Gunman kills 3 in U.S. bank; police shoot him dead

A gunman opened fire inside a bank in downtown Cincinnati on Thursday morning, killing at least three people and wounding others before being shot and killed by police, authorities said.

The shooter began firing inside a loading dock at the Fifth Third Bank near Fountain Square, police said, before entering the lobby where he exchanged fire with law enforcement.

"He was actively shooting innocent victims, it appears, and our officers were able to kill him and stop the threat very quickly," Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley told a news conference.

The city's police chief, Eliot Isaac, said he could not confirm local media reports that the gunman was a disgruntled employee of the bank, and said he had no information that the victims were targeted. No police officers were hurt, Isaac said.

Witnesses said more than a dozen shots were fired.

Ebony Ginyard, who works at a Dunkin' Donuts in Fountain Square, said she and other workers and customers dropped to the floor when the shooting started. She said the gunman was so close that she could smell the gunpowder as he fired.

"All he had to is look over the counter at us and we would have been shot," Ginyard told reporters.

One onlooker, Leonard Cain, told a newspaper he had been about to enter the bank when someone warned him about the shooting. Cain said he then saw a woman also walking into the bank, and that people tried to get her attention, but she was wearing headphones and did not hear them.

"She walked in the door and he shot her," Cain told The Cincinnati Enquirer, adding that he heard up to 15 shots fired.

The Enquirer said some customers were hiding inside a bathroom at the bank, and that one gunshot victim was found inside a nearby ice cream shop.

Another witness, Michael Richardson, who works in the Fifth Third Bank building, told the newspaper he was outside smoking a cigarette when he heard gunshots.

"I looked behind me and saw the guy – he shot and then he shot again. After that I started running," he told the Enquirer.

Isaac told reporters the gunman's weapon was recovered, but did not say what type of firearm he used.

The police chief said he could not say whether the gunman shot himself in addition to being shot by gunfire from "at least three or four" police officers.

A spokeswoman for the University of Cincinnati Medical Center said three men and one woman were treated there for gunshot wounds. Two of them died, one is in critical condition, and one was in serious condition, the spokeswoman said.

The area around the bank was closed to pedestrians after the shooting. Police said people inside the 30-story Fifth Third Center skyscraper were being held in place but would be able to leave the building soon.

Nearly three hours after the incident, several streets in downtown Cincinnati remained closed to traffic.

"This is not normal, and it shouldn't be viewed as normal," the mayor told reporters, adding that the United States is the only industrialized nation with frequent active shooting incidents. "We as a country have to deal with it," Cranley added.

City councilman P.G. Sittenfeld said it was a sick and tragic way to begin the day. "The scourge of gun violence leaves only loss," Sittenfeld wrote on Twitter. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Gunfire in crowded Ohio nightclub kills one, wounds 15

CINCINNATI - Gunfire erupted inside a packed nightclub in Cincinnati, Ohio, early Sunday morning, killing one person and injuring 15 others, as an apparent argument that may have started earlier in the day turned violent, authorities said.

Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley said there was no evidence of "a terrorist attack," as with last year's Pulse nightclub slaughter in Orlando, Florida that killed 49 people in the deadliest mass shooting in US history.

"However to the victims, what difference does it make?" Cranley said. "People were just going to have a good time and ended up getting shot."

No arrests had been made hours after the shooting took place around 1 a.m. EDT as hundreds of people partied inside Cameo Nightlife. The club has a history of gun violence, including two shootings in 2015, City Manager Harry Black said in a statement.

Authorities believe multiple gunmen were involved in the Sunday morning shooting, which grew out of "some kind of dispute" inside the bar, Police Chief Eliot Isaac said.

The disagreement may have been started earlier in the day, Black said.

"At this point it's unclear exactly what instigated the shooting," police Captain Kimberly Williams said at a televised briefing. "Just a lot of chaos when the shots went off."

Four police officers, who were providing security in the parking lot when the shots rang out, ran into the club and treated victims, the chief said. In addition to those hit by gunfire, several people sustained minor injuries attempting to flee.

