Teen missing four years found alive, hidden behind wall near Atlanta

JONESBORO, Georgia  - A 13-year-old boy who had been reported missing four years ago was discovered alive, hidden behind a fake wall of a home near Atlanta, Georgia, and reunited with his mother early on Saturday, police said.

Five people living in the home in Jonesboro, 17 miles (28 km) south of Atlanta, were taken into custody, among them the boy's father, Gregory Jean, 37, and an adult female, said Sergeant Kevin Hughes of the Clayton County police.

Jean and Samantha Joy Davis face charges of false imprisonment, cruelty to children and obstructing an officer, he said, adding that three juveniles also in the home were facing obstruction charges.

The boy's mother apparently had reported him missing to child welfare but not police, and no missing person's report was filed in Clayton County, Hughes said.

The teen was apparently able to get to a phone recently and contacted his mother with his whereabouts, authorities said.

Clayton County police went to the home on Friday to look for the 13-year-old but Jean and Davis said they had no information about the boy, Hughes said.

Several hours later, police came back and again searched the residence. While the police were in the home, the boy called his mother, who relayed to officers where her son was hidden in the house, Hughes said.

"They discovered him hidden behind a false wall in the interior portion of the home," he said.

The boy appeared to be in good physical health and was reunited with his mother, who had come to Georgia from out of state, Hughes said.

Neighbors in their quiet, well-kept Jonesboro neighborhood said the family moved in about six months ago and kept to themselves.

The 13-year-old boy always seemed to be home and did not appear to be enrolled in school, they said.

"We just thought that they liked to keep to themselves," said neighbor Julie Pizarro, 37, adding that the boy was often seen tending the yard.

"You can see the yard is immaculate," she said. "The boy kept it that way."

The teen went missing in 2010 while visiting his father in Florida, WSBTV reported.

Jean was being held in Clayton County jail and no bail has been set, online records show.

Authorities said Jean and Davis could face more criminal charges as the investigation unfolds.

It was unclear if they had obtained attorneys.

source: interaksyon.com

In selfie era, demand for U.S. plastic surgery rises

Dental hygienist Jennifer Reynolds was always self-conscious about her looks, never took selfies and felt uncomfortable being tagged in photographs posted on social media.

The 34-year-old from Costa Rica who lives in New York opted for plastic surgery on her nose and now feels ready for prime time on social media.

"I definitely feel more comfortable right now with my looks," Reynolds explained. "If I need to take a selfie, without a doubt, I would have no problem."

Reynolds is one of a growing number of people who have turned to plastic surgeons to enhance their image. Others are hiring specialized make-up artists in what may be an emerging selfie economy.

Selfies, or self portraits, rose in popularity along with smartphones and social media sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Instagram as a mostly young adult crowd posted images of themselves. Now everyone from Hollywood stars to prime ministers takes selfies.

Comedian Ellen DeGeneres posted a selfie with Hollywood A-listers at the Academy Awardson Twitter that became the most retweeted of all time. When Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt's snapped a selfie with President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron at Nelson Mandela's memorial service it caused a media sensation.

For mere mortals, going under the scalpel to create a better selfie may not seem so extreme.

Plastic surgeons in United States have seen a surge in demand for procedures ranging from eye-lid lifts to rhinoplasty, popularly known as a nose job, from patients seeking to improve their image in selfies and on social media.

A poll by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) of 2,700 of its members showed that one in three had seen an increase in requests for procedures due to patients being more aware of their image in social media. They noted a 10 percent rise in rhinoplasty in 2013 over 2012, a 7 percent jump in hair transplants and 6 percent increase in eyelid surgery.

"There has been a 25 percent increase over the past year and a half to two years. That is very significant," Dr. Sam Rizk, a plastic surgeon, said about his Manhattan practice.

"They come in with their iPhones and show me pictures," Rizk, 47, added. "Selfies are just getting to be so crazy.

BOOMING BUSINESS IN SELFIE ECONOMY

Rizk, who specializes in rhinoplasty, said not everyone who requests surgery needs it because a selfie produces a distorted image that does not represent how a person really looks.

"We all will have something wrong with us on a selfie image," he explained. "I refuse a significant proportion of patients with selfies because I believe it is not a real image of what they actually look like in person."

Some patients get upset when Rizk tells them surgery is not necessary, and he knows they will simply go to another surgeon.

"Too many selfies indicate a self obsession and a certain level of insecurity that most teenagers have. It just makes it worse," he said. "Now they can see themselves in 100 images a day on Facebook and Instagram."

New York make-up artist Ramy Gafni, who has worked with clients on selfies and online dating profile photos, suggests using clean makeup, well-defined eyebrows and a bit color on the lips to produce the best selfies.

"You want to enhance your features, perfect your features but not necessarily change your features into something they are not," he said.

Dan Ackerman, senior editor with CNET which tests and reviews products, said the Internet is full of tips and advice on selfies.

"There are apps that apply filters to your face that smooth out wrinkles ... or put artificial makeup.... There is a sub economy of tools and advice that have built up around this," he added.

source: interaksyon.com

Toyota recalls more cars for dangerous Takata air bags

TOKYO - Toyota Motor Corp said on Thursday it would recall 57,000 vehicles globally to replace potentially deadly air bags made by Takata Corp, as a safety crisis around the Japanese auto parts maker looks far from being contained.

Toyota's action follows a recall by rival Honda Motor Co for the same problem two weeks ago after revelations of a fifth death, in Malaysia, linked to Takata's air bag inflator. More than 16 million vehicles have been recalled worldwide since 2008 over Takata's air bag inflators, which can explode with too much force and spray metal fragments into the car.

Toyota is recalling some Vitz subcompacts, called Yaris in some markets, and RAV4 crossover models made between December 2002 and March 2004. About 40,000 are in Japan, 6,000 in Europe and the rest in other markets outside North America. Toyota said it was not aware of any injury or death related to the recall.

Separately, Toyota's small-car subsidiary Daihatsu Motor Co also issued a recall, in Japan, of 27,571 Mira minivehicles produced between December 2002 and May 2003 for the same reason - its first recall involving Takata inflators.

About 2.6 million vehicles have been recalled in Japan so far for Takata's air bag inflators, a transport ministry official said.

Takata-related recalls are almost certain to balloon after U.S. safety regulators on Wednesday ordered the company to expand a regional recall of driver-side air bags to cover the entire United States, not just hot and humid areas where the air bag inflators are thought to become more volatile.

Takata has so far resisted expanding the recall, saying that could divert replacement parts away from the high-humidity regions that need them most.

Tuesday deadline

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has given Takata until Tuesday to issue a nationwide recall, and could fine it up to $7,000 per vehicle if it doesn't comply. It remains unclear how many more vehicles that would add, but it could be in the millions, affecting five automakers: Ford Motor Co, Honda, Chrysler Group LLC, Mazda Motor Corp and BMW AG.

A U.S.-wide recall of driver-side air bags could cost an estimated 70 billion yen ($600 million), Nomura Credit Research analyst Shintaro Niimura wrote in a Nov. 26 report.

"Takata could need nearly 200 billion yen ($1.7 billion) of reserves in the event of a U.S. nationwide recall (including passenger-side air bags), and the company's cash-on-hand would be tightly squeezed," he wrote, noting Takata had just 8.33 billion yen of cash and deposits.

"If the company makes any missteps, we cannot say that there is 'zero' chance of the company dying a sudden death - that is, being hit with excessive debt or facing a cash-insolvency bankruptcy," Niimura added.

Shares hit

NHTSA's action and the latest recalls come on the heels of an announcement by Japan's transport ministry on Wednesday that it received a report of an "unusual deployment" of a Takata air bag as it was being removed from a scrapped car on Nov. 6. The inflator was manufactured in January 2003 at Takata's Monclova, Mexico factory, and had not been subject to recalls, at least in Japan, raising the prospect of an expanded recall, the ministry said.

A Toyota spokesman said the scrapped car was a 2003 Will Cypha, a Japan-only compact model that is no longer in production. Toyota said it was investigating the issue as part of its wider probe into Takata's air bag inflators. "We will take prompt and appropriate action if we find there is a need for a recall as a result of the investigation," it said.

