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Nicole del Rosario: Accidental triathlete Eyes Seag stint
Nicole del Rosario: Accidental triathlete Eyes Seag stint.....»»
Cop dies from accidental gun discharge
A policeman accidentally killed himself with his service pistol inside their residence in Barangay Mabuhay in Bansalan, Davao del Sur before dawn Monday......»»
Policeman in Negros Oriental dead due to accidental firing of own gun
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The death of a policeman who was found with a severe gunshot wound on his head in Negros Oriental on Saturday morning, December 30, 2023, was allegedly caused by his own gun accidentally firing. This was according to the investigation of the Negros Oriental police on the death of Police Staff.....»»
China s aggressive attitude in South China Sea tactic to pull economy out of doldrums: Report
Singapore, October 29 (ANI): The recent collision between a Chinese coast guard vessel and a Philippine resupply boat near the Second Thomas Shoal on October 22 is just the latest in a series of incidents in the South China Sea. Can these types of incidents trigger a confrontation between China and the United States. While the risk of a deliberate war appears low, the possibility of accidental conflict should not be under.....»»
Dawlah terrorist killed in accidental IED blast
A ranking leader of the Dawlah Islamiya was killed in an accidental explosion of the home-made bomb he was to bring somewhere in Datu Salibo, Maguindanao del Sur on Sunday......»»
Local bomb-maker killed in accidental IED blast in Maguindanao del Sur
A local terrorist was killed in an accidental explosion of an improvised bomb he was assembling in Barangay Malangog in Datu Unsay, Maguindanao del Sur on Saturday afternoon, the police and military reported......»»
Lethal mushroom survivor leaves hospital
A poisonous mushroom survivor has left the hospital where he recovered nearly two months after eating the sprouts that killed three other diners in Australia. Ian Wilkinson was discharged Friday from Austin hospital in Melbourne, according to his family’s statement late Saturday, Agence France-Presse and 9 News reported. Wilkinson’s wife Heather, as well as married couple Don and Gail Patterson — all died after eating the mushroom dubbed as “death cap” during a family lunch on 29 July. Erin Patterson cooked and served the beef Wellington dish with the mushroom for her estranged parents-in-law, Don and Gail, as well as the Wilkinson couple. Patterson, who was married to Don and Gail’s son Simon but both have been living separately, has been named as a suspect because she appeared to remain in good health despite her four guests falling gravely ill. She has not been charged and police have provided no evidence of wrongdoing. Patterson has reportedly said that she unknowingly bought the deadly mushrooms from a grocery store and that the poisonings were accidental. Death cap mushrooms sprout freely throughout wet, warm parts of Australia and are easily mistaken for edible varieties. WITH AFP The post Lethal mushroom survivor leaves hospital appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Euphoria’ actor Angus Cloud’s death ruled accidental overdose: coroner
Angus Cloud, the 25-year-old co-star of hit HBO drama "Euphoria," died from an accidental drug overdose in July, a US coroner said Thursday. "Angus Cloud died from a lethal combination of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine and benzodiazepine in what is ruled as an accidental overdose," a spokesperson for Alameda County Coroner's office in California told AFP. "Angus suffered from acute intoxication from the combination of drugs." A statement at the time of his death said Cloud, who portrayed laconic drug dealer Fezco "Fez" O'Neill in the multiple Emmy Award-winning series, had been struggling to deal with the recent passing of his father, and had experienced ongoing mental health issues. "The only comfort we have is knowing Angus is now reunited with his dad, who was his best friend," said his family, in a statement sent by Cloud's publicist. "Angus was open about his battle with mental health and we hope that his passing can be a reminder to others that they are not alone and should not fight this on their own in silence." "Euphoria," fronted by star Zendaya, is one of the most-watched HBO series of all time. The show has drawn controversy as well as plaudits for its dark depiction of the issues facing contemporary American teens, including drug addiction and sexual violence. The gritty hit was Cloud's first acting job, having been discovered by a casting director while walking through the streets of Brooklyn, New York with friends. "We hope the world remembers him for his humor, laughter and love for everyone. We ask for privacy at this time as we are still processing this devastating loss," said the family statement. The post ‘Euphoria’ actor Angus Cloud’s death ruled accidental overdose: coroner appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
VR, AI bring Wallace, and Gromit to ‘life’
