Guinness names Filipino as world's shortest man

SINDANGAN, Philippines (AP) — A poor Filipino blacksmith's son who stands less than 2 feet (60 centimeters) tall was declared the world's shortest man by Guinness World Records on his 18th birthday Sunday, sparking a celebration in his hometown.

The title was bestowed on Junrey Balawing in Sindangan in the southern Philippines, with his parents, villagers and officials showering the coastal town's newly famous resident with a feast of roasted pigs and seafood, cake, balloons and cash gifts.

Balawing measured 23.5 inches (60 centimeters) during the ceremony attended by about 100 villagers and journalists at the town hall. Guinness World Records representative Craig Glenday presented Balawing with official recognition of his status as the shortest adult man in the world, with the framed certificate nearly reaching the ears of the standing recipient.

Balawing, who wore a white shirt emblazoned with the Guinness seal, took over the title from Khagendra Thapa Magar of Nepal, who is 26.4 inches (67 centimeters) tall, Glenday said.

Dozens of journalists descended on Sindangan, a fishing and farming town of 90,000 located about 450 miles (730 kilometers) south of Manila, to cover the event.

"Thank you," Balawing told the crowd in a local dialect which was translated by his father, Reynaldo. Balawing tried repeatedly before managing to blow out the candles on the cake and clapped heartily each time the crowd applauded. He was later heard saying "Kapoy," or "I'm tired."

Balawing — who is about the size of a toddler and has a child's demeanor — needs to hold onto something to stand because of weak knees. He was photographed propping himself up with empty Coca-Cola bottles, which were taller than his waistline.

Balawing's mother grew teary-eyed during the ceremony, saying she was happy with her son's instant fame.

Glenday said he was struck by Balawing's lively personality and constant smile.

"Although he's short, he takes that in stride," Glenday told The Associated Press. "He has this cheeky smile."

Aside from the Guinness certificate, the crown does not come with any cash award. Glenday said he hopes the international fame will bring in gifts and donations, particularly medical supplies to ensure Balawing's health.

Nobody could explain why Balawing stopped growing two months after his birth, his father said, adding that he first walked with help from his parents when he was 5 years old.

Sindangan Vice Mayor Bess Jagonio, a doctor, speculated that he may have had an endocrine or a birth-related defect.

Balawing's brother and two sisters are all average size.

His family said they tried to send Balawing to school but withdrew him after he distracted other children's attention.

Local officials got the idea of informing the Guinness records committee about Balawing from journalists who learned about his size.

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Coasta Rica 2011 Tourist Spot

Costa Rica, with its beautiful beaches, vibrant culture and stunning wildlife, has long been a peaceful haven in Latin America for US tourists -- but now, it seems that the rest of the world is getting in on the action.

Recent figures have shown that the number of US tourists is declining in favor of visitors from other regions, predominantly Central and South Americans, keen to experience the Costa Rican promise of 'Pura Vida' (pure life).

With the launch of a new route from Air Berlin this November, that could soon include European tourists, although visitors would do well to visit before the rush really begins -- in the first three months of this year, the country has already seen a spike of 7.8 percent in arrivals.

Already lauded this year by the International Business Times and TripAdvisor, Costa Rica is a rich and thought-provoking destination -- here's a look at some of the best things to do in a country that prides itself on having 'no artificial ingredients':

See the wildlife. Costa Rica is one of the planet's most biodiverse nations, offering everything from bird watching to whale-spotting thanks to terrain which is uniquely varied. The best way to do this, however, is to…

Take a canopy tour. Invented in Costa Rica in the 1990s, the idea of whizzing above the treetops on a zip line has gained popularity across the continent, but the country's incredible forestry remains one of the best places to do it.

Raft. Costa Rica offers some of the world's best white-water rafting, even if it is terrifying. Still, the risks are easy to forget as you bounce down the Río Reventazón, hanging on by a thread and trying desperately not to miss the incredible jungle wildlife.

See Liberia. Costa Rica's capital San José isn't for everybody, but Liberia offers a far more charming base from which to explore the country and an increasing number of international flights to get there.

See the Pacific and the Atlantic - from a volcano. Thirty kilometers outside of San José, the Irazu volcano is the most active of Costa Rica's volcanoes, but for now it makes a great day out. From the 3,432-meter high tip -- accessible by car through the national park -- it's possible to see both oceans on a clear day.

Get muddy. Don't miss a chance to splash around in the volcanic mud pits of parks like Parque Nacional Rincón de la Vieja, which sits 25 km to the north of Liberia. There are several independent spas in the region.