Takata shares dropped as much as 7.9 percent in Tokyo on Thursday, closing down 4.8 percent. Toyota shares eased 0.5 percent and Daihatsu shares slipped 1.2 percent, roughly in line with the broader market. Shares of Honda, Takata's top customer, underperformed other auto stocks, falling 3.3 percent.

Honda had said the Takata air bag inflator that failed in the Malaysia crash had likely been exposed to excessive moisture at the supplier's now-shuttered plant in LaGrange, Georgia. A transport ministry official said no further recalls are expected in Japan related to the problem identified at the LaGrange line between November 2001 and November 2003.

A second U.S. congressional hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, where representatives from Takata, NHTSA and several automakers will testify.

source: interaksyon.com

How Much Mortgage Can I Afford?

Due to the economic crisis and mortgage crisis that swept the United States, not to mention the fact that many people have been concerned about a housing bubble bursting here in Canada. One of the policies that came out of the situation was that the maximum mortgage length was dropped from 35 to 30 years, and then to 25 years.

Even without that change, it still makes sense to think that you might be asking how much mortgage can I afford? When you look at the situation in terms of monthly cash flow, this makes a big difference. As you start thinking about the type of home you want to buy, make sure that you pay attention to the monthly payment, and how it fits into your regular budget.





For most people, the difference in the maximum amortization length shouldn’t be a deal breaker. However, it does force people to pay off their houses sooner. On top of that, it also means that some buyers not might be able to get the same size mortgage. While most buyers will still be able to get a home, though, some fringe buyers will be forced out of the market, since this will increase their debt service ratio and could be the difference between qualifying for the mortgage or not.

If you think that you might not be able to afford a mortgage with a shorter amortization schedule, you should consider some of the options out there designed to help you boost your ability to afford a mortgage:

Home Buyers Plan

One way to make your home more affordable is through the Home Buyers’ Plan, which allows you to borrow $25,000 from your RRSP to put towards your down payment. Your spouse can withdraw $25,000 from his or her RRSP as well. So if you both have saved up enough in your RRSPs, this can be a great way to come up with $50,000 to add to your down payment and reduce your mortgage.

This is a nice bonus, since you wouldn’t normally be able to take money out of your RRSP before retirement. But this is a viable option. When you make a bigger down payment, you reduce the amount that you borrow, also reducing the amount of the monthly payment. It’s a good way to use your assets to purchase a home that is more affordable.

TFSA

Another great way to save up a down payment is to use your TFSA, which now provides $31,000 in contribution room if you were at least 18 in 2009, $62,000 if you have a spouse, that’s also saving up towards your new house. The TFSA is great, since you can take advantage of tax-free growth, and you don’t have to worry about penalties.

Figuring Out How Much You Can Afford

You also need to know how much mortgage you can afford before you raid your registered account for a down payment. There are different rules of thumb that can help you figure out how much home you can afford. Some suggested that you should limit your mortgage payment to 30% of your monthly income.

While the 30% rule can be a good start, the reality is that you need to consider what makes you comfortable. Look at your situation. Consider how much debt you already have. If you have a lot of debt, you need to keep your mortgage payment low. Additionally, you should also consider what might happen if you lose some of your income. You don’t want to have a mortgage payment that is so high that you are worried about defaulting if something goes wrong.

The mortgage rules that the CMHC announced a few years ago will certainly make it more difficult for some to get a mortgage. However, that doesn’t mean that you don’t have a chance at a mortgage. If you put together a decent down payment with one (or both) of the ideas above, and if you can be realistic about how much house you really need to buy, you can qualify for a mortgage and pay it off sooner!

source: canadianfinanceblog.com

Calm comes to Ferguson on Thanksgiving

FERGUSON, Mo. -- A peaceful Ferguson came together Thursday to celebrate Thanksgiving and recover from violent protests that erupted when a police officer was not charged in the shooting death of an unarmed black teenager.

Armed National Guard troops and humvees with US flags hoisted on their antennae at the shopping mall and boarded-up stores were the only outward sign of the turbulence of recent days.

There were no protesters or police on the streets of the St Louis suburb, which reeled from Monday's decision by a Missouri grand jury not to charge a white policeman who shot dead 18-year-old Michael Brown on August 9.

Residents kept out of the cold, spending the holiday with friends and family, attending church services and beautifying boarded-up stores.

"I believe God enough to know we will rebuild," said Reverend Carlton Lee, the pastor at Flood Christian Church, which was burnt beyond repair during the violence on Monday.

He spoke at a service at the nearby Wellspring Church, saying he had received death threats and was devastated to watch the building go up in flames.

But life would carry on, Lee said.

Sunday service will be held in a heated tent in the parking lot and the church, where Brown's father reportedly worshipped, set up an online appeal for $50,000 to rebuild. So far, it has attracted $2,000.

Free turkey and pumpkin pie

Wellspring offered a free traditional Thanksgiving lunch of turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans and pumpkin pie to members of the community and a diverse group of Christians from nearby parishes who came to express support.

"We do this every year but right now with the Ferguson unrest, it just brings the community together," said volunteer server Rhonda Johnson.

"The important thing is for people who have been to Ferguson, and who have shopped in Ferguson, and who have been part of Ferguson, to keep doing that," said fellow volunteer and local journalist Alvin Reid.

Anger over the grand jury verdict and Brown's killing is still palpable, and protesters have all vowed to continue demonstrating until justice is served.

"I don't know what's going to happen, I really don't. I think time heals all wounds but how much time it's going to take, I don't know," said Reid.

Many say they can never accept the grand jury decision that Officer Darren Wilson shot Brown in lawful self-defense after an altercation. In total, 12 shots were fired.

Wellspring pastor Willis Johnson said the community still felt great disappointment and mistrust, but was quietly optimistic that healing would come.

"We thought more than anything that people needed to come out and come together," Johnson told AFP as diners tucked into lunch. "It was imperative."

His church has provided medical respite, counseling and help to members of the community traumatized by the decision and the unrest.

'People were helped'
"Monday was very, very hectic at times for the staff -- very frightening because of the large crowds and the activity outside," Johnson said.

"We saw the movement of the masses past our church, we heard the gunshots," he said. For a period, he could not get into the area because of a lockdown.

"It was a very stressful time but a lot of people were helped," he said.

Down the road, families and children painted cheery scenes on the boarded-up windows of a row of shops before going home for Thanksgiving dinner.

"UNLESS someone LIKE YOU cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better," they painted next to a festive scene on a dental practice.

On a Chinese restaurant, children were painting a dragon.

"Seeing all this plywood was making us feel pretty down about it and putting the paint on there is just going to do something better," said Lou Bailey, 37, a project manager for a large company.

He said a home-school group of 10 families had swapped lessons for community work in recent days, sweeping away broken glass and beautifying shop fronts.

"Maybe ... here in the community we can rebuild relationships and create lasting friendships, which in turn is going to change a lot in the long run," he said.

source: interaksyon.com

PBA legend Samboy 'The Skywalker' Lim collapses, rushed to hospital

MANILA, Philippines - Basketball legend Avelino "Samboy" Borromeo Lim Jr. was rushed to a hospital after collapsing during an exhibition game at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.

This was according to his colleague and former Philippine Basketball Association player Vince Hizon, who on Friday asked for prayers for the 52-year-old shooting guard also known as "The Skywalker."

Reports quoted fellow former PBA player Nelson Asaytano as saying that after Lim was pulled out from a game by coach Bogs Adornado, Lim did some stretching before he passed out.

The Skywalker was reportedly rushed to the Medical City in Pasig.

Lim, famous for his acrobatic shots, was named in 2000 as among PBA’s 25 greatest players. He retired in 1998 and became manager of several basketball teams.

Following his retirement, he found a basketball camp for all ages called The Samboy Lim Personalized Training. The camp’s online site says The Skywalker’s “desire is for everybody to excel in this sport.”

“What you will learn in this camp are his own moves, the same moves that made him one of the 25 Greatest Players of Philippine basketball and which also brought him to the PBA’s Hall of Fame. His passion in teaching is setting a standard that is totally different from the rest. Checking every step, every move, every detail—this is Skywalker basketball,” the site says.

source: interaksyon.com

Swiss firm to put Napoleon's DNA in $8,000 watches

GENEVA - Napoleon's admirers will be able to carry his DNA on their wrists after a Swiss company announced Tuesday its plans to sell watches containing a fragment of the emperor's hair.

