Boxing: Holyfield open to third Tyson fight for charity

Former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield has said he is open to facing one-time rival Mike Tyson in a trilogy fight for charity on the condition that Tyson asks for the bout to be set up.

Tyson, 53, fought two epic bouts with Holyfield, 57, during their professional careers, including their controversial 1997 encounter in which Tyson bit off a chunk of Holyfield's ear.

'Iron Mike' had released several training videos in recent weeks fueling speculation he could be returning to the ring, while Holyfield announced his return for a charity bout on Instagram earlier this month.

"If I ask him it's almost like me being a bully saying I want to go against somebody I've beaten twice," Holyfield told the BBC. "I don't want pressure on me that 'you just want to fight Mike because you know you can beat him'.

"If he hits me I'm going to hit back. I'm going to be 58, he'll be 54, you talk about being in good health and doing things the proper way that respects it. I don't have no problem with it."

Tyson, the first heavyweight to hold the WBA, WBC and IBF titles, retired after a loss to Kevin McBride in 2005, while Holyfield called time on his career nine years later.

If they do return, they will be following in the footsteps of Floyd Mayweather Jr. in coming out of retirement for an exhibition fight. 

(Reporting by Arvind Sriram in Bengaluru, editing by Pritha Sarkar)

-reuters-

Woods-Manning prevail in star-studded match, raised $20m for charity

MIAMI -- Tiger Woods says while his surgically repaired back may never be 10-out-of-10 again, it won't stop him from being healthy and ready to go when the PGA Tour starts up again.

The 44-year-old Woods says he's been able to use the down time during the coronavirus pandemic to get himself in shape for an expected condensed fall golf season. 

"It is going to be interesting," said Woods during a four-man charity golf tournament in Florida on Sunday. "I am used to trying to peak for majors in April, May, June and July, forever. Now this (COVID-19) has changed everything. It is fluid. It is on the fly." 

Asked to rate how his back feels on a scale of one to 10, Woods said, "Well, let's just say 10 is not what it used to be." 

PGA stars Woods and Phil Mickelson and two NFL quarterback legends Peyton Manning and Tom Brady squared off in an entertaining made-for-television charity golf event on Sunday that raised $20 million for coronavirus relief efforts.

The 18-hole match included nine holes of four-ball and nine holes of modified alternate shot, with on-course challenges for charitable funds. 

Woods, who paired with Manning, showed no rust as they held off a back-nine rally from Mickelson and Brady for a one-up victory in the 18-hole match play format.

Sunday's event, called "The Match: Champions for Charity," was a rematch of sorts for Mickelson and Woods, who faced off in a similar charity event last year in Las Vegas. It also marked a return to the golf course for the both PGA stars due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The PGA Tour is on hiatus until June 11, when the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial is scheduled to begin in Texas.

The charity match was the first competitive golf for Woods since the Genesis Invitational on February 16, where he shot weekend rounds of 76-77 to finish in 68th place at the Riviera Country Club course. 

He said the forced break has been refreshing and described his health as surprisingly good considering he has been taken out of his regular training regime. 

"It is nice to be at home training each and every day," Woods said. "I get some treatment on it and get onto a routine basically. 

"With this pandemic and everything that has happened, we (have) all been very careful and try to stay at home," he said.

Woods says he has enjoyed spending more time with his family and has added tennis to his workouts. 

"It has been good in that regard because I have been able to spend a lot of time with my kids. We had a lot of fun. This is the most amount of tennis I have played ever." 

The start of Sunday's match was delayed by rain that fell steadily throughout the majority of the round.

Woods helped offset the difficult playing conditions Sunday by taking advantage of competing on his home course, the Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound. 

"I am just trying to hit it in the right spots. I kind of know this place," he told a television interviewer early in his round.

The entertaining match featured plenty of friendly banter and trash talking going back and forth between four of North America's biggest sport stars.

Brady, who recently signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after winning six Super Bowl titles with the New England Patriots, made the shot of the day on the par-five seventh.

- Wardrobe malfunction -

Brady had been struggling for much of the first round, but his approach on No. 7 landed just past the hole before spinning wildly to the right and rolling into the centre of the cup.

