Canon 5Ds Leaked! It’s a 50.6MP Full Frame DSLR

It looks like the rumors were spot on. A sneak peek of the not-yet-announced Canon 5Ds full frame DSLR camera has leaked onto the Web. The photograph above shows what the high-resolution 50.6MP camera will look like.

The leaked image and specs were first published by Japanese camera site digicam-info, which also confirms that there will be a separate 5Ds R version of the camera that comes without a low-pass filter for greater sharpness at the expense of more moire.

One feature in the camera is reportedly 1.3x and 1.6x crop modes that allow you to only use a portion of the full frame sensor for lower-resolution photographs — useful for if you don’t need a 50.6MP file with every shot.

ISO range is reportedly 100 to 6400. Canon Rumors is hearing that the lower maximum ISO is due to the camera having a “a much stronger CFA [color filter array] which will produce much greater color accuracy than anything currently in the Canon lineup.”

Other specs mentioned in the report are: a weatherproof magnesium alloy body, dual processor DIGIC6, 5FPS continuous shooting, 61 autofocus points, EOS iTR AF, a 150,000 pixel RGB/IR photometry sensor, and a “fine detail” picture style.

We should see the official announcement for these cameras sometime next week. Stay tuned.

Source: PetaPixel

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Gas blast wrecks Mexico children's hospital, killing 3

Rescue workers comb through the rubble of a children's hospital after a gas truck exploded, in Cuajimalpa on the outskirts of Mexico City, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2015. The powerful explosion shattered the hospital on the western edge of Mexico's capital, killing at least three adults and one baby and injuring dozens. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Injured and bleeding, mothers grasping infants in their arms fled from a maternity hospital shattered by a powerful gas explosion Thursday, and rescuers began smashing sledgehammers through fallen concrete hunting for others who might be trapped.

A nurse and a baby died in the blast and a second infant died Thursday night, Mexico City authorities said. More than 70 people were injured in the blast that collapsed about three-fourths of the hospital, but by late in the day rescuers determined no one was left trapped in the rubble.

Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera said some of the injured were about to be released from area hospitals, including some mothers who suffered injuries while using their bodies to shield their children.

A 25-year-old nurse and a newborn between 2 and 3 weeks old died at the scene and another infant died several hours later at another pediatric hospital, said Armando Ahued, the city's health secretary. He had said earlier that 21 babies in all had been injured, and nine of those and seven adults were in serious condition after being rushed to other hospitals.

Thirty-five-year-old Felicitas Hernandez wept as she frantically questioned people outside the wrecked building, hoping for word of her month-old baby, who had been hospitalized since birth with respiratory problems.

"They wouldn't let me sleep with him," said Hernandez, who had come to the city-run Maternity and Children's Hospital of Cuajimalpa because she had no money. Later, authorities told her to check at another hospital where she reported finding her baby uninjured.

Part of the building collapsed after an explosion in a Mexico City maternity hospital. At least two deaths reported pic.twitter.com/3X6yCGfgzV
— Enrique Acevedo (@Enrique_Acevedo) January 29, 2015

The explosion occurred at 7:05 a.m. when a tanker truck was making a routine delivery of gas to the hospital kitchen and gas started to leak. Witnesses said the tanker workers struggled frantically for 15 or 20 minutes to repair the leak while a large cloud of gas formed.

"The hose broke. The two gas workers tried to stop it, but they were very nervous. They yelled for people to get out," said Laura Diaz Pacheco, a laboratory technician.

"Everyone's initial reaction was to go inside, away from the gas," she added. "Maybe as many as 10 of us were able to get out ... The rest stayed inside."

Workers on the truck yelled: "Call the firefighters, call the firefighters!" said anesthesiologist Agustin Herrera.

People started to evacuate the hospital, and then came a devastating explosion that sent up an enormous fireball and plumes of dust and smoke. Herrera saw injured mothers walking out carrying babies. Officials said 110 people were inside the 35-bed hospital when the truck blew up.

"We avoided a much bigger tragedy because the oxygen tanks right beside (the area) didn't explode," Herrera said.

The worst hit parts of the hospital were the neonatology, reception and emergency reception units, he said.




Margarita Palma of Amexgas, a trade association of Mexico's propane distributors, said 80 percent of Mexicans use propane rather than natural gas delivered by mains. Liquified propane, which is highly explosive, is distributed to homes and businesses either by trucks like the one that exploded or in cylinders, she said.