Half-millimeter slices of his locks will be placed inside a limited series of some 500 watches that are to bear the likeness of Napoleon, said Viviane de Witt, CEO of De Witt watchmakers, told AFP.

They will sell for the price of around 8,000 euros ($10,000).

The first surgery-like operation to slice up the hair happened Tuesday in the presence of a bailiff at the De Witt factory in Geneva.

"Napoleon was already quite idolized while he was alive, when he got his hair cut people picked it up and kept it," De Witt said.

In this case the hair was part of a 1,000-piece trove of Napoleon memorabilia belonging to the royal family of Monaco, which fetched jaw dropping prices during an auction in mid-November near Paris.

One of the most incredible sale prices was the 1.9 million euros ($2.4 million) a South Korean chicken mogul paid for a hat worn by Napoleon.

De Witt spent a whopping 29,600 euros ($36,900) for items containing Napoleon's hair at the sale, which had been expected to go for up to 7,000 euros ($8,700).

Viviane de Witt's husband, the company founder, is a direct descendant of Jerome Napoleon, the youngest brother of the early 19th-century French emperor.

De Witt makes about 1,500 watches per year with a staff of 60.

source: interaksyon.com

Actress Rachel McAdams added to HBO’s ‘True Detective’ cast

LOS ANGELES | Rachel McAdams, Taylor Kitsch and Kelly Reilly have joined the cast for the second season of HBO crime thriller “True Detective,” the premium cable network said on Monday.

The three will join two previously announced stars, Irish actor Colin Farrell and U.S. actor Vince Vaughn, in the eight-part miniseries, which was a big hit for HBO earlier this year and received five Primetime Emmy awards.

The second season is in production in California and revolves around three police officers, a career criminal and a murder, HBO said.

Farrell, 38, will play compromised detective Ray Velcoro, and Vaughn, 44, will star as criminal mastermind Frank Semyon in the series from writer Nic Pizzolatto.

HBO said McAdams, the 36-year-old “Midnight in Paris” actress, would play an uncompromising and ethical sheriff, while “Lone Survivor” actor Kitsch, 33, will play a California Highway Patrol motorcycle officer.

Reilly, a 37-year-old English actress, will play Semyon’s wife, Jordan, a former D-list actress.

“Fast & Furious” director Justin Lin will direct the first two episodes. A premiere date for the second season has not been announced.

The first season of “True Detective” was set in Louisiana and centered on a series of satanic murders, pairing seasoned film stars Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson.

The show’s January premiere helped establish buzz around McConaughey before he won his first best actor Oscar for “Dallas Buyers Club.”

source: interaksyon.com

GE unveils premium ultrasound equipment

MANILA, Philippines - GE Healthcare recently unveiled its newest line of premium ultrasound equipment — the LOGIQ Forward Series. The high-performance but lower-priced ultrasound system is a product of the company’s continuous commitment to developing high quality, affordable healthcare innovations driven by its “healthymagination” strategy.

“The importance of providing up-to-date health facilities and services to secondary hospitals, especially those away from the key cities, cannot be overemphasized in a country where more than 50 percent of health expenditures are still out-of-the-pocket because of inadequate healthcare financing,” explained Ivanalexi Arota, GE Healthcare Philippines country manager. “By offering reasonably priced but premium quality medical equipment, GE Healthcare strives to bridge the gap between quality and affordable healthcare.”

According to a study conducted by the University of the Philippines–National Health Institute, six out of 10 Filipinos who succumb to sickness die without seeing a doctor. Private medical institutions are beyond reach of the majority of Filipinos, while on the other hand, public hospitals remain generally underfunded, resulting in antiquated medical equipment and insufficient number of health personnel.

“With our latest offerings, GE Healthcare seeks to revolutionize healthcare in the country by removing barriers to accessible patient care and leading the way for sustainable healthcare systems,” said Arota. 

The new LOGIQ F Series improves the affordability of a high-performance ultrasound system by 30 percent while incorporating established high-performance capabilities from GE’s flagship ultrasound systems.

The new series of ultrasound machines is comprised of the LOGIQ F3, LOGIQ F8 and LOGIQ F6/F5 models.

source: philstar.com

Mark Neumann strikes gold with ‘Wattpad Presents’ performance

Now he can really be called “Mr. Popular”.

Since making his showbiz debut on TV5’s “Artista Academy” two years ago, Mark Neumann has been taking on one challenging project after another in his bid to prove to everyone that there’s more to him than just his pretty boy features.

After “graduating” from the reality talent search, the 19-year-old Filipino-Croatian lad who grew up in Germany immediately played against type when he took on the role of Fuego, one of the villainous superpowered characters in the 2013 fantaserye “Kidlat”.

He followed that up with the May-December TV movie “The Lady Next Door” where he played a troubled teen who fell in love with an older woman portrayed by Alice Dixson.

Mark was then included in the cast of the comedy soap “Confessions of a Torpe” where he first rekindled the “Shark” love team he started with Shaira Mae dela Cruz on “Artista Academy”. Despite the fact that Shaira went public with her relationship with Edgar Allan Guzman, fans continue to accept their onscreen team-up.

So it comes as no surprise that when the two headlined the “Wattpad Presents” mini-series “Mr. Popular Meets Ms. Nobody”, it turned out to be the biggest hit of the eight Wattpad stories adapted by TV5 to date as well as the only one to merit a sequel.

“We didn’t expect our story to rate that well. I was both surprised and happy with the good feedback but Shaira and I could not have done it without Direk Jay Altarejos, the rest of the cast and everyone who worked behind the scenes,” Mark told InterAksyon during the recent story conference for the latest batch of “Wattpad Presents”.

Aside from his chemistry with Shaira, which was pretty much a given, a big part of what made “Mr. Popular Meets Ms. Nobody” was Mark’s performance as Kyle, the most popular guy in school who made life very difficult for Chelsea, a little known girl who made the mistake of standing up to him. The young actor said it was not easy playing a character who is the exact opposite of who he is in real life.

“Ako yung binu-bully sa school noon,” he recalled. “Hindi rin ako mayabang kaya maraming nagsabi na hindi ako bagay sa role ni Kyle. So I really had to push myself and I kept thinking, ‘Mark, ang puso, laban dapat!” and I’m glad people I performed convincingly in this role.”

It was so convincing that Mark is now doing a double take on the same character. Although it seems that Kyle is now humbled by his love for Chelsea, their relationship is not without its share of challenges.

In “Mr. Popular Meets Ms. Nobody 2: Still in Love”, one of those challenges come in the form and shape of Mandy, Kyle’s ex-girlfriend portrayed by Yassi Pressman. As if that does not complicate matters enough, there’s also Kyle’s father (Lander Vera Perez) who wants him in an arranged marriage.

And then there’s also Adrian (Diego Loyzaga), the best friend of Kyle who still has the hots for Chelsea. He is still around and ready to take his place if the two young lovers don’t pan out.

“Unlike the first series na medyo pa-tweetums pa kami, dito mas mature na ang characters. Marami pa ring kilig moments pero I think mas medyo drama na siya compared to the first book,” Mark pointed out.

This also means that Mark once again finds himself in familiar territory of facing new challenges. But that is something that’s no longer news for him. Even as he already improved on his Tagalog, he continues to accept projects that will allow him to continue his mastery of the national language.

Recently, Mark was invited to be reader in the Inquirer Read-Along series along with Jasmine Curtis-Smith and Gilas Pilipinas and Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters forward Ranidel De Ocampo. As a first-time reader, he said the experience was very memorable to him in more ways than one.

“I’m happy and thankful to be reading for kids. But when they showed me the book, I found it to be malalim, Tagalog na Tagalog, so I practiced it repeatedly before I faced the kids and I’m glad that it went well with them,” he admitted. “Yes, I was nervous but since I’m always looking forward to experiencing new things, I’m glad I was able to do this.”

Again written by Pinkyjhewelii, “Wattpad Presents: Mr. Popular Meets Ms. Nobody 2: Still in Love” airs on TV5 every weekday this week at 9:30PM.

source: interaksyon.com

Cyberspying tool could have US, British origins

WASHINGTON — A sophisticated cybersespionage tool has been stealing information from governments and businesses since 2008, researchers said Monday, and one report linked it to US and British intelligence.

