Global broadcasting icon BBC turns 100

LONDON — Global media giant the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) celebrates turning 100 on Tuesday with one eye on its illustrious past and another on its uncertain future.

Over a century, the BBC has established itself as one of Britain's most visible and respected global brands, delivering its original mission statement to "inform, educate and entertain".

The broadcaster reaches an audience of 492 million around the world every week, according to the corporation's 2021-2022 annual report.

BBC World Service broadcasts in 41 languages to about 364 million people a week globally.

"For a century, the BBC has been a beacon of trusted news and programming across the world, as well as being part of the fabric of the UK and one of its key institutions," BBC director-general Tim Davie said of the landmark.

"It has been a story of a devotion to public service and constant reinvention -- which those in the BBC today remain utterly committed to," he added.

For nearly 7 million people, each day starts with BBC Radio 4's flagship "Today" program, which often sets the political agenda.

At weekends, "Strictly Come Dancing", which pairs celebrities with professional ballroom dancers, has had viewers glued to their sets for 20 years and is the most talked-about television program on air.

BBC series such as "Peaky Blinders", "Fleabag" and "Killing Eve" have been exported around the world.

But the centenary comes at a time of uncertainty, with drastic budget cuts and changing viewing habits driven by the digital revolution raising questions about its future.

The government in January announced it would freeze the BBC's license-fee funding model for two years, raising fears it could be scrapped in future.

The annual charge for households with a television set is currently set at £159 (around P10,6000). 

The financial situation has been accompanied by an exodus of younger audiences towards streaming and on-demand platforms, prompting questions about why they should still pay for the BBC.

But BBC chairman Richard Sharp vowed that the broadcaster would "educate and entertain for another century."

"The BBC is one hundred today -- it's a time to celebrate, but also to embrace the future," said Sharp.

"I believe its best days are ahead. We have always innovated, changed and adapted," he added.

"By continuing to put the public first, we will continue to inform, educate and entertain for another century."

Agence France-Presse 

Huawei's founder says world can't live without it

BEIJING -- The founder of Chinese telecom giant Huawei has hit back at US efforts to blacklist the company, saying defiantly that the world cannot do without Huawei and its "more advanced" technology.

"There's no way the US can crush us," Ren Zhengfei said in an interview with the BBC.

"The world cannot leave us because we are more advanced."

Ren, 74, also denounced as "politically motivated" the December arrest of his daughter, Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, who is accused of violating US sanctions against Iran.

"We object to this," he said. 

"But now that we've gone down this path, we'll let the courts settle it."

The normally media-shy Huawei founder has been forced to step into the limelight in recent months as the company has come under increasing pressure over espionage concerns and the US-led campaign to persuade other countries to ban its technology.

Last year, security concerns prompted Australia to ban Huawei equipment from its future 5G network.

New Zealand has also blocked its largest telecom carrier from using Huawei technology for the next generation network, while the Czech Republic has reportedly excluded it from a 20-million-euro ($22 million) tender to build a tax portal.

US prosecutors also are charging Huawei with stealing trade secrets, saying it offered rewards to employees for stealing technology from other rivals.

Ren shrugged off the growing pressure.

"If the lights go out in the West, the East will still shine," he said. "America doesn't represent the world."

"Even if they persuade more countries not to use us temporarily, we can always downsize and become smaller."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

BBC wants security review after cameraman attacked at Trump rally

WASHINGTON - The BBC asked the White House to review security arrangements Tuesday after a BBC cameraman was assaulted at a rally in Texas with President Donald Trump.

British Broadcasting Corporation cameraman Ron Skeans was attacked by a Trump supporter yelling anti-media slogans during the US president's rally in El Paso late Monday.

As he does at most rallies, Trump had repeatedly encouraged the crowd to boo at the journalists covering the event, accusing them of "fake" coverage.

However, Trump spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the president "condemns all acts of violence against any individual or group of people, including members of the press."

"We ask that anyone attending an event do so in a peaceful and respectful manner," she said.

Skeans was unhurt and the assailant, who was wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat, was restrained by a blogger for the pro-Trump outlet Frontline America and removed from the media riser.

Paul Danahar, the BBC's Americas bureau editor, said in a tweet that he had asked Sanders for a "full review of security arrangements after last night's attack."

"Access into the media area was unsupervised," Danahar said. "No one in law enforcement intervened before, during or after the attack."

