MikeLigalig.com

Many Christian, Jewish, and Zoroastrian converts to Islam chose to become Shia rather than Sunni in the early centuries of the religion as a protest against the ethnic Arab empires that treated non-Arabs as second-class citizens. Their religions influenced the evolution of Shia Islam as distinct from Sunni Islam in rituals and beliefs.   

Sunnis dominated the first nine centuries of Islamic rule (excluding the Shia Fatimid dynasty) until the Safavid dynasty was established in Persia in 1501. The Safavids made Shia Islam the state religion, and over the following two centuries they fought with the Ottomans, the seat of the Sunni caliphate. As these empires faded, their battles roughly settled the political borders of modern Iran and Turkey by the seventeenth century, and their legacies resulted in the current demographic distribution of Islam’s sects. Shias comprise a majority in Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan, and Bahrain, and a plurality in Lebanon, while Sunnis make up the majority of more than forty countries from Morocco to Indonesia.

Ali became caliph in 656 and ruled only five years before he was assassinated. The caliphate, which was based in the Arabian Peninsula, passed to the Umayyad dynasty in Damascus and later the Abbasids in Baghdad. Shias rejected the authority of these rulers. In 680, soldiers of the second Umayyad caliph killed Ali’s son, Husayn, and many of his companions in Karbala, located in modern-day Iraq. Karbala became a defining moral story for Shias, and Sunni caliphs worried that the Shia Imamsâ€"the descendants of Husayn who were seen as the legitimate leaders of Muslims (Sunnis use the term “imam” for the men who lead prayers in mosques)â€"would use this massacre to capture public imagination and topple monarchs. This fear resulted in the further persecution and marginalization of Shias.

Even as Sunnis triumphed politically in the Muslim world, Shias continued to look to the Imamsâ€"the blood descendants of Ali and Husaynâ€"as their legitimate political and religious leaders. Even within the Shia community, however, there arose differences over the proper line of succession. Mainstream Shias believe there were twelve Imams. Zaydi Shias, found mostly in Yemen, broke off from the majority Shia community at the fifth Imam, and sustained imamate rule in parts of Yemen up to the 1960s. Ismaili Shias, centered in South Asia but with important diaspora communities throughout the world, broke off at the seventh Imam. Most Ismailis revere the Aga Khan as the living representative of their Imam. The majority of Shias, particularly those in Iran and the eastern Arab world, believe that the twelfth Imam entered a state of occultation, or hiddenness, in 939 and that he will return at the end of time. Since then, “Twelvers,” or Ithna Ashari Shias, have vested religious authority in their senior clerical leaders, called ayatollahs (Arabic for “sign of God”). 

Origins of the Schism


Mohammed unveiled a new faith to the people of Mecca in 610. Known as Islam, or submission to God, the monotheistic religion incorporated some Jewish and Christian traditions and expanded with a set of laws that governed most aspects of life, including political authority. By the time of his death in 632, Mohammed had consolidated power in Arabia. His followers subsequently built an empire that would stretch from Central Asia to Spain less than a century after his death. But a debate over succession split the community, with some arguing that leadership should be awarded to qualified individuals and others insisting that the only legitimate ruler must come through Mohammed’s bloodline.

A group of prominent early followers of Islam elected Abu Bakr, a companion of Mohammed, to be the first caliph, or leader of the Islamic community, over the objections of those who favored Ali ibn Abi Talib, Mohammed’s cousin and son-in-law. The opposing camps in the succession debate eventually evolved into Islam’s two main sects. Shias, a term that stems from shi’atu Ali, Arabic for “partisans of Ali,” believe that Ali and his descendants are part of a divine order. Sunnis, meaning followers of the sunna, or “way” in Arabic, of Mohammed, are opposed to political succession based on Mohammed’s bloodline.

Alongside the proxy battle is the renewed fervor of armed militants, motivated by the goals of cleansing the faith or preparing the way for the return of the messiah. Today there are tens of thousands of organized sectarian militants throughout the region capable of triggering a broader conflict. And despite the efforts of many Sunni and Shia clerics to reduce tensions through dialogue and counterviolence measures, many experts express concern that Islam’s divide will lead to escalating violence and a growing threat to international peace and security.

Sunni and Shia Muslims have lived peacefully together for centuries. In many countries it has become common for members of the two sects to intermarry and pray at the same mosques. They share faith in the Quran and the Prophet Mohammed’s sayings and perform similar prayers, although they differ in rituals and interpretation of Islamic law.

Shia identity is rooted in victimhood over the killing of Husayn, the Prophet Mohammed’s grandson, in the seventh century, and a long history of marginalization by the Sunni majority. Islam’s dominant sect, which roughly 85 percent of the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims follow, viewed Shia Islam with suspicion, and extremist Sunnis have portrayed Shias as heretics and apostates.

An ancient religious divide is helping fuel a resurgence of conflicts in the Middle East and Muslim countries. Struggles between Sunni and Shia forces have fed a Syrian civil war that threatens to transform the map of the Middle East, spurred violence that is fracturing Iraq, and widened fissures in a number of tense Gulf countries. Growing sectarian clashes have also sparked a revival of transnational jihadi networks that poses a threat beyond the region.

Islam’s schism, simmering for fourteen centuries, doesn’t explain all the political, economic, and geostrategic factors involved in these conflicts, but it has become one prism by which to understand the underlying tensions. Two countries that compete for the leadership of Islam, Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shia Iran, have used the sectarian divide to further their ambitions. How their rivalry is settled will likely shape the political balance between Sunnis and Shias and the future of the region, especially in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Bahrain.

http://www.cfr.org/

A CFR InfoGuide Presentation

Sectarian conflict is becoming entrenched in a growing number of Muslim countries and is threatening to fracture Iraq and Syria. Tensions between Sunnis and Shias, exploited by regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran, could reshape the future Middle East.

