FreshNewsBuzz

February 27, 2012 PCSO Result

2012-02-27T21:14:00.001+08:00

11:00 am: 11-23

4:00 pm: 03-29

9:00 pm: 07-07

11:00 am: 1-8-2

4:00 pm: 7-5-9

9:00 pm: 9-4-5

7-0-6-0

11-34-24-27-29-16

38-40-37-47-31-20

Meryl Streep wins best actress Oscar

2012-02-27T18:47:00.000+08:00

Meryl Streep who played Margaret Thatcher of the movie The Iron Lady has just bagged her 3rd Oscar's Best Actress award. Streep holds the records of 17 nominations for most Academy Awards was also honored for her 1979 film Kramer vs. Kramer.
Streep, 62, is widely acknowledged as the best living movie actress of her generation. Critics said she showed her best performance as Thatcher.
Colin Firth said "You are unreasonably good, whatever role you play you raise the bar, making it a little more difficult for the rest of us."

Kwan murderer charged

2012-02-26T15:30:00.000+08:00

Carlo Maduyag Millado, 18, a resident of Barpa, Barangay Leon Garcia, Agdao was charged with robbery with homicide by the Sta Ana Police Station for killing the nurse Marjorie Gan Kwan. A witness positively identified Millado as the one who robbed and killed Kwan when the victim failed to give her bag. Millado pretended to be a minor when he was arrested to escaped from the case. He also said that he was not at the place where Kwan was killed because he was at Rizal Park.

Senior Inspector Ronald L. Lao said that Millado has several inconsistencies in his statements thus giving them the conclusion that it was indeed Millado who killed Kwan along with his pal who is currently at large.

Al Qaeda kill 26 as new Yemeni leader is sworn in

2012-02-26T11:57:00.000+08:00

SANAA/ADEN(Reuters) - A suicide bombing claimed by al Qaeda killed at least 26 people outside a presidential palace in southern Yemen on Saturday, hours after the newly-elected president was sworn in and said the battle against the Islamists was a "national duty."

A car was driven at the gates of the building in the port city of Mukalla, Yemen's fourth-largest city, far from the capital Sanaa where Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi was sworn in.

Dozens were injured. The governor of Hadramout province Khalid Saeed al-Dayni said 20 of the dead were soldiers and an investigation was under way to identify the suicide bomber.

Al Qaeda claimed responsibility and said the attack had been carried out by a "Yemeni jihadi," according to text messages sent to Reuters and other media outlets.

"The sound of the explosion was strong and was heard in many parts of the city," a resident of Mukalla said.

"The strength of the explosion shattered glass windowpanes and doors in buildings near the explosion."

Sanaa, the scene of much fighting in recent months between factions of the army supporting protesters and units loyal to the former leader, was relatively quiet.

After taking the oath, Hadi singled out al Qaeda, whose active Arabian Peninsula branch is based in Yemen, as a top priority for his new administration, saying: "Continuing the war against al Qaeda is a national and religious duty."

The former army general was the sole election candidate to replace Ali Abdullah Saleh, who ruled Yemen for three decades with an iron fist but was pushed out by months of street protests sparked by the Arab Spring.

While the protests and bouts of bloody repression by security forces have subsided, Yemen remains mired in mass poverty, unemployment and corruption, rocked by rebellions in the north and south, and threatened by al Qaeda.

Saudi Arabia and the United States long saw Saleh as the main bulwark against al Qaeda in Yemen, which sits on one of the world's main oil shipping routes, but threw their weight behind a power transfer deal as protests against him grew.

Some 42 percent of Yemen's population of 23 million live on less than $2 per day, fuel and water shortages are chronic and inflation is rampant.

CHAOS

Hadi said in a speech that Yemen must draw a line under a year of protests and violence and turn its attention to economic problems and the job of returning those displaced by the crisis to their homes.

"I stand here at a historic moment ... I look to the Yemeni people and give them thanks. The crisis reached every city and village and house, but Yemen will continue to go forward," Hadi said.

"If we don't deal with challenges practically, then chaos will reign."

Jamal Benomar, U.N. envoy to Yemen, said: "Yemenis want an end to the crisis, and to turn a new page. Now it's time to rebuild, for consensus and concord ... and to bring people into an inclusive political process."

The U.S. ambassador to Yemen, Gerald Feierstein, said: "We are seeing the beginning of a process that I believe will deliver great results over the next two years."

Hadi now has the job of overseeing a two-year political transition that foresees parliamentary elections, a new constitution and a restructuring of the military, in which Saleh's son and nephew still hold power.

