SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Tumblr founder and chief David Karp on Monday announced he is leaving the nearly 11-year-old blogging platform — with his departure coming in the wake of Verizon buying parent-company Yahoo. Karp said that he will leave by the end of this year and chief operating officer Jeff D’Onofrio will take his place at the helm of Tumblr. “I beg you to understand that my decision comes after months of […]
Other News
No trace of Argentina sub, 12 days after it vanished
by Carlos Reyes Agence France Presse BAHIA BLANCA, Argentina (AFP) — An international flotilla backed by aircraft on Monday again probed the South Atlantic for signs of an Argentine submarine missing for 12 days, targeting an area near the vessel’s last known position where an explosion was detected. A total of 15 countries, including the United States, Britain, Russia and France, are helping to search for the ARA San Juan, which has 44 crew members […]
NBA: Struggling Grizzlies sack head coach Fizdale
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The struggling Memphis Grizzlies fired head coach David Fizdale and named J.B. Bickerstaff as his interim replacement on Monday. Memphis is in the midst of an eight-game NBA losing streak and holds a 7-12 record this season after making the playoffs last season. “After a thorough evaluation, I decided a change in course was necessary to move forward and provide the team and organization its best chance at success […]
Indonesian authorities extend Bali airport closure over volcanic ash
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — Indonesian authorities on Tuesday extended the closure of the international airport on the resort island of Bali for a second day over fears of a volcanic eruption. Bali’s Ngurah Rai airport will remain closed until at least Wednesday morning local time. “The Volcanic Ash Advisory shows that the plane routes have been covered by volcanic ash, this is dangerous for the flights,” Indonesian AirNav official Wisnu Darjono said. Massive columns of thick […]
Canada PM Trudeau aims to boost trade on China trip
OTTAWA, Canada (AFP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will travel to China next week to bolster trade ties as North American continental trade talks fizzle. During the December 3-7 official visit, Trudeau “will promote a progressive trade agenda and tourism initiatives,” said his office. He will meet with government and business leaders as part of Canada’s concerted push to diversify its trade, most of which is currently with its neighbor the United States. “A […]
Diabetes, obesity behind 800,000 cancers worldwide: study
PARIS, France (AFP) — Nearly six percent of new cancers diagnosed worldwide in 2012 — some 800,000 cases — were caused by diabetes and excess weight, according to a study published Tuesday. Among the 12 types of cancer examined, the percentage of cases chalked up to these factors was as high as a third, researchers reported in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, a leading medical journal. Cancers stemming from diabetes and obesity combined was almost […]
Origami-like soft robotic muscles lift 1,000 times their weight
Reuters — US researchers have developed strong origami-inspired artificial muscles that can allow soft robots to lift objects 1,000 times their own weight using only air or water pressure. The team from Massachusetts Institute of Technology Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (MIT CSAIL) and Harvard’s Wyss Institute published their findings on Monday (November 27) in scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). According to a joint press release, “each artificial muscle […]
Facebook trains artificial intelligence to spot suicidal signs
SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Facebook on Monday said stepping up the use of artificial intelligence to identify members of the leading social network who may be thinking of suicide. Software will look for clues in posts or even in videos being streamed at Facebook Live, then fire off reports to human reviewers and speed up alerts to responders trained to help, according to the social network. “This approach uses pattern recognition technology to […]
Bezos a $100-billion man as Amazon rises on cyber shopping
SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) o– Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was a $100-billion man on Monday as the online retail colossus raked in cash from the holiday weekend’s cyber shopping spree. Forbes magazine’s real-time ranking of the richest people had Bezos on top, with a personal net worth of $100.3 billion. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates saw his net worth climb to a dizzying $89.4 billion but was relegated to being the second most affluent person […]
Gilas bucks slow start to defeat Chinese Taipei
(Eagle News) — Gilas Pilipinas bucked a slow start to claim a 90-83 win over Chinese Taipei on Monday night. June Mar Fajardo delivered a stellar performance coming off from the bench, and taking Gilas out of the rut that saw Chinese Taipei leading with as much as 13 points in the first quarter. Jayson Castro, who scored a career-high 20 points against Japan, again took up the cudgels for the national team, delivering a […]
Gov’t witness links brother-in-law of former President Aquino to P8.7-B road scam
(Eagle News) – A brother-in-law of former President Benigno Aquino III was implicated in the P8.7-billion road scam revealed by Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre last week. In a press conference, witness Roberto Catapang Jr. said Eldon Cruz’s name was used frequently by members of the syndicate that claimed road right of way compensation from the government for a national highway construction in General Santos City by submitting fake land titles and non-existent owners. For this, Catapang, […]
ICOs: the lawless land of cryptocurrency fundraising
By Daphne Rousseau Agence France Presse BERLIN, Germany (AFP) — From raising $30 million in 30 seconds to being endorsed by Paris Hilton or vanishing into thin air: anything is possible in the risky new world of cryptocurrency fundraising, but regulators are lurking. Bypassing oversight of any kind, Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) have sprung from nowhere to become a hugely popular way for start-ups to raise funds online, offering self-created digital “tokens” or coins […]





