US stocks mostly up as holiday shopping season begins

NEW YORK -- Wall Street stocks mostly climbed to end a shortened trading day on Friday, with investors keeping close watch on consumer spending at the unofficial start of the year-end shopping season.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.3 percent to 35,390.15.

The broad-based S&P 500 edged up 0.1 percent to 4,559.34, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index ticked down 0.1 percent to 14,250.85.

Markets closed early on "Black Friday," the Friday after the Thanksgiving holiday when retailers often offer major discounts.

The annual sales day, which is followed by the newer "Cyber Monday," marks the start of the holiday shopping season.

"Today's lack of movement can be ascribed to a general lack of trading interest befitting the day after Thanksgiving," said Briefing.com in a note.

Consumers are expected to be increasingly price-conscious this year, still jaded by stubborn inflation and lingering effects from the upheaval of the pandemic.

But "how that ends up impacting retailers' profits remains to be seen" for now, Briefing.com added.

Among major retailers, Walmart shares advanced 0.7 percent while Target was up 0.5 percent.

Amazon shares were flat after it was hit by strikes in Europe, as workers demand better wages and working conditions.

UNI Global Union warned Amazon would face strikes and protests in more than 30 countries around the world, including the United States.

Agence France-Presse

Intel to invest $25 bn in new Israel plant: government

JERUSALEM — US chip giant Intel will spend $25 billion on a new plant in Israel, officials said, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling it the country's single largest foreign investment.

The "agreement in principle" would see the semiconductor firm build the facility in southern city Kiryat Gat that would open by 2027 and operate at least until 2035, Israel's finance ministry said.

As part of the deal, Intel's taxes to Israel would rise from 5 to 7.5 percent, the finance ministry said in a statement.

Intel in return would receive a grant of 12.8 percent of its outlay, the ministry said, in line with Israel's capital investment encouragement law.

Netanyahu said the new plant would constitute "the largest investment in Israel".

"This is a great show of confidence in Israel's economy, and shows the strength of the free economy we built here and the technological economy developing here," the Israeli leader said.

The two sides would begin finalizing the deal in a process expected to take a number of weeks, according to the ministry.

A spokesman for Intel in Israel had no immediate comment.

Intel has been operating in Israel since the 1970s with development centers and a production site that employ some 12,000 people out of the company's global workforce of 130,000, the finance ministry said.

In 2017, Intel acquired Israel-based Mobileye, which makes technology for automated driving systems in vehicles, for just over 15 billion dollars.

Agence France-Presse

Walmart teaming with Microsoft in bid for TikTok

SAN FRANCISCO - US retail giant Walmart said Thursday it had teamed with Microsoft in a bid to buy Chinese-owned short-form video app TikTok.

The app has been at the center of a diplomatic storm between Washington and Beijing after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on August 6 giving Americans 45 days to stop doing business with its Chinese parent company ByteDance. 

The move effectively set a deadline for a sale of TikTok to a US company.

"We are confident that a Walmart and Microsoft partnership would meet both the expectations of US TikTok users while satisfying the concerns of US government regulators," the retailer told AFP.

Walmart is likely interested in TikTok to better connect with younger shoppers who turn to the internet for lifestyle trends, according to analysts.

Younger people are much less likely to shop at Walmart, whether online or in real-world stores, according to GlobalData Retail managing director Neil Saunders.

"A social platform like TikTok would give Walmart easy access to the very audience it wants and needs to attract," Saunders said.

Having access to the social media sensation could help Walmart's marketing campaigns while tapping into "a rich seam of data" or product development and more, according to Saunders.

Walmart teaming with US technology colossus Microsoft was "the final piece of the puzzle that ultimately cements Microsoft successfully acquiring TikTok's US operations for likely $35 billion to $40 billion," according to Wedbush analyst Dan Ives.

'HIGH-STAKES POKER'

"While deal negotiations will be complex with a number of technology and data privacy issues that need to be worked out before an agreement is inked, we believe ByteDance is playing a game of high stakes poker with Microsoft looking like the only true white knight around," Ives said in a note to investors.

TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer said Wednesday he had quit the company as tensions soar between Washington and Beijing over the Chinese-owned video platform.

