Music fans spend more time listening to tunes during pandemic, says study

LONDON—Music fans globally are spending more time listening to tunes, about 18.4 hours a week on average, and have turned to their favorite artists for comfort during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a survey published on Thursday.

IFPI, the recorded music industry's representative body, said the figure, which equates to listening to 368 3-minute songs, is up from 18 hours in 2019, with listeners mostly turning to subscription audio streaming, video streaming, the radio and short form video apps such as TikTok.

The "Engaging with Music 2021" study, described by IFPI as the largest of its kind, is based on the views of 43,000 music fans in 21 countries.

  

"The research finds that not only are fans listening to more music, but that they are also seizing opportunities to engage with new, dynamic, and immersive music experiences," IFPI Chief Executive Frances Moore said in the report.

"Fuelled by record labels’ investment, the incredible abundance and growth of music licensed to streaming services is driving this engagement...In addition, music has provided fans with comfort and healing through these challenging times."

Fans have resorted to streaming for the autonomy and choice, with music listening time through subscription audio streaming rising 51%, the study found, while 68% of those surveyed said they searched for specific songs more than once a week.

Short-form videos, livestreaming and in-game experiences were also popular: the study found one in three people saying they had watched a music livestream in the last year.

When it came to genres, more than 300 different kinds of music were named as music people listened to, with examples including electronic dance gqom, from South Africa, and axé, which originated in Brazil in the 1980s.

Around 87% said music lifted their spirits during the pandemic while 68% of 16- to 19-year olds said new releases from their favourite singers soothed them during the pandemic.

Highlighting the problem of unlicensed music, almost one in three people surveyed - or 29% - said they had used illegal or unlicensed methods to listen to or download tunes. (Reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian Editing by Mark Heinrich)

-reuters-

At Miss Universe pageant, Myanmar's contestant pleads 'our people are dying'

Myanmar's Miss Universe contestant, Thuzar Wint Lwin, used the pageant on Sunday to urge the world to speak out against the military junta, whose security forces have killed hundreds of opponents since it seized power in a Feb. 1 coup.

"Our people are dying and being shot by the military every day," she said in a video message for the competition, where she was appearing in the finals at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

"I would like to urge everyone to speak about Myanmar. As Miss Universe Myanmar since the coup, I have been speaking out as much as I can," she said.

Myanmar's junta spokesman did not answer calls seeking comment.

Thuzar Wint Lwin is among dozens of Myanmar celebrities, actors, social media influencers and sports people who have voiced opposition to the coup, in which elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi was overthrown and detained.

At least 790 people have been killed by security forces since the coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners activist group. It says over 5,000 people have been arrested, with some 4,000 still detained -- including several celebrities.

Thuzar Wint Lwin did not make it to the last round of the Miss Universe competition, but she won the award for Best National Costume, which was based on the ethnic costume of her Chin people from northwestern Myanmar, where fighting has raged in recent days between the army and anti-junta militia fighters.

As she paraded with her national costume, she held up a placard that said "Pray for Myanmar." 

-reuters-

Block by block, LEGOLAND New York prepares to open

NEW YORK -- After spending a lot of time indoors through the year-long coronavirus pandemic, families in the New York area will soon have one of the first new theme parks in years to visit as restrictions are eased, with LEGOLAND preparing to launch its latest resort.

Located in Goshen, some 95 km north of New York City, LEGOLAND New York is in the final stages of construction, and plans a phased-in opening this summer in order to comply with social distancing guidelines.

"We are the first theme park to be built in the Northeast in decades and really I think particularly with the challenges in the last year, people are looking to get out," said Matt Besterman, public relations manager for LEGOLAND New York. "They're looking to have a safe and fun place to play."

Besterman said the company hopes to make the theme park cashless and contactless in order for everyone to feel safe.

As coronavirus cases have dropped alongside the vaccine rollout, restrictions on businesses are being lifted, with New York City set to be "back fully" on July 1, its mayor said on Thursday. 

Features of the new theme park include a LEGO Factory Adventure Ride, which has never appeared before at a LEGO-themed park and takes visitors on a ride through a Lego 'factory' where the bricks are people-sized.

The first LEGOLAND park was opened in Denmark in the 1960s to show off the company's LEGO models. It later expanded to others parts of Europe and Asia, and has two existing parks in the United States, in California and Florida.

As well as rides, LEGO models are a feature of the parks, and the New York one will feature some 15,000 models.

