Tuesday

Cockroach in car causes driver to crash into overpass stairs in Singapore


SINGAPORE — The sight of a cockroach crawling in her car gave a 61-year-old woman such a fright that she crashed into an overhead bridge in Jurong East Central last Friday.

In photos of the incident shared on Facebook, the red Mazda is seen mounted on the pavement. Its front bumper appeared to be heavily damaged after hitting the railing at the base of the overhead bridge staircase.

The police said they were alerted to an accident involving a car in Jurong East Central, towards Science Centre Road, at about 7:30 a.m.

The woman was taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.

The Straits Times understands that the woman, who was alone in the car, suffered minor injuries.

It is believed that she was driving along the road when she got a shock at seeing a cockroach in the car.

She lost control of the vehicle and swerved in the direction of the overhead bridge.

Her son arrived at the scene shortly after the accident.

Police are investigating.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Super Bowl week to feature Snoop Dogg, J. Lo, Pink, Cardi B


NEW YORK (AP) — Snoop Dogg will be celebrating Super Bowl week with two of his favorite things: worship and women, headlining BET’s annual pre-Super Bowl gospel concert and the Playboy party.

The busy week also features performances by Jennifer Lopez, Pink, Cardi B and the Chainsmokers. Super Bowl 52 will take place Sunday at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minnesota, where the Philadelphia Eagles will take on the New England Patriots.

The biggest of the stars, though, is Justin Timberlake: Before he headlines the halftime show, he will hold a listening party Thursday at Paisley Park for his new album, “Man of the Woods,” to be released Friday.

Pink will also play double duty: She will sing the National Anthem before the Big Game, and will perform a concert Friday night at Nomadic Live! at The Armory.

Friday’s events include a Rolling Stone magazine party with Migos, 21 Savage and T-Pain; Ellie Goulding and Kygo at Mystic Lake; and Golden Globe-nominated “Insecure” actress Issa Rae speaking at the NFL’s third “In the Huddle” Women’s Summit For Young Women.

Rae’s “Insecure” co-star, Yvonne Orji, will co-host BET’s gospel concert with Pastor John Gray on Thursday, where performers include Faith Evans, Sheila E., Donnie McClurkin, Erica Campbell and Tye Tribbett. Thursday will also include the EA Sports Bowl with Imagine Dragons, Machine Gun Kelly and Mura Masa at The Armory, while The Chainsmokers will perform at Mystic Lake.

Lopez will headline the DirecTV Super Saturday Night concert — a show Taylor Swift performed at last year. Maxim will hold a party Saturday with Cardi B and Post Malone, while Dave Matthews Band and Florida Georgia Line will also hold concerts that night. It’s the same day Snoop Dogg will DJ Playboy’s Big Game Weekend Party (he will also hold a screening Friday for his new Netflix show, “Coach Snoop.”)

Kelly Clarkson and Sheila E. will perform concerts ahead of the Super Bowl on Sunday, while Diddy, DJ Khaled, French Montana, Cardi B, G-Eazy and Busta Rhymes will perform at the first annual Players Ball Extravaganza after the game. MKH

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Monday

Federer ‘no idea’ how long he will go on


Age-defying Roger Federer says after winning his third Grand Slam title in a year he has no idea how long he will continue playing.

The 36-year-old Swiss marvel continues to defy the years and attrition rate, reaching his 30th Grand Slam decider and claiming his sixth Australian crown and 20th Grand Slam title.

The world No.2 won back-to-back Australian Opens by beating Marin Cilic 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 on Sunday, dropping his only sets of a stress-free tournament.

Federer, who downed great rival Rafael Nadal in a classic five-set Australian final last year, eased through this year’s event with five of his seven matches finishing on or under two hours and he spent just a total of 13hr 53min on court.

Asked after his Melbourne triumph how much longer he can continue at the summit of men’s tennis, he replied: “No idea. Honest, I don’t know. I have no idea.

“I’ve won three slams now in 12 months. I can’t believe it myself. I just got to keep a good schedule, stay hungry, then maybe good things can happen.”

Federer said his age didn’t come into it when questions were raised about his continuing longevity.

“I don’t think age is an issue, it’s just a number,” he said.

“But I need to be very careful in my planning, really decide beforehand what are my goals, what are my priorities.

“I think that’s what’s going to dictate how successful I will be.”

But he added: “Exciting times ahead. As a professional, it’s what we do. But I’m happy I’m in that position right now.”

Great team 

His emotional victory in Sunday put him alongside Novak Djokovic and Australian Roy Emerson with the most Australian titles at six.

While his long-time rivals Nadal, Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka and Andy Murray have injury concerns heading into the new season, not only did Federer blaze on into the final but he finished stronger than Cilic, who is seven years younger, in the fifth set.

Federer was the oldest man at 36 to reach the Australian Open final since Australians Ken Rosewall (37) and Mal Anderson (36) played in the 1972 decider.

He explained his circumstances which allowed him to play on.

“I think by not overplaying, not playing every tournament possible. I enjoy practice. Not minding the travel. Having a great team around me, they make it possible,” he said.

“At the end it’s seeing that my parents are incredibly proud and happy that I’m still doing it. They enjoy coming to tournaments. That makes me happy and play better.”

Federer is the father of two sets of twins, Myla Rose and Charlene Riva and Leo and Lenny with wife Mirka, a former player he met at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

Despite his win Federer will remain world No.2 behind Nadal while Cilic has climbed from six to a career-high three.

Cilic overcame Federer on the way to winning the 2014 US Open final, but it remains his only win in 10 encounters.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Saturday

Antetokounmpo scores 41 points as Bucks torch Nets


MILWAUKEE — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 41 points and 13 rebounds to help the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Brooklyn Nets 116-91 on Friday night.

Antetokounmpo returned after sitting out two games to manage chronic pain in his right knee. He sealed it late, dribbling between his legs before hitting a jumper over Quincy Acy and drawing a foul. Antetokounmpo made the free throw, and hit a 3-pointer on the next possession.

Khris Middleton added 21 points for the Bucks in their second game since coach Jason Kidd was fired Monday. They also beat the Nets for the ninth consecutive time.

DeMarre Carroll and D’Angelo Russell had 14 points apiece for Brooklyn.

Milwaukee built a 26-point first-half lead. Brooklyn, which had just 35 points at the half, scored 37 in the third quarter and got within seven points late in the period.

The Nets, coming off a one-point loss to Oklahoma City on Tuesday night, struggled offensively throughout the first half, connecting on just 26 percent of their shots, including 4 of 20 from 3-point range. Milwaukee led 58-35 at the half.

The Bucks opened on a 16-2 run and led 33-15 after the quarter, led by Antetokounmpo with 11 points.

TROUBLE FOR BROWN

Police officers used a stun gun on Bucks rookie guard Sterling Brown and arrested the 22-year-old Friday after a confrontation at a pharmacy parking lot. “It’s a personal issue I’m dealing with right now,” Brown said before the game. Brown had what appeared to be a bruise and scratches on the right side of his face. Officers contacted a man believed to be Brown after seeing a vehicle parked across two handicapped parking spots while doing a business check at about 2 a.m. Asked if there could be any discipline for Brown, coach Joe Prunty said: “We believe it will be resolved quickly.” Brown entered the game midway through the first quarter.

TIP-INS

Nets: Brooklyn shot just 22 percent in the first quarter, including 2 of 13 from 3-point range. … Rondae Hollis-Jefferson limped off the court midway the second quarter with a strained right groin and didn’t return. … Brooklyn made buzzer-beating 3-pointers at the end of the first and second quarters.

Bucks: G Malcolm Brogdon missed the game due to right calf soreness. … Former Milwaukee player Vin Baker has been hired as an assistant coach. Baker most recently served as a pre- and postgame analyst for Bucks telecasts and served as a volunteer coaching assistant. … Milwaukee Brewers players Josh Hader, Brett Phillips and Jacob Barnes sat courtside.

UP NEXT

Nets: At Minnesota on Saturday night.

Bucks: At Chicago on Sunday.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Thursday

Antetokounmpo says Kidd helped him grow into dominant player


MILWAUKEE — Giannis Antetokounmpo grew from a reed-thin, inexperienced teenager into one of the NBA’s dominant players under the tutelage of coach Jason Kidd, whom the Milwaukee Bucks fired earlier in the week with the team mired in mediocrity despite high expectations.