Mayer's departure was taken by some in the market as a sign that a deal to sell TikTok is imminent. Oracle is also said to be in the bidding

Mayer's resignation came just days after TikTok filed a lawsuit challenging a crackdown by the US government over claims the wildly popular social media app can be used to spy on Americans.

TikTok, which has been downloaded 175 million times in the US and more than a billion times around the world, argued in the suit that Trump's order was a misuse of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

The platform -- on which users share often playful short-form videos -- is not "an unusual and extraordinary threat," it said.

The platform's kaleidoscopic feeds of clips feature everything from dance routines and hair-dye tutorials to jokes about daily life and politics. 

The company holds firm that it has never provided any US user data to the Chinese government, and Beijing has blasted Trump's crackdown as political.

Agence France-Presse

Nokia's Microsoft-Powered 710 Is A Smarter Entry-Level Smartphone

MANILA, Philippines — In 1985, Microsoft launched Windows operating system on graphic user interface (GUI) platform, a year later than its rival Apple Computer. Though a year late, Windows still became the standard for operating systems, establishing Microsoft as the industry leader.

Different versions have been launched through the years, a new version always promising a better experience overall. But that has not been the case, specially referring to the Vista version, which made more users stay with the older version the XP. The young generation most likely will be more familiar with the Windows 7 version.

With Operating Systems, most will agree,it is about user experience – faster boot time, easier navigation, cleaner interface and quicker access to applications. So it is no wonder that phones began adopting more PC-like operating systems.

Driven by the same demand to deliver better experience overall, smartphones do provide more functionality than what it used to. Also, the need to be ‘connected’ all the time required more robust operating systems in a solid hardware device. And this is what I believe Nokia and Microsoft is aiming to achieve, when these two titans of industries created the Nokia Lumia series.

The Nokia Lumia has three distinct series, if you may call it that way -- the 700, 800 and the 900 series (soon to be launched). All devices are currently available in the US and Canada, while Nokia 800 will be available in Asia by March.(MB Technews has both the 710 and 800 lying somewhere in the Techlab)

With the introduction of the other series remains unconfirmed, here is a sneak preview of the Nokia 710, dubbed the smarter smartphone.

Hard Facts

Nokia Lumia 710 has a ClearBlack display screen measuring 3.7inches and if turned off, the display looked seamlessly black, which is a rather nice touch. And speaking of touch, yes this mobile device is all touch and as intuitive as most touchscreen devices.

There is a 5MP camera which takes decent pictures but do not expect quality going beyond average. It is powered by a Qualcomm processor rated at 1400 CPU clock rate, which is the same processor powering the Nokia Lumia 800.

The Experience

First of all, you have to remember that this is an entry-level smartphone so that your expectations will not go awry.

The overall feel of the device is quite solid, however the clean back finish is a bit slippery to hold. But by consolation it is interchangeable and comes in different colors(definite appeal factor for Pinoys).

The device offers a single button at the front for home, back and search. The hitch is with the start button located on top of the unit, a bit difficult to push (unless you are left handed which feels more natural). And this limitation is magnified by the fact that it is the only button you can press to start and turn off the device unlike other smartphones.

The strength of this device is really in its operating system, Windows Phone 7.5, dubbed Mango during its development phase. It marries quite well into the Nokia hardware.

The user interface follows the familiar tile/tab presentation that is unique to this OS. It offers the option to pin apps, those that are intended to be used a lot. But I really wonder why there are two windows, when you can simply have one window and prioritize tiles according to use.

But what Windows Phone OS offers as a remarkable experience is under the People Hub (People tab). It offers integration of all social networking sitesand makes the complicated process of going through individual social networks simpler with a single access page that provides live notifications. No need to go through different apps to find out‘what’s new’.

Nokia Lumia 710 offers a smart advantage especially for socially networked people looking for a smarter smartphone on a budget.Nokia 710 is a smartphone worth watching out for. And by the way, it can also do handsfree text messaging; just make sure you dictate clearly.