"When the going gets tough, the tough get going," an obviously relieved Brady said of his first good shot of the day.

The shot was notable for another reason: it included a wardrobe malfunction. Brady also split his pants on the shot, resulting in a hasty costume change.

"There was so much torque on that swing," he joked.

The birdie also lightened the wallet of PGA golfer Brooks Koepka. When he saw Brady struggling early in the round, Koepka tweeted out a promise to donate $100,000 to charity if Brady could make a par on the front nine.

"Brooks owes me a little money," Brady said following his surprise birdie.

Agence France-Presse

Dubai turns world's tallest building into coronavirus charity box

DUBAI - The world's tallest building, Dubai's 828-meter Burj Khalifa, has become a glowing charity donation box, raising money for food for United Arab Emirates residents suffering the economic impact of the new coronavirus pandemic.

Each of the tower's 1.2 million external lights was "sold" for 10 dirhams ($2.70), enough to buy 1 meal. As donations came in, the tower "filled up," and people could also bid to claim the light at the very top.

As the region's tourism and business hub with the world's busiest international airport, Dubai's economy has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

Many people have lost jobs or had incomes reduced. Tens of thousands of migrant workers, who often live in crowded shared accommodation where the virus spreads more easily, have registered to be repatriated.

"Hope you have a good solid meal. We take things for granted but life has a way of teaching us how to wake up," said donor Shereen Harris in a public comment on the campaign's website.

The UAE has recorded 19,661 cases of infection with COVID-19 and 203 deaths, the second highest death toll after Saudi Arabia of the 6 Gulf states.

The donation box has raised funds for more than 1.2 million meals so far, organizing body The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) said.

The fundraising drive is part of a campaign to fund 10 million meals for low-income families during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan by MBRGI, patronized by Dubai's ruler and UAE Vice President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

-reuters-

NFL using draft to support COVID-19 relief

The 2020 NFL Draft will double as a three-day charity event to benefit six non-profit organizations providing relief efforts against the coronavirus pandemic, the league announced Wednesday.

The event, which will be entirely virtual with teams making selections from remote locations and players at their homes due to the pandemic, is scheduled for April 23-25 and is being deemed a "Draft-A-Thon."

Current and former NFL players are expected to encourage donations from viewers, and there will be tributes for healthcare workers and other first responders.

The funds raised, which will all go into one central fund, will benefit the American Red Cross, CDC Foundation's All of Us, Feeding America's COVID-19 Response Fund, Meals on Wheels COVID-19 Response Fund, Salvation Army and United Way's COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Fund.

"As we face this global health crisis together, we are filled with gratitude for the extraordinary work of first responders, healthcare workers and many others who are helping those in need," commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement.

"The Draft-A-Thon will deliver much-needed funding to many who are suffering as well as those on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Conducting this event virtually, and taking all necessary precautions while doing so, underscores the importance of staying home and staying strong during this unprecedented moment in our history."

-Field Level Media/Reuters-

Bullied Australian boy to donate $475,000 to charity

SYDNEY -- An Australian boy with dwarfism whose distress from bullying became a viral video will donate hundreds-of-thousands of dollars in donations to charity rather than a trip to Disneyland.

The clip of 9-year-old Quaden Bayles showed him crying and repeatedly saying he wanted to die after being bullied at school, sparking an outpouring of support from around the world.

The video was watched millions of times and prompted US comedian Brad Williams to start a GoFundMe page that eventually raised almost $475,000 (P24 million).

Although the funds were meant to send Bayles and his mother to Disneyland, his aunt told Australia's NITV News that the money would be used for charities instead.

"What kid wouldn't want to go to Disneyland, especially if you have lived Quaden's life. To escape to anywhere that is fun that doesn't remind him of his day to day challenges," she was quoted as saying.

"But my sister said 'you know what, let's get back to the real issue'. This little fella has been bullied. How many suicides, black or white, in our society have happened due to bullying."

"We want the money to go to community organizations that really need it. They know what the money should be spent on, So as much as we want to go to Disneyland, I think our community would far off benefit from that."

Australian actor Hugh Jackman and NBA player Enes Kanter were among the hundreds of thousands posting support for Bayles.