Namit gid haw!

Best sleeping position for a baby giraffe...

Ni Bryner L. Diaz, EIM (Banat) | Updated May 10, 2015 - 12:00am


CEBU, Philippines - Gipusil patay ang usa ka dispatser sa tulo ka lalaki samtang nagbarog kini sa may Sudlon, Barangay Lahug sa dakbayan sa Sugbo sa miaging hapon.

Ang biktima naila nga si Weces Colis, 31, taga Upper La Guerta sa Lahug ug giingon nga usa ka dispatser sa jeep.

Si Police Officer 1 John Erick Samosa, sa Homicide Section sa Cebu City Police Office nga nahinabi sa Banat News miingon tulo ka wa mailhing lalaki ang miabot ug ang usa kanila maoy mipusil sa biktima.

Naigo ang biktima sa tuong tampihak nga maoy hinungdan sa iyang kamatayon.

Human nga natumba na sa dalan ang biktima midagan padulong sa eskina Doña Modesta Gaisano sa Sudlon ang tulo.

Gisulayan pa unta sila og gukod sa mga estambay apan dihang nisulod ni sa mga kabalayan wa na igkita pa ang tulo.

Narekober sa kapolisan ang usa ka kabhang sa bala sa kalibre .45 nga pistola sa crime scene.

Blangko pa karon ang Homicide Section sa motibo sa kamatayon sa biktima. (BANAT NEWS)

Pastilan. Kasakit palandongon...

Saturday, May 09, 2015
Ni HERTY B. LOPEZ


LALAKENG way ikapalit og bugas naghikog sa usa ka langub sa Barangay Catmondaan, lungsod sa Catmon, amihanang Sugbo niadtong Biyernes sa buntag.

Nahibulong ang kaparyentihan ni Philip Dongallo Prosia dihang wa siya mouli sa ilang balay sulod sa pito ka oras niadtong Biyernes.

Dihang gipangita siya sa iyang mga kabanay pasado alas 5 sa buntag, nasuta nila nga naghigot sa iyang kau­galingon si Prosia sulod sa gamay nga langub nga nahimutang mga 100 ngadto sa 150 metros gikan sa ilang balay.

Ang 43-anyos nigamit og liston sa sapatos nga ang pikas tumoy iyang gihigot sa bato.

Base sa imbestigasyon sa Catmon Police Station nasuta nga aduna’y suicide note nga gibilin si Prosia sa iyang balay.

Giingon naghikog ang biktima tungod kay gipa­sagdan na siya sa kabanay ug wa nay ikapalit og bugas.

“Ayaw nalang ko ninyo pangitaa kay inyo man ko biyaan, wala na ko ikapalit og bugas. Atimana si Mama. Daghang salamat sa inyo inday, dodong,” tipik sa suicide note ni Prosia.

Nasuta nga person with disability (PWD) ang biktima.

Dali siya gidala sa Rural Health Unit sa lungsod aron matabang sa personnel apan gideklarar na kini nga patay.

DOH records 500 new HIV cases in 1 month
By Sheila Crisostomo (The Philippine Star) | Updated January 5, 2015 - 12:00am


MANILA, Philippines - Almost 500 new cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections were documented in November 2014, two-thirds of whom were aged 15 to 24 and mostly infected through sexual contact, records of the Department of Health (DOH) showed yesterday.

Based on the registry prepared by the DOH’s National Epidemiology Center, there were 492 new cases of HIV, including 40 cases of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). A total of 134 of them were aged 15 to 24. There were 10 deaths.

The DOH said the 492 cases are 28 percent higher than the 384 cases recorded in November 2013.

Sexual contact accounted for 464 cases and 250 of them were due to homosexual contact and 146 due to bisexual contact. Twenty-eight cases were injecting drug users who shared infected needles.

“Males having sex with other males (85 percent) was the predominant type of sexual transmission… Eighty-three of the new HIV cases came from the National Capital Region, Region 4-A, Region 2 and Region 11,” the DOH said.

The new cases brought to 5,502 the number of cases since January this year and to 22,018 since 1984.

Records showed that 20,519 cases were infected through sexual contact; 1,035 through needle sharing among injecting drug users; 66 through mother-to-child transmission; 20 through blood transfusion and three through needle prick injury.

Of the 22,018 cases, 2,011 developed AIDS while 1,101 have died. A total of 5,750 of them belonged to the 15 to 24 age group, while 69 were below 15 years old.

COME OUT, BE TESTED | People at risk of HIV urged to undergo tests as 8,000 new cases seen in 2015
By: Jet Villa, InterAksyon.com
May 6, 2015 6:07 PM


MANILA - As it stares at the possibility of having some 8,000 new HIV cases recorded this year, the Department of Health has made an urgent appeal to people at risk of contracting the AIDS virus to submit themselves to voluntary testing.

According to DOH Assistant Secretary Paulyn Ubial, the expectation of 8,000 cases this year is based on the 20-percent annual rise in the country's HIV/AIDS cases - a rate deemed truly alarming as it bucks the trend in the region.

"Ït is very alarming because all the countries in Southeast Asia are actually reversing the trend. But in the Philippines, the number of cases is increasing,”she said.

Based on the DOH's HIV/AIDS Registry,  there were only around 500 new HIV cases in 2008 or a little over one case per day. In 2010, there were four cases every day; rising to nine new cases in 2012; and 20 new cases daily in February 2015, Ubial said.