An inauguration ceremony is scheduled for Monday. Saleh, who returned to Yemen early on Saturday after seeking treatment in the United States for injuries suffered in an assassination attempt last year, is due to attend.

After the speech, protesters in the southern city of Aden clashed with security forces, killing a soldier, a local security official said. Two soldiers and two protesters were injured, medics added.

(Additional reporting by Nour Merza in Dubai; Writing by Reed Stevenson; Editing by Andrew Roche)

Mandela admitted to hospital in South Africa

2012-02-26T03:00:00.001+08:00

JOHANNESBURG(Reuters) - Former South African president Nelson Mandela was admitted to hospital on Saturday to be treated for a "long-standing abdominal complaint", intensifying concerns about the health of the 93-year-old anti-apartheid leader.

The government said Mandela needed specialist medical treatment although the ruling African National Congress (ANC) said his admission was not an emergency and did not involve surgery.

"There's no need for panic," ANC spokesman Keith Khoza told South Africa's e-News channel. "It was not an emergency admission. It was planned."

An ANC source told Reuters that Mandela, who is popularly known by his clan name, Madiba, was "not looking serious".

Mandela has been in poor health since spending nearly a week in Johannesburg's Milpark hospital just over a year ago with respiratory problems, and has not appeared in public since then.

He has spent the last year between his home in Johannesburg's northern suburbs and his ancestral village of Qunu in the impoverished Eastern Cape.

As South Africa's first black president, Mandela occupies a central position in the psyche of a country that was ruled by the 10 percent white minority until the first all-race elections in 1994.

Earlier this month, President Jacob Zuma and the central bank issued a new set of bank notes bearing his image.

Mandela has long since withdrawn from active participation in politics and public life in Africa's biggest economy, having stood down at the end of his first term in office in 1999.

His last major public appearance was in July 2010 at the final of the World Cup in Johannesburg's Soccer City stadium.

(Reporting by Ed Cropley and Peroshni Govender; Editing by Janet Lawrence/Ruth Pitchford)

Prisoner of Zintan: Gaddafi son in Libyan limbo

2012-02-25T23:57:00.000+08:00

courtesy of Reuters

ZINTAN, Libya(Reuters) - In a secret location, somewhere among the sandstone and concrete buildings of the straggling mountain town of Zintan, Libya's most prominent prisoner awaits his fate.

Three months after he was captured far away in the Sahara desert dressed as a Bedouin tribesman, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son and one-time heir apparent of Libya's fallen leader, is being kept here, ostensibly to keep him safe from harm until the new Libyan government can organize a trial for him.

But the ad hoc nature of his detention highlights just how little control that government yet has over the country and over rival local militias, like that from Zintan which captured him.

"Zintan people must keep him for now because Tripoli is not ready to keep him safe. Outside Zintan, he could be kidnapped or killed," said one Zintan resident, chemistry teacher Bilgasim Abdallah, repeating the credo of the 35,000 townsfolk that he risks sharing his father's bloody fate if taken to the capital.

"Here in Zintan, we can protect him but he needs to be handed over to face justice," Abdallah said as he checked out the wares at a local bakery in the town this week. "We treat him well. We feed him. It's our culture and the Islamic way."

The ruling National Transitional Council (NTC) has accepted this state of affairs. Indeed, it has had little choice. The NTC head told Reuters two weeks ago that the 39-year-old, London-educated Saif al-Islam would be moved to a Tripoli prison within two months and then face trial.

But though an investigation by the prosecutor-general's office is under way, many are skeptical that the interim leadership, with its hands full trying to impose itself on a host of fractious local groups as it tries to organize a first free election in June, truly has the means to hold and try him.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague indicted Saif al-Islam in June for crimes against humanity stemming from the crackdown on the Libyan revolt. But the NTC insists he will be tried at home and will be given a fair hearing. The ICC may yet insist that he be sent to The Hague.

Saif al-Islam's supporters, including surviving siblings who found refuge abroad, say they doubt he will be given a fair trial in Libya. He faces the death penalty if found guilty by a Libyan court, a prison term if convicted by the ICC.

LOYALTY PLEDGE

In Zintan, a town that prides itself on a history of martial prowess far beyond its modest size and prosperity, the militia commanders holding him are keen to stress that they are loyal to the government in Tripoli and simply doing their national duty.

"Everyone knows that we are treating him well, just like any other prisoner. He is in good health and in a secure place," Abdelhamid Abouderbala, head of Zintan's military council, told Reuters in the town - though he declined to offer specifics on exactly where his famous captive was being held.

