Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
The US presidency has been traditionally held by rich men. Not always—Truman, Coolidge, Lincoln, Grant and a few others were not wealthy and amongst our “poorest” presidents, according to24/7 Wall Street’s definitive list of presidential wealth adjusted into 2016 dollars.
On the other end of the spectrum, when you adjust for inflation as of 2010, there is George Washington with a net worth of $580 
million, Thomas Jefferson with $234 million, and John F. Kennedy with $1 billion—though he hadn’t technically inherited it when he was assassinated.
Combined, the first 44 presidents had around $2.99 billion in assets – in 2016 dollars. While that’s a lot, President-elect Donald Trump currently has a net worth of $3.0 billion, according to Bloomberg. (Still, he’s not wealthy enough to be ranked by its Billionaire list, which is limited to the 500 richest individuals.)
Of course, there’s not great visibility to Trump’s actual net worth—he could have much more or less. While Trump himself claims to have $10 billion, many people have called into question whether he’s a billionaire at all, given his lack of financial transparency and refusal to release his tax returns.
If Bloomberg’s numbers are right—and they are as legit, if not more, than anyone else’s—this makes Trump about $10 million richer than every Commander in Chief who came before him, combined.
10:00 AM

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence embrace at their election night rally in Manhattan, New York, U.S., November 9, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar


By Steve Holland
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump planned to meet with Vice President-elect Mike Pence in New York on Tuesday to discuss key appointments as moderate Republican Mike Rogers was jettisoned from the transition team.
The departure of Rogers, a former congressman who was chairman of the House of Representatives intelligence committee, indicated Trump may be leaning away from some establishment figures as Pence takes over the transition team.
"Our work will provide a strong foundation for the new transition team leadership as they move into the post-election phase, which naturally is incorporating the campaign team in New York who drove President-elect Trump to an incredible victory last Tuesday," Rogers said in a statement.
Rogers, who worked on the transition team led by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie for six months, said he would continue to advise Trump. Pence took over the transition leadership from Christie last week.
Trump and Pence will be "reviewing a number of names for key jobs" during the meeting at Trump Tower in New York as lists for the leadership positions begin to narrow, Trump spokesman Jason Miller said.
"If the vice president-elect is getting together with the president-elect to discuss names, then I would say that it's serious, obviously," he said on Monday.
Trump, a businessman who has never held public office, and the Pence-led transition team are working on picking members of his Cabinet and the heads of federal agencies.
Tuesday's meeting comes as former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a longtime Trump friend and supporter, emerged as a leading candidate to be U.S. secretary of state.
"Well, that's possible," Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway teased on Fox News on Tuesday, when asked about the Giuliani report.
John Bolton, who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under President George W. Bush, was also under consideration for the high-profile job, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters on Monday.
Giuliani became one of Trump's closest advisers during the campaign, functioning as a vocal defender on cable news programs and introducing him at many rallies. Giuliani has also been mentioned as a possible attorney general or homeland security secretary.
Trump's choice of Republican Party insider Reince Priebus to be White House chief of staff was heralded as an indication he wants to work with members of Congress, where a number of Republicans had opposed his candidacy.
However, Trump's appointment of Steve Bannon as chief strategist was roundly criticized by members of both parties who denounced the former Breitbart News chief as having made the website a forum for the "alt-right," a confederation of neo-Nazis, white supremacists and anti-Semites.
Bannon has been calling Republicans in Congress to build relationships with lawmakers after years of thumbing his nose at establishment figures in the party, according to website Politico.
People who received the calls, which included rank-and-file members as well as leaders, said the main message was that the Trump administration expects a very close relationship with Capitol Hill Republicans, Politico reported.
(Additional reporting by Doina Chiacu and Susan Heavey in Washington; Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
9:00 AM
New Zealand’s South Island was hit by a 7.5-magnitude quake shook the island after midnight on Monday (14 November).
Two people have been reported killed and hundreds of aftershocks have been experienced since the first major tremblor.
The powerful earthquake struck the near the coastal area Kaikoura, about 93km north-east of the city of Christchurch. Prime Minister John Key has predicted billions in damage from the disaster.
Here are some pictures of the damage seen across the country.
6:51 AM
The magnitude-7.8 earthquake that rattled New Zealand early Monday morning local time (Sunday morning AEST), killing at least two people and stranding many others in the region, also had a strange side effect: eerie blue and green flashes of light in the sky during the shaking.
Only in recent years have taken seismologists reports of these so-called earthquake lights seriously. It turns out that researchers still do not fully understand the phenomenon, but they do have a few clues about how and why it occurs. 
The strange light shows - which may appear as sizzling flames emanating from the ground, flashes of lightning, ghostly globes or blue and green shimmers - usually occur and rifts where huge chunks of Earth are pulling away from each other, according to a 2014 study published in the journal Seismological Research Letters. [ Elves, Sprites & Blue Jets: Earth's Weirdest Lightning ]
Also in 2014, researchers showed that shifting grains surrounding generate a fault with an electrical charge, though exactly why this happens is poorly understood.

