Hayden Kho launches perfume business in grand style

Hayden Kho launches perfume business in grand style

 Tila iniwanan na ni Hayden Kho ang madilim niyang nakaraan sa launch ng Hayden, ang kanyang bagong perfume business noong Huwebes ng gabi, October 22, sa Nuvo, Greenbelt 2, Makati City.

Noong nakaraang taon, nalagay si Hayden sa matinding kontrobersiya matapos kumalat sa Internet ang ilang mga sex video na nagtatampok kay Hayden at sa iba't ibang mga babae, kasama ang sexy actress na si Katrina Halili.

Nag-file si Katrina ng criminal case laban kay Hayden. Nagkaroon pa ito ng Senate investigation kung saan ilang oras ding nilagay sa hot seat si Hayden sa harap ng ilang mambabatas na interesado umano sa kaso.

Natanggal din ang lisensiya ni Hayden bilang doktor, at tuluyan na rin siyang nawala sa mundo ng showbiz. May mga umugong na balitang nagtangka raw magpakamatay si Hayden.

Hostage Crisis in the Philippines

August 23, 2010 Philippine Hostage Crisis

Former police officer Rolando Mendoza looks out of the window of the bus. Photograph: Romeo Ranoco/Reuters

Police finally ends assault on the bus where a lone gunman held Hong Kong tourists hostages since Monday morning.

The crisis was being broadcast live on national television.

See more at Yahoo.ph and Gmanews.tv

Bayan hits Aquino administration for 'washing hands' on tollway VAT

MANILA, Philippines – Militant group Bayan scored the Aquino administration for saying that the value-added tax (VAT) on toll that will take effect on Monday is an old law.

"The Aquino government cannot hide behind the feeble defense that the VAT is an Arroyo-era law that needs to be implemented. The present government has all the powers to stem the implementation of onerous taxation and spare the people from further hardship," Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. said.

Aside from the impending toll hike, the government is also set to increase the fare of the Metro Rail Transit, Reyes noted.

He said revenues from the VAT on toll fees will not go to poverty alleviation programs, but rather to paying off government debts incurred over the last nine years.

“The claim of (Press) Sec. (Edwin) Lacierda that poverty alleviation programs will be the result of additional taxes is something we’ve heard before. That was the same promise given by Arroyo when she first implemented the EVAT (expanded value added tax),” Reyes said.

“The reality is that for every P10 raised by government, P6 goes to debt spending. That is how it has been for some time now. The new government doesn’t seem to be departing from that,” he added. - By Dennis Carcamo (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)

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$1 coin, now worth $1.2 million, was hoarded in 1794

This mint condition 1794 Flowing Hair $1 coin sold for $1.2 million at Bowers and Merena's Boston Rarities Sale on Aug. 7. Only 140 of America's first silver $1 coins are believed to exist.

Bowers and Merena Auctions/PRNewsFoto

The first silver dollars minted by the US government in 1794 are rare, so rare that one of them sold for more than $1.2 million this weekend at a Boston auction.


And there's a reason for their scarcity: Even back in the first years of the Republic, people hoarded dollar coins rather than spend them.

The story goes that on Oct. 15, 1794, chief coiner Henry Voigt coined the silver dollars and delivered all the acceptable ones, 1,758 of them, to David Rittenhouse, director of the US Mint, according to the Smithsonian Museum of American History. He handed them out as gifts to dignitaries. In all likelihood, fewer Americans saw those silver dollars than today's Sacagawea and presidential $1 coins, which occasionally pop up in circulation.

IN PICTURES: Some of the world's most eye-catching currencies

Back then, Americans often relied on foreign coins that circulated around the young nation for dollar equivalents. Only 140 of the 1794 so-called Flowing Hair silver dollars are thought to exist. (The coins depict a woman with long flowing hair).

"I don't know what it is in the American psyche" that causes the hoarding of dollar coins, says Jeff Ambio, numismatic consultant for Bowers and Merena, the rare-coin auction house that handled the Boston auction this past weekend.

Maybe it goes back to early American history, he speculates. "In the earliest years of this country and extending back into colonial times, this society was a cash-starved society. There was very little circulating coinage. What little there was, the vast majority wasn't made over here."

The $1 coin that sold in Boston to an anonymous bidder was considered the fourth best specimen of the six mint 1794 silver dollars known to exist. The best specimen, called the Neil/Carter/Contursi 1794 Flowing Hair silver dollar, sold for nearly $7.9 million in May, setting a new record price for a coin.

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Robin declares love for Mariel

Robin declares love for Mariel

MANILA, Philippines – Dashing actor-host Robin Padilla has declared his love for rumored girlfriend and game show co-host, Mariel Rodriguez.

“Umaapaw ang pag-ibig sa puso ko,” said Padilla during his one-on-one interview with Rodriguez on ABS-CBN’s E-Live (Entertainment Live). Rodriguez is one of the hosts of the weekly entertainment program.

The studio audience was thrilled and happy for Rodriguez, particularly when she showed the diamond ring given by Padilla.

“Bakit mo sa akin ito ibinigay?” asked Rodriguez, who also co-hosts Pilipinas Win na Win with Padilla.

“Ngayon lang ako nagbigay. Di pa ako nagbigay kailanman. Napaka-espesyal n’yan,” replied Padilla.

More cheers were heard when Padilla slipped the ring on Rodriguez’ finger and the wedding issue was discussed.

