Life after Zayn

MANILA, Philippines - Right now, you probably already know what went down in the wee hours of March 26, Thursday morning. Zayn Malik, Bradford bad boy and token diva of One Direction, left the boyband for good so he could focus on fixing his private life. His announcement was made exactly a week after he walked out in the middle of the Southeast Asian leg of their world tour. To the fans of the boys, and fans of bands in general, losing a member is monumental. Think of the Beatles sans John Lennon or the Spice Girls minus Geri Halliwell — history’s shown that sudden departures can end a band’s successful run. Will 1D meet the same fate?

In the case of N*Sync, where the brunt of the vocals was primarily juggled by Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez, the option of continuing as a band was rather unlikely. Justin’s voice was distinctive and carried most of their tracks to their climax. Without him, it would’ve just been JC and three backup dancers. In 1D, the distribution of parts is more or less equal and interchangeable. If you take Zayn out of the equation, the other four boys (Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson) would be there to pick up his slack. The concerts last weekend proved they could manage just fine without him. Although the remaining quartet couldn’t exactly hit all the otherworldly notes Zayn had set for them (let’s face it, the boy was vocally blessed with a golden falsetto), they were still able to deliver respectable and enjoyable performances.

In terms of songwriting, Zayn’s a lightweight. He only managed to co-write 10 of the band’s 73 songs. That’s meager compared to Liam’s 27 and Louis’s 30. There have been rumors that Zayn’s original compositions were not good enough to make the final cut of their latest album, “Four,” spurring him to collaborate with outside producers like Naughty Boy. Whether this is true or not, we’ll see its fruits in the future. But for now, it’s safe to say that the rest of the 1D boys have nothing to worry about regarding songwriting. After all, they still have a company-provided team of songsmiths to help them out.

#ALWAYSINOURHEARTSZAYNMALIK 

Thursday’s Twitter trends were full of hashtags and lamentations dedicated to Zayn’s abrupt goodbye. Fans begged him to come back. Others sent their best wishes. The rumor mill spun like mad. It’s undeniable how Zayn was adored. The boy brought something different to the plate. He was simple and meek. He was of color and of a different religion. He opened up the band to audiences who wouldn’t have normally taken notice of a generic bunch of singing white boys.

For many fans, Zayn was the sole reason they even joined the fandom. With his long lashes, chiseled features, and insane vocals, he lured them into the craziness that is One Direction only to leave them behind when the times got tough. To see him go like that must have felt like betrayal. Nothing made this more evident than the fan reaction to the news that he would be M.I.A. for the Manila shows. Friends of mine threatened to sell their tickets. Some opted for downgrades. And yet, come concert day, all of them still showed up with their original tickets in hand because despite all the pre-concert drama, there was still a chance of Zayn’s triumphant return once he got things sorted out. It was a possibility that never came to pass. Zayn is gone.



A couple of friends and I were lucky enough to see him perform in Singapore, one of his final shows with the whole band. His ad-libs were inhuman, and they left me and everyone in the stadium floored. He had a few good laughs with the boys onstage, but for the most part, his eyes were glazed over, staring into oblivion. I didn’t notice it at that time, but he was probably mulling over his next steps. Two shows later, in Bangkok, he took his final bow. “Thank you,” he said, “We have been One Direction!” And that was that.

Boybands have a limited shelf life, and 1D is nearing its expiration date. It’s only a matter of time before their fans find other acts to gush about, but until then, they still have a tour to finish and an album to release. Life for the boys after Zayn will be different, definitely. It will be new. It will be a gamble. Fans, like myself, can only hope it’ll pay off. It would be sad to see them just fade away.

source: philstar.com

Zayn Malik quits One Direction, wants normal life

LONDON | Singer Zayn Malik said on Wednesday he was quitting the best-selling pop band One Direction because he wanted to live a normal life and apologized to fans of the hugely popular British-Irish group for doing so.

The decision by Malik to quit came after he dropped out of an Asian tour due to what he said was stress when pictures of the singer, who is engaged to Perrie Edwards of Little Mix, were published showing him partying with another woman in Thailand.

“I’d like to apologize to the fans if I’ve let anyone down, but I have to do what feels right in my heart. I am leaving because I want to be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight,” Malik said in a statement on One Direction’s Facebook page.

The announcement said Malik’s decision had come after five years with the band, which came to prominence for its performance on the popular televised singing competition “The X Factor” in 2010.