Kidd’s abrupt and surprising dismissal Monday has taken an emotional toll on the All-Star forward, affectionately known as the “Greek Freak.”

“He’s a big part of my success in the league,” Antetokounmpo said after Wednesday’s practice in his first public comments since the coaching change. “I’m loyal to the people I work with. I love him as a person. I care about him as a person.”

Informed by Bucks’ management of the planned firing even before Kidd learned his fate, Antetokounmpo called his soon-to-be ex-coach to break the news.

“It was one of the toughest calls I had to make,” he said. “We are going to miss him.”

Joe Prunty, a member of Kidd’s staff, has been named interim coach for the remainder of the season. He directed the team to a 109-105 win over Phoenix on Monday, just hours after taking over the team.

Kidd became Milwaukee’s coach a few months after a group led by co-owners Wes Edens and Mark Lasry bought the team in April 2014. The Bucks traded two future second-round draft picks to the Brooklyn Nets, where Kidd had been coach, as compensation. He inherited a team that won 15 games in 2013-14. Under Kidd, the Bucks had a regular-season record of 139-152.

Milwaukee is 9-12 since going a season-high five games over .500 on Dec. 9.

Asked whether he believed Kidd should have been fired, Antetokounmpo, who reportedly offered to go to the team’s owners to try to save Kidd’s job, said: “It’s in the front office’s hands. Whatever they can do to make this team a championship level team, it can happen. If it’s me being traded, or the coach being fired.”

Kidd is the second coach to be fired since the Bucks selected Antetokounmpo with the 15th overall pick in the 2013 draft. Antetokounpmo played one season under Larry Drew, who was dismissed in June 2014.

“I was only 18,” Antetokoummpo said. “I didn’t even know how the NBA worked. (Kidd’s firing) hurts a little bit more because he was here for 3 1/2 years. He trusted me. He put the ball in my hands. He pushed me to be great.”

Antetokounmpo is expected to return to action when the Bucks take on Brooklyn in Milwaukee on Friday. He sat out the past two games as he continues to manage chronic pain in his right knee.

“I feel great. I’m ready to go,” he said. “I feel energized.”

Prunty said his players “gave good energy” in the first full practice since he took the reins.

“These are a tough few days,” Prunty said. “We need to focus on whether we are getting better.”

The Bucks have said that Prunty will be considered for the permanent job after the season. The hire will be especially crucial as the Bucks prepare to move into a new arena.

“It’s hard to talk about that aspect of it right now,” Prunty said. “This isn’t about me, especially under these circumstances.”

Malcolm Brogdon, last season’s NBA Rookie of the Year, praised Prunty’s positive demeanor.

“In times of struggle, we tend to pout and take our foot off the gas. We can’t do that,” Brogdon said. “He’s a good coach to have when we are going through those struggles.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Tuesday

Hasselblad’s new H6D-400c MS camera captures 400-megapixel images


Swedish high-end camera maker Hasselblad has unveiled an exceptional new model that can capture images in 400-megapixel resolution. The Hasselblad H6D-400c MS will be available from March 2018 for the princely sum of €47,999 or $47,995.

The Hasselblad H6D-400c MS is billed as offering the highest resolution, most color accurate medium format images currently available on the market. To achieve this, the camera uses multi-shot technology to capture and combine six exposures. The first four involve moving the sensor by a pixel at a time to achieve real color data. The sensor then returns to its starting position, before two further exposures are captured by shifting the sensor by half a pixel horizontally then half a pixel vertically.

These six images are then combined to create a single 23,200 x 17,400-pixel Tiff-format image, weighing in at a colossal 2.4 gigabytes. This technique is usually used in art reproduction and cultural industries for the documentation of paintings, sculptures and artworks. Here, it is made available to imaging professionals looking for extreme levels of detail and precision. The H6D-400c also films ultra-high definition video in the Hasselblad RAW format.

Note that the camera’s CMOS sensor has an ISO sensitivity range of 64-12,800. Moreover, since the device needs large amounts of storage, the Hasselblad H6D-400c MS has two memory card slots.

While the price of this camera is as jaw-dropping as its 400MP images, anyone interested in taking the Hasselblad H6D-400c MS out for a spin can rent one for a few hundred dollars a day.

source: technology.inquirer.net

Sunday

Sonnen outlasts Rampage, advances in Bellator heavyweight tournament


INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Chael Sonnen overcame a significant weight disadvantage for a unanimous-decision victory over Rampage Jackson in the opening fight of Bellator’s Heavyweight World Grand Prix on Saturday night.

Rory MacDonald also took the mixed martial arts promotion’s welterweight title from Douglas Lima, overcoming grotesque injuries to his left leg and nose to claim a unanimous decision at Bellator 192.

Sonnen (30-15-1), the loquacious former UFC middleweight title contender, was outweighed by 31 pounds on the scales Friday. He still used his superior wrestling skills and tenacity to grind out a decision over Jackson (37-13), the former UFC champion, before a lively crowd at the famed Forum.

“I’ve got the biggest arms, I’ve got the greatest charm and I do all the harm,” Sonnen said.

Jackson tossed Sonnen dramatically onto the mat during the first round, but the veteran brawler struggled to create any more highlights. A frustrated Rampage tapped the mat in front of him in the third round, daring Sonnen to stand and bang.

Instead, Sonnen took him down again and finished up a 29-28 decision on all three judges’ scorecards.

The 39-year-old Jackson’s first career meeting with the 40-year-old Sonnen was the first bout in an eight-man tournament designed to crown Bellator’s first heavyweight champion since 2016. The field also includes MMA luminaries Fedor Emelianenko, Frank Mir, Roy Nelson and Matt Mitrione, along with undersized veteran fighters Ryan Bader and Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal.

Sonnen will fight the winner of Emelianenko’s upcoming bout with Mir in the tournament semifinals in early summer.

MacDonald (20-4) has been ticketed for Bellator stardom ever since he left the UFC and joined its biggest rival in 2016 following back-to-back losses to Robbie Lawler and Stephen Thompson. MacDonald, who beat current UFC welterweight champ Tyron Woodley in 2014, is likely the best pound-for-pound fighter on the Bellator roster, and he intends to hold the promotion’s titles in multiple weight divisions.

“He’s the best fighter I ever fought,” MacDonald said. “I feel like we’re the best two welterweights in the sport.”

The title bout was remarkably even, with MacDonald controlling much of the action on the ground when Lima (29-7) wasn’t peppering his oft-injured nose with jabs. MacDonald developed a huge welt on his shin midway through the fight, but it didn’t appear to limit his movement.

Lima knocked down MacDonald with a sweeping kick in the third round and appeared to be close to finishing early in the fourth, but MacDonald persevered. MacDonald dominated the fifth round on the ground and cut Lima near his eyes.

MacDonald eventually had his hand raised to the displeasure of Lima, a Brazilian fighting out of Atlanta. MacDonald was carried out of the cage and transported to a hospital as a precaution.

“I think I have a person growing inside me,” MacDonald said of his leg injury.

Former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler returned from his first loss since 2014 with a one-sided decision victory over Goiti Yamauchi, who was bloodied and nearly finished on the ground. Chandler is likely to get a rematch next with Brent Primus, who claimed the title last year when Chandler was forced to stop by an ankle injury.

Aaron Pico, Bellator’s 21-year-old blue chip prospect from nearby Whittier, also wowed his home crowd with a vicious body-punch stoppage of Shane Kruchten in the first round of their featherweight fight.

The lively Forum crowd included several fighters with UFC ties, including champion Cris “Cyborg” Justino, Nate Diaz and Dan Henderson. Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay and Pro Bowl left tackle Andrew Whitworth also attended.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Saturday

US government shuts down; Dems, GOP blame each other


WASHINGTON — The federal government shut down at the stroke of midnight Friday, halting all but the most essential operations and marring the one-year anniversary of President Donald Trump’s inauguration in a striking display of Washington dysfunction.

