Maxene Magalona flaunted her sexy curves in a sequined Banggo Niu gown.
Jul 312014
Jul 312014
Billy Crawford and Coleen Garcia (MNS Photo) What made Coleen Garcia finally agree to be Billy Crawford’s girlfriend? “Sinundo ko pa siya sa airport kasi kakarating lang niya galing States. Sabi niya, ‘Can you be my girlfriend?’ Sabi ko, ‘Okay’, pero nakailang tanong siya muna,” Garcia said. “I just felt like asking again,” Crawford added. Although their relationship has only become official recently, Garcia and Crawford have always been open about their feelings for each other. “Kasi it was like we were already there anyway and all that was missing was really the label. Pero ‘yung feelings naman, it’s been there naman,” Garcia said. Asked why she finally said ‘yes’, Garcia said it was because Crawford gets along really well with her family. “I think that’s what really matters to me also, that’s what I was waiting for. I really want him to get along with my family. Pero the fact na pati ‘yung pamilya namin, they get along, it’s really a big bonus,” she added. “She knows exactly what I feel for her. I really also just want to be the best man I can be, learn from my mistakes and be there for her,” said Crawford. Garcia also said she considers Crawford as a best friend. “I love you,” Crawford said, to which Garcia replied, “I love you too.” (MNS)
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Mylene Dizon (MNS Photo) Veteran actress Mylene Dizon finally admitted her relationship with the former PBA player Jason Webb. The former “Mira Bella” actress revealed that she and the San Mig Coffee assistant coach have been together for almost one year already. Jason Webb was previously married to the TV-host Claudine Trillo, whom he had two daughters with, while Mylene Dizon has also two children with her former partner actor Paolo Paraiso. Mylene said she is in good terms with the father of her kids, adding that they often communicate to each other to discuss matters regarding their children. The 29-year-old actress said that they needed to maintain a good relationship since that would benefit their two children Tomas and Lucas. “My anak kami, kailangan naming magkaibigan, kailangan namin mag agree and mag disagree on certain things because we are trying to raise children,” she said. Mylene started her career in the country’s leading network ABS-CBN as a member of Star Magic in 1996. She also appears in several series and the most recent is the hit but now defunct fantasy series “Mira Bella”. Jason Webb began his basketball career in 1997 playing for Sta. Lucia. He is now the head coach of San Mig Super Coffee Mixers, who won the 2014 Governors’ cup. Meanwhile, Mylene Dizon is set to star in the “Cinemelaya” film festival entry “Marikina”. (MNS)
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President Benigno S. Aquino III delivers his speech during the commemoration of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Apolinario Mabini at the Apolinario Mabini Shrine in Barangay Talaga, Tanauan City, Batangas on Wednesday (July 23, 2014). With theme: “Mabini: Talino at Paninindigan,” the yearlong festivities aims to honor Mabini, the “Sublime paralytic,” as the brains behind the Philippine revolution. (MNS Photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — President Benigno Aquino III’s claim on poverty reduction in his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) did not contradict a recent poll showing that more Filipinos consider themselves poor, a Palace official said Tuesday. Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Aquino’s statement on poverty in his SONA relied on “empirical data,” while the Social Weather Stations (SWS) self-rated poverty survey was based on perception. “It’s not a contradiction. In the survey, you self-rate yourself, and we respect that… Here we have empirical data that poverty incidence was reduced by three percent,” Lacierda said. Asked why government’s poverty reduction figures did not translate to more Filipinos perceiving a better quality of life, Lacierda said poll results depend on how the survey was conducted. In his speech before Congress members on Monday, Aquino cited National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) data showing a decrease in poverty incidence from 27.9 percent during the first semester of 2012, to 24.9 percent in 2013. “Ang three percentage points pong ito ay katumbas ng halos 2.5 milyon na Pilipinong nakaalpas na sa poverty line. Totoo namang dapat pagtuunan ng masusing pansin ang pinakamahihirap Read More …
