WOCEE and WOSAS 2019 welcome the future of technology, security

MANILA, Philippines – Recognizing how the tech and security industries require an avenue to introduce innovations, Worldbex Services International – the country’s leading events and expositions organizer – mounted the third installments of World of Consumer Electronics Expo (WOCEE) and World of Safety and Security Expo (WOSAS).

Mounted across a 15,000-sqm exhibit area, this year’s WOCEE and WOSAS showcased about 500 booths.

Over 300 topnotch exhibitors, hailing from all over the country as well as from abroad such as China, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Indonesia and Dubai, brought in a wide range of cutting-edge products in the field of consumer technology and safety and security.

The back-to-back trade shows officially launched with a grand opening ceremony at the World Trade Center Metro Manila last September 26. Present were PNP Police Col. Ramchrisen Haveria Jr., PNP Police Brigadier Gen. Nolasco Bathan, National Defense Undersecretary Cardozo Luna, WSI’s Joseph Ang and Levi Ang, architect Francisco Flameño Jr., Jill Aithnie Ang, Rene Ramos and Tessie Roque.

Witness the future of technology at WOCEE

Serving as a sustainable launch pad for the latest technologies from local and international innovators, WOCEE returned for its third year to let everyone “Experience the Future.”

Proving to be a diverse platform for innovation, the product profile of this year’s show included Wireless Devices and Wearables; Video, Photography, Digital Imaging; Audio; Educational Innovations; Sports Technology and Gaming; Smart Home; Robotics; Automotive Electronics; Fitness, Health and Wellness; as well as Computer Hardware and Software.

Aside from being able to witness an extensive display of tech innovations, attendees experienced live product demonstrations and launches; the MRSP (Mechatronics and Robotics Society of the Philippines) International and National Robotics Competition which is presented in cooperation with Hytech Power Inc.; the first ever AMEROB (Automation, Mechatronics, and Robotics) International Conference which unites and encourage the industry to adopt a more competitive and innovative mindset.

The Startup Pavilion was the newest highlight at WOCEE, which consisted of different start-up businesses from the tech industry.

There was also the International Pavilion, which showcased products and services from various international companies; the WOCEE Business Park for those looking for future business partners.

The Tech Talk seminars were also available for people seeking technological knowledge enrichment; and last but not the least, the WOCEE Circuit Gallery, which displayed the cutting-edge technology from various companies.

Ultra-modern security innovations at WOSAS

As a venue to showcase state-of-the-art products and services for private and public safety and security, WOSAS, on its third year, offered everyone the opportunity to “Experience the Assurance.”

WOSAS presented an expansive product profile which includes CCTV & Biometrics; Smart Home Technology; Fire Safety and Protection; Information Security; Emergency and Rescue; Health and Medical Technology; Training and Consultation; Transport Safety and Security; and Investigation and Protection.

In order to make the experience as immersive as possible, WOSAS featured a series of event highlights such as the live product demonstrations and launches.

The WOSAS Business Park was available to those seeking for potential business relationships in the safety and security industry; while SecuCon offered a free flowing and holistic exchange of information about safety and security.

The WOSAS Circuit Gallery opened for everyone to witness the display of innovations from various industries in the Philippines; and lastly, the International Pavilion wherein exhibitors from Indonesia presented at this year’s show

source: philstar.com

Ringo puts up a Beatles reunion

Unless somebody gets the permission from the members and their families to produce a show with hologram versions of The Beatles, then I believe that this instance will be the closest we will ever get to a reunion of the Fabulous Four all of our lives.

The man responsible is no other but the Beatles’ drummer himself, Ringo Starr. Like the other surviving member of the group, Paul McCartney, Ringo remains active in concerts and recordings. Now he has a new album coming up next month titled What’s My Name and in one of the cuts is the very first time that the Liverpool lads have reunited in a song recording after they separated 50 years ago.

Here is how it happened. One of the cuts included in Ringo’s latest is a composition by the late John Lennon titled Grow Old With Me. The song was written shortly before Lennon was tragically killed on Dec. 8, 1980. It was later released in the posthumous album Milk and Honey that also features Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono. Ringo remembered those Lennon songs and decided to include one of them in What’s My Name.

He narrates how the accidental reunion happened in a statement sent to the Rolling Stone magazine. “I sang it the best that I could. I do well up when I think of John this deeply. And I’ve done my best. We’ve done our best. The other good thing is that I really wanted Paul to play on it, and he said yes. Paul came over and he played bass and sings a little bit on this with me. So John’s on it in a way. I’m on it and Paul’s on it. It’s not a publicity stunt. This is just what I wanted. And the strings that Jack arranged for this track, if you really listen, they do one line from Here Comes The Sun. So in a way, it’s the four of us.” Here Comes The Sun is a George Harrison song.

So there you have it. A Lennon song, McCartney on bass, Ringo on vocals and a bit of Harrison in the music. I can already imagine die-hard Beatles fans downloading Grow Old With Me the moment it drops come Oct. 25 and then listening closely to hear McCartney’s guitar and that little bit of Harrison. And then the thought returns, couldn’t these boys have stayed together longer? Then things might have turned out different.


What’s My Name is Ringo’s follow-up to his Give More Love album from two years ago. It also features collabs with Joe Walsh, Edgar Winter, Dave Stewart, Sam Hollander, Gary Nicholson, Steve Lukather and others. Ringo, who was recently on tour with his All-Star Band, is set to launch a new book, Another Day in the Life soon.

More Beatles news. Tourists can now visit the Strawberry Fields Orphanage in Liverpool. This was formerly a Salvation Army Children’s Home located beside the house of Lennon’s aunt. As a kid, he would often go over the fence to play with the children and those memories inspired him to write Strawberry Fields. The place is now a quiet sanctuary where young people with learning disabilities are taught skills to help them find employment.

Speaking of Here Comes The Sun, Harrison’s beautiful composition, has a new stereo mix that was released along with a new video last week. The video sees the sun rising behind the Abbey Road Studios where the song was recorded 50 years ago. It includes previously unseen photos and footage shot by the late Linda McCartney. The release is part of the 50th anniversary commemoration of the landmark album, Abbey Road.


Also part of the celebration is a new, truly grand mix of Something, another timeless and most affecting Harrison song, that is now available on Spotify.

As for McCartney, he is at present on the North American leg of his Freshen Up Tour for the album Egypt Station that has already taken him around the world. Did you know that he performed for free for over 400,000 people in Mexico? Well, only the likes of McCartney, one of the greatest entertainers of today can do that. He is also working on his first musical.

Happily for their fans, there is no end in sight for the Beatles.

source: philstar.com

Everlast champions first transgender boxer in 'Be First' campaign

MANILA, Philippines — Patricio Manuel, the first transgender professional boxer, is now part of premier boxing brand Everlast's "Be First" campaign.

Manuel, who was sidelined by an injury while competing in the 2012 Olympic trials, fought his way back into the ring after transitioning to become a male fighter.

"Everlast is humanizing the world of boxing in a way that's never been done before by shedding light on inspiring athletes like Patricio Manuel," said Everlast in an email to UK-based website Mashable.

"This is the first step of many campaigns you can expect to see from Everlast within the next year that defy norms and highlights all kinds of fighters," they added.

The "Be First" campaign champions underdogs in the sport, including amputee boxer Jinji Martinez.

According to Mashable, Everlast named the campagin after the boxing term "Be First", which encourages boxers to fore their opponents to follow their lead.

source: philstar.com

Stocks close weaker as traders turn to US markets

MANILA, Philippines — The stock market closed the week on a sour note behind recent developments in the US political landscape.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index fell 0.97 percent or 77.26 points to finish at 7,819.22 on Friday.

The broader All Shares index likewise lost 0.85 percent or 40.53 points to settle at 4,728.81.

