A Repost From PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal)

Charice Pempengco receives multiple standing ovation at the Big dome

PEP - Tuesday, October 26

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Charice Pempengco receives multiple standing ovation at the Big dome

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The world is at her feet and Charice Pempengco lives in the hearts of her kababayans.

After Sunshine Corazon's Glee debut that brought her accolades beyond Hollywood, Charice made Filipinos proud once more last Saturday, October 23.

During the concert Hitman, the international singing sensation who calls David Foster her mentor, became the scene stealer at the latter's entourage of big-league performers—American singers Natalie Cole and Peter Cetera, with America Idol Season 2 champion Rubben Studdard and an up-and-coming vocal quartet called Canadian Tenors.

When the lights dimmed 30 minutes past 8:00 p.m., the 10,000-strong crowd that packed the Araneta Coliseum held their breath in anticipation.

David Foster opened the show with "The Love Theme from St. Elmo's Fire (For Just A Moment)" on the grand piano with a five-piece accompaniment.

Throughout the almost three-hour concert, Foster never hid his amazement at Filpino's innate musical talent "I love this country! There's music everywhere you go," he exclaimed before expressing hope to be back next year for a possible Love Month gig.

SING-ALONG GALLERY. Reminiscent of the operatic pop vocal group Il Divo, Canadian Tenors set off a string of well-applauded numbers via their soul-stirring, perfectly-blended cover of the "The Prayer."

Natalie Cole displayed her versatility by rendering ballad pieces in jazz. Cole kicked off with "Fever," then shifted to mellow with her '80's hit "Miss you Like Crazy," then wrapped it up with a duet-thru-video with her equally "Unforgettable" dad Nat King Cole.

It was at this point that Foster got his first taste of the Filipino yen to sing-along. He'd never seen a whole gallery of people singing along with a performer except here in Manila. "It's amazing," said the prolific songwriter responsible for a wide array of hit songs in the last three decades.

Rubben Studdard serenaded the audience with melodious pop rhythms, like "After the Love has Gone" and "I Swear."

Foster prodded Studdard to reveal his unique gift: compose and sing a new song in an instant.

Two volunteers from opposite sides of the VIP section, who both go by the nickname "George" (to Foster's amusement), tested Studdard's songsmith skills. The first Georgina provided "so many years," while her namesake offered "I'll be there for you, forever."

With Foster's piano setting the tone, the AI alumnus bedazzled the audience with fresh tunes carrying those lines, as if he had been singing them long ago.

PINOYS' MUSICALITY. Foster made good his promise to pick potential singers from the crowd who could impress him with a song for 30 seconds.

A lady named Maria and a trio, who rendered Charice's "Pyramid" in Destiny's Child's fashion, gave him a resounding preview of Pinoy musicality.

Foster then ran into Randy Santiago, who claimed he was just on his way to the restroom. With the crowd cheering him on, Randy gave in and sang "Wild Flower," betraying how he adores the music of this "Hitman."

When Foster went down again, people pointed to Pilita Corrales, whose "Dahil Sa Iyo" cover showcased why she became Asia's Queen of Song.

For the last showcase, Foster recognized another Philippine pride, Arnel Pineda, who was enjoying the show from the sidelines in his white T-shirt and jeans get-up until Foster literally dragged him onstage.

Arnel obliged with Chicago's "Hard Habit to Break," to the delight of his Filipino fans. As he prepared to hum the last few notes of the song, no less than Peter Cetera appeared out of nowhere to tease Arnel for stealing some spotlight from him.

Cetera brought the crowd down memory line with his yesteryears' hits, "Hard to Say I'm Sorry," "You're the Inspiration," "Glory of Love," all of which were products of collaboration with Foster.

SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST. All sections, from VIP to the lower and upper boxes, up to the general admissions area, reserved their loudest cheers for the Philippine's "small but terrible" contribution to the world's musical stage.

Donned in shimmering hot pink dress, Oprah's girl rendered her all-time Celine Dion and Whitney Houston favorites with ease and finesse.

Her voice soared to hit jaw-dropping high pitches when needed, then effortlessly turned soft when the tune called for it .