Ubial told a press briefing Wednesday that since six years ago, HIV/AIDS cases have doubled every year. In 2008, the DOH had seen only around 500 cases.

The DOH made the call for a more vigorous voluntary HIV testing as it set aside five days - from May 11 to 15, dubbed “National HIV Testing Week” - for the purpose. The events lead up to the AIDS Candlelight Memorial on May 17. The testing will allow the DOH to get a clear picture of the HIV/AIDS situation,

Ubial urged people who think they might be at risk of having HIV to go to any of the 39 testing facilities nationwide to undergo free testing.

Such facilities are networked with the DOH treatment hubs where infected individuals may access free anti-retroviral treatment.

“Hopefully, this one time, everyone will come out to be tested; and then after this we will have the true picture. We want to get a more scientifically realistic data base so that we can develop programs to address that,” Ubial explained.

Since 2007, HIV cases have been increasing at an alarming rate. One of the factors for the increase is the low testing rate amongkey populations, said DOH spokesman Lyndon Lee Suy.

Thursday, May 07, 2015


BUN-OG ang usa ka babaye human gikulata sa asawa sa giingong uyab niini human nasapon nga nagsakay sa dyip nga gimaneho sa bana.

Ang biktima naila nga mao si Virginia, dili tinuod nga pangalan, lumulupyo sa Talakag, Bukidnon.

Subay sa report nga gi-ayo og layog sa usa ka Alma, asawa ni Lemicio, usa ka drayber og dyip hinungdan nga dali kini nga gidala sa Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC).

Nasayran nga nasapon ni Alma kining biktima nga kanunay nga magsakay sa dyip nga gimaneho sa iyang bana hinungdan nga sa dihang naabtan gayod kini kalit nga gilayog ug gisipa hinungdan nga nakuyapan ug daling gidala sa balay tambalanan.

Nakaangkon og daghang bun-og sa kalawasan ang biktima ug samad sa iyang liog tungod na usab sa grabe nga pagkulata ug paglayog kaniya.

Sa pagsuwat niini nga balita, ang biktima ang pabilin pa nga nagpaayo sulod sa NMMC human sa naangkong mga bun-og sa kalawasan. (KCS)


Gipatik sa mantalaang SuperBalita Cagayan de Oro Mayo 08, 2015.

Mao man jud kuno na ang sabot.
Way angkonay, bisag wa pa mag-ibot.

Tapolan kuno apan kugihan mopuspos sa amahan...

Ni Jojo C. Ugdol/GMR (Banat) | Updated May 7, 2015 - 12:00am


CEBU, Philippines - Patay ang 26-anyos nga lalaki human pusila sa sementeryo sa barangay Maghanoy, lungsod sa Barili pasado alas 5 kagahapon sa kaadlawon.

Ang biktima giila nga si Glenn Mark Sarto, ulitawo nga nagpuyo sa mao’ng barangay.

Matud ni Police Officer 2 Jeffrey Alpas, desk officer sa Barili Police Station, nga usa ka tawag gikan sa concerned citizen ang nagpahibawo kanila nga dunay tawo nga gipusil sa mao’ng lugar.

Sa pagresponde sa kapolisan ila na lang nga nakita nga nagbuy-od na ang biktima nga may mga samad pinusilan sa mata ug lawas.

Si Alpas nagtuo nga posible’ng giatangan ang biktima sa sementeryo diin may mga dalan nga lusot sa bisan asa’ng bahin sa barangay.

Sa inisyal nga imbestigasyon sa kapolisan nasayran nga igo lang nakadungog og buto sa armas ang mga nagpuyo sa mao’ng dapit sayo sa buntag ug ila na lang nakita nga nagbuy-od na sa sementeryo ang biktima.

Blangko pa ang kapolisan sa motibo ug sa nihimo sa krimen. (BANAT NEWS)

“Gusto ko magkuha og kutsilyo kay ako unta pangdunggabon kay naulit ko kaayo sa akong nakita,” butyag sa bana apan tungod kay iyang nadumduman nga dili mayo iyang gihuna-huna, nihinay kini sa pag-atras ug balik sa bintana ug migawas sa puloy-anan.

Daw nangayo siya og tabang sa iyang mga silingan ug tungod kay aduna usab siya silingan nga polis, mao kini ang iyang gikuyog sa ilang balay ug gipadakop ang iyang asawa ug ang kabit.

Giingong isog pa kaayo ang kabit ug buot makigsukmagay sa bana apan wala na kini gitumpangan sa bana.

Usa sab sa gikaulitan sa bana ang giingong gipanultian niini sa iyang paryente sa asawa didto sa Leyte nga daw bulag na sila ug gipaila ila niini ang kabit nga bag-ong bana.

Samtang sa bahin sa asawa, hugot niining gihimakak nga iyang kabit ang maong lalaki tungod kay daw aduna lang kini tuyo sa ilang balay niadtong tungora.

Gihimakak usab sa kabit nga iyang kalambigitan sa asawa. Apan migawas sa medical eksaminasyon sa asawa nga nahilabtan kini niadtong tungora ug presko pa ang giingong duga sa lalaki nga nakita sulod kaniya.

Sa pagsulat ning balita, ang duha nagtingkagol na sa prisohan diin giandam na sa Women and Children Protection Desk ang kasong adultery batok sa duha.

Ang 7 anyos nga anak gipakustodiya usa sa bana didto sa Department of Social Welfare and Development.

SUPERBALITA-CAGAYAN DE ORO
Wednesday, May 06, 2015
Ni STEPHANIE VIOVICENTE-BERGANIO


GIPASLAK sa prisohan ang usa ka asawa kauban sa giingong kabit niini human nasapon sa bana ang duha nga hubo niadtong nilabay'ng adlaw sa Barangay Puerto ning siyudad sa Cagayan de Oro.