Danahar dismissed a statement from the "Trump for President" campaign, which expressed appreciation for "the swift action from venue security and law enforcement officers."

"There was no swift action to prevent or interrupt the attack by any security agency," Danahar said.

The White House Correspondents' Association also condemned the attack.

"We are relieved that, this time, no one was seriously hurt," said WHCA president Olivier Knox. "The president of the United States should make absolutely clear to his supporters that violence against reporters is unacceptable."

BBC Washington correspondent Gary O'Donoghue, who was covering the El Paso event, said his cameraman was pushed and shoved by the unidentified assailant "after the president repeatedly goaded the crowd over supposed media bias."

He said the man attempted to smash the BBC camera.

"Happily, Ron is fine," O'Donoghue said.

Trump paused his remarks following the commotion in the crowd and -- pointing at the media -- asked "You alright? Everything OK?"

He resumed his attacks on the press later in the speech, referring to the "totally dishonest media."

Trump frequently denounces the media as the "enemy of the people" and condemns critical reports about his administration as "fake news."

New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger urged Trump during an interview last month to tone down what he called his "potentially dangerous" rhetoric toward the press.

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Mostly fun, sometimes weird: 'BBC Dad' one year after video

SEOUL, South Korea - The Korea politics professor who became a viral sensation after his children interrupted a BBC interview says he has been pulled over by police for selfies and photographed buying milk in the year since the broadcast.

Robert Kelly of Pusan National University was commenting on the downfall of impeached president Park Geun-hye when his daughter Marion waltzed into his home office, followed by his toddler son James, who wheeled in on his baby walker.

Suddenly the implications of a parliamentary vote turned into what the BBC described as a "perfect piece of physical comedy".

Kelly's wife Kim Jung-A, who was watching on television from their living room, flew in seconds later, flinging her arms in a desperate attempt to retrieve the young intruders, before returning on all fours to reach out and close the door.

The clip spread like wildfire online and provoked widespread debate and commentary in media around the world.

It is the most-watched video ever on the BBC's Youtube page, with more than 27 million views -- half as much again as the second-placed item, drone footage of the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz in Poland.

A year after the broadcast, Kelly wrote on the website of the Lowy Institute, an Australian think tank, that the subsequent 12 months had "mostly been fun, and sometimes weird".

"I was photographed buying milk at Costco once, because apparently BBC Dad’s calcium consumption is a hot issue," he said.

"A cop in South Korea once pulled me over to ask for a selfie."

The family had made some money as a result of their notoriety, "but the total amount was not that much".

The biggest upside, he said, was that his opinions on North Korea and northeast Asian security were sought more often, and he was invited to more events -- although at one panel in China he was introduced as "BBC Dad... and, oh yeah, an expert on Korea".

As the furor mounted in the days after the interview, Kelly had expressed hopes that one day he would be known for his work, adding: "I mean, this wouldn't be the first line in my obituary."

'RACE-GENDER NARRATIVE'

The US-born academic, who studied at Ohio State University, teaches US foreign policy at the institution where he is an associate professor, and has research interests in international politics and political theory.

The politics surrounding the video were "weird", he added in his post, published on the anniversary of the interview Sunday. 

Some racist neo-Nazis called him a "race traitor" - "This was predictable; anyone in an interracial relationship has experienced it," he said.

"More curious were the responses from the left which tried to read some kind of race-gender narrative into the video," he added, with his wife's attempts to stay out of shot by crawling along the floor seen as "some sort of metaphor for white-male social power in Asia".

"The episode was just a family blooper," Kelly insisted.

In South Korea, suggestions that his wife was the family nanny were seen as prejudiced at the time, with broadcaster SBS referring to "Caucasian-centred racism".

Kelly denied the two most frequent claims about the video - that it was staged so that they could become famous, and that he did not get up because he was not wearing trousers.

"We anticipate that this is our final major public statement on the video," he added, hoping that after a year, "peak interest in it has passed, making way for the next dancing cat video". 

slb/jta

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Apple tax avoidance plan laid bare in leaked documents

Apple shifted much of its offshore wealth in the face of a tax crackdown on a haven it had in Ireland, according to reporting Monday on the Paradise Papers on the iPhone maker's tax strategy.