“Yung sinasabing kasal hindi namin itinatago iyun. At kung papayag kang pakasalan ako?” he said.

Rodriguez was teary-eyed during the entire interview and after hearing Padilla’s sweet words.

“Ako, hindi ako nagsisinungalin. Sagutin mo ako o hindi, itago mo yang singsing. Anumang mangyari, itago mo iyan. Sa iyo iyan. Hindi ako nagsinungaling sa iyo Mariel, mahal kita,” he confessed.

Padilla said he won’t be able to return immediately to Pilipinas Win na Win after the Ramadan break because he and Rodriguez will have to start shooting their movie together. Report from Gretchen Fullido, TV Patrol

We don't know if this confession is true or just a way to promote their upcoming movie together. 

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Lorenzen Wright was shot to death

Former NBA big man Lorenzen Wright, whose body was found in the woods outside Memphis, was shot to death and the case is being investigated as a homicide, police said Thursday.

Police in the Memphis suburb of Germantown are reviewing how a 911 call from Wright's cell phone was handled as authorities investigate the shooting death of the former NBA player.

Rodney Bright, Germantown's deputy police chief, says department officials did not know about the call until Tuesday, eight days after it was received by a dispatcher in the early morning hours of July 19.

Bright says he can't discuss details of the call, which has been turned over to Memphis police.

Police wouldn't answer questions about motive or suspects. But records indicate that Wright, 34, revered in his hometown as a generous and likable sports hero, was probably carrying a large amount of cash when he disappeared on July 18. A court affidavit obtained by The Associated Press also said Wright had sold two vehicles to a man affiliated with a Memphis drug ring that's suspected in six deaths.

His family filed a missing person report with police on July 22, four days after he was last seen, but investigators repeatedly said they didn't suspect foul play. Wright's mother said in the report that she was worried because his silence was out of character and "he probably has a large amount of cash on him."

The report said that the day he disappeared, he had been dropped off at a restaurant by a woman and later taken to his ex-wife's house in Collierville, a Memphis suburb. The ex-wife, Sherra Wright, told officers that Wright left her home in the middle of the night with someone.

Family members said Wright's body was found near an apartment complex in southeast Memphis on Wednesday, but police awaited dental records to confirm his identity. Police on Thursday said a 911 call was placed from Wright's cell phone early on July 19 and investigators determined it came from the area his body was found.

Court documents show that Wright acknowledged to the FBI that in 2008 he sold two luxury vehicles, a Mercedes sedan and a Cadillac SUV, to Bobby Cole. The affidavits about the business deal don't show if Wright knew that Cole had been indicted in 2007 on drug distribution charges or if they knew each other.

Cole told the FBI he was connected to the organization run by Craig Petties, an accused drug kingpin charged with racketeering and conspiracy in six murders.

In 2008, Cole offered to turn over to Drug Enforcement Administration agents three vehicles he bought with drug money, including a 2007 Cadillac Escalade SUV and a 2008 Mercedes Benz S63 that had been registered to Wright.

Wright told agents he had sold two vehicles to Cole and he no longer owned them, although registration records listed the Cadillac in Wright's name and the Mercedes in one of Wright's business investments, Allwright Automotive LLC.

In federal court filings, Lorenzen Wright claimed ownership of the cars and said he didn't know the property was used in a crime. A federal judge entered a default judgment in favor of the government in March 2010 and the vehicles were forfeited and the case closed.

The 6-foot-11 Wright played 13 seasons in the NBA for the Los Angeles Clippers, Atlanta Hawks, Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings and most recently the Cleveland Cavaliers. Wright left the University of Memphis early for the NBA, and the Clippers made him a lottery pick with the No. 7 selection overall.

He averaged 8 points and 6.4 rebounds in 778 career games.

Wright leaves behind six children, his mother Deborah Marion, and father Herb Wright, who coached his son from a wheelchair after he was shot in the spine. Lorenzen Wright 11-month-old daughter, Sierra, died in March 2003 of sudden infant death syndrome.

Longtime friend Kevin Nelson remembered Wright as a well-meaning person who treated people with respect.

"He was a people person, he never met a stranger," Nelson said. "It really hit us hard."

Nearly 200 people had turned up Wednesday at the crime scene after hearing that police might have found Wright's body. Among them was former NBA star Penny Hardaway, who played at Memphis two years before Wright and heard the news from a friend.

"I cried. The emotions hit me immediately. It's just sad because we lost a good person and a brother," Hardaway said.

Wright's friends also questioned why police didn't act with more urgency, pointing to the 911 call.

The Commercial Appeal newspaper, which first reported the call, said a dispatcher in the suburb of Germantown heard a garbled male voice say an expletive and then at least 10 gunshots. The call went dead and no one answered when the dispatcher called back, the newspaper reported.

Collierville spokesman Mark Heuberger intitally said he couldn't comment on whether his department knew about the call. Family spokeswoman Camelle Logan, Wright's cousin, declined comment.

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Angeles City Serial Killer Caught in La Union

Mark Dizon behind bars

Psycho killer caught!
Psycho serial killer Mark Dizon who shocked the world with his murders of expats and locals in Angeles city has finally been arrested earlier today.

San Fernando, La Union
An operation led by Angeles City police with the cooperation of the national police mobile group and the SWAT group lead to the arrest of the killer in a raid at his hideout in San Fernando, La Union at 3:45 pm Tuesday, June 27. San Fernando City is situated about 3-4 hours north of Angeles City in the province of La Union.