Last-minute negotiations crumbled as Senate Democrats blocked a four-week stopgap extension in a late-night vote, causing the fourth government shutdown in a quarter century. Behind the scenes, however, leading Republicans and Democrats were trying to work out a compromise to avert a lengthy shutdown.

Congress scheduled an unusual Saturday session to begin considering a three-week version of the short-term spending measure – and to broadcast that they were at work as the shutdown commences. It seemed likely each side would try forcing votes aimed at making the other party look culpable for shuttering federal agencies.

Since the closure began at the start of a weekend, many of the immediate effects will be muted for most Americans. But any damage could build quickly if the closure is prolonged. And it comes with no shortage of embarrassment for the president and political risk for both parties, as they wager that voters will punish the other at the ballot box in November.

Social Security and most other safety net programs are unaffected by the lapse in federal spending authority. Critical government functions will continue, with uniformed service members, health inspectors and law enforcement officers set to work without pay. But if no deal is brokered before Monday, hundreds of thousands of federal employees will be furloughed.

After hours of closed-door meetings and phone calls, the Senate scheduled its late-night vote on a House-passed plan. It gained 50 votes to proceed to 49 against, but 60 were needed to break a Democratic filibuster. A handful of red-state Democrats crossed the aisle to support the measure, rather than take a politically risky vote. Four Republicans voted in opposition.

In an unusual move, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell allowed the roll call to exceed two hours– instead of the usual 20 or so – and run past midnight, seemingly accommodating the numerous discussions among leaders and other lawmakers. Still as midnight passed and the calendar turned, there was no obvious off-ramp to the political stalemate.

Even before the vote, Trump was pessimistic, tweeting that Democrats actually wanted the shutdown “to help diminish the success” of the tax bill he and fellow Republicans pushed through last month. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders later termed the Democrats “obstructionist losers.”

Democrats balked on the measure in an effort to pressure on the White House to cut a deal to protect “dreamer” immigrants – who were brought to the country as children and are now here illegally – before their legal protection runs out in March.

The president watched the results from the White House residence, dialing up allies and affirming his belief that Democrats would take the blame for the shutdown, said a person familiar with his conversations but not authorized to discuss them publicly.

Predictably, both parties moved swiftly to blame one another. Democrats laid fault with Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress and the White House and have struggled with building internal consensus. Republicans declared Democrats responsible, after they declined to provide the votes needed to overcome a filibuster over their desire to force the passage of legislation to protect some 700,000 younger immigrants from deportation.

Republicans branded the confrontation a “Schumer shutdown” and argued that Democrats were harming fellow Americans to protect “illegal immigrants.” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said a “Trump shutdown” was more accurate.

Earlier Friday, Trump had brought Schumer to the White House in hopes of cutting a deal on a short-term spending agreement.

The two New Yorkers, who pride themselves on their negotiating abilities, started talking over cheeseburgers about a larger agreement that would have included greater military spending and money for a southern border wall.

But the talks fell apart almost as abruptly as they started. In a phone call hours later, the president raised new concerns about the deal he and Schumer had discussed, according to a person familiar with the conversation. In a subsequent phone call with Schumer, chief of staff John Kelly said the deal discussed was too liberal. The White House did not immediately comment on that account.

Budget Director Mick Mulvaney told CNN that “Not much has changed” over the course of the day, but he predicted a deal would be reached by Monday, when most government offices are to reopen after the weekend.

Democrats in the Senate had served notice they would filibuster the government-wide funding bill that cleared the House Thursday evening. They were seeking an even shorter extension that they think would keep the pressure on the White House to cut a deal to protect the “dreamer” immigrants.

“We will not negotiate the status of unlawful immigrants while Democrats hold our lawful citizens hostage over their reckless demands,” Sanders said in a statement.

Trump first described his discussion with Schumer as an “excellent preliminary meeting,” tweeting that lawmakers were “making progress – four week extension would be best!” But that optimism faded as the evening wore on. McConnell did not attend the meeting because he was not invited, a Senate GOP aide said.

Trump had been an unreliable negotiator in the weeks leading up to the showdown. Earlier this week he tweeted opposition to the four-week plan, forcing the White House to later affirm his support. He expressed openness to extending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, only to reject a bipartisan proposal. His disparaging remarks about African and Haitian immigrants last week helped derail further negotiations.

Trump had been set to leave Friday afternoon to attend a fundraiser at his Palm Beach, Florida, estate marking the one-year anniversary of his inauguration but delayed his travel.

As word of the Schumer meeting spread, the White House hastened to reassure Republican congressional leaders that Trump would not make any major policy concessions, said a person familiar with the conversations but not authorized to be quoted by name.

On Capitol Hill, McConnell said Americans at home would be watching to see “which senators make the patriotic decision” and which “vote to shove aside veterans, military families and vulnerable children to hold the entire country hostage… until we pass an immigration bill.”

“We can’t keep kicking the can down the road,” said Schumer, insisting on more urgency in talks on immigration. “In another month, we’ll be right back here, at this moment, with the same web of problems at our feet, in no better position to solve them.”

The four-week measure would have been the fourth stopgap spending bill since the current budget year started in October. A pile of unfinished Capitol Hill business has been on hold, first as Republicans ironed out last fall’s tax bill and now as Democrats insist on progress on immigration. Talks on a budget deal to ease tight spending limits on both the Pentagon and domestic agencies are on hold, as is progress on a huge $80 billion-plus disaster aid bill.

Before Thursday night’s House approval, GOP leaders sweetened the stopgap measure with legislation to extend for six years a popular health care program for children from low-income families and two-year delays in unpopular “Obamacare” taxes on medical devices and generous employer-provided health plans.

A shutdown would be the first since 2013, when tea party Republicans – in a strategy not unlike the one Schumer is employing now – sought to use a must-pass funding bill to try to force then-President Barack Obama to delay implementation of his marquee health care law. At the time, Trump told Fox & Friends that the ultimate blame for a shutdown lies at the top. “I really think the pressure is on the president,” he said.

Arguing that Trump’s predecessors “weaponized” that shutdown, Mulvaney said Friday the budget office would direct agencies to work to mitigate the impact this time. That position is a striking role-reversal for the conservative former congressman, who was one of the architects of the 2013 shutdown over the Affordable Care Act.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Tuesday

Fans, musicians mourn untimely death of The Cranberries’ Dolores O’Riordan


The Cranberries frontwoman Dolores O’Riordan, the unmistakable force behind the ethereal hit “Linger” and the fiercely political “Zombie” passed away on Monday, Jan. 15 in London. The band catapulted to the 1990s alt-rock scene from the recesses of Limerick, Ireland, making pixie-haired O’Riordan’s feisty yodeling and Celtic-influenced singing a familiar soundtrack to many Gen-Xers’ youth.

These mournful fans, along with the band’s fellow musicians and other personalities, poured out their sentiments through posts in social media.

The band announced the demise of O’Riordan in its official Facebook and Twitter pages, where flocks of fans wrote back.





Other fans wrote directly on O’Riordan’s own Twitter page, where the last post was dated Jan. 4, showing the rock star carrying her cat Gio.


 
In other pages, fans who personally knew O’Riordan reminisced about her, being a singer and musician as early as her pre-teen years.


As fans shared their own memories of O’Riordan, more notable figures took to their own Twitter pages to express their sorrow.







Apart from the iconic bands from the 1980s and 1990s Duran Duran and R.E.M., younger bands Foster The People and The Script, and another known 1990s singer-composer Liz Phair, comedian James Corden also posted condolences.
 
 

Even local celebrities, mom-to-be actress-singer Saab Magalona, and actor Jake Ejercito couldn’t help but express their sadness.


A voice who sang through her troubles

O’Riordan has been open in past interviews about her personal troubles. Apart from surviving sexual abuse when she was a child and battling depression for years, she has also been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The death of her father in 2011 was a big blow to the singer. She and her husband of twenty years, Duran Duran tour manager Don Burton, divorced in 2014.

Her suffering, which she has been open and honest about, has always been intertwined in her songs, often a preview to many intimate moments such as the highs and lows of love, existential dilemma, self-discovery, and even anger about political issues affecting her fellow Irish.

