Marcos: Cha-cha only about economic reforms | The wRap
The wRap's highlights: Marcos on charter change, Arnie Teves, Kobe Bryant.....»»
‘Leave a legend’: Lakers unveil first of 3 Kobe Bryant statues
As the Lakers unveil the first Kobe Bryant statue, his widow Vanessa says the NBA great would ‘take pride in knowing that he is still pouring inspiration into the game that was so special to him’.....»»
Leadership Lessons from Kobe and LeBron for Small Business Success
The NBA is back, at last, and along with it, new storylines which delve into the world of locker room chemistry and leadership from each team’s respective superstars and candidates. Let’s have a look at how two of NBA’s greatest superstars, the late Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, take on leadership roles and their approach […].....»»
Dissident author warns Russians in Europe to be on guard
Russian author Sergei Lebedev's novel "Untraceable", about an undetectable toxin used to target Kremlin critics, was released a few years ago but has taken on added resonance as alleged poisonings have multiplied. Now the dissident writer is warning that the Russian exile community in Europe faces an ever greater threat amid heightened tensions over the Ukraine war. "This emigre community in Europe is now one of the most important targets for the Russian security (services)," the 42-year-old, now based in Germany, told AFP in an interview at the Frankfurt Book Fair this week. "There will be attempts to infiltrate, to get informants... Of course, there will be some assassination attempts." In Germany -- which Lebedev describes as a "hub" for overseas Russians -- there have been a growing number of suspected cases of Kremlin critics being targeted. In May, German police said they were investigating the possible poisoning of exiled Russians after an activist, Natalia Arno, reported health problems following a Berlin meeting of dissidents. Meanwhile, Berlin-based Russian journalist Elena Kostyuchenko wrote in a Guardian article last month about how she fell ill last year after visiting Munich, and poisoning was suspected. Inside Russia, the most high-profile case in recent years of a Kremlin critic allegedly being poisoned was that of opposition politician Alexei Navalny. Moscow has repeatedly dismissed allegations that it has targeted critics in this way. But Western governments say evidence points to the contrary and for Lebedev, Russians in Europe are not taking the threat seriously enough. 'Very eerie' "They are not very much concerned with security," he said. "They do not understand the principles of how the security services work." "Untraceable", which tells the story of an ageing scientist who creates a highly toxic, undetectable poison, was inspired by the 2018 poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, England. And it was around the time that the book was published in Russia that opposition politician Navalny was allegedly poisoned -- a development that Lebedev said he found "very eerie". While he has been vocal about his opposition to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, he does not believe he faces a threat himself. He has not found himself in the crosshairs of the authorities and feels he does not run the same level of risk as others, such as critical journalists, particularly those still trying to report from inside Russia. Still, Lebedev -- who moved to Germany five years ago with his wife -- said he has been taking extra precautions, particularly when it comes to exchanging sensitive information. Before becoming a full-time writer, Lebedev worked as a geologist and later as a journalist. He was motivated to write a novel after discovering his grandmother's second husband had been the commander of a Soviet labor camp. He was shaken by the revelation and faced the question of how to "deal with this personally -- with the fact that in your family (there) was a murderer". "I realized that the way out was to write a novel." 'Shocked' at Ukraine war The result was the book "Oblivion", about the legacy of the Soviet prison camp system, which was released about a decade ago and launched his literary career. He has since written several books and his latest is a collection of short stories, "A Present Past: Titan and Other Chronicles". It reflects what he believes is Russia's tortured relationship with the Soviet era -- and society's failure to come to terms with the past -- as well as aspects of its problematic present. Lebedev, who lives in Potsdam outside Berlin, did not flee his homeland. He first moved to Germany for professional reasons. But he has not returned since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, fearing it is not safe to do so. He said he was "shocked" when Moscow sent its forces into Ukraine. "I was the same idiot as many of us were, thinking that Putin is a... modern autocratic, modern dictator and not the blood-thirsty maniac that he is." He sees no swift end to the conflict. "The most difficult and problematic thing is that Russians are getting used to the fact that they are at war but still life is sustainable," he said. The post Dissident author warns Russians in Europe to be on guard appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Video games give sports stars second life
