Archive for December 12th, 2012

ISTANBUL—US swim star Ryan Lochte bagged two golds on the opening day of the world shortcourse championships on Wednesday to add to the five medals he won in the London Olympics in the summer.

The American first led from start to finish to win the men’s 200m freestyle before he teamed up with Anthony Ervin, James Feigen and Matthew Grevers to win the 4x100m freestyle relay.

Lochte was pushed hard by Germany’s world record holder Paul Biedermann in the 200m freestyle, but he clocked 1min 41.92sec to claim his 15th career world short course championships gold medal.

The second gold was secured in a much tougher contest and needed anchor leg swim…Keep on reading: Ryan Lochte strikes double gold
Source: Inquirer.net

SAN FRANCISCO—Facebook on Wednesday unveiled simplified tools for protecting privacy at the world’s leading social network and made it easier for users whose pictures are on display to ask friends to remove them.

Facebook privacy “kit” updates that will begin rolling out next week include shortcuts to controls; a simple-to-use log of what a user has been sharing, and tools for managing pictures “tagged” with their names.

“Our goal is making sure people understand the ways they can control their information,” Facebook chief privacy officer Erin Egan told AFP while providing an early look at the changes.

“We want people to make the choices that are …Keep on reading: Facebook users get new privacy shortcuts
Source: Inquirer.net

LONDON—A collection of letters sent by Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger to his secret lover in the summer of 1969 sold for around $300,000 at a London auction on Wednesday, trumping their pre-sale estimate.

Purchased by a private collector over the telephone, the letters sold for £187,250 (about $301,000 or 231,000 euros) at a Sotheby’s auction, trumping their pre-sale estimate of £70,000 to £100,000.

The letters were written to black American singer Marsha Hunt, aged 23 at the time, while Jagger was filming the movie “Ned Kelly” in Australia, and were presented as a window into a different side of the rock-and-roll legend.

“We are delig…Keep on reading: Mick Jagger love letters sold at London auction
Source: Inquirer.net

MANILA, Philippines—Cheers and hugs were abound at the plenary of the House of Representatives before dawn on Thursday after they passed the Reproductive Health Bill on second reading.

Albay Representative Edcel Lagman, the sponsor of House Bill 4244 otherwise known as the RH Bill, was positive that the 113-104 voting on the measure was already “virtually impossible” to change once it is put to vote for third and final reading.

Prior to its historic approval on second reading, the RH Bill was stuck at Congress for roughly 14 years. Lagman said its passage made him feel “elated.”

House majority leader Neptali Gonzales II said that Monday is the…Keep on reading: Lagman ‘elated’ over passage of RH bill
Source: Inquirer.net