Specifications

Dimensions: 119 x 62.4 x 12.5 mm

Weight: 125.5 grams

OS: Windows Phones 7.5 Mango

Display: 3.7-inch, WVGA 800 x 480 pixels, TFT, capacitive touchscreen, Nokia Clear Black Display, 16M colors

Processor: 1.4 GHz, MSM8255 chipset

Camera: 5 MegaPixels, 2592x1944 pixels with autofocus and LED flash

Video Capture: High-Definition 720p 30 frames per second

Audio and Video Playback MP3/WMA/AAC/AAC+/eAAC+

Ports: microUSB 2.0, 3.5 mm audio jack

Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth v2.1, 3G HDSPA 14.4 Mbps HSUPA 5.76 Mbps

Network: 2G Network: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 3G Network: HSDPA 900 / 1900 / 2100

Memory: 512 MB RAM, 8GB internal storage, expandable via microSD, supports up to 32GB

Sensors Accelerometer, Digital Compass, Proximity

Battery: 1300 mAh

Talk time: (GSM/WCDMA) up to 6.9h/7.6h

• Standby time: (GSM/WCDMA) up to 400h

• Music playback: up to 38 hours

source: mb.com.ph

India, Russia, US, China plan anti-carbon tax talks

NEW DELHI - India, Russia, the United States, China and other countries will meet in Moscow this month to decide whether to retaliate against the EU's decision to impose a carbon tax on air travel, a report says.

The European Union (EU) imposed the tax with effect from January 1, but over two dozen countries, including India, Russia, China and the United States, have opposed the move saying it violates international law.

The Press Trust of India late Friday quoted what it said were official sources as saying over 30 countries would meet in Moscow on February 21 and 22 to decide on retaliatory measures against the EU if it insists on imposing the carbon tax on non-EU flights as there was "growing agreement" on the matter.

The report did not name the sources.

The news agency added that India delivered "a strong message" on the carbon tax issue to an EU delegation led by EU climate chief Connie Hedegaard on Friday in New Delhi.

"Even if only India, Russia and China decide to start charging for over-flights by European carriers or decide to restrict the number of flights operated by them citing emission concerns, it could have a devastating effect on the European airline industry," a source said, according to PTI.

A "Delhi Declaration" was unanimously adopted at a meeting of the International Civil Aviation Organization Council and other non-EU member states in New Delhi last September.

The declaration opposed EU's plan to include all flights by non-EU carriers to and from an airport in the EU territory in its emissions trading system, saying it was inconsistent with applicable international law.

The EU has said the carbon tax will help the 27-nation bloc achieve its goal of cutting emissions by 20 percent by 2020.

source: interaksyon.com

BPO players set UK roadshow

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

source: mb.com.ph

Verizon Offers Call Center Solutions

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

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

Other features include:

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

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

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

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

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

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

source: mb.com.ph

Obama discourages US firms from outsourcing jobs

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama kicked off an effort to encourage US businesses to keep jobs at home instead of outsourcing them overseas, as he rolled out a new election-year theme on Saturday aimed at courting middle-class voters.

In his weekly radio and video address, Obama previewed an event he will hold next week with business executives to highlight the advantages of investing in the United States.

"We'll hear from business leaders who are bringing jobs back home and see how we can help other businesses follow their lead," Obama said.

The White House forum on "Insourcing American Jobs" will be held on Wednesday. Executives from more than a dozen companies will attend, including padlock maker Master Lock, furniture company Lincolnton Furniture, software application developer GalaxE Solutions, and chemicals company DuPont.

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

The White House sees an increasing trend of companies deciding to "insource" jobs and invest in U.S.-based plants and factories, according to a White House official. It wants to encourage more businesses to follow that trend, the official said.

The practice of US companies moving jobs to foreign countries such as India and China, where labor is cheaper, is a source of concern to many U.S. workers.

The issue resonates strongly in Midwest industrial states such as Ohio and Michigan that have been hard hit, not only by the 2007-2009 economic crisis, but also by years of shrinkage in the manufacturing jobs sector. Many of those states are battlegrounds that are vital to Obama's re-election hopes.

Republicans vying to challenge Obama in November, including front-runner Mitt Romney, have hammered him over his economic stewardship. They contend that his regulatory policies, including new rules for Wall Street and the overhaul of the healthcare system, have discouraged investment. They also say his fiscal stimulus measures have not succeeded in bringing down high unemployment.

But the White House was encouraged by the December jobs report, released on Friday, which showed a drop in the jobless rate to 8.5 percent, its lowest level in nearly three years.