VENICE, Italy (AFP) — The rapid evolution of virtual reality was on display here this week, with visitors brought into the world of Wallace and Gromit and watching books come to life before their eyes. Running alongside the world’s oldest film festival, Venice Immersive is tucked away on a former quarantine island that transforms each year into a showcase for the latest frontiers of entertainment. This year showed how quickly technology is evolving. Some experiences had users interacting with the virtual environment using hand controllers. Thus “Wallace & Gromit in The Grand Getaway” plunged them into the world of the famous animated duo. Players become Gromit, helping him fix his hapless owner’s contraptions and rescue them from an accidental trip to Mars. “The interactivity in those worlds is increasingly precise and diverse,” said Venice Immersive co-curator Michel Reilhac. “Makers are finding ways to hijack the technology and use it in really unexpected ways.” Another experience used VR helmets to put several people at once in the studio of Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi, allowing them to snoop around his workshop and watch as his famous Barcelona cathedral rose up spectacularly around them. AI was an inevitable talking point, with one experience using a mix of two AI apps, ChatGPT and Midjourney, to ask users about their deepest thoughts before creating a bespoke story and images based on their answers. One of the most technologically impressive was “Jim Henson’s The Storyteller.” Page-turner Visitors don augmented-reality glasses to watch a 3D film come to life on a special book they hold in their hands, moving through different chapters as they turn the pages. It is the latest innovation from VR pioneers Felix and Paul Studios, who have created immersive tours of the International Space Station, the Obama White House and LeBron James’s training sessions. The interactive book was another “leap of faith,” co-founder Paul Raphael told AFP. “We wanted to realize the dream of what an augmented book could be,” he said — but that required “pushing the technology so much further.” Cameras in the glasses read the surface of the pages and track their position in real time, which the algorithm, designed from scratch, uses to calculate where to overlay the constantly moving 3D images. “The performance and speed at which it needs to happen is kind of insane,” Raphael said. With the emergence of new headsets from Apple and other companies, he believes augmented books could soon become widely available. Immersive “It’s early days and there’s so much ground to cover,” he said. “Even after 10 years, it feels like we could do this our whole lives and still just scratch the surface.” The festival highlighted social experiences, particularly VR Chat, an online platform allowing users to meet and play in virtual worlds. “VR immersive is no longer a solitary experience,” said Reilhac. “It’s gained a social dimension — and that’s where it will find its ‘killer app’ that wins over a much bigger audience.” As the tools evolve, creating these virtual worlds has become much easier, with free templates available for newcomers to use. The post VR, AI bring Wallace, and Gromit to ‘life’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Battle for the Arctic
The Arctic is a very sensitive environmental area. They say that if the Arctic sneezes, the whole world catches a cold. The Arctic also holds vast amounts of oil and gas. Energy is the arch-enemy of the Environment. The Arctic Council was established in 1996 in the Ottawa Declaration “as a high-level forum to provide a means for promoting cooperation, coordination and interaction among the (eight founding) Arctic States” (arctic-council.org). The eight Arctic States are Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States. For some reason, Greenland, the largest island, was not among the eight. The agreement stood until the war in Ukraine. The international spirit of cooperation suddenly vanished. The war in Ukraine made everyone edgy, with two factors as catalysts — energy and security. An intense energy crisis ensued. And security concerns triggered polarizations similar to the ones that preceded World Wars I and II, namely, between the East, led by Russia and China, and the West, led by US-NATO-EU. There was panic over getting new energy resources, and, in fear of wars, panic over procuring new sophisticated weapons, such as hypersonic missiles, killer drones, precision lasers that can take out satellites. Weapons makers like the US and Russia had a field day selling arms to allies. There is now a sudden focus on the vast energy resources of the Arctic, with its billions of dollars in untapped oil and gas — about 13 percent of the world’s oil and about 30 percent of the world’s gas — not to mention uranium, gold, and rare metals, all sitting there under the primordial ice. No wonder the environment is no longer a concern — it has been replaced by the lust for energy. The Arctic Circle The military map above gives an overview situationer on the Arctic Circle. (Source: International Institute for Strategic Studies — Arctic Portal.) There is UN-NATO in the west and Russia in the east. There are two existing shipping routes — the Northwest Passage and the Northeast Passage — which converge at the northern tip of the Arctic Circle. There is a third Future Trans Arctic Route in between west and east. There are 27 US-NATO bases in the west, in blue, and 28 Russian bases in the east, in black. The US-NATO bases are