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By Alistair Watson GLASGOW, July 31, 2014 (AFP) – The International Boxing Association says it will carry out a detailed study of the impact of scrapping headguards for amateur contests following the conclusion of the Commonwealth Games. It follows a call from Australian boxer Daniel Lewis for the immediate return of the safety gear after a failed medical check ruled him out of his welterweight quarter-final on Wednesday. The 21-year-old suffered a badly cut eye in his win against Nigeria’s Kehinde Ademuyiwa on Monday. The wound failed to sufficiently heal in time for him to meet Mandeep Jangra of India, who was given a walkover into the semi-finals. A growing number of cut head injuries have resulted from male boxers stepping into the ring without head protection after AIBA changed their rules last year. AIBA vice-president Dr Abdellah Bessalem from Algeria said his organisation was aware of the concerns and would address them after the Games. “We are looking at the number of cuts and after our study we will prepare our report,” the Commonwealth Games tournament supervisor said. “But we have to remember that without headguards the number of concussion injuries suffered by boxers has gone down.” Following his withdrawal on Wednesday morning Lewis immediately took to social media to vent his frustration at having his medal hopes brought to an abrupt halt. He wrote: “For all these people debating about headgear for amateurs, bring the headgear back 100 per cent. “My journey is over. Got up at 6am Read More …
Jul 312014
Framily vacations, taken with friends who are as close as family, are on the rise.©Nikola Bilic/shutterstock.com (Relaxnews) – Like glamping, staycations and voluntourism, the travel industry is seizing on another word mash-up to carve up a new market: “framily.” And to coincide with the UN-designed International Day of Friendship July 30, travel agency Thomas Cook has released the results of a new survey to promote the concept of girlfriend getaways and buddy vacations as a way of strengthening marriage. The relationship between the two could be construed as a bit of a stretch. In a poll of 2,000 Brits, one-third of respondents claimed that taking a vacation with a close friend helped or even “saved” their marriage. And only 40 percent said they missed their other half while they were away. “We believe that the rise in holidays with friends is being driven by another trend, the increasing importance of friendship,” said consultant and futurologist William Higham in a statement. “Today, more and more people have a close group of friends that they consider to be a surrogate family: a ‘Framily.’” The growing popularity of girlfriend getaways and boys’ only vacations are described as a push against the increasing dominance of technology in our lives, and the renewed appreciation for human interaction and bonding. Framily vacations with friends who are like family can also fulfil needs where partners can’t, he added. The survey results showed that the most popular type of friend vacation is a city sightseeing break (17 percent) Read More …
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The Xtreme Eating Awards are held every year in the US to determine the richest menu items in popular chain restaurants in the US.©Valentyn Volkov/shutterstock.com (Relaxnews) – The Cheesecake Factory won three awards in the 2014 edition of the Xtreme Eating Awards, an annual ranking that discerns the richest menu items in popular US restaurant chains, revealing calorie, fat and sodium content. The chain’s 2,780-calorie custard-soaked, butter syrup-laden Bruléed French Toast topped the chain’s hat-trick list with its 93 grams of saturated fat, 2,230 milligrams of sodium and 24 teaspoons of sugar. If that sounds like weight gain on a plate, it was the richest of the Cheesecake Factory offerings, but not of the entire contest, making it a modest year for the chain, which usually takes the cake. The richest meal was a Red Robin Gourmet Burgers menu option that includes its “Monster Sized” A1 Peppercorn burger, Bottomless Steak Fries and Monster Salted Caramel Milkshake, all of which totals 3,540 calories, 69 grams of saturated fat and 6,280 mg of sodium. Total added sugar content was estimated at 38 teaspoons by Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), which developed the awards in 2007 to raise public consciousness about healthy eating. Between Red Robin Gourmet Burgers for having the richest meal and Cheesecake Factory for having three of its dishes on the prize list, CSPI didn’t discern an official winner, for the idea of the contest is above all intended as a public service. A complete list of Read More …
Jul 312014