unexplained phenomenon

Observers have documented shimmering lights earthquake more than 60 times over the past several centuries. In 2009, for instance, before a major earthquake struck L'Aquila, Italy, bystanders reported what looked like flames sizzling from the sidewalk, and in Canada's Yukon Territory in the 1970s, ghostly green orbs that were floating in the sky were initially thought to be UFOs but were later determined to be tied to a nearby quake. But until recently, many researchers discounted these reports as hearsay.  
"Earthquake lights are totally underreported," Friedemann Freund, a crystallographer (someone who studies the atomic structure of materials) and NASA's Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California, and San Jose State University, previously told Live Science . "They are often things that happen within a fraction of a second." 
But with the widespread availability of smartphones, these strange events are now being documented more frequently.
In 2014, Freund and his colleagues showed that 97 percent of earthquake lights documented since the 1600s and faults that occurred were within continental plates , rather than at subduction zones , where one plate is diving beneath another. They found that 85 percent of the incidents occurred where Earth buckles and creates a steep ravine or drop in the Earth. This fissure allows magmatic rocks that originate deep belowground to gradually migrate up toward the surface, where they discharge energy. Because of how the atoms are organized in these rocks, they may generate an electrical charge more easily, flow upward to the surface, ionize the air and generate the light show, the researchers speculated.  
In this scenario, earthquake lights may not even be tied to earthquakes. Changes in stress and a fault can occur either due to a catastrophic rupture or because of a slower release over a month, and both forms could generate an electrical charge that ionizes the air, according to the research.

"Crackpot physics"

In a separate study detailed at the 2014 American Physical Society meeting in Denver, researchers filled Tupperware containers with mixtures of plastic discs, glass particles and powders, such as flour, and watched what happened when they get stuck and slipped past one another. These mixtures were meant to mimic the way grains of Earth move in an earthquake zone.
The researchers found that the mixtures reliably generated when high voltages tipped , even though they could not explain why. 
"Except for the fact that we can not get these voltages to go away, I would call this 'crackpot physics,'" Troy Shinbrot, an applied physicist at Rutgers University in New Jersey, previously told Live Science . "And even as it is - I wish I could hedge my bets, but the voltages are very repeatable, and we have so far failed to account for spurious influence that might cause them." 
6:37 AM
The brightest moon in almost 69 years will be lighting up the sky this week in a treat for star watchers around the globe.
The phenomenon known as the Supermoon will reach its most luminescent in North America before dawn on Monday. It will reach its zenith in Asia and the South Pacific on Monday night. Across the international dateline in New Zealand, it will reach its brightest after midnight local time on Tuesday.
The moon orbits the Earth in an oval shape. The moon will be at its brightest this week because it is coming closer to the Earth along its elliptical orbit than at any time since January 1948. The Supermoon will also bring stronger than usual high tides, low tides followed by plunging the next morning.
Viewers can expect to see a moon about 14 percent larger in diameter and about 30 percent brighter than when it's at its furthest from the earth. It will not be as big and bright again for another 18 years.
NASA says its closest approach will occur at 6:21 am EST (1121 GMT) Monday when the moon comes within 221,523 miles (356,508 kilometers). That's from the center of the Earth to the center of the moon. Full moon will occur at 8:52 am EST (1352 GMT).
According to the website earthsky.org astronomy, the term Supermoon usage entered five years ago when the closest full moon fell on March 19, 2011. The scientific term is perigee full moon.
In 2034, the moon will come even closer, within 221,485 miles. That, too, will be a Supermoon.
11:16 PM