When Charice belted the high notes of "All by Myself," the audience got completely lured into her zone and gave her a standing ovation, a no mean feat especially for the Pinoy audience.

Foster reminded Charice how she could be in the league of Celine Dion, Madonna, Toni Braxton, and the other ladies the award-winning producer worked with.

"Now I want you to remember something, please. You know that I've worked with Celine, Whitney, and Madonna, and Toni Braxton, Barbra Streisand...But you know, this girl, right here...This girl is right there in every one of them," he said.

The night was capped with an encore featuring Michael Jackson's "Earth Song," with the rest of the hitmakers joining Charice and Foster onstage.

David Foster's Hitman will surely go down music history as one of Manila's most memorable concerts in recent years.

Reposted From PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal)

A Repost From PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal)

Lovi Poe says boyfriend Ronald Singson has not yet proposed to her

PEP - Monday, October 25

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Lovi Poe says boyfriend Ronald Singson has not yet proposed to her

Slideshow: Showbiz Photos

Maraming positive feedback ang natanggap ni Lovi Poe dahil sa kanyang pagganap bilang batang Amparo San Miguel (na sa paglaki ay naging si Elizabeth Oropesa) sa primetime series ng GMA-7 na Beauty Queen. Kahit tatlong araw lang siyang lumabas sa naturang teleserye ay markado ang kanyang pagganap.

Ayon kay Lovi, noong una niyang mabasa ang script para sa role niya sa Beauty Queen ay kinabahan niya. Ibang-iba raw kasi ito sa mga nagawa niyang roles sa TV.

Pero nagtiwala naman daw siya sa director nilang si Joel Lamangan kaya ibinuhos na niya ang kanyang mga nalalaman sa pag-arte sa pagkakataong 'yon.

"I feel so happy kasi ang daming positive feedback sa performance ko sa Beauty Queen. I didn't expect na yun ang mga sasabihin nila. Kaya naiyak ako sa tuwa.

"Ako naman, I gave my best kahit alam kong saglit lang ang paglabas ko doon. Direk Joel [Lamangan] really helped me with my character at nagawa ko naman siguro nang tama," sabi ni Lovi sa panayam sa kanya ng PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal).

Inamin ni Lovi na may mga pinanghugutan siya mula sa kanyang personal na experiences kaya buong husay niyang nagampanan ang role ng isang frustrated na beauty queen.

"There are personal things in my life na masakit and doon ako kumuha ng inspiration for my performance. Kumbaga, ang galit ko sa mundo noon ay nagamit ko na and it really worked pala," saad niya.

Pero tumanggi nang sabihin si Lovi kung ano ang mga galit niyang ito.

"Kung ano ang mga personal na galit na 'yon, sa akin na lang kasi it's just for me to know na lang. I'm just glad na I put it to good use sa trabaho ko."

YOUNG CO-STAR. Kuwento pa ni Lovi, bago sila mag-shoot ng gumanap niyang anak sa Beauty Queen na si Margareth Samson (as young Maita San Miguel na sa paglaki ay naging si Iza Calzado), kinakausap muna raw niya ito tungkol sa mangyayaring eksena nila para hindi ito matakot sa kanya.

"Ayoko namang ma-trauma sa akin yung bata kaya I talk to her na acting lang kami. Hindi totoong galit ako sa kanya. Nakakatuwa naman sa bata kasi she's very professional about everything. Magaling siyang umiyak and she really makes me cry sa mga scenes namin.

"After ko naman siyang pagalitan sa scene, niyayakap ko siya kapag nag-cut na si Direk Joel. I congratulate her for a good performance. Malayo ang mararating ng batang 'yon kasi she's very good."

ANOTHER CHALLENGING ROLE. Sa bagong afternoon soap naman na Little Star, na magsisimula na bukas, October 25, challenging na naman ang role niya bilang si Gwyneth, ang babaeng obsessed kay Mark Anthony Fernandez.

"I now enjoy playing crazy roles!" tawa ni Lovi. "Dito sa Little Star, para akong si Glenn Close sa Fatal Attraction. Something like that na baliw na baliw sa pag-ibig.

"Kung nainis sila sa akin sa Beauty Queen, mas maiinis sila sa akin dito sa Little Star because marami akong gagawin that will really make people mad at my character. Pero trabaho lang po.