Mark Dizon (front R), a suspect in the gruesome murders of nine people, three of them foreigners, is escorted by policemen and Mayor Ed Pamintuan (front L) out of the detention center for a medical check up at the police headquarters in Angeles City, Pampanga province, north of Manila on July 28, 2010.

 

A policeman (L) displays evidences, including a handgun, laptop computers, mobile phones, confiscated from suspect in the gruesome murders of nine people.

See more pictures here!


Facebook helped identify serial killer
A family friend of the Mitchell's recognized the suspect as a Facebook friend of the Mitchells' daughter. (Source: BBC) Czarina Mitchell was reportedly once courted by Dizon before she married a Fil-Am citizen and went to the US. She will be the complainant for the murder of her parents, Albert and Janet Mitchell.

Angelito Prado will act as complainant on behalf of Melissa Prado. Olivia Vergarra will act as complainant on behalf of Yulberto Vergarra. Mjr. Luisito Tan will act as complainant in the stead of Isabel Fajardo's relatives.

Peace returned to Angeles city
Peace has finally returned to Angeles city after his murders had shocked particularly its expat residents. Meanwhile, the news had already spread throughout the world, even reaching CNN headlines.

Along with the capture of three of Angeles City's most wanted contract killers two weeks ago, police can be praised for its efforts in capturing Angeles' worst criminals.

A press conference is being held today by PNP Region III Director Arturo G. Cacdac and Senior Superintendent Danilo Bautista and Police Chief Inspector Luisito Tan of Station 4, as well as Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan, at the Angeles City Police Headquarters to state the 5-count murder charges against Mark Dizon and to notify the public of his arrest. He is currently detained at the Angeles City police office.

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India unveils $35 computer for students

Indian government minister Kapil Sibal unveils a prototype of the $35 computer

New Delhi, India (CNN) -- India has unveiled a $35 computer prototype as part of its program to provide connectivity to its students and teachers at affordable prices.

Kapil Sibal, the country's human resources development minister, displayed what he called a low-cost computing and access device in New Delhi on Thursday.

The ministry said the price would gradually fall to $10 a piece.

India said connectivity to all its colleges and universities is key to achieving its education goals.

Home to a billion-plus population, the country's literacy rate stands at 65 percent, according to the 2001 census figures.

Nevertheless, the South Asian nation has made giant strides in various areas since it opened up its economy in the early 1990s.

The country ushered in a telecom revolution that delivered mobile telephony to nearly 600 million people in just a little more than a decade with highly competitive call tariffs.

Now, India is preparing for another leap into the digital world.

Recently, it auctioned off its airwaves for third-generation services to enable super-fast multimedia streaming of wireless.

The move is aimed at bringing India's online market on a par with its booming cell-phone business through Internet penetration with technology allowing quick access, data transfer and entertainment on mobile handsets.

The country has announced plans to link up all its 250,000 village councils by 2012 in a bid to plug massive broadband divides between rural and urban communities as it emerges as one of the world's few growth markets.

Authorities say technical institutions involved in designing the new device are now setting up research to address price and quality issues in developing budget gadgets for students.

"The aim is to reach such devices to the students of colleges and universities, and to provide these institutions a host of choices of low-cost access devices around Rs 1,500 ($35) or less in near future," the human resources ministry said at the launch of the computer.

Ministry spokeswoman Mamata Varma said the government aimed to introduce the new touch-screen computing tool at higher educational institutions in 2011.

The ministry, she said, is expected to tender out contracts to private companies for mass production of its prototype.

The Linux-based computer is equipped with an Internet browser, a PDF reader and several other facilities, she said.

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Angeles City Double Murder Case

“Mamac, being the chairman of Balibago, should help the police in solving the crimes. He must use his expertise, being a former police officer. The death of a Canadian and a British and their Filipino partners will surely create negative reactions from tourists visiting the Angeles City area.”

FOUR days after a Canadian and his Filipina girlfriend were found dead at the Oasis Hotel-Clarkville Compound, another foreigner and his purported fiancée were discovered dead by authorities, an advanced state of decomposition.

British James Bolton Porter, 51, and Melissa Madarang, 22, both occupants of Apartment 34-11A situated along Nicolas St., Sta. Maria Village, Barangay Balibago, Angeles City, bore strangulation marks and injuries -- indications that the victims fought their attackers.

The couple, according to deClassified Files sources, was formerly residing in Tarlac City before they moved to Angeles City at a posh and well-secured subdivision in Barangay Balibago.

The apartment where the couple stayed is located along the street where Barangay Balibago chairman Rodelio "Tmac" Mamac resides. Sta. Maria Village is a place where wealthy, prominent personalities and government officials in Angeles City and Pampanga live.

So, we presume that the place is one of the most secured subdivisions in the entire Angeles City area.
Porter arrived in the country, if deClassified Files is not mistaken, about three months ago. He went straight to Tarlac City where his fiancée lived with some relatives.

Madarang was a native of Pangasinan. She settled in Tarlac City and lived as the wife of Porter. But all of a sudden, the two decided to leave the place and momentarily stay in Angeles City.

The couple hauled all their belongings, including household appliances and other wares, from Tarlac City to Angeles City.

Detectives from the Angeles City Police Office and personnel from the Station 4 were fanned out to different areas in Tarlac City and Pangasinan to get some clues for the solution of the case. The initial findings were that the victims were robbed and killed.