"We're heading in the right direction. And we're not going to let up," Obama said. — Reuters

source:gmanetwork.com

US jobless rate falls to 8.5% in big job surge

WASHINGTON - The US unemployment rate dropped to 8.5 percent in December, the lowest level in nearly three years, as hiring surged more than expected, government data showed Friday.

The Labor Department report confirmed an improving trend in the ailing job market. The department noted that the number of unemployed as well as the jobless rate "continued to trend down in December."

The economy added 200,000 nonfarm jobs last month, the department said, sharply higher than the average analyst estimate of 150,000.

The job gains occurred in transportation and warehousing, retail trade, manufacturing, health care, and mining, the department said.

Most analysts had expected the jobless rate to tick higher to 8.7 percent.

Instead, at 8.5 percent, the jobless rate was the lowest since February 2009, when the United States was battling the worst recession in decades. — Agence France Presse

source:gmanetwork.com

US economy hopes boost stocks, oil

NEW YORK — Wall Street stocks rose Friday and oil prices edged up as upbeat data reinforced a slightly better outlook for the US economy, curbing a bid for safe-haven US Treasury debt.

The euro was little changed, but was expected to face further weakness. Euro zone governments face large refinancing needs in early 2012, and investors say the region's leaders have not made much progress in dealing with their fiscal problems.

US economic data Friday was mixed, with consumer spending growth tepid and a gauge of business investment down for a second month. But there were new signs of improvement in the housing market, and there have been signs in recent weeks that the economy is improving .

"The data itself has been modestly stronger in the fourth quarter, but nothing that changes the baseline slow-growth story," said Andrew Slimmon, managing director, Global Investment Solutions of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney in Chicago.

This cautious outlook could keep stocks and other growth-oriented assets from appreciating much above current levels.

"Ultimately I'm not looking for a risk-positive first quarter. The growth picture is too troubling," said Brian Dolan, chief currency strategist, at Forex.com in Bedminster, New Jersey.

The Dow Jones industrial average ended up 124.35 points, or 1.02 percent, at 12,294.00. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index closed up 11.33 points, or 0.90 percent, at 1,265.33. The Nasdaq Composite Index finished up 19.19 points, or 0.74 percent, at 2,618.64.

The S&P finished up 3.7 percent for the week, breaking above its 200-day moving average and bringing its year-to-date result into positive territory. The Dow was up 3.6 percent on the week, and the Nasdaq closed up 2.5 percent on the week.

MSCI's world equity index rose 0.6 percent, but was on track to finish down 7.7 percent for the year.

The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index closed up 0.8 percent to its highest level in two weeks, though volume was far below average in advance of the Christmas holiday. The index ended up 3.5 percent for the week, paring its year-to-date loss to 12 percent.

The Japanese market was closed on Friday for a holiday.

US, European and some Asian markets will be closed Monday for the Christmas holiday.

Also Friday, the US Congress, after months of fierce bickering between the two major political parties, approved a two-month extension of a payroll tax cut that President Barack Obama argued is vital to the health of the economy as unemployment remains high.

The extension of the tax cut will preserve income for most Americans, supporting their purchases of goods and services.

A Wall Street Journal report published late Thursday that the Federal Reserve could leave interest rates near zero for longer than it has already said also fanned hopes of faster US growth and higher corporate profits.

The US central bank has previously said it would probably leave rates unchanged until at least the middle of 2013, and officials are considering offering interest rate forecasts that could suggest the Fed will keep rates on hold for longer.

Despite some encouraging signs from the world's biggest economy, the festering euro zone debt crisis has reined in investor enthusiasm for stocks, the euro and commodities.

The euro was flat against the US dollar at $1.3042 in light, choppy trading. The 17-nation common currency erased earlier losses and held above a recent 11-month low of $1.2945.

In a sign that the euro zone debt crisis is far from over, the yield on 10-year Italian government debt was just a touch below 7 percent, while the yield on 10-year Spanish sovereign debt was at 5.40 percent. If those yield levels persist, they are seen as crippling for the euro zone's third- and fourth-biggest economies, given Italy's and Spain's heavy debt loads.

US crude futures settled up 15 cents at $99.68 a barrel, while the February Brent contract in London ended up 7 cents at $107.96, erasing earlier losses.