The post-retirement careers of the biggest sports stars can be fascinating to watch -- Viagra ads, property ventures, crypto projects -- but one option is becoming a sure-fire winner: put your face on the cover of a video game. And death is no barrier for this particular career, with two popular games this year choosing sports legends who are no longer with us. LA Lakers basketball star Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter accident in 2020, graces the cover of "NBA 2K24". And two of the world's greatest footballers from bygone eras -- Pele and Johan Cruyff -- get posthumous respect with their figures emblazoned on "FC 24" from EA Sports. They are joined on the cover of the EA game by a galaxy of still-living stars of the more recent past -- Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldinho -- and present -- Erling Haaland and Alexia Putellas. French legend Zidane told AFP in June that many young children now knew him largely through his appearance in the EA's game, formerly known as "FIFA". "Kids aged eight to 10 don't know me, unless their dads have told them about what I did back in the day," said the World Cup winner. "It's more through PlayStation, so it's kind of funny. I'm used to it." Marketing nostalgia The ties between video game publishers and sports stars go deep, particularly in the United States. The leading video game series on American football bears the name of a former player, John Madden, who retired in 1978 to become a sports commentator. Julien Pillot, an economist specializing in cultural industries, told AFP the endorsement of bona fide legends was clearly a powerful marketing tool. And the often huge cost of getting their endorsement, he said, was "more than offset" by the sales they generate -- both of the games themselves and the ubiquitous in-game "cards" required to unlock additional content. Gaming firms were playing on the "intergenerational aspect" and adding "a touch of nostalgia", said Pillot. It's a feature that executives are not shy about highlighting. "My seven-year-old only really knows who Pele is because of his amazing rating on FC," David Jackson, vice-president of the EA Sports FC brand, told AFP. He said the game had allowed fans to feel a little bit of the magic of playing with stars from earlier generations. And it works both ways, according to some of the stars involved -- even those who don't rate as highly as Pele. "People of a certain generation know me by what I've done on the pitch," said World Cup winner Robert Pires at the launch party for the EA game in Paris. But a 12-year-old boy told Pires recently he had only learnt who the French star was through playing the game. "I asked him: 'Am I good?'" said Pires. "He told me: 'You're good, but you're slow.'" The post Video games give sports stars second life appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
A label I called friend
Criselda and I were both studying in Maryknoll College (now Miriam College). This was in the year 1955. We did not know each other. But she was already so very pretty then, I could not help but notice her. I found out her name was Criselda Lontok. My mother’s maiden family name is Lontoc. Criselda’s family name, Lontok, ends with a K, while my mother’s maiden family name ends with a C. But since our parents came from Batangas, we both assumed we were related somehow. We would always joke and say, we are both related because both of us are beauties. And we would laugh so much about this. Criselda was very popular. She had many admirers and suitors. We would go to parties together and even go on double dates. She was fun to be with. Criselda, at a very young age, was already very creative, fashionable and business-minded. She and her sister Helen did made-to-order shoes, and they called the brand Meysel. I was very often her model. When she got married, she asked me to be her cord sponsor for the wedding. Then when she had Criselda’s in Rustan’s, she would ask me to model her clothes. She even featured me together with my daughter Rica and granddaughter Natalia in a poster for Rustan’s. Criselda’s distinct traits that I like most was that she was always very accommodating. When I am in Rustan’s, she would always be there to help and to assist. There was even a time she planned my wardrobe. She would sit by her desk and we would endlessly tell stories about our families and common friends. Never did I hear Criselda badmouth anyone. She was the friend of all, most especially the matronas. Up to now, when you open my walk-in closet, majority of my clothes still carry the Criselda brand. They have lasted. They are what you may describe as classic and timeless. Of course, Criselda also sold clothes that were based on the fashion of the time. But I liked the design and cut especially suited for the not-so-perfect figure and for the elderly woman. Her clothes brought out the elegance in us. Yes, I still want the Criselda brand to continue. I still do miss Criselda. A few days ago, I went to her store and sat in front of her table. I missed her smile and her laughter. I felt nostalgic. She left us too soon. The post A label I called friend appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