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Lengthy pizza delivers funds for embattled Australian firefighters

SYDNEY—An Italian restaurant in Australia has made a 103-meter (338 foot) Margherita pizza to raise funds for firefighters battling bushfires.

The pizza was rolled out in rectangular, meter-long pieces of dough, pieced together and covered with tomato sauce and mozzarella, before being baked using a conveyor oven.

It was then liberally seasoned with basil leaves, oregano and olive oil.


The effort took about 4 hours, according to Pellegrini's restaurant, and yielded 4,000 slices.

The proceeds went to the New South Wales Rural Fire service.

A video of the pizza being made has gone viral on social media with lots of users marveling at its size.

The restaurant is now holding a contest to guess how many kilograms of flour went into making the pizza.

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Young Filipino-Canadian sells handmade jewelry to help local charity

RICHMOND, British Columbia - While other kids are busy asking for gifts this Christmas, 5-year old Estella Bañez is doing something else.

She’s selling handmade earrings, necklaces and bracelets to help a local charity.

“I like OMB, it stands for Oh My Bling,” said Bañez.

Bañez worked on her beads after school in the past months and made 300 pairs of earrings, 40 bracelets and 50 necklaces for sale.

They were showcased at a recent fashion show and launch party where proceeds go to the Richmond Christmas Fund that help local families in need.

“Toys, gift cards, baskets… it’s really tough when everybody seems to be happy during holidays with families and a lot of them don't have support or financial means to do so,” said Kaye Bañez, Estella's mom.

The kindergartener started the project last year in honor of her lola who passed away.

She donated $200 then and wanted to give bigger this year.

Friends and family came to support the project.

"It’s important to give back whenever we can," said Chantal Wu.

Many of them were inspired by the little girl who wanted to bring cheer to the community.

Read more on Balitang America:

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Santa Claus is in Korean town

South Korean children wearing Santa Claus outfits gather as they await their turn for a performance during a ceremony to launch a year-end fundraising campaign of the Salvation Army at Gwanghwamun square in Seoul on Friday. The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church and charitable organization with presence in over a hundred countries all over the world.

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Chinese crypto promoter apologizes after postponing Warren Buffett charity lunch

SHANGHAI - Chinese cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun issued a lengthy public apology on Thursday for the manner in which he promoted his $4.57-million charity lunch with Warren Buffett, raising questions over whether the event will go ahead.

The 29-year-old was scheduled to dine with the American billionaire investor on July 25 in San Francisco after winning an annual auction. He said he hoped the meal would "bridge the gap between institutional and traditional investors and the realm of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology."

He aggressively promoted the lunch on social media only to postpone it earlier this week, saying he had fallen ill with kidney stones.

Such high-profile events are unusual in China's cryptocurrency industry which has been under heavy regulatory scrutiny for the past 2 years. Authorities have warned about speculation risk and banned initial coin offerings, prompting many industry players to keep a low profile.

Amid the publicity surrounding the event, reports in Chinese media suggested Sun's businesses were involved in illegal activities and that he had been barred from foreign travel. Sun denied all allegations.

In Sun's Thursday statement posted on his Weibo microblog account, he said he had been immature and "over-marketed" himself, and that his original good intentions to arrange the lunch with Buffett had resulted in unexpected consequences that led him to neglect his social and public responsibilities.

"This has resulted in a bad influence on the public, and incited the worries of the regulatory bodies which care for me," he said.

He did not specify what prompted the apology, nor did he state when or whether the lunch will be rescheduled.

Sun's company, the Tron Foundation, did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. US investment firm Berkshire Hathaway Inc., which Warren Buffett chairs, did not respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours.

Buffett offered the lunch by auction to raise money for anti-poverty charity Glide, which has said it has received Sun's donation.

Sun said he would actively cooperate with regulatory agencies to discuss his businesses' structure and plans, and that he places great importance on financial stability and curbing risk.

His Weibo post was one of the top trending topics on the microblogging site, attracting over 3,800 comments.

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Amazon's Jeff Bezos unveils $2 billion philanthropic fund

WASHINGTON -- Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, the richest person on the planet, said Thursday he was creating a philanthropic fund to help homeless families and launch preschools in low-income communities, committing an initial $2 billion to the cause.