So the motive was just simple robbery. deClassified Files believes however there is something deeper than robbery. Well, let's look at the other side of the coin.

The victims’ household appliances were intact, according to initial reports released by the Investigation and Detective Management Branch (IDMB), but the computer sets at the master’s bedroom upstairs could not be found.

The British Embassy had been informed about Porter's death and has communicated with the ACPO for the disposition for his body.

The problem now is to whom Porter's belongings would be turned over. Will it be given to the family of Madarang or be placed under the custody of the British Embassy?

While the police have yet to establish leads in the double murder case of Canadian Geoffrey Allan Bennun, 60, and Abegail Helina, 20, whose bodies were found inside Villa B-33, Clarkville Compound, Clark Perimeter Road, the killings of Porter and Madarang would be an added burden to ACPO investigators.

Two foreigners wrote to deClassified Files asking for progress on the Bennun and Helina twin murder cases. Both expressed concern over the turtle-paced investigation being initiated by the ACPO detectives.

One of the letter senders doubted the investigators’ capability to solve the crime. "Do you think the chief will lift a finger without lots of pesos in exchange for doing his job?" asked a certain Bill Neuguth, an avid reader of Central Luzon Daily.

Neuguth is a close friend of Abegail (Helina) back in Cebu City. He is asking if the woman's remains were flown to Cebu City or just buried in Angeles City?

Helina left a one-month old baby now under the care of her friends in Angeles City.
deClassified Files received information that the father of Helina's baby is an American pilot of Continental Airlines named Richard Randquist, 62, now staying in Bohol.

If indeed the informant is correct, Ranquist should get his son in Angeles City and take care of Helina’s burial and other incidental expenses.

***

Mamac, being the chairman of Balibago, should help the police in solving the crimes. He must use his expertise, being a former police officer. The death of a Canadian and a British and their Filipino partners will surely create negative reactions from tourists visiting the Angeles City area.

Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan should also direct the ACPO to secure all places where foreigners reside. Criminals are becoming bolder nowadays. They do not spare even women.

It's high time for Senior Supt. Danilo Bautista, director of the ACPO, to field more cops and concentrate in crime prone areas to avoid and prevent similar incidents in the future.

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Justin Bieber Ridiculed for 'German' Mistake

The Internet is in a tizzy over an interview in which teen dream Justin Bieber appears to not be familiar with the word "German."
In the interview, a talk show host from New Zealand asks the 16-year-old a few true-or-false questions, including the query "True or false: 'Bieber' is German for basketball."

Bieber gets confused over the word "German," and the interviewer repeats it.
After this back-and-forth, Bieber says he doesn't know what the TV host means, and finally gives up on the question, proclaiming: "We don't say that in America."

It seems obvious that Bieber was simply perplexed by the interviewer's thick Kiwi accent (which the host himself points out). Or perhaps he was just annoyed at being asked an inane question.



Bieber offers his own explanation, via Twitter. "I thought this interviewer in NZ said 'Jewman' instead of 'German' people think I don't know what German is?"

Either way, the video has gone viral as blogs have ridiculed Bieber for exactly that as he did actually read the cue card that seems to say the word 'German.' One such blog, The Huffington Post, had to amend its post making fun of Bieber when it found an interview the singer did in Germany way back in August, in which he talks about his German great-grandfather and even counts to ten in the language.

Bieber mentions that interview on Twitter, saying "I count in GERMAN and translate my own name. Guess I know what German is. Guess home schooling is working out. Do your research next time b4 making a lame attempt at hating on a 16 year old."




In other Bieber news, Kim Kardashian says she's getting tweet threats from Bieber's rabid fans after the reality-TV star jokingly tweeted that she had "Bieber fever."

She contracted said "fever" when she met the 16-year-old at the White House Correspondents' Dinner last weekend. Bieber answered Kardashian's tweet by calling her his "girlfriend," which was, apparently, enough to ignite the ire of his most ardent fans. Bieber responded telling his fans to "calm down": He added an invitation for everyone to be friends and "hang out often." No doubt his fans would not mind that opportunity.

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FarmVille user runs up £900 debt

A mother has warned of the risk of children spending hundreds of pounds on "free" online games available through Facebook after her 12-year-old son ran up bills of more than £900, that’s nearly $1400 without her knowledge.

The woman, who prefers to remain anonymous, discovered last month that her son had spent more than £900 on FarmVille. He had emptied his own savings account of £288 and had used her credit card to the tune of £625 to pay the bills.

FarmVille, one of the most popular games on Facebook, allows members to manage a virtual farm by planting, growing and harvesting crops, trees and livestock. New users are given virtual coins to set up their farm, and the revenue from matured crops can be used to maintain it. But those who are desperate to progress more quickly can buy extra virtual coins using real cash.

The mother said: "The first use of my card was on 14 March. I discovered it on the 29th and the card was stopped at that point. Any transactions after that date were already in the system, so what I thought was a £427 spend turned into £625 over the next few days.

"The total spend is about £905, but the credits are still rolling in. Facebook and [game creator] Zynga will not refund anything as [the son] lives in my house. Facebook has disabled his account and Zynga has unhelpfully suggested I use password protection on computers in the future."