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U.S not coming to aid Ph againts China

Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - The United States has said it will not side with any party in the Spratlys conflict, which is to say that the Philippines' most powerful ally will not be coming to its aid should its spat with China escalate into a shooting war.

The US Embassy made this clear in reaction to a Malacanang (the presidential palace) statement expressing confidence that Washington would honour its commitment under the two countries' Mutual Defence Treaty (MDT) to come to the aid of a beleaguered ally.

"The US does not take sides in regional territorial disputes," the US press attache Rebecca Thompson said in an e-mailed statement when contacted for comment to deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte's invoking of the 60-year-old MDT.

Thompson said the US was "troubled by incidents in the South China Sea in recent days that have raised tensions in the region" and that Washington opposes "the use or threat of force" by any of the countries with rival claims to the Spratly islands.

The brief statement said the US "shares a number of national interests with the international community in the South China Sea" but did not mention the Philippines or the two countries' over-a-hundred-year-old ties and mutual defence pact.

In an interview on state-run dzRB radio earlier on Saturday, Valte figured the Philippines could count on its superpower ally should the situation with China deteriorate because of the MDT.

"I haven't seen the terms of the MDT quite recently but I know that as an ally, the United States will help if ever it reaches that point because of the Mutual Defence Treaty," she said.

"Hopefully, it doesn't get to that point because, again, we are committed to the resolution of the issue in the most diplomatic and the most peaceful way possible," she added.

Armed Forces Chief General Eduardo Oban was also earlier quoted as saying that the military remained "hopeful that the Americans will not stand aside should the conflict erupt and that they can invoke the MDT with the US".

The MDT was signed on Aug 13, 1951, in Washington, DC with both parties declaring "publicly and formally their sense of unity and their common determination to defend themselves against external armed attack".

Under the eight articles of the treaty, both parties agree to aid and support each other in settling any international disputes by peaceful means, among others.

Sentor Francis Escudero said the Department of Foreign Affairs should be designated as the lead agency to talk about the Spratlys issue in public.

Avoid any mistakes

He said Malacanang should not do so through its spokespersons "in order to avoid any faux pas on our part".

Escudero said the government should also review the MDT to ascertain if US forces would indeed come to the rescue if the Philippines is attacked because of the Spratlys dispute.

He said Palace officials should carefully review the MDT, read through its fine print and get confirmations from the US government "if indeed this situation is covered".

But he remained optimistic that US military support would be given in case of an armed conflict as "a gesture of longstanding friendship".

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said the House would leave it to the Department of Foreign Affairs assert the country's sovereignty claim over the West Philippine Sea.

"The DFA is articulating our position and we're supporting it," he said.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Commodore Miguel Rodriguez said the AFP leaves it to the DFA to make an official comment on the developments in the Spratlys issue.

Not joining Viet Nam

"We submit our reports to the DFA and the DFA crafts the country's position on KIG [Kalayaan Island Group] affairs," he said, referring to the portion of the Spratlys claimed by the Philippines.

He also said the military was not joining Viet Nam, another Spratlys claimant, in the deepening rift with China over the issue.

"We are not looking at partnering with one country against another country," he said.

At a Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Independence Day dinner Saturday night, President Aquino came face to face with Chinese Ambassador Liu Jiangchao who only a few days ago had warned claimant states to stop exploring for oil in the Spratlys.

"Like all neighbours, I know we may have our disagreements sometimes," Aquino said in his speech, acknowledging Liu's presence.

"(But) no one can deny the benefits our relationship has brought to both our countries throughout the years," he added.

Liu adverted to "incidents" that have arisen between the two countries since Aquino came to power.

"But facts have manifested we are stronger than these tests," he said.

Liu said the August 23 botched hostage crisis involving Hong Kong tourists had been settled with a "loving and understanding heart".

"The last thing the Chinese government and people want to see is that the [Spratlys] dispute stands in the way of the progress of our wonderful relations and the friendship and brotherhood of our two peoples," Liu said, who hinted at a visit to China from Aquino later this year.

In the past two weeks, the Philippines has accused China of making at least six incursions into Philippine territory in the past four months, a charge that Beijing has dismissed as rumors.

