Pope Francis overhauls Catholic image but real reforms await

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has turned around the way the Catholic Church is seen but his promise of Vatican reform awaits next year and key problems remain, observers said on Tuesday, as the pontiff celebrated his 77th birthday.

After years of stagnation and turbulence, the first ever Latin American pope has brought a down-to-earth style to the papacy and has shown a willingness to tackle problems like the Vatican’s secretive finances.

Francis has also established himself as a global voice on the side of the dispossessed with his critique of unfettered capitalism — earning the label of “Marxist” from conservative commentators in the United States.

In terms of the Vatican’s sluggish view of time, he has moved quickly in his first months, installing a council of world cardinals to advise him and calling for a less “Vatican-centric” kind of Church with more power for local bishops.

He has accumulated over 10 million followers on Twitter under the @pontifex handle, nearing rock star popularity, and has been named “Person of the Year” by Time magazine.

The change of mood has been all the more remarkable given the strife in the Church before his election, including outrage over child sex abuse scandals and divisions between the Vatican and local churches.

Those issues are far from gone away, however. And analysts warn that progressives in the Church hoping for a raft of reforms of Catholic teachings will be disappointed.

Francis remains a moral conservative, although a compassionate one, who is virtually certain to stick to doctrine on hot-button issues like abortion or contraception, or priestly celibacy and women priests.

Even the pope’s widely-praised comment about gay people — “Who am I to judge?” — is seen as showing tolerance but unlikely to alter the Church’s fundamental condemnation of homosexual acts as a sin.

“Exaggerated expectations will necessarily lead to new disappointments,” German cardinal Walter Kasper was quoted as saying in a new biography of the pope by Rome-based Argentine journalist Elisabetta Pique.

“The new pope can renew the Church but he cannot invent a new Church,” Kasper said, adding that progressives and conservatives alike would be “disappointed.”

Aside from memorable phrases like his call for a “poor Church for the poor,” there have in fact been few major decisions taken by Francis in his first nine months that allow for a deeper analysis of his intentions.

Francis has begun consultations on reforming the Vatican administration and the Vatican’s scandal-tainted bank, the Institute for Works of Religion, and has set up a committee on child abuse.

About to tackle scandals of child sex abuse

On the issue of abuses and cover-ups by Catholic clergymen dating back decades, which continues to anger many Catholics and non-Catholics alike, two events next month could give an indication of the pope’s direction.

One will be the assembly on January 8 of the Legion of Christ, a troubled conservative religious order whose late founder Father Marcial Maciel was discovered to be a sexual predator who molested seminarians and fathered three children despite taking a vow of chastity.

The order has been put under Vatican tutelage as more abuse cases have emerged, but there have been internal tensions over its future ahead of the meeting, when the Vatican will have to show what it intends to do.

Then on January 16, Vatican representatives will travel to Geneva to testify before a meeting of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child over its handling of abuse cases after saying it was not legally competent over the actions of individual clergymen.

Seen trying to do too much?

Some experts believe Pope Francis may be trying to do too much and creating confusion among Catholics with his multiple interviews and ad lib speeches.

“Pilot and navigator, accelerator and brake: Pope Bergoglio’s driving is like that,” said Vatican expert Sandro Magister, using Francis’s surname from birth.

He added that the pontiff’s style had led to “misunderstandings and over-the-top expectations.”

And while his public image is that of a kindly parish priest, Vatican gossip is that he can be sometimes be brusque and authoritarian behind the walls.

With the pope’s popularity growing among many non-Catholics too, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi expressed concern in a rare critical moment that the focus on him could draw attention away from the message.

At a recent book presentation, he was quoted by Vanity Fair Italy as saying: “The extreme concentration of attention on Francis creates a communication problem.”

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

World leaders, celebrities remember Nelson Mandela’s legacy

MANILA, Philippines—Nelson Mandela, arguably the personification of democracy and unity, has left his legacy imprinted on the world and on its influential personalities.

“He achieved more than could be expected of any man,” United States President Barack Obama said.

In his Twitter page, Obama described the South African leader responsible for the abolition of apartheid as “a man who took history in his hands and bent the arc of the moral universe towards justice.”

He also asked to give thanks to “the fact that Nelson Mandela lived.”

South African President Jacob Zuma described Mandela as a father to the people, and a son to the nation.

“Our nation has lost its greatest son. Our people have lost a father.”

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a South African social rights activist, said that Mandela was the unifying force of South Africa.

“He was a unifier from the moment he walked out of prison. He taught us how to come together and believe in ourselves.”

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon said Mandela has “touched our lives in deeply personal ways.”

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that with Mandela’s abolition of Apartheid, Mandela has “succeeded in building a nation.”

“Mr. Mandela fought with strong determination to abolish apartheid, and he succeeded in building a country with reconciliation as its foundation.”

Former US President Bill Clinton described Mandela as a champion in human history.

“History will remember Mandela as a champion of human dignity and freedom, for peace and reconciliation,” Clinton said.

British Prime Minister said that “a great light has gone out in the world,” in his description of Mandela.

Poland’s Solidarity leader and former president Lech Walesa said simply, “a great man has died.”

The sporting world

Mandela not only touched world leaders but the also sports especially rugby, the same spectacle that united a torn Africa in 1995,

“He used the 1995 Rugby World Cup, the first major sporting event to be hosted in South Africa after the 1994 democratic elections, as an instrument of change to help promote unity amongs all South Africans,” the South African Rugby Union said.

English cricket legend Geoffrey Boycott gave Mandela the highest honor when he expressed his condolences for the man.

“I asked if he was a bowler or a batsman. He smiled and said he was an all-rounder. I said ‘I thought you were a God.’”

Former England football captain and Manchester United legend David Beckham described Mandela as someone who “had genuine for so many people.”

“We have lost a true gentleman and a courageous human being. It was truly an honor to have known a man who had genuine love for so many people.”

Manchester United also tweeted their sympathies for the man that changed South Africa.