After the US technology colossus stated publicly in 2013 that it was paying its proper share of taxes, it moved the bulk of its untaxed overseas cash to the Channel Islands jurisdiction Jersey, the New York Times and BBC reported based on a once-secret cache of documents referred to as the Paradise Papers.

The documents shared with some media outlets by the US-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists has exposed tactics the wealthy and powerful have used to avoid taxes.

Prior to 2014, California-based Apple had taken advantage of tax rules to route overseas revenue through Irish subsidiaries to minimize taxes.

As Apple came under pressure in the US and Europe about what was called the "double Irish" scheme it enlisted offshore finance law firm Appleby to find a new place to stash cash out of reach of tax collectors, according to reporting.

Apple settled on Jersey, a dependency of the United Kingdom, which had a tax rate of zero for foreign companies, reports indicated.

Emails cited in coverage indicated Apple wanted the arrangement kept secret.

Apple is now facing an EU demand for some $14.5 billion in taxes based on a ruling that its tax structure in Ireland amounted to illegal state aid.

Appleby was cited as the source of much of the leaked financial data that has resulted in searing revelations in recent days.

Apple did not reply to an AFP request for comment, but has previously gone on record saying it pays all taxes required by law and that the amount it substantial.

The documents show details of offshore deals involving a US cabinet member, a fundraiser for Canada's prime minister, Queen Elizabeth II and others.

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CBS, BBC announce global newsgathering tie-up

WASHINGTON - CBS News and the BBC on Thursday announced a new editorial and newsgathering partnership that aims to boost their global strength against rivals such as CNN.

The US and British television news giants will share video, editorial content, and other resources in New York, London, Washington and around the world, according to a joint statement.

"There's never been a more important time for smart, courageous coverage of what's happening in the world," said James Harding, the BBC's director of news and current affairs.

"This new partnership between the BBC and CBS News is designed to bring our audiences -- wherever you live, whatever your point of view -- news that is reliable, original and illuminating. Our ambition is to deliver the best in international reporting on television."

The deal brings together two major television news organizations and comes weeks after US-based NBC finalized a deal to take a 25 percent stake in France-based Euronews to boost its global scale.

CBS News president David Rhodes said his organization "is completely committed to original reporting around the world -- a commitment clearly shared by the BBC."

He added, "There's no better partner to strengthen and extend our global coverage than BBC News."

The two groups sharing of content between CBS News and BBC News will begin immediately and that additional newsgathering elements would be rolled out in the coming months.

BBC News claims to be the largest broadcast news operation in the world with more than 2,000 journalists and 48 newsgathering bureaus, according to its website.

CBS News is part of the large CBS television network with offices around the United States and a handful of overseas locations.

This new partnership replaces the BBC’s current arrangement with Disney-owned ABC News, according to Harding who called that relationship "long and fruitful."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

UK police rush to three attacks in London

LONDON - British armed police rushed to three incidents in central London on Saturday after a van plowed into pedestrians on London Bridge and reports of multiple stabbings in the nearby Borough Market area.

Police sent out security advice to Londoners on Twitter saying "run, hide, tell" if they were caught in an attack. The BBC cited police as saying there had been more than one fatality.

The attacks come days ahead of a June 8 election and less than two weeks after a suicide bomber killed 22 people at a pop concert by U.S. singer Ariana Grande in Manchester in northern England. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks.

"A van came from London Bridge itself, went between the traffic light system and rammed it towards the steps," a taxi driver told the BBC. "It knocked loads of people down.

"Then three men got out with long blades, 12 inches long and went randomly along Borough High Street stabbing people at random."

Prime Minister Theresa May had been informed and was being kept updated, her office said, while U.S. President Donald Trump had also been briefed by his national security team, the White House said.

One woman told Reuters she saw what appeared to be three people with knife wounds and possibly their throats cut at London Bridge at the Thames river. Reuters was unable to immediately verify her account.

STABBINGS ON THE STREET

Police said they fired shots after reports of stabbings in the nearby Borough Market area, and that they were also responding to an incident in the Vauxhall area further west, but gave no immediate details.

Streets in the area would have been busy with people on a Saturday night out. BBC showed dozens of people, evidently having been caught up in the attack, being escorted through a police cordon with their hands on their heads.

British Transport Police said casualties were reported after an incident that may have involved a van and a knife attack, while the London Ambulance Service said it was sending multiple resources to the incident near London Bridge.