Recently, the Aquino government has made a point of referring to the South China Sea as the West Philippine Sea to bolster its claim to certain parts of the Spratlys. With reports from Christian V. Esguerra, DJ Yap and Cynthia D. Balana


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Selena Gomez meets Bieber family

Justin Bieber has taken Selena Gomez to visit his hometown.
The singing sensation was accompanied to his sister’s belated birthday gathering in Canada by his 18-year-old girlfriend, who met his extended family.
The trip comes after the pair enjoyed a romantic break to Hawaii together after sharing a public kiss at the Billboard Music Awards. Prior to visiting Canada, the couple also spent time at Selena’s home in Texas.
The talented twosome were spotted enjoying lunch at the Swiss Chalet in Toronto on Wednesday. A source has revealed that they were joined by his cousins, aunt and uncle at the restaurant, and were relaxed whilst they tucked into a variety of hearty meals.
"They were really sweet and make an adorable couple. Justin comes here whenever he's in town. For lunch he had the Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad and Selena had a cheese burger with fries,” a source told Hollywood Life.
Justin, 17, and Selena were also seen spending time with his father Jeremy and half-siblings, Jazmyn and Jaxon, at a local park. The pretty brunette was apparently a hit with her beau’s family who instantly warmed to her down-to-earth nature.
"They looked like one big happy family. The little kids took to Selena straight away and they were all laughing and joking around. They couldn't have been happier,” a source revealed to Us Magazine.
The American stars are rumoured to have been romancing for several months, but only went public with their relationship at February’s Vanity Fair Oscar party. Selena has received several death threats from a number of Justin’s devoted fans since they stepped out together.
"Selena Gomez is dangerously close to a long, slow painful death,” one fan wrote on Twitter.
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London Olympic Park completed

London 2012 officials say construction on public transportation to the Olympic Park site has been completed, more than a year ahead of the Summer Games.
The Olympic Delivery Authority says the work was completed at Stratford Station, which is the main transportation hub for visitors to the Olympic Park in east London.
About $10.6 million is being spent on Britain's transportation for the Olympics. Ten rail routes including the high-speed Javelin, Eurostar and Docklands Light Railway will serve Stratford.
London Mayor Boris Johnson says "thanks to the Games and the massive settlement we've secured from central government, London is seeing a neo-Victorian age of investment in its transport infrastructure."
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Rats on Board

A flight crew checking the cabin of a Qantas plane before takeoff found rats in a compartment holding medical equipment, grounding the plane for more than a day, a spokeswoman said Thursday.
Crews did a visual check of the plane Tuesday afternoon and found no more rats or any damage. The rodents had been in a cabinet holding a defibrillator. The plane returned to service Thursday morning.
Passengers had not yet boarded the Sydney-to-Brisbane flight and were instead put on another plane.
A Qantas spokeswoman called the incident "very unusual." She declined to be named, citing policy.
But Scott Connolly of the Transportation Workers Union told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio on Thursday that members have had concerns about hygiene and sanitation on Qantas flights.
The spokeswoman denied that was the case. "This is a very irregular occurrence," she said.
Qantas, Australia's national carrier, has experienced a series of troubles in recent months, including an engine explosion and forced landings.
Earlier this week, a Qantas flight from Dallas, Texas, to Australia made an unscheduled stop on a Pacific island after pilots feared they might run out of fuel because of strong headwinds. The Qantas spokeswoman said the airline was committed to the route — which is new and one of the world's longest for Boeing 747 jets.
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Bulls Goes to Eastern Finals

ATLANTA (Reuters) - The Chicago Bulls advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1998 with a series-clinching 93-73 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday.
Displaying the kind of offensive and defensive balance that earned them the best regular-season record, the Bulls brushed past the Hawks to close out the best-of-seven series 4-2.
Chicago will now face the in-form Miami Heat for a place in the NBA Finals.
"It's going to be a battle. They're a great team, they're playing together great as a team and we are too," Chicago's Derrick Rose told reporters of the upcoming series.
"We're at a place where we've never been. We're happy, the fans are happy and we're just trying to keep it going."
Rose, the League's most valuable player (MVP), has helped the Chicago franchise reach a level not seen since the Michael Jordan-led glory days of the 1990s.
On Thursday, he delivered one of his most efficient performances of the postseason, finishing with 19 points and 12 assists while taking just 14 shots -- nearly half of his series average.
Rose's team mates carried more of the load with Carlos Boozer tallying 23 points and 10 rebounds.
"I'm just getting a little better every day and playing off the MVP," said Boozer, who has been hampered by a toe injury during the playoffs. "We just got done with a great challenge against a great team."
The Hawks were blitzed from the start, trailing by 10 after the first and second quarters, before falling behind by 17 after three.
Joe Johnson scored a team-high 19 points and Josh Smith added 18 for the Hawks.
Having pulled off an upset win over the Orlando Magic in the first round series, Atlanta stole the opener against Chicago to position itself nicely.
But the Hawks lost the next two games of the series then were pushed to the brink with a Game Five loss on Tuesday.
Atlanta was held to just 36 percent shooting in the finale.
The Bulls, meanwhile, thrived making 53 percent of their field goals and tallying a playoff-high 34 assists on the night.