scattered over a wide area, while the Russian bases are concentrated along its northern shores. Note the concentration of both East and West bases in the Norway-Finland area where they face each other eyeball-to-eyeball. Many geopolitical and military analysts consider this the powder-keg for future confrontations. US-NATO cannot build bases near the Russian shorelines, so they concentrated their bases in the Norway–Finland chokepoint. Current energy extractions Russia leads the pack in energy extraction. Its turf covers about 40 percent of the Arctic Circle and 53 percent of coastal areas. There are about two million Russians living in the Arctic Circle in thriving mining communities servicing Liquid Natural Gas Projects 1 and 2. Project 1 is the Yamal LNG Plant. Project 2 is the newer $21-billion Arctic LNG2 Plan, whose goal is to extract 19.8 tons of LNG a year. Global warming has melted a considerable amount of Arctic ice in the last decade, which has triggered a more frenzied exploration and mining among the Arctic States. This is especially true for the ice corridor north of the Russian coastal area, which has triggered more daring Russian ships cutting through the melting ice. There is a 21,000-kilometer passage for Russian ships to bring their export gas to Asian markets through the Suez Canal, a long arduous route through the West, which makes the gas more expensive to deliver. Because of the melting ice, Russia now has an alternative of 13,000 kilometers through the east, 40 percent shorter than the western route. The mining activities of the Western nations will be covered in the next article due to space limitations. Future conflicts The goal of the Arctic military bases is defensive, namely, to protect the mining activities. But an Arctic encounter can be catalyzed by trigger-happy generals, or even by accidental encounters, which have happened before. The first step towards the nuclearization of the Arctic is the introduction of small tactical nukes, similar to those in Belarus, facing Poland, which can be an option if one of two contending forces is “cornered.” Tactical nukes may draw an equal response from the other side in a rapid escalation. Once tactical nukes proliferate on both sides, and an incident occurs, the next steps are the big ICBMs and the war with no winners. The post Battle for the Arctic appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Han Ji Min is accidental psychic and detective in K-drama Behind Your Touch
In Netflix’s comedy-thriller Behind Your Touch, Han Ji Min is a small-town veterinarian who finds herself solving crimes after acquiring psychic powers that get activated whenever she touches people’s butts......»»
Jemboy unarmed, posed no threat’
The chief of the Northern Police District yesterday acknowledged that Jerhode “Jemboy” Baltazar was not armed and posed no threat to anyone when he was shot dead by members of the Navotas City police. “We saw that there was no threat and no aggression from the person being arrested but they immediately used their firearms. So our police should be held liable for that,” Brig. Gen. Rizalito Gapas said Thursday. Gapas added that the Navotas police investigation of the “accidental shooting” of the teen was “not exhaustive.” He noted the cops involved were not subjected to paraffin tests to determine who fired their guns. The cops violated the Philippine National Police operational guidelines and the principle of “force continuum,” he said. A use-of-force continuum is the standard for how much force law enforcement personnel may use against a resisting subject in a given situation. It typically includes an officer’s demeanor to de-escalate a situation, and the use of empty hands to control the subject, such as grabbing, pushing, or handcuffing. Likewise, force continuum may put into play non-lethal devices like pepper spray and tasers. The six policemen also did not wear body cameras during the operation in violation of the rules, Gapas said. Navotas police chief, Col. Allan Umipig, was relieved from his post on Wednesday. He earlier refused to identify the six cops who were only charged with reckless imprudence resulting in homicide. The lawyer of the Baltazar family said they want the charge to be elevated to murder, while forensic expert Dr. Raquel Fortun said the cops should be charged with homicide at least. Fortun said the gunshot wound to the head of Baltazar was not immediately fatal, and he might have lived had not the Navotas policemen prevented people from pulling him out of the river. The cops were on a follow-up operation against a murder suspect when they chanced on Baltazar and allegedly mistook him for their suspect. They said they merely fired warning shots at Baltazar. Umipig, who was replaced by Col. Santos Sumingwa Jr., denied there was a cover-up. Aside from Umipig, 22 other police personnel were relieved from their posts. The Philippine National Police-Internal Affairs Service also sought to charge Umipig with dishonesty and command responsibility. IAS Inspector General Alfegar Triambulo said he issued a directive to the National Capital Region Police Office “to have the Navotas chief of police relieved.” Umipig allegedly ordered the names of 11 police officers stricken from the report on the killing of Baltazar, Triambulo said. On 2 August, Baltazar was in a small boat fishing with a friend on the Navotas River in Barangay NBBS Kaunlaran, when the policemen shot him. Baltazar was laid to rest on Wednesday. The post Jemboy unarmed, posed no threat’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