-reuters-

Disneyland's Avengers area to open in June with Spider-Man, shawarma

LOS ANGELES -- A new Avengers-themed area featuring a Spider-Man ride, roaming superheroes and a shawarma food cart will open at Walt Disney Co’s Disneyland Resort in California on June 4, the head of the company’s parks division said on Thursday.

The debut will come weeks after the resort in Anaheim, about 35 miles southeast of Los Angeles, begins welcoming back guests for the first time in a year starting on April 30.

Disneyland, the original Disney theme park, and neighboring California Adventure were closed in March 2020 to help prevent spread of the novel coronavirus. The shutdown thwarted plans to open the Avengers Campus in July 2020.

Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney parks, experiences and products, announced the new opening date as he offered a glimpse of the Avengers attractions during a pre-taped video shown to reporters.

In a new Spider-Man ride called “Web Slingers,” which combines physical and virtual environments, guests will team with Spidey to capture out-of-control Spider-Bots.

“You will swear Peter Parker’s right there,” said Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, referring to Spider-Man’s alter ego.

A swinging Spider-Man character also will perform acrobatics above the park’s rooftops. The character is a “stuntronic” robot designed to perform somersaults while flying 60 feet in the air, Disney said.

Black Panther, Black Widow, Doctor Strange, Iron Man also will found in the park, as well as a Quinjet, an advanced aircraft used by the Avengers.

“There’s only one place you can see one of our Quinjets,” Feige said. “It’s either in the movie or it’s here.”

Food options will include a cart offering shawarma, a nod to a scene at the end of the 2012 “Avengers” movie when various superheroes ate the Middle Eastern dish together after saving the world.

Visitors to Disneyland will need advance reservations and must follow COVID-19 safety precautions including wearing masks and social distancing.

-reuters-

Filipino devotees self-flagellate, defying ban on gatherings

MANILA -- Barefoot and with their backs bloodied by repeated flogging, Catholic devotees in the Philippines defied a ban on gatherings on Good Friday to perform a ritual of self-flagellation as a means of atonement during Holy Week.

Participants were few compared to recent years, after authorities reimposed tight restrictions in response to a jump in coronavirus infections, worsened by the spread of more transmissible variants.

But near one church in Manila's Tondo area, about 10 devotees, wearing face masks and with the cloth cut away from the backs, struck their backs with bamboo whips swung rhythmically from left to right as they walked.

"I prayed for my parents. I'm thankful they haven't gotten sick," said 25-year-old devotee Melvin Devibar. "Even during this pandemic, I don't believe we will be affected by COVID as long as we pray."

Other, larger groups from other areas had sought to join the flagellation ritual at the Tondo church but were stopped at police checkpoints and made to turn back.

The Philippines reported a daily record 15,310 new coronavirus infections on Friday, one of the region's highest since the pandemic started, bringing its total to 771,497 cases, among the most in Asia.

Many Filipinos perform religious penance in the week leading to Easter in the hope they will be cleansed of sins and illnesses and their wishes might be granted.

But the Catholic Church, the dominant faith in the Philippines, has expressed disapproval of self-flagellation and considers it an extreme misinterpretation of faith.

It says prayers and sincere repentance are enough to commemorate Lent.

-reuters- 

Filipino artist fights waste by using recycled trash in paintings

When Filipino artist Gilbert Angeles found out that his country was one of the world's biggest contributors of plastic trash in the ocean he felt compelled to take action.

Angeles decided the best way to show how discarded waste could be given a new life in a different medium was to incorporate materials ranging from shredded plastic to old paint and leftover construction wood in his paintings.

Since 2019, he has made over two dozen paintings of this kind.

"I make these artworks to raise awareness so we can fight against the trash in our area, to make us more responsible in how we dispose of our trash, and to make us aware of where our trash goes," said the 49-year-old.

The artist sources the materials from around his Manila neighborhood or through donations from contacts he has made since launching his environmental campaign.

Angeles remembers being spurred on to take up the project after seeing a news report about the Philippines being one of the top contributors of plastic waste.

The Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and China account for around 60 percent of the world's marine plastic, or 8 million tons annually, according to a 2017 report from the Ocean Conservancy and the McKinsey Center for Business and Environment.

Angeles' artwork has since been shown in galleries, with paintings selling for around $600 to $3,000, depending on the size. Part of the proceeds goes to his environmental group, Green Artz, which encourages artists to use recycled waste in their work.

"I love the fact that it gives us hope," said Linda Pecoraro, general manager of Conrad Hotel, where Angeles' work is being exhibited.

"It's got beautiful colors and recycled plastic, repurposing things that damage our environment and making them beautiful."