“Shares slid as traders monitored the latest trade developments and assessed a whistle-blower complaint against President Donald Trump that was released,” said Regina Capital’s Luis Limlingan.

Limlingan said positive statement on China-US trade talk, however, was able to limit losses in the overnight markets.

Local counters were covered in red, with mining and oil being the biggest casualty with a 2.62 percent or 241-point drop. Holding and property counters fell by more than one percent each.

Net foreign selling amounted to P464 million.

Market breadth was negative as decliners pummeled advancers, 133 to 57, while 43 stocks did not change. Value turnover stood at P5.93 billion.

“While we remain a buy on the index, we’ve been flagging the past few days that we would prefer to wait near its recent lows at the 7,620 level. With a lack of catalysts in the local scene in the near-term, movement could likely be dictated by US market movement and foreign flows,” Gabriel Perez of Papa Securities said.

source: philstar.com

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, tepid no more on Trump impeachment

WASHINGTON — Nancy Pelosi, already the most powerful woman in US political history, has just launched an extraordinary and turbulent process which — if it fulfills its goal — would oust a sitting American president.

After resisting fellow Democrats' calls to impeach Donald Trump from the moment she became speaker of the US House of Representatives in early January, the tough-as-nails lawmaker changed course Tuesday, announcing an "official impeachment inquiry" by the House into her political nemesis.

Should it succeed, Pelosi's reputation as a master political tactician will be sealed.

If it fails — and the likelihood that Trump is not ousted is high, given that his Republicans control the Senate — her politically perilous gambit has the potential to antagonize voters ahead of the 2020 presidential election.

Twelve years ago, Pelosi made history as the first woman elected House speaker. Once again wielding the gavel, her political comeback is complete.

The 79-year-old has spent the year seeking to keep Trump in check, challenging him on immigration policy, the budget, gun violence and more.

But she has also tamped down the impeachment groundswell, saying such a procedure should be launched only if the American people support it, and arguing that the best way to remove the Republican commander-in-chief was at the ballot box.

"I've tried to avoid the situation that we're in now, because it was very divisive for the country," Pelosi told a forum Tuesday just before her bombshell announcement.

Her calculus changed. Most House Democrats back impeachment, and the number has only grown following revelations of a whistleblower's complaint that is believed to center around actions by Trump, including his call to the president of Ukraine.

"The president must be held accountable," she said in announcing the inquiry. "No one is above the law."

Pelosi is the nation's third most senior official, a great survivor in American politics.

To reclaim the speaker's gavel she lost nine years ago, the California power broker diligently plotted a remarkable comeback that has impressed allies and opponents alike.

"She's a worthy adversary," conservative congressman Mark Meadows told AFP in January.

In her opening speech to a new Congress, she said she was "particularly proud" to take the gavel with a record number of women lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

That she is the new speaker in the #MeToo era — and the opponent-in-chief to a brash president accused by multiple women of abuse or harassment over the years — reflects the increasing influence of women on the nation's political process.

'Totally on board'

Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro was born in March 1940 in Baltimore to a political family with Italian roots. Both her father and brother were mayors of the East Coast port city.

After studying political science in Washington, she moved with her husband to San Francisco, where they raised five children.

First elected to the House in 1987, Pelosi represents California's 12th congressional district including San Francisco — a stronghold of left-wing politics.

She rose through the ranks to first become minority leader for the Democrats in 2003.

Pelosi assumed the speakership for the first time in 2007, during the presidency of George W Bush. She was a strong opposing force to the Republican leader, and her role as a check on Trump has been similar.

But at times she has struggled to tightly corral her own caucus, notably a group of first-term progressives who have clashed bitterly with Trump, and occasionally squabbled with Pelosi herself.

A quartet of ethnic-minority congresswomen known as "The Squad" — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib — were early proponents of impeachment.

Occasionally they leaned on leadership to move more quickly against Trump, but Pelosi's methodical approach won out.

Omar sounded grateful for Pelosi's step forward Tuesday.

"She wants to make sure that we are moving on impeachment and moving swiftly," Omar said. "And I am totally on board for that."

Earlier this year, Pelosi threaded a political needle, standing up to Trump when needed but also showing that her party is capable of working with the president to pass legislation.

But that cooperation frayed. Pelosi and the Democratic leadership have hamstrung large parts of Trump's agenda, ranging from proposed new tax cuts to building a wall on the US-Mexico border.

Certainly with the impeachment inquiry, any good will between Pelosi and Trump has evaporated.

Pelosi is unquestionably among the savviest political leaders of her generation. She shepherded then-president Barack Obama's signature health care law through the House to its contentious, historic passage in 2010.

Perhaps for that reason she is vilified by Republicans.

Conservatives depict Pelosi, the wife of an investment millionaire, as the embodiment of leftist elitism.

She is accused of everything from wanting to raise taxes for middle-class families to supporting illegal immigration.

source: philstar.com

Greta Thunberg berates leaders as UN climate summit falls short

UNITED NATIONS, United States — An emotional Greta Thunberg tore into world leaders at a UN climate summit Monday, accusing them of betraying her generation by failing to tackle greenhouse gas emissions, as announcements by major economies fell far short of expectations.

The Swedish teen's impassioned speech, in which she repeated the words "How dare you" four times, was the defining moment of the meeting, called by UN chief Antonio Guterres to reinvigorate the faltering Paris climate agreement.

Ahead of the conference, the United Nations issued a release saying 66 countries vowed to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, along with 10 regions, 102 cities, and scores of businesses.

But pre-summit predictions of new, headline-grabbing commitments, particularly by the likes of China and India, failed to match reality, angering environmental groups.

The world's top scientists believe long-term temperature rise must be limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels to prevent runaway warming with catastrophic effects.

But rather than peaking, the level of emissions being released into the atmosphere are at an all-time high, triggering global weather hazards from heat waves to intense hurricanes and raging wildfires.

New data released Monday showed the 2019 Arctic sea ice minimum is ranked at second-lowest in the 41-year satellite record, effectively tied with 2007 and 2016.

"I shouldn't be up here. I should be back at school on the other side of the ocean," said Thunberg, 16, who has become the global face of a growing youth movement against climate inaction that mobilized millions in a worldwide strike on Friday.

"You come to us young people for hope. How dare you?" she thundered, her voice at times breaking with emotion.

Matters did not improve much as a succession of national leaders took to the podium saying they understood the gravity of the situation but then failing to announce concrete plans.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not say explicitly whether his country would enhance its commitments made under the Paris agreement -- though he did say it was working on more than doubling its renewable energy capacity.

There was also no new announcement by China, the world's biggest emitter. Senior foreign policy official Wang Yi spoke instead about the need for multilateralism, taking a veiled swipe at US President Donald Trump for pulling out of the Paris accord on taking office.

"The withdrawal of certain parties will not shake the collective will of the international community," he said.

Environmental and campaign groups reacted with almost unanimous disappointment.

"I think Greta's impassioned cry for sanity and for actually listening and acting based on the science was ignored," Greenpeace International chief Jennifer Morgan told AFP.

Trump surprise

Fewer than half of the 136 heads of government or state in New York this week to attend the UN General Assembly attended on Monday.

Trump, who announced his intent to withdraw the US from the Paris agreement and has heaped scorn on climate science, had been expected to skip the event but made a brief unscheduled appearance, spending a few minutes in the hall, where he applauded Modi's speech and then left.

Among those absent were President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, under whose leadership the Amazon rainforest is continuing to burn at record rates, and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, whose government has pursued an aggressively pro-coal agenda.

Laurence Tubiana, one of the architects of the Paris agreement, told AFP the summit that Chinese lack of action was linked to its internal politics as it prepares its next five-year-plan.

But she said that she saw progress too.

"The big win is these group of countries who are for net zero by 2050," she said.