New twists in lethal mushroom mystery grip Australia
A mushroom mystery gripping Australia began to unravel Monday, with an amateur cook saying she accidentally put lethal fungi in a beef Wellington dish now linked to three deaths. Rumors are swirling around a close-knit community in rural Australia after a family mushroom lunch ended with three people dead and a local preacher fighting for his life. Police believe the dish was tainted with "death cap" mushrooms, which grow freely in the rolling foothills surrounding Leongatha -- a small town about two hours' drive southeast of Melbourne. The meal was cooked by community newsletter editor Erin Patterson, who has been named as a suspect because she appeared to remain in good health despite her four guests falling violently ill. The investigation has fueled intense speculation as police try to separate clumsy cooking from an alleged act of malice. Patterson stressed on Monday she had unwittingly brought the mushrooms from an Asian grocery store and that the poisonings were accidental. "I am now devastated to think that these mushrooms may have contributed to the illness suffered by my loved ones," she reportedly said in a statement provided to Australian media. "I really want to repeat that I had absolutely no reason to hurt these people whom I loved." Patterson prepared the beef Wellington for her estranged parents-in-law Don and Gail Patterson on the afternoon of Saturday, July 29. She was married to Don and Gail's son Simon but the couple had been living separately for some time. Local Baptist pastor Ian Wilkinson and his wife Heather rounded out the guest list. Later that night the two couples started experiencing food poisoning symptoms and, with their health rapidly deteriorating, they sought the help of doctors at local hospitals. Heather and Gail died the following Friday, Don died the day after that, and 70-year-old Ian is still clinging to life in a critical but stable condition. "We are hopeful and continue to pray for his recovery," Ian's family said in a statement over the weekend. "We are deeply moved by the outpouring of kindness, prayers, and support from family, friends and the broader community." 'I'm devastated' Forensic experts have been testing a food dehydrator that was found at a rubbish dump nearby to see whether it contains traces of the toxic death cap mushrooms. According to Australian media, Patterson has admitted dumping the dehydrator -- saying she panicked and was worried about losing custody of her two children. She reportedly said she bought the mushrooms from a local grocery store in Melbourne and that she too had fallen ill after eating them alongside her guests. Patterson has forcefully protested her innocence, tearfully telling reporters last week that "I didn't do anything, I love them and I'm devastated they are gone". She has not been charged and police have provided no evidence of wrongdoing. Death cap mushrooms sprout freely throughout wet, warm parts of Australia and are easily mistaken for edible varieties. They reportedly taste sweeter than other types of mushrooms but possess potent toxins that slowly poison the liver and kidneys. The post New twists in lethal mushroom mystery grip Australia appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Use of ‘cc’ in email risky — NPC
The use of the “cc” or carbon copy function in an email could put one’s data privacy at risk, prompting the National Privacy Commission to warn those who use electronic mail to do so properly. “We have observed a high number of human errors, specifically in the unintentional use of the ‘cc’ function, as a cause of security incidents which have risen in number since 2021. Such errors have led to unintended data exposure, potentially compromising the privacy and security of the data subjects involved,” the NPC said in a statement on Monday. The privacy commission said one of the common risks in using the “cc” function is that it displays the email addresses of every recipient to all recipients, which may result in the unintentional disclosure of personal information that could lead to spam, phishing, or targeted attacks. The NPC said the inappropriate use of “cc” may give unauthorized persons access to personal, sensitive, confidential, or restricted information that may be contained in the body of an email or its attachments, resulting in a breach of confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements, and inadvertent data sharing. “Mishandling personal information by using the ‘cc’ function, under certain circumstances, may be unnecessary or not proportional for the purpose which may be regarded as a violation of the general data privacy principles in the Data Privacy Act,” the statement said. For the security of email users, the NPC encouraged checking if the blind carbon copy “bcc” function would be a more appropriate mode of delivery. The “bcc” function conceals the recipients’ email addresses from each other, providing a layer of protection that reduces the risk of accidental data exposure. “Double check the