Sa inisyal nga report sa Police Station 6 (PS6) sa Puerto, nasuta nga gipapriso sa bana ang iyang asawa ug ang giingong kabit niini (mga pangalan gipugngan).

Gisaysay sa bana ngadto sa kapolisan nga nagsugod na ang iyang pagduda nga adunay dili maayo nga gihimo ang iyang asawa human ang iyang anak nga 7 anyos nagsige og tug-an kaniya nga adunay lalaki nga gaanhaan sa ilang puloy-anan.

Giingong dili kaayo motuo ang bana tungod kay dili niya buot madaot ilang relasyon ug usa niini wala siyay nakita nga ebidensya.

Hinuon, iya na nga nabantayan nga ang iyang asawa mouli tag alas 2:00 na sa kaadlawon ug kini maoy usahay hinungdan sa ilang away.

Dugang sa bana nga taliwala niini iya kining gapasayloun ug wala kini niya napasakitan.
“Siguro niabot na gyod ang panahon nga kinahanglan na gyod ko masayod sa iyang binuhatan,” butyag niini.

Hinungdan nga niadtong niaging kaadlawon, miuli ang bana sa puloy-anan nga wala nagpahibalo sa asawa.

Namatikdan niya nga hayag pa ang suga sa ilang puloy-anan ug gituyo niini nga dili moagi sa main door ug tungod kay bangag man ang ilang bintana, didto kini miagi ug misulod sa ilang balay.

Sa unang lawak, iyang nakita iyang anak nga hinanok na sa pagkatulog ug sa ikaduhang lawak kay bukas man kini mao gyod iyang nakita ang iyang asawa ug ang lalaki nga naggakos ug pulos walay sapot sa lawas.

Those who objected to the event said it was unfair to push the pigs off the platform using a board, and to deny them getting to safety on the shore with the use of a bamboo barrier alongside the race area.

Lok Chiang, who commented online, said: 'This was clearly animal abuse. It may well be the case that pigs like water, but not jumping into it from the top of a huge platform.

'That just isn't natural for any pig, there is no way you can claim they enjoy it.'

Despite the backlash tourism officials are looking into ways to expand the project, so more people can see the plucky pigs.

The sell-out race saw the piglets, painted with numbers, diving off the raised platform, aided by a coach.

Looking surprisingly graceful, the swines soared through the air before hitting the water with a splash and paddling towards the finish line as they were cheered on by the crowd.

Organiser Shi Huang said: 'The piglets are carefully trained to perform this special stunt and they get well rewarded with food and once they get over their nerves they clearly enjoyed it.

'Anybody who says it is cruel is clearly not well informed that pigs like water.'

Back

Generally, this is considered the healthiest sleeping position for your body, anatomically, so if you’re a back-snoozer, way to go you! It allows your mattress to support your spine the most, which means less stress on your spine, organs, and limbs. It is also a great position for those concerned about developing wrinkles in their face and chest, mainly because you’re not squashing your delicate skin into a pillow for 8 hours.

Lying supine does have its downsides, however. Unfortunately, this position is scientifically known to exacerbate snoring the most. Also, a study on young adults revealed that those with poorer sleep quality spent more time on their backs. So, back sleeping may be great for your spine, but it may make for a more restless, less quality night of sleep.

No matter what position you choose to sleep in, the most important thing is that you’re comfortable. Choose what works best for your body, and you’ll be one step closer to a great night’s sleep.

Side

This is the middle ground of sleeping positions. If you can pull it off, it’s a pretty safe bet. Interestingly, most people claim to be side sleepers. It is actually recommended that pregnant women and those with acid reflux sleep on their left sides to improve circulation. Otherwise, it’s great to rotate which side you sleep on so that one side doesn’t become more stressed than the other. If you find yourself uncomfortable on your side, trying propping a pillow between your knees to align your hips. You can also put a pillow in front of your torso to train yourself off of stomach sleeping.

What’s the downside to side sleeping? Numb arm. The muscles and nerves of the neck and shoulders can get stressed and squished in this position, so if you’re having trouble with these areas, it may not be for you.

Stomach

While this can be a good position to stifle snoring, it is often regarded as the worst sleeping position for your body. The neck can get stressed from craning to one side, and the natural curve in your spine flattens, which can potentially lead to lower back pain. It also encourages the development of facial wrinkles. If you do choose to sleep in this position, try placing a thin pillow below your hips to accommodate the natural curvature of the spine. Otherwise, maybe it’s time to test out a new position.

http://www.care2.com/
Jordyn Cormier
May 3, 2015
5:00 pm





The position you assume during your sleeping hours can actually hugely affect your physical well-being. Sleeping really scrunched together can encourage shortened muscles and imbalances, while craning your neck the wrong way can lead to a serious crick. Every position has its pros and cons â€"  stomach, back, and side. Check out the pros and cons of each below!

Pigs can fly! Crowds of tourists cheer as graceful oinkers dive off high platform at swimming competition in China
http://www.dailymail.co.uk
By BECKY PEMBERTON FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 14:04 GMT, 4 May 2015 | UPDATED: 14:12 GMT, 4 May 2015


The unusual event took place on the Shiyan Lake China's Hunan Province

Sell-out race saw the swines dive off a platform and race to the finish

The May Day attraction has led to complaints saying it was cruel


These diving pigs could learn a thing or two from Tom Daley after launching themselves off a high platform as part of a swimming competition in China's Hunan Province.