Homes next to the hospital had broken and cracked windows and fallen shingles from the blast, and many neighbors ran to help evacuate victims from the debris, local resident Carlos Soria Rezendiz said.

Miguel Angel Garcia smoked a cigarette outside Hospital ABC-Santa Fe, trying to calm his nerves while he waited to see his wife and new baby daughter, who had been moved there.

Garcia, 22, had been driving a transit bus when he heard about the explosion at the hospital where his wife had given birth to their second child just the day before. He dropped off his passengers, then his bus and took off for the hospital.

"When I arrived and saw it in pieces, I thought the worst," Garcia said. He waited for an hour before authorities told him his wife and daughter had been taken to the other hospital in the nearby neighborhood of Santa Fe. A nurse there told him both were fine, but he hadn't been allowed to see them yet.

As the day wore on, people arrived at Hospital ABC offering diapers and baby formula. There was an hour-long wait to donate blood.

It was the closest hospital to the explosion and received 31 patients, including 17 children.

There were seven babies with serious injuries in intensive care, said Dr. Moises Zielanowski, the hospital's director of operations, as well as four adults in serious condition. Injuries included burns, fractures and bruises.

He said the hospital was working to identify six of the babies who arrived unaccompanied and without identification.

The gas truck driver and two other employees of the Express Nieto company were hospitalized but were in custody, Mancera said. He said the company has provided gas to all the city's public hospitals since 2007.

The incident prompted tweets from President Enrique Pena Nieto to Pope Francis, who wrote, "We are praying for the victims of the explosion in Cuajimalpa, Mexico."

Source: Yahoo! News

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Ultra-rare Leica 600mm f/5 prototype lens goes on auction in eBay for $230,000

The Leica R 600mm f/5 Apo-Telyt prototype lens has appeared on eBay with a hefty price tag of $230,000. We say “the” instead of “a” because only a single copy of this lens was ever made for the company’s Apo-Telyt line — lenses don’t get rarer than this.

An Austria-based company called Photo Arsenal Worldwide is behind the sale, and confirms that this is a single prototype that was created for the Leica R system but never went into production.





The serial number on the body is 172-0001, which confirms that this is the exact same lens that was auctioned for $70,000 back in 2013 by Stan Tamarkin Rare Camera Auctions. Here are some photos of the lens from that previous auction:









“There appears to be no mention of this lens in the literature and none on the Internet. Very, very rare,” the auction stated. The “bomb of a lens” is reportedly in pristine condition and weighs over 11 pounds.

If you have an extra $230K lying around, this is your chance to snag a Leica lens that no one else on planet Earth owns. It’s also rather affordable compared to other Leica Apo-Telyt lenses out there: a Leica 1600mm f/5.6 was previously sold to a Qatari prince for over $2 million — and there are two of those in existence!

Source: PetaPixel

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WATCH: Talented Filipino Kid Jams With Pop Superstar Bruno Mars

6-year old Kai Langer had a very memorable encounter with his idol during his second guesting in The Ellen Show. American TV host Ellen De Generes set-up the surprise meeting of Kai with the pop star.

WATCH:





Source: Choose Philippines

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WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEO - Aftermath Video of the PNP-SAF Massacre in Maguindanao

Atleast 50 members of Philippine National Police - Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) lost their lives in a clash with the members of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a break away group from MILF, last Sunday, January 25, 2015.


The SAF contingent involved in the encounter was in Mamasapano to search for Malaysian bomb expert Zulkifli bin Hir, also known as Marwan, who is reportedly being protected by the BIFF. He has a bounty of $5,000,000 from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation. Al-Haq, a spokesman for the MILF’s Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces said the SAF men were also searching for Basit Usman, who underwent training in bomb making in Peshawar, Pakistan and Kandahar, Afghanistan in the late 1980s.

The policemen were trapped and ran out of ammunition during the firefight, another police officer said.



Source: Live Leak
 
 

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A solemn, heartbreaking arrival honors for SAF's fallen men

MANILA, Philippines - Members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) carry the metal caskets of the 42 of the 44 fallen colleagues, who were killed in the January 25 Mamasapano encounter, whose bodies arrived at the Villamor Airport in Pasay City, south of Manila, on 29 January 2015.