"The next step is to have them explain how they do that and what they do immediately." 

Increased urgency

Earlier, opening the summit, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said: "The climate emergency is a race we are losing, but it is a race we can win."

French President Emmanuel Macron invited his counterparts from Chile, Colombia and Bolivia to a meeting where $500 million in extra funds were pledged by major donors.

Macron also lauded Russia, which ratified the Paris agreement on Monday, and said Europe must do more, repeating a vow to close coal-fired plants by 2022.

Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel, repeated recently announced pledges including $55 billion for a new innovation and technology package and net zero emissions by 2050.

And British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the UK would double its climate change funding through an overseas development program to $14.4 billion over five years.

In his closing comments, Guterres emphasized the positives, highlighting the growing action from the corporate sector, commitments from countries to plant more than 11 billion trees.

But he added: "We need more concrete plans, more ambition from more countries and more businesses, saying the next critical landmark would come at a conference in Santiago in December.

source: philstar.com

As feud heats up, Trump says Biden was subject of Ukraine call

WASHINGTON, United States — US President Donald Trump confirmed Sunday that he discussed former vice president Joe Biden and corruption allegations in a phone call with Ukraine's leader, adding to calls by Trump's opponents for his impeachment.

A whistleblower's complaint sparked off accusations that Trump had sought to persuade President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate a son of Biden, Trump's possible 2020 election challenger -- raising concerns of dangerous foreign meddling in the US election similar to the interference blamed on Russia in 2016.

Trump said that the conversation, held in July, addressed alleged corruption involving Biden and his son Hunter, and he floated the possibility that a transcript could be released.


"We had a very great conversation, very straight, very honest conversation. I hope they can put it out," Trump said, repeating that he had done nothing wrong in the latest scandal to shake his presidency.

"The conversation I had was largely congratulatory, was largely corruption... and largely the fact that we don't want our people, like vice president Biden and his son, creating... the corruption already in the Ukraine."


Trump reportedly pressed Zelensky about eight times on the call to investigate possible corruption involving Hunter Biden, who worked with a Ukrainian natural gas company while his father was vice president.

Biden told reporters on Saturday that Trump's actions appeared "to be an overwhelming abuse of power."

"I know what I'm up against, a serial abuser. That's what this guy is," Biden said.

Impeachment calls return

The Democratic Party has been split on whether to push for impeachment proceedings against Trump since he came to power in 2017.

But influential congressman Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, on Sunday said that his own reservations about impeachment were fading over Trump's Ukraine call.

"We're talking about serious or flagrant abuse and potential violation of law," Schiff told CNN.

"I have been very reluctant to go down the path of impeachment (but) the president is pushing us down this road.

"This seems different in kind, and we may very well have crossed the Rubicon here."

The Ukraine scandal mushroomed last week when Schiff revealed the acting Director of National Intelligence, Joseph Maguire, had refused to hand over the whistleblower complaint to Congress -- the latest administration rebuff to Congressional oversight efforts.

Maguire is scheduled to publicly testify before Schiff's committee on Thursday.

Nancy Pelosi, the top Democrat in Congress, said Sunday that if Trump's administration continued to block the complaint being released "they will be entering a grave new chapter of lawlessness which will take us into a whole new stage of investigation."

The phone call, reportedly on July 25, came the day after former special counsel Robert Mueller testified before Congress about his report that catalogued extensive contacts between the Trump 2016 campaign and Russians, including attempts to cooperate or collude -- neither of which is a specific crime.

It also laid out in detail 10 instances when Trump allegedly tried to obstruct the investigation, which Trump dismissed as a "big hoax".

Trump's senior staff swung behind him on Sunday. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNN that "I don't have any reason to believe that the president pressured" President Zelensky.

"People know there were issues that Biden's son did business in Ukraine. I, for one, have concerns about that," Mnuchin said.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told ABC that "if vice president Biden behaved inappropriately, if he was protecting his son and intervened in a way that was corrupt, I think we need to get to the bottom of it."

But Republican Senator Mitt Romney, a regular critic of Trump, said that any evidence of Trump asking Ukraine's president to investigate Biden "would be troubling in the extreme."

Trump and Zelensky will meet for the first time Wednesday at the UN General Assembly in New York.

source: philstar.com

Environmental activists pluck plastic from world's beaches on mass cleanup day

PARIS, France — Thousands of volunteers wielding nets and bin bags scoured coasts, parks and riverbanks across the globe Saturday, in a litter-picking drive highlighting the vast quantity of trash dumped worldwide, a day after mass international climate protests.

Campaigners took part in World Cleanup Day from Manila to the Mediterranean, as hundreds of thousands of people across the world take part in demonstrations and activities calling for urgent action on the environment.

Young people have been at the forefront of the movement, with masses of children skipping school on Friday for a global climate strike, which teen activist Greta Thunberg said was "only the beginning".

Some four million people filled city streets around the world on Friday, organisers said, in what was billed as the biggest ever protest against the threat posed to the planet by rising temperatures.

It kicked off a week of climate action called for by Thunberg, who was among several hundred young activists attending a climate summit at the United Nations on Saturday.

The World Cleanup Day on Saturday is an initiative that has got millions into the streets and cleaning up litter across the globe since it began just over a decade ago.

In France, volunteers posted images of their trash hauls on social media -- heaps of assorted waste, soft drink cans and plastic containers.

A climate protest on the streets of Paris attracted some 15,000 people, according to a tally by independent consultancy Occurrence, but the rally was marred by clashes between security forces and a relatively small number of troublemakers. 


"The conditions for a non-violent march are not in place," Greenpeace, a co-organiser of the event, said on Twitter, as police fired teargas at protesters. 

'For us to help'

While the types of trash collected varied, the common material in the bin bags across the planet was plastic, amid surging concerns over the environmental costs of single use items and microplastics in world waterways. 

Plastic pollution is a major problem across Southeast Asia, but particularly in the Philippines, which -- along with China, Vietnam and Indonesia -- is frequently listed among the world's worst offenders.

In the Philippine capital, some 10,000 people swept across a long stretch of beach on heavily polluted Manila Bay, clutching sacks they filled with rubbish.

"It's for us to help the environment, especially here in Manila, there's a lot of garbage," Mae Angela Areglado, a 20-year-old student told AFP as she pitched in with the cleanup -- held right next to the city's huge Baseco slum.

"(Plastic is) affecting the marine life because they think that it is food," she added.

In the Pacific island nation of Fiji, which is among the countries worst affected by sea level rises and has become a vocal advocate for global climate action, people scoured palm-fringed beaches west of the capital Suva, heaving discarded car tyres and engine parts from the coast.

On Australia's Bondi beach activists sifted through the sand, carting off bits of plastic and cigarette butts.

Youth leading way

The mass cleanup is coordinated by the Let's Do It Foundation, which began life in Estonia and says that 18 million people from 157 countries participated in the global cleanup day last year. This year, it says more than 160 countries are taking part.

"Garbage is a global problem and it affects all the people in the world. It knows no state borders," said the organisation's president Heidi Solba in a statement.

The group said about 30,000 people are participating in Estonia on Saturday in a drive focusing on small litter like bottle tops and cigarette butts.

Mart Normet, leader of the initiative in Estonia, said he drew hope from the enthusiasm of young people.

"When I look at the new photos on Facebook, I can see that the new generation is bringing a completely new attitude. Littering and damaging consumption are a thing of the past," he said.

In Vietnam's capital Hanoi, around 1,400 volunteers went searching for litter under the scorching sun.

"Although our actions are very small -- like cleaning trash from the sidewalk -- it could spread a meaningful message," 18-year-old Hoang Thi Hoan told AFP, as motorists zipped by on a busy street.

Friday's strike organisers 350.org said the youth-led rallies were the start of 5,800 protests across 163 countries over the next week.