One Direction’s biggest hits include “Best Song Ever”, “Kiss You”, “What Makes You Beautiful” and “Story of My Life”.

The remaining band members, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, will continue on their current world tour as a foursome and will release their fifth album later this year, the statement said.

“We’re really sad to see Zayn go, but we totally respect his decision and send him all our love for the future. The past five years have been beyond amazing, we’ve gone through so much together, so we will always be friends,” the band members said.

Simon Cowell, the British music and television impresario who launched the band, said:

“I would like to say thank you to Zayn for everything he has done for One Direction. Since I first met Zayn in 2010, I have grown very, very fond — and immensely proud — of him.

“I have seen him grow in confidence and I am truly sorry to see him leave. As for One Direction, fans can rest assured that Niall, Liam, Harry and Louis are hugely excited about the future of the band.”

The announcement instantly made Malik’s name one of the top trends on Twitter and produced anguished reactions from fans.

“I KEEP HOPING THAT @zaynmalik LEAVING IS SOME EARLY APRIL FOOLS JOKE BY @onedirection,” tweeted one American fan.

source: interaksyon.com

Asian shares erase gains, China factory weighs

TOKYO - An index of Asian shares erased its early gains on Tuesday after a measure of Chinese factory activity unexpectedly skidded to an 11-month low.

The flash HSBC/Markit Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) dipped to 49.2 in March, below the 50-point level. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast a reading of 50.6, slightly weaker than February's final PMI of 50.7.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was down about 0.1 percent.

The private survey signaled persistent weakness in the world's second-largest economy that is likely to add to calls for more policy easing from Beijing.

"A renewed fall in total new business contributed to a weaker expansion of output, while companies continued to trim their workforce numbers," Annabel Fiddes, an economist at Markit said.

The Shanghai Composite Index, which has recently pushed to seven-year highs, sagged 0.3 percent in early trading. Japan's Nikkei stock average slipped about 0.5 percent, pulling away from the previous session's 15-year highs.

The U.S. dollar edged slightly higher on the day, but still remained well off its recent highs as investors bet that the U.S. Federal Reserve will stay its hand on hiking interest rates in the months ahead.

Underscoring that the long-term view remains intact but the near-term is unclear, Fed Vice Chair Stanley Fischer, the central bank's second-in-command, said on Monday that the Federal Reserve is "widely expected" to begin raising interest rates this year though the policy path remains uncertain.

Fischer said the stronger dollar and weaker oil prices figure in U.S. policymaking, but said the central bank is "trying to look through those phenomena."

The dollar plunged last week after the Fed cut its inflation outlook and its growth forecast. The market consensus is that the Fed will hold off raising rates until at least September, rendering short-term directional bets difficult to make.

The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six major rivals, edged up about 0.2 percent to 97.179 .DXY, but remained below its 12-year peak of 100.390 struck on March 13.

The dollar was up 0.1 percent on the day against its Japanese counterpart at 119.80 yen, but remained well below Friday's session high of 121.20 and levels above 122 yen touched earlier this month.

The euro stood at $1.0923, down about 0.2 percent from the previous session but still well above a 12-year nadir of $1.0457 plumbed last week before the Fed's statement.

The euro got a lift against the dollar on Monday after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said he expected consumer prices to rise gradually by the end of the year even if they might remain very low or negative in the months ahead.

Some market participants took this as a sign that the ECB might wrap up its bond-buying scheme early, though Draghi said it intended to carry out purchases at least until end-September.

The weaker dollar lent support to dollar-denominated commodities, though some investors took profits on recent rallies. U.S. crude futures edged down about 0.4 percent to $47.28 a barrel after soaring 1.9 percent in the previous session.

Spot gold edged down about 0.2 percent after a four-day rally, to $1,187.10 an ounce.

source: interaksyon.com

Sierra Leone orders three-day lockdown against Ebola

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone - Sierra Leone's President Ernest Koroma ordered the country's entire population Saturday to stay in their homes for three days in a bid to stem the spread of the deadly Ebola epidemic.

"All Sierra Leoneans must stay at home for three days," he announced, expanding a previous order for a lockdown in the capital Freetown and northern areas of the country nationwide.

"I have made my personal commitment to do whatever it takes to get to zero Ebola infections and I call on every Sierra Leonean in every community to pull together," he added.

People will be ordered to stay home from 0600 GMT March 27 to 1800 GMT March 29, with "no trading activities across the country".