For the week, spot US crude and London Brent futures were up 0.35 percent and 5.5 percent, respectively.

Spot gold prices edged up 0.1 percent at $1,605.70 an ounce and closed up 0.5 percent for the week after losing 8.4 percent over the previous two weeks.

As the demand for riskier investments rose, investors pared holdings of safe-haven US and German government bonds.

German Bund futures were down 0.2 percent on the day at 137.56, ending 0.2 percent lower on the week.

The yield on benchmark 10-year US Treasury note rose 7 basis points to 2.02 percent, its highest close in two weeks. — Reuters

source:gmanetwork.com

Big quakes no more likely than in past, says UC Berkeley study

WASHINGTON - Massive earthquakes are no more likely today than they were a century ago, despite an apparent rise of the devastating temblors in recent years, US researchers said on Monday.

The deadly 9.0 earthquake this year in Japan, an 8.8 quake in Chile last year and the 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake that registered 9.0 on the moment magnitude scale have raised alarm in some science and media circles that such events may be linked.

But researchers at the University of California went back over the world's earthquake records dating back to 1900 and found over time there was no statistically significant rise in the number of big quakes 7.0 and higher.

"One has to be careful, because humans have a tendency to see patterns in random sequences," lead author Peter Shearer of the UC Berkeley Department of Statistics told AFP.

"So what we wanted to do here was apply statistical tests to see whether you could say it wasn't just a random sequence of events," said Shearer, whose study appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"Those tests showed that you can't say that it is not random; that is, there is not a statistically significant degree of the clustering of events," he said.

Even though there is "a disproportionate number of very large 8.5 earthquakes between 1950 and 1965," there were uncommonly fewer of these during a much longer period afterward from 1965 to 2004.

And although there has been a more frequent rate of 8.0 and larger quakes since 2004, with the last five years in particular at a record high, "there have been rates nearly as high in the past," said the study.

The researchers also looked for any clues from the Earth's crust that could explain why or how big quakes might be linked.

"And the conclusion was no, there isn't a likely physical cause that would link for example a large earthquake in South America to one in Japan," Shearer told AFP.

"The events are just too far away for it to be very likely that there is a physical link between them."

Taken together, the two approaches "suggest that the global risk of large earthquakes is no higher today than it has been in the past," concluded the study.

The findings are in line with a study in Nature Geoscience earlier this year that found the regional hazard of larger earthquakes is increased after a main shock, but the global hazard is not.

That study countered an earlier 2009 paper in Nature that suggested seismic waves might have an effect on distant fault lines, potentially increasing the risk of earthquakes far away. — Agence France Presse

source:gmanetwork.com

Palace: No apology needed from US for inverted RP flag

Malacañang will not demand an apology from the United States government because an inverted Philippine flag was displayed during a recent meeting of US and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders in New York.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the Philippine government is satisfied with the US Embassy's explanation that the error in the display of the Philippine flag was an "honest mistake."

The Philippine flag should always be displayed in such a way that the blue field is above the red field. The red field only goes above the blue field — similar to how the Philippine flag was displayed at the ASEAN assembly — when the country is in a state of war.

"We are satisfied that they recognized it was an honest mistake. What is important is that our relations continue to be friendly. I know that it was not an intentional faux pas on their part," Lacierda said in a press briefing.

Lacierda said Malacañang believes that the incorrect display of the flag was "not an intentional insult" to the Philippines.

A presidential photo taken at the ASEAN-US leaders' meeting in New York shows the Philippine flag inverted, with the red field atop the blue. The photo was still online at the Official Gazette website as of 7 p.m. Sunday.


Lacierda said Philippine protocol officers noticed that the flag was inverted and informed the protocol officers of the US State Department.

However, the error was not corrected because security was "very tight" at the meeting of US President Barack Obama and heads of the ASEAN countries, including President Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III.

Undersecretary Manuel L. Quezon III of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office informed the US Embassy in the Philippines of the incident. The embassy then promptly issued its statement explaining that the display of the inverted flag was an "honest mistake" although it did not explicitly apologize for the incident.