 

Philippine National Police Special Action Forces carry the flag-draped coffins of their comrades for a solemn ceremony upon arrival from the southern Philippines Thursday, Jan. 29, 2015 at Villamor Air Base at suburban Pasay city, south of Manila, Philippines.

 

Even the toughest men couldn't hold their tears.

This was the scenario at Villamor Air base as the government gives arrival honors to the 42 fallen members of the Special Action Force.

At least 44 policemen perished in what authorities said were a "misencounter" with alleged members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and breakaway group Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom fighters at Mamasapano, Maguindanao while chasing high-ranking terrorists Zulkifli Abdhir and Basit Usman.

The 42 caskets, all draped with a Philippine flag, were slowly carried by marching pallbearers, from the C-130 plane to the Villamor Air base grounds. Two of those who died have already been buried in Zamboanga.

Some policemen and soldiers were seen on television desperately tying to hold back tears, as they give honors to their fallen comrades.

Officials such as Vice President Jejomar Binay, former president Fidel V. Ramos, Senator Bongbong Marcos and mother, Ilocos Norte Representative Imelda Marcos condoled with the policemen's bereaved families while priests blessed each casket.

The caskets were then placed in their respective funeral cars, to be brought to their families.

President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, who was expected to be at the arrival honors, was reportedly at the opening of a new plant of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

On Wednesday, Aquino addressed the nation and announced a national day of mourning, befitting the heroism of the slain policemen.

Aquino said he believes that while several Filipinos desire to avenge cops' death, he does not want to shake the peace process.

"Mararating natin ang katarungan, harinawa, sa loob ng tamang proseso, at nang hindi bumibitaw sa mga pangarap nating makamtan ang malawakan at pangmatagalang kapayapaan,” Aquino said.

Source: Yahoo! News PH


 

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Female HK passenger caught for smuggling 20 iPhone 6 handsets

A female passenger tapes Iphone6 models on her waist, Shenzhen, Tuesday, January 27, 2015. [Photo:news.qq.com]

A female passenger from Hong Kong has been caught by Luohu Customs in Southern China's city of Shenzhen for trying to smuggle 20 Iphone 6 models into the mainland.

The officials say the woman caught their attention when she was walking with a peculiar posture while going through customs.

It turns out that the passenger used duct tape to trap 20 phones to her waist and abdomen.

Similar cases were also found earlier this month as two female passengers from Hong Kong used the same method to try to smuggle 26 phones and 23 phones respectively to the mainland.

According to the customs officials, apart from taping the phones to their bodies, the smugglers use other channels to transport the phones.

One channel of transporting the phones is to set up a pulley between one building situated in Shenzhen and another in Hong Kong, and attach plastic bags on the pulley to carry phones to Shenzhen under cover of darkness. This type of operation is usually found in Chung Ying Street, a street which lies on the border between Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

Other channels include digging underground tunnels to transport the phones.

A 64 gigabyte version of the Iphone 6 model can sell for about 820 US dollars in Hong Kong, but in the mainland it can go for more than 1,000 US dollars.

The price difference has created a lucrative black market.

Source: Cri English

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WATCH: Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather come face to face at NBA match

Miami: Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao have finally met in person.

And now talks might get serious about them meeting in the ring.

The fighters were both sitting courtside, directly across from one another, at a Miami Heat game on Tuesday night. Mayweather went over to Pacquiao at halftime, the men shook hands and chatted briefly, then exchanged phone numbers.

“He gave his number to me and said we will communicate with each other,” said Pacquiao, adding that he had never before met Mayweather in person.

Asked to clarify if the exchange meant the two would negotiate directly about meeting in the ring, Pacquiao said that was the case.

Mayweather did not respond to a question asked by an AP reporter. “Not now,” one of his security guards said, as Mayweather fiddled with his phone.

A bout between the two would almost certainly be the richest ever in boxing, potentially grossing as much as $250 million. Mayweather’s take alone could exceed $100 million.

Mayweather said last month that he’s ready to make the fight happen May 2. Asked Tuesday if that date can finally be the one, Pacquiao — who has said it’s time to give boxing fans what they want — nodded and said “yes.”

When Mayweather said he wanted the May 2 fight to happen, he said Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum had been the main obstacle for it not coming together in the last five years. Mayweather repeated his old charges about Pacquiao not wanting to do blood tests prior to the fight for it not happening five years ago.

He also has no doubt that he could beat Pacquiao.