-reuters-

Gotta catch 'em all: Pandemic sends prices soaring for Pokemon cards

LOS ANGELES — Pokemon is all grown up, and so are its prices.

Two decades after the Japanese trading card game became the biggest thing in schoolyards around the world, Pokemon cards are fetching six figures at auction in a boom that appears to have been fueled by coronavirus pandemic lockdowns.

“When COVID-19 hit, a lot of Gen X and Millennials were looking for things to do and we found a lot of these guys and girls started playing Pokemon again because they grew up with it,” said Joe Maddalena, executive vice president at Texas-based Heritage Auctions.

Maddalena said boxes of the 1999 U.S. first edition base set had sold for around $400,000 at auction in recent months. A single card in mint condition for the popular fire-flying character Charizard sold for $300,000 in January, whereas in late 2019 asking prices for a Charizard card were around $16,000, he said.

Once stuffed into pockets or thrown into toy boxes, Pokemon cards have become so sought-after that long lines form outside stores when new batches are released.

“It’s crazy, because I know just a few years ago you could go anywhere and there were walls of Pokemon cards and it’s just all come back,” said Megan Meadows, 29, who lined up outside the Next-Gen Games store in Los Angeles last week.

“For me, personally, it’s nostalgia 100 percent. I was a big Pokemon kid in the late 90s, early 2000s, and it’s also finding that joy again in a time where joy is a little hard to come by and it’s kind of pure and fun,” she added.

As Pokemon gears up for its global 25th anniversary celebrations on Feb. 27, Heritage is holding its first auction dedicated to Pokemon cards. The Feb 25 - March 25th online auction will have 200 Pokemon lots, including what Maddalena called “the Holy Grail” - a sealed, 1999 Wizards of the Coast base set.

“The last one, we sold for $406,000 - who knows what it could go for?,” he said.

But you don’t need to be rich in order to play the game or collect the cards. Maddalena said the upcoming auction will have lots of cards at lower prices than those in mint condition that go for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Maddalena hesitates to use the word investments.

“I’m hoping they buy them because they love them,” he said.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Additional reporting by Rollo Ross; Editing by Aurora Ellis)

-reuters-

Biden 'First Dogs' arrive at White House

WASHINGTON - Joe Biden's dogs Champ and Major have moved into the White House, reviving a long-standing tradition of presidential pets that was broken under Donald Trump.

The pooches can be seen trotting on the White House grounds in pictures retweeted by First Lady Jill Biden's spokesman Michael LaRosa, with the pointed obelisk of the Washington Monument in the background.

"Champ is enjoying his new dog bed by the fireplace, and Major loved running around on the South Lawn," LaRosa told CNN in a statement Monday.

The Biden's dogs, both German shepherds, follow the pawprints of presidential pets that included Barack Obama's Bo, a black Portuguese water dog and George W. Bush's Scottish terrier, Barney. 

Trump, a famously finicky germaphobe, broke with that convention -- as he did with many presidential traditions -- and never had a pet in his White House.

"How would I look walking a dog on the White House lawn," Trump asked, with a grimace, in a video included in a Biden campaign ad.

Agence France-Presse

Broadcast legend and ‘king of talk’ Larry King dies at 87

WASHINGTON—Larry King, who quizzed thousands of world leaders, politicians and entertainers for CNN and other news outlets in a career spanning more than 6 decades, has died at age 87, CNN reported on Saturday, citing a source close to the family.

King had been hospitalized in Los Angeles with a COVID-19 infection, according to several media reports. He had endured health problems for many years, including a near-fatal stroke in 2019 and diabetes.

He had been hospitalized at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles for more than a week, CNN reported.

King's official Twitter account also confirmed the development.

Millions watched King interview world leaders, entertainers and other celebrities on CNN's "Larry King Live", which ran from 1985 to 2010.

Hunched over his desk in rolled-up shirt sleeves and owlish glasses, he made his show one of the network's prime attractions with a mix of interviews, political discussions, current event debates and phone calls from viewers.

Even in his heyday, critics accused King of doing little pre-interview research and tossing softball questions to guests who were free to give unchallenged, self-promoting answers. He responded by conceding he did not do much research so that he could learn along with his viewers. Besides, King said, he never wanted to be perceived as a journalist.

"My duty, as I see it, is I'm a conduit," King told the Hartford Courant in 2007.

“I ask the best questions I can. I listen to the answers. I try to follow up. And hopefully the audience makes a conclusion. I'm not there to make a conclusion. I'm not a soapbox talk-show host.