The security firm Symantec identified the malware, known as Regin, and said it was used “in systematic spying campaigns against a range of international targets,” including governments, businesses, researchers and private individuals.

The news website The Intercept reported later Monday that the malware appeared to be linked to US and British intelligence, and that it was used in attacks on EU government networks and Belgium’s telecom network.

The report, citing industry sources and a technical analysis of the malware, said Regin appears to be referenced in documents leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden about broad surveillance programs.

Asked about the report, an NSA spokeswoman said: “We are not going to comment on speculation.”

Symantec’s report said the malware shares some characteristics with the Stuxnet worm– a tool believed to have been used by the US and Israeli governments to attack computer networks involved in Iran’s nuclear program.

Because of its complexity, the Symantec researchers said in a blog post that the malware “would have required a significant investment of time and resources, indicating that a nation state is responsible.”

The researchers added that “it is likely that its development took months, if not years, to complete and its authors have gone to great lengths to cover its tracks.”

Lurking in shadows

“Regin’s developers put considerable effort into making it highly inconspicuous,” Symantec said.

“Its low key nature means it can potentially be used in espionage campaigns lasting several years. Even when its presence is detected, it is very difficult to ascertain what it is doing. Symantec was only able to analyze the payloads after it decrypted sample files.”

The researchers also said many components of Regin are still probably undiscovered and that there could be new versions of this tool which have not yet been detected.

The infections occurred between 2008 and 2011, after which the malware disappeared before a new version surfaced in 2013.

The largest number of infections discovered — 28 percent — was in Russia, and Saudi Arabia was second with 24 percent. Other countries where the malware was found included Mexico, Ireland, India, Afghanistan, Iran, Belgium, Austria and Pakistan. There were no reported infections in the United States.

Around half of all infections occurred at addresses belonging to Internet service providers, but Symantec said it believes the targets of these infections were customers of these companies rather than the companies themselves.

Telecom companies were also infected, apparently to gain access to calls being routed through their infrastructure, the report noted.

Regin appeared to allow the attackers to capture screenshots, take control of the mouse’s point-and-click functions, steal passwords, monitor traffic and recover deleted files.

Symantec said some targets may have been tricked into visiting spoofed versions of well-known websites to allow the malware to be installed, and in one case it originated from Yahoo Instant Messenger.

Other security experts agreed this was a dangerous tool likely sponsored by a government.

“Regin is a cyberattack platform, which the attackers deploy in victim networks for total remote control at all levels,” said a research report from Kaspersky Lab.

Kaspersky added that Regin also appears to have infiltrated mobile communications through GSM networks, exposing “ancient” communication protocols used by cellphone networks.

Antti Tikkanen at Finland-based F-Secure called it “one of the more complex pieces of malware around,” and added that “our belief is that this malware, for a change, isn’t coming from Russia or China.”

The news comes amid heightened concerns on cyberespionage.

Last month, separate teams of security researchers said the Russian and Chinese governments are likely behind widespread cyberespionage that has hit targets in the US and elsewhere.

source: interaksyon.com

US Defense Secretary Hagel resigns

WASHINGTON DC - United States President Barack Obama on Monday announced the resignation of Chuck Hagel as the country's defense secretary, making the first change to his cabinet after the Democrats' heavy losses in both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections early this month.

During a statement delivered at the White House, Obama said Hagel concluded that now was an "appropriate time for him to complete his service."

The president also praised Hagel as an "exemplary defense secretary," commending Hagel for his "steady hand" through a period of transition for the US military.

Hagel, a 68-year-old Republican who took office in February 2013, said in a statement following Obama's announcement that he would stay on the job until his successor is nominated and confirmed by the Senate.

Analysts reckon that Obama's decision on Hagel's removal appears to be an effort by the White House to show that it is sensitive to critics who have pointed to stumbles in the government's response to several national security issues, including the Ebola crisis and the threat posed by the Islamic State.

source: interaksyon.com

Katy Perry to headline NFL’s 2015 Super Bowl halftime show

LOS ANGELES | Pop singer Katy Perry will headline the halftime entertainment at February’s Super Bowl, the most-watched U.S. sporting and television event, according to an announcement by the National Football League on Sunday.

The 30-year-old “Roar” singer joins the likes of Madonna, Beyonce and Prince to perform at the NFL’s Super Bowl halftime show, which regularly attracts more viewers than the average for the championship game itself.

Sportscaster Bob Costas announced the performance at halftime of the Cowboys-Giants game on “Sunday Night Football.”

The Super Bowl will be played on Feb. 1 in Glendale, Arizona, and broadcast on Comcast Corp-owned network NBC.

Perry acknowledged the announcement on her Twitter feed while watching the game in Australia, where she is currently on her Prismatic World Tour.

“Yeppers!” she wrote. “And I’ve already started testing out ideas!”

A few minutes before the announcement was made, Perry hinted that she was looking forward to the performance.

“My band is in the other room screaming at the TV (and each other) over this Cowboys-Giants game. Can’t wait for February 1st,” she wrote on her Twitter feed, following the words with a picture of a microphone and a football.

The announcement came as Perry won favorite female pop/rock artist at Sunday’s American Music Awards.

This year’s Super Bowl averaged a record 112.2 million viewers on network Fox, while the halftime performance by singer Bruno Mars and rock group Red Hot Chili Peppers drew 115.3 million viewers, according to Nielsen.

The music industry considers the Super Bowl its top promotional venue because artists can expect a strong recording sales bump following the performance. It is also often used as a spring board to launch new music or tour announcements.

The NFL came under criticism from the music industry this year for reportedly asking performers to either help contribute financially to play the corporate-sponsored show or share some of their post-Super Bowl tour profits with America’s most popular sports league.

It is not known if Perry will contribute financially in any way to the performance but she hinted during a television appearance last month that she would not.

“I’m not the type of girl who would pay to play the Super Bowl,” Perry said on ESPN’s college football “College GameDay” program.

source: interaksyon.com

Debit card issuers told to put in place safeguards against fraud

MANILA - Monetary authorities have ordered banks that issue ATM debit cards to protect their clients from fraud by adopting the Europay Mastercard Visa (EMV) chip-enabled technology.

In a statement, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said its Monetary Board has issued a circular containing the guidelines for dropping magnetic strip technology in favor of the more secure EMV chip for ATM debit and prepaid cards.

Credit and ATM cards that rely on the magnetic strip have been susceptible to fraud schemes, including card skimming. In light of this, the BSP had ordered credit card issuers to migrate to the EMV chip technology no later than January 1, 2017.

The recently approved guidelines pertain to proprietary debit cards as well as to cash advance transactions of credit cards made through ATMs. The BSP's latest rules however don't prevent issuers of co-branded cards from adopting safeguards laid down by international payment networks, as in the case of a local bank issuing a debit card whose transactions are accepted by the Mastercard or Visa payment system.

BSP said its latest guidelines are meant to manage risks while the banking system shifts to the EMV chip-enabled technology without disrupting ATM and point-of-sale transactions.

Monetary authorities have given covered banks 60 days from the date of the latest circular to submit their updated EMV migration plans.

source: interaksyon.com

Defeated Chris Algieri on Pacquiao: ‘He’s very good at being Manny Pacquiao’

WBO light welterweight champion Chris Algieri was just handed his first career loss courtesy of Manny Pacquiao and he said that, more than the power, it’s the distinct fighting style of the Filipino boxing icon that gave him trouble in the fight.

“It’s not so much the punching power, to tell you the truth. It’s how he mixes the punches up. Manny is the best in the world at fighting like Manny Pacquiao,” Algieri said after the loss. “He has very, very distinct and unique style that he has perfected for what works specifically for his body type and his style and what works for him.”


“He’s very good at being Manny Pacquiao and Manny Pacquiao is a hell of a fighter.”

Algieri was knocked down on six different occasions, although some of them were disputed as he seemed to slip as he moved away from the eight-division world champion.

There was little question on several of those, though, especially in the ninth round, where Pacquiao caught him with a big left.

“What veterans are great at doing is finding holes in the defense. He caught me with a great shot as we were trading left hooks. That was really the only shot that hurt me, that put me flat on my back.”

He was knocked down again a few second later, though, as Pacquiao unleashed another series of blows at the ropes.