“I know that he’s not on my level,” Mayweather said last month.

Pacquiao has a similar confidence, saying on Twitter recently that “I can easily beat @FloydMayweather, I believe that.”

It appears to be happenstance that Mayweather and Pacquiao were together on Tuesday.

Pacquiao has been in Miami for several days, after serving as one of the judges in the Miss Universe pageant at Florida International University. He was supposed to leave Tuesday night but said his flight was canceled - as many were in South Florida because of the crippling effects felt nationwide by the havoc a winter storm caused in the New York and Boston areas.

So Pacquiao decided to come to the Heat-Milwaukee Bucks game. He’s a noted basketball fan and has a good relationship with Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, who is of Filipino descent.

Mayweather has been a regular courtside attendee at Heat games for several years.

And it just so happened they picked the same game. Pacquiao said he didn’t expect to see Mayweather - who had a seat just a few feet from Spoelstra’s spot on the side of the court where the Heat have their bench.

Spoelstra met with Pacquiao before the game and said he was “totally shocked” to see Mayweather on the same night. If the fight happens May 2, it would occur somewhere around the end of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

“I hope we’re extremely busy at that time, May 2,” Spoelstra said, “and I hope they’re very busy as well.”

Mayweather, the WBA and WBC welterweight champion, hasn’t lost in 47 fights. Pacquiao, the WBO welterweight titleholder, is 57-5-2 in his career.

Even the Heat in-game marketing arm weighed in on the buzz surrounding the potential fight. They put photos of both fighters on their video screens during a first-half stoppage in play, with the caption “Coming in 2015?”

There’s no sure answer — yet.

Source: Gulf News

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Awesome POV video of Freerunner escaping a zombie horde on the rooftops of Cambridge

This video is inspired by the survival game, Dying Light. This Parkour video puts you in the shoes of the runner and takes a horrifying escape from zombies that doing Parkour on the rooftops of Cambridge.

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WATCH: First teaser trailer for "Fantastic Four" movie

20th Century Fox has released the first teaser trailer for their upcoming "Fantastic Four" reboot. The footage opens up with footage of nature that looks like it could have come out a Discovery Channel documentary before giving us our first glimpses of the titular quartet: Reed Richards (Miles Teller), Sue Storm (Kate Mara), Ben Grimm (Jamie Bell) and Johnny Storm (Michael B. Jordan).

The teaser follows this foursome through an elaborate experiment, one that involves what look like heavy duty containment suits, all the way to their discovery of their powers. While we get glimpses of the Human Torch flaming on and a hint of Reed's stretching ability, we only get a silhouette shot of the Thing's rocky form and Doctor Doom (Toby Kebbell) is nowhere to be seen.

In addition to the trailer, Fox also released the first "Fantastic Four" poster. The minimalist image matches the trailer's tone and offers up a similarly dramatic take on the classic "4" logo. You can check out the trailer and poster below. "Fantastic Four" opens on August 7.

WATCH:

Source: Comic Book Resources
 
 

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Miss Colombia crowned Miss Universe in Miami

Paulina Vega of Colombia, left, Diana Harkusha of Ukraine, center, and Nia Sanchez of the U.S., hold hands as the wait for the announcement of the second runner up during the Miss Universe pageant in Miami, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2015. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Miss Colombia Paulina Vega reacts after hearing she has become Miss Universe at the Miss Universe pageant in Miami, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2015. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

 

Miss Colombia Paulina Vega poses during the Miss Universe pageant in Miami, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2015. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

MIAMI (AP) — Miss Colombia Paulina Vega, a relative pageant newcomer, has been crowned Miss Universe, beating out first runner-up Miss USA Nia Sanchez and contestants from more than 80 other countries at Sunday's pageant in Miami.

Vega, a 22-year-old student of business administration from Barranquilla, Colombia, said she would wear the crown with "pride and excitement" as she heard the news that fans in Colombia had taken to the streets to celebrate.

Although she was far from home, Vega said she still felt the support from local Latinos.

"It felt like home. I felt like I was in Colombia with my people. I felt that support in every moment of the pageant," she said, wearing a sparkling silver gown with vertical stripes at a press conference after the competition.

Real estate mogul and reality TV star Donald Trump, who owns the pageant, said many predicted Vega would take the crown a few weeks ago when contestants first arrived in Miami for the festivities.

"From the minute she walked in the building, people said, 'She's a star,'" Trump said.