“We are saddened to hear of Nelson Mandela’s death. He was truly a great man,” the club Twitter posted, together with a photograph of Mandela and United’s former manager Sir Alex Ferguson

Boxing legend Mike Tyson, who heard of Mandela’s death in Africa also posted a photograph of Mandela posing with a clenched fist with boxing promoter Don King and legendary welterweight Sugar Ray Leonard.

“I’m hearing about Nelson Mandela’s death while on African soil in Oran, Algeria. Sending prayers to Mandela’s family.


Stars knelt for ‘God’

U2 frontman Bono, who have dedicated most of his professional life for charity, especially in Africa, put Mandela on high regard in the growth of South Africa.

“Without Mandela, would Africa be experiencing its best decade of growth and poverty reduction?”

South African actress Charlize Theron has prayed for Mandela and said that the African hero’s impact “will live forever.”

“Rest in Peace Madiba. You will be missed, but your impact on this world will live forever.”

Samuel L. Jackson also, who personally met Mandela, said he has never met a person “better” than Mandela.

“Never met a better person in my life than Nelson Mandela. My sympathy to his family and country.”

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Japan agency offers travel for your teddy bear

TOKYO–Unable to get to that must-see tourist site but can’t bear for your teddy to miss out? Then Japan has just the thing for you — a travel agency that takes stuffed toys on package tours and even provides the holiday snaps to prove it.

Tokyo-based Unagi (Eel) Travel has a range of offers to suit every cuddly companion’s purse.

For instance, a day trip around sightseeing spots in the Japanese capital is $45, plus travel — by parcel post — from and to the toy’s home address.

The more adventurous bear might like to see some of the grand temples and shrines of the ancient capital of Kyoto for $95, or unwind in the hot spring baths that dot volcanic Japan — a snip at $55.

“Some clients join tours simply because it seems fun but there are also people who want to send stuffed animals as their proxies since they can’t travel by themselves, because they are in hospital, handicapped or too busy,” tour operator Sonoe Azuma told AFP.

“A client asked me to take her companion up some stairs and walk through narrow streets she can’t go into with her wheelchair.

“Another client wanted her animal to get a lot of sunshine as she can’t go outside because of a skin disease.”

A form sent to teddy owners ahead of the trip asks for the tourist’s name, if they are prone to car-sickness or sea-sickness, and if they are allergic to a particular food.

Owners are invited to give a bit of background about the participant’s character, such as what their hobbies are and why they are joining the tour.

On a recent tour of Tokyo, to which an AFP team was invited, a menagerie of creatures were entrusted to Azuma’s care.

The group included a tiger from Osaka, a shark from Kanagawa, a rather well-loved Hello Kitty from Hyogo and a small version of Sesame Street’s Big Bird from Hokkaido. They were escorted around Tokyo by the agency’s resident tour guide, eel girl Unasha.

After an early morning briefing on what to expect, participants were gently packed up and taken to the expansive Meiji Jingu Shrine before heading for the Imperial Palace gardens, where Azuma carefully spread out a towel for the gang to sit on as they posed for one of many group photos of the day.

‘Taking care of other people’s children’

While it may sound a little far-fetched, 39-year-old Azuma, who used to work in finance, takes her task very seriously and objects to the idea that she is just firing off snaps at famous locations.

“Anyone could do it if it was simply about taking pictures of stuffed animals… You must do this with the belief that ‘I’m taking care of other people’s children’,” she said.

Azuma, who has been running Unagi Travel for three years, live-blogs her tours, uploading pictures on Facebook and Twitter (https://www.facebook.com/unagitravel, https://twitter.com/unagitravel).

Each photo is captioned with comments from tour participants, ranging from the simple “yummy!” when sampling food to a more considered “Always important to look at things from a different perspective” as they stand in front of a tall building.

Azuma even prepares tiny costumes for her pint-sized charges that match tour locations — such as kimonos for a sleepover at a Japanese-style inn. She says this helps to add a little surprise to owners who are monitoring the trip online.

And she uses the photos she takes to map out a story that chimes with the background each owner has provided.

On one tour, a Tokyoite bunny carried a frog from a provincial town on her back through the din of the capital city because the frog was not used to crowded places.

And her human clients seem to appreciate the personal attention.

One woman said she had never seen her rabbit looking so happy as in a photo of it eating at a restaurant with other stuffed toys, Azuma said.

A satisfied customer in her 40s told AFP she did not think it was strange at all to send two cuddly companions on a mystery tour.

“I enjoyed the scenery or the food through their eyes, even if I was not physically there,” said the woman, who did not want to be named.

With digital photography, mocking up a picture of your bear at a tourist spot would be easy, concedes the woman, but that rather misses the point.

“I think it is very different when they go there physically by themselves and take pictures,” she said. “They must have their own fond memories of the travel.”

She acknowledges that to many non-Japanese people, the practice may seem a little strange.

“I would be a little more (circumspect) if a non-Japanese friend asks me if I would be interested in the service. But if I talk with my Japanese friends, it’s a very natural thing,” she said.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Holiday storm hits US East Coast, but no disaster

RHODE ISLAND, United States — A wet and windy storm hit the US East Coast on one of the busiest holiday travel days of the year, but it wasn’t the disaster that many had feared.

Flight cancellations piled up at hubs such as New York’s LaGuardia Airport, Philadelphia and Newark, and by midday Wednesday around 250 flights had been canceled, according to the tracking website FlightAware.com.

But that was a tiny fraction of the nearly 32,000 flights that were scheduled to, from or within the U.S. on Wednesday, the site said.

And the weather in many places was improving as the day went on.

High winds could prevent giant balloons from taking flight this year at the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade on Thursday. Safety rules that specify wind speeds were enacted after a spectator was killed in 1997 in an accident involving an out-of-control balloon.

The storm, which developed in the West over the weekend, has been blamed for at least 11 deaths, five of them in Texas.

But as it moved east, it wasn’t as bad as feared.