Authorities in the Muslim-majority state will lift the lockdown for part of the day to allow church services on Palm Sunday.

Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone -- which have been the centres of the outbreak which has killed more than 10,000 people -- have set a goal of cutting off the  disease's spread by April 16.

"The economic development of our country and the lives of our people continue to be threatened by the ongoing presence of Ebola in Sierra Leone. The future of our country and the aspirations of our children are at stake," the president said.

One of the deadliest viruses known to man, Ebola is spread only through direct contact with the bodily fluids of the recently deceased or an infected person showing symptoms, such as fever or vomiting.

The worst-ever outbreak of the virus has claimed almost 3,700 lives in Sierra Leone, one of three impoverished west African nations that have seen their economies and healthcare systems wrecked  by the crisis.

source: interaksyon.com

Windows 10 coming in 190 countries, 111 languages

WASHINGTON — Microsoft says its new Windows 10 operating system will be coming “this summer” in 190 countries and 111 languages.

In a blog post late Tuesday, Microsoft executive vice president Terry Myerson said the operating system designed for multiple devices would also have a “small footprint” for connected devices.

“We continue to make great development progress and shared today that Windows 10 will be available this summer in 190 countries and 111 languages,” he said.

Microsoft has yet to provide a precise date for the launch of the operating system, which is aimed at powering PCs,smartphones and also connected devices such as bank machines and medical equipment.

“For the first time, a new version of Windows for small footprint IoT (Internet of Things) devices will be available — for free — when Windows 10 launches,” Myerson said.

“Windows 10 will offer versions of Windows for a diverse set of IoT devices, ranging from powerful devices like ATMs and ultrasound machines, to resource constrained devices like gateways.”

Microsoft is also working with fast-growing Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi to test Windows 10 on its devices.

The US tech giant also announced partnerships with Chinese-based Tencent and Lenovo to help customers in China upgrade to Windows 10.

The company also said Tuesday that Windows 10 will allow users to sign in to a device without a password by using biometrics, including facial recognition.

source: interaksyon.com

The ‘Afghan Bruce Lee’ dreaming of Hollywood

KABUL | Framed by the dramatic backdrop of Kabul’s ruined Darulaman palace, Abbas Alizada throws kung fu punches, kicks and spins, watched by an eager young crowd.

Dressed in a white vest, black trousers and light shoes despite the bitter Afghan winter, Alizada bears a striking resemblance to his idol — legendary martial arts movie star Bruce Lee.

Alizada twirls his nunchuks in front of the shell-blasted walls of the former royal palace, an evocative monument to the 35 years of war that have ravaged Afghanistan.

Then he leaves the enclosure, smiling, sunglasses on his nose, his fans can finally meet him, shake his hand — and take selfies with him.

He is a member of Afghanistan’s Hazara community, an ethnic group with distinctively Central Asian features that add to his resemblance to Hong Kong star Lee.

With more than 50,000 followers on Twitter and 40,000 likes on Facebook, Alizada has become quite a celebrity in Afghanistan, known locally as “Bruce Hazara”.

He has become a familiar face on local media and now he is dreaming of Hollywood stardom.

“When I was eight years old I saw the Bruce Lee movies, and I was hooked,” he told AFP in his brother’s office in Kabul, sitting round a traditional “sandali” stove for warmth.

“I said I will be the Bruce Lee of Afghanistan one day. I know I cannot be Bruce Lee, but I follow in his path,” he said.

LOCAL HERO

Alizada is the youngest of 10 children and his older brothers have followed his career closely. One of them, 25-year-old Ahmad Zia, works as his manager, coach and secretary.

“I’m very hopeful that my brother will become a member of Hollywood,” Zia said.

Alizada dreams of working with Hong Kong martial arts movie star Jackie Chan — who he respectfully refers to as “Mr Jackie”.

He also idolizes action stars such as “Mr Rambo” — Sylvester Stallone — Chuck Norris and Jean-Claude Van Damme.

But his biggest ambition is to complete “The Game of Death”, the film Lee left unfinished when he died in 1973.

“Bruce didn’t finish his last movie, he did half of the movie. My project is to complete this movie,” Alizada said.

Hollywood or no, Alizada is already the pride of the Kabul district where he lives.

“Abbas is a hero, he’s a superstar for us,” engineer Mohammad Ali Mokhtar, 25, said.

“Our country faces difficult problems, like drugs, security, and so on. We hope Abbas will raise the name of our country.”