"He is fine," he said. "He doesn't have any problems. He is waiting for his trial. There is no place more secure.

"When they ask us, he will be moved immediately. They didn't ask us yet. If they do, as a military council, as Zintani people, we will do as the government and the NTC say."

In Zintan, people are quick to contrast their treatment of the son with the fate of his father after he was captured by fighters from the coastal city of Misrata. Muammar Gaddafi was abused and killed and his body put on public display for days.

But their critics complain Zintanis may be holding onto Saif al-Islam as a bargaining chip to claim a favorable chunk of the expected spoils in the contest between rival groups for power.

Within days of Saif al-Islam's capture, a Zintani was named defense minister in the new interim government. Zintani rebels fought all over the country during the war, including in the decisive push on Tripoli in August. Many are still based far from home, they say, to protect oilfields and other key sites.

Among these, Zintani fighters control Tripoli's main airport. And, fired with ambition, they want to turn their own local dirt strip into another international gateway to Libya.

But Abouderbala, speaking at his headquarters in Zintan, denied any ulterior motives: "When we started the revolution, we weren't looking for rewards. We aren't waiting for anything.

"The revolution was about freeing Libya."

CAPTIVE OR GUEST?

Saif al-Islam, who was awarded a doctorate by the London School of Economics, was seen as the business-friendly face of Libya in the years after his father rapprochement with Western powers. But his image transformed from that of liberal reformer to a key figure in his father's fight against rebels seeking his overthrow. Having vowed to die fighting, he was wounded and later taken near the southern town of Obari, without a struggle.

After flying him to Zintan on November 19, local fighters said Saif al-Islam told them he was relieved to find himself captured by them. The man who led the patrol that caught him in the desert said the prisoner had no reason to have changed his mind.

"I don't communicate with Saif but I know he is in good health," Alajmi Ali Ahmed al-Atiri said. "Like other prisoners, he is getting food, he can pray, he can go out in the sun."

Both the international Red Cross and Human Rights Watch have visited Saif al-Islam in detention in Zintan. HRW quoted him as having no complaints about the physical conditions - including medical treatment and surgery on a wounded hand - but that his main concern was the lack of access to family and a lawyer.

In his first days in captivity, local media aired an interview with Saif al-Islam in which he called the townsfolk his "brothers." Recently, a picture of him sitting down for a substantial-looking meal emerged on the Internet.

"We saw this and we thought - is he a prisoner or a guest?" 68-year-old Shaaban Ahmed said as he surveyed the street outside his son's grocery store - betraying some of the frustration that some Zintanis feel about their well-tended captive.

Many, it seems, would like to see him moved to Tripoli and off their hands soon. Others, with painful memories of Gaddafi's rule and the war which ended it, are less accommodating:

"They should kill him," said 17-year-old student and former rebel fighter Naji Mussa. "From the beginning they should have changed him, executed him. Why are they treating him well?

"This isn't right. He's a criminal."

RIVAL FORCES

As the country, and notably the capital, remains in thrall to rival armed groups, colliding in a chaotic and sometimes violent free-for-all, the national government has looked on powerless to intervene. For it, Saif al-Islam's fate is a test.

"The interim government and NTC perhaps lack the authority to be a legitimate entity to hand him over to on the one hand, but on the other the authorities do not have the coercive capability to take him, should they want to," Henry Smith, an analyst at consultancy Control Risks, said.

"It is another example, albeit a symbolically significant one, of the weakness of central government."

Smith said he would be surprised to see Saif al-Islam moved to Tripoli before June, when Libya will hold its first election under what most hope will be a new democratic system.

"The government is transitional, the judicial system is not really functioning, and the NTC will be disbanded after the elections in June," Smith said. "I am not convinced the interim government nor the NTC would want to take him anyway.

"It is another problem to deal with when they should be preoccupied with preparing for the elections."

Gaddafi's forces did not make it into Zintan during a war in which local people summoned the spirit of forebears who had fought Turkish and Italian occupiers in previous centuries. The army pounded it with rockets from a distance and some houses on the broad plateau still have walls missing from the attack.

"Lion of Zintan," the ubiquitous local slogan, is sprayed on the walls of the modest, single-storey buildings that line the central streets. Men drive past in pick-up trucks mounted with anti-aircraft guns, stopping to buy freshly baked bread.

Aside from truffles and hares that thrive in the mountains, local pride for Zintanis focuses on this warlike reputation, but they reject complaints from other Libyans that their forces are mounting a virtual occupation of the country further afield.

"In Zintan, we are fighters. We are men of war," said one man, a 47-year-old who gave his name as Ali and who had, he said, fought against Gaddafi. "But we are ordinary people."