Police did not have a good description of the suspects, in part because witnesses were reluctant to cooperate, Williams told WCPO television.

The man who was killed was identified by authorities as 27-year-old O'Bryan Spikes. Two of the injured were in critical condition, a University of Cincinnati Medical Center spokeswoman said. The others hit by gunfire were in stable condition in other area hospitals, and some were treated and released.

Ohio Governor John Kasich sent his condolences and offered state help in the case.

"Saddened to learn about last night's shooting in Cincinnati," Kasich said on Twitter. "Our prayers are with the victims and families of all of those involved."

Cameo Nightlife's Facebook page says it features "College Friday's" for students 18 and older and "Saturday's 21+ grown and sexy night."

The club, a large single-story structure, is a 7-mile (11 km) drive from downtown Cincinnati near the southeast corner of the city, the heart of the second largest metropolitan area in Ohio with more than 2 million residents.

(Additional reporting by Melissa Fares and Barbara Goldberg in New York; Writing by Frank McGurty; Editing by Andrew Bolton and Jeffrey Benkoe)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Murray continues run, to face Raonic in Cincinnati

Andy Murray continued his golden run on Friday with a 6-4 6-4 victory over Australia's Bernard Tomic to move into the semi-finals of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati.

The world number two pushed through the fatigue of an arduous schedule and overcame a 4-3 deficit in the second set where he won the final three games to continue his spectacular run, that has included his second Wimbledon crown and defence of his Olympics singles title.

"I think the conditions here help a little," Murray said.

"It's pretty quick and there are not a lot of long rallies. That helped me tonight. I played the big points well and that was the difference. That comes from winning big matches and making better decisions."

Murray was last defeated by Novak Djokovic in the French Open final in June and will now meet Milos Raonic in the semi-finals after the big-serving Canadian beat Austrian eighth seed Dominic Thiem.

Raonic lost to Murray in the Wimbledon final.

"He's got one of the biggest serves in the game," Murray said. "I'll need to (return) well if I want to win."

Raonic unleashed 17 aces and did not face a break point during the 68-minute match that put him within two wins of his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title.

"I've practiced with him many times, so to some extent I have an understanding of his game, like he has of mine," Raonic told the ATP Tour website.

"But it's different come match time, so I did a little bit of studying. I feel like I took that all in and adapted well."

Raonic skipped the Olympics and instead spent time with coach John McEnroe and the two discussed the disappointment of losing to Murray in his first career grand slam final appearance.

"There were some very prolonged discussions about how I can make a difference on that (mental) part," Raonic told ESPN.

"There were certain moments when I was in the (Wimbledon final) and I thought I was really putting out all the intensity mentally. He (McEnroe) told me he felt I missed a few important moments where I could have showed some intensity. I re-watched the match and saw seven key moments.

"If I want to make the steps forward in the big tournaments, that's going to make the biggest difference."

In other quarter-final action, Croatian 12th seed Marin Cilic advanced when compatriot Borna Coric retired with a knee injury after dropping the first set 6-2 while unseeded Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov beat American Steve Johnson 7-6(8) 6-2. (Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina and Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by Frank Pingue/Greg Stutchbury)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Convergys gets high marks for ethical business practices

MANILA, Philippines - Convergys, the global leader in customer management, has earned an "advanced" rating for its ethical business practices.

Convergys is the only BPO and one of five companies in the Philippines with this rating from the Integrity Validation System (IVS) of the Integrity Initiative, a nationwide, private-sector led movement.

"Convergys’ Global Operating Model ensures the same level of integrity and transparency in our business units across all the countries where we operate, in all transactions and operations, as well as in measuring performance and developing the careers of our people. Over and above that, our company’s leaders straightforwardly and consistently set the tone of integrity, transparency and meritocracy – this makes a big difference," Ivic Mueco, Convergys’ Country Manager for the Philippines, said.

Convergys was among the featured companies at the recent 2013 Integrity Summit.