UN chief Antonio Guterres met young activists in New York on Saturday, telling them: "There is a change in momentum... due to your initiative and to the courage, with which you have started these movements."

A landmark UN report to be unveiled next week will warn global warming and pollution are ravaging Earth's oceans and icy regions in ways that could unleash misery on a global scale.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said in August that the level of microplastics in drinking-water is not yet dangerous for humans but called for more research into potential future risk and a reduction in plastic waste.

Seventy-nine percent of the plastic ever made has ended up dumped, with little reused or destroyed despite recycling and other initiatives to curb use, a UN report from 2018 said.

source: philstar.com

Tinder users get 'apocalyptic' reality show on date experience

SAN FRANCISCO, United States — If dating were not scary enough already, users of the Tinder app will now be able to simulate the experience with an interactive reality show where they choose partners for a character just before the end of the world.

Tinder's "Swipe Night" is set to debut in the US on October 6, the dating app said, describing it as an "apocalyptic adventure" that will let members play leading roles and make quick moral choices as a group of friends face the end of the world.

The app dating service, known for its "swipe" feature on the profiles of prospective partners, said it hopes the interactive show will help users who face their own thorny decisions on finding a mate in an uncertain world.


"Let's face it, if we knew the world was ending, we wouldn't want to go it alone," Tinder said in a blog post Friday announcing the new feature.

"We can't think of a better way to break the ice than over emojis and the apocalypse."


"Swipe Night" is described as "a first-person, apocalyptic adventure where at key turning points" Tinder members decide what happens next.

The show follows a group of friends played by actors Angela Wong Carbone, Jordan Christian Hearn and Shea Gabor and asks users to guide them through "moral dilemmas and practical choices."

A new episode of "Swipe Night" will air each Sunday in October, streaming live inside the app.


"Seven years ago, Tinder revolutionized the way we meet with the invention of its swipe feature," said chief executive Elie Seidman. "Now, with Swipe Night, we’re proud to be pushing the envelope again."

Tinder users interacting with the production will make moral and practical decisions regarding characters, influencing the storyline and feeding choices into dating profiles at the service, the company said.

The new feature is the first venture into original media for Tinder, which has gained a reputation for casual "hook-ups" rather than lasting relationships.

The interactive feature has also been used by Netflix which recently released a Black Mirror episode called "Bandersnatch" that lets viewers make choices that influence the story.

Tinder said it is playing to its predominately "Gen Z" user-based with its interactive show, defining the demographic as people between the ages of 18 and 25.

"We know Gen Z speaks in content, so we intentionally built an experience that is native to how they interact," said Tinder chief product officer Ravi Mehta.

source: philstar.com

5 things to know about the LeBron XVII

MANILA, Philippines — As LeBron James gears up for his 17th season in the NBA, Nike is outfitting him with the latest innovation in his newest signature sneaker: the LeBron XVII.

Set to launch in the Philippines starting October 10, the latest LeBron kicks will set you back Php 9,895 a pair.

So what's new about the King's latest kicks? Here are five things you need to know about the LeBron XVII.


1. It has the highest-volume Heel Max Air unit in a LeBron shoe

It's the most Max Air that LeBron's worn in a shoe, set beneath the heel to provide shock absorption for his explosive play.

A soft foam pod directly under the Max Air units add cushioning.

2. The shoe has two independent Air Zoom pods under the forefoot

Combined with Max Air, the Air Zoom provides the ultimate hybrid cushioning.

The Air Zoom units in the forefoot respond to LeBron's downhill speed from point to point.

3. The shoe introduces 'Knitposite'

Evolved from the upper construction from Battleknit 2.0 on the LeBron XVI, the LeBron XVII combines lightweight Flyknit construction with heat-molded yarns that add structure and color.

The result is durable, supportive and resists stretching.

4. Signature LeBron details have shifted to the tongue

In the LeBron XVI, the Lion crest was on the heel of the shoe while the silhouette of LeBron dunking could be found on the outsole.

For the LeBron XVII, the details shift into the tongue, combining phrases and symbols like "I'm King", "LJ" and "23".

"LeBron wanted a more overt tongue for the shoe, which opens up the opportunity for storytelling," LeBron XVII designer Jason Petrie said.

5. The LeBron XVII releases on September 27

The LeBron XVII will be available in three colorways, Purple and Gold, In The Arena and Air Innovation.

They're set to drop on October 10, 20 and 29, respectively.

Will you be copping a pair of the King's newest signature shoe?

source: philstar.com

US trade group cautions against blanket ban on pork products

'If you ban all imports, where are you going to get it?'

WASHINGTON — The Philippines should think twice about imposing a total blanket ban on all pork imports amid African swine fever cases in the country that could affect domestic supply in the near term.

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), which represents 42 affiliated state associations in the US, said it is difficult to understand why the Philippines would consider such a move.


"If it is not science-based, it is very hard to understand why a government would move forward with a ban on products that don't have ASF. Something that is just based on gut feeling is bad," NPPC director for International Affairs Maria Zieba said in a meeting here.

"We want it to be rules-based and we want others to treat us fairly and we treat others fairly, especially on the pork side. I think we have a very good trajectory of being good partners and we don’t want to jeopardize that in any way," she added.

The Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag) is urging Agriculture Secretary William Dar to suspend the issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) permits for pork imports and cancel all SPS currently being processed.

Dar, however, has yet to address the call of the umbrella group of subsectors in the agriculture sector.

"Countries have been allowed to protect their respective local agriculture in times of outbreak. Under WTO rules, there is always that assumption of regularity in any policy of the national government," Sinag chairman Rosendo So said.

"The source of the ASF are these tainted pork imports," he added.

Currently, the Philippines is instituting a ban on imports from China, Mongolia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Hong Kong, North Korea, Laos, Russia, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Moldova, South Africa, Zambia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Belgium, Latvia, Poland, Germany and Romania.

"If you ban all imports, where are you going to get it?" Zieba countered.

Pork supply in Philippines enough?

Local stakeholders are claiming that they can supply all the requirements of the Philippines for pork but this may not be entirely true as the country continues to import every year.

From January to July this year, US exported 21,767 metric tons (MT) of pork to the Philippines, down by 19% from the 27,026 MT from the same period last year.

For the first seven months, the value of US pork exports to Philippines went down by 23% to $50 million from $64.7 million recorded in 2018.

Last year, total US pork exports stood at $64.7 billion.

"The Philippines is really an important market for us. We have been developing it for the last decades. Asia is quite important for as a market as a whole. China is our biggest market," Zieba said.

"Unfortunately, our exports to China and Hong Kong are suffering because we are in the middle of trade dispute," she added.

For this year, US exports to the Philippines will likely remain on the same level.

"It would be very similar to last year. It could trend up a bit for the holiday season," Zieba said.

The US has maintained that it is ready to supply the Philippines its pork requirements amid a potential shortfall due to the ASF.

"Absolutely. Our production is growing two percent annually. There is plenty of room and being out of the Chinese market, it creates a lot of opportunities for us to export to somebody else's market," Zieba said.

Pork industry in the US contributes $40 billion in its economy. Last year, it slaughtered 124 million pigs producing 11.79 billion kilograms of pork.

About 40% of its exports goes to Canada and Mexico while big recipient of products in Asia are Japan, Korea, China and Hong Kong.

San Miguel Foods: Our pork is safe

Meanwhile, San Miguel Foods Inc., a unit of diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp., has assured the government and the public that its products are safe to eat and are not affected by the ASF.

The company emphasized that it follows the strictest animal health and biosecurity protocols and that its chilled, frozen, and processed pork are produced from company-controlled hog breeding, growing, slaughtering, and manufacturing facilities.

Meanwhile, all hogs are fed with sanitized feeds from its B-MEG plants using raw materials that are checked for contaminants that may affect food safety.