"This was an honest mistake. The US treasures its close relationship and close partnership with the Philippines which were demonstrated this past week during President Aquino’s trip to the US, with the signing of the MCC Compact, the US-ASEAN meeting, and the meeting of our two Presidents that followed it," US Embassy in Manila spokeswoman Rebecca Thompson said in a short statement.

At the Philippine military headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Armed Forces spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta said they believed the display of an inverted Philippine flag was an "honest mistake."

"We believe it is an honest mistake and apparently, the organizers themselves immediately came out with the sorry and excuses (statement)," Mabanta told reporters.

Mabanta said the incident will not strain relations between the Philippines and the US, particularly the assistance and training being given to Philippine troops in addressing terrorist threats in southern Philippines. "[The United States] remains a strong ally," he said.

Aquino arrived in the US on Tuesday morning last week for the US-ASEAN meeting, signing of the $434-million Millennium Challenge Corporation grant to the Philippines, the United Nations general assembly, and various business conferences, among others.

Lacierda said instead of dwelling on the incorrect display of the Philippine flag, the government prefers to focus on the "good news" Aquino will bring when he returns to Manila early on Tuesday, which includes the $2.7 billion in investment pledges from US firms. –VVP/RSJ, GMANews.TV

source: gmanews.tv

Landon Donovan Goal

Many football fans around the world think that the U.S. dont have good football players and they have no chance of winning the World Cup. Now the U.S. but now USA defeats Algeria 1-0 on a Landon Donovan Goal! World Cup 2010!

U.S. reached an incredible stroke and last minute victory over Algeria on Wednesday to advance to the second round of the 2010 World Cup.


Algeria was strong in the first half, took total possession, and missed few opportunities to open the scoring. Rafik Djebbour hit the post just six minutes into the game, losing the greatest opportunity for Algeria during the first 45 minutes. The United States slowly slowly began to return, creating many problems M'Bolhi Algerian goalkeeper Raïs M’Bolhi.

US, SKorea express solidarity over ship sinking

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea and the United States expressed solidarity Thursday over the deadly sinking of a South Korean warship they blame on North Korea, with high-ranking diplomats calling it a "defining moment" for the US-South alliance.

Tension is high on the Korean peninsula with North Korea warning any moves to punish it at the United Nations would mean armed conflict, possibly nuclear war.

South Korea and the US have urged Pyongyang to avoid fresh provocations and vowed to hold the regime accountable for the March sinking that killed 46 South Korean sailors. North Korea vehemently denies any role.

Senior diplomats from the US and South Korea met Thursday in Seoul and expressed their will to keep their alliance strong.

"We are determined to show that our alliance is standing very firmly together during an absolutely critical period," US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell said in opening remarks at a meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan.

Yu replied South Korea is "satisfied with the watertight coordination at various levels."

Ahead of another meeting later, Campbell and South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Chun Yung-woo both called the current situation a "defining moment" for the US-South Korean alliance.

"We will demonstrate to the world how well our alliance works," Chun said.

Backed by the US and other allies, South Korea has taken punitive measures against North Korea, including trade restrictions, after blaming it for torpedoing the warship Cheonan near their disputed sea border on March 26. The North reacted angrily, declaring it was cutting off ties with Seoul and threatening to attack.

South Korea has taken the issue to the UN Security Council, where both sides stated their case Monday over Seoul's request to punish Pyongyang over the sinking.

On Wednesday, North Korea urged the body to impartially handle the sinking, warning ongoing tension over the sinking could trigger nuclear war.

North Korea has threatened to use its atomic arsenal in previous tense moments with the outside world. While the country is believed to have enough weaponized plutonium for at least a half-dozen nuclear weapons, experts doubt it has the means to use a nuclear weapon in battle.

The threat came hours after the country's UN ambassador told reporters at a rare news conference Tuesday in New York that its military will respond if the Security Council questions or condemns the country over the sinking. Sin Son Ho, the envoy, repeated his regime's position that it had nothing to do with the sinking.

The Security Council said in a statement after the Monday presentations it is concerned the sinking could endanger peace on the peninsula, and it urged Seoul and Pyongyang to refrain from any provocative acts.

The two Koreas are still technically at war because their 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. The sinking occurred near the disputed western sea border — a scene of three bloody maritime battles. — AP

(gmanews.tv)