“I had my legs pretty good when I got up. I knew he was going to bring a serious onslaught and probably slow down in the next round, which he did.”

source: interaksyon.com

Palace praises triumphant Manny Pacquiao for inspiring Filipinos

Malacañang on Sunday congratulated Manny Pacquiao for his latest victory over Chris Algieri, describing the Filipino boxing champion as a “worthy role model and wellspring of inspiration” to his countrymen.

“We join the Filipino nation in celebrating the triumph of Congressman Manny Pacquiao over Chris Algieri in Macau,” Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma said in a statement.



“He is a worthy role model and wellspring of inspiration to all Filipinos who are striving to improve their well-being and attain a prosperous future.”

Pacquiao was simply dominant over Algieri, scoring six knockdowns en route to a unanimous decision over the previously unbeaten American fighter.

“Strength, grit, and courage were written all over his face and demeanor throughout the fight. With every punch that scored, millions of Filipinos cheered him to victory from all corners of the country and the world,” the statement added.

“Congressman Manny Pacquiao embodies and personifies the Filipinos’ outstanding qualities – audacious, tenacious and conscientious – persevering in advancing a worthy cause, and unwavering even in the face of danger and adversity.”

Vice President Jejomar Binay also hailed Pacquiao, who beat Algieri’s height and youth edge by displaying one of his finest performances inside the ring.

“Algieri may have the advantage in height and reach, but Manny overcame that with his heart and determination. He showed us that he has the true heart of a champion and once again, made us all proud to be Filipinos,” Binay said in a statement.

source: interaksyon.com

Manny Pacquiao relaxed, Chris Algieri struggles but makes weight ahead of fight

Manny Pacquiao weighed in at 143.8 lb Saturday for his welterweight world title defense, but his opponent Chris Algieri had trouble on the scales ahead of Sunday’s fight.

Undefeated American Algieri could not make the catchweight limit of 144 lb and was still 0.20 lb over after a second attempt despite stripping down to his bare essentials at the Saturday morning weigh-in (Friday night in the US) at the Venetian Macau’s Cotai Arena. 



Algieri (20-0, 8 KOs) was given two hours to sweat off the remaining weight and came back for a third attempt which saw him finally go under at 143.6 lb.

Despite the hiccup, which would have thrown Algieri’s final preparations for Sunday’s fight slightly behind schedule, the former kickboxer from Long Island predicted he would win.

“I did all the hard work I needed to do,” said Algieri. “I know I can count on my skills to do it. This is dream come true and I’m ready to rock.”

Before Pacquiao and Algieri square off for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title at around noon local time (0400GMT) Chinese double Olympic gold medalist flyweight Zou Shiming (5-0, 1 KO) will take on Thailand’s Kwanpichit Onesongchaigym (27-0, 12 KOs) in a 12-round final eliminator for a world title shot.

Kwanpichit, an uncanny Pacquiao look-alike dubbed ‘mini-Manny’ by the media, and Zou both weighed in right on the 112 lb flyweight limit.

There are two other world title contests on the undercard.

WBO featherweight champion and double Olympic gold medallist Vasyl Lomachenko (2-1, 1 KO) defends his title against Thailand’s Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo (52-1, 33 KOs) with both exactly on the 126 lb limit.

World Boxing Association super lightweight champion Jessie Vargas from Las Vegas (25-0, 9 KOs) weighed in on the 140 lb limit for his defence against Mexico’s Antonio DeMarco (31-3-1, 23 KOs) who was a little lighter at 139.3 lb.

source: interaksyon.com

China rate cut, European stimulus hints lift markets

NEW YORK - World stock markets and oil prices rallied on Friday, fueled by hopes for global growth after China rolled out a surprise interest rate cut and the European Central Bank indicated it would step up asset purchases to boost the euro zone economy.

The jump in oil prices took beaten-down Brent back above $80 a barrel. U.S. interest rates eased as the dollar gained, and the euro declined.

Wall Street's Dow Jones industrial average and the S&P 500 ended at new record highs, with each rising more than 1 percent on the week in the fifth straight week of gains for U.S. equities.

"This is a one-two punch for global growth," said Mark Luschini, chief investment strategist at Janney Montgomery Scott in Philadelphia.

The Dow Jones rose 91.06 points, or 0.5 percent, to close at 17,810.06 on Friday. The S&P 500 gained 0.52 percent to 2,063.50 and the Nasdaq Composite added 0.24 percent to 4,712.97. The Nasdaq rose 0.5 percent for the week.

European shares, oil and other growth-sensitive commodities all leapt on China's move to cut rates to 5.6 percent, following recent data that showed its huge economy was heading for its worst year in almost a quarter of a century.

China's rate reductions were its first in more than two years. They came as ECB head Mario Draghi spoke of his determination to use more aggressive measures, such as large scale asset purchases, to ensure the euro zone does not slump into a new crisis.

Both the euro zone and China have lagged the momentum of the United States, stimulus-driven Japan and faster-growing Britain over the last month, but a ramping up of the ECB's rhetoric and Beijing's actions will stoke hopes of a turnaround.

Germany's DAX and France's CAC rose nearly 3 percent. The FTSE Eurofirst 300 added 2.1 percent.

The MSCI world equity index, which tracks shares in 45 nations, was up 0.76 percent.

The dollar index was up 0.82 percent, as the euro gave up more than 1 percent and was last at $1.2385.

The yen was up against the dollar. Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso said on Friday the yen's fall over the past week was "too rapid." It was one of the strongest warnings against a weak yen since the aggressive stimulus efforts began two years ago, and saw the currency leap off a 7-year low to 117.72.

Benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury notes were up 6/32 in price to yield 2.31 percent from 2.34 percent late Thursday.

The rate cut by China added to a positive mood among oil traders, many of whom expect the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to trim production at what looks to be a landmark meeting in Vienna on Nov. 27. Brent traded above $80 a barrel and was last up $1 to $80.35.

Copper and gold also got a lift, with the red metal up 0.50 percent. Spot gold climbed back over $1,200 and was last traded at $1,200.80 an ounce, ahead nearly $7, as traders cheered the prospect of more global stimuli.

source: interaksyon.com

Asia shares take comfort from U.S. data, yen nurses losses

TOKYO - Asian shares took solace from data showing broad U.S. economic strength even as signs of spreading weakness in China and Europe checked risk appetite, while the yen nursed its losses after sliding to multi-year lows against the dollar and euro overnight.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up slightly in early trade. It was on track for a weekly loss of over 1 percent, but was underpinned by record finishes by the Dow Jones industrial average and S&P 500 after a spate of U.S. data added up to a picture of broad economic strength.

Initial U.S. weekly jobless claims fell, factory activity in the U.S. mid-Atlantic region grew at its fastest pace in two decades and existing home sales strengthened, in stark contrast to Thursday's disappointing data releases from Europe and China.

"The raft of data releases from the U.S. continues to paint an upbeat assessment for the U.S. economy at a time when numbers elsewhere have disappointed," strategists at Barclays wrote in a note.

Japan's Nikkei stock average edged down about 0.1 percent in early trade.

The dollar was steady against the yen from late U.S. levels at 118.20 yen, after it scaled a seven-year peak of 118.98 on the EBS trading platform on Thursday.

The euro was also flat on the day at 148.26 after it soared to a six-year high of 149.12 yen in the previous session.

In commodities markets, U.S. crude extended gains from Thursday, adding about 1 percent to $76.61 after closing higher on Thursday. The strong U.S. economic data helped it snap a three-day losing streak, though oil markets remained wary ahead of whether the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries will agree on reducing production when it meets next week.

Spot gold was steady on the day at $1,192.80 an ounce, on track for a weekly gains despite pressure from the stronger greenback.

source: interaksyon.com

Singer Robbie Williams launches clothes collection

LONDON | British star Robbie Williams is to launch a 30-piece clothing collection with retailer Primark, the singer announced on Thursday.

Williams, who rose to fame as a member of pop band Take That, has his own fashion label, Farrell.

The brand was saved from closure in 2013 by entrepreneur Peter Jones, and the collection will be joint produced by Farrell and Primark, a subsidiary of Associated British Food.

“What a great collaboration, let’s have it!” Williams said, adding he was “delighted”.

The autumn-winter collection will be launched in 15 branches of the budget chain, which has shops in several countries in Western Europe.