Dubai, United Arab Emirates (AP) - The US goverment granted aviation giants airon Wenesdayvto sell aircraft to iran followin last year's nuclear accord. Europeean airplane manufacturer Airbus announcedthe licence from the US treasury's office of Foreign Assets Control early Wendesday. Chicago base Boeing followed with its own announcement later in the day. The approval clears the way for the two plane manufacturers to access one of the last untapped aviation markets in the world. Both companies have announce seperate $25-billion deals to sell aircraft to airlines in the country, although analst are skeptical that there is demand for so  many jets or available financing. The deal wouyld be the biggest for an American company since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and US Emabasy take over. The announcement come as Irandian and US Leader are in New York for the United Nation General Assembly and shows that the outgoing administation of President Barack Obama is Honoring the economic terms of nuclear pact.
   Through based abroad, Airbus needed the approval of US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control for the deal because at least 10% of the manufacture’s components are of American origin.
   Airbus zpplied for two lincences  to cover its deal w/ Iran to ensure the fast delivery of some of the aircraft, Airbus spokesman Justin Dubon told The Associated Press. The lincense announced Wednesday covers the first 17 planes involved in the deal, which will be A320s and A330s , he said.
   Dubon said Airbus hope to receive a second lincense allowing it to sell the remaining planes to Iran soon.
   Iran’s UN mission did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday. State televion reffered to an AP report on sale.
   Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers, which limits its enrichment  of uranium in exchange for the lifting of some international anctions, specifically allowed for the purchase of aircraft and parts. That’s set off a race between airplane manufacturers for the newly opened market, home to 80 million people.
   In January, national career Iran Air signed  agreements to buy 118 planes from Airbus, estimated to be worth some 22.8 million euros ($25 billion). On Sunday, state TV reported that Asghar Fakhrieh Kashan, a deputy transportation minister, said Iran would cut the number of Airbus planes to 112.
   Airbus zpplied for two lincences  to cover its deal w/ Iran to ensure the fast delivery of some of the aircraft, Airbus spokesman Justin Dubon told The Associated Press. The lincense announced Wednesday covers the first 17 planes involved in the deal, which will be A320s and A330s , he said.
   Dubon said Airbus hope to receive a second lincense allowing it to sell the remaining planes to Iran soon.
   Iran’s UN mission did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday. State televion reffered to an AP report on sale.
   Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers, which limits its enrichment  of uranium in exchange for the lifting of some international anctions, specifically allowed for the purchase of aircraft and parts. That’s set off a race between airplane manufacturers for the newly opened market, home to 80 million people.
   In January, national career Iran Air signed  agreements to buy 118 planes from Airbus, estimated to be worth some 22.8 million euros ($25 billion). On Sunday, state TV reported that Asghar Fakhrieh Kashan, a deputy transportation minister, said Iran would cut the number of Airbus planes to 112.   Airbus zpplied for two lincences  to cover its deal w/ Iran to ensure the fast delivery of some of the aircraft, Airbus spokesman Justin Dubon told The Associated Press. The lincense announced Wednesday covers the first 17 planes involved in the deal, which will be A320s and A330s , he said.   Dubon said Airbus hope to receive a second lincense allowing it to sell the remaining planes to Iran soon.   Iran’s UN mission did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday. State televion reffered to an AP report on sale.   Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers, which limits its enrichment  of uranium in exchange for the lifting of some international anctions, specifically allowed for the purchase of aircraft and parts. That’s set off a race between airplane manufacturers for the newly opened market, home to 80 million people.   In January, national career Iran Air signed  agreements to buy 118 planes from Airbus, estimated to be worth some 22.8 million euros ($25 billion). On Sunday, state TV reported that Asghar Fakhrieh Kashan, a deputy transportation minister, said Iran would cut the number of Airbus planes to 112.
7:04 PM

Divers found gold in part of a Spanish fleet that was obliterated during a hurricane 300 years ago.

Some of the gold coins treasure-hunters recovered from the wreck of a Spanish cargo ship that sank off the Florida coast in 1715.

Shipwreck divers have announced quite the anniversary present for the flagship of a 1715 Spanish treasure fleet, the Capitana: 52 gold coins, 40 feet of gold chain, and 110 silver coins and buttons all worth over one million dollars.