Trump said Colombia was in the running to host next year's pageant but noted China was also a strong candidate.

Vega's win keeps the title in the hands of another Latina — reigning Miss Universe Gabriela Isler is from Venezuela. Beauty pageants are big business in Latin America, where girls are groomed for the contests from a young age and where Vega said women find "a lot of pride" in representing their country.

Crowd favorite Miss Venezuela Migbelis Lynette Castellanos was cut after the top ten. She had tremendous support and pressure locally and back home. The Miami suburb of Doral, which was host to the women during their stay, is also known as "Doralzuela" for its many Venezuelan residents.

Pageants and performance run in Vega's family. Her grandmother, Elvira Castillo, was Miss Atlántico 1953 (Colombia) and her grandfather is legendary tenor Gastón Vega.

But the contests leading up to Miss Universe were a first for Vega, who is one of eight children. She also said they would be her last, as she is eager to return to her business studies, saying: "It gives me independence. I want to have my own company."

After Sanchez, the 24-year-old Miss USA from Las Vegas, Nevada, the second runner-up was Miss Ukraine Diana Harkusha. Miss Jamaica Kaci Fennell and Miss Netherlands Yasmin Verheijen were also among the top five, emerging from the field of 88 contestants.

Fennell stood out with her short, spiky haircut and feisty personality.

"I don't have long tresses like everyone else. I'm just representing myself, and that's what beauty pageants are all about," said Fennell, who wore a long, red beaded evening gown. "You don't have to look a certain way ... and I feel like I represent that."

As Miss Universe, Vega will receive an undisclosed salary, a luxury apartment in New York, a wardrobe and oodles of beauty products, and a one-year scholarship from the New York Film Academy.

"It will be a dream come true to represent the woman of today," Vega said earlier in the week. "A woman that not only cares about being beautiful and being glamorous, but also cares about being a professional, intelligent, hard-working person."

Source: Yahoo! News
 

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WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEO - SAF casualties in Maguindanao now 50, names of 41 released

PNP-SAF members were killed in an encounter in Maguindanao, 25 January 2015. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/InterAksyon.com

COTABATO CITY – The number of casualties from the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) in the encounter between the police and members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Tukalinapao, Mamasapano, Maguindanao has now reached 50.

This was confirmed by Senior Superintendent Noel Armilla, PNP director for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Monday morning.

The ARMM police has also released 41 names of the PNP-SAF killed in action in Maguindanao.

The number of casualties is expected to rise as monitoring continues in the area, said Armilla.

It is said that six of the 50 are officials.

Maguindanao remains on alert.

The PNP-SAF was aiming to arrest Zulkifli Bin Hir alias Marwan and Basit Usman, each with a bounty of 5 million US dollars on their head.

The entire Central Mindanao has been enveloped in sadness due to what people are now calling a new Maguindanao massacre.

A resident in the area who requested anonymity took this video and gave it to InterAksyon.com.

WATCH:
 

Source: InterAksyon
 
 
 
 

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PNP recovers 49 bodies of slain cops

BLOODY SUNDAY. Philippine police commandos unload body bags containing the remains of their comrades killed in a clash with Muslim rebels in Maguindanao on Sunday, January 25. Photo by Mark Navales/AFP

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine National Police recovered 49 bodies of slain members of the Special Action Force (SAF) in Maguindanao, according to the regional police headquarters of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

In a text message sent to reporters Monday, January 26, the operations center of the PNP-ARMM said that as of 11:54 am on Monday, the “actual body count of PNP SAF [killed] is 49.”

The report added: “The cadavers were brought to 6th ID, PA headquarters, for proper disposition,” referring to the headquarters of the Army's 6th infantry division in Cotabato City.

Military sources said that 10 more SAF members were reported missing and that at least one civilian was killed.

In a press conference in Maguindanao at 3:30 pm Monday, Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas said at least 43 SAF members were killed based on official reports.

American soldiers based in Cotabato under a Philippine-US defense agreement assisted Philippine troops in carrying the dead and the wounded.