recipients of the email and verify whether the ‘cc’ function is necessary. Use “bcc” appropriately when making announcements or mass emails to ensure that the intended recipients are hidden from each other. Be mindful of the personal and sensitive personal information shared in your emails and their attachments. In certain instances, it is desirable to apply other safeguards such as encryption, password protection, and secure file-sharing platforms. Train and coach your employees to follow best practices in email correspondence,” the NPC recommended. The NPC reminded the government and the private sector that failure to implement sufficient data protection measures may be punishable under the DPA and pertinent NPC issuances. The post Use of ‘cc’ in email risky — NPC appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Jing Sararaña’s way to healing through art
Angeles City-based visual artist Jaysil “Jing” Sararaña has already established a name in the art scene despite being a “late bloomer,” having started her artistic career only in 2020 during the lockdowns and restrictions imposed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Born in Tulunan, in the province of North Cotabato, Sararaña, with her own family, now lives in Pampanga, the province that first embraced her as a visual artist. Her parents are originally from the towns of San Joaquin and Miag-ao in Iloilo but moved to Mindanao in search of better opportunities like other migrants from the Visayas and Luzon. Sararaña is an abstractionist, a self-taught artist influenced by Pampangan visual artists Arnel Garcia and Aurelio de Guzman and abstractionist Kenneth Montegrade. She describes her style as “hyper creative and spontaneous,” her subjects inspired by her emotions, the poems she writes and her stories. “I paint as I go,” she said. “I usually just create a sketch of an idea but the details come after I’m done with the background.” Sararaña further explained that her art is “exactly how I feel at the moment. I like to be in my art.” “My art is me [and] it usually shows my character, my feelings, my story or my dreams,” she explained. [gallery size="full" ids="167793,167792,167791"] [caption id="attachment_167789" align="aligncenter" width="525"] ‘Dancing On My Own’ (2022).[/caption] [caption id="attachment_167788" align="aligncenter" width="525"] ‘A Woman Who Weaves Life’ (2022).[/caption] Saved from depression For her, art is heart, which is the most important factor in creating works. Art also saved her from depression brought about by many things including the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns. “Art saved me from the shambles of depression. If you feel alone and misunderstood, let art make them hear. Let art explain your emotion,” Sararaña said. Her art journey was accidental, and friends are calling her an accidental artist. “I never really thought of making art as a career as I wanted to study abroad to be a lawyer but it’s very difficult when you have no means and opportunities especially for a mom like me,” she said. “And I met art accidentally. The art community here in Angeles has been very welcoming. I enjoyed the new family I made through art, and I want to keep them so I continue making art.” Big break In March 2021, a big break came when she joined the art group Pilipinta, which mounted an inaugural exhibit at Robinsons Galleria’s Artablado that year. She mounted a mini exhibit at Okada Manila in October the next year after her collaboration with a fashion designer for the Manila International Fashion Week, where she painted a barong Tagalog worn by a participant from Singapore. She had her first solo exhibit in December 2022 in Pampanga. Sararaña is now a full-time mother of two while juggling being an artist after working in the business process outsourcing industry for years. “We transferred here in Pampanga five years ago for a new beginning, and we had to start from scratch,” she revealed. “I did not know anybody here, I don’t have someone to talk to and that is also the reason why I got depressed.” But it “made me discover art.” “I talk a lot but at the same time, I am also a loner and those undisclosed stories in my mind that I used to write in a blog, made a big impact in my works,” she said. The post Jing Sararaña’s way to healing through art appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Family attack TikTok amateur sleuths after UK woman’s ‘accidental’ death
A British woman whose mystery disappearance earlier this year sparked a social media frenzy by online sleuths and conspiracy theorists fell into a river and drowned accidentally, a coroner concluded at an inquest on Tuesday. Nicola Bulley went missing in January, apparently vanishing "into thin air". After dropping her two young daughters at school she was seen walking her dog along a river in the rural village of St Michael's on Wyre in northwestern England. The 45-year-old mortgage adviser's phone was later found on a bench still dialed into a work conference call. Her unexplained disappearance saw the online true crime world become awash with speculation about what might have happened to her. One TikTok user even had himself filmed digging up potential burial sites and then captured the moment Bulley's body was pulled from reeds in the river over three weeks later. But