Apart from the country’s reputation, Mokhtar also hopes Abbas can fly the flag for the Hazaras, a largely Shiite Muslim community that has suffered sectarian discrimination and violence in the past from Sunni hardliners.

“It’s important for us Hazaras especially, because we like to live in a peaceful environment,” he said.

Fellow fan Ramin, a politics student, said the first time he saw him on the TV, “I was shocked how much he looked like (Lee). I’m so pleased that we have such a character in Afghanistan.”

When he’s not training at Darulaman or in his martial arts club, Alizada looks after his father, who is paralyzed down his left side.

The old man encourages his youngest son and hopes he can become a Hollywood star.

source: interaksyon.com

Can Christi Lynn McGarry compete in Miss Intercontinental again?

It seems that almost year in and year out, the Binibining Pilipinas beauty pageant never runs out of controversial issues.

Christi Lynn McGarry was crowned Bb. Pilipinas-Intercontinental 2015 Sunday night. However, it turned out that she had already competed for the Miss Intercontinental title in 2010 when the local franchise was not yet under the fold of the Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc.

Alerted by InterAksyon, BPCI immediately acknowledged the potential conflict on Monday and furnished us this statement: “The Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Incorporated is studying the issue about Christi Lynn McGarry who then competed for Miss Intercontinental 2010. We will update everyone should we arrive at anything final.”

McGarry, who listed Nabua, Camarines Sur as her hometown in this year’s Binibining Pilipinas, represented the Filipino Community of East Coast, USA back when she competed in the Mutya ng Pilipinas 2010.

As the winner of the Mutya ng Pilipinas Asia-Pacific title in that pageant, the 24-year-old stunner earned the right to represent the Philippines in the 2010 Miss Intercontinental contest where she finished among the Top 15 semifinalists and also won the special award, Miss Asia Oceania Intercontinental.

A check with Miss Intercontinental’s official website states that delegates should be “at least 18 years old and under 27 (in the year they participate in the telecast).” Pageant rules are not posted in detail so it is not known if contestants who already participated in previous pageants are allowed to compete again.

If McGarry can’t compete anymore in Miss Intercontinental, would she forfeit her Binibining Pilipinas-Intercontinental crown?

Would this pave the way for 1st runner-up Hannah Ruth Sison, who was reportedly heartbroken after her three-year campaign for a Binibining Pilipinas crown fell short for the third and final time on Sunday? Pageant insiders feel that this is an unlikely scenario and point to McGarry switching titles with Binibining Pilipinas-Supranational Rogelie Catacutan as a more plausible solution.

For now, the issue remains unresolved as there is no scheduled date yet for Miss Intercontinental 2015. Last year, the pageant was won by Thailand’s Phataraporn Wang while Binibining Pilipinas-Intercontinental 2014 Kris Tiffany Janson won 2nd runner-up—the country’s best finish in the pageant’s 42-year history.

source: interaksyon.com

Pope Francis declares special Holy Year of mercy

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis announced on Friday the Roman Catholic Church will mark an extraordinary Holy Year, one of its most important events, in which faithful make pilgrimages to Rome and other religious sites around the world.

During the last Holy Year -- or Jubilee -- in 2000, millions of pilgrims came to Rome to take part in religious festivities throughout the year.

Making the surprise announcement in St. Peter's Basilica on the second anniversary of his election, Francis said the Holy Year will focus on the topic of mercy, one of the most important themes of his papacy.

It will start on December 8 of this year and end on November 20, 2016. This will be only the 29th Holy Year in the Church since the tradition started more than 700 years ago.

Holy Years normally take place every 25 years unless a pope decrees an extraordinary one to bring attention to a particular topic or need. The next one had been scheduled for 2025.

Francis, who says he wants his Church of 1.2 billion members to be more merciful and less rigid towards sinners, said the Jubilee would be an occasion for all members -- and the Church itself -- to rediscover the need to be forgiving and generous.

"The Church is the home that accepts everyone and refuses no one ... the greater the sin, the greater the love that the Church should show towards those who convert," he said.

During a Holy Year, one of the entrances to St. Peter's Basilica, which is known as the Holy Door and normally bricked up, is opened so pilgrims can pass through it. The Holy Doors of Rome's other basilicas are also opened.

According to the Vatican website, a Holy Year should be a time of reconciliation with adversaries and an occasion to promote solidarity, hope and justice in the world.