The Sunday, January 25, clashes in Mamasapano town, Maguindanao, tested a nearly one-year-old peace accord between the Aquino government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). An MILF spokesman earlier said they suffered 5 casualties.
AMERICAN ASSISTANCE. US soldiers help their Philippine counterparts during retrieval operations on Monday, January 26, in Maguindanao. Photo by Mark Navales/AFP

AMERICAN ASSISTANCE. US soldiers help their Philippine counterparts during retrieval operations on Monday, January 26, in Maguindanao. Photo by Mark Navales/AFP

The SAF's target was alleged Malaysian bomb maker Zulkifli Abdhir, better known as "Marwan," who survived a 2012 military airstrike that was meant to kill him in Sulu. (READ: Dead or alive? Top terrorist was cops' target)

But Mamasapano is an MILF bailiwick, and the MILF said the SAF attacked the area without coordinating with them.

It is the first major encounter between the MILF and government troops since the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro last year. Advocates are hoping that the incident will not affect the talks.

The cops sought reinforcement but the military did not get involved, based on reports, until it had coordinated with the Coordinating Committee on Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) and the Adhoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG). These are the bodies that help maintain the ceasefire between the government and the MILF.

The MILF area is also difficult to penetrate. It is a marshy area that is about 15 kilometers away from the highway.

Source: Rappler

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BREAKING: At least 30 elite cops killed in clash with MILF rebels

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Video purports to show killing of Japanese hostage by ISIS

TOKYO — The Japanese government expressed outrage at an image released Saturday that purported to show the decapitated body of one of two Japanese hostages captured by Islamic State militants, but the chief government spokesman did not confirm the authenticity of the video.

The kidnappers had threatened to kill the men if a Friday deadline had passed for a $200 million ransom from Japan.

SITE Intelligence, a well-known organization that tracks jihadist propaganda, said that it believed the video containing the image was authentic. But Al Furqan, an ISIS-linked website that has in the past posted videos of the group’s beheadings, had not released any video or message confirming the killing by midday Saturday.

A statement by SITE said the video was posted on Islamic State-linked Twitter accounts.

A senior American official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said there was no reason not to believe the reports of the man’s death. A National Security Council statement issued later said the intelligence community was working to confirm the video’s authenticity and called for the immediate release of all the remaining hostages held by the Islamic State.

An audio clip that accompanied the video said the hostage thought to have been killed was Haruna Yukawa, 42, who has been described as an adventurer. The other hostage, Kenji Goto, 47, a journalist, appeared to be alive in the video.

“This action is an unforgivable act of violence that leaves us at a loss for words, and we condemn it,” the Japanese government spokesman, Yoshihide Suga, said at a hastily arranged midnight news conference. “We strongly urge that the remaining hostage, Mr. Goto, not be harmed and be immediately released.”

The two men’s fate has become a fixation in Japan and a major challenge for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. A grim-faced Mr. Abe returned to the prime minister’s office in the middle of the night to oversee this latest twist to the hostage crisis, which began Tuesday when a video appeared online showing the two hostages kneeling as a knife-wielding militant threatened to kill them.

“I feel strong outrage,” Mr. Abe told reporters after the meeting. “The Japanese government will not give in to terrorism and will continue to contribute to the peace and stability of the international community and the world.”

If the reports of Mr. Yukawa's death prove to be true, he would be the first Japanese person to be killed by the Islamic State, which has established a self-proclaimed caliphate that is financed partly by extortion and the kidnapping of foreigners. The group has beheaded two Americans and two Britons in recent months and showcased the killings via Internet video postings.

In the three-minute audio recording released Saturday, the voice of a man who claimed to be Mr. Goto said Mr. Yukawa had been "slaughtered" and blamed Mr. Abe's failure to pay the ransom that had been demanded. The audio was addressed to Mr. Goto's wife, telling her that the Islamic State has changed its demands, offering to return Mr. Goto in exchange for the release of Sajida Mubarak al-Rishawi, a woman imprisoned in Jordan for her part in a devastating suicide bomb attack there that killed 57 people in 2005.

"They no longer want money," the voice says in accented English. "You bring them their sister from the Jordanian regime, and I will be released immediately. Me for her. Don't let these be my last words you ever hear. Don't let Abe also kill me."

News of the reported execution came after Mr. Goto's mother, Junko Ishido, issued a tearful plea at a Tokyo news conference Friday to the kidnappers, beseeching them to spare his life and asserting that he was not an enemy of Islam.

As the deadline on Friday afternoon Tokyo time passed, with no immediate word on the fate of the hostages, the Japanese government said it was still trying to contact the kidnappers and confirm whether the men were alive.