"Kaya sa mga fans ni Jennylyn (Mercado), huwag po kayong magalit sa akin at trabaho lang po," sabi pa niya.

NOT YET ENGAGED. Pinabulaanan naman ni Lovi ang balitang nag-propose na raw ng kasal sa kanya si Congressman Ronald Singson. Ayon sa report, nag-propose daw si Ronald nang huling bumisita sa kanya si Lovi sa Hong Kong habang naghihintay ng kanyang court date sa drug-related case niya.

Natawa lang si Lovi dahil wala naman daw proposal na naganap. Sana raw ay may suot na siyang engagement ring kung totoo iyon.

"Buti pa sila, alam nila na nag-propose si Ronald sa akin. Bakit hindi ko alam?" tawa niya.

"It's not true at matagal pa siguro 'yan mangyayari. Ronald knows how much I love my career now. Maraming dumarating and I am overwhelmed by it all.

"It will not be the right time to even talk about getting married. Maraming mababago if ever it happens.

"Right now, ayokong may mabago sa career ko ngayon. I've been waiting for these big breaks and I don't want to disappoint the people who placed their trust in me, lalo na ang manager ko na si Tito Leo [Dominguez]. He fought for me for such a long time and I don't want to just ruin that in an instant."

Kung tutuusin ay kayang-kayang buhayin ni Ronald si Lovi kung totoong ngang magpapakasal na sila. Buhay-reyna si Lovi if ever at hindi na niya kailangan pang mag-artista.

Pero anoya, "Napaka-superficial ko naman if I depend my life on one person. Ano pa ang purpose ng pag-work ko if I will only throw it away para lang dumepende sa isang tao?

"I have a goal and that is to make good of my life. I want to be an independent person and not make sandal sa ibang tao. I want my own career and own my life. I was not raise to put my life on-hold. I control my life and kung ano ang gusto kong mangyari, mangyayari."

Reposted From PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal)

A Repost From Charley Bautista-Braga of Yahoo! Southeast Asia

Musical ‘friends’ gather to honor the ‘Hit Man’

By Charley Braga – October 22nd, 2010

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By Charley Bautista-Braga,
Yahoo! Southeast Asia

What do a “Glee” club member, an “Idol,” a former man from Chicago, the daughter of a King, and four tenors have in common?

They’ve all worked with and befriended a Hit Man named David Foster.

On Saturday night, Charice, Ruben Studdard, Peter Cetera, Natalie Cole, and the Canadian Tenors will perform in the Manila leg of their concert, Hit Man: David Foster and Friends, a take-off from the popular Mandalay Bay concert in Las Vegas that celebrates the songs the Grammy award-winning producer’s written and performed, and the artists he’s worked with.

In front of Philippine media Foster spoke fondly of the Filipinos he’s met. “Every single day of my life in Los Angeles, every sing day – somebody Filipino, comes up to me and says, ‘Thank you for Charice.’ And the people are so warm, and so now instead of one person a day, there are a million Filipinos who [I can meet], so thank you for having us here,” Foster said.

Despite all their Grammys, American Music Awards, Image Awards, and Billboard chart-topping hits, Foster and his artist-friends are also profuse in their admiration for one another.

Peter Cetera, best known as a vocalist and bassist for the band Chicago, and later as a successful solo artist said, “David Foster has more than one trait, and he brings out the best in whoever he works with. When you see the show, it’s fun being onstage with him again. I was here [in Manila] a while back and was amazed that the audience knew my songs by heart. On Saturday, you’ll see all the love we have for each other, and for David. It’ll be a wonderful show.”

The up-and-coming vocalists Canadian Tenors spoke about working with the Hit Man. “It’s David’s sense of humor. The first time we came on, David said, ‘Hey guys, learn how to sing,’ and he made us feel very at home with him. So we’d say it’s his sense of humor [that stands out for us].”

Charice also gave her two cents, “The first time I met you [David], I was so scared. But for three years, I’ve felt that you’re really a part of my family. And I know that like every person in the world, you’re a real person. And I want to thank you for recognizing my talent.”