She contacted her credit card company, HSBC, but was told she would only qualify for a refund if she reported her son to the police and obtained a crime number. "He would be cautioned and I have been told that this caution would stay with him. Obviously the idea of a stupid farm simulation jeopardising his future earnings is not something that I want to consider," she said.

She added that her son was "very shocked" when confronted with the amount he had spent, but it was clear he knew what he was doing. "When I asked him why he did it he said that they had brought out 'good stuff that I wanted'."

She does not blame Facebook, Zynga or HSBC, saying that her son was the one using the card and is entirely at fault. But she added: "I do think they need to shoulder some responsibility in this business and put systems in place to stop this happening again. The fact that he was using a card in a different name should bring up some sort of security and the online secure payment filter seems to be bypassed for Facebook payments."

A spokeswoman for HSBC said that had the credit card been used on a gambling site it would have started alarm bells ringing for "unusual usage". But because the card had been used to buy Facebook credits HSBC did not consider the transactions to be suspicious, even though £625 was spent in just two weeks.

Michael Arrington, founder of the Techcrunch blog, criticised Zynga last year for "monetising" the game, and warned that people who didn't have access to a credit card to buy extra virtual money could use "pay by mobile" companies instead.

The indebted 12-year-old has not used his mobile to pay for virtual money, his mother said, but only because his older brother lost all his credit buying a ringtone a couple of years ago.

"We sound terribly technologically unaware don't we? I wouldn't mind but I am always explaining that all of these online offers, ringtones and games are a scam designed to take money off stupid people. Kids know best though."

-source

Z Gorres in critical condition after winning Las Vegas fight

LAS VEGAS - Filipino boxer Z "The Dream" Gorres is reportedly in critical condition after undergoing an emergency surgery at a hospital in Las Vegas, where he was rushed after winning his fight against Colombian foe Luis Melendez at the Mandalay Bay Hotel on Saturday.

Michael Aldeger, Gorres's manager told ABS-CBN News that the Filipino boxer had to undergo surgery due to a blood clot on the left side of his brain.

Aldeger said that as of 1:57 p.m. (Manila time), Gorres remains unconscious and doctors at the University Medical Center have advised them the boxer is in critical condition.

The boxer was rushed to hospital after going down in the last round of his fight against Melendez.

Despite going down badly, Gorres was able to get up 30 seconds before the final bell rang and was declared winner via unanimous decision.

The fight started out slow for the both fighters, but the action picked up when Z Gorres knocked down Melendez with a one-two combination at the 3rd round.

The fight's pace went up further after the Filipino boxer landed another combination with his left and straight punches against the Columbian fighter.

Melendez got up, but was overwhelmed by the Filipino throughout the fight. The Columbian fighter, however, came back strong and held his own in the 10th round.

Melendez toppled Z Gorres with his own version of a one-two combination.

The Filipino was able to recover from the knockdown, but after being declared winner in the bantam weight division fight, he collapsed again to the ground.

Z Gorres stayed on the floor for about 5 minutes before he was brought out of the Mandalay Bay on a stretcher and brought to hospital. -- Report from Dyan Castillejo, ABS-CBN News

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Ginobili catches bat

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (AFP) – Tony Parker scored 24 points and Manu Ginobili added 13 points and a Halloween holiday treat for Spurs fans Saturday as San Antonio notched a 113-94 NBA victory over Sacramento.

The Spurs, coming off a disappointing loss to Chicago, got a big night from Parker, who also contributed seven assists.

"We wanted to bounce back," Parker said. "The Bulls outplayed us last game. So we wanted to make sure we came out tonight with a lot of energy. And that's what we did."

San Antonio led by 16 at the half, and stretched that lead to 21 with one quarter remaining thanks in large part to Parker's eight points in the third period.

But Ginobili was the talk of the night. He scored 13 points off the bench, but his most impressive feat was catching a bat that swooped toward the court and disrupted the game.

"That was amazing," Parker said. "The legend continues with Manu. Unbelievable. ... He's always doing crazy stuff."

The bat appeared late in the first quarter. As players dodged out of the way, officials halted play before the bat circled away.

When it returned, Ginobili swatted it down with his hand, then carried it off the court.

The crowd cheered, and even a few Kings players clapped.

"When you can't dunk anymore, you have to find a way to make it into the news," said Argentina's Ginobili, who was limited last season by an ankle injury. "So that's what I did. I grabbed a bat. I didn't think it was a big deal."

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich called it a classic Ginobili moment.

"He never ceases to amaze me and he just did it again," Popovich said. "The legend grows. It's incredible on Halloween night. You would call someone a liar if they told you that story."

Woman impaled by tree branch

Michelle Childers is lucky to be alive after a tree branch went through her neck during a drive through the Montana countryside.

The incident occurred as Childers rode in the front passenger seat during a drive with her husband in a remote area along the Lochsa River. The couple rounded a blind curve too fast and a stray branch struck Michelle and pierced her through the neck. The couple then had to drive over an hour to a lodge to get medial attention.

In this video by Washington TV station KHQ, Childers describes an "explosion" of green and a "strange" pressure on her neck and shoulder, along with her confusion at her husband's sudden alarm.



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Pepeng spares Metro Manila

MANILA - The state weather bureau lifted the public storm warning signal placed over Metro Manila as typhoon Pepeng (international codename Parma) moved towards the northernmost part of Luzon.

Weather bureau PAGASA said the typhoon was 260 kilometers southeast of Aparri town, Cagayan province with slight weaker winds of 175 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 210 kph.