It comes after US singer Beyonce announced she would launch a sporty clothes collection with retailer Topshop in 2015, offering “clothing, footwear and accessories across dance, fitness and sports”.

source: interaksyon.com

Toll rises to 10 in killer northeast US snowstorm

NEW YORK - The death toll from a rare pre-winter snowstorm rose to 10 in the northeastern United States on Thursday, paralyzing communities for days and dumping more than six feet of snow near Buffalo.

The National Weather Service warned an extra two to three feet (60 to 90 centimeters) of "lake effect snow," created when frigid air moves over warm lake waters, could fall on Thursday.

It said visibility was near zero and that thunder and lightning were likely to accompany the heaviest snow as a state of emergency and travel bans remained in place in western New York state.

The colossal snowfall has collapsed roofs, damaged homes and businesses, canceled flights, and stranded motorists for as many as two nights on the highway, including New York rock group Interpol.

Precipitation roughly equivalent to a year's supply of snow in two days has mobilized more than 5,000 people to help with snow removal and storm recovery, including the National Guard, officials said.

The death toll from "Winter Storm Knife" rose to 10 when two people died of exposure in Niagara County and Boston town in Erie County, officials told AFP.

Four or five others died earlier in the storm while working to clear mounds of heavy snow from their cars and homes, and the blizzard could yet prompt a federal disaster declaration.

The state of emergency is so severe that the NFL announced that the football game between the local Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets would not be played on Sunday in Buffalo.

The NFL said it would reschedule and relocate the game, "due to public safety concerns" in the city.

'Definitely historic' snowfall

"Very dangerous storm. One more day. Let's get through this snow. People -- continue to be smart. Stay at home. Observe the driving bans," deputy Erie County executive Richard Tobe said.

The rock band Interpol said they were stranded more than 50 hours on their tour bus by the storm outside Buffalo, forcing them to cancel two consecutive nights of concerts in Montreal and Toronto.

"Finally just started making a move. 50+ hours later. Hoping for some luck today," the band tweeted Thursday morning.

Alex Cleary, a senior program coordinator at the University of Buffalo, and her husband have been snowed in at home for three days and Cleary said the snow was still coming down.

"It is a little bit scary, especially given that no one can really drive. So if you need help, it's a little tough," she told AFP.

Temperatures are expected to rise above freezing on Saturday, then shoot up, bringing a deluge of rain which together with melting now bring severe flood warnings, officials said.

National Weather Service meteorologist Dave Zaff told AFP that some areas south of Buffalo city received at least 70-80 inches (1.8 to two meters) of snow since the storm began.

"This is definitely historic," he said. But come the weekend, "the main concern would be flooding," Zaff warned.

source: interaksyon.com

Viber launches ‘public chats’

MANILA, Philippines — Mobile communications app Viber has launched a new feature that allows users to eavesdrop on the conversations of select celebrities and groups through “public chats.”

In a press interview on Wednesday, Viber CEO Talmon Marco dubbed their new offering as a “fascinating social experiment.”

“It’s much more interesting to follow a chat than listen to a speech. It’s very interesting and up close,” Marco said.

Through the service, users can follow chats of their favorite Viber users, be it a personality, a brand, or an organization. Users, however, can not chime in on a public chat, though they can “like” messages. Viber users can follow as many public chats as they want. For now, the feature is limited to mobile users, though Marco said they will also roll it out to their desktop version soon.

“The release of Public Chats on Viber allows people to interact in a new way, listening in on live discussions and staying up-to-date with exclusive content from the people and subjects that matter to them most,” Marco said.

The company has enlisted a host of both global and local celebrities as Public Chat accounts.

source: interaksyon.com

Duchess of Alba, the world's most titled aristocrat, dies

MADRID - Spain's 18th Duchess of Alba, who died on Thursday aged 88, was one of Europe's wealthiest and most titled aristocrats, the owner of fabulous palaces and priceless works of art.

She died after a short illness, surrounded by family in the 14th century Palacio de Duenas in Seville, famous for its lemon-tree-filled courtyards and her favorite of her many properties.

Maria del Rosario Cayetana Alfonsa Victoria Eugenia Francisca Fitz-James Stuart y Silva, known to friends as 'Cayetana', was named by Guinness World Records as the world's most titled person.

She was 14 times a Spanish grandee, five times a duchess, once a countess-duchess, 18 times a marchioness, 18 times a countess and once a viscountess, according to the entry.

With her cloud of white hair and face moulded by plastic surgery, she was rarely out of the Spanish gossip magazines, most recently on the arm of her third husband, 24 years her junior.

Head of one of Spain's oldest aristocratic families dating back to the 1400s, and the third woman to hold the title of Duchess of Alba in her own right, her wealth is estimated at between 600 million and 3.5 billion euros.

"I don't like to talk about money. Many people confuse having cash with having assets - we've never had a lot of cash," she wrote in her autobiography.

Many of the palaces, castles and works of art belonging to the House of Alba have restrictions placed on their sale because of their historic importance for Spain.

The 13th Duchess of Alba was a muse of artist Francisco Goya in the 18th century and is rumored to be the subject of 'La Maja Desnuda', his famous portrait of a reclining nude which hangs in Madrid's Prado gallery.

The duchess tells in her autobiography of how Spanish artist Pablo Picasso asked her to pose nude to recreate the painting, but her conservative first husband forbade it.

Born in 1926 in a neoclassical palace in Madrid, she spent much of her childhood in London when her father was ambassador to Britain and where she dined with Winston Churchill and played with Princess Margaret.

Her father, an Anglophile and royalist, sided with dictator Francisco Franco at the beginning of Spain's Civil War but relations grew frosty as it became clear Franco would not reinstate a king as head of Spain.

The twice-widowed duchess first married aged 21 in 1947 to fellow aristocrat Luis Martinez de Irujo in a wedding on a scale to rival that of Britain's Princess Elizabeth later that year.

Wearing a pearl and diamond crown, she rode to Seville Cathedral in a horse-drawn carriage with thousands of well-wishers lining the streets to cheer her. The couple had six children.

She became a fixture of the international jet-set, hosting Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy on their visits to Spain and turning her Madrid palace over to French designer Yves Saint Laurent to stage a Dior fashion show in 1959.

An aficionado of bull-fighting and flamenco, she often took place of honor at bull-fights in her beloved Seville, usually sporting a magnificent 'mantilla' - the traditional Spanish lace veil worn over a high comb.

The duchess, who favored an eccentric clothing style, sporting beaded anklets and fishnet tights well into her eighties, married former Catholic priest Jesus Aguirre Ortiz de Zarate six years after the death of her first husband.

Her second husband died in 2001. Her courtship with dashing civil servant Alfonso Diez gripped the nation, aroused disapproval from Queen Sofia and was openly opposed by her six children.

Before tying the knot with 61-year-old Diez in 2011, the duchess divided her fortune between her offspring to silence their protests.

Although ill health kept her out of the public eye in later months, her most memorable recent image was when she flung off her shoes to perform an impromptu flamenco dance before a forest of cameras and well-wishers at her third wedding.

"Together we have a wonderful time. She's always asking: What shall we do next? She's unstoppable," said husband Diez in an interview in Vanity Fair magazine shortly before their marriage. "It often seems that I'm the older of the two."

source: interaksyon.com

US allows temporary protected status for people coming from Ebola-hit nations

WASHINGTON - The Department of Homeland Security will grant temporary protected status to people from the three West African countries most affected by Ebola who are currently residing in the United States, department officials said on Thursday.

People from Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone arriving in the United States as of Thursday may apply for protection from deportation, as well as for work permits, for 18 months, said a Department of Homeland Security official.

After 18 months, the Secretary of Homeland Security will assess whether the protection should be extended, based on the level of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa.

The move is a response to the Ebola epidemic, which has claimed more than 5,000 lives, mostly in the three West African countries.

In order to prevent a mass migration from West Africa to the United States, nationals from these countries who arrive after Thursday will not be eligible for protected status.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services officials estimate that 8,000 people will be eligible to apply.

"The Ebola response in the United States has been front and center in the United States government at high levels," said a Department of Homeland Security official. "This designation has been part of that constant monitoring, reevaluation and reassessment of the appropriate response."

The United States reserves temporary protected status for people from countries experiencing conditions deemed too dangerous to return to, such as Haiti after the 2010 earthquake.