However ordinary, though, many Zintanis do believe their leading role in the war - as highlighted by their capture of Saif al-Islam - does give them a bigger say in Libya's future than those who, in their eyes, kept out of harm's way:

"When the revolution in Libya began, many jumped along, saying they would draw up Libya's future," said Atiri, the commander of the desert patrol which captured Gaddafi's son.

"But the people who will draw the future of Libya are those who slept in the desert and not in five-star hotels."

(Editing by Alastair Macdonald)

Bongbong: Stop blaming my father

2012-02-25T21:57:00.000+08:00

Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr appealed to the Filipino people to stop blaming his father, former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., for the nation woes. He said in his Facebook account that “blaming past administrations will not bring food to the plates of the hungry. Excuses cannot substitute for performance and results.”

This statement was posted in his Facebook account in relation to the Edsa1 celebration. It was the Edsa revolution who kicked out the late dictator from his position of 20 years and was exiled in US along with his family.

There are speculations that the senator is eyeing for presidency soon as he has been very vocal about helping the Filipinos to get out of poverty.

Iraq attacks kill 60, raise sectarian fears

2012-02-23T21:48:00.001+08:00

BAGHDAD(Reuters) - Simultaneous early morning attacks on mostly Shi'ite targets across Iraq killed at least 60 people and wounded dozens on Thursday in one of the bloodiest days of violence since U.S. troops pulled out in mid-December.

The attacks that appeared to pitch al Qaeda-linked Sunni Muslim insurgents against Shi'ites raised fears of a return to the widespread sectarian carnage that tore Iraq apart and cost thousands of lives in 2006 and 2007.

The violence breaks weeks of relative calm as Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and Sunni leaders have sought to resolve a political crisis that threatened to unravel their power-sharing agreement following the U.S. withdrawal.

At least 32 people were killed in blasts in Baghdad where 10 explosions tore through mainly Shi'ite neighborhoods during rush hour and other attacks targeted police patrols, commuters and crowds gathered in shopping areas.

"We were sitting at a restaurant having soup for breakfast when the bomb exploded. I lost consciousness and then saw smoke and dust when I came to. I saw people and body parts everywhere," police officer Ahmed Kadhim told Reuters.

Kadhim suffered shrapnel wounds to his left leg and back when a car bomb exploded near a restaurant killing six people and wounding 18 in Baghdad's northern Kadhimiya district.

The interior ministry blamed al Qaeda and affiliated armed groups for the attacks it said were an attempt to show that Iraq's security situation remained unstable.

The blasts hit just weeks before Baghdad plans to host an Arab League summit, which has been postponed because of regional turmoil and acrimony between Iraq's Shi'ite-led government and some Sunni Gulf states.

"The attacks aimed to spark sectarian strife among the Iraqi people, and to prevent the Arab League meeting from being held," Parliament Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi said.

"PROTECT IRAQ WITH OUR BLOOD"

More than a dozen blasts and attacks hit other cities across Iraq from Mosul in the north to Hilla, south of Baghdad, many of them targeting police.

The violence was aimed at Shi'ite neighborhoods but also against security forces, a frequent target of Sunni insurgents. Iraqi officials had predicted such groups would try to stir sectarian tensions with attacks after American forces went home.

While violence has ebbed since the height of the war, Sunni insurgents affiliated to al Qaeda are still capable of large-scale assaults. Some rival Shi'ite militias have said they will cease fighting since the U.S. withdrawal.

In Thursday's violence, one car bomb in the capital killed at least nine people and wounded 27 in the upmarket Karrada neighborhood, hurling shrapnel into the next street and blowing out glass from nearby buildings.

Witnesses saw at four wrecked cars full of shrapnel and bloodied seats near an ice-cream shop at the site of another blast.

In at least three Shi'ite neighborhoods in Baghdad, nine policemen were killed, and in the capital's northwestern Kadhimiya district, a car bomb killed six people when it struck a street lined with restaurants.

In the biggest attack outside the capital, a car bomb killed seven people and wounded 33 in the town of Balad, north of Baghdad.

Iraq's political crisis erupted after Maliki moved against two senior members of the Sunni-backed Iraqiya political bloc shortly after the U.S. troop withdrawal in December, prompting a walkout by Iraqiya lawmakers that lasted until late January.

Tensions eased as Sunni, Shi'ite and Kurdish blocs tried to negotiate an end to the crisis. But a week ago a panel of judges detailed 150 attacks they said were carried out by death squads under Sunni Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi's command. Maliki sought Hashemi's arrest in December.