“So what I try to do is present someone in the best light."

PRESIDENTS AND PRIME MINISTERS

King's guests included U.S. presidents dating back to Gerald Ford, international leaders such as PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, and entertainers ranging from Bob Hope to Snoop Dogg.

King never hid his old-fashioned proclivities and liked to reminisce about performers such as Frank Sinatra and Arthur Godfrey. In 2006 he admitted to a guest that he had never searched the internet, saying: “What do you do, punch little buttons and things?"

But by 2012 King was on the internet himself with his "Larry King Now" show on Ora TV, and later Hulu's streaming service.

He also was a regular presence on Twitter, promoting his interviews and tossing out random thoughts - "I have no desire to eat an artichoke," "My favorite flavor of Jell-O is lime" and "I love to say 'sacre bleu!'" — in what was essentially an online version of the column he had once written for USA Today.

King was an established radio talk-show host when he made his first television broadcast for CNN from Washington on June 3, 1985, five years after Ted Turner started the network.

"Larry King Live" would become one of CNN's highest-rated shows. He left CNN amid falling ratings in 2010 after 25 years with the news network, but stayed busy with his Ora TV show.

"I've known a lot of people who were experts in six or 12 things but Larry seems to be an expert in everything," Don Hewitt, creator of "60 Minutes", told the Hollywood Reporter.

"He's also never confrontational, which is majorly important. In an age when so many people are miserable, he seems to be one of the happy ones."

MIAMI RADIO BEGINNINGS

King was born Lawrence Harvey Zeiger on Nov. 19, 1933, in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. He said at age 5 he knew he wanted to be on the radio and in 1957 he moved to Miami, which he had been told had a burgeoning radio market.

King started doing odd jobs at a Miami station and one day was asked to fill in for an announcer who walked off the job. Before he went on the air, the station manager urged him to change his last name to King because it was easier to pronounce and less ethnic than Zeiger.

King became a fixture in Miami but as his reputation grew, so did his troubles.

In 1971 he was arrested on a grand larceny complaint filed by Miami financier Lou Wolfson, who had been in trouble with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Wolfson allegedly paid King in hopes of gaining influence on the administration of then-U.S. President Richard Nixon.

The charge against King was dropped because the statute of limitations had expired, but the scandal knocked him off the air for some three years. He did public relations work for a Louisiana racetrack until station WIOD in Miami hired him.

King rebounded and the Mutual radio network gave him a nationwide audience in 1978. He relocated to Washington, a move that led to the CNN job.

He suffered a heart attack and had bypass surgery in 1987, prompting him to start the Larry King Cardiac Foundation a year later. He had surgery in 2007 to clear a blocked artery, was treated for prostate cancer in 2010 and said in 2017 that he had been treated for lung cancer.

King was married eight times to seven women, most recently to singer Shawn Southwick, who was 26 years younger. He had five children, two of whom died in 2020. (Reporting by Susan Heavey, Scott Malone and Bill Trott; Editing by Dave Gregorio, Rosalba O'Brien and Alex Richardson)

-reuters-

A furry Christmas in Seoul

An employee dressed in a Santa Claus costume plays with cats at the Catgarden, which opened in 2016 to take in rescued cats due to failed adoption, in Seoul, South Korea on Monday. South Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs recorded a 3.7 percent increase in abandoned pets in the first half of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. 

-reuters-

Indian wedding takes on otherworldly feel after bride tests positive for COVID-19

BARAN, INDIA — Traditional Indian wedding finery gave way to hazmat suits and masks in a remote north Indian village, after the bride tested positive for the coronavirus just hours before her marriage, a local health official said.

The couple, whose names were not made public, decided to go ahead with the ceremony on Sunday in the courtyard of the COVID quarantine center in Baran in the western state of Rajasthan - their protective gear giving it an otherworldly feel.

Under a bright red canopy and in front of the holy fire, the bride and groom exchanged garlands wearing matching blue hazmat suits, visors and face masks.

The priest, looking like an astronaut in a white hazmat suit and matching hood, chanted verses from Hindu scriptures while traditional wedding songs played in the background.

The bride had been admitted to the center, where patients are kept under watch, after she and a family member tested positive, health official Rajendra Meena told Reuters partner ANI.

"We consulted with the families and they agreed to get married in the quarantine center without any elaborate rituals," he said. Afterwards, both bride and groom were placed in isolation at the center, part of a network of quarantine facilities set up in almost every village.

Weddings in India are often an elaborate and noisy affair, with hordes of relatives and other guests taking part in celebrations. But several states have imposed restrictions around numbers allowed at marriage gatherings.