Last year, as the band was scheduled to perform a series of shows, O’Riordan felt sad about having to cancel tour dates due to a serious back pain. The singer has attempted suicide in the past.

As of press time, the cause of O’Riordan’s death is still unknown. JB

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Saturday

Top takeaways from 2018 Consumer Electronics Show


LAS VEGAS — The 2018 Consumer Electronics Show, which concluded Friday in Las Vegas, drew some 4,000 exhibitors from dozens of countries and more than 170,000 attendees, showcased some of the latest from the technology world

Here are highlights from the show:

Artificial intelligence battle

The duel between Amazon and Google for supremacy in artificial intelligence played out at the show. Amazon pushed its “Alexa Everywhere” strategy bringing its digital assistant to eyewear, wristwatches, televisions and even a toilet.

Not to be outdone, Google counterattacked with deals of its own, and with a massive ad campaign including a two-story “Google Assistant Playground” complete with a spiral slide from the roof to the pavement.

The rival virtual assistants were part of a larger trend to “smart” homes and cites where door locks, lights, security systems, traffic, and more are commanded or coordinated with the help of internet connections and machine brains.

Compassionate robots

Tech developers began moving beyond artificial intelligence to “emotional intelligence” and empathy with robots that can recognize people and their feelings, and respond in a more human manner.

Those on display included a ping pong-playing robot from Japan’s Omron Automation which adapts its game to its opponent by reading body language. SoftBank robot Pepper entertained guests in a private suite adjacent to the show.



Revving up car tech

More players began gunning for Tesla with premium electric cars, including Chinese startup Byton and a revamped startup led by designer Henrik Fisker.

The show included a large presence from automakers and showed a commitment to advancing self-driving cars.

South Korea’s Hyundai showed its new Nexo vehicle, betting on fuel cell technology, while Toyota unveiled a concept of an autonomous box for ridesharing and retail service.

Beyond the car

Even as car tech was on display, industry players sought to showcase alternative transport options. These included a self-driving motorcycle from Yamaha, and a range of electric bicycles, scooters, and hoverboards.

“We are seeing with personal mobility that some people like to skate; some people like to scoot, and some people like to ride,” Swagtron chief operating officer Andrew Koven said as he unveiled a line of rideable gadgets.

Let’s get medical


The tech world took a deep dive into the medical field, using virtual reality and sensors for health and medical applications.

Exhibitors showed how tracking and sensors used in self-driving cars can help keep the elderly from wandering off or determining distress. Other devices offered new ways to deal with stress and pain, or predict the onset of disease.

Medical professionals at a CES conference discussed how new pain management techniques such as virtual reality could help address the opioid addiction crisis.

Virtual reality headsets have been used to take people’s minds off pain by immersing them in soothing environments. VR programs have also eased trauma by letting patients work through troubling experiences.

Sensors and the cloud

Sensors, cloud computing and artificial intelligence are becoming so ubiquitous and affordable that they are popping up in tech items tailored for pets, babies, seniors, new moms and other niche categories.

From wearable breast pumps to hip air bags triggered when people fall, and dog or cat doors that open automatically for pets, internet age innovations are reaching into the farthest corner of everyday life.

On the lighter side

Streaming television powerhouse Netflix played with people’s minds with a booth for a fictitious company named Psychasec that offered replacement bodies in a promise of immortality.

It turned out to be a promotion for a coming Netflix show titled “Altered Carbon,” set to debut in February.

Other offbeat items at the event included self-driving suitcases which follow its owners through airports and navigate around obstacles.

Outside the official show, robotic pole-dancers made their Las Vegas debut at a nightclub, with the artist who created the devices seeking to make a point about technology, surveillance and voyeurism in today’s society.

The show was marked by a rain and flooding in usually dry Las Vegas, and a power outage in the main convention hall.

source: technology.inquirer.net

Friday

Messi nets 2 as Barca beats Celta 5-0 to reach Copa quarters


BARCELONA, Spain — Lionel Messi scored twice in the space of three minutes to help Barcelona to a 5-0 win over Celta Vigo on Thursday as the holders advanced to the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey.

Messi, who also created Barcelona’s third goal for Jordi Alba, set his team on its way to a 6-1 aggregate victory with his 21st and 22nd goals in all competitions this season.

Alba had provided the assists for Messi’s strikes in the 13th and 15th minutes, and the Barcelona star returned the favor by setting up the left back to score in the 28th.

Luis Suarez made it 4-0 before halftime, while Messi was replaced by Ousmane Dembele before the hour mark. Ivan Rakitic headed in a corner kick by Dembele in the final minutes to complete the rout.

New signing Philippe Coutinho watched from the Camp Nou stands following his club-record transfer from Liverpool earlier this week. The Brazil midfielder will make his debut after he recovers from a right leg muscle injury.

Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde took no chances after the 1-1 draw in the first leg, starting Messi in his first appearance in the competition this season after resting the Argentina forward for the first three cup games.

Messi quickly quashed any chance of Celta springing an upset.

Barcelona’s all-time scoring leader swept Alba’s cross past Sergio Alvarez despite the goalkeeper getting a hand to the ball, and he followed up by firing home after another exchange of passes with Alba.

Messi then turned provider, lobbing a perfect pass behind Celta’s back line to meet the run by Alba, who chipped Alvarez to score.

“The connection between Messi and Alba is nothing new, it has been working for years,” Valverde said. “They look for each other and are happy to do so, because it is not just Alba assisting Messi. Messi also creates goals for Alba.”

Suarez netted in the 31st after pouncing on a poor pass by Pione Sisto, before Rakitic nodded home at the end.

Barcelona extended its unbeaten run this season to 28 straight matches, dating back to its losses to Real Madrid in both legs of the Spanish Super Cup in August.

Celta had drawn 2-2 at Barcelona in La Liga last month and had gone into Thursday’s match after holding Madrid to a 2-2 draw in the league last weekend.

SEVILLA ADVANCES 

Sevilla beat Cadiz 2-1 with goals from Wissam Ben Yedder and Joaquin Correa to advance 4-1 on aggregate.

Making the last eight will take some of the pressure off new coach Vincenzo Montella following Sevilla’s painful 5-3 home loss to crosstown rival Real Betis in his Spanish league debut on Saturday.

Ben Yedder scored from a rebound after a shot by Correa to give Sevilla the lead in the 32nd. Correa then headed in from a corner taken by Pablo Sarabia in the 54th.

Alvaro Garcia got second-division Cadiz’s consolation goal in the 86th, leading to jeers from Sevilla’s home fans for the team’s shaky finish to the match.

“It was a complicated match. We are all suffering from the derby loss,” Correa said. “We are sad, but we will get through this together.”


ESPANYOL COMEBACK 

Goals by forwards Leo Baptistao and Gerard Moreno helped Espanyol to a 2-0 victory at Levante, sending the Barcelona-based team through 3-2 on aggregate.

Moreno set up Baptistao in the 14th minute, before scoring his goal in the 34th.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Thursday

Paul’s season-high 37 leads Rockets over Blazers


HOUSTON — With James Harden injured, the Houston Rockets are figuring out different ways to make up for the offense the league’s leading scorer normally provides.


On Wednesday night, that meant Chris Paul took 29 shots and finished with a season-high 37 points to help the Rockets to a 121-112 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Paul tied his career high for field-goal attempts in a regulation game. He took 33 shots and scored 42 points in a double-overtime game with New Orleans in 2008.

His 37 points were the most by a Rocket besides Harden since Jeremy Lin had 38 against San Antonio on Dec. 10, 2012.

Paul, who made 13 field goals, was asked if he realized he’d come close to taking the most shots in his career.

“I don’t know,” he said. “It kind of felt like it. Like goodness. I missed a lot, too. That’s what I’m mad about.”

Portland coach Terry Stotts said Paul was tough to stop.

“He was exceptional,” Stotts said. “He really controlled the game, like he can do. His shot-making was as good as I’ve seen.”

Eric Gordon added 30 points as the Rockets withstood a late run to win their second straight.

The Blazers used a big run to cut a 14-point deficit to three with about three minutes left. Houston responded with a 6-2 run, capped by a 3-pointer from Paul, to make it 111-104 about a minute later.

Damian Lillard made a layup on the other end, but Paul cut through three defenders to make an off-balance layup to push the lead to 113-106.