Hashemi, who has taken refuge in the autonomous region of Kurdistan, has denied accusations made against him, dismissing them as part of a plot to destroy Maliki's opponents.

The crisis was followed by a wave of attacks in December and January on Shi'ite neighborhoods, including a suicide bombing on a Shi'ite funeral procession that killed 31 in Baghdad and an attack on Shi'ite pilgrims that left 53 dead in Basra.

Violence had ebbed until Sunday when a suicide car bomber killed 19 people in an attack on a Baghdad police academy.

(Writing by Yara Bayoumy and Francois Murphy; Editing by Patrick Markey and Giles Elgood)

41 year old woman sued for Bigamy

2012-02-23T15:17:00.000+08:00

The City Prosecution Office (CPO) of Davao City charged Jessica D. Enriquez with bigamy based on the affidavit-complaint of Vicente Abanto, 83, of Quezon Boulevard.

Abanto said he married Enriquez in Dacember 2010 but after the marriage performed by by a priest of Iglesia Filipina Independiente, the latter refused to live with him.

In his affidavit Abanto said that he was detained twice due to allegations accused to him by Enriquez. He also added that Enriquez always demand for financial support even if they are not living together.

In September 2011 he found out that Enriquez was already married to two different men validated by a certificate issued by National Statistics Office Manila Office of the Civil Registrar General.

Thus, he filed the case. Enriquez failed to submit a counter affidavit and was asked to pay P20,000 for her bail.

February 20 2012 PCSO Result

2012-02-20T21:36:00.001+08:00

EZ2 Two Lotto

Morning 11am: 27-25

Afternoon 4pm: 03-30

Evening 9pm: 22-08

Winning numbers in exact order

Php 4,000.00 per 10 peso play

Swertres ‘3’ Lotto Luzon Vis-Min

Morning 11:00 am: 4-5-2

Afternoon 4:00 pm: 5-3-3

Evening 9:00 pm: 7-4-1

Winning numbers in exact order

Php: 4,500 per 10 peso play

Four 4Digit Luzon & Vismin

9pm: 1-2-6-3

Winning numbers in exact order

Mega 6/45 National Lottery

10-17-07-29-21-18

Current Jackpot: Php 9,411,816.60

(0)winner

Winning numbers in any order

Grand 6/55 Lotto

29-02-01-33-03-28

Current Jackpot: Php 30,000,000.00

(1)winner

Winning numbers in any order

Could Twitter predict the stock market?

2012-02-20T13:28:00.000+08:00

NEW YORK(Reuters) - When Richard Peterson first started meeting with hedge funds about eight years ago to pitch using social media to predict market movement, investment managers looked at him as if he had just arrived from outer space.

Back then, what he was pitching them seemed pretty insane. Peterson, managing director of Santa Monica-based MarketPsych, said that social media can be mined for data about what people are thinking and feeling. And that, in turn, could translate into powerful investment ideas.

"People would say to me, 'You're crazy,'" says Peterson, who did postdoctoral studies in neuroeconomics at Stanford University. "'You're a psychiatrist telling me that funds should analyze social media? Come on.' They didn't think I was serious."

They're taking him seriously now. Usage of social media like Twitter has exploded in recent years, giving analysts a real-time reflection of popular sentiment. As a result, MarketPsych serves up reams of data to hedge funds (which swear Peterson to secrecy) and research firms like Titan Trading Analytics. Peterson even plans to roll out a hedge fund of his own.

"We're champing at the bit to start trading," says Peterson, who says his models work best in times of high volatility. "We've run simulations to see what would have happened by using our data in recent years, and we would've made 30 percent annually."

Continue reading at Reuters

Duterte:"I can only dream of what I can be, I will never dream of what I cannot be"

2012-02-20T11:12:00.000+08:00

Vice Mayor Rodgrigo Duterte of Davao City remains firm on his decision not to seek any national position. In his Sunday television program "Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa" he stressed out that having a national position has never entered in his mind. He said that he is happy where he is now.

"I can only dream of what I can be, I will never dream of what I cannot be,” the old Duterte said. Running for national post requires a lot of time, money and effort. He has money to run but he won’t use it politics as he is not getting younger.

He was also asked if he will still run and seek another term as mayor of Davao City and he just answered, "I can only dream."

"Damguhon ta na lang na kay naa ra bay galingkod basig matamparusan ta (I can only dream of that because somebody is already in that position, I might get slapped)," he jokingly replied.