India has the world's second highest COVID-19 caseload after the United States, with over 9.6 million confirmed cases.

Infections have fallen since hitting a peak in September in spite of a busy festival season last month, which saw bustling markets and crowded streets full of shoppers.

-reuters-

Pink diamond fetches $26.6M at Sotheby's Geneva sale

GENEVA -- An extremely rare, purple-pink diamond mined in Russia, which Sotheby's described as "a true wonder of nature," sold for 24.4 million Swiss francs ($26.6 million) on Wednesday, the auction house said.

Sotheby's had estimated that the flawless oval gem, "The Spirit of the Rose," could fetch $23 million to $38 million at the Geneva sale.

Bidding opened at 16 million Swiss francs and climbed to the final hammer price of 21 million Swiss francs, plus commission. It was bought by a telephone bidder who chose to remain anonymous, Sotheby's said.

Jewelry expert Benoit Repellin, who led the sale, said it set a record for a diamond graded fancy vivid purple pink sold at auction. The stone weighing 14.83 carats was the largest pink diamond with that color grading to go on the block.

The diamond was named after a ballet performed by the Ballets Russes and its legendary dancer Vaslav Nijinsky in 1911.

Mined by Russian diamond producer Alrosa in July 2017, it was cut from the largest pink crystal ever found in the country, Sotheby's said.

The diamond was shown in Hong Kong, Singapore and Taipei.

Colored stones have been greatly valued as an asset class by the super rich in recent years with top-quality pink diamonds especially prized.

The Argyle mine in western Australia, which produced the world's largest supply of pink diamonds, halted production last week due to depletion.

"The lucky buyer could well profit from prices soaring for pink diamonds in the coming years thanks to increased rarity," Tobias Kormind, managing director of 77 Diamonds, Europe's largest online diamond jeweler, said in a statement.

Naturally colored diamonds occur because they possess a particular lattice structure that refracts light to produce colored, rather than white, stones.

-reuters-

McDonald's launching meatless 'McPlant' burger

NEW YORK - Fast food giant McDonald's on Monday announced it was launching a new plant-based burger named the "McPlant" to cater to the growing number of people who do not eat meat.

The group had already tested out a plant-based burger in cooperation with the company Beyond Meat, which specializes in vegan meat substitutes.

The new line will be produced exclusively for McDonald's, and will be introduced in selected markets next year.

The restaurant chain has not yet said if it will renew its collaboration with Beyond Meat, only saying it will reach out to third-party suppliers as with all its other products.

McDonald's told investors it was also considering plant-based substitutes for chicken products and for its egg and bacon breakfast sandwiches.

The brand had fallen behind in the niche market to rival Burger King, which was the first to launch a vegetarian version of its iconic "Whopper" burger in April 2019 in the United States.

McDonald's still relies on its flagship products like the "Big Mac", "McNuggets" and French fries, which account for around 70 percent of its sales in its main markets.

"As demand for the familiar in these uncertain times is more important than ever, the Company believes these core classics will continue to be significant drivers of growth thanks to both their popularity and profitability," McDonalds said in a statement.

The company also aims to put a new emphasis on chicken-based products, which are growing faster than the market for beef products.

Following the success of its spicy nuggets in the United States, McDonald's plans to launch a crispy chicken sandwich there in 2021.

To boost internet sales, which have already grown significantly since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the group will also test a new online platform and a new loyalty program.

It will also build new drive-in only outlets and have lines dedicated to customers who pre-ordered their meals online.

Agence France-Presse

'Lockdown' is Collins Dictionary Word of the Year

LONDON, United Kingdom - Collins Dictionary said on Tuesday that "lockdown" is its Word of The Year in 2020 following a dramatic increase in usage during the spread of COVID-19. 

Lexicographers said they picked the word because it had become synonymous with the experience of populations across the world as governments look to curb the coronavirus pandemic. 

"It is a unifying experience for billions of people across the world, who have had collectively to play their part in combating the spread of COVID-19," publishers Harper Collins said.

Collins registered more than a quarter of a million usages of "lockdown" during 2020, against only 4,000 the previous year.

Because of the way the pandemic has affected the daily use of language, six of Collins' 10 words of the year in 2020 are related to the global health crisis. 

"Coronavirus", "social distancing", "self-isolate" and "furlough" as well as "lockdown" and "key worker" were included in the longer list of 10 words of the year. 

"Key worker" alone has seen a 60-fold increase in usage reflecting the importance attributed this year to professions considered to be essential to society. 