The Blazers couldn’t get the ball in after a timeout, Houston got the ball back and Clint Capela added two free throws to secure the victory.

The Rockets won their second straight and improved to 3-2 in five games without Harden, who is out for at least two weeks with a hamstring injury.

Lillard scored 29 after missing the last two games with a strained right calf, and C.J. McCollum added 24 points as the Blazers saw a three-game winning streak snapped.

Paul had 11 assists, seven rebounds and three steals, and Capela added 13 points with eight rebounds.

Gerald Green scored all of Houston’s points in a 5-2 run that extended the lead to 103-89 midway through the fourth period. He finished with 12 points and has scored in double digits in seven straight games for the first time since 2015.

“We’re having to manufacture points in different ways,” Paul said. “Gerald continues to be great and be aggressive. … James averages 30 and we’re just doing it by committee.”

Lillard scored the first seven points of an 11-0 spurt that got the Trail Blazers within 103-100 with about 3 1/2 minutes left.

Paul received a technical in that span for arguing about a foul called on P.J. Tucker.

The Rockets led by nine entering the fourth quarter and were up by 11 with about 7 1/2 minutes remaining after Gordon scored four points. He made a layup before missing a shot on the next possession, only to grab it with one hand and finish with a dunk that made it 98-87.

Portland’s Ed Davis was called for a flagrant foul late in the third when he hit Tarik Black in the right eye as Black dunked. Black remained on the court for a couple of minutes before being helped to his feet and escorted to the locker room, holding a towel over his right eye. The team said he had an abrasion to his right eye and he’ll miss Friday’s game.

Paul made the free throw on that play, and Tucker added a layup after that to extend the lead to 84-74.

The Rockets led 55-45 at halftime.

TIP-INS

Trail Blazers: Lillard had eight assists and five rebounds and made 10 of 12 free throws. … Portland had six blocks, led by Jusuf Nurkic’s three.

Rockets: Black tied a season high with 13 points. … Nene missed his fourth straight game with a bruised right knee. … Gordon has scored 20 or more points in 21 games this season after doing so in only 19 games last season.

NICE PUTBACK


Gordon’s teammates were impressed with his dunk in the fourth quarter. Paul called it “sick.”

“I surprise myself sometimes,” Gordon said with a laugh. “When I saw it floating in the air, I just went after it.”

HE SAID IT

Lillard on being unable to combat Houston’s runs: “When you’re dealing with a team that shoots 3s as much as them and as well, you can’t give them extra possessions and I thought we did that on too many occasions.”

UP NEXT

Trail Blazers: Visit New Orleans on Friday.

Rockets: Visit Phoenix on Friday.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Wednesday

France probing Apple’s secret slowdown of old iPhones


PARIS, France — French authorities have opened an investigation into Apple over revelations it secretly slowed down older versions of its iPhones, the Paris prosecutor’s office said Tuesday.

The preliminary probe was opened last week over alleged “deception and planned obsolescence” of some Apple products, the office said. It is led by the French body in charge of fraud control, which is part of the finance ministry.

It follows a legal complaint filed in December by a French consumer rights group whose aim is to stop the intentional obsolescence of goods by companies.

In France it is illegal to intentionally shorten the lifespan of a product in order to encourage customers replace it. A 2015 law makes that a crime, with penalties of up to two years in prison and fines of up to 5 percent of the company’s annual turnover.

Apple apologized in December for secretly slowing down older iPhones, a move it said was necessary to avoid unexpected shutdowns related to battery fatigue. As part of its contrition, Apple is now offering to replace the batteries on older iPhones for $29, a $50 discount from the usual price.

But Apple also has denied the slowdown of the older phones is a ploy designed to spur sales of newer models. “We have never — and would never — do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades,” the company said on its website.

Apple France didn’t respond to email and phone requests for comment on the latest legal developments in France from The Associated Press.

Lawsuits against the company have also been filed in the U.S. and Israel.

Creative Strategies analyst Carolina Milanesi believes Apple’s throttling of older iPhones is helping to extend the devices’ lives by enabling to take advantage of the new features in the company’s free software updates each year.

The company’s choice boiled down to “let the phone just run at full speed and kill the prematurely aged batteries or slow down the phone so the battery would last longer,” Milanesi wrote in a recent analysis.

The French consumer rights group, called HOP, filed a lawsuit on Dec. 27. Its statement claims Apple slowed down older smartphones in order to make clients buy the new iPhone 8, which was launched on the market around the same time.

Benchmark tests have suggested the slowdown isn’t huge, but noticeable. Although Apple has said that’s done to prevent iPhones from unexpectedly shutting down because of weak batteries, lawsuits filed against Apple say that its failure to disclose that right away could have led some people to wrongly conclude they needed a newer, faster phone rather than just a new battery.

Laetitia Vasseur, the director of HOP, said studies have showed that peaks in speed reductions match the releases of new phones on the market.

“We can see that there is an intention to have people buy new phones because of the speed reduction,” she told the AP.

Vasseur said her group launched a survey following its complaint so that users can report problems they have faced. In 10 days, HOP has received more than 3,000 reports that will be handed over to the DGCCRF, the government fraud watchdog in charge of the investigation, she said.

Vasseur said she hopes that the consequences globally could be to go toward more sustainable and durable products “for all manufacturers that won’t want to face the same kind of scandal.”

A similar investigation targeting Japanese printer-maker Epson was opened in November, also following a complaint by HOP.

The Epson probe, was launched by another prosecutor’s office, in Nanterre outside Paris, is related to some of its ink cartridges and printers’ spare parts. It was the first legal action ever for planned obsolescence and deception in France, HOP said in a statement.

Epson has denied any wrongdoing, saying that planned obsolescence is not part of the company’s policy.

In the French legal system, preliminary investigations are launched and led by prosecutors’ offices. Such probes can last weeks or months. When they’re over, prosecutors can either decide to drop the cases or to send them to investigating judges for full investigations. Judges, in turn, can also dismiss the cases, due to lack of evidence for instance, or send them to courts for trial. In these cases, the whole process may last months or even years.

Since Epson and Apple cases are the first legal actions for planned obsolescence in France, there hasn’t been case law yet on possible penalties, fines or damages awarded by courts under this particular offense.

Any fine imposed on Apple would probably hurt its pride more than its pocketbook. The company has accumulated nearly $270 billion in cash from its sales of iPhones and other products. /cbb

source: technology.inquirer.net

Monday

Hollywood stars declare war on sexual misconduct at Globes


Hollywood spoke with one voice at the Golden Globes on Sunday to declare war on the film industry’s culture of sexual harassment and abuse.

The industry’s elite turned the red carpet black for the Globes, the glitzy launch of Tinseltown’s awards season, in a fashionable repudiation of disgraced mogul Harvey Weinstein and others ensnared in allegations of misconduct.

Billed as the most raucous event in the showbiz calendar, the champagne-drenched Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s annual prize-giving is a draw for filmmakers and actors looking to create some buzz ahead of the Oscars in March.

But this year’s ceremony, seen as the first big opportunity for the industry to unite and deliver a message about how Hollywood can move forward, struck a more serious tone.

“Speaking your truth is the most powerful tool we all have,” actress and media powerhouse Oprah Winfrey told the audience at the Beverly Hilton as she accepted a lifetime achievement award.

“For too long, women have not been heard or believed if they dare speak the truth to the power of those men. But their time is up,” she added, earning a standing ovation.

Actors and actresses turned out in black in solidarity with victims of Weinstein and numerous other figures exposed by the harassment and abuse scandal, including Kevin Spacey, Brett Ratner and Dustin Hoffman.

And the overall message was a call for continued change.

“People are aware now of a power imbalance. It’s led to abuse in our industry. (…) It’s everywhere,” Meryl Streep, who is vying for a Globe for her work in media drama “The Post,” told E! network on the red carpet.

Fellow Oscar winner Viola Davis added: “It’s all of these women just embracing their authentic voices and standing in solidarity with each other.”

Seth Meyers, making his debut as Globes host, opened the show with joke after joke about Hollywood’s post-Weinstein reckoning.