Nancy and Hayden are just friends-Vegafria

2012-02-20T10:12:00.000+08:00

In an interview with Nancy Castiglione’s manager Arnold Vegafria, he said that Nancy and Hayden Kho are “just friends and acquaintances.” He added that Castiglione and her husband are still living together with their 2 children.

The celebrity doctor Vicky Belo admitted few days ago that she and her much younger boyfriend have called it quits because of Castiglione. Apparently Kho is seen kissing Castiglione at a certain bar in Taguig and this triggers Belo to break with Kho.

Here is a part of the statement of Belo sent to her friend Ricky Lo which appeared in the latter’s column in Philippine Star:

“I am letting him go so that they don’t have to be ‘hiding-hiding’ anymore. Yes, we were in love but I am not ilusyonada to think it will be for life given the age gap between us. I don’t need to make a longer statement. I just want people to stop picking on him. He was so good to me and made me so happy,” she said. “Sometimes, relationships just don’t work out. It’s sad but there’s no one to blame.”

Belo and Kho have split up before in the midst of Kho’s sexual controversy but able to get back on track and has their engagement sometime in 2011. They’re supposed to get married this year.

February 19, 2012 PCSO Result

2012-02-19T22:48:00.000+08:00

EZ2 Two Lotto

Morning 11am: 23-24

Afternoon 4pm: 05-18

Evening 9pm: 23-08

Winning numbers in exact order

Php 4,000.00 per 10 peso play

Swertres ‘3’ Lotto Luzon Vis-Min

Morning 11:00 am: 5-2-2

Afternoon 4:00 pm: 4-6-8

Evening 9:00 pm: 9-4-9

Winning numbers in exact order

Php: 4,500 per 10 peso play

Super 6/49 Nationwide Lotto

06-04-18-48-34-37

Current Jackpot: Php 16,000,000.00

(0)winners

Winning numbers in any order

ESPN apologize for the Jeremy Lin headline-'chink in the armor'

2012-02-19T09:04:00.000+08:00

Last night, ESPN.com's mobile web site posted an offensive headline referencing Jeremy Lin at 2:30 am ET. The headline was removed at 3:05 am ET. We are conducting a complete review of our cross-platform editorial procedures and are determining appropriate disciplinary action to ensure this does not happen again. We regret and apologize for this mistake.

That is the statement posted on the ESPN Media Zone website by Kevin Ota, ESPN's Director of Communications, Digital Media ESPN Communications, after a headline-"chink in the armor" was used by a commentator concerning Jeremy Lin. This triggers different reactions and putting ESPN, in the limelight. To some this is not intentional as "chip in the armor" has been used several times by almost all commentators. But to some this is a form of racial discrimination as the headline is written not by 'bots' but by intelligent writers who went through tough editing before publishing such article. Kelly Dwyer of Yahoo has more to say, click here

Fil-Chinese nurse shot dead in Davao

2012-02-18T20:38:00.000+08:00

A 23 year old Filipina-Chinese nurse was shot dead while on her way home in Paciano Bangoy, Davao City. Marjorie Kwan, was shot by men riding a motorcycle and sustain 4 gunshots-in her hand, chest, back and head.
Initial investigation said that the motive was robbery when the victim failed to give her bag to the suspects.
This is a new challenge to DCOP new director Ronald dela Rosa who recently vowed that he will fight against those riding in tandem killers.

Pope leaves stamp on Church future with new cardinalsVATICAN CITY

2012-02-18T19:54:00.000+08:00

VATICAN CITY(Reuters) - - Pope Benedict, putting his mark on the Catholic Church's future, on Saturday inducted 22 men into the exclusive club of cardinals who will one day elect one of their own to succeed him.

Among the most prominent in the group is New York's Archbishop Timothy Dolan, who is already being touted by some Vatican experts as a possible future candidate to become the first American pope.

Benedict, who turns 85 in April and is showing signs of his age, elevated the men to the highest Church rank below him at a ceremony in St. Peter's Basilica known as a consistory.

"Cardinals are entrusted with the service of love: love for God, love for his Church, an absolute and unconditional love for his brothers and sisters, even unto shedding their blood, if necessary (in defense of the faith)," the pope told the new cardinals before giving them their rings and red birettas, or hats.

"Furthermore, they are asked to serve the Church with love and vigor, with the transparency and wisdom of teachers, with the energy and strength of shepherds, with the fidelity and courage of martyrs," he said.

The new cardinals are from the United States, Hong Kong, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Brazil, India, Canada, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Romania, Belgium, and Malta.

Eighteen of them are aged under 80 and thus will be eligible to enter a secret conclave to elect the next pope from among their own ranks.