Bezos made the announcement on Twitter a year after asking for ideas on how he could use his personal fortune -- now estimated at more than $160 billion -- for charitable efforts.

The "Bezos Day One Fund" created by Bezos and his wife MacKenzie will focus on 2 areas: helping "existing nonprofits that help homeless families" and funding "a network of new, nonprofit, tier-one preschools in low-income communities," he wrote.

For the homeless, grants will be given to organizations "doing compassionate, needle-moving work to provide shelter and hunger support to address the needs of young families," Bezos said.

The fund will also seek to launch and operate "a network of high-quality, full-scholarship, Montessori-inspired preschools in underserved communities," he wrote.

"We will build an organization to directly operate these schools."

Bezos said the schools would "use the same set of principles that have driven Amazon" and that "the child will be the customer."

EARLY STEPS ON CHARITY

The $2 billion initiative, while significant, is far less than the philanthropic efforts of other billionaires including Microsoft's Bill Gates, who has donated tens of billions to his foundation, and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, who has pledged to donate 99 percent of his shares in the social media giant to an organization focused on public good.

It also falls short of the "giving pledge" initiative launched by Gates and billionaire investor Warren Buffett, who have encouraged wealthy individuals to pledge half their fortunes for philanthropy.

Bezos's fortune comes mainly from his stake in Amazon, the diversified online firm which briefly hit $1 trillion in market value this month and is the second most valuable company after Apple.

He also operates the private space exploration firm Blue Origin and owns The Washington Post newspaper.

Despite his fortune, Bezos has not been a major philanthropic donor and Amazon has been criticized in its home of Seattle, Washington, for doing little to address problems of the growing homeless population.

Last year, he donated $33 million to fund scholarship for "dreamers," the name given to undocumented children of immigrants who face legal obstacles in attending college or university.

He has also made donations for cancer research and to Princeton University, his alma mater.

AMAZON'S TENTACLES

Bezos's personal wealth has soared with the value of Amazon, whose stock price has doubled over the past year with its expansion into new sectors and geographies.

Launched in 1994 as an online bookseller, Amazon has become a retail powerhouse operating globally, and has expanded into streaming video, music, cloud computing and other segments, and last year acquired the Whole Foods grocery chain. Amazon's digital assistant Alexa has helped drive its hardware sales and is used on smart devices ranging from cars to refrigerators.

According to the research firm eMarketer, Amazon's e-commerce revenue will grow more than 28 percent this year to reach $394 billion, and will account for 49 percent of US online retail sales and nearly five percent of all retail spending.

Some analysts have suggested Amazon could face antitrust scrutiny over its growing power in the economy, and President Donald Trump has accused the company of taking advantage of the Postal Service, despite studies suggesting the internet giant's deal has been beneficial to the US government postal operator.

Amazon has faced criticism for paying little in taxes, which stems in part from its historically low profits.

It has also won tax breaks in many areas for its warehouses and distribution centers, and has been running a highly publicized effort for a second North American headquarters, prompting proposals for tax reductions and incentives.

Amazon has selected 20 cities as "finalists" for the headquarters and has indicated it would make a decision by year-end.

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Oxfam investigates new sexual misconduct cases as MPs grill bosses

LONDON - Oxfam revealed Tuesday it was investigating 26 new cases of sexual misconduct since the crisis erupted over its handling of a 2011 prostitution scandal in Haiti, which the British charity called a "wake-up call."

Chief executive Mark Goldring told a parliamentary committee in London that the cases varied in their seriousness, while 16 related to its international operation.

"They range in time frame from more recent events to long historic events where people did not report them at the time," he said.

Goldring added he believed the latest cases had emerged as "a direct response to the publicity" around the Haitian scandal. 

"We really want people to come forward," he added.

The Oxfam chief was unable to provide further details on the cases when pressed by British lawmakers. 

The committee said it would be conducting its own inquiry into abuses in the foreign aid sector.

Three of Oxfam's most senior leaders repeatedly apologized for the charity's handling of an internal investigation into the use of prostitutes by staff in Haiti following the devastating 2010 earthquake. 