Faithful who make pilgrimages to religious sites or do good works during a Holy Year can receive indulgences, or the remission of punishment for sins, under certain conditions.

The Vatican said the official proclamation of the Holy Year, known as a papal bull, will be published next month. Cathedrals and other religious venues around the world are expected to be designated at national pilgrimage sites.

The last extraordinary Holy Year was called in 1983 by Pope John Paul II to mark the 1,950 years after the death of Jesus.

source: interaksyon.com

Manny Pacquiao embraces underdog tag: ‘It gives me more motivation’

Floyd Mayweather at 38 could be the perfect target for Manny Pacquiao, the Filipino ring icon’s trainer Freddie Roach said Wednesday.

As Mayweather and Pacquiao turned out for their only joint press conference in the build-up to their May 2 mega-bout, Roach said the unbeaten Mayweather’s vaunted defensive abilities are waning.

“His legs are little bit shot. He’s slowed down quite a bit,” Roach said, adding that he believes Mayweather would have had a better chance of beating Pacquiao five years ago, when attempts to make the fight fell apart.

“He is going to have to exchange more,” Roach added — with a pithy dismissal of the idea that Mayweather has recently become more willing to go toe-to-toe in an effort to please fans.

“That’s bullshit,” Roach said. “He doesn’t care about the fans. He has to exchange more because his legs won’t take him out of the way … if he has to exchange with Manny Pacquiao he is in trouble.”

Mayweather brings a record of 47-0 with 26 knockouts to the bout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Although Pacquiao is two years his junior, it was the Filipino whose career appeared to be on the wane after back to back defeats in 2012.

Since then, however, the southpaw has won three fights in a row to take his record to 57-5 with two drawn and 38 knockouts.

He’s the underdog, but said Wednesday that just adds fuel to his competitive fire.

“I like that,” Pacquiao said. “It gives me more motivation, more determination to focus on the fight and prove something.”

source: interaksyon.com

Women with close male kin with prostate cancer more likely to have breast cancer - study

Women with close male relatives with prostate cancer are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer, a new study confirms.

These findings, from the large Women's Health Initiative, reinforce the results of a 1994 study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, the authors write.

“This is not the first study to examine this relationship, but it is one of the larger to date, if not the largest study,” said lead author Jennifer L. Beebe-Dimmer of Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit.

Cancer is a disease of the DNA, she said, and family clustering indicates that breast and prostate cancers may have genes in common,

Beebe-Dimmer and her colleagues used data for more than 78,000 women in the Women’s Health Initiative who were over age 50 and cancer-free when the study began in 1993. At the start they had comprehensive physical exams and gave detailed personal and family medical histories.

Most women remained in the study for more than 10 years.

By 2009 there had been 3,506 new breast cancers in the original group.

Overall, more than 11,000 women had a first-degree relative – mother, sister or daughter - with breast cancer, and this was more common for those who were eventually diagnosed themselves. Twenty percent of women with breast cancer had first-degree relatives with the disease, compared to nearly 15 percent of those who did not develop breast cancer.

There was a similar, but very slight, association with prostate cancer, the researchers reported in Cancer.

More than 11 percent of women who developed breast cancer reported a first-degree relative with prostate cancer, compared to about 10 percent of women without the disease. Having a father, brother or son with prostate cancer increased the risk of breast cancer by about 14 percent.

Compared to women with no family history of breast or prostate cancer, those with a family history of both were 80 percent more likely to develop breast cancer, the authors found.

“We know that the major breast cancer susceptibility genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 are also linked to prostate cancer,” Beebe-Dimmer told Reuters Health by email. That may explain some of the clustering, she said.

Researchers have been reporting on familial links between breast and prostate cancer for 40 years, said Mary-Claire King of the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, in email to Reuters Health.

“It is good to see the link confirmed” in the Women’s Health Initiative, said King, who was not involved in the new research.

“Both of these cancers are relatively common, so that it is possible when cancers are diagnosed in multiple family members it may be due to chance,” she said. “It may also be an exposure to something in the environment.”

The decision to increase breast cancer screening will depend on how many male relatives have been diagnosed with prostate cancer and at what age, she said, with more diagnoses at young ages being particularly telling.

“Knowledge of breast cancer family history is still extremely important,” Beebe-Dimmer said. She would not recommend BRCA1 or 2 genetic testing for women with a family history of prostate cancer but no history of breast or ovarian cancer.

source: interaksyon.com