One witness told the BBC she saw a speeding white van veering into pedestrians at London Bridge. That witness said the van hit five to six people. Reuters television pictures showed dozens of emergency vehicles in the area around London Bridge.

Several witnesses also reported hearing gunshots.

"We were in an Uber (taxi) going towards London Bridge and suddenly we saw people running. The Uber stopped, we asked people what was going on – people said there was shooting," said Yoann Belmere, 40, a French banker living in London.

"Now the area is completely closed with police cars going one way and ambulances going the other," he told Reuters.

The incident bore similarities to a March attack on Westminster Bridge, west of London Bridge, in which a man killed five people after driving into a crowd of pedestrians before stabbing a police officer in the grounds of parliament.

A witness told CNN two men had entered a restaurant in the Borough Market area near London Bridge and stabbed two people inside. He said a waitress was stabbed in the throat and a man was stabbed in the back.

The Manchester bombing on May 22 was the deadliest attack in Britain since July 2005, when four British Muslim suicide bombers killed 52 people in coordinated attacks on London's transport network.

(Writing by Guy Faulconbridge and Nick Tattersall; Editing by William Schomberg and Ralph Boulton)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Emma Watson plans legal action over stolen photos

"Beauty and the Beast" star Emma Watson is planning legal action over photos said to have been leaked online, but her representatives on Wednesday denied reports that the pictures showed the British actress nude.

"Photos from a clothes fitting Emma had with a stylist a couple of years ago have been stolen. They are not nude photographs. Lawyers have been instructed and we are not commenting further," her publicist said in a statement to Variety and the BBC.

Social media and blog posts have claimed that naked images of Watson have been posted this week on an anonymous document-sharing network. It was not clear what action her lawyers are planning, or against whom.

Watson, 26, who made her name as a child star playing Hermione Granger in the "Harry Potter" movies, found herself at the center of a social media controversy earlier this month over a photo shoot she did for Vanity Fair magazine that included a picture in which parts of her breasts were exposed.

Critics called Watson, who is also a United Nations goodwill ambassador on women's rights and equality, hypocritical and said she was betraying her feminist ideals.

Watson hit back, saying feminism was about choice. "It's about freedom, it's about liberation, it's about equality. I really don't know what my tits have to do with it," she told Reuters.

Watson appears in the live action version of the Disney classic "Beauty and the Beast," which opens in movie theaters around the world this week and is expected to take some $200 million at the box-office, according to box office analysts.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Sandra Maler)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Aftermath of a viral video: Dad in BBC clip finally speaks

The professor who became an incidental internet sensation when his family crashed a live television interview says his wife "deserves a medal" for looking after him and his now-famous children.

Video of the interview with Robert Kelly, an expert on East Asian affairs, went viral and sparked a debate about racism after many commentators originally assumed his Asian wife was a hired helper.

 As Kelly, a professor at South Korea's Pusan National University, shared his insights from his home office last Friday, his daughter Marion waltzed into the room, followed by his toddler son James, who wheeled in on his baby walker.

Kelly's wife Kim Jung-A, who was watching the interview on television from their living room, flew in seconds later, flinging her arms in a desperate attempt to retrieve the young intruders, before returning on all fours to reach out and close the door.

The interview -- described as a "perfect piece of physical comedy" by the BBC -- spread like wildfire, watched more than 160 million times on the broadcaster's Youtube page as of Wednesday.

But it also triggered accusations of discrimination in South Korea after some online posters overseas immediately assumed that Kelly's wife was a nanny.

"The babysitter is currently searching for new employment as of now," said a user on Twitter.

Another tweeted: "Nanny got fired after this."

Major South Korean media outlets said such comments were the result of prejudice about Asian women with white males, with South Korean broadcaster SBS referring to "Caucasian-centred racism".

South Korea's biggest-circulation newspaper, Chosun Ilbo, wrote: "Assuming that she was a nanny because she's Asian must have been a subconscious thought."

Appearing next to Kelly in a fresh BBC interview on Tuesday, Kim shrugged off the discriminatory comments, urging viewers to take the video more light-heartedly.

"I hope people just enjoy it, not argue over this thing because I'm not nanny and that's the truth," Kim said -- as she tried to keep her distracted toddler calm in her arms.