ruling that her death had been accidental, coroner James Adeley said she had suffered "cold water shock" after going into the river. He said the exact circumstances of how she fell in could not be known, but evidence showed there had been a steep grassy slope around the bench with an "almost vertical drop" to the water. The river bank itself had no footholds that would have allowed someone in trouble to climb out, he added at the hearing in Preston, northwestern England. In addition, the flow of the river on the day she disappeared would have made it almost impossible to swim against the current, he said. After the hearing, Bulley's family hit out at the social media speculation over her case. "It's upsetting that we've continued to receive negative targeted messages and still witness wildly inaccurate speculation being shared over numerous platforms," the family's lawyer Terry Wilcox said in a statement on their behalf. "We encourage people to look at the facts, the evidence which has been heard during the inquest, and the conclusion reached by the coroner, to ignore any amateur views and opinions, and be mindful of the impact words bring." Detective Chief Superintendent Pauline Stables of Lancashire Police said she hoped the coroner's finding would "put an end to ill-informed speculation and conspiracy theories which have been so damaging to Nikki's family". Lancashire Police were criticized over their handling of Bulley's disappearance, including sharing personal information such as her struggles with alcohol and perimenopause. But the police watchdog said in May that they would face no further action. Coroners' inquests are held in England and Wales to try to establish the causes and circumstances of sudden or unexplained deaths based on the balance of probability. They do not determine criminal or civil liability but set out facts in the public interest. The post Family attack TikTok amateur sleuths after UK woman’s ‘accidental’ death appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
The ideology of Xi Jinping
The past year has seen the tension between China and the United States becoming so intense that there was talk an accidental war could easily happen......»»
BFP: Central Post Office fire not arson
Case closed. Not an arson. This was the finding of the Bureau of Fire Protection's Intelligence and Investigation Section, to the blaze that ate up the Manila Central Post Office a week ago, according to a reliable source who wished not to be named told the Daily Tribune Tuesday. The source who was not authorized to talk about the matter to the media said the IIS found "no evidence that will suggest an arson and described it as an accidental fire." The official however added that IIS noted the finding is without prejudice to the re-opening of the case should there be any new developments that would prove otherwise. Foul play has circulated after the blaze as several accounts of individuals who witnessed the fire when it broke out at around 11:45 pm on Sunday at the basement where the Mega Manila Storage Room is located. Stocks there, the source said were supplies of thinners, cans of paints were said to have been piled near car batteries that triggered the explosion heard by an employee before the fire quickly spread. The IIS report, he added, stated that the combustibility of the load contents and its enclosed set-up greatly influence heat build-up that explains the explosion and subsequent conflagration, leading to the full development of fire and subsequent damage of the nearby structures. A car battery stored along with office supplies, thinners, paints and cans in the basement of the Manila Central Post Office building exploded, causing the May 22 fire that gutted the historic structure, the Bureau of Fire Protection ruled in its investigation on the blaze. This was also indicated in the fire clearance the bureau had issued to the Philippine Postal Corp. that the fire originated in the southern part of the basement, where the general service section (GSS0 and the Mega Manila Storage Room is located. Moreover, the presence of the internal short circuit, the hydrogen and the volatile gases contained in the battery, and the presence of oxygen as the oxidizing agent initiated the ignition. The contributory factors and the combustibility of materials fueled and sustained the ignition sequence," the report read. The post BFP: Central Post Office fire not arson appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Largest’ cosmic blast baffles astronomers