“This is a fairly typical storm for this time of year,” said Chris Vaccaro of the National Weather Service. “Obviously, it’s ill-timed because you have a lot of rain and snowfall in areas where people are trying to move around town or fly or drive out of town.”

More than 43 million people are expected to travel over the long holiday weekend, according to the AAA automobile organization. About 39 million of those will be on the roads, while more than 3 million people are expected to fly.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

More than 10,000 feared dead in typhoon-ravaged Philippines

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines — The death toll from a supertyphoon that decimated entire towns in the Philippines could soar well over 10,000, authorities warned Sunday, making it the country’s worst recorded natural disaster.

The horrifying estimates came as rescue workers appeared overwhelmed in their efforts to help countless survivors of Super Typhoon Haiyan, which sent tsunami-like waves and merciless winds rampaging across a huge chunk of the archipelago on Friday.


Police said they had deployed special forces to contain looters in Tacloban, the devastated provincial capital of Leyte, while the United States announced it had responded to a Philippine government appeal and would send military help.

“Tacloban is totally destroyed. Some people are losing their minds from hunger or from losing their families,” high school teacher Andrew Pomeda, 36, told AFP, as he warned of the increasing desperation of survivors.

“People are becoming violent. They are looting business establishments, the malls, just to find food, rice and milk… I am afraid that in one week, people will be dying from hunger.”

Authorities were struggling to even understand the sheer magnitude of the disaster, let alone react to it, with the regional police chief for Leyte saying 10,000 people were believed to have died in that province alone.






“We had a meeting last night with the governor and, based on the government’s estimates, initially there are 10,000 casualties (dead),” Chief Superintendent Elmer Soria told reporters in Tacloban.

“About 70 to 80 percent of the houses and structures along the typhoon’s path were destroyed.”

On the neighboring island of Samar, a local disaster chief said 300 people were killed in the small town of Baser.

He added another 2,000 were missing there and elsewhere on Samar, which was one of the first areas to be hit when Haiyan swept in from the Pacific Ocean with maximum sustained winds of 315 kilometers an hour.

Dozens more people were confirmed killed in other flattened towns and cities across a 600-kilometer (370-mile) stretch of islands through the central Philippines.

Deadliest natural disaster

The Philippines endures a seemingly never-ending pattern of deadly typhoons, earthquakes, volcano eruptions and other natural disasters.

This is because it is located along a typhoon belt and the so-called Ring of Fire, a vast Pacific Ocean region where many of Earth’s earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.

However, if the feared death toll of above 10,000 is correct, Haiyan would be the deadliest natural disaster ever recorded in the Philippines.

Until Haiyan, the deadliest disaster in the Philippines was in 1976, when a tsunami triggered by a magnitude 7.9 earthquake devastated the Moro Gulf on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, killing between 5,000 and 8,000 people.

Haiyan set other apocalyptic-style records with its winds making it the strongest typhoon in the world this year, and one of the most powerful ever recorded.

Witnesses in Tacloban recalled waves up to five meters (17 feet) high surging inland, while aerial photos showed entire neighborhoods destroyed with trees and buildings flattened by storm surges that reached deep inland.

“The effects are very similar to what I have seen in a tsunami rather than a typhoon,” the Philippine country director of the World Food Program, Praveen Agrawal, who visited Tacloban, told AFP.

“All the trees are bent over, the bark has been stripped off, the houses have been damaged. In many cases they have collapsed.”

In Washington, the Pentagon announced that US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel had responded to a request from the Philippines for military aid.

“Secretary Hagel has directed US Pacific Command to support US government humanitarian relief operations in the Philippines in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan,” it said.

“The initial focus includes surface maritime search and rescue, medium-heavy helicopter lift support, airborne maritime search and rescue, fixed wing lift support and logistics enablers.”

United Nations leader Ban Ki-moon also pledged that UN humanitarian agencies would “respond rapidly to help people in need.”

Ban is “deeply saddened by the extensive loss of life” and devastation caused by Haiyan, said UN spokesman Martin Nesirky in a statement.

Haiyan moved out of the Philippines and into the South China Sea on Saturday, from where it tracked towards Vietnam.

Although it weakened out at sea, more than 600,000 people were evacuated in Vietnam ahead of its expected landfall on Monday morning.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Chinese boy, 10, jumps to death ‘on teacher’s order’

BEIJING — A 10-year-old Chinese boy jumped 30 floors to his death after failing to write a self-criticism letter demanded by his teacher, state media reported Thursday.

The fifth-grade primary school student had been ordered to write a 1,000-character apology by his teacher for talking in class, China National Radio (CNR) reported on its website, citing a neighbor.

The educator allegedly told him to jump out of a building after he failed to complete the task, the report quoted relatives and the neighbor as saying.

“Teacher, I can’t do it,” was found written in one of his textbooks, CNR said. “I flinched several times when I tried to jump from the building.”

The child smashed into a parked car beneath the flat where his family live, the West China City News reported.

His furious relatives posted a banner outside the school in the southwestern city of Chengdu reading: “The teacher forced our kid to jump off the building,” pictures showed Thursday.

“The police investigation is still under way,” an official of Jinjiang district, where the incident happened, told AFP, declining to comment further.

Strict discipline is an essential part of China’s education system and culture, and tradition demands deference to authority, putting children under pressure to obey instructions.

The news provoked sadness and sympathy on Sina Weibo, a Chinese equivalent of Twitter.

“How can a guy like this be a teacher?” wrote one poster. “Who gave him the right to speak in this way? Why does the student have this kind of blind obedience?”

The boy’s school said Thursday on its verified account that the child and some of his classmates had been ordered to write reviews of their behavior after they disturbed a speaking competition.

He died “by accident,” it said.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

New 14-foot ‘sea serpent’ found in Southern California

OCEANSIDE, California — For the second time in less than a week, a ‘sea serpent’ has attracted gawkers on a Southern California beach.

This time the rare, snakelike oarfish washed up Friday afternoon in Oceanside.