The May Day attraction took place at Shiyan Lake, a popular holiday spot for tourists in Changsha, and saw the animals race towards a finishing line to the delight of onlookers.

However tourism officials have received complaints that the bizarre stunt should not be repeated, despite plans to make it a regular weekend event.

Ebola is a terrifying disease. The pathogen attacks nearly every organ and system in the human body, sparing only bones and muscles. Connective tissue such as collagen is effectively dissolved. Without that foundation, the skin floats over liquefied tissue, and the sufferer will bleed spontaneously from various orifices. This only gets worse once bloody vomiting and diarrhea commence. Blood loss ultimately kills an Ebola victim.

Fear of the disease led airports in the US and other countries to screen incoming passengers from West Africa. Despite this, health care workers in the US contracted Ebola, sparking fears of an outbreak. Four people were diagnosed with Ebola in 2014; one died, while the others recovered and were released from treatment. The one person who died caught the virus in Liberia.

Patients at the Texas Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, Texas, the site of three of the four Ebola cases, faced a much greater risk even during the stays of the Ebola patients: their doctors’ bad handwriting. A doctor’s frequently illegible notes or prescriptions may seem like joke fodder, but it leads to an average of 7,000 deaths every year in the US. Consider that 3.2 billion prescriptions are written annually. Bad writing can easily lead to the wrong dosage, and an unclear abbreviation might lead to the wrong medication being dispensed. -- http://listverse.com/

Philippine Star â€" Wed, May 6, 2015


PHNOM PENH â€" Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen admitted Monday he won’t make good on a $5,000 debt he lost on the recent bout between Floyd Mayweather and regional hero Manny Pacquiao because he was so incensed by the match outcome.

The 62-year-old strongman delivered 9-minute rebuke of judges who ruled Mayweather had squarely beaten Pacquiao in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Echoing many of Pacquiao’s Filipino compatriots who have also cried foul, Hun Sen accused the American officials of being biased towards Mayweather in the $400 million fight.

“Yesterday, us viewers could barely give a point for Floyd, but the three judges unanimously decided Floyd was the winner,” he said.

Hun Sen said he had made a $5,000 bet with an official on the match outcome, a bet he would no longer honor.

“I would not settle this, I will not give you the money,” he said without giving further details.

The admission is somewhat surprising given gambling is technically illegal in Cambodia outside of licensed casinos â€" although there is a thriving black market for betting on everything from the English Premier League to local cock fights.

The strongman’s betting habits were not lost on many Cambodian social media users.

“Hun Sen violated the betting rules by gambling on boxing,” wrote one Facebook user So Naro.

Hun Sen has ruled Cambodia with an iron fist for the last 30 years, tolerating little opposition.

He is a known for his love of sports, particularly football, and has previously broken off from speeches to give his thoughts on a recent match or surprise score.

Aleister Crowley (/ˈkroÊŠli/; born Edward Alexander Crowley; 12 October 1875 â€" 1 December 1947) was an English occultist, ceremonial magician, poet, painter, novelist, and mountaineer. --Wiki

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQtBb-1RrYk


"Based on our records, Kosin is working under a special non-immigrant visa based on Section 47(a)(2) of the Philippine Immigration Act. The visa will be eventually cancelled should he be determined to be undesirable," said BI spokesperson Elaine Tan.

She added that the foreign national will be allowed to present his defenses to the charge against him.

Deportation cases are heard before the BI's Board of Special Inquiry, whose recommendation is deliberated by the Board of Commissioners in the latter's weekly meeting.

"We cannot say at this point how long the proceedings will goâ€"it may take two to six months depending on the evidence presented and the cooperation of the parties. Kosin also has the option to admit the charge against him and opt for voluntary deportation in order to expedite the proceedings," Tan said.

In the event of deportation, the foreigner will be included in the BI's blacklist, barring re-entry into the country.

Meanwhile, Kosin's employer Cognizant Philippines issued an official statement on May 3 saying the company does not "tolerate any irresponsible, racist or discriminatory practices" of its employees.

"We have already taken steps to address the issue in keeping with our comprehensive and stringent corporate policies. Please be assured that we had initiated our internal interventions to address this matter and Kosin will face the consequences of his action after due process," the statement read.

The company said Kosin's views are personal and the company neither supports, nor subscribes to any of them. (FP/Sunnex)

Thai man in trouble over alleged racial slur vs Filipinos
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/
Tuesday, May 05, 2015



Thai national Prasertsri Kosin through his Facebook account tagged Filipinos as "pignoys", "stupid creatures", low-class slum slaves" and "useless race in this world".


A THAI national employed at a business process outsourcing company in Taguig City is facing a deportation charge over his alleged racially offensive remarks against Filipinos on social media.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) issued on Monday a deportation charge against Thai national Prasertsri Kosin, known to netizens under the handle "Koko Narak", for undesirability.

Kosin through his Facebook account tagged Filipinos as "pignoys", "stupid creatures", low-class slum slaves" and "useless race in this world".

Muslims have an average of 3.1 children per womanâ€"the highest rate of all religious groups, he said. Christians are second, with 2.7 children per woman. Hindus have 2.4 children per woman, and Jews have an average of 2.3 children per woman.

The projections come as Europe struggles to assimilate its burgeoning Muslim minorities, amid tensions spurred by economic forces and the rise of the terrorist group known as Islamic State.

It also comes as Americans battle over the claims of religious believers who say their rights need protection as society becomes more accepting of gay rights, and as more people in the U.S. turn away from religion.

By 2050, Muslims will make up 30% of the global population, with 2.8 billion adherents, while Christians will comprise 31%, with 2.9 billion followers.