Twelve of those are Europeans, bringing the number of "cardinal electors" from the continent to 67 out of 125.

With the new appointments, Benedict, who was elected in a secret conclave in 2005, has now named more than half the cardinal electors. The others were named by his predecessor John Paul.

Compared to the 67 "cardinal electors" from Europe, Latin America now has 22, North America has 15, Africa has 11, Asia has 9 and Oceania has one.

Cardinals are the pope's closest collaborators in the Vatican and around the world. They lead major archdioceses and run key Vatican departments that help the pope decide Church policy and doctrine that can affect the lives of world's 1.3 billion Roman Catholics.

FIRST, BE MEN OF RELIGION, POPE TELLS NEW CARDINALS

At the ceremony, the pope told the new cardinals that while they will cooperate closely with him in "the delicate task" of governing the worldwide Church, they must first and foremost be men of religion.

"May your mission in the Church and the world always be "in Christ" alone, responding to his logic and not that of the world, and may it be illumined by faith and animated by charity which comes to us from the glorious Cross of the Lord," he said.

Benedict also asked for prayers so that he can guide the Church "with a firm and humble hand".

The consistory, usually a joyful event, is taking place under a cloud because it follows a spate of leaked letters alleging corruption in the Vatican.

Numerically, at least, the pope has increased the chances that the next pontiff will be a conservative European but there have been surprises in past conclaves.

The pope is a conservative on matters of faith and sexual morals such as birth control, homosexuality and the ban on women priests. Each time he names cardinals he puts his stamp on Roman Catholicism's future by choosing men who share his views.

Besides Dolan, other prominent new cardinals are John Tong Hon, archbishop of Hong Kong, and Rainer Maria Woelki, archbishop of Berlin in the pope's native Germany.

Seven of new "cardinal electors" under the age of 80 are Italian - six of them members of the Vatican's central administration and the other the archbishop of Florence.

Popes usually reign for life but in a book last year, Benedict said he would not hesitate to become the first pontiff to resign willingly in more than 700 years if he felt himself no longer able, "physically, psychologically and spiritually", to run the Catholic Church.

Several popes in recent history, including the late Pope John Paul, considered resigning for health reasons, but none did so.

The last pope to resign willingly was Celestine V in 1294 after reigning for only five months. Gregory XII reluctantly abdicated in 1415 to end a dispute with a rival claimant to the Holy See.

The Vatican says the pope's health is good but he needs to conserve his strength. Last October he started using a mobile platform which aides use to wheel him up the central aisle of St Peter's Basilica.

(Reporting By Philip Pullella; Editing by Alistair Lyon)

Pnoy challenged to reveal psych report

2012-02-18T10:40:00.000+08:00

Chief Justice Renato Corona challenged President Benigno Aquino to show to the public his statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs), bank records and even his psychological records.

Corona said in an interview that it is also best for the president if he reveal and explain what is in his SALN and bank records. Corona also said that apart from those he should also reveal his psychological records which have been a long time issue way back during the campaign in May 2010. It was the Nacionalista Party of Senator Manny Villar who came out of the psychiatric report and handed it over to ABS CBN and was soon discovered that it was fake. The Nacionalista Party denied it.

The palace is still mum on the harsh statements of Corona against the President.

Pnoy ask the public to spare Grace Lee's mom

2012-02-17T12:30:00.000+08:00

President Benigno Aquino asked the public not to drag Grace Lee's mom in controversy between him and the Korean actress. It was reported that several mediamen went to a grocery store owned by Lee's mom and attempted to interview and asks her side regarding the dating situation of the bachelor president and the Korean host-actress.
Lee's mom pretended to be a customer at her own grocery store in order to leave without.
Aquino and Lee confirmed to the public last month that they are indeed seeing each other.

Thousands stranded as Air Australia goes bust

2012-02-17T08:28:00.000+08:00

Agence France-Presse

SYDNEY(AFP) - Budget carrier Air Australia went into voluntary administration on Friday, grounding all domestic and international flights and stranding thousands of passengers.

The news comes a day after embattled Australian flag-carrier Qantas said it was slashing at least 500 jobs, cutting costs and closing two international routes after posting a 83 percent slump in first-half net profits.

In a statement on its website, the Brisbane-based Air Australia, whose 300 staff have been stood down, said it had appointed KordaMentha as voluntary administrators.

"In the short-term, the fleet will be grounded. It currently appears that there are no funds available to meet operational expenses so flights will be suspended immediately," the administrator said.

"For clarity, it also appears highly unlikely there will be any flights in the short to medium term."