Japan paid to free kidnapped citizens in at least one previous case, in 1999, spending $3 million to secure the release of four mining experts held in Kyrgyzstan. Japanese officials never specified whether they were willing to pay any ransom to the Islamic State.

Source: CNBC News

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Filipina domestic worker in Hong Kong gets scholarship to New York University

Ms Xyza Cruz Bacani, (centre), a Filipina domestic worker in Hong Kong who takes breathtaking street photography, has been awarded the prestigious Magnum Foundation Human Rights scholarship to New York University. -- PHOTO: FACEBOOK/XYRA CRUZ BACANI

HONG KONG - A Filipina domestic worker in Hong Kong who takes breathtaking street photography has been awarded the prestigious Magnum Foundation Human Rights scholarship to New York University.

Ms Xyza Cruz Bacani on Thursday wrote on her Facebook page where she has almost 7,000 followers: "All dreams are valid! I'm one of the 2015 magnum fellows! I'm going to see new york and finally get a formal education! I'm literally crying when i received the news."
   

Post by Xyza Cruz Bacani.

The New York Times in an article in June last year reported that the 27-year-old grew up in Nueva Vizcaya, the Philippines. She went to Hong Kong as a maid because the employer of her mother, also a domestic helper, wanted another live-in helper to care for her.

Ms Bacani joined her mother and her boss in Hong Kong nearly nine years ago. When she was in college in the Philippines, her passion for photography blossomed, but only managed to afford a camera a few years after she had moved to Hong Kong. Her first camera was a Nikon D90, bought with money borrowed from her boss.

 

Post by Xyza Cruz Bacani.

Then she fell in love with the art. "I just go down and I have subjects," she said. "I have something to shoot," she was quoted as saying in the New York Times. She documents her mostly black-and-white work on xyzabacaniphotography.com.

 

Post by Xyza Cruz Bacani.

According to its website,the Magnum Foundation supports, trains and mentors the next generation of photographers and champions in-depth, independent documentary photography that fosters empathy, engagement, and positive social change.

Source: The Straits Times

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Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz dies

Photo: Dylan Martinez/Reuters

Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz has died, royal officials have announced, weeks after he was admitted to hospital.

Abdullah, who had ruled since 2005 and was said to be aged about 90, had been suffering from a lung infection.

His 79-year-old half-brother, Salman, has been confirmed as the new king.

Within hours of his accession to the throne of the oil-rich kingdom, King Salman vowed to maintain the same policies as his predecessors.

"We will continue adhering to the correct policies which Saudi Arabia has followed since its establishment," he said in a speech broadcast on state television.

Abdullah had suffered frequent bouts of ill health in recent years, and King Salman had recently taken on the ailing monarch's responsibilities.

Prior to announcing Abdullah's death, Saudi television cut to Koranic verses, which often signifies the passing of a senior royal.

Source: BBC News

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WATCH: Pacquiao shows off Scottish accent

MANILA - Sarangani congressman and boxing champ Manny Pacquiao's English skills seem to be growing by leaps and bounds.

An Instagram post showed the Pacman making an appearance at the NBC shorts show Men in Blazers to talk about football, boxing and his upcoming film.

Pacquiao told hosts Roger Bennett and Michael Davies that he is from Scotland and he was "fighting for freedom against the Englishmen."

This is not the first time that Pacquiao has imitated a Scottish accent. A YouTube video posted in 2010 showed the Pacman talking with a Scottish accent.

"I am from Scotland. Our hero is William. William Wallace," he said.

Pacquiao is promoting his documentary “Manny", which recently had a star-studded premier at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood on Tuesday night.

The event was attended by several showbiz and sports personalities including Jeremy Piven, “Sugar” Ray Leonard, Chuck Liddel, Arianne Celeste, and several others.

Pacquiao earlier told TMZ staff that he no longer wants to pursue a career in music.

“My first album in the Philippines is platinum so that's good enough,” Pacquiao said, referring to his album “Laban Nating Lahat Ito” that featured the hit single, “Para Sa Yo ang Laban na ‘To.”

The boxing superstar also held concerts, usually after his victories in the ring.

But after his remake of Dan Hill's popular 1970's ballad, “Sometimes When We Touch,” Pacquiao stopped recording songs.

The boxer said he no longer sings frequently like he used to.

“I like singing, I love music,” said Pacquiao. “But I don't think music loves me.”

Source: ABS-CBN News

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