NBA Draft prodigy Wembanyama set for commercial bonanza
Victor Wembanyama is only 19 and has not played a minute in an NBA jersey but the French teenager is poised to land an array of lucrative deals likely to make him one of the most commercially successful athletes in history. Wembanyama will take center stage at the NBA Draft in Brooklyn on Thursday when the gifted 7ft 4in (2.24m) center widely viewed as a once-in-a-generation basketball talent is set to be chosen with the number one pick by the San Antonio Spurs. Already, Wembanyama is being tipped to potentially land an improved $100 million contract with US sporting goods behemoth Nike, eclipsing the $90 million offered to LeBron James when he entered the league in 2003. If the $100 million figure comes to fruition, it would be the biggest contract ever handed to a player who has not yet played in the NBA. Sonny Vaccaro, the legendary 83-year-old marketing executive who signed Michael Jordan to Nike and Kobe Bryant to Adidas, believes Wembanyama's unique talent could command "historic" riches. "This is unique. But a deserved unique," Vaccaro told AFP. "In my lifetime of evaluating and making financial prices for athletes, I've never seen anything like it. This kid will make history." Nike, which already has a deal with Wembanyama, has hinted at its strategy to make the Frenchman a global superstar. "Think (Victor Wembanyama) will change basketball? Think bigger," Nike wrote in a social media post after this year's draft order was revealed last month. Wembanyama's mammoth Nike deal will likely be the first of many, according to Steve Rosner of 16W Marketing, who predicts multi-million dollar deals in areas such as trading cards and other derivative products. Unique endorser "Victor is going to be one of those guys that are going to be able to have a nice endorsement portfolio before he ever plays a second in the NBA," Rosner said. "Because of all the promotion and the hype coming up leading up to this, he'll be a unique endorser as well, as far as being able to have these deals in place before he steps on an NBA court." In decades gone by, such a commercial bonanza for a foreign NBA player would have been unthinkable. Overseas stars such as Hakeem Olajuwon, Dirk Nowitzki, and Pau Gasol aroused little interest among sponsors. "Madison Avenue prefers an American guy," consultant Marty Blackman remarked in 1995 when commenting on how Olajuwon had failed to earn the sort of endorsement deals enjoyed by American players despite leading Houston to a second straight NBA championship. Victor Matheson, a professor at Holy Cross University, says that began to change in 2002 when China's Yao Ming entered the league. "Yao Ming was important, because not only was he a big name within the US, but he really opened up the Chinese market to the NBA as well," Matheson said. Today, the NBA's overseas fan base is larger than the entire population of the United States. According to Forbes magazine, Giannis Antetokounmpo, two-time NBA Most Valuable Player and an NBA champion in 2021, earns more in off-court deals -- $45 million – than the salary paid to him by the Milwaukee Bucks of $42 million. "Victor can open up new markets," Matheson said. Rosner said Wembanyama's international profile is also likely to make him an attractive pitchman for multinationals such as Coca-Cola, McDonald's or Visa, who all signed deals with Yao. A world game now Twenty years ago, playing for a small-market NBA team such as San Antonio could have potentially diminished Wembanyama's commercial appeal. However, Vaccaro believes the global reach of the NBA and the rise of streaming and social networks have changed the dynamic. "It's a world game now, so it doesn't matter really," said Vaccaro. It may take time for Wembanyama to fully maximize his earning potential, though. The French prodigy and his entourage are in no hurry to cash in immediately. Wembanyama's agent, Bouna Ndiaye, who has represented numerous French NBA stars such as Rudy Gobert, Nicolas Batum and Evan Fournier, says the priority is basketball. "What we're trying to do, first of all, is make Victor rare," Ndiaye told ESPN. "We don't want him all over the place. We don't want to have 20 partners," Ndiaye said. "Victor is rejecting some rich, million-dollar deals right now because he wants to focus on basketball." Commercial partners, meanwhile, may also be reluctant to "give away the entire company to a player who actually hasn't played a single minute in the NBA", Matheson said. "I suspect they're going to be looking for a little bit more." Rosner, however, believes