The only other time in history the population figures may have been as close to parity is between the years 1000 and 1600, as Islam expanded and deadly plagues ravaged Christian populations in Europe, according to scholars cited in the study.

If population trends continue, Muslims could outnumber Christians by 2100, the study says.

Researchers said that although the Muslim population is expected to increase by more than 70% by 2050, Muslims will still be in the minority in Western Europe and the U.S. Although India will remain a Hindu majority nation, they said, it will also be the country with the largest number of Muslims.

By comparison, Christianity is expected to see an increase of 35% over the same period, enough to hold its current share of the global population as it grows to a projected 9.3 billion from 6.8 billion.

Researchers note that their count only includes those who identify as Jewish by religion, not those who may consider themselves culturally Jewish but decline to claim it as a religion.

The U.S. will remain a majority Christian nation, though the number of people identifying themselves as Christian is expected to decline from more than three-quarters of the population to two-thirds, the study says.

The number of Christians in Europe is expected to decrease by about 100 million people to 454 million.

Christians will remain a large or even the largest group in countries including France, the U.K. and Australia, but they will no longer make up the majority. Many European countries will experience a rise in the number of people unaffiliated with any religion, as well as nearly a doubling of the Muslim share of Europe’s populationâ€"to 10% from 5.9%.

The study, based primarily on census and survey data, takes into account the effects of migration, conversion and the ages of religious populations, but “fertility is the single most important factor driving outcomes,” said Conrad Hackett, the study’s demographer.

http://www.wsj.com/
By TAMARA AUDI
Updated April 2, 2015 11:52 a.m. ET


The world’s Islamic population is growing so rapidly that by 2050, the number of Muslims will be nearly equal to the number of Christians across the planetâ€"possibly for the first time in history.

The new forecast is part of a sweeping religious-population study released Thursday by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center that projects significant demographic shifts across the global religious landscape.

Most major religionsâ€"including Christianityâ€"will see their numbers increase. But the exceptional growth of Islam, as well as the rise of those unaffiliated with any religion, is poised to alter historic religious balances across Europe, the U.S. and Africa over the next four decades, the study suggests.

By 2050, the study says, there will be more Muslims than Jews in the U.S.â€"though both groups will remain small minorities.

Personal life

Cogan lived with her widowed mother in Kensington High Street (44 Stafford Court), a lavishly decorated ground-floor flat, which became a legendary party-venue. Regular visitors included Princess Margaret, Noël Coward, Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Michael Caine, Frankie Vaughan, Bruce Forsyth, Roger Moore and a host of other celebrities.

She was close friends with the Beatles, even though the teenage Lennon used to mimic her savagely during his time at the Liverpool College of Art. However, they would largely eclipse her fame. Paul McCartney first played the melody of "Yesterday" on Cogan's piano, and also played tambourine on her recording of "I Knew Right Away".

In a Daily Mail interview, Cogan's sister Sandra, who was briefly linked to McCartney,[15] claimed that Cogan had a serious romance with Lennon that had to be kept secret because of her family's strict Jewish faith. Her last romance was with Brian Morris, who shared her faith. They were engaged to be married.

After Cynthia Lennon died, Lennon's biographer published her previously unpublished quotes regarding Cogan, whom Lennon met in 1964 on TV pop show Ready Steady Go. "John thought I didn’t know anything about him and Alma, and I never let on," Cynthia Lennon said. "Now that I think about it, with all the emotion gone out of it, I can see the attraction. Alma was about eight years older than John and very much the Auntie figure. Don’t forget that Yoko was also older than John by about seven years. Like Yoko in so many ways, Alma was a very compelling woman. You couldn’t really say that either of them was beautiful, could you, not in the conventional sense. When Alma died from ovarian cancer, aged only 34, John was inconsolable."

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia





Alma Cogan (19 May 1932 â€" 26 October 1966) was an English singer of traditional pop music in the 1950s and early 1960s. Dubbed "The Girl with the Laugh/Giggle/Chuckle in Her Voice", she was the highest paid British female entertainer of her era. Throughout the mid-1950s, she was the most consistently successful female singer in the UK.

http://thechive.com/

Quote from: hubag bohol on May 05, 2015, 01:33:59 PM
Jonathan Morales, a former agent of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), said no less than the Anti-Money Laundering Council had confirmed that drug lords operating in the country recently sent more than P100 billion to China.

Hmm, usa galing ni sa mga estratehiya sa Singkitland...

Hoax 'Banksy Arrested in London' Story Dupes the Internet Again
By Ewan Palmer
October 20, 2014 12:43 BST     


Another hoax story is lobbed into the myths concerning graffiti artist Banksy(Getty Images)

A hoax story alleging the British graffiti artist Banksy has been arrested and has had his identity revealed has once again duped thousands of people online.

According to the highly refutable website National Report, a 'news' website consisting entirely of fake stories, the artist was arrested by Metropolitan Police at his studio and his identity revealed as 35-year-old Paul Horner, originally from Liverpool.

The article contains all the elements you would expect to see from a news story covering an arrest, including details from police and quotes from those close to Banksy.

However, it only takes the bare minimum of fact-checking and research to spot that this story is a hoax.

The article claims the story has been confirmed by the BBC (it hasn't) and that City of London Police Chief Lyndon Edwards held a press conference to answer questions about Banksy's arrest (he never did and Edwards doesn't even exist).

US news site CNN also did not conduct an interview with Banksy's "project manager" John Hawes following his arrest (also because he doesn't exist). -- http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/

Banksy not arrested: Internet duped by fake report claiming artist's identity revealed
http://www.independent.co.uk/
ELLA ALEXANDER    Monday 20 October 2014
   

Banksy has not been arrested, despite a report stating the contrary.

