Monday, 12 June 2017

Tulong ng Amerika sa Marawi, PINASALAMATAN

   

Matapos itanggi ni Pangulong Duterte na humiling ng tulong sa Amerika ang gobyerno ng Pilipinas, sinabi ngayon ng tagapagsalita ng Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) na tropa ng Pilipinas ang humingi ng tulong mula sa Amerika.
Ilang sundalong Amerikano ang namataan sa Marawi ngayong araw, pero iginiit ng AFP na hindi sumasabak sa mismong bakbakan ang mga sundalong Amerikano. 
Nauna nang iniulat ng Reuters ang sinabi ng isang opisyal ng Amerika na kabilang sa suportang ibinibigay nila sa tropa ng Pilipinas ang aerial surveillance at targeting, electronic eavesdropping, communications assistance, at training.
Hindi man alam ni Duterte na may papel na ang Amerika sa bakbakan, nagpasalamat na rin siya sa tulong. Tinanggap ng Pangulo ang tulong sa kabila ng naging pahayag niya noong ayaw na niyang makita ang tropa ng Amerika sa Mindanao.
Ganito rin ang tono ni Defense Sec. Delfin Lorenzana na nanindigang walang hininging tulong ang gobyerno ng Pilipinas sa Amerika. Pero nagpasalamat siya sa mahalagang tulong ng Amerika lalo na pagdating sa aerial surveillance para matukoy nang tiyak ang lokasyon ng mga terorista. Mag-a-anim na araw na umanong tumutulong ang Amerika sa operasyon ng AFP.
Puwede sa defense treaty at VFA
Paliwanag ni Professor Rommel Banlaoi ng Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence, And Terrorism Research, pinapayagan sa ilalim ng Mutual Defense Agreement at Visiting Forces Agreement ang pagtulong ng Amerika, maliban sa aktuwal na pakikipagbakbakan. 
Maaari aniyang tumulong ang Amerika sa pagsasanay ng mga sundalong Pinoy, pagbahagi ng intelligence, at technical assistance. Maaari lang sumabak sa laban ang sundalong Amerikano kung ito’y sa ngalan ng pagdepensa sa sarili.
Sa isang tweet, ipinakita ni U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim ang mga gamit pandigma na ibinigay ng Amerika sa AFP bilang tulong sa counter-terrorism efforts ng Pilipinas. 
Ayon sa embahada ng Amerika, kaagapay ng AFP commanders ang U.S. non-combatant support sa laban sa Maute at Abu Sayyaf. Tuloy rin ang pagkonsulta ng Amerika kung paano pa ito mas makatutulong sa mga hakbang kontra terorismo ng administrasyong Duterte. 
Depensa ng Maute, pinatitindi ng 'foreign fighters' 
  
Tatlong linggo na ang sagupaan sa pagitan ng tropa ng gobyerno at Maute group sa Marawi City.
Isa sa nakikitang dahilan ni dating AFP Chief Rodolfo Biazon kung bakit di tuluyang nagagapi ang mga rebelde ay ang madaling paglabas-masok sa Marawi ng mga kakampi ng Maute mula sa ibang parte ng Mindanao.
Ang nakikitang dahilan naman ni dating National Security Adviser Jose Almonte sa tila hindi mabasag na depensa ng mga rebelde ay ang matinding pagdadamayan daw ng mga kapatid nating Muslim sa oras ng pagsubok.