The find, made over a month ago on June 17, was kept under wraps until now. The Florida family that made the discovery, led by Eric Schmitt, wanted to wait so their announcement would coincide with the 300-year anniversary of the fleet's sinking off the coast of Florida.

The 11 ships were part of Spain's Tierra Firme and New Spain fleets, regular convoys of vessels that transported gold, silver, and other precious resources from Spanish colonies in the New World to Europe.

"The Tierra Firme fleet serviced South and Central America," said Jennifer McKinnon, a maritime archaeologist at East Carolina University, in an interview earlier this year. She was not involved in the current find. The fleet "was vital to the flow of materials back to Spain as well as provisioning the New World with Old World goods." (Read about another shipwreck that was part of the Tierra Firma fleet.)

The ships sank during a hurricane that hit them on July 30 and 31, 1715 as they sailed past Florida on their way back to Spain. (Read about a cursed warship that sank with treasure onboard.)

Schmitt and his family had been working the 1715 vessels under contract with 1715 Fleet-Queens Jewels LLC, a Florida company with exclusive rights to the wrecks, for several years.

Unexpected Haul

Usually Schmitt and his team come up empty-handed. "Typically we excavate empty holes and find beer cans," the shipwreck diver says.

But this time, in 15 feet (4.5 meters) of water about 1,000 feet (305 meters) off a beach in Fort Pierce, Florida, the divers got lucky.

The day started out like any other, Schmitt says. But around 9 or 9:30 in the morning, a gold coin popped out of the sand he was clearing on the seafloor. The dive team started to shift more sand, and ended up recovering the treasure. "It was absolutely unreal," says Schmitt. He called Brent Brisben, co-founder of 1715 Fleet-Queens Jewels to check out their discovery. "I was blown away," Brisben says. "I was literally shaking."

Brisben and his company's contractors have been working the wrecks since 2010. But the current find "is probably the biggest in terms of volume and rarity," he says. The gold coins included an extremely rare specimen called a Tricentennial Royal worth over $500,000.

Regular coins in those days tended to look a bit rough, Brisben says. Their makers were more concerned about the coins' weight and quality of gold or silver. But "they made a certain number of coins perfect, called the Royals, which they would present to the king."

Splitting the Take

Schmitt and his team have continued to work the site that yielded that million-dollar haul. They've found some more silver coins and buttons and several candlesticks since then. But nothing like that initial find.

All of the artifacts are under the jurisdiction of the United States district court of the southern district of Florida under the care of Brisben's company. The state of Florida is entitled to 20 percent of anything Brisben or his contractors find.

Every year, Florida will send representatives to examine anything the teams find, and put in a request for items they'd like to transfer to museums to the Court. If the Court agrees, the company turns the items over, Brisben says.

With the current find, after the state takes its share, Brisben and the Schmitt family will split the rest evenly.




PAMILYA BIGLANG YAMAN.Posted by Senyor Santibañez on Thursday, July 30, 2015
10:01 PM

London: Ever wish you could get different fruits from one single tree? A mind blowing video clip provides evidence that it's possible.

In a four-minute National Geographic feature, Syracuse University professor Sam Van Aken which shows his interesting hobby that how using his "chip grafting" method, the tree takes on the task of growing separate fruits by itself, People magazine reported.

The method involves slicing a section of a branch and inserting a bud from a desired fruit tree, taping the wound until it's able to produce on its own.

After a year-long wait, the tree would offer up 40 varieties of stone fruits.

Aken said in the video that project was always an art project for him as he was "really interested in the idea of a hoax in terms of a hoax transforms reality."

The process takes 8 to 9 years in total because each year sees twice the number of branches, with grafting.
7:38 PM

Facebook has announced that it has completed the construction of its first full scale aircraft, Aquila, that can beam internet connectivity from the sky.




The unmanned aircraft, which Facebook calls Aquila, was first announced back in March. It is part of the Internet.org initiative which aims to connect people to the internet in areas without existing internet infrastructure.


Aquila is made of lightweight materials including carbon fiber, has a wingspan greater than a Boeing 737, and equipped with solar panels. It will fly above conventional air traffic for up to three months and will provide internet connectivity to remote places using lasers and radio frequency technology.