It has accelerated from 13 kph to 17 kph, moving northwest, PAGASA added.

PAGASA said Pepeng was expected to make landfall over the northern part of Cagayan province on Saturday night and move near Basco, Batanes by Sunday morning.

The typhoon was initially predicted to make a landfall over Aurora and Isabela areas on Saturday afternoon as a supertyphoon, but it changed course after a high pressure area developed near Hong Kong.

PAGASA said the high pressure area may also prevent Pepeng from making landfall in the Philippines.

Nathaniel Cruz, PAGASA's spokesman, said Pepeng's changing of course is "good news" as it removes the threat to flooded areas in Metro Manila and its outskirts.

"The threat of typhoon Pepeng to us has eased," Cruz said in a radio interview. "That is good news."

More than 400,000 people remained in evacuation centers in areas hit by floods caused by tropical storm Ondoy's heavy rains in the capital region.

Cruz, meanwhile, said people in disaster zones in the capital should still take precautionary measures as Pepeng was expected to bring more rains throughout the day, but assured that it would not be as heavy as rains dumped by Ondoy.

Areas placed under Storm Signal No. 3 were Cagayan, Babuyan Island, Calayan Island and northern Isabela. Signal No. 2 remained hoisted over the Batanes group of islands, Apayao, Kalinga, Ilocos Norte, Abra, Mt. Province, Ifugao, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, the rest of Isabela, northern Aurora, Polilio Island and Catanduanes.

Metro Manila has been lifted from the list of areas placed under Storm Signal No. 1. Areas still under the storm signal were Ilocos Sur, Benguet, La Union, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Rizal, rest of Aurora, Quezon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur and Albay.

Preemptive evacuation

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Friday placed the country under a state of calamity as she ordered preemptive evacuations in areas expected to be hit by the typhoon.

The National Disaster Coordinating Council reported Saturday morning that thousdands of people living in critical areas in La Union, Cagayan, Isabela, Batanes, Quirino provinces have been evacuated.

More than 20,000 families or more than 100,000 people have also been evacuated in Bicol and a few hundred more were brought to evacuation centers in the Calabarzon area.

The government has also announced the allotment of a P100 million calamity fund for the continuing relief efforts for the victims of tropical storm Ondoy, which entered the country last week and left nearly 300 people dead and 42 more missing. With Agence France-Presse

-yahoo.ph

Arayat Landslide

San Juan Bano, Arayat, Pampanga, Philippines

RP may be hit by two more weather disturbances

IN THIS PHOTO: Residents of Barangay San Isidro, Makati City used pedicabs as improvised form of transportation during the height of the tropical storm ‘Ondoy’ in Manila, Philippines. Most of the people arrived home from the office immediately after news of the flash floods in their area were announced on TV.

MANILA, Philippines – As residents of Luzon and Metro Manila struggle to cope with the worst flooding in more than 40 years brought about by the recent tropical storm ‘Ondoy’ (international name: Ketsana), the country, particularly Central Luzon and CALABARZON regions could be hit with two more potential storms, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Monday.

A tropical depression and a low-pressure area were recently sighted via satellite in the Pacific Ocean and moving toward the Philippines’ direction, PAGASA forecaster Nathaniel Cruz said.

“There is the very big possibility (the tropical depression) could further intensify into a typhoon,” he said in a television interview.

“We will closely monitor this,” added Cruz.

PAGASA’s forecaster Connie Dadivas said the two weather disturbances might enter Philippine territory late Wednesday or Thursday.

Another PAGASA forecaster Joel Jesusa, however said that the two low pressure areas (LPA) were still far away to affect any part of the country for now.

The depression was heading for the northern part of the main Philippine island of Luzon, where Saturday’s disaster struck, but it was also possible that both weather disturbances would not reach the country, Cruz added.

If ever the tropical depression will enter the Philippine area of responsibility, it will be locally named ‘Peping’, radio reports said.

Tropical storm Ketsana brought rains that weather specialists described as “anomalous.” While it did not develop into a typhoon, Ondoy brought rains of 341 millimeters (mm) in the first six hours that it struck Metropolitan Manila on Saturday, breaking the highest 24-hour rainfall of 334 mm in Metropolitan Manila in June 1967, according to the Philippines’ weather forecasting bureau.

The Philippines’ maximum annual rainfall is only 4,064 mm or 338.6 per month or 11.3 mm per day. Ondoy’s 341-mm of rain in six hours was equivalent to more than 30 days of rainfall.

Estimated damage in property caused by Ondoy, according to the NDCC was worth P108.9 million, including 34 schools. Families that were displaced were reported to be at 89,116 or 448,454 people in 384 barangays (villages). ‘

Some of the floodwaters in Manila had still not receded after more than two days.

Although Ketsana was already well clear of the Philippines, the government’s weather station forecast scattered rain showers and thunderstorms for Luzon on Monday.

UPDATE: Radio reports said that the incoming tropical depression in the Pacific Ocean could be a super typhoon as it moves farther close to the Philippine area of responsibility. PAGASA is currently monitoring the movements of the mentioned tropical depression. -TheTimesofAsia.com

How can we help victims of Typhoon Ondoy?

I’m sure this is the top question for so many of the Pinoy Answers community right now. After Typhoon Ondoy raged across Luzon dumping a reported 34 cm of rain, equivalent to a month’s worth of rainfall, in just 6 hours, more than 200 have been reported dead and nearly 300,000 displaced from their homes.