Sa tingin ni Sen. Panfilo Lacson, tumatagal ang digmaan dahil sa ‘guerilla warfare’ na estilo ng bakbakan ngayon sa pagitan ng gobyerno at mga terorista. Ibig sabihin, hindi agad makilala ang kalaban lalo na kapag may mga pumapagitnang sibilyan. Puna pa ng senador, kulang sa mga makabagong gamit ang tropa ng gobyerno. Gayunman, naniniwala siyang sandali na lang matatapos na ang sagupaan dahil tuloy ang pagbawi ng gobyerno sa mga hinahawakang lugar ng Maute group. 
Pero duda naman si Almonte na matatapos na agad ang krisis dahil tila pabago-bago raw ang sitwasyon sa Marawi araw-araw.
Nandawit ng senador sa mga terorista, haharapin
Dismayado naman ang ilang mambabatas dahil hindi nangyari ang ipinangako umanong public apology ni Justice Sec. Vitaliano Aguirre kay Sen. Bam Aquino dahil sa pagdawit ng kalihim sa senador sa bakbakan sa Marawi.
Wala ring senyales na hihingi ng dispensa si Aguirre kina Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano, at dating Presidential Political Adviser Ronald Llamas na iniugnay rin ng kalihim sa krisis.
Di na raw hihintayin ng grupo ang ‘sorry’ ni Aguirre pero inaaral na raw nila ngayon ang posibleng pagkakaso sa kalihim pati na ang paghahain ng disbarment case, o ang petisyon para alisin ang ‘titulong’ abogado kay Aguirre.
Pinayuhan din ng mga mambabatas si Aguirre, pati ilang opisyal pang-komunikasyon ng gobyerno, na maghanda na ng kanilang ihaharap na patunay sa tinatawag nilang ‘intelligence information’ kapag ipinatawag ng Senado sa pagbabalik sesyon ng Kongreso.

Sa isang pahayag naman, tinawag ni Aguirre na ‘aksaya ng panahon’ ang hinihingi sa kaniyang ‘sorry’ ng mga mambabatas. Aniya, dapat pa nga raw magpasalamat ang mga taong naakusahan dahil magkakaroon sila ng pagkakataong linisin ang kanilang pangalan sakaling matuloy ang imbestigasyon sa kanila.
Kinastigo naman ng mga taga-oposisyon si Aguirre sa utos niyang siyasatin ng National Bureau of Investigation ang mga kontra sa administrasyong Duterte dahil sa umano'y pagsusulong nila ng destabilisasyon. Nakiisa ang mga mambabatas ng oposisyon sa ‘Defend Democracy’ summit na idinaos kasabay ng Araw ng Kalayaan. Naroon din sa okasyon si Bise Presidente Leni Robredo. 
-- Ulat nina Willard Cheng at Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News

Source :: ABS-CBN News

Friday, 9 June 2017

Tiny Real-Life 'Dragon' Photographed In Indonesia


A Reddit user by the name of Biophilia_curiosus posted a few photos that he took in Indonesia. They show an amazing species of gliding lizard which basically looks like a miniature dragon. 
Fans of the film Avatar will be reminded of the flying Toruks.

The crazy part is that those lines you see running through the wings like veins are actually its ribs! Evolution did a number on these guys. 
They can expand and contract their chests at will to glide great distances. 

The photos were taken in Buton, Indonesia, in the Lambusango Forest Reserve
As far as I can tell, nobody has identified the exact species of this lizard, but they are still incredible little creatures!

Source: Reddit

Mouse of the Rising Sun

             


The Striped Mice of Namaqualand exhibit a quite rare and impressive flexible social structure.
This is our first film produced alongside a field researcher, giving a quirky and entertaining explanation of the work being done in South Africa.
Check out our website for more Conservation films:

Ayam Cemani: A Rare Chicken Breed That is Black Inside Out

                                             Source: Greenfire farms
You might think that someone photoshopped this rooster but you in for a surprise here. The black bird is real and it is a very special Asian breed. 
                                       Photo Source: Greenfire Farms
Ayam Cemani is a rare breed rooster that is common for Indonesia. The word “Ayam” means chicken in the traditional Javanese language and “Cemani” translates to “total black”. 
                                                         Photo Credit
Not only is the rooster black from the outside but even the meat, bones, and organs are also black. But despite many rumours, the blood of the Ayam Cemani is not black (though it is very dark).
                                                       Photo Credit
The birds get their black colouring from a natural genetic trait known as ‘fibromelanosis’.
                                   Photo Source: Greenfire Farms
Just one of these chickens costs between $1999 and $2500. Many of the people who buy them think the Ayam Cemani brings luck to the household. 
              