“It’s 2018, marijuana is finally allowed and sexual harassment finally isn’t. It’s going to be a good year,” the late night NBC funnyman said.

“For the male nominees in the room tonight, this is the first time in three months it won’t be terrifying to hear your name read out loud.”

‘Shape of Water’ vs ‘The Post’


The ceremony at the Beverly Hilton is not as reliable at predicting Oscars glory as the galas held by Hollywood’s acting, producing and directing unions.

But it remains one of the most high-profile and glamorous events of the awards calendar and tends to generate more headlines for tipsy tributes and wacky one-liners.

Leading the pack this year is Guillermo del Toro’s fantasy romance “The Shape of Water” with seven nominations, while “The Post” and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” went into the night tied for second, with six each.

Overall, 25 awards are given out — 14 for movies and 11 for TV — and, as usual, the 90-member HFPA has sprung more than a few surprises in the nominations, placing horror satire “Get Out” in the best comedy-musical category.

But there were no nominations at all for female filmmakers despite huge successes in 2017 for Greta Gerwig (“Lady Bird”), Patty Jenkins (“Wonder Woman”), Dee Rees (“Mudbound”), Kathryn Bigelow (“Detroit”) and Sofia Coppola (“The Beguiled”).

The first film award of the evening went to Sam Rockwell, who took home the best supporting actor in a film prize for crime drama “Three Billboards.”

He paid tribute to his “actor-friendly” director Martin McDonagh and co-star Frances McDormand, whom he described as “a force of nature.”

McDonagh also won for best screenplay. But Del Toro took the best director prize.

Big night for ‘Big Little Lies’ 


While many fields were wide open, James Franco (“The Disaster Artist”) was always a shoo-in to win best actor in a musical/comedy movie.

Franco — who also directed the film about Tommy Wiseau’s flop-turned-cult-hit “The Room” — gave a shoutout to his brother and co-star Dave, telling the gathered celebrities: “I love him more than anything. Thanks to my mother for giving him to me.”

On the small screen, HBO’s “Big Little Lies” scooped up a rare trio of acting awards for Nicole Kidman, Alexander Skarsgard and Laura Dern.

“I hope we can elicit change through the stories we tell and the way we tell them,” said Kidman, who was named best actress in a limited series for her role as an abused wife in the show.

Dern urged Hollywood to support survivors of abuse and to promote restorative justice.

“May we teach our children that speaking out without the fear of retribution is our culture’s new north star,” she said.

“The Handmaid’s Tale” followed up its Emmys night glory, when it won four statuettes, by beating perennial awards juggernaut “Game of Thrones” to the Globe for best TV series. 

Its star Elisabeth Moss also took home the prize for best actress in a drama, and thanked Margaret Atwood, who wrote the best-selling dystopian novel on which the Hulu series was based.

“Margaret Atwood, this is for you and the women who came before you and after you who were brave enough to speak out against intolerance and injustice and to fight for equality and freedom in this world,” Moss said.

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Sunday

Wozniacki senses ‘great’ Aussie Open despite Auckland loss


Caroline Wozniacki declared she was preparing for a “great” Australian Open as she closed in on regaining the world top ranking despite a surprise defeat in the WTA Auckland Classic final on Sunday.

The 27-year-old Dane is projected to rise to number two in the world when the new rankings are released on Monday and if results go her way in Australia she could make a record-setting return to number one, a position she last held six years ago.

The current record for the longest gap between being ranked number one is held by Serena Williams who spent five years and 29 days off the top spot between August 10, 2003, and September 8, 2008.

Although beaten 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) by world number 14 Julia Goerges in the Auckland final, Wozniacki said her preparation for Melbourne was on track.

“I’ve got a lot of matches under my belt this week, it was the preparation I hoped for,” she said.

“Now I can take a day off tomorrow and fly to Melbourne and get used to courts over there, and the conditions, and hopefully it’s going to be a great couple of weeks.

“Everyone wants to be number one, but it’s something I’ve done before and obviously it would be nice to do it again, but honestly I think i’m just thinking about being in the finals, holding trophies, lifting trophies.”

Wozniacki started last year ranked number 19 and by the end of the year, after winning the WTA Finals, she had risen to number three.

Meanwhile, Goerges is expected to rise from 14 to 12 when the next rankings come out as she enjoys a rich vein of form having won three consecutive tournaments.

She is on a 14-match winning streak with her success in Auckland following victories in Moscow and Zhuhai WTA tournaments late last year.

The 29-year-old German troubled Wozniacki with a big forehand that produced service breaks at the start of each set and a booming serve that delivered 11 aces.

Goerges dropped her serve once, at 4-3 in the second set, but never felt her form was dropping.

“It means you have to be there right away in the next game. I didn’t break her but I showed her I was still there and I was very happy that I could serve well at the end,” she said.

Head-to-head, Goerges now leads Wozniacki 6-4.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Saturday

Tech firms battle to resolve major security flaw


PARIS, France — Amazon, Google and now Apple — as the list of digital giants hit by the “Spectre” and “Meltdown” computer security flaws grows longer, the race is on to limit the damage.

“All Mac systems and iOS devices are affected, but there are no known exploits impacting customers at this time,” Apple — whose devices are usually regarded as secure — said in a post on an online support page on Thursday.


Almost all microprocessors produced over the past 10 years by Intel, AMD and ARM are affected. No PC or mobile device can function without the miniature components that are effectively nerve centers for executing computer programs and apps.

And that is what distinguishes them from previous security alerts that have tended to involve software rather than hardware.

In theory, Spectre and Meltdown could enable a user to “access kernel level memory access, exposing critical information that would be stored there, like system passwords,” said Chris Morales, head of security analytics at Vectra.

Luke Wagner, a software engineer at Mozilla, wrote on a security blog that it was “possible to use similar techniques from web content to read private information”.

Effectively, all electronic devices manufactured all around the world in recent years contain potentially vulnerable chips.

The biggest names in the sector, including Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Mozilla, are now rushing out updates and patches to eliminate the flaw.

US giant Intel, as well as its rivals AMD and ARM, have started installing updates.

In a statement on Thursday, Intel said it and its partners “have made significant progress in deploying updates” to mitigate any threats.

“Intel expects to have issued updates for more than 90 percent of processor products introduced within the past five years,” an Intel statement said.

Difficult to exploit? 

“In addition, many operating system vendors, public cloud service providers, device manufacturers and others have indicated that they have already updated their products and services.”

Apple, for its part, advised only getting apps from its online App Store which vets programs for safety, and said it has already released some “mitigations” to protect against the exploit and planned to release a defensive update for Safari on macOS and iOS in the coming days.

But some experts believe that the only real “fix” in some cases would be replacing the chip itself, which would be a huge issue for the computing industry.

That said, the experts concede that hacking the chips would require a very high level of technical expertise and the risks were therefore limited.

The US Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) said that it was “not aware of any active exploitation at this time.”

In Germany, the BSI Federal Office for Information Security, similarly found no evidence of any “active exploitation” of the flaw.

In addition to the security flaw, Intel found itself in hot water Friday over the announcement that its chief executive had sold some of his shares in the company.

According to the specialist magazine Solutions Numeriques, Intel was aware of the existence of the security flaw in its chips at the end of November. But in the fourth quarter of last year, CEO Brian Krzanich sold nearly 900,000 shares, halving his stake in the company, according to Bloomberg.

A company spokesman told Bloomberg that the sale had nothing to do with the issue of the security flaw, insisting that Krzanich had exercised options according to a pre-set timetable agreed long before.

Intel shares which slid this week on the news regained slightly less than a percent on Friday to $44.74 at the close of the Nasdaq exchange.

Lawsuits against Intel 

Meanwhile, lawsuits seeking class action status have been filed against Intel in federal courts in three US states.

The civil suits accuse Intel of “unjust and deceptive” tactics that resulted in people buying computers with flawed chips.

A suit filed in federal court in California argued that people with computers powered by Intel chips are faced with the “unappealing choice” of either replacing the machines or accepting “massive security vulnerabilities” and downgraded performance, the suit argued.

source: technology.inquirer.net

Friday

Most Asian markets rise as 2018 rally extends


The equity rally that has kicked off 2018 continued on Friday, with Asian markets picking up the baton from another set of records on Wall Street.