Unlike other recipients, protected people from West Africa will not be allowed to travel home and then return to the United States, in order to prevent the disease from spreading.

Nationals from the three countries must undergo a background check in order to receive protected status. Those with a criminal history will not be approved, said the Homeland Security official.

source: interaksyon.com

Award-winning director Mike Nichols dies at 83

Mike Nichols, a nine-time Tony Award winner on Broadway and the Oscar-winning director of films such as “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf,” “The Graduate” and “Carnal Knowledge,” died on Wednesday at age 83, ABC News said.

Nichols was married to Diane Sawyer, former anchorwoman of ABC’s “World News Tonight” broadcast.

No director ever moved between Broadway and Hollywood as easily as Nichols. He also was one of the few people to win Oscar, Tony, Emmy and Grammy awards in a career that first blossomed with a comedy partnership with Elaine May in the late 1950s.

ABC News President James Goldston, in a memo to news staff, said on Thursday that Nichols “passed away suddenly on Wednesday evening.”

“In a triumphant career that spanned over six decades, Mike created some of the most iconic works of American film, television and theater,” Goldston said. “He was a true visionary.”

Nichols was born Michael Igor Peschkowsky in Berlin, where his parents had settled after leaving Russia. He came to the United States at age 7 when his family fled the Nazis in 1939.

He grew up in New York feeling like an outsider because of his limited English and odd appearance – a reaction to a whooping-cough vaccine had caused permanent hair loss. As a University of Chicago student, he fought depression but found like-minded friends such as May.

In the late 1950s, Nichols and May formed a stand-up team at the forefront of a comedy movement that included Lenny Bruce, Jonathan Winters and Woody Allen in satirizing contemporary American life. They won a Grammy in 1961 for best comedy album before splitting, partly because May liked to improvise and Nichols preferred set routines.

Nichols came to be a directing powerhouse on Broadway in the mid-1960s with “Barefoot in the Park,” the first of what would be a successful relationship with playwright Neil Simon. Later he would do Simon’s “The Odd Couple,” “Plaza Suite” and “The Prisoner of Second Avenue” and Time magazine called him “the most in-demand director in the American theater.”

“I never worked with anyone in my life – nor will I ever work with anyone – as good as Mike Nichols,” Simon told the New Yorker.

In all, he won best-director Tonys for his four collaborations with Simon, as well as for “Luv” in 1965, “The Real Thing” in 1984, “Spamalot” in 2005 and a revival of “Death of a Salesman” in 2012, and best musical award as a producer of “Annie” in 1977.

TURNING TO HOLLYWOOD

When he was ready to try movies, Nichols made an impact on American cinema with three influential movies in a five-year period.

The first starred Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in a 1966 adaption of the Edward Albee play “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.” It was nominated for an Oscar in all 13 categories in which it was eligible and won five of them, although Nichols did not take the best director award.

He followed that up a year later with “The Graduate,” starring a little-known Dustin Hoffman as an aimless college graduate seduced by an older woman before falling in love with her daughter. Nichols was rewarded with an Academy Award for his direction and the movie, thanks to several memorable lines and the music of Simon and Garfunkel, became a ’60s cultural touchstone.

In 1971, Nichols put out “Carnal Knowledge,” which created a sensation because of its sexual nature. The manager of a theater in Georgia was arrested for showing the film and had to appeal his case to the U.S. Supreme Court before being exonerated.

In a Los Angeles Times interview Nichols described directing as “a long, long skid on an icy road. … If you’re still here when you come out of the spin, it’s a relief.”

Sometimes Nichols’ movies did go off the road. “Catch-22,” “Day of the Dolphin” and “The Fortune” were generally considered unsuccessful and he did not make a feature film from 1975 until rebounding with 1983′s “Silkwood,” for which he was nominated for another Oscar.

In the second act of his movie career he also directed “Heartburn,” Simon’s “Biloxi Blues,” “Postcards from the Edge,” “Regarding Henry,” “The Birdcage,” “Primary Colors,” “Charlie Wilson’s War” and “Working Girl,” which earned him another Oscar nomination.

He won an Emmy in 2003 for “Angels in America,” a TV miniseries about the AIDS epidemic.

In the mid-1980s, Nichols suffered a psychotic breakdown, which he said was related to a prescription sedative, that made him so delusional he thought he had lost all his money.

Despite his urbane, intellectual manner, Nichols once had a reputation as an on-the-set screamer. Meryl Streep told the Hollywood Reporter, “He was always the smartest and most brilliant person in the room – and he could be the meanest, too.”

The actress said that changed after Nichols married Sawyer, his fourth wife, whom he met in a Paris airport while awaiting a Concorde flight.

Nichols had three children from his earlier marriages.

source: interaksyon.com

New York health officials test person's remains for Ebola

New York City health officials said they will test the remains of a person who died of an apparent heart attack on Tuesday for Ebola as the person had recently come to the United States from West Africa.

The person, who was not identified, had been in one of the countries hardest hit by the outbreak just 18 days earlier, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said in a statement.

"Before death, this individual showed no symptoms of Ebola. However due to travel history within the 21-day incubation period and an abundance of caution, an Ebola test will be performed on this individual's remains," the department said.

The department said results were expected on Wednesday morning.

The New York Times reported that the individual was a woman and that she was pronounced dead at a Brooklyn hair salon at around 2:30 p.m. local time.

Last Tuesday, Dr. Craig Spencer, who worked with Ebola patients in Guinea, was discharged from a New York City hospital after recovering from Ebola following his Oct. 23 diagnosis.

Medical experts say Ebola can be transmitted only through the bodily fluids of a sick person with symptoms.

The World Health Organization on Friday said the Ebola outbreak, which is the deadliest on record, has resulted in 5,177 deaths out of 14,413 cases, mostly in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

source: interaksyon.com

Rooney reaches milestone as England tops Scotland; Germany, Portugal also notch friendly wins

England notched up a 3-1 victory over old foes Scotland on Tuesday while world champions Germany and Portugal sealed last-gasp 1-0 wins over Spain and Argentina respectively in friendlies on Tuesday.

Wayne Rooney became England’s third-highest goal-scorer outright as Roy Hodgson’s side defeated the Scots to record a sixth successive victory.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain put England ahead at Celtic Park and Rooney scored either side of a late Andy Robertson strike to chalk up his 45th and 46th international goals on his 101st appearance.

It took the Manchester United striker clear of Jimmy Greaves, with whom he had previously shared third place, and left him three goals shy of Bobby Charlton’s all-time record and two goals behind Gary Lineker.

“I’ve always loved playing for England,” said Rooney. “I’m on a good run of goals and I hope that continues. If that means I break the record then I’ll be delighted.”

Cristiano Ronaldo’s latest duel with Lionel Messi proved a damp squib as the two superstars played for just 45 minutes of their match Old Trafford.

The 27th meeting between Portugal winger Ronaldo and Argentina forward Messi had been billed as a golden opportunity for the world’s two best players to underline their credentials for this year’s Ballon D’or award.

But neither Barcelona’s Messi nor Real Madrid’s Ronaldo were anywhere near their brilliant best, with the latter especially anonymous on just his second return to Old Trafford since his 2009 move from Manchester United.

In the end, Portugal claimed only their second win over Argentina, and their first since 1972, thanks to Raphael Guerreiro’s diving header in stoppage-time.

Casilla howler

Germany’s victory over Spain, the team that preceded them as world champions, came in a game between two experimental sides thanks to a 90th-minute goal by Toni Kroos.

“It was just what we’d been hoping for. It’s been a big year and this was a fine way to close it,” Kroos said after the game.

Spain’s substitute goalkeeper Kiko Casilla was guilty of a howler, fumbling Kroos’s innocuous-looking shot from the edge of the area.

Real Madrid keeper Iker Casillas had started for Spain in his 160th international appearance, but made way for his near namesake Casilla with 20 minutes to go.

In a packed Ernst-Happel Stadium, the Austrian fans thought they had got off to the perfect start against Brazil, but apparent goal-scorer Rubin Okotie was yellow-carded for handling the ball into the Brazilian net.

As it was, Brazil ended a disappointing year with a 2-1 win over Austria, Paris Saint-Germain centre-back David Luiz opening the scoring for the visitors before Aleksandar Dragovic equalised from the penalty spot, only for Roberto Firminio to snatch the Brazilian winner seven minutes form time.