"Our hog growing farms are kept separate from our breeding animals in order to minimize cross contamination and break potential disease cycles. Our animal health programs are preventive in nature and are centered around biosecurity, disinfection and vaccination," the company said.

"Regular surveillance for diseases through laboratory testing of blood and tissue samples are done to detect any incidence of disease and develop prevention and control measures before each instance develops into an outbreak situation," it added.

San Miguel have not detected positive reactors in any of its farms nationwide after it tested for ASF using polymerase chain reaction.

It added that its slaughter plants are constantly monitored by the National Meat Inspection Service and each hog is inspected before slaughter while each carcass is certified as disease-free before delivery to various meat shops and distributors.

"Considering all these, we believe that our properly inspected, certified, and ASF-free pork products, whether fresh, processed, refrigerated, or canned, should be allowed entry throughout the country for our consumers to enjoy," San Miguel said.

The ASF could potentially wipe out the P260-billion hog industry. Overall, including related industries, the sector is worth P416 billion.

source: philstar.com

Market may climb anew this week

MANILA, Philippines — The stock market may continue to go up this week, sustaining the gains the previous weeks amid the scheduled resumption of US-China trade talks, traders said.

Michael Ricafort, chief economist at Yuchengco-owned Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC), sees the index’s next resistance at the 8,000 mark.

“The Philippine Stock Exchange Composite index (PSEi) gained for the third week in four weeks by 58.85 points or 0.7 percent to close at 7,992.32, a new one-month high and also among four-month highs and also among 17-month highs,” Ricafort said.


This, he said, is amid improved global risk appetite recently with the scheduled resumption of the trade talks between the US and China by early October and recent gestures by both countries to improve the said trade talks.

“The next resistance is at 8,000, which is a gateway prior to further upside potential in the near future,” Ricafort said.


Earlier, US President Trump deferred by two weeks the scheduled higher tariffs (which would translate to additional five percent duties) on $250 billion US imports from China. Trump deferred this to Oct. 15 from Oct. 1 to improve the US-China trade talks.

Ricafort said this was a positive signal for the global financial markets.

China also agreed to exempt some US imports from tariffs for about a year starting Sept. 17, which Ricafort said was another positive signal for the markets.

“Trump administration plans to ease sanctions on Iran to help secure a meeting with Iranian leader Hassan Rouhani on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Sept. 23. The markets are also anticipating the upcoming Fed rate-setting meeting on Sept. 18 amid possible 0.25 rate cut, which is another factor that could support sentiment in the global financial markets in the coming week,” Ricafort said.

source: philstar.com

YouTube 'creators' fret over impact of new child protection rules

SAN FRANCISCO, United States— Samuel Rader quit his job three years ago to work full time on his YouTube channel, "Sam and Nia," featuring videos of his family life.

The channel created by the Texas-based couple -- with videos of their Hawaii vacation, setting up their backyard pool and other content about "Christian family life" -- has become one of the stars of the Google-owned video service with some 2.5 million subscribers.

But the future is now uncertain for "Sam and Nia" and other YouTube "creators" as a result of a settlement with US regulators that will make it harder to get ad revenues from videos and channels directed at children.


"I went into a minor panic attack when I heard," said Rader, whose channel has taken in a reported $2 million from ads placed along the videos.

"I thought we would have to find a new source of revenues."

YouTube earlier this month agreed to pay a fine of $170 million and change how it handles collected data from children under a settlement with the US Federal Trade Commission.

YouTube will treat data from anyone watching children's content on YouTube as coming from a child. It will also stop serving personalized ads on this content entirely, and bar features such as comments and notifications.

The new rules, set to go into effect in four months, have stoked fears in the YouTube community of creators and "vloggers" like the Raders, who live off the advertising revenue.

Shock, grief, fear 

"There's a lot of shock, grief and fear. For many creators, this is their only source of income," said Melissa Hunter of the Family Video Network, a consultancy which also operates a group of channels on YouTube.

"They are people making content in their houses, not huge companies; they're small homemade businesses."

Many questions remain as to how YouTube will define children's content -- intended for kids up to age 12 -- which will be subject to the new rules.

Rader said he has been advised that "we are a low-risk channel because our content is not targeting children."

YouTube is believed to have millions of content creators on its network, who share in the service's ad revenues, estimated to be more than $10 billion annually, though it is unclear how much of YouTube's content is directed at children.

In announcing the new policy, YouTube chief executive Susan Wojcicki acknowledged that "these changes will have a significant business impact on family and kids creators who have been building both wonderful content and thriving businesses, so we've worked to give impacted creators four months to adjust before changes take effect."

Wojcicki added that YouTube is "committed to working with them through this transition, and providing resources to help them better understand these changes," and would also establish a $100 million fund "dedicated to the creation of thoughtful, original children's content."

Critics of the internet giant said YouTube marketed itself as a destination for children and benefitted by selling advertising to toymakers and others.

FTC chairman Joe Simons said the settlement "prevents YouTube and Google from turning a blind eye to the existence of kids-directed content" on its platform.

Hunter said the creators of family content may collect anywhere from $30 to $100,000 per month, but that "those families are going to make almost nothing on January 1" when the new rules come into effect.

Ending targeting? 

YouTube and creators may still be able to generate revenue from video ads as long as they are not targeted based on data collected from children, although these are far less lucrative.

"Advertisers do spend more for trackable, measurable placements," said Nicole Perrin, an analyst at the research firm eMarketer.

"I'm not sure there is a way to comply with this for kids without limiting some of the revenues on that side."

Shaun McKnight, whose Dallas-based M-Star Media has created several popular YouTube channels which have attracted millions of subscribers, said he and his wife anticipated changes were coming.

"My wife and I thought it was too risky so we pulled back," he said.

source: philstar.com

Asian equities mostly up after US, China tariff moves

HONG KONG, China — Asian investors on Thursday cheered Donald Trump's decision to delay a hike in tariffs on Chinese goods and Beijing's announcement that it would remove a range of US products from its own planned levies.

The moves signal an easing of tensions between the two economic superpowers ahead of a much-anticipated meeting of top-level negotiators next month.

They also provided an extra shot in the arm for investors as they await key announcements from the US and European central banks that are expected to see a further easing of monetary policy.


In a tweet on Wednesday night, Trump said: "We have agreed, as a gesture of good will, to move the increased Tariffs on 250 Billion Dollars worth of goods (25% to 30%), from October 1st to October 15th."

He added that the delay was requested by "Vice Premier of China, Liu He, and due to the fact that the People's Republic of China will be celebrating their 70th Anniversary", on October 1.

Earlier in the day, China said it would temporarily exempt 16 categories of US exports from tariff increases in an olive branch to Washington before the talks take place and which Trump described as "a big move".

The more conciliatory tone from both sides -- after months of rancour -- fuelled hopes they can edge towards a solution to their long-running trade war, which has jolted the global economy and stock markets.

The delay "shows Trump doesn't want to increase tariffs before the trade talks in early October and it creates good conditions", said Tommy Xie, an economist at Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. "It adds to the hope that there'll be good news from the October meeting, and markets will wait and see."

Wednesday's developments were broadly welcomed though Asian markets struggled to hold on to initial rallies owing to profit-taking from a healthy run-up this week.

Central banks in focus

Tokyo ended the morning 0.8 percent higher and Shanghai added 0.2 percent while Sydney climbed 0.5 percent. Wellington and Taipei also rose, as did Jakarta, but Hong Kong dipped 0.2 percent.

Jun Inoue, a senior economist at Mizuho Research Institute, said Trump's move indicates he "can be flexible to get concessions from China and that he’s not trying to punish Beijing at any cost".

The apparent easing of trade tensions boosted oil prices as the prospect of an end to the row revived hopes for demand.