Caroline Thomson, chair of trustees, said: "It's right to admit this has been a real wake-up call."

The charity revealed 7,000 regular donors had been lost since the scandal emerged following reporting by The Times newspaper.

It said safeguards had been put in place following the 2011 probe, but admitted they had not gone far enough.

Thomson vowed to take "personal responsibility" for ongoing reform: "I have decided that we need to have more focus on safeguarding."

Last week, Oxfam unveiled an action plan to tackle sexual harassment and abuse, including creating a new vetting system for staff.

The charity formally also apologised to Haiti on Monday over the scandal and for failing to report the matter adequately. 

"Oxfam should have reported the matter to the Haitian authorities," Goldring told lawmakers.

"It was not for Oxfam to decide whether a crime had been committed... that was the wrong decision."

TIP OF THE ICEBERG?

Oxfam had made public Monday its 2011 report into the episode, revealing that three staff had physically threatened a witness in the prostitution investigation.

The report, compiled in the year after the workers were deployed to Haiti, found that a total of seven staff were accused of using prostitutes at an Oxfam-funded residence.

Four staff were fired for gross misconduct and three others, including then country director Roland Van Hauwermeiren, were allowed to quit.

Stephen Twigg, chair of the international aid committee hearing the testimony Tuesday, was blunt in his assessment. 

"Demonstrably, you have got to get your house in order," he told its leadership.

As part of its broader probe into sexual misconduct in the sector, the panel also questioned Kevin Watkins, chief executive of Save the Children UK.

He revealed tentative figures that the charity dealt with 193 cases of "child safeguarding" issues in 2016, leading to 53 full investigations, 20 case referrals to police and 11 staff dismissals.

"The difficult thing to know in these circumstances is whether you're catching the tip of the iceberg or whether you're catching the iceberg itself," Watkins said.

The BBC reported on Tuesday that one of Watkins' predecessors left the charity while facing three complaints of inappropriate behavior towards female staff.

Former CEO Justin Forsyth was accused in 2015 of sending inappropriate texts and making comments on what female staff were wearing.

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'Superpope' Francis T-shirts to help poor, needy

A work of street art that turned Pope Francis into "superpope" will now support Vatican charitable projects through the sale of t-shirts bearing the flying pontiff, artist MauPal said Friday.

In 2014, graffiti artist MauPal -- whose real name is Mauro Pallotta -- depicted Francis as a superman on a wall in the Eternal City, flying through the air with his right fist outstretched and white cassock billowing behind him.

The pope clutched his trademark black bag in his left hand, from which a blue-and-red striped scarf peeked out.



When it appeared in Rome in January 2014, it captured the imagination of tourists and locals alike.

Two years later, MauPal drew Francis in a school-boy spirit, playing a cheeky wall game of noughts and crosses while a Swiss Guard kept watch.

"With the economic and social crisis that hit Italy and the world, I saw Francis as a symbol of hope for all," the artist said.

"I graphically summed up a widely-shared opinion of the pope as someone with a lot of power who is also humane and humble at the same time".

The images, put up near Saint Peter's Basilica, were quickly scrubbed off by city workers.

But the sketches remained and reappear on T-shirts. Part of the proceeds from their sale go towards works of charity supported by the Vatican.

Not everyone loved the drawings at first, with some earnest Francis supporters bristling at the tongue-in-cheek portrayal of a superman pope.

But it seems Francis himself has given MauPal's works his blessing.

"I offered him the drawing I had painted on a simple piece of wood, a medium I thought fit his (anti-luxury) philosophy. He looked at me, he smiled at me, then he affectionately pinched my cheek," MauPal said.

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Billionaire Amazon CEO asks Twitter followers how to donate his money

Amazon.com Inc's billionaire founder Jeff Bezos on Thursday turned to an unusual source of inspiration for how to donate part of his wealth: Twitter.

"I want much of my philanthropic activity to be helping people in the here and now - short term - at the intersection of urgent need and lasting impact," Bezos, one of the world's richest people with a net worth of more than $76 billion, said in a Twitter post.

"If you have ideas, just reply to this tweet with the idea (and if you think this approach is wrong, would love to hear that too.)"

The request signaled a shift for Bezos, who has invested in longer-term bets like space exploration and kept quieter about other givings.