The newspaper U-T San Diego reported that it measured nearly 14 feet (4.3 meters) long and attracted a crowd of up to 75 people.

Oceanside police contacted SeaWorld San Diego, The Scripps Research Institute and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Someone from NOAA retrieved the carcass, which was cut into sections for later study.

While it’s unusual to find the deep-water fish near shore, on Sunday a snorkeler off Catalina Island found an 18-foot (5.5-meter)-long oarfish and dragged it onto the beach with the help of a dozen other people.

According to the Catalina Island Marine Institute, oarfish can grow to more than 50 feet (15 meters), making them the longest bony fish in the world.

They are likely responsible for sea serpent legends throughout history.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

2 Napoles children liable in Malampaya Fund scam

The alleged looting of P900 million from the Malampaya Fund, which was officially meant to help victims of massive flooding in Luzon four years ago, appeared to be a “family business.”

A daughter and son of detained businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles forged the signatures of the supposed beneficiaries of the fund, according to a whistle-blower.

One of Napoles’ brothers and a nephew also served as presidents of two of the 12 dubious nongovernment organizations (NGOs) that were used to allegedly steal all the P900 million.

Levito Baligod, lawyer of witnesses in the P10-billion pork barrel scam allegedly masterminded by Napoles, said he would file an amendment to the plunder charges filed by the National Bureau of Investigation in the Office of the Ombudsman to include Jo Christine and James Christopher Napoles.

Jo Christine and James Christopher were called “Neneng” and “Butsoy,” respectively, by their mother’s employees.

Baligod said the two would be included in the plunder case for “direct involvement in the falsification and liquidation of documents” involving the P900 million from the Malampaya Fund that was coursed through the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

The money was earmarked for agrarian reform beneficiaries who were adversely affected by the back-to-back Tropical Storms “Ondoy” and “Pepeng” in 2009, but the P900 million ended up in dubious NGOs that Napoles had formed.

According to Baligod, the two Napoles siblings would join their mother Janet, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, three of her Cabinet secretaries—former Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, former Budget Secretary and now Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya, and former Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman—in the case that the NBI filed in the Office of the Ombudsman on Oct. 3 against 24 people.

Baligod said the father of the siblings, retired Marine Maj. Jaime “Jimmy” Napoles, would not be included in the case because the testimony and evidence did not show his direct involvement in the scam.

Baligod, lawyer of pork scam whistle-blowers led by Benhur Luy and Merlina Suñas, said the former Reform the Armed Forces Movement officer was seen only as “enjoying the luxuries.”

The Inquirer on Sunday called up Lorna Kapunan, lawyer of Napoles, to get her side but got no reply as of press time.

Youngest child

In his affidavit, Luy said Janet’s youngest child, Jeane, was just a recipient of her mother’s earnings as she was studying in the United States.

Luy claimed that Janet was a heavy buyer of dollars in the black market. “She uses these dollars to pay for taxes or buy properties abroad. These dollars are also used by Jeane Napoles and (Janet’s brother) Reynald Lim who are residing abroad,” he said.

Suñas, who started working for Janet’s trading firm, Jo Chris Trading, after her retirement from Philippine Navy Naval Construction Corp. in 2000, said she was entrusted by Janet to handle the documentation and liquidation of DAR documents for the Malampaya Fund at a meeting of JLN employees in July 2009.

The meeting was held three months before Arroyo and Ermita sent orders for the release of the P900 million to help farmer-beneficiaries recover from their losses from Ondoy and Pepeng.

Also at meeting

Suñas said Jo Christine and James Christopher were present at the meeting in which their mother and her employees plotted how to profit from the P900 million earmarked for the DAR.

Aside from their mother and her JLN employees, the siblings took part in forging the signatures of the supposed beneficiaries of the Malampaya Fund, according to Suñas.

“Truth be told, those that we could not finish signing in the JLN Corp. office were brought by Madame Janet Napoles to her house where they continued the signing of the documents along with the house help, drivers and security [guards],” the whistle-blower said.

Suñas said Jo Christine and James Christopher had helped in faking the documents as the siblings were top officers of JLN Corp. Jo Christine was vice president for administration and finance of JLN Corp. while her brother was vice president for operations.

The siblings held office on the 25th floor of Discovery Center in Pasig City.

Suñas said Jaime served only as “consultant” at JLN Corp. although Luy claimed that the former military officer had often served as his wife’s driver.

Brothers, nephew

Suñas said Napoles also tapped her brothers Reynald Lim and Ronald Francisco Lim, and a nephew, Ronald John Lim Jr., as officers of JLN. Ronald Francisco was vice president for special projects and Reynald was in charge of information technology.

Ronald Francisco and John Ronald who were among those charged with plunder last week, served as presidents of two of the dubious NGOs that were used in allegedly stealing all the P900 million.

Luy claimed that Jo Christine had also received part of the funds remitted to the dubious NGOs whenever her mother was not at their home on the 18th floor of the north wing of the Pacific Plaza Tower in Taguig City.

Luy said Jo Christine and James Christopher were aware of the code names given by Napoles to lawmakers whom she had regularly dealt with.

“Tanda” was Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile; “Pogi” was Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.; “Sexy,” “anak” or “kuya” referred to Sen. Jinggoy Estrada.

Other codes

“Guerrera” was former Rep. Rizalina Seachon-Lanete (now Masbate governor); “Bonjing” was former Agusan del Sur Rep. Rodolfo Plaza; “Bulaklak” was former Benguet Rep. Samuel Dangwa; “Suha” was former South Cotabato Rep. Arthur Pingoy; and “Kuryente” was former Apec Rep. Edgar Valdez.

Suñas said that apart from the beneficiaries, the signatures of 97 town mayors in Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog and Bicol regions, and the Cordillera Administrative Region (the areas pummeled by Ondoy and Pepeng) were also forged.