that if Wembanyama delivers on the court, commercial deals will be a formality. "Once he does everything on the court, then everything off the court will follow," Rosner said. Matheson echoed that position, stating that ultimately Wembanyama's fortune will be maximized through his achievements on the hardwood. "The reason that Jordan has become a billionaire is not that he signed one good deal but because his play over almost two decades meant that he could re-sign that deal and re-sign that deal and re-sign that deal," Matheson said. "In order to make LeBron James or Michael Jordan sort of money, it's not about signing that first deal. It's about showing what you can do actually on the court." The post NBA Draft prodigy Wembanyama set for commercial bonanza appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Suspect arrested after pouring boiling water onto 3-month-old baby
An 18-year-old man was arrested after he allegedly poured boiling water on his three-month-old nephew while under the influence of drugs in Cainta on Monday. Police said John Melvin Campos admitted to the crime after he was apprehended in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan. Campos was entrusted the care of Bryant Louise Ballesteros and his one-year-old brother while their mother, Vivien Navarro, 27, left for work. Campos and Navarro are cousins. Neighbors said Campos took the one-year-old child to them while he left in a hurry carrying a bag of clothes. Knowing that there was an infant in the home, they checked to find out Ballesteros dead with scald wounds. Authorities are set to file murder charges against Campos. The post Suspect arrested after pouring boiling water onto 3-month-old baby appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
This was his before and after in the cinema
After its official screening at the last edition of the Cartagena International Film Festival, this Thursday the film starring Colombian Natalia Reyes: “Tomorrow before after”.....»»
Newly acquired Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell reflects on first LA stint with Kobe Bryant
D’Angelo Russell returns to Los Angeles for his second stint with the Lakers after the team drafted him as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.....»»
Kobe Bryant’s jersey from MVP season sold for $5.8 million
The Lakers jersey was signed by Kobe Bryant and worn in 25 of his 82 games that season, including six playoff games.....»»
Natalia Jimenez celebrates her birthday with the most loved one in her life. who will it be?
If Natalia Jimenez has been through anything, 2022 is a bundle of emotions; His concert tours: “Mexico is my heart” s “20 Years Anthology” In.....»»
Fresh jolt for Bolts
Reeling from a woeful 1-5 start and in danger of missing the PBA Commissioner’s Cup playoffs, Meralco has brought in a fresh import to replace four-year NBA veteran Johnny O’Bryant. It’s not too late to pump life back into the struggling Bolts and the first step is to beat San Miguel Beer in their next outing on Saturday with Jessie Govan in harness......»»
Bolts face adversity without Newsome
Meralco coach Norman Black tasked import Johnny O’Bryant and the Bolts’ healthy locals to step up to the plate as the team tries to overcome adversity in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup......»»
Ukraine says long-anticipated southern offensive has begun
The Ukraine command spokesperson Natalia Humeniuk confirms the offensive in a news briefing and says it includes the Kherson region.....»»
Steph walang kasukat husay
SA dami ng nilalaman ng basketball resume ni Steph Curry, halos imposible nang makaligtaan siya sa usapan ng GOATs -Greatest of All Time - sa tabi nina Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant. The post Steph walang kasukat husay first appeared on Abante......»»
How Dominic Wilkins and Kobe Bryant helped athletes overcome devastating injuries
Tokyo – The first thing Dominic Wilkins does is remember the pain in the back of her leg. The second thing is to prepare for.....»»
What can Fil-Am Jalen Green bring to the NBA?
The Ignite alumni has drawn comparisons to a number of current and former players, such as the late Kobe Bryant, Hall of Famer Ray Allen, and current NBA guard Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls......»»
Durant says US men’s team wants to honor Kobe at Tokyo Olympics
Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant has said the United States basketball team has Kobe Bryant’s DNA embedded in it and will look to honor the Los Angeles Lakers great with their play during this year’s Tokyo Olympics. Bryant, a five-time NBA champion and twice Olympic gold medal winner, died last year aged 41 in a helicopter crash […] The post Durant says US men’s team wants to honor Kobe at Tokyo Olympics appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
Sofia Andres: Motherhood has changed me
More than a year after she gave birth to daughter Zoe Natalia, Sofia Andres happily shared that motherhood has made her a better person......»»