Zuckerberg says that it can can transmit data at 10 gigabits per second and can accurately connect with a point the size of a dime from more than 10 miles away. Watch the video below:










I'm excited to announce we’ve completed construction of our first full scale aircraft, Aquila, as part of our Internet.org effort. Aquila is a solar powered unmanned plane that beams down internet connectivity from the sky. It has the wingspan of a Boeing 737, but weighs less than a car and can stay in the air for months at a time. We've also made a breakthrough in laser communications technology. We've successfully tested a new laser that can transmit data at 10 gigabits per second. That's ten times faster than any previous system, and it can accurately connect with a point the size of a dime from more than 10 miles away.This effort is important because 10% of the world’s population lives in areas without existing internet infrastructure. To affordably connect everyone, we need to build completely new technologies. Using aircraft to connect communities using lasers might seem like science fiction. But science fiction is often just science before its time. Over the coming months, we will test these systems in the real world and continue refining them so we can turn their promise into reality. Here’s a video showing the building of Aquila.
Posted by Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday, July 30, 2015
7:13 PM




The Department of Justice (DOJ) has warned telecommunication companies against misleading subscribers with "unlimited" Internet connection that is however "throttled" or regulated when usage reaches a certain volume of data bits.

In a nine-page advisory, the DOJ declared that the imposition of fair usage policy (FUP) of telcos on unlimited Internet service is inconsistent with the provisions of the Consumer Act of the Philippines, particularly on fair packaging as well as misleading trade practice and advertisements.

Telecommunication companies have recently imposed FUP on all their Internet packages, including unlimited Internet promos. The DOJ said in effect, "the Internet connection is throttled when usage reaches a certain volume of data bits."

"While there is nothing wrong with advertisements and promotions, what is promised must be delivered," said Justice Secretary Leila de Lima. "Our laws require not only truth in advertising but also fairness in packaging and consistency in the provision of the service."

Assistant Secretary Geronimo L. Sy, head of the for Competition (OFC), compared the telcos' unlimited Internet services to eating in buffet restaurants.

"Restaurants cannot offer an 'eat all you can' promo and when a customer eats more than the average person, [they have the option] to actually stop him or not to honor the commitment," said Sy.

The DOJ said if the telcos really intend to put a cap on unlimited Internet packages, the service should instead be promoted as a consumable package and not as an unlimited plan.

The DOJ called on the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to monitor and penalize non-compliant telcos.

The DOJ warned the telcos that if they are found to have committed this "deceptive business practice," they will be punished with a fine of "at least P500.00 but not more than P10,000 or imprisonment of at least five months to at most one year or both."

Non-compliance with the requisites of fair packaging is also subject to criminal penalties, which may be a fine of not less than P500.00 but not more than P20,000 or imprisonment of not less than three months but not more than two years or both, said the DOJ.

Last September, the DOJ had issued a separate advisory that warns telcos against highlighting "with speed up to (a certain number of) Mbps" just to lure subscribers. It said the companies should instead indicate the minimum speed of their internet services in their ads and promos.

Management techniques

The DOJ urged the telcos to utilize network management techniques that optimize data usage rather than restrict it.

"While capping of data usage is not strictly disallowed, the principle of net neutrality's operates to promote open access and transparency. It is understood that ISPs, due to traffic engineering, necessitate overseeing and managing the facility," said the DOJ.

'No torrent pls.'

While warning telcos, the DOJ also called on subscribers to become more responsible in their Internet usage and be mindful of their fellow subscribers, especially during peak hours when data speed tend to become slower.

"A responsible Internet user is one who respects the rights and privileges of other end-users... To avoid congesting the network further, subscribers must be conscious to limit their internet usage to priority or important purposes," the DOJ advised.

"All other heavy, unnecessary, and leisurely usage of the Internet such as torrent downloading must be done during off-peak hours," it added. —KBK, GMA News
10:51 PM



Camarines Sur Representative Atty. Leni Robredo earns praises after she was caught escaping the 2015 State of the Nation Address or SONA Red Carpet which is one of the highlights of SONA fashionistas.



The photo was uploaded to "Atty. Leni Gerona Robredo" Facebook page. "Gotcha! Was caught on cam on my way to the backdoor entrance of the Plenary Hall to escape the red carpet. 3rd year in a row I did this. First time to be caught.", Robredo wrote.

Robredo's "attitude" earns praises from followers on social media.