Dealers are now turning their attention to the release later in the day of key US jobs data, which is expected to show the world’s top economy continuing to improve.

A forecast-smashing reading Thursday on private take-ups boosted optimism, which had already been bolstered by US tax cuts, healthy corporate profits and strong manufacturing figures from around the world.

Global markets powered ahead in 2017 as economies showed long-running improvements after years of faltering.

Greg McKenna, chief market strategist at AxiTrader, said in a note that data from the manufacturing and services sectors “suggests economic strength across the globe remains robust”.

He noted that an index of world factory activity was at its highest level in seven years.

On Wall Street, the Dow ended above 25,000 for the first time, leading records across Wall Street.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei ended up 0.9 percent at a 26-year high following its more than three percent jump Thursday, while Sydney added 0.7 percent.

Seoul rose 1.3 percent, with dealers buoyed by news that North Korea had accepted the South’s offer of talks next week, further easing geopolitical tensions in the region.

Hong Kong gained 0.3 percent to chalk up a ninth-straight gain, while Shanghai closed 0.2 percent higher but Singapore eased 0.2 percent.

Pause in oil?

While oil prices inched down in Asia, they remain elevated after recent rises to around three-year highs thanks to Middle East tensions, while the US sees stockpiles fall as it is hit by a severe cold snap.

The latest gains have given impetus to petroleum-linked firms, sending them rallying this week. In Hong Kong, Sinopec was up more than one percent while CNOOC and PetroChina were also higher. Woodside Petroleum in Sydney was up along with Santos, though Tokyo-listed Inpex eased.

However, Ric Spooner, a Sydney-based analyst at CMC Markets, told Bloomberg News: “There’s been a one-way, very steep and uninterrupted rally off the last minor low in mid-December near $56, so it won’t be surprising to see a pause here.”

On forex markets, the dollar rose slightly against the euro, but the single currency remains buoyant with the eurozone continuing to improve, which raises the chances of a reduction in the region’s massive stimulus programme, bringing monetary policy in line with the Federal Reserve.

McKenna added: “It’s again the story of a weaker US dollar as the fact its data is solid and improving is lost on traders focused on expectations that the EU strength will drive the European Central Bank to chase the Fed, and that synchronised global growth will, in fact, drag most central banks along the tightening path.”

In early European trade, London was flat, Paris rose 0.3 percent and Frankfurt added 0.4 percent.

source: business.inquirer.net

Wednesday

Suicide victim featured in video of YouTube star Logan Paul sparks anger in Japan


Japanese social media reacted with a storm of outrage to a video by YouTube star Logan Paul showing a suicide victim in a forest near Mount Fuji, as anger spread over the now-deleted video on Wednesday.

Angry comments flooded Twitter after Paul, who gained notoriety on social media and has a popular video blog or “vlog”, apologized for the footage, which was reportedly viewed six million times.

The video shows the 23-year-old discovering a body in Aokigahara, a dense woodland at the foot of Mount Fuji known as “the Japanese Suicide Forest”, in a country that has long struggled with some of the highest suicide rates in the developed world.

As news of the video and apology was reported in Japan Wednesday, social media erupted with indignation over the film, which showed a man who had hanged himself.

“It is insane to show to the world the body of someone who died after being depressed. Shame on you,” said one Twitter user @j_rivoluzione.

Others objected to Paul’s appearance in a novelty hat, while outtakes showing the US internet celebrity laughing and joking about the incident also stirred anger.

“It’s good to raise awareness but you can do it without filming a person who committed suicide,” @spiffymiffy1 said.

“It looks like he did it for self-satisfaction. Suicide and depression are serious issues. There’s nothing funny about them.”

Others said Paul’s actions were irresponsible, with teenagers and tweens making up his subscriber base of 15 million.

In his apology, Paul said he had posted the video in a mistaken effort to draw attention to the problem of depression and suicide.

“It’s easy to get caught up in the moment without fully weighing the possible ramifications,” he said in his statement.

“I thought I could make a positive ripple on the internet, not cause a monsoon of negativity”, he said, in comments that sparked derision and anger.

Actress Anna Akana was among many in the US and elsewhere to hit out at Paul.

“When my brother found my sister’s body, he screamed with horror & confusion & grief & tried to save her,” she tweeted.

“You do not walk into a suicide forest with a camera and claim mental health awareness.”

Japan has the highest suicide rate of any Group of Seven industrialized nation, with more than 20,000 people taking their own lives each year.

Aokigahara, located 100 kilometers (63 miles) west of Tokyo, has become so notorious as a spot for desperate people to kill themselves that authorities have put up signs among the trees urging people with self-destructive thoughts to contact a suicide prevention group.

“Life is a precious thing… Think again about your parents, siblings and children,” the signs say.

Local officials have also organized daily patrols to prevent suicides from taking place.

The suicide rate in Yamanashi prefecture, where the forest is located, was the worst in Japan for eight years until 2014.

Suicides in Japan have fallen since their peak of 34,427 in 2003, with 21,897 taking their own lives in 2016.

Google-owned YouTube indicated the video was removed because it violated the video-sharing platform’s terms of service.

“Our hearts go out to the family of the person featured in the video,” a Google statement said.

The statement added that YouTube prohibits “violent or gory content posted in a shocking, sensational or disrespectful manner” and that such content is allowed only “when supported by appropriate educational or documentary information.” NVG

source: technology.inquirer.net

Tuesday

Legal marijuana off to blazing start in California


DESERT HOT SPRINGS, United States — It’s the first day that marijuana can be bought and sold legally in California, and store owner Nicole Salisbury’s stock of pot edibles is already running low.

The phone has been ringing non-stop for weeks with people from out-of-state expressing an interest in sampling her wares.

“I’m so excited but I’m also a little bit nervous,” says Salisbury, who has been in the marijuana business for a decade and opened Green Pearl Organics as a medical dispensary two years ago.

“For the first time, I feel comfortable telling people that I own a marijuana shop,” added the 35-year-old, who has vibrant blue-green hair.

Eight states as well as the capital Washington have already legalized recreational use of the drug, though it remains outlawed at the federal level.

But California’s sheer size — its roughly 40 million people make it America’s most populous state — as well as its booming economy mean it is expected to be the world’s largest market for the green flowering plant.

California became a pioneer when it legalized medicinal use of pot in 1996, and its decision to expand that to recreational use effective Monday will be watched closely around the world by countries hoping to cash in on the so-called “green rush.”

Riding high

Throughout the Golden State on Monday, marijuana aficionados formed lines outside legal shops, no longer forced to conduct business with illicit dealers on the down low.

At Green Pearl Organics, Salisbury’s team has been working since 8:00 am, helping customers with their various products — waxes, brownies, different forms of weed to soothe or to induce highs.

After a quiet morning following New Year’s Eve celebrations, the shop starts to overflow by midday.

Some elderly customers — longtime buyers who have been coming to the store since it opened — are annoyed that they now have to wait in long lines.

Some complain that only medical use should have remained legal, while others are unhappy at the heavy taxes applied to cannabis, which exceed 20 percent when state, sales and municipal taxes are added.

Buying involves showing a driver’s license or other form of ID as proof you are 21 or above, and customers receive their goods in an opaque white bag.

Californians can get up to 28.5 grams (one ounce) of cannabis without a prescription and grow up to six plants per residence.

The waiting room is filled with men and women of all ages, many regulars who live in this desert region, some two hours east of Los Angeles.

“It’s great to come get marijuana without actually having to see a doctor,” says Andrew Jennings, who is originally from Texas.

“There’s no place in Texas where you can go — with a doctor’s recommendation or without,” he adds.

“A lot of people think you just sit on your couch and watch TV, but depending on the strength, it can actually increase your focus,” adds the bearded 32-year-old, who was accompanied by his yoga-teacher girlfriend.

“If you’re selling alcohol in this country, you should also sell weed — it brings taxes, we get great marijuana that’s being tested, so everybody’s winning,” adds Jennings, who is between jobs and says he enjoys cycling in nature when he gets high.

‘I don’t want to be a stoner’

Christina, a 50-year-old behavioral therapist for special needs children, who declined to give her last name, has come to buy marijuana oils hoping they will restore her hormonal balance and calm her anxiety.