Foster also had some words of wisdom for his godchild and the rest of the singers. “I’d say it’s the same with everybody on this panel; I’m attracted to great talent and if you look here, I’m attracted to great singers period.” He explained, “There’s people who make music and have hit records and aren’t great singers but still have great records – I don’t know how to do that. I only know how to work with great singers, that’s what I love to do, and they find me rather than me finding them. Charice is in that category, and she’s amongst so many professionals [who she can learn from]. A couple of days ago in rehearsal, Natalie came up to me and said, “No. I have some advice for Charice,” and she walked over to her and gave her great advice about how to take care of her voice. Charice is growing up fast, she’s becoming a young woman, and she’s got a lot of help around her now; that’s something I wouldn’t be able to help her with because I wouldn’t know how to take care of her voice, but Natalie does.”

Natalie Cole, famously known for her “Unforgettable” duet with deceased father Nat King Cole, weighed in on her decades-long experience of being in the business: “You can’t get ahead of yourself, you’ve got to have focus. But I’m grateful for the struggles I’ve gone through, because it makes you grateful for what you’ve got.”

Charice is aware that she has great shoes to fill, and when asked about being compared to Celine Dion, she replied, “It’s such a big responsibility for me. Everywhere I go, everyone I see, I have to show them that I deserve to be compared to Ms. Celine Dion and it’s really hard but at the same time it’s a big compliment for me. And I want to thank all the people for saying that.”

“American Idol” Season 2 winner Ruben Studdard affectionately said, “I think she’ll have a great career to come, and just with the lives she’s touched here, she’s done so much with the people she’s impacted. I look forward to seeing what Charice has in store, and I love her, she’s like my little sister in my life.”

He added, “As for David, if he was an AI judge who would he be? I think David Foster would take the Simon Cowell role and it’s not because people call Simon mean; he’s just very honest and about the talent, if you don’t have what it takes, he’ll tell you.”

The Tenors chimed in, “This is surreal to be on this panel with these four performers and David. He’s constantly looking for new opportunities for artists, and he’s done that for us, so we’re forever grateful for giving us this opportunity. We can’t wait, it’s going to be an amazing night.”

Natalie chimed in, “I can’t believe guys this good-looking can sing as well as they do!”

With this kind of affectionate rapport, Filipinos can expect an incredible night of music, sincerity, and great hits, all to honor music world’s greatest Hit Man.

Reposted From Charley Bautista-Braga of Yahoo! Southeast Asia

A Repost From Abac Cordero of Philstar.com

Roach: No worry, Manny will be ready

Philstar.com - Wednesday, October 20

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BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – You’ve got to take his word when Freddie Roach says there’s no need to worry.

“We need a little more focus, but I think overall we’re doing okay,” said the trainer of all trainers after Bob Arum sounded the alarm the other day while watching Manny Pacquiao train.

Arum said he didn’t see the speed in Pacquiao, that blinding speed he would need to stun, overwhelm and get rid of Antonio Margarito on Nov. 13 in Texas, after a couple of workouts here.

“If the fight happened on Saturday Margarito would win the fight,” was the quote of the day from Arum.

Roach yesterday admitted that Pacquiao is far from his best but that things can be worked out in the next couple of weeks.

“He’s a hundred percent with the mitts but fifty percent in sparring,” he said.

Pacquiao seemed to have taken the first four weeks of training lightly, skipping roadwork and gym workouts like he’d never done before. Twice on weekends, he left this City of Pines for Manila.

Pacquiao also had too much of basketball early in the camp that it was hard to tell if he was training for a world title fight or a basketball tournament. Or too much of Congress.

Roach, however, said it was all right for Pacquiao to play basketball because the deal was that the 31-year-old champion, would quit it four weeks before the fight.

Saturday evening Pacquiao spent a couple of hours rehearsing his songs for the after-fight concert on Nov. 13, and the other night he was at a late dinner with Arum and friends.

The stormy weather up here, with howling winds and non-stop rains since Monday, forced Pacquiao to once again skip his roadwork yesterday, but went to the gym early to spar.

Somehow, Roach looks satisfied.

“We’ve had good and bad days, but more good than bad lately, so it’s getting better and better. But we need get more focus. Started a little bit late than the usual,” said Roach.