The e-commerce executive has said he will sell about $1 billion of Amazon stock annually to fund his company Blue Origin, which aims to cut the cost of space travel and kick off entrepreneurship in the cosmos.

For philanthropy, Bezos has supported a foundation run by his parents that focuses on education. His family has also given more than $40 million to Seattle's Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, not far from Amazon's headquarters.

Still, Bezos has yet to make charity a cornerstone of his work, like Microsoft Corp's Bill Gates or Facebook Inc's Mark Zuckerberg have. Bezos has not joined them and 167 other of the world's richest people in pledging to give more than half of their fortunes to philanthropy.

Asked in an interview with Charlie Rose last year if he one day would rival Gates' magnanimity, Bezos joked, "Well, yeah, if there is anything left after I finish building Blue Origin."

His Twitter post had generated nearly 4,000 replies within three hours.

Recommendations ranged from food programs for children, to protecting forests and fighting homelessness.

"Repurpose shipping containers to provide micro-homes for the homeless," tweeted journalist and analyst John Koetsier. "Give them a safe, dry place to sleep, then work on further needs."

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Facebook's CEO and wife to give 99 pct of shares to charity

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Mark Zuckerberg will put 99 percent of his Facebook Inc shares, currently worth about $45 billion, into a new philanthropy project focusing on human potential and equality, he and his wife said Tuesday in a letter to their newborn daughter.

The plan, which was posted on the Facebook founder and chief executive officer's page, attracted more than 570,000 "likes," including from singer Shakira, former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Melinda Gates, wife of Microsoft founder Bill Gates. The Gates and other high-profile billionaires such as Warren Buffett have set up foundations of their own to dedicate their massive fortunes to philanthropic endeavors.

Zuckerberg, 31, who will control the new initiative jointly with his wife, Priscilla Chan, while remaining in charge of the world's largest online social network, said he would sell or give up to $1 billion in shares in each of the next three years.

Zuckerberg will keep a controlling stake in Facebook, valued at $303 billion as of Tuesday's close, for what the company called the "foreseeable future." According to Facebook's most recent proxy statement, Zuckerberg owned 4 million Class A shares and 422.3 million Class B shares, which have 10 times the voting power of A shares. Combined he held 54 percent of the voting power of the company's shares.

Zuckerberg said he plans to remain CEO of Facebook for "many, many years to come."

Zuckerberg's new project, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, is not his first in the world of philanthropy. When he was 26, he signed the Giving Pledge, which invites the world's wealthiest individuals and families to commit to giving more than half of their wealth to philanthropy or charitable causes over their lifetime or in their will.

"Mark and Priscilla are breaking the mold with this breathtaking commitment," Buffett said on Facebook. "A combination of brains, passion and resources on this scale will change the lives of millions. On behalf of future generations, I thank them."

Melinda Gates chimed in, "The first word that comes to mind is: Wow. The example you're setting today is an inspiration to us and the world."

Buffett himself pledged shares of his Berkshire Hathaway Inc company that were then worth $31 billion to Gates' foundation in 2006, and at the time ranked as the largest single gift.

A YOUNG PHILANTHROPIST

Zuckerberg is relatively young to commit so much of his wealth. Microsoft Corp co-founder Gates was 45 in 2000, the year he and his wife founded the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Buffett was 76 in 2006 when he committed to give away all of his Berkshire Hathaway stock to philanthropic organizations.

About $350 billion is given away each year in the United States by charities, said Stacy Palmer, editor of the Chronicle of Philanthropy. She said Zuckerberg and his wife's announcement was remarkable not just because of the size of the donation, but because of their ages.

"Our lists of the top donors are usually dominated by people in their 70s or 80s," she said. "This is a message to other young people who are deciding what to do with their great wealth."

In welcoming the birth of his first child on his Facebook page, Zuckerberg posted a photo of himself, his wife and their daughter, Maxima, nicknamed Max, along with a post entitled "A letter to our daughter." (http://on.fb.me/1MVnGOj)

In the 2,220-word letter, Zuckerberg and Chan, a pediatrician, touched on issues including health, education, Internet access and learning before announcing the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, which aims to "advance human potential and promote equality."