“The Banksy arrest is a hoax,” the street artist’s publicist, Jo Brooks, told The Independent.

However, the prank seems to have duped the internet, with his name quickly trending on Twitter.

A false story, published on US website National Report, alleged that the identity of the British street artist had finally been revealed and he had been arrested by London’s Metropolitan Police and is being held “without bail on charges of vandalism, conspiracy, racketeering and counterfeiting”.

The story claimed that Banksy’s London art studio had been raided, where “thousands of dollars of counterfeit money along with future projects of vandalism” were found, along with ID thought to belong to the famed anonymous street artist, which allegedly identified him as Liverpool-born Paul Homer.

http://www.manilatimes.net/
May 3, 2015 1:13 am
by Jaime R. Pilapil REPORTER


THIS is alarming: Illegal drug trade in the Philippines is now a P200-billion “industry.”

Jonathan Morales, a former agent of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), said no less than the Anti-Money Laundering Council had confirmed that drug lords operating in the country recently sent more than P100 billion to China.

“These drug lords are based in Binondo, Manila,” Morales told a radio interview yesterday over dzMM.

He revealed that PDEA people know the Chinese drug lords.

Morales had once accused PDEA chief Arturo Cacdac Jr. of “not doing enough” in the fight against illegal drugs, particularly in going after Chinese drug lords based in Manila.

The PDEA website has identified the 10 most wanted drug traffickers, who are indeed Chinese nationals.

They are Wang Ya Shi, Qui Yun Hai, Henry Tan, Jackson Uy, Ong Shin Pin, Wen Jin Cai, Juanito Lee Ty, Deng Xiao Li, Ding Cai Hui and Ong Kim Tie.

Meanwhile, five Chinese had been arrested and are now facing charges. They are Benito Sze, Lin Taung Huan, Ronald Yao, Randy Chua and Chua Lin Ye . Yao and Yen are out on bail.

Interestingly, as early as 2004, the Department of Interior and Local Government already identified these Chinese drug lords. It was former Interior Secretary Joey Lina who disclosed the names of Shi, et. al. in a press conference.

Aside from those mentioned above, two more Chinese nationals are reportedly engaged in drug trafficking, namely Xiao Ya Li and Chen Jian Long. They are still in the country and are notoriously peddling illegal drugs.

These Chinese drug traffickers are based in Binondo and they operate all over the country.

One of the recent big PDEA anti-drugs operations was last February’s raid in Masbate where two former municipal mayors were among those arrested.

An earlier, also quite famous, feline by Banksy...

Quote from: hubag bohol on May 05, 2015, 01:20:41 PM
Ang pitaka sa biktima nga adunay kuwarta wala kuhaa sa kriminal.

Hmm, tataw nga dili ang kwarta sa biktima ang tumong sa nahisgotang paghunos og kinabuhi...

Ni Christell Fatima M. Tudtud (Banat) | Updated May 5, 2015 - 12:00am


CEBU, Philippines â€" Lalaki nga gikang mihatod sa iyang amiga’ng babaye didto sa Sitio Kalubihan 2, Barangay Pajac, Lapu-Lapu gipatay sa wala pa hiilhi’ng kriminal kaniadto’ng Sabado sa gabii.

Si Ruelan Goylan, 45-anyos, lumolupyo sa Pajac Proper sa Barangay Pajac luwan sa iyang multicab (YFP 880) gikan nga naghatud sa usa ka Aileen diha’ng kalit lang gipusil.

Si PO3 Luisito Ernie sa Lapu-Lapu City Police Office-Homicide Section miingon nga nagsakay og motorsiklo ang tawo nga nagpusil sa biktima ug abtik kaayo kini nga misibat.

Si Goylan gidala pa unta sa Lapu-Lapu City District Hospital sa mga sakop sa Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation (ERUF) apan gideklarar sa mga doktor nga patay na sa iyang pag-abot.

Ang mga saksi igo lang miingon nga ang nagpusil ni Goylan nagsul-ob og brown nga jacket, pants unya adunay gikabiba nga sling bag.

Wala dayon ibutyag sa kapolisan kun unsa nga matang sa armas nga gigamit sa kriminal sa pagpusil sa biktima.

Hinuon nasuta nga usa ka pistola ang mao nga armas kay nakapunit ang kapolisan og duha ka kabhang sa bala sa dapit nga nahitaboan sa krimen.

Pakighinabian pa sa kapolisan ang usa ka Aileen nga maoy gihatod sa biktima didto sa mao nga dapit sa wala pa kini pusila. Sa pagkanaog ni Aileen gikan sa multicab ni Goylan, kalit lang nga may mipusil sa biktima nga didto manukad sa ngitngit nga bahin ug nakit-an na lang si Goylan nga nagkadugo.

Ang biktima nakaangkon og samad pinusilan sa iyang wala nga bahin sa liog ug sa iyang aping nga maoy nakaingon sa iyang pagkamatay.

Susihon usab sa kapolisan ang mga messages sa cellphone nga nakit-an sa multicab. Ang pitaka sa biktima nga adunay kuwarta wala kuhaa sa kriminal. â€" /RUB) (BANAT NEWS)

Photo and copyright by Martin van der Veer

"We also believe Southeast Asia will take up China’s mantle of the ‘world’s factory’ over the next 10-15 years as companies move to take advantage of cheap and abundant labor in areas such as the Mekong,'' ANZ said.

What will likely assist this shift is the connection between low-cost labor in places like Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, cost-effective manufacturers in Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines, and sophisticated producers in Singapore and Malaysia. Southeast Asian nations have resolved to establish the Asean Economic Community by the end of 2015 to enable the free movement of goods, services, capital and labor between the 10 member states.