For a quick answer to this pressing question, here’s a list of some very important information for Filipinos everywhere to take part in the relief efforts for Typhoon Ondoy victims:

From the National Disaster Coordinating Council – http://ndcc.gov.ph/home/

TS Ondoy Donations

TS Ondoy cash donations may be deposited to the NDCC Donated Funds current account (Philippine Currency-Peso) #0-00149-435-3 (with shift code: DBPHPHMM Account #36002016), Development Bank of the Philippines, Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo Branch, Camp Aguinaldo, QUezon City, Philippines.

DONATION DROP OFF-POINTS

Pasay Area

National Resource Operation Center
Chapel Road, Pasay City

Mrs. Francia Fabian
852 8081
918 9302356

Quezon City Area

Disaster Resource Operations Monitoring and Info Center (DROMIC)
DSWD Central Office

Rey Martiga or Imee Rose Castillo
951 7119 / 951 2435
or Assistant Secretary Vilma Cabrera
0918 9345625

Manila Area

DSWD- NCR
San Rafael Corner Legarda St.
Quiapo, Manila

Dir. Thelsa P. Biolena
Dir. Delia Bauan
734 8622 / 734 8642

Ever Gotesco

Distribution Point Center for Relief

NDCC Relief Center

Kalayaan Hall, Malacanang Ground
Luli Arroyo and all female members of PGMA’s Family
734 2192 / 734 8642

MMD-DOH Central Office

Engr. Dave Masiado
0917 8163400

NDCC Missing Person Hotline:

Marikina: 0920-9389914
QC: 0921-6555262
Pasig: 0918-9356318
Cainta: 0917-5606241

From the Philippine National Red Cross – http://www.redcross.org.ph/

1. CASH or CHECK
Please send cash or check donations to the PNRC National Headquarters in Manila. Checks should be made payable to The Philippine National Red Cross. We can also arrange for donation pick-up.

2. BANK DEPOSIT
Account Name: The Phil. Nat’l. Red Cross

PNRC PESO ACCOUNT

ALLIED BANK
Intramuros Branch
PESO ACCOUNT : 1941-01347-1
Type of Account : CURRENT
SWIFT CODE : ABC MPH MM

BANCO DE ORO
Port Area Branch
PESO ACCOUNT : 453-0018647
Type of Account : SAVINGS
SWIFT CODE : BNOR PH MM

BANK OF PHILIPPINE ISLAND
Port Area Branch
PESO ACCOUNT : 4991-0010-99
Type of Account : CURRENT
SWIFT CODE : BOPI PH MM

METRO BANK
Anda Circle Port Area Branch
PESO ACCOUNT : 151-3-04163122-8
Type of Account : SAVINGS
SWIFT CODE : MBTC PH MM

PHILIPPINE NATIONAL BANK
Sta. Cruz Branch
PESO ACCOUNT : 3623-3680-0011
Type of Account : SAVINGS
SWIFT CODE : PNB MPH MM

PNRC DOLLAR ACCOUNT

BANCO DE ORO
Port Area Branch
DOLLAR ACCOUNT : 453-0039482
Type of Account : SAVINGS
SWIFT CODE : BNOR PH MM

BANK OF PHILIPPINE ISLAND
United Nation Branch
DOLLAR ACCOUNT : 8114-0030-94
Type of Account : SAVINGS
SWIFT CODE : BOPI PH MM

METRO BANK
Anda Circle Port Area Branch
DOLLAR ACCOUNT : 151-2-151002182
Type of Account : SAVINGS
SWIFT CODE : MBTC PH MM

PHILIPPINE NATIONAL BANK
Sta. Cruz Branch
DOLLAR ACCOUNT : 375-283500026
Type of Account : SAVINGS
SWIFT CODE : PNB MPH MM

UNION BANK OF THE PHILIPPINES
Sta. Cruz Branch
DOLLAR ACCOUNT : 132-070001012
Type of Account : SAVINGS
SWIFT CODE : UBPH PH MM

PNRC OTHER ACCOUNT

METRO BANK
Binondo Branch
EURO ACCOUNT : 016-201650005-9
Type of Account : SAVINGS
SWIFT CODE : MBTC PH MM

METRO BANK
Anda Circle Port Area Branch
YEN ACCOUNT : 151-2-15130001-9
Type of Account : SAVINGS
SWIFT CODE : MBTC PH MM

For your donations to be properly acknowledged, please fax the bank transaction slip at nos. +63.2.527.0575 or +63.2.404.0979 with your name, address and contact number.

Credit Card

Please fax the following info to +632.404.09.79 and +632.527.0575: Name of card member, billing address, contact nos. (phone & mobile), credit card no., expiration date, CCV2/ CVC2 (last three digits at the back of the credit card), billing address, amount to be donated.

In-Kind Donations

LOCAL
Please send in-kind local donations to The Philippine National Red Cross – National Headquarters in Manila. We could also arrange for donation pick-up.

INTERNATIONAL
1. Send a letter of intent to donate to the PNRC
2. A letter of acceptance from PNRC shall be sent back to the donor
3. Immediately after shipping the goods, please send the (a) original Deed of Donation, (b) copy of packing list and (c) original Airway Bill for air shipments or Bill of Lading for sea shipments to The Philippine National Red Cross–National Headquarters c/o Secretary General Gwendolyn Pang, Bonifacio Drive, Port Area, Manila 2803, Philippines.