The four-time Trainer of the Year thinks the only way to do this is to get Pacquiao to his Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, and on Saturday evening they’d be boarding the plane to LA.

According to plans, Pacquiao should head down to Manila after tomorrow’s workout, spar at the Elorde Gym on Thursday, train on Friday and spar one last time on Saturday.

“I’m still pushing for sparring on Thursday and then go to L.A. on Thursday. But we haven’t work that out yet,” said Roach who may need to beg before the fighting congressman for that.

Roach said the toughest weeks of this camp are coming.

“This would be a big week for sparring. This week and next week. It would be the toughest two weeks coming up,” said Roach, who has plenty of reasons pushing for an earlier flight to LA.

“With the weather and so forth, yes. And I have more sparring there, better sparring. No, not better, but more of the style I’ve been looking for,” he said.

Mexicans Michael Medina and Glen Tapia have done a good job as sparring partners, but Roach is looking for some fresh meat because Pacquiao has this habit of getting too friendly with his sparring partners as the days go by.

“There’s Abdullah, Kid Chocolate, who’s 21-and-0, Amir Khan, Vanes (Martirosyan). That’s plenty. We’ve sparred 36 rounds now. We’ll get about 30 rounds this week and 30 next week, and then we start tapering off,” Roach added.

Roach was asked if he’s sticking to his prediction that Pacquiao would knock Margarito out early or late.

“Yeah,” he said. - By Abac Cordero (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)

A Repost From PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal)

Sam Pinto denies rumor linking her to Dingdong Dantes, assures Marian Rivera "has nothing to worry about"

PEP - Friday, October 22

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Sam Pinto denies rumor linking her to Dingdong Dantes; assures Marian Rivera, "nothing to worry about"

Slideshow: Showbiz Photos

Ex-Pinoy Big Brother Double Up housemate Sam Pinto is proud and happy to be part of the country's longest-running gag show, Bubble Gang.

Sam's inclusion to the GMA-7 comedy program coincides with its 15th year anniversary, which will be celebrated with a horror-comedy musical extravaganza to be shown on October 29.

The upcoming anniversary and Halloween special will also introduce the Bubblets—Bubble Gang's new gang composed of Sam, Jackie Rice, Gwen Zamora, and Ellen Adarna.

Like most of today's young stars, Sam grew up watching the wacky antics and stunts of the enduring gag show, particularly the tandem of Ogie Alcasid and Michael V.

Being asked to join the cast of Bubble Gang, according to Sam, was totally surprising and that being part of the program made her understand why it lasted for more than a decade despite the competition and changing television trends.

"Masaya and talagang very light, as in 'yong acting and everything. It's fun sa rehearsal. And sina Kuya Ogie and Kuya Bitoy [Michael V's nickname], as in sila pa 'yong nagha-hi and good morning sa amin," Sam told PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) in an interview earlier today, October 21, at GMA Network Center in Quezon City.

LOADED WITH WORK. Sam's transfer to the Kapuso network last September was facilitated by the actress-model's management team.

Viva Management is handling Sam's showbiz career, and it was decided that transferring from ABS-CBN to another station might help boost the 20-year-old's burgeoning career after appearing in the hit reality show Pinoy Big Brother Double Up.

Sam is currently seen every Sunday in Party Pilipinas and she's also slated to grace the big screen this December via the 36th Metro Manila Film Festival entry Ang Agimat ni Enteng, starring action star-turned-politician Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. and ace comedian Vic Sotto.

The film, mentioned Sam, is already "halfway done" and she described Bong as "sobrang down to earth."

Considering the box-office success of Bong and Vic in the annual film festival, Sam acknowledged that there's undeniable pressure on her part to help continue the tradition set by the two veteran actors.

"Pero what I've heard is lahat ng leading lady nila, they really made it, like Kristine Hermosa... I'm so happy that they chose and that I'm now part of this project," said Sam.

NOT SCARED OF MARIAN. We also asked Sam to clarify the rumor currently linking her to actor Dingdong Dantes.

Sam said she has no idea on how the entire issue started. Rumor has it that the model-actress caught the eye of the hunky actor while they were doing the Sunday concert variety show Party Pilipinas.