Addressing a BBC viewer's comment that Kim deserved a full-on spa day for everything she did in Friday's chaotic interview, Kelly said: "My wife deserves a medal for taking care of us."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

VIRAL: Kids steal the spotlight in daddy's TV interview

Working from home may have its perks, but things turned endearingly wrong for a professor as his toddlers suddenly decided to barge in while he was being interviewed live on a BBC news program.

Professor Robert Kelly, a political science professor at Pusan National University in South Korea, was giving an analysis about Park Geun-hye's impeachment when his children decided to check what daddy was doing.

I will be on @BBCNewsMedia / @BBCWorld in 10 minutes to talk about the Korean impeachment.

— Robert E Kelly (@Robert_E_Kelly) March 10, 2017


 "There was an unexpected distraction for Professor Robert Kelly when he was being interviewed live on BBC News about South Korea," the BBC said in its website, where the adorable clip was uploaded on Friday.

In the video, a little girl clad in a yellow sweatshirt and a baby in a walker enter the room where Kelly is speaking with a BBC news anchor, then a woman frantically chases after them in a bid to save the political expert's interview.

The woman was Kelly's wife, said a Daily Mail report.

Despite the interruption, Kelly just managed to keep his composure and completed the interview successfully, the BBC caption noted.

On his Twitter account, Kelly remarked that he hoped it would not get "weird" if the video went viral.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Wimbledon extends BBC partnership until 2024

Wimbledon will continue to be broadcast on BBC at least until 2024 following a four-year extension to the longest partnership in sports broadcasting history.

"We are delighted to be further extending our long partnership with the BBC up to 2024," chairman of the All England Club Philip Brook said in a statement.

"We greatly value the BBC's commitment to delivering large national audiences for The Championships across a multitude of high quality platforms," he added.

Wimbledon will complete a partnership of 80 years of television and 90 years of radio with the BBC in July 2017.

The BBC registered a peak audience of 13.3 million for Andy Murray's second Wimbledon title on BBC One, while the Scot's first title in 2013 was watched by 17.3 million people across the UK. (Reporting by Debanjan Bose in Bengaluru; editing by Amlan Chakraborty)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Google to pay 130-M pounds to Britain in back taxes

LONDON, United Kingdom - Technology giant Google is to pay £130 million (172 million euros, $185.4 million) in back taxes to Britain following a government inquiry into its tax arrangements, a company spokeswoman said Friday.

It follows a six-year probe by Britain's HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in response to controversy over low taxes paid by multinational corporations which operate in Britain but have headquarters elsewhere.

"We have agreed with HMRC a new approach for our UK taxes and will pay £130 million, covering taxes since 2005," a Google spokeswoman said.

"The way multinational companies are taxed has been debated for many years and the international tax system is changing as a result. This settlement reflects that shift."

In future, Google will pay taxes in Britain according to revenue from advertisers based in Britain, something that "reflects the size and scope of our UK business", the spokeswoman said.

The BBC reported that Google would now register a greater proportion of its sales activity in Britain rather than Ireland, where its European headquarters is based and which has a lower rate of corporation tax.

An HMRC spokesman welcomed the agreement.

"The successful conclusion of HMRC inquiries has secured a substantial result, which means that Google will pay the full tax due in law on profits that belong in the UK," the spokesman said.

"Multinational companies must pay the tax that is due and we do not accept less."

Britain's finance minister George Osborne has vowed to close tax loopholes and introduce a so-called "Google tax" to stop firms moving profits overseas.

Google is among several top technology firms under pressure over complex tax arrangements.

Apple agreed to pay Italy 318 million euros to settle a tax dispute last month, and in November world leaders of the Group of 20 top economies vowed to clamp down on schemes by multinationals to minimise tax.

The plan would force multinationals to pay tax in the country where their main business activity is based.

The OECD group of rich nations has estimated that national governments lose $100-240 billion (89-210 billion euros), or 4-10 percent of global tax revenues, every year because of the tax-minimising schemes of multinationals.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Liverpool and Man City agree £49m Sterling move: reports

LONDON -- Liverpool have reached an agreement with Premier League rivals Manchester City over the £49 million ($76 million, 68 million euro transfer) of England forward Raheem Sterling, the BBC and other British media reported Monday.

However, the 20-year-old's proposed move is still subject to personal terms and a medical.

Sterling was left behind by Liverpool when the club flew out to Thailand for a pre-season tour on Sunday, fuelling speculation that a move to City was imminent, despite being named Saturday in a 30-man squad for a trip that also includes matches in Australia and Malaysia.