“I’m trying to get a natural medicine, (but) I don’t want to be a stoner,” she says, adding that she would rather her 12-year-old son does not know because she doesn’t want to encourage him as she believes marijuana is bad for developing brains.

According to the new law, marijuana cannot be consumed in public places or while driving — nor can it be used within 1,000 feet (about 300 meters) of a school or other place for children.

Desert Hot Springs is hoping to carve out a niche as a destination for marijuana lovers — as well as the curious — from all over the country.

Many business owners are also investing in farms — Salisbury is planting her seedlings in a plot at the back of the store while also working with a network of growers.

Both the mayor and the police have backed the industry, which is projected to be worth $5.8 billion in California by 2021, according to consultancy firm ArcView.

For Salisbury, it’s also a matter of personal dignity.

“I felt social shame — I felt as though I were a prostitute or a stripper even though I always obeyed the law and paid my taxes,” she says.

“Now I can tell my truth, say this is what I do.” /cbb

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Top-seeded Muruguza retires with cramps, out of Brisbane


BRISBANE, Australia — Top-seeded Garbine Muguruza fell to the court behind the baseline in the third set before retiring from her opening match at the Brisbane International because of leg cramps.

The Wimbledon champion was up a set and a break on Tuesday but couldn’t close it out in straight sets as Aleksandra Krunic rallied from 5-2 down in the second, winning it in a tiebreaker to force the match into a third set.

Muguruza, who held the No. 1 ranking for four weeks last year, lasted three games in the third before being stopped by the cramps after almost 2 ½ hours in humid conditions on Pat Rafter Arena, giving Krunic a 5-7, 7-6 (3), 1-2 retired, victory.

“I don’t really cramp a lot, so I’m actually surprised that today my body was like that,” Muguruza said, adding that her calf muscles started to cramp early in the second set. “It’s a shame because I always come here excited about the first tournament, and this one was bad luck, I guess.”

Krunic advanced to a quarterfinal match against seventh-seeded Anastasija Sevastova, who beat Sorana Cirstea 6-2, 6-1.

Alize Cornet reached the quarterfinals with a 6-1, 7-5 win over Mirjana Lucic-Baroni.

The Brisbane International had been Muguruza’s only scheduled tuneup event before the Australian Open, the first major of the season starting Jan. 15.

“I’m going to evaluate what options do I have now … maybe just go right away to Melbourne,” Muguruza said. “I didn’t expect to, you know, to not continue here.”

Muguruza never got a chance to relax against Krunic’s counter-punching, needing a 16-minute game that went to deuce 10 times to clinch the first set. She had the break in the second and was potentially two points from victory before Krunic went on a roll, leveling the match after Muguruza gave her three set points with a double-fault.

“It’s definitely not a nice feeling, first of all for me as an athlete, to see my colleague walking out of the court not being able to finish the match,” Krunic said in an on-court TV interview. “I want to wish Garbine a fast recovery and I hope she gets better for the Slam.”

The result leaves defending champion Karolina Pliskova, who reached the No. 1 ranking last July before finishing 2017 at No. 4, as the highest-ranked woman in the tournament.

In men’s first-round matches, U.S. qualifier Michael Mmoh beat Federico Delbonis 6-3, 6-4, Chung Hyeon upset fifth-seeded Gilles Muller 6-3, 7-6 (1) and Kyle Edmund rallied for a 6-7 (5), 7-6 (4), 6-4 win over Denis Shapovalov.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Candy company, scientists team up to save chocolate from extinction by 2050


Candy company Mars and scientists from the University of California are working on a technology that will ensure cacao plants can grow amid climate change.

According to a 2014 research from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, if “business as usual” continues, countries that produce cacao will increase in temperature by 2.1°C.

The world’s leading producers are Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Indonesia. The African countries count for over half of chocolate production globally.

The higher temperatures in West Africa would mean a lack of rainfall, which will cause cacao plants to die.

A solution would be to plant on higher ground. However, as in the case of Ghana, agricultural land is limited because forests are being preserved as natural habitats.

According to Business Insider, UC Berkeley geneticist Jennifer Doudna is leading the partnership with Mars to save chocolate with a genome editing technology called CRISPR/Cas9. Doudna herself has contributed research on it.

Mars, known for M&Ms, Snickers and 3 Musketeers, pledged $1 billion to reduce its carbon footprint by over 60 percent by 2050.

Part of this funding goes to UC Berkeley’s biosciences building where cacao seedlings are stored in refrigerated greenhouses.

Under the supervision of Myeong-Je Cho, the director of plant genomics, the plants’ DNA will be transformed to survive in a dryer climate.

The CRISPR/Cas9, a tool which finds a target DNA, binds an enzyme called Cas9 to the DNA and cuts it.

Projects in Doudna’s research lab aim to help farmers in the developing world. For instance, cassava DNA is being modified so that the crop doesn’t produce as much of a harmful toxin when it is in hotter temperatures.

Other potential uses are editing human genes—possibly producing controversial “designer babies”—and eliminating human diseases.  Niña V. Guno /ra

source: technology.inquirer.net

Las Vegas rings in 2018 under unprecedented security


LAS VEGAS — Las Vegas welcomed 2018 with fireworks, big-ticket musical acts and unprecedented security in the wake of the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. modern history just three months ago.

Law enforcement officers kept a close eye Monday on the estimated 330,000 people who traveled from all over the U.S. and beyond to pack in the Las Vegas Strip and downtown’s Fremont Street. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department had every officer working throughout the weekend and was aided by the Nevada National Guard and federal agents.

Rosy-cheeked visitors took selfies and livestreamed the celebration amid temperatures in the mid-40s (4 Celsius), much warmer than most of the U.S. They wore glittery hats, tiaras and other 2018-themed paraphernalia as they hugged and cheered on the new year.

“One bad incident is not going to deter us from having a good time,” Honolulu resident Pettra Stark, who planned her trip after the Oct. 1 shooting, said while standing underneath the massive video canopy on Fremont Street.

For Stark, the heavy presence of armed officers was reassuring. But not everyone felt the same way, including Adrian Dominguez, who traveled for the festivities with 10 other relatives.

“It’s not pleasant to see so many officers,” Dominguez, a resident of the northern Mexico border city of Ciudad Juarez. “They are everywhere.”

The heightened security comes after a high-stakes gambler killed 58 and injured hundreds more after he shattered the windows of his suite on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel-casino on the Strip and unleashed gunfire on a country music festival below before killing himself.

On Saturday, two security guards were fatally shot while investigating a disturbance at Arizona Charlie’s Decatur, a hotel-casino just west of the Strip. Police said the suspect was hospitalized with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities described it as an isolated incident and assured that it was not terrorism-related.

A roughly eight-minute fireworks display at the top of seven of the city’s world-famous casino-hotels started at the Stratosphere 10 seconds before midnight Monday and continued to Venetian, Treasure Island, Caesars Palace, Planet Hollywood, Aria and MGM Grand. More than 80,000 pyrotechnic firings that illuminated the sky in gold, red and green. 




Megastars performed at venues up and down the Strip. The Foo Fighters played at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan, Maroon 5 was at the Mandalay Bay Events Center and Britney Spears performed at The Axis at Planet Hollywood.

At a lower-key celebration in downtown Las Vegas’ casino-flanked Fremont Street Experience, bands played under a massive video canopy while visitors danced and sipped giant beers.

Las Vegas police officer Larry Hadfield on Monday said there were no incidents related to the festivities to speak of. The Nevada Highway Patrol on Twitter reported the arrest of two suspected impaired drivers near the Strip.

Police cruisers, dump trucks and other large vehicles blocked key intersections during the night to try to prevent anyone from plowing into crowds.

Strollers, backpacks, large bags, coolers and glass bottles were banned from the Strip for the night. Ticket holders for the celebration on Freemont Street Experienced went through checkpoints where security guards used hand-held metal detectors.

New Year’s Eve is worth an estimated $254.3 million to Las Vegas, according to the city’s Convention and Visitors Authority. More than 97 percent of the destination’s nearly 149,000 hotel and motel rooms were expected to be booked.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net