Manan Muarip wrote "If all politicians and public servants have the same virtues and leadership style of Madame Leni Robredo, there's no doubt we will become a Great Nation."

Jonathan Catunao says that some of the politician are more interested to show off their designer's gown. "Thierry Fremaux, head of the most glamorous event in world cinema - the Cannes Film Festival - released a directive of no-selfie on the red carpet in what was seen as a move to focus less on glamour but more on the issues the movies want to tell. In contrast, the SONA is about national issues but politicians like Nancy Binay and Lucy Torres are more interested in showing off their designer gowns. Thank heavens for someone like Leni Robredo who chose to enter the Batasan halls through a backdoor entrance. She is evidence of hope, sign of life, proof of faith to this God-forsaken nation."

Mercedita Fernandez said "Why should an elegant and highly competent with integrity lady representative of Bicol escape the red carpet? The answer she has remained humble despite her qualities."

The humble public servant

It is not the first time that Atty. Leni Robredo was caught in the act of humbleness. Last December 2014, her photo waiting for bus alone also went viral in social media.
12:20 AM




MANILA – Kabataan Partylist Representative Terry Ridon tagged Aquino’s last State of the Nation Address (SONA) as “puro pabebe lang” after staging a protest with other representatives from the MAKABAYAN bloc at the plenary hall on July 27.





In an interview by InterAksyon News, Ridon said they brought the placards to show their discontent to the president. Ridon added they marked Aquino’s term with a failing grade and called Aquino’s SONA “puro pabebe lang” since the president only presented selected issues that will make him look good.


Ridon explained that President Aquino did not present any shortcomings in his term during the SONA and only praised himself. He refuted what Aquino told about the growth of the economy since the poor are not experiencing any positive changes in their situation.





Based from an Inquirer news article, MAKABAYAN representatives displayed their placards describing Aquino as insensitive and a failure after delivering his speech for more than two hours.


Ridon together with Bayan Muna representative Neri Colmenares and Carlos Zarate, ACT Teachers Partylist representative Antonio Tinio, Gabriela Womens Partylist representatives Luzviminda Ilagan and Emmi De Jesus, and Anakpawis Partylist representative Fernando Hicap flashed placards with calls on the pork barrel scam, aggravating human rights violations, Aquino’s puppetry to the United States as well as calls accusing Aquino of being a bully landlord of Hacienda Luisita.





Colmenares, in a Philstar News article, said the president refused to report the real situation of the country. He added that the Filipinos would rather believe if the president said that there are problems of poverty in the country than telling the Filipinos that there are improvements in their way of living.





In addition, Ridon also criticized the K-12 program due to its failed outcome. He added they were dismayed in the first part of the SONA because it sounded like a blame game for the inadequacies in his term.


Meanwhile, House Speaker Sonny Belmonte described the surprised protest as embarrassing and a display of bad manners but he is not planning to file any complaints against members of the MAKABAYAN bloc.
11:57 PM



Despite the fact that Microsoft has officially flipped the switch on the Windows 10 update, you might not be getting your free copy immediately. It might take days, or even weeks, until you can enjoy the brand new OS with its shiny new features. However, there’s a way to force the Windows 10 update to your computer, and have it downloaded and installed right away.

RedmondPie published a neat tutorial on how to force Windows 10 update onto your PC, and, so far it has been working flawlessly. Just follow these easy steps and you should be up and running in no-time. However, you need to make sure, before you proceed, that you are running a genuine copy of Windows 7 SP1 or Windows 8.1 Update, and your system is up to date with all previous updates from Windows Update downloaded and installed.

In a nutshell, you will need to:
1. make sure your system is set to receive and install Windows Updates automatically
2. delete everything in the C:WindowsSoftwareDistributionDownload folder
3. run this command in an instance of cmd.exe ran as administrator: wuauclt.exe /updatenow
4. you should be all set and your download should begin shortly.

If you’re having problems following these directions, make sure to head over to the source link where you will see more detailed instructions, as well as screenshots.

And, as always, let us know if this has worked for you.

Source: RedmondPie
11:51 PM




Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has finally yielded to the appeal of friends and supporters to keep an open mind about the presidency and stop issuing statements that he is not interested in running for the 2016 presidential elections.