However, the gains followed a sharp drop for both main contracts as traders bet on a possible return of Iranian crude to the market after the firing of Trump's hawkish national security adviser John Bolton eased fears of a conflagration in the Middle East.

Traders are now turning their attention to Frankfurt, where the European Central Bank is expected to unveil economy-boosting stimulus. While the exact measures are unknown observers say it could cut interest rates deeper into negative territory or a new mass bond-buying drive, among other things.

Then, next week the Federal Reserve meets, with speculation rife that it will lower borrowing costs again, which would please Trump, who in a Twitter outburst on Wednesday said they should "BE BROUGHT WAY DOWN".

In share trading, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing sank more than three percent after its shock bid of almost US$40 billion for the London Stock Exchange Group on Wednesday.

Reports said the proposal is likely to fail, however, as it is dependent on the LSEG scrapping a planned $27 billion takeover of US financial data provider Refinitiv, which the three-centuries-old exchange said it "remains committed" to buying.

There are also concerns about ongoing unrest in Hong Kong and the influence of China in the group, the Financial Times reported.

source: philstar.com

Popovich 'thrilled' as US qualifies for Tokyo 2020 basketball

SHANGHAI – Team USA coach Gregg Popovich spoke of his joy after the reigning Olympic basketball champions qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Games on Monday.

The United States, which will be chasing a fourth Games gold in a row, secured its berth for next summer after beating Brazil 89-73 at the World Cup.

Argentina also confirmed its place in Tokyo.

"We're thrilled that we qualified for the Olympics," said San Antonio Spurs mastermind Popovich, whose team will now face France on Wednesday in the World Cup quarter-finals.

"With this new situation of qualifying, you don't want to have to do that every year. So it's a pretty big grind," said the 70-year-old.

But first, the US has the small matter of winning a third world crown in a row and Popovich's young team is building up a head of steam in China.

The Americans were already assured of a place in the last eight but they still made it five wins in a row to top Group K in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.

Myles Turner of the Indiana Pacers led them against the Brazilians with 16 points and eight rebounds.

Brazil saw their coach Aco Petrovic ejected in the first half and they refused to attend the post-match press conference.

Having struggled to defeat Turkey in overtime in the first round, this Team USA missing its megastars seems to be warming to the task.

Sunday's victory for Spain over Serbia, who had been title favorites after the Americans' slow start, put Popovich's men back as the team to beat.

There are seven Olympic places up for grabs at the World Cup.

Iran will return to the Games for the first time since Beijing 2008 after they grabbed one of them.

source: philstar.com

Clashes after peaceful crowd takes Hong Kong message to US consulate

HONG KONG, China — Pro-democracy activists jammed Hong Kong streets in a march to the United States consulate on Sunday in a bid to ramp up international pressure on Beijing, but hardcore protesters later clashed with riot police across the city's core.

Millions have demonstrated over the last 14 weeks in the biggest challenge to China's rule since the city's handover from Britain in 1997.

The protests were lit by a now-scrapped plan to allow extraditions to the authoritarian mainland, seen by opponents as the latest move by China to chip away at the international finance hub's unique freedoms.

But after Beijing and city leaders took a hard line the movement snowballed into a broader campaign calling for greater democracy, police accountability and an amnesty for those arrested.

Sunday's protest featured another massive turnout for a movement that has gripped the semi-autonomous territory and plunged it into a political crisis.

Dense crowds of protesters spent hours slowly filing past Washington's consulate in the thick tropical heat. Many waved US flags, some sang the Star Spangled Banner, and others held signs calling on President Donald Trump to "liberate" Hong Kong.

In chants and speeches they called on the US to pressure Beijing to meet their demands and for Congress to pass a recently proposed bill that expresses support for the protest.

"More than 1,000 protesters have been arrested. We can't do anything but come out onto the streets. I feel hopeless," 30-year-old protester Jenny Chan, told AFP.

"I think aside from foreign countries, no one can really help us," she added.

In what has become a now familiar pattern, the main daytime rally passed off peacefully.

But as evening set in, riot police chased groups of hardcore protesters who blocked roads, vandalised nearby subway stations and set makeshift barricades on fire.

One fire burned at an entrance to the subway in the corporate district of Central, where a protester also smashed the station's exterior glass.

In the shopping area of Causeway Bay, officers fired tear gas outside another subway station.

Paramedics took away on a stretcher a man who collapsed after inhaling the gas, and police detained suspected protesters inside that station.

Beijing riled by criticism

Hong Kong is a major international business hub thanks to freedoms unheard of on the mainland under a 50-year deal signed between China and Britain.

But Beijing balks at any criticism from foreign governments over its handling of the city, which it insists is a purely internal issue.

Authorities and state media have portrayed the protests as a separatist movement backed by foreign "black hands", primarily aiming their ire at the US and Britain.

While some American politicians on both sides of the aisle have expressed support for the democratic goals of the protesters, the Trump administration has maintained a more hands-off approach while it fights a trade war with China.

Trump has called for a peaceful resolution to the political crisis and urged China against escalating with a violent crackdown.

But he has also said it is up to Beijing to handle the protests.

Washington has rejected China's allegations that it is backing the demonstrators and Beijing has shown little evidence to back its claims beyond supportive statements from some politicians.

The protests show no signs of abating, and the city's unelected pro-Beijing leader Carrie Lam has struck an uncompromising tone for much of the last three months.

On Wednesday, she made a surprise concession, announcing the full withdrawal of the proposed extradition bill which sparked the demonstrations.

Protesters across the spectrum dismissed the gesture as too little, too late, saying their movement would only end once the remainder of their core demands were met.

"Our government continuously takes away our freedoms and that's why people are coming out," a 30-year-old protester in a wheelchair who gave his surname as Ho told AFP on Sunday.

Analysts say it is difficult to predict what Beijing's next move might be.

Under president Xi Jinping, China has become increasingly authoritarian and dissent is being stamped out with renewed ferocity.

source: philstar.com

Smooth succession: Jack Ma eases out of a thriving Alibaba

SHANGHAI, China— Jack Ma steps down next week as chairman of Alibaba, but the start-up he built into an online retail behemoth is expected to keep thriving into a new era thanks to a culture of innovation he helped nurture.

A former English teacher whose often playful image shattered the stereotype of the drab Chinese executive, Ma officially leaves on Tuesday, his 55th birthday.

Ma plans to put his vast fortune -- among China's biggest at $41 billion -- into initiatives serving his first love, education, following the footsteps of a fellow tech innovator he admires: Bill Gates.


The departure of charismatic founders from big tech companies typically causes hand-wringing and wobbling share prices, but not at Alibaba.

The company's operational reins have for a couple of years now been in the hands of a respected team of executives who have kept it on e-commerce's cutting-edge.

Ma was Alibaba's driving force and a frequently irreverent ambassador for the company, known for stunts like a Michael Jackson-inspired dance at an Alibaba anniversary celebration two years ago and starring in his own kung fu short film.

'Gold standard' 

He is expected to retain some advisory functions.

But the transition to figures like CEO Daniel Zhang, and co-founder and executive vice chairman Joseph Tsai -- announced exactly a year ago -- may prove to be the "gold standard" for tech-company succession, said Jeffrey Towson, an equity investor and professor at Peking University.


"He's succeeded at what Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and (Yahoo co-founder) Jerry Yang failed at, which is making themselves redundant," said Towson, who has authored books on China's leading companies.

"He built a really robust culture at Alibaba and they are still just innovating like crazy."

Ma was a cash-strapped Chinese entrepreneur when he convinced friends to give him $60,000 to start Alibaba in the eastern city of Hangzhou in 1999.

With monthly active users of more than 750 million today, Alibaba helped to unlock China's massive consumer power, coincidentally a key objective of the government today as its seeks to fuel domestic demand to lessen the reliance on fickle foreign trade.