“JLN Corp. had on file the previous requests for financial assistance with the Department of Agriculture and we copied their signatures (from these documents) in the (97) letter requests (addressed to Pangandaman) and MOA (or memoranda of agreement given to DAR),” Suñas said.

Luy noted that the P900 million from the Malampaya Fund was the second time Janet raided DAR funds.

In 2007, Janet’s NGOs took P200 million from DAR funds intended for land reform beneficiaries.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Couple charged with estafa for selling fake smartphones online

MANILA, Philippines — Marikina policemen have filed charges against a couple who were arrested earlier for allegedly selling counterfeit smartphones online.

A statement from the Eastern Police District identified one of the suspects as 18-year-old Bernadette Mandapat, also known as Ayessa Enriquez and Berna, and a resident of Pigeon Street in Barangay Malanday (village), Marikina City. She was arrested with Duane Allen Mossman, 20, a resident of Goodrich Village in Barangay Concepcion Uno, Marikina City.



The two were accused of estafa and other forms of deceit under the Revised Penal Code by Reina Carla Angeles after they allegedly sold her a counterfeit smartphone.

Investigation showed that the victim purchased a black Samsung Galaxy S4 from the two through their account on the online selling website sulit.com.ph. Angeles said she paid the couple P30,000 on Aug. 31 during a meet-up at a mall in Marikina City.

However, when Angeles brought the phone to a Samsung retailer in Masinag, Antipolo City, she found out that it was not an original but only a clone.

She reported the fraudulent transaction to the Marikina police and showed them a certification from Samsung as evidence.

As part of the entrapment operation, the victim bought another phone from the couple who were arrested on Sept. 21 when they met up with Angeles at a branch of a fast-food chain in Barangay San Roque, Marikina.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Death toll from Colorado floods rises to eight

LOS ANGELES — The confirmed death toll from massive floods in the US state of Colorado has risen to eight, while more than 600 people remain unaccounted for, officials said early Tuesday.

Helicopters resumed search and rescue missions, helped by clearer weather after days of torrential rain that has left over 1,500 homes destroyed and more than 17,000 damaged.

Five teams from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are bolstering hundreds of state and local officers trying to reach hundreds of residents stranded by the floods, centered on Boulder County north of Denver.

“We have a strong opportunity here, with FEMA’s help, to come out of this whole situation with a stronger infrastructure,” Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper told a press briefing.

On Sunday, heavy rain prevented helicopters from taking off for most of the day as officials put the number of people unaccounted for at more than 1,200 across the western state.

But on Monday there was even blue sky in some areas, allowing some 21 helicopters to take to the air.

“We are hoping to take advantage of the weather today and get those rescue operations complete,” spokeswoman Micki Trost of the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management was quoted as saying by the Denver Post.

In all eight people have died, including three in Boulder County, two in El Paso County, two missing presumed dead in Larimer County, and one from an as yet undetermined locality, said the Colorado Office of Emergency management (COEM) in its latest update.

The number of people unaccounted for stood at 658 Monday it said, stressing however that that number was “approximate and changing,” as rescue crews gained access to more places, and as stranded people got in touch with authorities to confirm they were alright.

In all 11,700 people have been evacuated, the COEM said. A total of 17,994 residential structures have been damaged, and 1,502 destroyed.

Many of the missing may simply be unable to report their whereabouts, but Hickenlooper warned that the death toll may increase. “There are many, many homes that have been destroyed,” he said.

Rain began pelting the western state early last week, with Boulder especially hard hit, seeing 7.2 inches (18.3 centimeters) of precipitation in about 15 hours starting Wednesday night.

Flash floods have afflicted 15 counties down a 200-mile (320-kilometer) north-south section of the Front Range, where the Rocky Mountains meet the Great Plains, the Colorado Office of Emergency Management said.

“We’ve got a heck of a lot of communities dealing with a heck of a lot of water,” Jennifer Finch, a spokeswoman for Weld County northeast of Boulder, told Denver Channel 7 News on Sunday.

On Sunday, traffic on Interstate 25, Colorado’s main north-south thoroughfare just east of the mountain range, was brought to a halt by water covering two of the three southbound lanes, according to an AFP correspondent on the road.

President Barack Obama has declared a major disaster in Colorado and ordered federal aid to support state and local efforts. Hickenlooper called the widespread flooding “a heck of a storm.”

Although skies were clearer Monday, weather forecasters warned that scattered storms could still dump up to an inch of rain in less than 30 minutes, according to KUSA-TV.

Drier, warmer weather conditions are due to return to the battered state on Tuesday, lasting through to Thursday when there is a chance of showers through the region, it said.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

US plans for 3 days of attacks on Syria—report

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is readying more intense and longer attacks on Syria than originally planned, set to last three days, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.

War planners now aim to unleash a heavy barrage of missile strikes to be followed swiftly by additional attacks on targets that may have been missed or remain standing after the initial launch, the Times cited officials as saying.

Two US officers told the newspaper that the White House has asked for an expanded target list to include “many more” than the initial list of around 50 targets.

The move is part of an effort to obtain additional firepower to damage Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s dispersed forces.

Pentagon planners are now considering using Air Force bombers, as well as five US missile destroyers currently patrolling the eastern Mediterranean Sea, to launch cruise missiles and air-to-surface missiles from far out of range of Syrian air defenses, according to the report.

The USS Nimitz aircraft carrier strike group with one cruiser and three destroyers positioned in the Read Sea can also fire cruise missiles at Syria.

“There will be several volleys and an assessment after each volley, but all within 72 hours and a clear indication when we are done,” an officer familiar with the planning told the Times.

The intensified military planning comes as President Barack Obama prepares to personally make his case to the American people and further press reluctant lawmakers on the need for action after Assad allegedly used chemical weapons on his own people last month.

Obama is scheduled to tape interviews Monday with anchors of the three major broadcast networks, as well as with PBS, CNN and Fox News.

The interviews, to air that night, will precede Obama’s address to the nation Tuesday ahead of an expected full Senate vote.