In his weekly program “Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa” aired Sunday on ABS-CBN Davao, Duterte said he understood the sentiments of his friends and supporters who have been urging him to run for President in the face of the serious problems confronting the country.

“I will consider the suggestion of my friends and supporters,” Duterte said adding that the presidency is a destiny which only God could bestow on a person.

Friends and supporters of the tough-talking Davao City Mayor renewed their appeal to Duterte to stop declaring that he will not run in the face of his steady climb in the national rankings for presidential wannabees in 2016.

The survey of Pulse Asia showed Duterte at third place (behind Senator Grace Poe and Vice President Jejomar Binay) with 15%, an increase of 3-percentage point from the March survey of the same polling group.

Even in the controversial SWS survey, which used the “pick three” system in ranking presidential aspirants for 2016, Duterte jumped from 15% to 20%.

Duterte’s friends and supporters believe that the ratings of the Davao City Mayor could have been higher had he not categorically stated that he was not interested in the presidency.

“The reluctance of people to openly express support for Mayor Duterte is due to the fact that he has repeatedly declared he is not running. In fact, the question we always hear is: “Is he really running?,” said former transportation secretary Pantaleon Alvarez, one of Duterte’s most ardent supporters.

Even political leaders are left hanging in the balance and are in a quandary on how to handle the Duterte factor since he is very strong among the grassroots, especially in Mindanao, the Visayas and in Metro Manila and Southern Tagalog region.

Contrary to surveys showing that Duterte only holds 37% of Mindanao, political leaders in the third biggest island of the country believe that the Davao City Mayor will garner 75% to 80% of the Southern Islands’ votes estimated at about 13 million.

“Any Mindanao political leader who will campaign against Duterte in his area will face a revolt and upheaval from his own people because they see Duterte as their hope of getting the attention of the national government for the first time,’ said outspoken Duterte supporter Gov. Jose Zubiri of Bukidnon.

The prospect of having a President from Mindanao has also forced Southern political leaders to set aside their political differences and forge unlikely alliances just to support Duterte.

Right now, most Mindanao political leaders are adopting a wait and see stance and are awaiting the final decision of Duterte before making their political alliances.

When Duterte decides to run for President, all the other presidential prospects may just have to skip Mindanao and save their resources for other areas because the Southern Islands are expected to go all-out for the Davao City Mayor.

Duterte’s numbers are expected to rise with his pronouncement today that he will keep his options open.

“Duterte is a unique breed. He is a politician who does not beg for votes or political support. He believes that it should be the people who should ask their leaders to step up to the plate and lead them,’ said Maribojoc Mayor Jun Evasco, a long-time political adviser of the Davao mayor.

This is the reason why Duterte has been reluctant in issuing statements that he is considering the Presidency, he said.

“He wants the call by the people for him to lead to be clear and overwhelming because he does not beg for votes or financial contributions,” the Bohol Mayor added.

Among all the Presidential prospects, it is only Duterte who carries clear messages on the problems of drugs, criminality, corruption, the Communist insurgency, the West Philippine Sea issue, the Sabah issue and the Moro problem in the South.

“Besides, Filipinos now would like to experience how it is to live in a safe and secure country, just like the City of Davao which is now one of the 10 safest cities in the World,” said Zubiri.
3:21 PM






2:25 PM










5:03 PM



Manalo brother hits Iglesia ni Cristo 'corruption'


MANILA, Philippines – After a day of avoiding media, Angel Manalo faced reporters past midnight Friday, July 24, with allegations of corruption within the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) group headed by his elder brother Eduardo.

Angel had holed up inside the INC compound in Quezon City, but opened a small window on the compound's gate to issue a statement.

Angel denied he was openly challenging his brother's leadership.

But he also pointed out that there had been "no anomalies" under the group's first two leaders, Felix Manalo and Eraño Manalo.

"Bakit sa panahon ngayon, napakarami nang anomalya? Baka sabihin ng iba, eh kinakalaban namin ang aming kapatid. Hindi po, mahal po namin ang aming kapatid. Kaya lang ang nagiging problema natin, ang mga nasa paligid niya," Angel said.

(Why is it that these days, there are many anomalies? Others might say we're challenging our brother. No, we love our brother. But our problem is with people around him.)