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Teacher's Licensure Exam Result in April 2011

A total of 12,946 teachers out of more than 62,000 examinees passed the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) given last April in the Philippines and Hong Kong, according to the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and the Board for Professional Teachers (BPT).
Of the successful examinees, 5,221 of 33,023 passed the LET for elementary teachers with a passing rate of 15.81 percent, while 7,690 secondary teachers out of 29,267 examinees passed the LET for high school teachers with a passing rate of 26.28 percent.
Meanwhile, 35 others out of 339 examinees passed the LET for the Accelerated Teacher Education Program (A.T.E.P.).

Examination Results of two examinees were withheld pending final determination of their liabilities.
The University of the Philippines was the top performing school in the LET for secondary teachers with 69 of 71 examinees passing the exam.
To view the complete list, see:

* Results of Licensure Examination for Teachers - Elementary
* Results of Licensure Examination for Teachers - Secondary
* Results of Licensure Examination for Teachers - ATEP

The Board for Professional Teachers is composed of Dr. Faith Bachiller, chairman; Dr. Reynaldo Peña and Dr. Jesus Nieves, members.
The exam was held last April 3 in 14 testing centers in Lucena, Tuguegarao, Metro Manila, Region IV, Tacloban, Legazpi, Iloilo, Zamboanga, Pagadian, Baguio, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, and Hong Kong.
The requirements for the issuance of a Certificate of Registration and a Professional Identification Card (ID) are the following:Duly accomplished Oath Form or Panunumpa ng Propesyonal
latest Community Tax Certificate (Cedula)
1 piece 1" x 1" picture (colored with white background and complete name tag);
2 pieces 2" x 2" picture (colored with white background and complete name tag);
metered documentary stamp for the Oath Form and
the initial registration fee of P600 and annual registration fee of P450 for 2011-2014.The successful examinees should personally register and sign in the Roster of Registered Professionals.
The registration date for the issuance of the IDs and certifications will be announced at a later date. — VS, GMA News

Microsoft is Buying Skype?