The president favors a limited attack with only a reduced number of warplanes to drop bombs over Syria, according to the Times.

Amid doubts that a limited US offensive would sufficiently hamper Assad’s military capabilities, one officer told the newspaper that the planned operation would amount to a “show of force” over several days that would not fundamentally change the situation on the ground.

The planned US strike “will not strategically impact the current situation in the war, which the Syrians have well in hand, though fighting could go on for another two years,” another US officer said.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Defense, budget departments get approval for use of credit cards

MANILA, Philippines – The use of credit cards to replace so-called “petty cash” for small purchases at the Department of National Defense has been approved by regulators, in line with the administration’s push to improve transparency in government.

The Department of Budget and Management announced that starting this September, cash will no longer be used to purchase plane tickets, emergency medicine, groceries, and other small items for the various service units of the country’s armed forces.

This follows the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas  Monetary Board’s approval of the use of credit cards for small official transactions of the DND and its staff.

“This is just a baby step…. If this is successful, we can roll this out to other departments,” DBM chief information officer Richard Bon Moya said in an interview.

Moya said the use of credit cards by the DND was one of the first steps toward digitizing all transactions in government. The DND was chosen for the pilot project since the department had a reputation of bad record-keeping when it came to funds.

Apart from the DND, the DBM would also take part in the pilot project, which was done in cooperation with the Better Than Cash Alliance, a multinational non-governmental organization that advocates the use of more efficient electronic payment methods instead of coins and notes.

The Better Than Cash Alliance was founded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and is partly funded by American financial giant Citi.

The new credit cards for the government will work like corporate credit cards.  Moya said credit limits would be determined based on past spending patterns of each of the DND’s service units, namely the Army, Vavy, the Air Force and the Marines.

The use of the credit cards will also be limited to certain kinds of establishments to avoid abuse. “If they try to use it in restaurants and bars, the cards will be declined,” Moya said.

He said the cards would not augment the petty cash budgets of the agencies involved. Instead, the cards will replace cash that was previously used as the sole mode of payment.

The switch to more cashless transactions in government, Moya said, was a pet project of Budget Secretary Florencio Abad. Moya said because electronic payment methods were more efficient and more transparent, the government stands to save “billions” every year as it minimizes leakages due to corruption and costs related to the handling of cash.

Moya said the project would have been implemented last year, but the DBM had to secure the Monetary Board’s approval because the use of credit cards by government agencies was essentially a loan by the state.

A recent survey by the Better Than Cash Alliance showed that 98 percent of all transactions in the country were still done using cash.

source: business.inquirer.net

1,600 homes evacuated as Idaho wildfire grows

BOISE, Idaho—A wind-driven wildfire burned its way through sage and pine trees near the Idaho mountain resort community of Sun Valley as sheriff’s deputies expanded evacuation orders to 1,600 homes.

The Beaver Creek Fire grew by 15 square miles (39 million square kilometers) Friday night and early Saturday to more than 144 square miles (373 million square kilometers).

The evacuation orders included homes in drainages and foothills west of the towns of Hailey and extending to north of Ketchum in central Idaho. Flames also crept closer to the Sun Valley Resort.

State and federal firefighters were working to get the blaze under control and protect property in the affluent resort region that’s a second home to celebrities such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Hanks and Bruce Willis.

More than 700 firefighters are focused mostly on protecting homes and property. But hundreds more firefighters are en route as wildfires elsewhere in Idaho and other western states are brought under control.

Fire managers say the fire grew rapidly Friday thanks to wind gusts topping out at 30 mph (48 kph), low humidity and tinder-dry ground fuels.

“It’s safe to say we’ve got a lot of structures at risk,” said Shawna Hartman, spokeswoman for the Beaver Creek Fire.

Managers at the Sun Valley Ski Resort turned on water cannons that are normally used for wintertime snowmaking.

One home in an outlying valley was destroyed Thursday night, said Bronwyn Nickel, a spokeswoman for Blaine County, where the fire is burning.

In addition, some private insurers have sent in their own crews to provide structural protection for homes with values that can stretch into the millions of dollars, Nickel said.

“There are private engines that insurance companies have sent in,” she said. “They’re on site, they’re working with our local firefighters and law enforcement.”

Fire officials said crews spent the day building fire lines and trying to funnel the fire into areas burned during another blaze in 2007. A huge DC-10 tanker, capable of carrying 12,000 gallons (45,400 liters) of retardant, was among aircraft making drops on the blaze.

Jack Sibbach, a Sun Valley Resort spokesman, had to leave his home south of Ketchum on Friday. He said he watched as airplanes and helicopters made runs in roughly 3-minute intervals, dropping water and red retardant to create a barrier against flames west of US Highway 75.

The resort turned on snow cannons on Bald Mountain, he said, largely to protect lodges atop the mountain, should the fire advance that far.

Flying in separate aircraft, Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter and US Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell took an aerial tour of the fire.

The towns of Ketchum, with a population of 2,700, and Sun Valley, with 1,400 people, were under pre-evacuation orders, with residents advised to prepare their belongings in case they were required to leave on a moment’s notice.—Brady Mccombs with Todd Dvorak in Boise

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

6.5-magnitude quake reported in Colombia

BOGOTA—A 6.5-magnitude earthquake rattled northwestern Colombia Tuesday but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage, authorities said.

The Seismological Network of Colombia said the quake struck at 10:43 a.m. (1543 GMT) in the Pacific Ocean, 99 kilometers (60 miles) from the town of Nuqui in the department of Antioquia.

Colombian authorities ruled out the threat of a tsunami.

The Colombian report said it was felt especially strongly in the city of Quibdo, the capital of the department of Choco, where people ran out into the streets.

It was also felt in the departments of Quindio and Tolima.

Colombian seismologists said the quake, which was at a depth of less than 30 kilometers (18 miles), had a reading of 6.5 on the Moment magnitude scale.

