weibo to showcase the entire Countdown Celebrations to the global audience. Catering to the Hong Kong viewers, the Jade Channel of the Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) also offered live broadcast of the pyrotechnic show and the accompanying performances.

source:gmanetwork.com

PAGASA: Meteor shower to peak January 3 and 4

2012-01-01T05:57:00.000-08:00

Stargazers will get an early treat in 2012 with the annual Quadrantid meteor shower, which will be active from January 1 to 7.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the meteor shower will peak Jan. 3 to 4, with 40 meteors seen per hour.

"The observation of its peak activity on January 3-4 in which meteors or 'falling stars' can be seen at the rate of at least 40 meteors per hour. The shower will appear to radiate from the constellation of Bootes," PAGASA administrator Nathaniel Servando said.

Servando said the Quadrantid meteor shower hits the Earth's atmosphere at the rate of about 40 km per second.

He said the incinerated dust is believed to be particles from the debris ejected by the near-Earth asteroid 2003 EH.

Meanwhile, PAGASA said Venus will be visible in January, shining brilliantly at magnitude -3.8 and will be standing at about 20 degrees above the west southwestern horizon.

"It will lie between the boundary of the constellation Capricornus, the Goat and Aquarius, the Water Bearer. The brightest planet will be observable throughout the evening sky of the month of January," Servando said.

Mars and Saturn will also be visible.

Mercury will be found low in the east-southeastern horizon until it slides down from the evening sky on January 17.

Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune will be found above the west-southwestern part of the sky and will lie among the background stars of the constellation Pisces, the Fish for Jupiter and Uranus and the constellation Aquarius, the Water Bearer for Neptune.

Stars and constellations

Servando said the famous equilateral triangle in the sky, the Winter Triangle, rises after sunset.

It includes Betelgeuse, the super giant red star and the prominent star of the famous constellation Orion (the Mighty Hunter), Sirius, the brightest star in the sky of the constellation Canis Major (the Big Dog), and Procyon, the brightest star of the constellation Canis Minor (the Little Dog). — LBG, GMA News

source:gmanetwork.com

Times Square revelers welcome the new year

2012-01-01T00:23:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK— Revelers erupted in cheers amid a confetti-filled celebration in New York's Times Square to welcome in the new year, part of star-studded celebrations and glittering fireworks displays around the world to usher in 2012.

From New Zealand to New York, the world eagerly welcomed a new year Sunday and hoped for a better future, saying goodbye to a year of hurricanes, tsunamis and economic turmoil that many would rather forget.

In New York, hundreds of thousands gathered at the crossroads of the world to witness a crystal ball with more than 30,000 lights that descended at midnight. Lady Gaga and Mayor Michael Bloomberg led the crowd in the final-minute countdown of the famed crystal-paneled ball drop.

Matheus Campos, a law student from Brazil, threw both arms in the air as the new year began in Times Square.

"It's awesome," he said.

Revelers in Australia, Asia, Europe and the South Pacific island nation of Samoa, which jumped across the international dateline to be first to celebrate, welcomed 2012 with booming pyrotechnic displays. Fireworks soared and sparked over Moscow's Red Square, crowds on Paris' Champs-Elysées boulevard popped Champagne corks at midnight.

But many approached the new year with more relief than joy, as people battered by weather disasters, joblessness and economic uncertainty hoped the stroke of midnight would change their fortunes.

"It was a pretty tough year, but God was looking after us and I know 2012 has got to be better," said Kyralee Scott, 16, of Jackson, N.J., whose father spent most of the year out of work.

Some New York revelers, wearing party hats and "2012" glasses, began camping out Saturday morning, even as workers readied bags stuffed with hundreds of balloons and technicians put colored filters on klieg lights. The crowds cheered as workers lit the crystal-paneled ball that drops at midnight Saturday and put it through a test run, 400 feet above the street. The sphere, now decorated with 3,000 Waterford crystal triangles, has been dropping to mark the new year since 1907, long before television made it a U.S. tradition.

In Times Square, hundreds of thousands people crammed into spectator pens ringed by barricades, enjoying surprisingly warm weather for the Northeast. The National Weather Service said it was about 49 degrees in nearby Central Park -- about 10 degrees warmer than the normal high temperature.

As the country prepared for the celebration, glum wasn't on the agenda for many, even those who had a sour year.

"We're hoping the next year will be better," said Becky Martin, a former elementary school teacher who drove from Rockford, Ill., to Times Square after spending a fruitless year trying to find a job. "We're starting off optimistic and hoping it lasts."

Many expressed cautious hope that better times were ahead after a year in which Japan was ravaged by an earthquake and tsunami, hurricanes wreaked havoc across the country and a debt crisis devastated Europe's economy.

"Everybody's suffering. That's why it's so beautiful to be here celebrating something with everybody," said Lisa Nicol, 47, of Melbourne, Australia.

For all of the holiday's bittersweet potential, New York City always treats it like a big party -- albeit one that now takes place under the watchful eye of a massive security force, including more than 1,500 police officers.

Dick Clark, who suffered a stroke in 2004, put in a few brief appearances mentioning that he has hosted his namesake New Year's Eve celebration for years, but said "tonight, it's better than ever." Clark, looking cheerful but struggling with his speech, introduced a performance by Lady Gaga and also assisted in the countdown. The show, hosted by Ryan Seacrest also featured a performance by Justin Bieber.

source: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-naw-new-york-2012-20120101,0,4832226.story

Facebook releases messenger software for Windows7

2011-12-31T02:37:00.000-08:00

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

Russell Brand Files for Divorce from Katy Perry

2011-12-30T22:48:00.000-08:00

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

Lady Gaga's BF Cut Up Outside Beach House

2011-12-30T12:37:00.000-08:00

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

'Segunda Mano:' Of cursed ghostly items, coincidences, and 'watery' spirits

2011-12-30T07:50:00.000-08:00

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

Michael Jordan engaged to model Yvette Prieto

2011-12-29T23:10:00.000-08:00

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

Actor Tyrone Perez found dead inside car

2011-12-29T14:08:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-29T01:21:00.000-08:00

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

US seeks $670,000 in taxes from Yankees owner

2011-12-28T23:40:00.000-08:00

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

Pinay nurses in Austria lauded for contribution to healthcare

2011-12-28T07:28:00.000-08:00

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

Oyo, Kristine welcome their baby girl

2011-12-28T00:00:00.000-08:00

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

Ulcer bacteria may protect against diarrhea: study

2011-12-26T23:13:00.000-08:00

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

Fil-Canadian painter places third in reality show ‘Next Great Artist’

2011-12-26T05:29:00.000-08:00

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

Warning out vs Facebook 'Christmas theme' malware

2011-12-26T00:13:00.000-08:00

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

Lady Gaga to sing for tsunamin victims on Japan music show

2011-12-25T14:17:00.000-08:00

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

Bank Holiday

2011-12-25T03:56:00.000-08:00

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

US economy hopes boost stocks, oil

2011-12-25T01:51:00.000-08:00

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

Michael Buble brings 'Christmas' to 'CityVille'

2011-12-24T22:15:00.000-08:00

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