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Microsoft is close to buying internet telephony network Skype in an $8.5 billion deal, a source familiar with the situation said, as it seeks to regain ground on growing rivals such as Google. Buying the loss-making but popular Skype would underline Microsoft's need to gain new customers and platforms for its software as smartphones and tablets explode in popularity. Skype, which allows people to make calls at no charge, would also give Microsoft a foothold in potentially the lucrative video-conferencing market as global businesses seeking to reduce expenditure shift to lower-cost ways of communicating. Microsoft has already put more energy and resources into mobile and internet technologies as the use of PCs, which underpin its Windows and Office franchise, is under threat. This change was starkly illustrated last year when Apple's portfolio of coveted consumer goods propelled it past Microsoft to become the world's most valuable technology company. The maker of iPhones and iPads has since been named as the most valuable brand too, overtaking Google. The Skype deal -- which would be the biggest in the 36-year history of the world's largest software company -- is expected to be announced as early as Tuesday morning, the source told Reuters. Microsoft and Luxembourg-based Skype declined comment. The $8.5 billion mooted price tag, including debt, was a surprise. Although the sum would not stretch cash-rich Microsoft, some said it was high for a company whose ownership has changed several times during its relatively short life. "In this atmosphere of Internet Bubble 2.0, picking up an unprofitable online company for roughly 10 times sales probably seems downright cheap," Shanghai-based Michael Clendenin, managing director of consulting firm RedTech Advisors, said. "But if you consider (it) was just valued at about $2.5 billion 18 months ago when a chunk was sold off, then $8.5 billion seems generous and means Microsoft has a high wall to climb to prove to investors that Skype is a necessary linchpin for the company's online and mobile strategy," he added. This was echoed by Ben Wood, head of research firm CCS Insight: "The big unanswered question is how do Skype assets work for Micrososft, they already have instant messaging, IP telephony...how do you justify the price?" "That being said, Skype is a vibrant community, a diverse global community with a young population and Skype is making inroads into older parts of the population too," Wood added. Skype, which delayed plans for an initial public offering expected to raise $1 billion, has been looking at other options, including tie-ups with Facebook and Google. Such a deal was seen as valuing Skype at $3 billion to $4 billion. STOCK LANQUISHING Despite doubling sales and profit in the last eight years, Microsoft's stock has largely languished, as investors worry about its ability to counter new rivals or adapt to new ways of computing, especially the threat posed by new mobile devices. Microsoft has countered with a new version of its mobile software -- which will power the next generation of Nokia smartphones -- and is developing a new operating system that will work on low-power tablet PCs. But online video chat remains a weakness. Although the company already has video in its Windows Live Messenger service, it is not available on its Windows Phone 7 software. Skype also makes versions of its own service for use on iPhone and iPad, Research in Motion's BlackBerry and Android phones. It cannot be used on Microsoft phones. Apple's FaceTime video calling service -- available on its latest iPhone and Mac computers -- has been a big hit. Google recently followed suit by adding video to its popular Google Talk application for smartphones running on its Android system. CASH PILE Despite being its most expensive to date, the deal would still be relatively small for Microsoft, which has $50 billion in cash and short-term investments on its balance sheet. The price would likely include $686 million in long-term debt. "I think the price is quite reasonable," said Sean Lee, a Taipei-based manager of the Global Top Dividend Fund at Shinkong Investment Trust, which owns Microsoft shares. Skype, which was formed in 2003, was bought by Ebay Inc in 2005 for $3.1 billion. Last year it had in $860 million in revenue but made a net loss of $7 million, according to data in its initial public offering filing. In 2009, eBay sold a majority stake in Skype to an investor group including Silver Lake, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Andreessen Horowitz for $1.9 billion in cash and a $125 million note. EBay retained about a third. Last year, Skype had about 124 million connected users every month by the end of June. But 8.1 million were paying customers, using Skype to make calls to traditional phones at low rates. A deal would exceed the $6 billion Microsoft paid for online ad agency aQuantive in 2007, which was not a success. Microsoft shareholders are relieved its $47.5 billion offer for Yahoo Inc in 2008 was rebuffed, paving the way for a web-search agreement which gives Microsoft most of what it wanted anyway. Yahoo shares have halved in value. Microsoft's most high profile internet buy was the $240 million paid for a 1.6 percent share in Facebook in 2007. It is also ploughing money into its MSN internet portal and Bing search engine, racking up $7 billion in losses over four years. Technology sector mergers and acquisitions have spiked since last summer, driven by increased confidence in the economy and companies facing pressure to spend mountains of cash. Global deal volume year to date is up 55 percent when compared with the same period in 2010, recent figures from Thomson Reuters show. Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan are advising Skype, the source said, while Microsoft is not using advisers. (Additional reporting by Megan Davies and Bill Rigby, Sakthi Prasad in Bangalore, Clare Jim in Taipei and Melanie Lee in Singapore; Tarmo Virki in Helsinki and Nicola Leske in Frankfurt; Editing by Anshuman Daga and Alexander Smith)
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Facebook Linked Keys data

US computer security firm Symantec has said that Facebook accidentally left a door open for advertisers to access profiles, pictures, chat and other private data at the social network.
Facebook told AFP that there was no evidence anyone stepped through that door and swiped any information from the accounts of its more than 500 million members.
Symantec discovered that certain Facebook applications leaked tokens that act essentially as "spare keys" for accessing profiles, reading messages, posting to walls or other actions.
Facebook applications are Web software programs that are integrated onto the leading online social network's platform. Symantec said that 20 million Facebook applications, such as games, are installed every day.
"We appreciate Symantec raising this issue and we worked with them to address it immediately," Facebook said in response to an AFP inquiry.
The tokens were being leaked to third-party applications including advertisers and analytics platforms, allowing them to post messages or mine personal information from profiles, according to Nishant Doshi of Symantec.
"Fortunately, these third-parties may not have realized their ability to access this information," Doshi said in a blog post.
"We have reported this issue to Facebook, who has taken corrective action to help eliminate this issue."
Symantec estimated that as of April, nearly 100,000 applications were giving away keys to Facebook profiles.
"We estimate that over the years, hundreds of thousands of applications may have inadvertently leaked millions of access tokens to third parties," Doshi said.
Facebook confirmed the problem, which was discovered by Doshi and Symantec colleague Candid Wueest, according to the computer security firm.
But Facebook said the Symantec report had a few "inaccuracies."
There was no evidence that the problem resulted in private information being gleaned from Facebook members' accounts, according to the California-based social networking service.
"In addition, this report ignores the contractual obligations of advertisers and developers which prohibit them from obtaining or sharing user information in a way that violates our policies," Facebook said.
There was no reliable estimate of how many tokens have been leaked since the release of Facebook applications in 2007.
Despite whatever fix Facebook has put in place, token data may still be stored in files on third-party computers, Symantec warned.
"Concerned Facebook users can change their Facebook passwords to invalidate leaked access tokens," Doshi said.
"Changing the password invalidates these tokens and is equivalent to 'changing the lock' on your Facebook profile."
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