The US Geological Survey, reporting on the same event, measured the quake at 6.7 on the same scale.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Insurance Commission head quits, but boss wants him to stay

MANILA, Philippines–The Department of Finance confirmed on Tuesday reports that Insurance Commissioner Emmanuel Dooc has tendered his resignation. But his boss, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, said he does not want Dooc to leave.

Dooc has tendered his resignation, which is said to be effective Wednesday, to give way to the supposed appointment of an insurance commissioner who will have a fixed term of six years under the new Insurance Code, which is expected to be signed by President Aquino III soon, Purisima said.

“It is a courtesy resignation coming from a gentleman with delicadeza. He did not want to presume that he will be the one nominated to the position which has a fixed term of six years under the new Insurance Code,” Purisima said.

He said he would renominate Dooc once the new Insurance Code is signed by the President.

“I am happy with his [Dooc's] performance. He is solid and very competent. I intend to renominate him once the Insurance Code is signed into law,” Purisima said.

source: buusiness.inquirer.net

Nominees in main Emmys categories

LOS ANGELES—Following is a list of nominees announced Thursday in the main categories for the 65th annual primetime Emmy awards, to be handed out in Los Angeles on September 22:








DRAMA SERIES:

“Breaking Bad”

“Downton Abbey”

“Game of Thrones”

“Homeland”

“House of Cards”

“Mad Men”

DRAMA ACTOR:
Hugh Bonneville, “Downton Abbey”

Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad”

Jeff Daniels, “Newsroom”

Jon Hamm, “Mad Men”

Damien Lewis, “Homeland”

Kevin Spacey, “House of Cards”

DRAMA ACTRESS:

Claire Danes, “Homeland”

Vera Farmiga, “Bates Motel”

Michelle Dockery, “Downton Abbey”

Robin Wright, “House of Cards”

Elisabeth Moss, “Mad Men”

Connie Britton, “Nashville”

Kerry Washington, “Scandal”

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA:

Bobby Cannavale, “Boardwalk Empire”

Jonathan Banks, “Breaking Bad”

Aaron Paul, “Breaking Bad”

Jim Carter, “Downton Abbey”

Peter Dinklage, “Game of Thrones”

Mandy Patinkin, “Homeland”

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA:

Anna Gunn, “Breaking Bad”

Maggie Smith, “Downtown Abbey”

Emilia Clark, “Game of Thrones”

Christine Baranski, “The Good Wife”

Morena Baccarin, “Homeland”

Christina Hendricks, “Mad Men”

COMEDY SERIES:

“The Big Bang Theory”

“Girls”

“Louie”

“Modern Family”

“30 Rock”

“Veep”

COMEDY ACTOR:

Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock”

Jason Bateman, “Arrested Development”

Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory”

Matt LeBlanc, “Episodes”

Louis C.K, “Louie”

Don Cheadle, “House of Lies”

COMEDY ACTRESS:

Tina Fey, “30 Rock”

Laura Dern, “Enlightened”

Lena Dunham, “Girls”

Edie Falco, “Nurse Jackie”

Amy Poehler, “Parks and Recreation”

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep”

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY:

Adam Driver, “Girls”

Jesse Tyler Ferguson, “Modern Family”

Ed O’Neill, “Modern Family”

Ty Burrell, “Modern Family”

Bill Hader, “Saturday Night Live”

Tony Hale, “Veep”

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY:

Mayim Bialik, “The Big Bang Theory”

Jane Lynch, “Glee”

Sofia Vergara, “Modern Family”

Julie Bowen, “Modern Family”

Merritt Wever, “Nurse Jackie”

Jane Krakowski, “30 Rock”

Anna Chlumsky, “Veep”

MINISERIES OR MOVIE:

“American Horror Story: Asylum”

“Behind the Candelabra”

“The Bible”

“Phil Spector”

“Political Animals”

“Top of the Lake”

ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE:

Michael Douglas, “Behind the Candelabra”

Matt Damon, “Behind the Candelabra”

Toby Jones, “The Girl”

Benedict Cumberbatch, “Parade’s End”

Al Pacino, “Phil Spector”

ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE

Jessica Lange, “American Horror Story: Asylum”

Laura Linney, “The Big C: Hereafter”

Helen Mirren, “Phil Spector”

Sigourney Weaver, “Political Animals”

Elisabeth Moss, “Top of the Lake”

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

US PR exec accidentally credited $92 quadrillion by PayPal

MANILA, Philippines – A man in the United States was accidentally credited $92 quadrillion in his online PayPal account, a CNN news report said Thursday.

Chris Reynolds, a PR executive who sells auto parts in online marketplace eBay, saw the $92,233,720,368,547,800 credit in his emailed statement of account for the month of June from PayPal.

When he checked his account online, the balance was brought back to $0, the correct amount.

PayPal had already apologized to Reynolds for the error.

The $92 quadrillion would have made Reynolds richer than Forbes number 1 richest man on Earth Mexican telecom mogul Carlos Slim, whose wealth stands at $73 billion, and Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who is number two on the list with $67 billion. 

source: technology.inquirer.net

Body of British actor Paul Bhattacharjee found

LONDON—British police on Wednesday said they had found the body of an actor who appeared in James Bond film “Casino Royal,” who went missing in London last Wednesday.

Officers investigating the disappearance of Paul Bhattacharjee, 53, said they were on Wednesday morning told by Sussex Police that the body of a man, matching his description, had been recovered from cliffs in East Sussex, southern England, on Friday.




“This afternoon the body was identified in Sussex as that of Mr. Bhattacharjee,” said Metropolitan police. His death is being treated as non-suspicious.

Bhattacharjee was said to be in good spirits when he was last seen as at a theater in central London.

The London actor also appeared in “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” “White Teeth” and “Dirty Pretty Things.”

Police described his disappearance as “totally out of character.”

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

‘Glee’ lead star had troubled past

LOS ANGELES—The last time I interviewed Cory Monteith, the “Glee” star had just disclosed his troubled past of being embroiled in drugs and alcohol in a feature story in Parade magazine.