SMS and G-CASH (Globe)

SMS
text REDAMOUNT to 2899 (Globe) or 4483 (Smart)

G-CASH
text DONATEAMOUNT4-digit M-PINREDCROSS to 2882

Most urgent needs:

Food items: Rice, noodles, canned goods, sugar, iodized salt, cooking oil, monggo beans and potable water

Medicines: Paracetamol, antibiotics, analgesic, oral rehydration salts, multivitamins and medications to treat diarrheal diseases

Non-food items: Bath soaps, face towels, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, plastic mats, blankets, mosquito nets, jerry cans, water containers, water purification tablets, plastic sheetings, and Laundry soap

Rehabilitation Programs: Shelter materials for house repair

For OFWs, here are some specific places where you can help:

Ayala Foundation – for online donations (Visa, Mastercard, Diners, GCash, SmartMoney), go to https://www.myayala.com/ondoy/Default.asp

TXTPower (Paypal, SmartMoney, GCash) – http://technology.inquirer.net/infotech/infotech/view/20090927-227196/Help-Ondoy-victims-via-Paypal

American Red Cross – Tel: 1-800-435-7669

World Food Programme

SINGAPORE

* Embassy of the Philippines in Singapore (20 Nassim Road, Singapore 258395). Donors are discouraged from sending used clothing, which is prohibited for importation into the Philippines under Republic Act No. 4653. Organizations wishing to donate are advised to refer to the Embassy’s guidelines for donations to the Philippines, which are available online at: http://www.philippine-embassy.org.sg/index.cfm?GPID=53. Further queries may be directed to Ms. Pearl Camento at php@pacific.net.sg, subject: “Typhoon Ondoy”.
* A-Freight Cargo (304 Orchard Road, #03-19 Lucky Plaza, Singapore 238863). Donations/drop-offs accepted, contact Maureen Schepers 6235-1011.
* i-Remit Singapore (304 Orchard Road, #03-69 Lucky Plaza, Singapore 238863). Will be waiving charges for donations to the Philippine Red Cross.
* LBC Singapore (304 Orchard Road, #04-77 Lucky Plaza, Singapore 238863). Will waive remittance charges for donations made to the following organizations: ABS-CBN Foundation, GMA Foundation, Philippine National Red Cross, and the National Disaster Coordinating Center.
* World Vision Singapore
* Singapore Red Cross (15 Penang Lane, Singapore 238486). Walk-in cash donations accepted. Send cheques to the Singapore Red Cross Society and indicate your name and return address for receipt purposes.

Now is certainly the time to use the power of social media to help our fellow Filipinos who have been badly affected by Typhoon Ondoy. I recently posted the question “What can we do to help the victims of Typhoon Ondoy?” and if you have any relevant information or any creative idea that can be of help to victims of Ondoy, please take the time to share them.

Our news editors also posted this question, “Do you think the RP government is doing enough to help with Typhoon Ondoy’s relief efforts? Yes or no, why?”. According to National Disaster Coordinating Council’s Anthony Golez, the system and local government units are “overwhelmed,” and are not used to massive relief operations. If you have personally witnessed this and you have seen how they can further improve their rescue operations, then please share your thoughts and opinions.

Just check Yahoo! Philippines News for more updates about the relief efforts, for pics of Typhoon Ondoy’s aftermath, check out Flickr and this blog post for details on how you can help. Thanks so much everyone! I’m so proud to be Pinoy right now! God bless!

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Pacquiao still P4P king

Despite Floyd Mayweather, Jr.’s blazing return to the ring last week, Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao is still entrenched in his position atop the mythical pound for pound (P4P) throne based on the latest rating list of The Ring Magazine.

The reputable magazine, considered the “Bible of Boxing," named Pacquiao No. 1 in its ratings released Sept. 20, a day after Mayweather hacked out a one-sided unanimous decision over bloated lightweight Juan Manuel Marquez in his comeback fight.

P4P king Manny PacquiaoMayweather, the former top P4P fighter prior to his retirement in 2007, was rated No. 2, dislodging Marquez from his old spot behind the Pacman. Marquez, who fought Pacquiao in two close encounters, dropped three notches to No. 5.

Mayweather’s reentry into the prestigious ratings created changes from No. 2 down.

Sugar Shane Mosley, who had previously attempted to seal a fight with Pacquiao and even climbed up the ring to challenge Mayweather after the Marquez fight, went up to No. 3 from No. 4. Mosley switched places with previously third-ranked Bernard Hopkins.

After the fifth-ranked Marquez were Israel Vasquez at No. 6 (from No. 5) and Rafael Marquez at No. 7 (from No. 6).

The only other Filipino in the list, WBA interim super flyweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash" Donaire, Jr., slipped one place to No. 8.

Pacquiao’s rival on Nov. 14, WBO welterweight king Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico, occupied No. 9, a one-spot drop, while WBA and IBF junior featherweight champ Celestino Caballero completed the Top 10.

The dispute for the mythical P4P title is expected to be the main beef if and when a megafight is forged between Pacquiao and Mayweather Jr.

Exploratory talks have reportedly started for a possible big-money showdown between the two P4P superstars by next year.

But before that, the Pacman, who was impressed with Mayweather’s dismantling of an overmatched Marquez, would have to take care of his upcoming business against the tough Cotto first. - GMANews.TV

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