"2020 has been dominated by the global pandemic," Helen Newstead, a language consultant at Collins, said. 

"Lockdown has affected the way we work, study, shop, and socialize. 

"With many countries entering a second lockdown, it is not a word of the year to celebrate but it is, perhaps, one that sums up the year for most of the world." 

Collins defines "lockdown" as "the imposition of stringent restrictions on travel, social interaction, and access to public spaces". 

According to the dictionary, coronavirus is: "Any one of a group of RNA-containing viruses that can cause infectious illnesses of the respiratory tract, including COVID-19." 

Significant social and political developments beyond the virus have also been reflected in the list, which has already made its way into online editions of the English dictionary. 

A wave of Black Lives Matter protests, sparked by the death in US police custody of unarmed black man George Floyd, spread around the world and brought a new awareness of the movement. 

The abbreviation "BLM", often used as a hashtag on social media, was widely used in conversations and reporting following the protests, registering an increase in usage of 581 percent by Collins. 

Social media regularly throws up new words for the dictionary.

This year, Collins has included "TikToker", which describes someone who shares content on the TikTok social media platform. 

"Mukbang", which refers to a South Korean trend of video bloggers eating large quantities of food in videos broadcast to their followers, has also made the list. 

The UK royal family influenced the shortlist in 2020. 

"Megxit", which refers to the withdrawal of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan from royal duties, passed into regular usage. 

The word, modelled on "Brexit", which was Collins' word of the year in 2016, illustrates just how firmly established that word now is in the British lexicon.

Agence France-Presse

'Be one with the fish' aquarium yoga among Hong Kong Ocean Park's new offerings

HONG KONG — Against the vivid backdrop of a giant aquarium filled with sharks, manta rays and other aquatic life, a yoga group on Thursday performed side planks, chair poses and lunges, their arms outstretched to the ceiling.

Hong Kong's cash-strapped Ocean Park has begun offering fitness activities such as yoga, meditation and dance classes to keep its flagging business afloat and offset deep losses due to coronavirus restrictions that have battered tourism in the Asian financial hub.

Yoga instructor Jessica Lee said the fish in the aquarium were a calming presence during her class. "It's really nice to be almost at one with them," she said. "I feel as if I am in the water, moving as fluidly as they are."

The 43-year-old theme park and Walt Disney Co.'s Hong Kong Disneyland have been shuttered for most of the year, only reopening in September. Both parks are mandated to operate at a maximum of half-capacity and face masks remain compulsory.

At over HK$6 billion in debt according to its latest annual report, Ocean Park secured a HK$4.5 billion ($580 million) government bailout in May which it said would help it stay operational for another year.

Anti-government protests last year and the rise of competing amusement parks in the region such as Chimelong Ocean Kingdom on China's Hengqin island, have exacerbated pressure on both Ocean Park and Hong Kong Disneyland.

Ocean Park also said it would for the first time open hiking trails underneath its cable car ride which overlooks the South China Sea. Air-conditioned tents will be available for those who want to camp and barbecue, it said.

However, 26-year-old resident Sze who was visiting Ocean Park on Thursday, said paying an additional cost for yoga and hiking seemed unnecessary when she was only interested in the rides.

"We need to pay extra money to join the hiking activities while hiking is supposed to be free," said Sze, who did not want to give her full name. "Doing yoga is also free if you go into the wild."

-reuters-

'I selfie, therefore I am': Instagram 10 years on

#Foodporn, #nofilter and #TBT: Little known to the general public a decade ago, Instagram has weaved its way into the daily lives of a billion people, changing the way we eat, travel and consume.

On October 6, 2010 two Americans, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, launched Instagram as a social network dedicated to photo sharing. The novelty? The app offered filters to adjust brightness, contrast and color to create the perfect photo in an instant.

It had immediate success. The app was bought by Facebook two years after its launch, and by that time it had become the world's most popular platform for uploading endless streams of selfies.

Exhibitions, dinners, people on public transport or on vacation, every corner had become a backdrop for capturing a self-portrait for public consumption.

"We have entered the era of 'the internet reality' where one can only exist through what one publishes on social networks. I selfie, therefore I am," said Michael Stora, psychologist and president of the French research collective Observatory of Digital Worlds in Humanities (OMNSH).

Ten years on from its launch, Instagram has evolved far beyond selfies, as it redefines "experiences" and blurs the lines between reality and someone's carefully curated personal brand.

Virtual storefronts 

The app has become the preferred platform for luxury brands, particularly fast-fashion labels which have developed powerful digital marketing strategies to attract millions of users on the platform. 