He added: "Nasira na ang doktrina ng Iglesia ni Cristo. Kung papaano ninyo hinangaan noon, nakita ninyo, napakarami nang anomalya. Napakarami nang tiwali na ginagawa sa Iglesia. Iyon po ang ayaw namin."

(The doctrine of the Iglesia ni Cristo is now damaged. In the same way that you looked up to us before, now you can see there are many anomalies. There are many acts of corruption in the Church. That's what we want to avoid.)


'Don't listen to the corrupt'


Angel then appealed to his brother not to listen to corrupt officials within the Sanggunian (Council), whom he alleged were behind questionable deals backed by the INC.

"Ang aming pakiusap, 'wag siyang maniniwala sa Sanggunian na kanyang pinagkakatiwalaan, sapagkat nauubos na ang abuloy ng Iglesia sa mga proyekto na hindi naman kailangan," he said.

(Our request is, he should not believe in the Sanggunian that he is trusting, because donations to the Iglesia are wasted on unnecessary projects.)

Angel's statement comes after the police visited the INC's compound in Tandang Sora, Quezon City, to check allegations of abduction.

Police on Friday morning ruled out any case of abduction there.

Tension rose in Tandang Sora on Thursday, July 23, after Angel appealed for help on Youtube and supporters trooped to the INC compound.

Felix Nathaniel “Angel” Manalo and his mother Tenny were expelled by Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) executive minister Eduardo Manalo after the two released a YouTube video claiming that their lives “are in danger.”








In a news conference held on Thursday, July 23, INC General Evangelist Bienvenido Santiago announced the expulsion of the two members.

“Masakit man sa loob ng Kapatid na Eduardo Manalo ay ipinasya nila na itiwalag yung mga lumilikha ng mga pagkakabaha-bahagi sa Iglesia. Kaya sa mga pagsambang isasagawa ng Iglesia ni Cristo, simula sa araw na ito ay ipaaalam iyon sa lahat ng kapatid.“

(While it is painful for Brother Eduardo Manalo to make such decision, he opted to expel people creating factions in the church. Starting today, we will be announcing this to our brethren in the worship services of Iglesia ni Cristo. )

Angel is the younger brother of Eduardo who is currently the executive minister of INC. Their father Eraño “Erdy” Manalo, former executive minister of INC, passed away in August 2009.





A Call for Help






In the 1:54 long video uploaded on YouTube on Wednesday, July 22, Angel appealed to all the members of INC.





In the video, Angel said: “Nananawagan po kami sa inyo dahil nanganganib po ang aming buhay. Sana’y matulungan niyo po kami.”





(We are appealing to you because there is a threat to our lives. We hope you can help us.)





He then introduced his mother.






Tenny, the widow of Ka Erdy Manalo said: “Ako’y nananawagan sa aming mga kapatid sa Iglesia na tulungan ninyo kami dahil may panganib sa aming buhay. Saklolohan niyo ang aking mga anak, si Angel at Lottie at ang kanilang mga kasama. Tulungan niyo rin ang mga ministro na dinukot at hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa nakikita. Kaawaan natin sila at ang kanilang pamilya.”





(I’m appealing to our brethren in the Church to help us because our lives are in danger. Help my children Angel, Lottie, and their companions. Help the ministers who were abducted and until now have not been found. Let us have mercy on them and their families.)






Watch the video below:







Hostages inside INC building




In the midst of the controversy, an unidentified person flashed a sign that said, “Tulong, hostage kami” outside a building owned by INC at 36 Tandang Sora, Quezon City on Thursday, July 23.






The sign was flashed two times between 11 am and 12 nn.





PHOTO CREDIT: Mark Saludes/Rappler



Reporters from ABS-CBN, GMA-7, TV-5, Rappler, and CNN Philippines stayed outside the building to follow the latest developments.





The unidentified person then flashed signs warning onlookers against armed personnel aboard a Revo vehicle.










PHOTO CREDIT: Mark Saludes/Rappler







PHOTO CREDIT: Mark Saludes/Rappler



An international Christian denomination, Iglesia ni Cristo was registered in 1914 by Felix Manalo, its first executive minister.





The powerful church with an estimated 1.37 million followers as of 2013 will be commemorating its 101st anniversary on Monday, July 27.





Rappler revealed that at least three sources from the church claimed that there seems to be a division threatening INC.
8:20 AM
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)
Copyright © 2013 Women Tech Makers