Its Taobao and Tmall platforms have helped countless businesses grow.

"(Ma) has been the driving force for the development of China's internet industry and economy. He is (China’s) entrepreneurial godfather," said furniture maker Cheng Huaibao.

Cheng, 30, is one of millions of small businessmen, often located in so-called "Taobao villages" -- communities whose economies are oriented towards Alibaba's vast market -- who leapt into commerce thanks to the company.

Cheng started making bunk beds in 2010 in eastern Jiangsu province with 10 staff. Today his thriving operation has 100 employees.

"Without Teacher Ma, I wouldn't have come out and started my own business," Cheng said, using a common Chinese term of respect.

Continuing to innovate 

There have been criticisms.

Alibaba and its imitators are accused of fostering rampant commercialism and materialism and the selling of counterfeit goods.

Chinese e-commerce today also produces mountains of packaging material, contributing to a rising national garbage problem.

And some of Ma's comments have drawn barbs, including recently dismissing concerns that Chinese workers were toiling excessive hours, as did the news last year that he was a Chinese Communist Party member.

But Alibaba has continued to expand its ecosystem, pushing into cloud computing, entertainment, and a "new retail" concept -- combining online ordering with bricks-and-mortar stores -- while its Alipay finance unit has pioneered cashless digital payments.

Despite slowing Chinese economic growth and the US trade war, earnings have so far remained strong.

Ma, who has established an eponymous charitable organisation, already has launched a range of education initiatives.

Last month he sketched out his mantra going forward during a technology debate in Shanghai with Elon Musk, good-naturedly chiding the US entrepreneur about his obsession with putting a man on Mars.

"We need a hero like you, but we need more heroes like us improving things on Earth," Ma said.

source: philstar.com

Emboldened Australia closes on another first at FIBA World Cup

SHANGHAI – With a historic win over the United States, then three victories in a row at the World Cup in China to top the "Group of Death" — Australian basketball is setting new landmarks for itself.

Now the Boomers are eyeing another first, having never gone beyond the quarterfinals in 11 previous World Cup appearances.

"We speak about it a lot: in international basketball, you need the size, you need the beef, there's big men playing this game," said coach Andrej Lemanis after his team beat European heavyweights Lithuania 87-82 in a gritty encounter in Dongguan.

The hard-earned victory on Thursday — the game was tied with just under two minutes left  made it three wins in a row to start their World Cup, a first for the Boomers.

Australia not only survived the "Group of Death" also including Canada and Senegal, they topped it.

Putting the gloss on the evening, defeat for neighbors New Zealand against a Giannis Antetokounmpo-inspired Greece propelled Australia into the Tokyo 2020 Olympics as the best team in Oceania.

Next, San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills and the rest of the Boomers play surprise-package the Dominican Republic on Saturday in the second round.

They will be favorites to triumph over the Dominicans, who have the joint-shortest roster at the 32-team World Cup and were well beaten 90-56 by France on Thursday.

On Monday, with the quarter-finals in sight, Australia will face their toughest task yet in the form of France, who finished third at the 2014 World Cup.

Going for gold

Australia, the Asian champions and 2016 Rio Olympic semi-finalists, have been building up to this.

They are missing a couple of big players in Philadelphia 76er Jonah Bolden and his teammate Ben Simmons.

But their roster still has a slew of NBA standouts and in the lead-up to the competition they ended the USA's run of 78 consecutive wins in major competitions and exhibition games.

The 98-94 victory in Melbourne was the Boomers' first victory against the world and Olympic champions.

But rather than being cowed by increasing expectations, the likes of Mills, the Utah Jazz's Joe Ingles and seasoned veteran Andrew Bogut have flourished.

Phoenix Suns center Aron Baynes roared to the fore against Lithuania with 21 points, 13 rebounds and two assists.

"Phenomenal, right?" Lemanis purred.

Veteran United States coach Gregg Popovich labeled Australia "top contenders" in China in the build-up.

Mills called it "Australia's best-ever team".

And in a refreshing change from coaches who trot out the usual banalities about "one game at a time", Lemanis refuses to talk down his team.

"Our goal — I think like every team here — is to win the gold," he said after the Lithuania victory.

"That's the goal that we set ourselves and as a group we have a great belief that that's something we can achieve.

"Our goal, absolutely, is to win the gold medal," Lemanis repeated for emphasis.

source: philstar.com

400 million Facebook users' phone numbers exposed in privacy lapse, reports say

WASHINGTON, United States — Phone numbers linked to more than 400 million Facebook accounts were listed online in the latest privacy lapse for the social media giant, US media reported Wednesday.

An exposed server stored 419 million records on users across several databases -- including 133 million US accounts, more than 50 million in Vietnam, and 18 million in Britain, according to technology news site TechCrunch.

The databases listed Facebook user IDs -- unique digits attached to each account -- the profiles' phone numbers, as well as the gender listed by some accounts and their geographical locations, technology website TechCrunch reported.


The server was not password protected, meaning anyone could access the databases, and remained online until late Wednesday when TechCrunch contacted the site's host.

Facebook confirmed parts of the report but downplayed the extent of the exposure, saying that the number of accounts so far confirmed was around half of the reported 419 million.

It added that many of the entries were duplicates and that the data was old.

"The dataset has been taken down and we have seen no evidence that Facebook accounts were compromised," a Facebook spokesperson told AFP.

Following the 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal, when a firm used Facebook's lax privacy settings to access millions of users' personal details, the company disabled a feature that allowed users to search the platform by phone numbers.

The exposure of a user's phone number leaves them vulnerable to spam calls, SIM-swapping -- as recently happened to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey -- with hackers able to force-reset the passwords of the compromised accounts.

source: philstar.com

Dimitrov stuns Federer to reach US Open semifinals

NEW YORK – Grigor Dimitrov rallied for a shocking upset of 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer at the US Open on Tuesday (Wednesday, Manila time), the lowest-ranked New York semifinalist in 28 years advancing to face Daniil Medvedev.

The 78th-ranked Bulgarian, who had dropped all seven prior meetings with Federer, made a dramatic fightback to defeat the Swiss third seed 3-6, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 at Arthur Ashe Stadium and will face Russian fifth seed Medvedev in Friday's semis.

"I'm just happy," Dimitrov said. "The only thing I was telling myself was to stay in the match. Physically I was feeling pretty good. I was hitting some shots against him that were hard to hit."


Dimitrov reached his first US Open semifinal to match the deepest Slam runs of his career from Wimbledon in 2014 and the 2017 Australian Open.

Not since 174th-ranked Jimmy Connors reached the 1991 quarterfinals had New York seen so lowly a figure on the ATP ratings list reach the last four.


Dimitrov is also the lowest-ranked Slam semifinalist since 94th-rated Rainer Schuettler of Germany at Wimbledon in 2008.

Federer was denied on five break points in the 10th game of the fourth set and Dimitrov held to force a fifth set.

"I was trying to stay in that game and make him stay on the court as much as possible. After that he started slowing down a little bit," Dimitrov said.


"It's a best of five sets. Anything can happen."

Federer went off the court for a private medical timeout to treat his upper back near his neck.

"This is Grigor's moment, not my body's moment," Federer said.

Dimitrov broke Federer twice on the way to a 4-0 lead in the final set and the 38-year-old Swiss star had no effective reply, foiled by 61 unforced errors in falling after three hours and 12 minutes.

"It's OK. It's how it goes," Federer said. "I tried my best. I fought with what I had and that's it."