This result won’t make up for Brazil’s humiliating 7-1 World Cup semi-final defeat to eventual champions Germany on home soil in July, but will at least send the Selecao into the new year with a more positive vibe.

It was their sixth straight win since the end of the World Cup but the first goal they had conceded under coach Dunga, who took over from Luis Felipe Scolari after the global bonanza.

Dunga was delighted to see his gamble on new face Firmino paying off.

“When I picked the squad and people asked me about Firmino I said he has goals in him,” he said.

In Genoa, a virtual second-choice Italy side labored to a narrow 1-0 win over Albania.

The winning goal even had a touch of fortune about it as Hamdi Salihi diverted Stefano Okaka’s shot past goalkeeper Etrit Berisha with seven minutes left.

On his debut, Okaka, a second-half substitute for Sebastian Giovinco, was a rare bright spark for Italy.

For Albania, it was a case of so near and yet so far, just a few days after holding France to a 1-1 draw.

France meanwhile notched up a 1-0 victory over Sweden thanks to an 84th-minute goal from Raphael Varane, and Ireland beat the United States 4-1 in further friendly action.

Two goals from Robbie Brady and one each from Anthony Pilkington and James McClean helped the Irish to victory, with Max Diskerud grabbing the Americans’ sole goal.

source: interaksyon.com

Chocolate crisis? Unwrapping the sweet science of sugar pricing

If you’re like me, the past few days of social media have featured a handful of friends and followers who are positively aghast at a threat to our very way of life. I’m not talking about Ebola-carrying ISIS warriors infiltrating America’s porous borders to deliver dastardly deaths. Instead, I speak of the impending chocolate crisis.

OK, so maybe it’s not as much a crisis as an overwrought reading of the basics of supply and demand. In debunking the fear that the world will run out of chocolate by 2020, Snopes.com pointed out that we are really experiencing a chocolate deficit, which just means the world is eating more chocolate than it is making. “Historically, such circumstances don’t lead to a complete dearth of a product or foodstuff; rather, scarcity simply tends to drive prices skyward and reduce consumption of any given newly-scarce commodity,” Snopes wrote.

And if you weren’t soured enough by the prospect of prohibitive chocolate prices, a look at domestic sugar will seem like a trip to the dentist. As this Reuters graphic shows, the disparity in prices between what the US and the rest of the world pay has grown this year, with American companies currently forking over about 50 percent more for raw sugar futures.

NAFTA is to blame, Quartz’s Svati Kirsten Narula explains. In the 1990s, the US never imagined that Mexico would become a player in the sugar game, so Mexico was excluded from the tariffs and quotas that other sugar-producing nations faced over the years. As this Reuters graphic shows, since the final trade barriers came down in 2008, production of sugar from non-US processors and refiners has nearly quintupled.

US food manufacturers were facing an additional $2.4 billion in sugar costs before the two countries reached an agreement in October. It should be interesting to see how prices react to a newly-leveled playing field; for now, the commodities that supply your sweet tooth seem stable. Though truth be told, you’d be better off having an apple, or maybe some baby carrots. And a little exercise wouldn’t hurt.

source: interaksyon.com

Takata air bag recalls

Following are some key events leading to the recall of several million cars fitted with potentially defective air bags made by Japanese firm Takata Corp.

2008:

* Nov 4 – Honda Motor recalls 4,000 Accords and Civics (2001 models) globally as Takata air bag inflators may produce excessive internal pressure causing them to rupture and spray metal fragments in the car.

2009:

* May 27 – Oklahoma teen Ashley Parham dies when her 2001 Honda Accord air bag explodes, shooting metal fragments into her neck. Honda and Takata deny fault, settle for undisclosed sum.

* July 29 - Honda recalls 510,000 Civics, Accords and Acura 3.2 TL cars (2001-02 models) globally.

* Dec 24 – Gurjit Rathore is killed in Virginia when the air bag in a 2001 Honda Accord explodes, severing arteries in her neck, court documents show. Her family sues Honda and Takata for more than $75 million in April 2011, claiming they knew of the air bag problems as early as 2004. Honda and Takata settle in January 2013 for $3 million, according to court documents.

2010:

* Feb 9 – Honda recalls 437,000 Acura cars and other vehicles (2001-03 models) globally, expanding earlier recalls.

2011:

* April 27 – Honda recalls 896,000 Honda and Acura 2001-03 cars in order to find defective Takata air bag inflators installed as replacement parts.

* Dec 1 - Honda again expands recalls. Globally, it says 304,000 are recalled as a bad inflator may have been installed at the factory, and 613,000 are recalled to find defective inflators installed as replacement parts.

2013:

* April 11 - Toyota Motor, Honda, Nissan Motor and Mazda Motor recall 3.4 million vehicles globally due to possibly defective Takata air bags.

* May 7 – BMW recalls 220,000 vehicles globally, raising the overall recall for the latest Takata-related issue to over 3.6 million.

* May 10 – Takata posts record $212.5 million annual net loss; books $307 million charge for recall costs; names Swiss national Stefan Stocker as president.

* Sept 3 – Devin Xu dies in a 2002 Acura TL sedan near Los Angeles from "apparent facial trauma due to foreign object inside air bag," according to coroner's report.

2014:

* June 11 – Toyota expands recall to 2.27 million vehicles globally; adding 650,000 previously not recalled in Japan, and 1.62 million overseas for a second time.

* U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opens probe that goes beyond previously identified glitches. NHTSA is examining whether driving in high humidity regions contributes to the risk of Takata air bag explosions. Takata says inflators in the recall were supplied to Honda, Toyota, BMW, Chrysler, Ford, Mazda and Nissan.

* June 23 — Honda, Nissan and Mazda recall 2.95 million vehicles, expanding April 2013 recall, bringing the total recall to about 10.5 million vehicles over five years. Later, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, BMW, Chrysler and Ford say they are recalling more vehicles in some U.S. high humidity regions.

* June 26 – Takata CEO apologizes to shareholders at AGM.

* June 30 – Takata says some potentially defective inflators also shipped to Subaru and Mitsubishi Motors.

* July 16 – BMW recalls about 1.6 million cars worldwide to replace Takata air bags, going beyond the regional U.S. recall.

* July 18 - Takata says to book special loss of about 45 billion yen ($440 million) in April-June for recalls.

* Oct 2 – Orlando woman Hien Thi Tran dies four days after her 2001 Honda Accord air bag explodes, shooting out shrapnel, according to police report.

* Oct 17 - Reuters, based on a review of internal Takata documents, reports Takata struggled to meet its own standards for safety in manufacturing air bag inflators at its plant in Monclova, Mexico.

* Oct 20 – Toyota recalls 247,000 vehicles in the U.S. for Takata air bag problems.

* Oct 21 - Takata shares drop 23 percent in Tokyo.

* Oct 22 - NHTSA expands the total number of U.S. vehicles recalled involving Takata air bags to 7.8 million over the past 18 months.

* Oct 27 – A first case seeking class-action status is filed in Florida, claiming Takata and automakers, including Honda and Toyota, concealed crucial information on defective air bags.

* Oct 30 - NHTSA orders Takata to provide documents and answer questions under oath in air bag probe. On Nov 5, NHTSA orders Honda to do the same.

* Nov 6 - Takata warns of a bigger full-year loss, and pays no interim dividend for first time since 2006.

* Nov 7 - New York Times reports Takata ordered technicians to destroy results of tests on some air bags after finding cracks in inflators. Takata later refutes this.

* Democratic lawmakers call for criminal probe into Takata.

* Nov 10 - Takata shares drop 17 percent to 5-1/2 year low.

* Nov 12 - Takata tells Reuters it has modified the composition of an air bag propellant, giving no details.

* Nov 13 - Honda discloses fifth fatality, and first outside the U.S. Law Suk Leh, nine months pregnant, died in Malaysia on July 27 after being hit by a piece of metal from a Takata air bag in her Honda City compact car.

* Honda recalls another 170,000 cars in Asia and Europe, taking its total Takata-related recalls to nearly 10 million.

* Takata says its U.S. unit subpoenaed by a federal grand jury in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to produce air bag-related documents.

* Nov 18 - NHTSA tells Takata, Honda, Ford, Mazda, BMW and Chrysler to expand nationwide a U.S. regional recall.

source: interaksyon.com