Maniolas

Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura (left) and Wesley So. MILLIONAIRE CHESS PHOTO. LAS VEGAS, Nevada — After squaring off in the U.S. Chess Championships, grandmasters Wesley So and Hikaru Nakamura will face each other again in the rich Millionaire Chess Open in October at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. While the billing as the U.S. No.1 chess player will be up for grabs in the U.S. championships scheduled later this month in Saint Louis, Missouri, a cool $100,000 will go to the champion of Millionaire Chess Open. The 21-year-old So will defend his title in the Las Vegas tournament, which Nakamura skipped last year. With three weeks before the March 31 deadline to register, So and Nakamura headline a cast of 301 participants, including 30 grandmasters and two women grandmasters from around the globe. Registration is actually open just before the October 8-12 tournament, but the regular registration fee of $1,000 for the Open Section ends on March 31. “I firmly believe this year will be stronger than last year,” said Grandmaster Maurice Ashley, founder of Millionaire Chess with entrepreneur Amy Lee.  “With the inclusion of Nakamura, we have incredible star power and chess strength at the top.”. He said the tournament would not just be a Nakamura-So show. “There will be top players who smell the $100K and want a piece of the action too! Still, those two players will make the event incredibly tough,” Ashley said. Just like the inaugural event last year, the first seven rounds of every Read More …

San Francisco Asian Art Museum’s bronze rhinoceros. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO SAN FRANCISCO — The public has spoken. After tallying thousands of votes, the Asian Art Museum has determined the official nickname of its beloved 3,000 year-old Chinese bronze rhinoceros has an, Reina, meaning “queen” in Spanish and Filipino. The new feminine moniker comes at an auspicious time–National Women’s History Month (museum mascots with female names are rare–chalk one up to a very discerning public for contributing to healthier gender equality). The regal “Reina the Rhino” is the result of a naming contest held recently by the museum. More than 2,380 people from 22 countries suggested possible nicknames, and four–Reina, Bao Bei, Percy and Suma–were put up for a final vote. More than 2,200 people voted, and Reina led the herd with 39 percent of the vote. The Asian Art Museum thanks all those who helped find a friendly name for one of its most popular artworks (especially among kids), and the public is invited to swing by the museum’s galleries and say hello to Reina.  The contest held from November 14, 2014 to February 15. The winning name was announced March 5.The Asian Art Museum’s bronze rhinoceros is one of its most famous masterpieces as well as one of the most well-known ancient Chinese bronze artworks in the world. Scholars appreciate it because few Chinese vessels made during the Bronze Age (approximately 1500–221 BCE) were in the form of animals. Additionally this rhino is the only one known that is depicted Read More …

MANILA, Philippines – The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) has joined other Department of Labor and Employment-attached agencies, as well as the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), in appealing again to the nearly 2,400 Filipinos in Yemen to avail themselves of the government’s mandatory repatriation program following the continued deterioration of the political and security situation in the West African nation. In an advisory over the weekend, the OWWA said Philippine nationals should coordinate with the crisis management team (CMT) in the Yemeni capital of Sana’a. OWWA head Rebecca Calzado noted the agency was “part of the CMT, composed of officials from the DOLE and the DFA” and has been monitoring the situation in crisis-hit countries to ensure the safety of overseas Filipino workers. “If immediate action is needed, the CMT automatically activates its committees to respond to the situation,” she explained. In Sana’a, the CMT holds office at the Movenpick Hotel on Berlin Street. It can be reached through tel. +967.73.384.4958. Filipinos there may also contact the Philippine Consulate on Damascus Street in the Hadda Area through tel. no. +967.1.416.751. According to Calzados, 2,391 Filipinos work in Yemen as nurses, household service workers, engineers, technicians and mechanics. “The continued occupation of the capital city by Houthi rebels and the recent suspension of the operation of several embassies in Sana’a were the basis for the DFA’s heightened alert level for Filipinos in Yemen,” she said. The OWWA appealed to the relatives of OFWs in Yemen to “convince their loved ones Read More …

popular Release of Mamasapano probe report delayed anew Jimmy Alapag gets tearful, plays last PBA game Almonte’s memoirs: ‘Endless concoctions’ Espina: SAF 44 not ‘fallen’ PMA readies for K to 12 too, as alumnus leads war on it Ex-APEC solon arraigned for pork plunder Inmate videos aim to reduce New York prison sexual assaults No ‘tinikling’ or ‘singkil’ this time–what Obama, Putin, Abe will see when they come for Apec videos PBA: Ginebra’s LA Tenorio comfortable on the floor with Emman Monfort PBA: Agustin credits good defense, big men performance for win over Purefoods PBA: Warner’s maturity big thing for Globalport, says coach Gonzales Crime watchdog wants advisory body composed of bishops, inter-religious leaders Former Tarlac Governor calls Aquino to resign MANILA, Philippines — A Filipino convicted of murder in Saudi Arabia back in 2007 has been executed Monday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed. “It is with sadness that we confirm the execution of Overseas Filipino Worker Joven Esteva at 9 a.m. today (Saudi time) in Riyadh,” DFA spokesman Charles Jose said in a statement. “We have provided Mr. Esteva all necessary and appropriate legal and consular assistance, including providing a lawyer, since his arrest in 2007,” he said. The family of the victim however has refused to grant forgiveness to Esteva which led to the carrying out of the death sentence. Esteva was convicted of murder in 2007 for killing his Saudi employer and injuring his employer’s son. RELATED STORIES Kin of jailed Filipino worker in Saudi Read More …