The Fish Whose Mind You Can Read


At first glance, this may seem like a CGI image of a creature from a fantasy movie. This is in fact the Barreleye or 'spook fish' as it is often jokingly called.
Its name derives from their barrel-shaped, tubular eyes. These are generally directed upwards to detect the silhouettes of prey, however, it is now believed that the fish can move its eyes forwards too.
Using remotely operated underwater vehicles , scientists from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute first captured moving images to the creature in 2009, with still images having been captured in 2004.
           

Little is known about the fishes reproductive habits, although there is some evidence to suggest that it is a pelagic spawner; meaning it's eggs and sperm are released directly into the water where they then fertilise. 
Few efforts have been made to extract the fish from its natural habitat despite it being known about since 1939.

Tuxedo Cat


Here is a pet portrait I have just about finished of Lucie the Tuxedo Cat. She has been fun to paint, I've included lots of colours in her coat even though she is a black and white cat. She started off with a bright blue bib, and if you look closely you will find some purple here and there. The owner is pleased with the result and said I caught her likeness. Here is the painting and the photo I worked from, having never met her.

Take Inspiration from the Two Grandest Wine Cellars around the World


Wine speaks of luxury, class and sophistication. It is surely not everyone’s capability to understand the fineness of a glass of a crisp vintage wine. Wine is not just any other beverage that you can drink at any point of your life. Wine demands attention, leisure and appreciation. When you are sitting in your lounge, reading a hardback book and contemplating life, a goblet of wine can be your best companion. Are you thinking, you can drink it with a few sips? No, wine is not meant for gobbling like that. Picking up the glass, examining it against the light, admiring the swirling beauty in the glass, taking a slow sip, letting it come to the temperature of mouth and finally swallowing it, all of these steps can help you in relishing the beauty called wine. Needless to say, preserving such an asset needs inspiration.
Are you planning a custom wine room in your home? As you already know that you have quite priceless assets in those bottles at your disposal, you need to think of a perfect place to preserve them and if necessary, let them age. That place, the cellar has to be classy, sophisticated and should reflect the personality of your house too. Do you need some inspiration to design such a cellar? If yes, then read on to know about some of the stunning cellars. Your head might buzz to see the grandeur of these places, but I am sure you will love them.
Crown Wine Cellar Hong Kong
If you are thinking of an unconventional wine cellar, then the first name that crosses my mind is the Crown Wine Cellar in Hong Kong. It is a discreetly hidden place in the Southern part of Hong Kong. Buried 60 feet under the ground, this cellar is actually built in a former military bunker. It can be accessed through concrete tunnels that lead you to 1,000 sq ft chambers guarded by 3 feet reinforced concrete walls. Though rugged from outside, the cellar has the state-of-art interior. A perfect cooling unit takes care of the environment. If you are blessed with such a huge basement, turn it in a grand cellar of your dream with a cooling unit, wine cellar racks and insulation. Think of the rugged exterior too, as it will suit the ancient charm.
Mileștii Mici, Moldova
If you are thinking that the largest wine cellar will be somewhere in Italy or France, then you are mistaken. The largest jewel is situated in a small country of Moldova. It contains the highest numbers of bottles. This 34 miles long wine cellar, houses 1.3 millions of bottles that have been accumulated since 1968. Take inspiration from the ancient looking interior. Your wine room can look like this place with built-in custom wine rack. Undoubtedly, you will lure all your guests with the charm of such a cellar. Also, add limestone and cooling unit to make it the best place for preserving wine.
So, when you have these ideas of two beautiful wine cellars, what are you waiting for? Hire a team of designers, shop for doors, metal wine racks and cooling unit, and realize the dream of having an envious wine cellar.
Author Bio:
Jim Brown is a famous architect and expert in designing custom wine room. He is experienced in designing custom and metal wine racks. Read his article to know about custom wine rack.