Federer, a five-time US Open champion who hasn't lifted the Flushing Meadows title since 2008, would have become the oldest Slam semifinalist since Jimmy Connors at age 39 at the 1991 US Open.

source: philstar.com

Nadal reigns in clash of former US Open champs as Zverev exits

NEW YORK – Rafael Nadal ramped up his quest for a fourth US Open title Monday (Tuesday, Manila time) with an impressive win over 2014 champion Marin Cilic to advance to the quarterfinals while Alexander Zverev slumped to a four-set defeat.

Second seed Nadal — the winner at Flushing Meadows in 2010, 2013 and 2017 — produced some electrifying moments of brilliance to end the challenge of Croatia's Marin Cilic 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.

After barely breaking a sweat in reaching the last 16, a run that included a second-round walkover, Nadal stared down his stiffest test so far to surge into a quarterfinal meeting with Argentine 20th seed Diego Schwartzman.


The Spaniard exchanged the first two sets with Cilic but grasped control by breaking for 3-1 in the third, a series of dazzling winners drawing an animated fist-pump from golf legend Tiger Woods at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Nadal reeled off nine games in succession across the third and fourth sets and 12 of the final 15 to nail down a 40th Grand Slam quarterfinal appearance, nine of which have come at the US Open.

"The emotions I have when I play here are impossible to describe. I love the sport and feel very lucky to still be playing tennis here. Eight years ago I didn't think that would happen as my body was suffering badly," Nadal said.

"It's a huge honor playing in front of all of you and playing in front of Tiger is a very special thing. I always say I don't have big idols but one idol is him and I always try to follow him."

Nadal's path to the final sees him take on Schwartzman next after the 5ft 7in (1.70m) Argentine chopped down sixth seed Zverev.


"He is playing amazing, nothing new, he's one of the players with best talent on tour," the 18-time Grand Slam champion said of his upcoming opponent.

"It will be a big challenge. I have to play my best. I'm happy for him. He's a close friend and I hope to play a great match."

Berrettini, Monfils win

Zverev rolled through the opening set against Schwartzman under the roof on Ashe during a rainy afternoon session, but he lost his way to go down 3-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-3.

The German was enjoying his deepest run in New York but committed 17 double faults and 65 unforced errors and received a point penalty for swearing as Schwartzman advanced to a second US Open quarter-final in three years.

"Generally my season so far has not been the best," said Zverev, who has reached just two quarterfinals in 18 Grand Slam appearances.

Zverev said he was hindered a "very swollen" back and right hip following a fall in his previous match.

"I had a lot of chances which I didn't use early in the match. He kind of ran away with it."

Zverev lost his serve three times during the second set but appeared to have steadied himself when he moved a break ahead at 3-2 in the third, only for Schwartzman to wrest the momentum back in his favor after a lengthy sixth game.

"It was tough because I was feeling I had the chance to win this and I had a few break points I could not take," Schwartzman said. "He was up a break and then I recovered really quickly and I felt great after that."

Matteo Berrettini became just the second Italian man to progress to the US Open quarterfinals, 42 years after Corrado Barazzutti's run to the last four in New York.

Berrettini, the 24th seed, eased to a 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (8/6) win over Russia's 43rd-ranked Andrey Rublev to reach the last eight at a Grand Slam for the first time.

"It's something really crazy. I cannot believe it right now. I need a few hours to understand what happened," said Berrettini, 23, who goes on to play French 13th seed Gael Monfils.

"I'm just happy. Seeing my team and family here and crying, for me it's unbelievable."

Berrettini went one step further than his run to the last 16 at Wimbledon in July, where he was beaten by Roger Federer.

Monfils, a 2016 US Open semifinalist, crushed the 33-year-old Andujar's bid to become the oldest player in the Open era to reach his first Grand Slam singles quarterfinal with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 rout.

source: philstar.com

Unbeaten Khabib stakes crown vs Poirier in UFC 242

MANILA, Philippines – Russian Khabib Nurmagomedov puts his unbeaten record on the line as he slugs it out with Dustin Poirier of the US in UFC 242 lightweight championship on September 8 at The Arena in Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

Nurmagomedov has racked up an impressive 27-win feat that included victories over tough fighters likes Darell Horcher, Edson Barboza and Conor McGregor, spiking most of his triumphs through submission that further underscores his grappling skills.

A natural fighter by profession, Nurmagomedov also has a flourishing career outside of the UFC, bagging two championships each in Combat sambo and grappling and one gold in pankration.

But the American fighter will be coming into the match all psyched up. Currently at No. 8 in the official UFC pound-for-pound rankings, Poirier is one of the sport’s rising stars with 25 wins and five loses.

UFC 242 will be shown live on FOX+ on Sunday.

Poirier launched his UFC career in big fashion in 2011, beating Josh Grispi in UFC 125 via unanimous decision, then hurdled the likes of Eddie Alvarez, Anthony Pettis and Max Holloway to get into the mix.

But Poirier, a straight-up striker, will have his hands full against Nurmagomedov, whose fighting style clearly favors close up strikes.

source: philstar.com

Twitter CEO account hacked, offensive tweets posted

SAN FRANCISCO, United States—Twitter said Friday the account of chief executive Jack Dorsey had been "compromised" after a series of erratic and offensive messages were posted.

The tweets containing racial slurs and suggestions about a bomb showed up around 2000 GMT on the @jack account of the founder of the short messaging service before being deleted.

Some of the tweets contained the hashtag #ChucklingSquad, which was believed to indicate the identity of the hacker group. The same calling card was left behind during recent hacks of other high-profile social media personalities.

The messages contained racial epithets, and included a retweet of a message supporting Nazi Germany.

Twitter said that the phone number associated with Dorsey's account was "compromised due to a security oversight by the mobile provider," allowing a hacker to posts tweets to @jack by sending text messages.

Dorsey's account has been secured and there was "no indication that Twitter's systems have been compromised," according to the San Francisco-based internet firm.

It appeared that tweets posted on Dorsey's account by the hacker were up for about a half-hour before they were removed.

Pinned atop Dorsey's account was a tweet from early last year saying: "We're committing Twitter to help increase the collective health, openness, and civility of public conversation, and to hold ourselves publicly accountable towards progress."

A barrage of comments fired off on the platform questioned why the Twitter co-founder didn't secure his account better, and how disturbing a sign it was that the service couldn't keep its own chief safe on the platform.

"If you can't protect Jack, you can't protect... jack," one Twitter user quipped.

The news comes with Dorsey and Twitter moving aggressively to clean up offensive and inappropriate content as part of a focus on "safety."

"This might be the only way to get rid of racist tweets on this platform," a Twitter user commented.

What happened? 

British-based security consultant Graham Cluley said the incident highlighted the importance of two-factor authentication, where a user must confirm the account via an external service.

Cluley advised people to make sure they use two-factor authentication and check which applications are linked to their accounts.

"While it looks bad, it's important to remember this is not some state-grade hack," said R. David Edelman, director of technology, economy, and national security project at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

"It's fundamentally an act of petty vandalism; the equivalent of spray painting a billboard above Twitter HQ."

Cybersecurity researcher Kevin Beaumont said the account appeared to have been hijacked "via a third party called Cloudhopper, which Twitter acquired about 10 years ago and had access to his account."

Cloudhopper enables users to send tweets on their phones via SMS.

"While it's tempting to laugh at the irony of it, the real-world consequences don't make it funny," University of Hartford communications professor Adam Chiara said of Dorsey's account being hacked.

"Twitter can tell us that they are becoming more diligent with our privacy and security, but actions speak louder than words."

The incident raised fresh concerns about how social media users -- even prominent ones -- can have their accounts compromised and used for misinformation, a point highlighted by Canadian member of parliament Michelle Rempel Garner.

"Between bots, trolls and abuse, I’ve been skeptical about @Twitter as a viable platform for some time now," Rempel Garner wrote.

"But the fact it took the platform’s owner (@jack) about 30 min to get his hacked account under control is deeply problematic, and makes me worry as an elected official."

source: philstar.com