A shopping function introduced last year has turned Instagram into an e-commerce site, allowing companies to use their profiles as virtual storefronts so users can shop and pay without ever leaving the app. 

It has also launched countless careers of digital "influencers" who churn out daily content to their loyal followers, striking endorsement deals along the way.

"They send me the product and I provide all the service around it... Brands no longer need to call on an advertising agency. We take care of everything," said Pauline Privez, a 36-year-old fashion and beauty influencer since 2009.

Instagram has also made luxury brands more accessible, as they are able to interact daily with users through their own accounts, said fashion historian Audrey Millet. 

"By freely publishing content they open up to everyone, shedding the image of snobbery that has been attached to them," Millet said. 

Travel guides 

The application has also revolutionized the dining experience.

Restaurateurs can count on carefully staged photos of their dishes, or moody shots within their cozy interiors to attract new clients. It is even possible to reserve a table at some restaurants directly through the app.

Instagram has become a place to search for inspiration in the kitchen, where anyone can access the recipes of famous chefs who have invested heavily in the platform, such as Jamie Oliver who is followed by 8.3 million people and posts new recipes daily.

Maelle Bourras, a Parisian in her 30s, follows "about 15 chefs" including Alain Passard, who has half a million subscribers, and Cyril Lignac, with 2.5 million.

"On weekends I try to reproduce some of their creations. It's free and accessible, and allows me to vary from the usual dishes," Bourras said.

Others use Instagram to choose their next vacation, and tourist offices rely heavily on content creators to promote their destinations.

Digital influencers like Privez publish their "experiences" and in return are paid, in addition to the free trips.

Privez, who has 140,000 subscribers, makes between six and seven "sponsored trips" per year, "not counting the two-day press trips," she said.

Around the world, museums and pop-up "experiences" are increasingly offering interactive installations solely for visitors to take selfies and post them on Instagram and other social media platforms.

Pressure for perfection 

Not all social media celebrities are in it for the money. Sylvain Hawawini, known as Dr Shawa Vet to his 107,000 followers, poses with animals in hundreds of photos from locations around the world, so that others can "discover landscapes or places still little known."

The insatiable quest for Instagram "likes" has made the platform addictive for some, and can have devastating effects, particularly for younger people, said psychologist Stora.

Instagram gives teenagers a false sense of reality and pressure for perfection "that they cannot live up to," he said.

Influencers can feel the pressure as well.

"I am forced to stay with it for my professional life, but in my personal life, I am becoming more and more detached from it," Privez said.

Agence France-Presse

What happens to a YouTube channel when its creator dies

MANILA — They used to be channels their fans flock once the notification bell rings. Now they appear to stand as memorials, a way to remember both Emman Nimedez and Lloyd Cadena by.

The two local YouTube stars died within weeks of each other, leaving many of their millions of loyal subscribers clinging to the years of content that they had passionately put up. “This is no longer a channel,” a comment read in the final video Nimedez had uploaded. “This is a museum of a great person.”

But this begs a curious question: Will this “museum” ever close? Will the videos be deleted some time in the future, given the channel’s inactivity? What does happen to a YouTube channel when its creator passes away?

According to Google, there are two options regarding a deceased user’s account.

One is that Google will abide by the creator’s plans for it, provided they had mapped one up using their “inactive account manager” feature. This is the “best way for you to let us know who should have access to your information, and whether you want your account to be deleted,” Google said.

The other is to have a family or a trusted representative “make a request for a deceased person's account.”

Google wrote about this option: “We recognize that many people pass away without leaving clear instructions about how to manage their online accounts.

“We can work with immediate family members and representatives to close the account of a deceased person where appropriate. In certain circumstances we may provide content from a deceased user's account.

“In all of these cases, our primary responsibility is to keep people's information secure, safe, and private.

“We cannot provide passwords or other login details. Any decision to satisfy a request about a deceased user will be made only after a careful review.”

Three requests can be made: Close the account of a deceased user, submit a request for funds from a deceased user's account, and obtain data from a deceased user's account.

Nimedez passed away last August 16, after a battle with acute myeloid leukemia, while Cadena died this Friday. It remains unclear how the latter died, but its suddenness prompted an outpouring of tributes and calls to support his mother, given how Cadena has yet to pay for their new house.

The house was what Cadena really wanted to give his mother, who was an overseas Filipino worker, as a retirement gift. Prior, they had lived in the slums.

news.abs-cbn.com

YouTube collaborates with ABS-CBN in launching Super Stream

MANILA – YouTube has collaborated with ABS-CBN and other media partners to give netizens free access to video content across a variety of genres for a limited time.