Earlier this month it was reported that Liverpool had turned down a £40 million bid for Sterling from City, with only an offer closer to £50 million likely to tempt them to let the wantaway forward leave Merseyside.

Sterling's refusal to commit to Liverpool has angered the club's supporters, who jeered him at an end-of-season awards dinner.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers's relationship with Sterling cooled considerably when the player turned down a lucrative new contract worth £100,000 per week in January this year.

In February, Rodgers said Sterling had been offered an "incredible deal".

Two months later, Sterling's relationship with the Liverpool hierarchy became even more strained when, in an interview with the BBC given without the club's approval, he confirmed he had rejected the Reds' latest contract offer.

Sterling's agent, Aidy Ward, then added to the growing rift by saying his client would not sign a new deal with Liverpool even for "£900,000 a week".

Amid the row over whether he would or should sign a new Liverpool deal, Sterling was involved in controversy after photographs emerged of him appearing to puff on a shisha pipe, and then allegedly inhaling laughing gas, were published.

But it is the contract dispute and Sterling's recent absence from training which have angered Liverpool fans above all else.

Liverpool great Steven Gerrard, Sterling's captain at Anfield until the end of last season, was decidedly unimpressed by the behaviour of his former team-mate.

"It looks very disappointing from where I'm sat. The fans have shown him great support, they want him to stay and I believe that he should too," Gerrard told Sky Sports from Los Angeles where he made his debut for LA Galaxy on Saturday.

Sterling returned to training on Friday after a two-day hiatus when he said he was ill.

"I'm not happy with all that carry-on. He needs to go in and see the owners. You don't have to throw in illness, or refuse to go on tour," said Gerrard.

Sterling joined Liverpool from QPR's academy in 2010 and has since scored 23 goals in 129 senior appearances for the club.

He made his senior England debut in 2012, scoring one goal in 16 appearances.

Liverpool finished sixth in the Premier League last season and so missed out on the Champions League, whereas runners-up City have qualified for European football's elite club competition.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Psy teaches Rico Hizon 'Gangnam Style'

SINGAPORE – Singapore-based Filipino broadcaster Rico Hizon got a private lesson from Korean superstar Psy on how to dance his worldwide hit “Gangnam Style” during the singer’s visit to Singapore over the weekend.

The 34-year-old Psy performed at the Marina Bay Sands last Saturday, December 1, as part of his whirlwind tour.



An hour before he took the stage, Psy met with members of the Singapore media, including Hizon, who works for the BBC.

During his one-on-one meeting with the Korean, Hizon said their interview wouldn’t be complete without Psy teaching him how to dance “Gangnam Style” -- and the singer gamely taught the Filipino the basic steps.

In the interview, Psy said his name is actually short for “psycho.”




“What I thought was, I was crazy about music, dancing and performing so that kind of psycho,” he said.

Psy also revealed that he is working on currently working on an album for the international market, which is targeted for release next March.

But the singer admitted that he doesn’t expect his next single to be as big as “Gangnam Style,” which now has more than 850 million hits on the video-sharing site YouTube.

“I can say I’m gonna do my best. But I can not beat ‘Gangnam Style’ that’s for sure That’s one time only. It’s a phenomenon,” he told Hizon.

“Gangnam Style” is actually a track from Psy’s sixth album.

“I’ve done same kind of thing for 12 years, the same kind of song for 12 years, the same kind of dance for 12 years, but all of a sudden this happens. I didn’t do anything on purpose. Honestly, I did not put in any effort to be in the international (stage). It’s so strange, weird,” Psy said in the interview.

source: abs-cbnnews.com

BBC and Hulu tie up

From left: Kenichiro Mogi, who is a brain scientist and senior researcher at Sony Computer Science Laboratory, “talent” Akina Minami, 5-year-old actress Konomi Watanabe, and TV personality Christel Takigawa pose for photos at the “BBC × Hulu Contents” event at the British embassy in Tokyo on Friday.

Hulu, an Internet streaming service, is showing the acclaimed BBC documentary “Polar Bear: Spy on the Ice,” which was filmed using a fleet of motorized, camouflaged cameras. Mogi said: “Hulu will cause profound changes in the way we watch programs and movies. For example, we can stop a program halfway at home and restart it on the train. Hulu is just like the Black Ships landing in Japan.”

source: japantoday.com