Together, the Southeast Asian nations could lift intra-regional trade to $1 trillion by 2025, ANZ estimates. Foreign direct investment into Asean from the major economies could climb to $106 billion in 2025, having already eclipsed investment into China for the first time in 2013.

"Most of Asean's member countries lie at the junction of the Pacific and Indian Oceans," ANZ noted. "The land-based members of Asean sit between the two most populous countries in the world â€" China and India. Access to these land and maritime routes allows Asean to participate in Asia’s expanding production network.''

Manufacturers will be drawn to Southeast Asia's strengths, including the strategic location and cheap labor of Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos



Myanmar


The cheap, young labor and strategic location of Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos are set to draw increasing numbers of manufacturers to Southeast Asia, which will eventually displace China for the title of "world's factory."

The transformation will be part of the rise of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to become the "third pillar" of regional growth after China and India, ANZ Bank economists led by Glenn Maguire reckon. By 2030, more than half of 650 million people in Southeast Asia will be under the age of 30, part of an emerging middle class with high rates of consumption.

AFP News â€" 14 hours ago



Lindsay June Sandiford (R) of Britain reacts inside a holding cell after her trial at a court in Denpasar on the Indonesian resort island of Bali, November 28, 2012


A British grandmother on death row in Indonesia is writing goodbye letters to her family and believes she could be executed at any time, she wrote in an article on Sunday.

Lindsay Sandiford, 58, said she was expecting to die shortly, after seven foreign drug convicts were executed last week, causing a storm of international protest.

"My execution is imminent and I know I might die at any time now. I could be taken tomorrow from my cell," Sandiford wrote in British newspaper the Mail on Sunday.

"I have started to write goodbye letters to members of my family."

Sandiford, originally from Redcar in northeast England, wrote that she planned to sing the cheery popular song "Magic Moments" when facing the firing squad.

"I won't wear a blindfold. It's not because I'm brave but because I don't want to hide -- I want them to look at me when they shoot me."

She said her greatest sadness is that she may never meet her two-year-old granddaughter, who was born after her arrest.

Sandiford was sentenced to death on the island of Bali in 2013 after she was convicted of trafficking drugs.

Customs officers found cocaine worth an estimated £1.6 million ($2.4 million, 2.2 million euros) hidden in a false bottom in Sandiford's suitcase when she arrived in Bali on a flight from Thailand in 2012.

Sandiford admitted the offences, but says that she agreed to carry the drugs after a drug syndicate threatened to kill her son.

Britain's Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, carries his newly-born daughter, his second child with Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, as they leave the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in central London, on May 2, 2015

Photo credit: poetryfoundation.org


Walt Whitman is one of America’s most esteemed poets and Leaves Of Grass has become a touchstone of American literature. This is especially impressive considering that the first two editions of the poetry collection were self-published. When it was finally going to be professionally published, the American Civil War broke out and effectively squashed the third edition. As if that wasn’t enough, the book’s revolutionary style and frank sexual content drew considerable ire and furious reviews. Take this 1855 effort from Edgar Allan Poe’s archnemesis, Rufus Griswold:

“It is impossible to imagine how any man’s fancy could have conceived such a mass of stupid filth, unless he were possessed of the soul of a sentimental donkey that had died of disappointed love.”

And that was still just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the grief Whitman’s work brought him. In 1865, while he was working as a clerk in the Department of the Interior, he left a copy of the book on his desk, where his boss chanced upon it and promptly fired him for writing such stupid filth. Even in 1882, the book was still controversial enough to be banned in Boston as “obscene literature.” Still, it was probably received better than any of our attempts at poetry would be. -- http://listverse.com/

Klaro na jud hinuon nga di na kabayad sa utang...

Ni Jojo C. Ugdol (Banat) | Updated May 4, 2015 - 12:00am


CEBU, Philippines â€" Patay ang 25-anyos nga lalaki ug napagan ang 14-anyos nga babaye nga nagduwa og volleyball atol sa pagpamusil sa Bayabas Street extension, barangay Punta Princesa, dakbayan sa Sugbo pasado alas 4 sa nakalabay nga hapon.

Ang namatay naila nga si Joshua Aniñon, ulitawo nga nagpuyo sa maong lugar.

Sa imbestigasyon sa taga homicide section sa Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), gitug-an ni Senior Police Officer 4 Alex Dacua nga samtang nagtan-aw og basketball ang biktima kalit lang niabot ang gunman nga sakay sa motorsiklo.

Sa wala pa nahitabo ang pagpamusil nadunggan pa sa mga tawo sa lugar nga nag-estoryahanay ang duha ug daw sa naningil og utang ang gunman nga nagkanayun, “dili ka mobayad?” Pipila ka segundos ang nilabay kalit lang nibunot og armas ang gunman dayun pusil sa biktima igo sa dughan.

Nakadagan pa og pipila ka metros ang biktima nga gisundan sa gunman ug gisigehan og pusil hangtud nahagba sa yuta.

Tayming nga didto sa lugar ang 14-anyos nga nagduwa og volleyball ug naigo sa saag nga bala sa iya’ng paa.

Si Dacua niingon nga gumikan sa ka-fatal sa igo sa dughan sa biktima hinungdan nga kini nakabsan sa iya’ng kinabuhi samtang ang 14-anyos dali nga gidala sa Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC).

Human sa pagpamusil paspas sab kaayo nga nisibat ang gunman sa wala na matino nga lugar.

“Mura’g daku gyud ni nga bikil gawas sa utang kay giseguro man gyud nga patyon ang biktima,” matud ni Dacua. â€" /GMR) (BANAT NEWS)