Air Australia flew international routes to the Indonesian island of Bali, Thailand, and Hawaii, and domestically to Brisbane, Melbourne, and Perth, Derby and Port Hedland in Western Australia.

Administrator Mark Korda said up to 4,000 passengers were currently overseas with Air Australia return tickets and advised them to find alternative arrangements.

He told ABC radio the airline was unable to buy fuel at Phuket International Airport on Thursday night, prompting fears about the airline's solvency.

"Air Australia was unable to purchase fuel in Phuket to refuel the planes so the directors had a meeting at 1.30 this morning and appointed us as administrators due to the solvency of the company," Korda said.

"The supplier of the fuel wouldn't grant any further credit to the company."

Reports said a flight out of Honolulu was also refused fuel.

The carrier, previously known as Strategic Airlines and relaunched in November 2011 to cash in on underserviced routes, flew five Airbus A330-200 and A320-200 aircraft.

Korda said he was hoping to find a "white knight" to save the airline.

"Hopefully we can find a white knight, if not the operations will stay suspended and then what we'll do is we'll follow up with everybody about how did this all happen?

Qantas chief Alan Joyce, whose own airline has been hit hard by soaring fuel costs and a fleet grounding last year due to labour disputes, said he would do what he could to help stranded passengers.

"If the (Air Australia) passengers come to a Qantas desk, a Jetstar desk, show their ticket, we'll give them a ticket for the same value they've paid with Air Australia," he said.

Joyce said Qantas was also looking at adding supplementary services.

© 1994-2012 Agence France-Presse

December 2011 Nursing Board Exam Result

2012-02-16T19:23:00.000+08:00

The result for the December 2011 Nursing Licensure Exam was finally released. 22,760 out of 67,095 passed the Nurse Licensure Examination given by the Board of Nursing in the cities of Manila, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Dagupan, Davao, Iloilo, La Union, Legazpi, Lucena, Nueva Ecija, Pagadian, Pampanga, Tacloban, Tuguegarao and Zamboanga last December 2011.

For the Top 10 Board Passers click here.
Click here for the full result:

James Ingram snubs Boy Abunda

2012-02-16T10:49:00.001+08:00

The King of Talk Boy Abunda was depressed and a bit sad when James Ingram failed to appear in his segment in Bandila on Wednesday.
According to Abunda, Ingram cancelled his appointment because he was tired already promoting his concert on February 17.
Abunda also said that Ingram is a bit snobbish as he recalled an incident several years ago. He was then a newbie in the industry and Ingram was in the country for his first concert. Apparently, when Abunda and the rest of the concert promoters were at the airport to welcome him, Ingram just went straight to his car as if he sees no one around him.
Despite the incident, Abunda said he is still a fan of Ingram and that he has still great respect for the artist.

Kellogg to buy Pringles from P&G for $2.7 billion

2012-02-16T09:54:00.000+08:00

Your favorite potato chip Pringles will soon have a new owner as Kellogg Co plans to buy it. According to Reuters report, Kellogg will borrow $2 billion to complete the deal.
Pringles was reported before that Diamond Foods Inc has eyed on it but was delayed by an accounting investigation.

More than 200 die in Honduras prison fire: officials

2012-02-16T07:41:00.001+08:00

A massive fire at Honduras prison occurred after a riot resulting to atleast 200 deaths, according to Reuters report.

The prison has about 800 inmates, and according to a preliminary report there are about 272 people killed.

"There could be a lot more deaths," said Lucy Marder, head of forensic services in Comayagua as there are still prisoners trapped in their respective cells.

According to United Nations, Honduras has the highest murder rate in the world of 66.8% for every 100,000 inhabitants.

February 15, 2012 PCSO Result

2012-02-15T21:41:00.000+08:00

EZ2 Two Lotto

Morning 11am: 06-28

Afternoon 4pm: 30-18

Evening 9pm: 15-11

Winning numbers in exact order

Php 4,000.00 per 10 peso play

Swertres 3 Lotto Luzon Vis-Min

Morning 11:00 am: 5-8-3

Afternoon 4:00 pm: 4-0-4

Evening 9:00 pm: 5-7-8

Winning numbers in exact order

Php: 4,500 per 10 peso play

Four 4Digit Luzon & Vismin

9pm: 3-6-5-5

Winning numbers in exact order

Mega 6/45 National Lottery

33-34-28-40-14-08

Current Jackpot: Php 22,984,351.20

(1)winner

Winning numbers in any order

Grand 6/55 Lotto

10-20-11-16-28-14

Current Jackpot: P300,150,554.40

(2)winners

Winning numbers in any order