"Sa dressing room, for some reason, isang Party Pilipinas, ako lang 'yong babae sa dressing room and lahat ng kasama ko, guys. Tapos may nagtatanong daw na sinabi ni Dingdong na palitan ko daw 'yong suot ko, ganyan-ganyan. Hindi naman niya sinabi sa akin 'yon. He didn't even talk to me. I said 'hi' for courtesy, pero that's it," explained Sam.

Is she wary that the rumor might earn the ire of Dingdong's girlfriend, Marian Rivera?

"Actually, I'm not really scared of Marian," replied Sam.

We reminded Sam of actress Bela Padilla's claim that Marian "harassed" her allegedly out of jealousy because the showbiz newcomer was being cozy with Dingdong during the time they were still doing the series, Endless Love.

"For me naman, I won't stoop down that low. Hindi naman kailangan dahil it's super not true. Dingdong and I don't event talk. Seryoso, hindi kami nagte-text or anything talaga. She [Marian] has nothing to worry about talaga," emphasized Sam.

During the interview, Sam revealed that she auditioned yesterday, October 20, for the planned television comeback of local superhero Captain Barbell.

Interestingly, Sam cited one role that she would love to portray in the future—the same character that was assumed last by no less than Marian Rivera herself.

"Darna!" she laughed. "Seryoso, Darna, di ba, parang same as my [Ang] Agimat [ni Enteng] role, as in very kick-ass...puwede bang sabihin 'yon? Basta, very strong, she can fight guys. Sobrang I had fun doing fight scenes ko sa Agimat, so game ako dun."

Reposted From PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal)

A Repost From AFP

One dead as Typhoon Megi whips northern Philippines

AFP - 1 hour 12 minutes ago

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BAGUIO, Philippines (AFP) - – Super Typhoon Megi smashed into the northern Philippines on Monday, causing landslides in mountainous areas, whipping up huge waves along the coast and killing at least one person.

Forecasters said Megi was probably the most powerful storm in the world this year and the strongest to hit the Philippines since Typhoon Durian unleashed mudslides that buried entire towns and killed more than 1,000 people in 2006.

With the storm forecast to sweep into the South China Sea, Chinese authorities on Tuesday issued a disaster warning across southern coastal areas.

Megi pummelled remote coastal areas of the northern Philippines with gusts of up to 260 kilometres (160 miles) an hour on Monday morning as it made landfall, tearing roofs off houses and bringing down power lines.

"We are marooned inside our home. We cannot go out. The winds and rain are very strong. Many trees are being uprooted or snapped in half," Ernesto Macadangdang, a resident of Burgos town in Isabela province, told DZBB radio.

Megi's force slowed after making landfall with maximum wind gusts of 215 kilometres an hour, but it continued to dump rain across the northern half of the main island of Luzon throughout the afternoon.

The northeastern provinces of Isabela and Cagayan were the first to feel the typhoon's fury on Monday morning.

"There are landslides in the mountains, we have swells, storm surges and big waves along the coastline, and now we have flood alerts," chief weatherman Graciano Yumol said in an interview with GMA 7 television.

Isabela and other provinces in Megi's direct path are mostly agricultural and fishing areas, with a few million residents who are well-drilled in preparing for the many storms that hit each year.

More than 3,000 people had already been moved from their homes in the northern provinces as part of a "pre-emptive evacuation" of threatened areas, the civil defence office said.

Local television showed footage of debris, including fallen trees and electrical posts, littering the highway leading to Isabela's provincial capital Ilagan just hours after Megi hit land.

Flights to and from northern Luzon were also suspended and ships there were told not to leave port.

Military, police and relief agencies had positioned supplies and rescue units to provide swift assistance to any affected areas, the civil defence office reported.

The government said the US military had also offered six heavy lift helicopters to help if needed.

Authorities reported one death by late Monday afternoon, but with many areas remained cut off from communications, officials fear the death toll could rise.

Cagayan province governor Alvaro Antonio said rising waters had made many bridges impassable, adding that strong winds made it dangerous to venture out.

"You cannot travel. It is very dangerous even if you use a vehicle. The wind is very strong and the rains are getting stronger," he said.