They plan to give away 99 percent of their Facebook shares over their lifetimes to advance the initiative, which was formed as a limited liability company. It will begin by focusing on curing disease, Internet connectivity, community building and personalized learning - the idea that technology can help students learn at different paces.

Maxima Chan Zuckerberg was born early last week - though Facebook did not specify her birth date - and weighed 7 lbs 8 ounces (3.4 kg) at birth. Last month, Zuckerberg announced he would take two months of paternity leave after the birth.

Chan and Zuckerberg have so far committed $1.6 billion to their philanthropy. They have given several donations this year, including to public schools, initiatives to bring better wireless Internet access and to San Francisco General Hospital, where Chan works as a pediatrician.

Zuckerberg and Chan said they will share more details when they return from their maternity and paternity leaves.

Zuckerberg has started his leave, a Facebook representative said, and will be available if "absolutely needed." Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer, and Mike Schroepfer, chief technology officer, will run the company in Zuckerberg's absence.

(Reporting by Yasmeen Abutaleb in San Francisco; Additional reporting by Abhirup Roy in Bengaluru; Writing by Bernard Orr; Editing by Stephen R. Trousdale, Bill Rigby, Lisa Shumaker and Leslie Adler)

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Toddler Harper Beckham's designer clothes go on sale for charity

LONDON - She has been dubbed the world's most stylish toddler with a wardrobe even the most dedicated fashionistas envy.

But on Thursday, fashion fan parents got a chance to dress their own tots in Harper Beckham's clothes after a collection of her outfits went on sale for charity in London.

Spice Girl-turned-fashion designer Victoria Beckham donated 25 of her three-year-old daughter's outfits as part of Save the Children's "Fashion Saves Lives" sale.

On display were dresses, skirts, tops, trousers, coats and shoes - from Doc Martens boots to colorful pumps - by designer names such as Chloe, Marc Jacobs, Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Stella McCartney and Versace with price tags reaching up to 500 pounds($795).

A pink flower and jewel embellished Mischka Aoki dress, retailing at around 3,700 pounds, was placed in an auction, which will run until June 28.

Queues started forming outside the "Mary's living & giving" shop in London's Primrose Hill early Thursday morning, with eager mothers wanting to be the first to get their hands on the designer items.

"Yesterday when we were getting ready for the sale, we had people walking past all day, knocking on the window desperate to find out how they could get their hands on an outfit," Helena Wiltshire, head of PR at Save The Children, told local media.

Save The Children said the first item was sold five minutes after the sale began at 0900 GMT (5.00 a.m. ET).

(1 US dollar = 0.6285 British pound)

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Apple chief Tim Cook will give away all his money - report

Apple Inc Chief Executive Tim Cook is joining the roster of the very rich who are giving away their wealth.

Fortune magazine cited the head of the world's largest technology corporation as saying he planned to donate his estimated $785 million fortune to charity - after paying for his 10-year-old nephew's college education.

"You want to be the pebble in the pond that creates the ripples for change," Cook told the magazine.

Fortune estimated Cook's net worth, based on his holdings of Apple stock, at about $120 million. He also holds restricted stock worth $665 million if it were to be fully vested.

The 54-year-old CEO's revelation in Fortune's lengthy profile of him is an example of the increasingly public philanthropy of the world's richest people.

Billionaire financier Warren Buffett is encouraging the very wealthy to give away at least half their worth in their lifetimes through the "Giving Pledge," whose website lists such luminaries as Microsoft Corp's Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook Inc and Oracle Corp's Larry Ellison.

While Cook's largesse could not begin to approach the scale of a Gates or Zuckerberg, both worth billions of dollars, the Apple CEO told Fortune he hopes to make a difference.

Cook, who is not listed on the website, is known as an intensely private person who shuns the spotlight on philanthropy.

In recent years, however, he has begun speaking out more openly about issues ranging from the environment to civil rights. Cook, who recently revealed he was gay, spoke out against discrimination of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual communities during his induction into the Alabama Academy of Honor last year.

He told Fortune he has started donating money to unspecified causes quietly and is trying to develop a more "systematic approach" to philanthropy that goes beyond writing checks.

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