In that article, the shy, quiet actor surprised many by his admission that in his younger days, he often skipped school to get drunk and do drugs.




Described as a once promising student, the Calgary, Alberta, Canada, native, whose parents split when he was 7 years old, jumped from one school to another.

The article reported that Monteith, who was raised by his mother in Victoria, British Columbia, went to 12 different schools and programs for troubled youths.

“There was something valuable about being up front with who you are and your past,” Monteith answered when asked why he decided to open up about his past, which included committing petty crimes to support his drug and alcohol addiction.

The admission came at the height of “Glee’s” popularity. The disclosure of a troubled Monteith was a marked contrast to the clean-cut Finn Hudson he played in “Glee.”

“It could provide an example to people struggling with the same things or kids having the same problems,” Monteith said. “That’s the one thing that I really hoped that it did—shed light. A lot of different people deal with that stuff so it was important for me to be honest about who I am.”

Often paired with his girlfriend Lea Michele, his “Glee” romantic interest and costar, in interviews, Monteith gallantly let the actress lead in answering the questions.

Nice young man

He was a nice young man, who appeared somewhat shy at media encounters. Lanky and young-looking, Monteith was in his late 20s when he was cast to play Finn, the star quarterback of his high school team who surprised his teammates by joining the glee club.

Monteith told me he was stunned when he first heard Filipina singer Charice, who guested in the series, sing “Listen” for the first time.

He admitted that at first, he was not comfortable with the singing and dancing aspects of his role.

“I could never sing and feel comfortable singing or let anybody hear me singing. If people asked me, ‘Did you sing before ‘Glee?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I would sing in the shower, in the car or where no one could hear me or at least where I thought no one could hear me.’ It’s a gift that I received from being part of the show—being comfortable with my voice. It’s amazing.”

He added that he sang Foreigner songs in the shower. “I don’t know why,” he quipped.

Turning to acting

Monteith, who started turning his life around at 19 when his mother and her friends urged him to attend a rehab program, said during the interview that an acting career was not on his mind in his younger years.

“I thought I would be a doctor or something like that when I was really young. But when I was 20, 21, the idea of being an actor came around to me. It’s not something that ever occurred to me as a child. I was in the school plays, but I never put one and one together. I never said this (acting) is what I wanted to do because where I came from, not a lot of people thought like that. Not a lot of people were trying to move to Hollywood. It’s still a shocker to be here.”

Also shocking to him was that he was singing and dancing.

“If you told me five years ago that I would be singing and dancing on a television show in prime time, I wouldn’t have believed you. I don’t know what’s next, but I love being an actor.”

On a “healthy ego” and vulnerability as assets for an actor, Monteith said: “I see both as valuable. I see having a healthy ego as valuable and also being aware of one’s vulnerabilities or insecurities as being valuable. Too much of either is unhealthy. People have these characteristics in their own personas. It’s being aware of all that stuff. I am like Finn in the sense that he is like a younger version of myself. I transport myself back to a lot of years and remember where I was then.”

Knowing the characters

Monteith wanted the other characters, not just the main ones, to have their share of story lines in the series created by Ryan Murphy. He was enthusiastic, for instance, that an Asian character (played by Harry Shum Jr.) and his parents had a story line in one episode.

“That’s great because I was always interested in knowing who those characters were. I was always interested in knowing who the parents were, what their struggles were, what they were dealing with. I feel that it contributes to the show as a whole because you start to know all of these characters so much better and they become nuances. They become interesting when you start to know about their histories.

Asked for an interesting story involving fans, Monteith answered: “Man, a girl in Manchester (England) showed up at our hotel. She caught me outside the hotel and said, ‘Would you sign something for me?’ A bunch of us were signing stuff for her. She said, ‘Sign my arm.’ “I was like, ‘Are you sure?’ She handed me a felt pen and I signed her arm. She had my signature tattooed on her arm. I saw photos on the Internet. She actually came to the show. She was in the third row.” He broke into a smile, which made him even look younger.

Development as actor

He was upbeat and practical about his acting career. “I’m super-interested in developing myself as an actor. We couldn’t be more fortunate to be working on a show like ‘Glee.’ To go forward from that, it would have to be in film. But I’m super-pragmatic about how I look at my future. I’ve been so fortunate already. I have an idea of where I’d like my career to go, but at the same time, I like to remain really open minded.”

For Monteith, his big “Glee” break was already something to be very grateful for. “It’s been a remarkable experience being in the show and being able to look at a character for this length of time. It’s been incredible. I couldn’t imagine what my life would be without it. I’m just trying to stay in the moment.”

But, alas, Monteith died on Saturday in Vancouver. We lost a nice, young man. He was gone too soon.

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

World’s largest building opens in China

BEIJING—Boasting its own artificial sun and a floor area three times that of the Pentagon, the “world’s largest building” has opened in southwest China to mixed reviews from its first visitors.

The towering 100-meter (330-foot) high New Century Global Centre, which is said to be big enough to hold 20 Sydney Opera Houses, recently opened its doors Chengdu.

The complex, which Chinese officials say is the world’s largest standalone structure, is 500 meters long by 400 meters wide, offering 1.7 million square meters of floor space.

But the first wave of visitors were divided over the attractions of the structure, which houses 400,000 square meters of shopping space, offices, conference rooms, a university complex, two commercial centers, two five star hotels, and an IMAX cinema.

“It lacks creativity,” said one visitor on Sina Weibo, China’s version of Twitter.

Another visitor poked fun at its name.

“Why is everything in Chengdu called ‘global’,” the poster said.

However, some Internet users were impressed with the complex, which opened on June 28.

“It will become the new landmark of Chengdu,” said one poster.

The Global Centre has a marine theme, with fountains, a huge water park and an artificial beach, accented by the undulating roof, meant to resemble a wave.

The centerpiece is a 5,000 square meter artificial beach, which includes a rafting course and a “seafront” promenade, complete with parasols and seafood outlets that can accommodate 6,000 people.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net