"We cannot as of yet give you a complete picture or assessment of the extent of the damage."

The sole reported fatality was of a man who drowned in a river while fishing, the nation's civil defence chief, Benito Ramos, told reporters.

The state weather bureau said Megi was expected to exit the Philippines' western coast for the South China Sea later Monday, but said storm alert signals remained hoisted over much of Luzon island.

Megi did not directly hit the nation's capital, Manila, although its 12 million residents were told to remain on alert for possible heavy rains.

The Chinese provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan and Fujian were on alert for powerful winds, heavy rains, floods and landslides over coming days, state media reported.

In Hainan, an island province which has already been battered by torrential rains since the start of October, the relief effort has been allocated 40 yuan (six million dollars) life jackets, rafts and equipment to counter flooding.

More than 1,100 people were killed when Tropical Storm Ketsana and Typhoon Parma struck Manila and other parts of Luzon within a week of each other last year, triggering the worst flooding in recent history.

The Philippines is battered by an average of 20 typhoons a year, but Megi looked set to make records as one of the fiercest in recent memory.

Rosalinda de Guzman, head of the government's climatology data division, told AFP that Megi was the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines since Durian in 2006.

Forecasting website Accuweather reported Megi was the strongest cyclone anywhere in the world this year, but de Guzman said local authorities were not able to make a global comparison.

Reposted From AFP

A Repost From AFP

Time, like all good things, may come to an end: study

AFP - Saturday, October 16

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The end of the world as we know it cannot be avoided, but it can be predicted, according to a group of astrophysicists who see a 50 percent chance of the final countdown ending in 3.7 billion years.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - – The end of the world as we know it cannot be avoided, but it can be predicted, according to a group of astrophysicists who see a 50 percent chance of the final countdown ending in 3.7 billion years.

"Time is unlikely to end in our lifetime, but there is a 50 percent chance that time will end within the next 3.7 billion years," according to the team of US and Japanese scientists, who are challenging a long-standing theory of the universe.

While scientists have long concluded that the universe is expanding, and will do so for an infinite period of time, the researchers say the very rules of physics suggest that "an eternally inflating universe" is far from given.

"The point of this paper is to show that certain methods and assumptions that have been widely used by physicists for years -- most prominently, the use of a time cutoff in order to compute probabilities in an eternally inflating universe -- lead to the conclusion that time will end," Raphael Bousso of the University of California, Berkeley told AFP.

"In other words, the time cutoff, which we may have thought was just a calculational tool, actually behaves like a physical event, whether we like it or not," said Bousso, lead author of the study published on arXiv.org

Current theories of the universe begin with the "Big Bang," which cast our living space into being some 13.7 billion years ago in a massive explosion.

Since then, theorists have assumed the universe will simply continue to expand forever, but have also used a theoretical expiration date to help calculate the laws and rules of physics.

But Bousso and his colleagues says the discipline simply cannot have it both ways.

He cautioned however that the complex thought experiment and calculations proposed by the research could not be used to draw definitive conclusions.

"It's very important to understand that we are not saying that we are certain of the conclusion that time will end (though we cannot rule out that it may be correct)," he wrote.

But he said even if the theory was false, discovering why that was the case would help scientists better understand the universe.

"In science, this kind of reasoning is often valuable: you realize that your reasonable-seeming theory predicts something that sounds crazy, so you have to come to grips with that," he told AFP.

"Either you have to abandon the theory, or you have to understand why the crazy-sounding thing may not actually be so crazy."

For astrophysicist Charles Lineweaver, of Australian National University's Mount Stromlo Observatory, Bousso's conclusions are simply incorrect.

"Bousso's average life of a universe is a set time, only because that's what happens when you introduce a cutoff point to get a reasonable probability," he told ABC Television.

"It's a statistical technique being taken probably too seriously," he added.

But Bousso said he and his team had not invented or introduced anything.

"These cutoffs have been used by many leading physicists for years," he told AFP. "We merely pointed out that it's not such an innocent thing to do.

"The cutoff on time is inevitably physical and hence requires a physical justification. It cannot be considered a mere mathematical trick."

Reposted From AFP