Astronomers said on Friday they have identified the “largest” cosmic explosion ever observed, a fireball 100 times the size of our Solar System that suddenly began blazing in the distant universe more than three years ago. While the astronomers offered what they think is the most likely explanation for the explosion, they emphasized that more research was needed to understand the puzzling phenomenon. The explosion, called AT2021lwx, is not the brightest flash ever observed in the universe. That record is still held by a gamma-ray burst in October that was nicknamed BOAT — for Brightest Of All Time. Philip Wiseman, an astrophysicist at Britain’s University of Southampton and the lead author of a new study, said that AT2021lwx was considered the “largest” explosion because it had released far more energy over the last three years than was produced by BOAT’s brief flash. Wiseman said it was an “accidental discovery.” The Zwicky Transient Facility in California first spotted AT2021lwx during an automated sweep of the sky in 2020. But “it basically sat in a database” until being noticed by humans the following year, Wiseman said. It was only when astronomers, including Wiseman, looked at it through more powerful telescopes that they realized what they had on their hands. By analyzing different wavelengths of light, they worked out that the explosion was roughly eight billion light years away. That is much farther away than most other new flashes of light in the sky — which means the explosion behind it must be far greater. Brighter than sun It is estimated to be around two trillion times brighter than the Sun, Wiseman said. Astronomers have looked into several possible explanations. One is that AT2021lwx is an exploding star — but the flash is 10 times brighter than any previously seen “supernova.” Another possibility is what is called a tidal disruption event, when a star is torn apart as it is sucked into a supermassive black hole. But AT2021lwx is still three times brighter than those events, and Wiseman said their research did not point in this direction. The only somewhat comparable bright cosmic event is a quasar, when supermassive black holes swallow huge amounts of gas in the center of galaxies. But they tend to flicker in brightness, Wiseman said, whereas AT2021lwx suddenly started flaring up from nothing three years ago, and it is still blazing away. “This thing we have never, ever seen before — it just came out of nowhere,” Wiseman said. Plausible In the new study, published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, the international team of researchers laid out what they believe is the most likely scenario. Their theory is that a massive, single cloud of gas — around 5,000 times larger than the Sun — is slowly being consumed by a supermassive black hole. But Wiseman said that “in science, there’s never a certainty.” The team is working on new simulations to see if their theory is “fully plausible,” he added. One problem could be that supermassive black holes sit in the center of galaxies — for an explosion this size, the galaxy would be expected to be as vast as the Milky Way, Wiseman said. But no one has been able to spot a galaxy in the vicinity of AT2021lwx. “That’s an absolute puzzle,” Wiseman admitted. Now that astronomers know what to look for, they are searching the skies to see if other similar explosions have been missed. The post ‘Largest’ cosmic blast baffles astronomers appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
BDO Insure for pet dogs and cats
Filipinos are known for their love of pet dogs and cats. They regularly spend time and resources to keep them groomed, healthy, and happy. So to help the Pinoy fur parents protect their beloved, BDO Insure, a wholly-owned subsidiary of BDO Unibank, offers affordable and customizable pet dog and cat insurance plans. “We understand that pets are important members of the family, and we want to help pet owners provide them with the best possible care,” said Ma. Theresa L. Tan, General Manager of BDO Insure. “With BDO Insure’s Pet Dog and Cat Insurance, fur parents can register their fur babies online and customize the coverage to match their pets’ and own lifestyle.” For as low as P560, pet owners can insure their pets against accidental injuries, including bone fractures, poisoning, or burns. Clients can choose their desired plan based on their budget. Insurance coverage ranges from P15,000 to P30,000 per accident (up to five incidents) under Plans A to D. In addition to the basic coverage, the Pet Dog and Cat Insurance offers add-on benefits such as pet medical reimbursement for covered illnesses, like arthritis, renal disease, hip dysplasia, pet acute dental conditions, pet accidental death or essential euthanasia, insured pet owner's liability to other persons due to pet's actions, pet international travel emergency medical treatment, and Petnap. Pet dogs and cats aged three months to six years of age are qualified. They must be owned for companionship, not for commercial use (racing, breeding, and law enforcement). To apply, pet owners must provide their pet's immunization/vaccination record book/pet book, vet clinic, vet's name and license number, and photos. “We share a bond with our dogs and cats like no other as they bring us love and joy into our lives. With pet insurance, we can show our love to our beloved pets by giving them the protection they need,” added Tan. BDO Insure is committed to providing affordable and customizable Pet Dog and Cat Insurance options that fit the pet's and pet owner's lifestyle. For more information on BDO Pet Dog and Cat Insurance, visit their website at www.bdo.com.ph/bdoinsure/pet. BDO Insure is a registered trademark of BDO Insurance Brokers, Inc., an insurance broker licensed and supervised by the Insurance Commission of the Philippines. Clients can email at bdo-insure@bdo.com.ph or call at +63 (2) 8838-2364 or 1800-10-8382364 (Domestic Toll-free; available Mondays to Fridays, except holidays from 8 a.m.-6 p.m.). The post BDO Insure for pet dogs and cats appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»