The IVS starts with a voluntary self-assessment taken by companies who are signatories to the Integrity Pledge, a commitment to conduct all business transactions and processes with integrity and transparency. The self-assessment is followed by an independent validation by the Integrity Initiative.

Companies with "advanced" rating are considered to have maintained extensive and effective practices in their organizations and are demonstrating best practices in 6 focus areas: Top Management, Dealing with Employees, Dealing with Clients, Dealing with Business Partners, Dealing with Finances and Dealing with Government, Communities, Environment and other Key Stakeholders.

"As we are in the customer service industry, our employees regularly deal with confidential customer information and integrity is of paramount importance. Our employees are the first line of defense against the threat of fraud," said Convergys Senior Director-Finance Aldrin Dulig.

Convergys' best practices on integrity include annual refresher courses that all employees are required to take, accompanied by validation exams to ensure their knowledge and understanding of the company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, as well as Privacy and Security policies.

The company has also established a Corporate Ethics and Security hotline, allowing employees to report any suspicious activity.

Vendors and suppliers also undergo accreditation and proper documentation. They are considered based on the merits of their products and services, and gift-giving is not allowed.

Convergys has also enjoined over 100 of its suppliers to commit and sign the Integrity Pledge, making it the number one contributor to the movement.

Convergys is now on its tenth year of operations in the Philippines, with more than 37,000 employees.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

How Pinoys helped Convergys become a global leader

MANILA, Philippines - A Filipino call center worker in Cebu managed to impress Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer so much that he sent a commendation letter to the company.

The call center agent is just one of nearly 36,000 Filipinos, who make up 44% of Convergys' global workforce.

Convergys president and CEO Andrea Ayers has nothing but praise for its Filipino employees, who have helped the BPO company flourish since it set up shop in Manila ten years ago.

"We have grown in double digits (in employee headcount), each of those years, year-on-year, a testament to the good work and strong talent here.We now have 35,900 employees in the Philippines and still growing," she said in a press briefing in Makati City on Thursday.

Convergys, the number one provider in US customer management services BPO market, is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its operations in the Philippines, where it currently has 21 sites.

Ayers is proud that Convergys is the Philippines' largest private employer, and has received the BPO Employer of the Year award three times. The Philippines is also where Convergys has the largest operations or 44% of its 80,000 global workforce.

Ayers attributed Convergys' successful operations in the Philippines to the deep talent pool.

"The most important thing for us is access to talent, people. Not only agents but the leaders that surround our agents and make decisions... We (also) look for infrastructure, technology, a focus on education is important for us," she said. "We want to be in places where we can sustain a business for years and years. I want another decade here and another decade after that."

Convergys managing director Marife B. Zamora agreed, noting that the Philippines is still a top-notch destination for customer management services to Convergys clients from North America, UK and Australia.

"The biggest advantage continues to be availability and high quality of potential employee pool found in the Philippines," she said. "Another cornerstone of our success is the support of the government because they know this is the second largest revenue generating industry here."

Ayers sees more growth in the industry, but noted there will be a shift to more complex, knowledge-based transactions.

"(Call centers) won't be obsolete.It will just evolve... You need more agents. We see the 10-year trend for growth in our industry, and it shows growth in agent headcount positions," she said

First facility in Mindanao

Convergys is set to open its 22nd facility in Abreeza Technohub, Davao City in September, the company's first in Mindanao.

Ivic Mueco, country manager for Convergys Philippines, noted there were 750 applicants who lined up on the first day of recruitment in Davao.

"We're in the process of hiring our first 400. We are very proud to be in that region, to a certain extent that's a region that needs help," Mueco said.

As for future facilities in other cities in Mindanao, Mueco said the company will still have to assess the performance of the Davao facility before making a decision.

While most of Convergys' contact center facilities are in Luzon, it also has facilities in Cebu and Bacolod.

"We will end with 22 centers this 2013, second to the US which has 30+. We support almost all of the industries under Convergys' array: financial services, technology, cable, satellite, telecommunications, automotive, retail and healthcare," Mueco said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com