Baidu is working on an autonomous car. ©AFP PHOTO (Relaxnews) – Proving that Google does not have a monopoly on the future of personal mobility, the Chinese search engine could overtake its US counterpart with its own take on the autonomous car. Speaking with The Next Web, the head of the company’s Institute of Deep Learning – think Baidu’s version of Google’s X lab – Kai Yu compared the car his team is developing to a horse in that it will be autonomous but can still be controlled by the driver. “I think in the future, a car should not totally replace the driver but should really give the driver freedom. Freedom means the car is intelligent enough to operate by itself, like a horse, and make decisions under different road situations. Whenever the driver wants to resume control, you can do that. It’s like riding on a horse, rather than just sitting in a car where you only have a button,” he told the publication. That means that Baidu’s car will come complete with a steering wheel, plus brake and accelerator pedals and although the company has given no clear indication as to when it will be galloping into production, there’s a good chance that it could arrive before Google’s fully autonomous take on the future of personal mobility. Google’s car, announced in May, will remove drivers from the equation altogether and will instead rely on a host of sensors, GPS, the internet, special maps and a layer of artificial intelligence to Read More …
Jul 312014
Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, poses questions to Janet Lim-Napoles, alleged pork barrel scam mastermind during the hearing on Thursday (Nov. 7, 2013) at the Senate building in Pasay City. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Despite initially opposing her transfer, alleged pork barrel fund scam brains Janet Lim-Napoles seemed to have changed her mind and now has no problems with staying in another detention facility inside Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig. This was according to her lawyer Bruce Rivera, who, after inspecting and being briefed about the security measures inside Camp Bagong Diwa, said they are now convinced that Napoles’ transfer from Fort Sto. Domingo in Sta. Rosa, Laguna was for the better. It was a Makati court, trying her on charges of serious illegal detention, that originally ordered Napoles’ detention in Laguna. But the Sandiganbayan, which is hearing separate cases of plunder and graft against Napoles, ordered her transfer to Taguig. Citing security reasons, Napoles’ camp initially opposed the transfer. But after the Makati court did not object to the transfer, Napoles was finally brought to Camp Bagong Diwa Monday night. “Initially, ang issue namin is security … kasi di pa naman namin nakikita ang security set-up [that time],” Rivera said. “But now [after] looking at the security [aspect], wala naman kaming nakitang problema,” he said. Rivera accompanied Napoles from Laguna to Taguig. Inspector Aris Villaester, spokesman of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology-National Capital Region, assured Napoles of her security while in their custody and added that she Read More …
Jul 312014
In front of lawmakers, President Benigno Aquino III on Monday, July 28, highlighted the benefits of the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program – declared partially unconstitutional by the Supreme Court – at the start of his fifth State of the Nation Address.(MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — The country’s largest and most influential business organizations, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and the Makati Business Club (MBC) are satisfied with the 5th State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Benigno Aquino III delivered Monday. In a phone interview, PCCI president Alfredo M. Yao said Aquino’s commitment to continue reforms and programs ensuring economic developments give further confidence to the business community. “That’s what we want to hear: to continue reforms,” Yao said. He cited significant points the Chief Executive mentioned in his SONA which include public-private partnership (PPP) projects and infrastructure projects that are necessary to attract more investments in the country. “The business community wants to see more of those projects,” he said. Yao, likewise, expressed his support to the President’s request to the Congress to pass a supplemental budget for this year in order to continue programs and projects that will benefit more Filipinos as well as passing a Joint Resolution of the Congress that will define and clarify some existing laws. For his part, MBC executive director Peter Angelo V. Perfecto said in a text message that the business group lauded President Aquino’s reaffirmation that the Filipino is worth dying, living, and fighting for. “That gives Read More …