Through Super Stream, YouTube users can watch over 300 hours of binge-worthy content including local blockbuster movies, hit shows, romance flicks, historic sports matches, inspiring documentaries and more, the video platform said in a statement.

Super Stream will run from Aug. 30 to Sept. 26.

“Every day, Filipinos go to YouTube to learn, share their passions, or be entertained. As people limit going out to remain well, we want to make staying safe at home better by introducing Super Stream so everyone can access movies, TV shows and more--for free until September 26,” said Gabby Roxas, Marketing Head of Google Philippines.

“Whether it is a box office hit, classic TV show, sports event, or documentary, there is Super Stream content for entertainment needs on top of the YouTube videos from favorite creators,” he added.

For its first week from Aug. 30 to Sept. 5, the following movies from ABS-CBN will be available on YouTube’s Super Stream channel:

    Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros
    The Gift
    Everybody Loves Baby Wendy
    Allergy in Love
    Barbara Reimagined
    Agawan Base
    Mamu and a Mother, Too
    Baka Bukas
    Tisay
    Happyland
    The Reunion
    SPARK
    Apple of My Eye

Meanwhile, daily full episodes of “Pangako Sa’Yo,” “Lovers in Paris,” “All of Me” and “Dolce Amore” will also be available for streaming.

The following digital series cutups and 25-minuter supercut movies will be on the Super Stream channel:

    A Second Chance
    The Unmarried Wife
    All Times Seph Was The Reliable Friend
    All Times Junjun Was The Wise Friend
    Listen To Love: The Four Bad Boys and Me (EP 1, 2 and 3)

Under the variety show genre, netizens can watch “Love Out Loud with Kaorhys” and the first and second episodes of “Hello Stranger Finale FanCon.”

Lastly, the 17th episode of Toni Gonzaga’s “I Feel U” and “We Rise Together’s” 62nd,63rd and 64th episodes will also be available on Super Stream.

Aside from ABS-CBN, YouTube has also collaborated with GMA and TBA Studios for this new project.

news.abs-cbn.com

Google honors Filipina painter Pacita Abad with vibrant doodle

MANILA - Nearly a week after Google paid tribute to late comedian Rodolfo “Dolphy” Quizon, the search engine commemorated another Philippine icon, painter Pacita Abad, with an artistic doodle of her own on Friday.

The internationally-acclaimed Ivatan painter was recognized by Google with a doodle resembling her style of art she left behind, which are mostly vibrant and colorful abstract works.

Abad, was born in Basco, Batanes in 1946. She studied political science at the University of the Philippines Diliman in 1967 before leaving for the United States in 1970, looking to study law.

Instead of law, however, Abad studied Asian history and painting after arriving in the US, where her painting career began.

The artist made some 5,000 works in her career, and exhibited her work in over 200 museums, galleries and other venues across the globe.

Abad is known for developing the technique of trapunto painting, that involve large quilted pieces of art that she silkscreened, painted on, stuffed, beaded by hand, and painted on again. 

The trapuntos formed a great part of Pacita’s work from the mid-'80s to the early 2000s. 

Abad's art was also known for being figurative socio-political works. Due to her accomplishments, she is one of the few of her generation of artists to have received numerous international awards in painting.

She died in 2004 due to cancer. Abad's work is now in public, corporate and private art collections in over 70 countries.

news.abs-cbn.com

WATCH: Meet the Superbods 2020 finalists

MANILA -- Samantha Lo, whose bid for the Miss Grand International 2019 crown was beset with controversy; Kirk Bondad, Clint Bondad's brother; and Albert Lorenzo, a fitness coach who joined to help his sibling's battle with cancer -- they were among the 34 finalists who still has a shot at winning this year's Superbods competition. 

An annual contest organized by Century Tuna, Superbods aims to promote the importance of a healthy lifestyle. 

This year's theme initially revolved around how everyone can have a "superbod" through proper diet and exercise, but has since shifted to promoting a "stay strong" message amid this COVID-19 pandemic, both in terms of physical well-being and mental health. 

The celebrity ambassadors picked were Kapamilya star Nadine Lustre and Alden Richards, who talked, in the launch video which introduced the finalists, about how having friends and family to lean on and having a positive mindset are vital in surviving this health crisis. 

You can check out Lustre and Richards' segment, as well as a brief glimpse into who the finalists are, in the video below: 



The winner will be announced on September 19. 

news.abs-cbn.com