Marathon-Winning 'Spray-On’ Running Shoes is Trending

Swiss sportswear brand On is the latest company to embrace advanced "spray-on" materials with a "revolutionary" robot-made sneaker it believes can improve performance in any athletic events.

The Cloudboom Strike LS is lace-free and weighs less than the latest iPhone. Designed to be more adaptable, dynamic and supportive than your average running sneakers, the US$ 330 shoes already have a convincing track record: Kenyan runner Hellen Obiri, an Olympic silver medalist and the only woman to have won indoor, outdoor and cross-country world titles, triumphed at this year’s Boston Marathon wearing a pair. She wore them again during the Paris 2024 Games a few months ago.

Zurich-based On credits its shoes’ success to a combination of biomechanics, physiology and extreme lightness. (A men’s US size 8.5 weighs just 170g per shoe, over 100g lighter than several popular running shoes of the same size.) "More than anything, we want (the athletes) to win," said senior director of innovation, Ilmarin Heitz, in a promotional video published recently. "That is our gauge of success."

With no heel-cap, laces or tongue, the translucent, sock-like sneaker looks like a running shoe that has shed its skin. Its inventor, Johannes Voelchert, came up with the idea as a student after seeing a Halloween-themed hot glue gun that shot decorative spider webs.

"I saw that there was a quick way of creating a textile onto a complex shape," Voelchert, now On’s senior lead of innovation concept design, said in the brand’s video. "A shoe seemed to be the right object."

Read More

AI-Generated Nude Photos Of Students Hit Private School

There were images that depicted the faces of girls with nude bodies found in a private school in Pennsylvania. This prompted a student protest and triggered a criminal investigation, which led to the departure of school leaders.

A juvenile suspect was "removed from" Lancaster Country Day School and his cellphone was seized by investigators in August, Susquehanna Regional Police Department Detective Laurel Bair said last 19 November.

It's the latest example of how the use of artificial intelligence to create or manipulate images with sexual content has become a concern, including within school settings.

U.S. law enforcement has been cracking down on graphic depictions of computer-generated children as well as manipulated photos of real ones. The Justice Department says it’s pursuing those who exploit AI tools and states are racing to enact laws to address the problem.

A new Pennsylvania state law that takes effect late next month explicitly criminalizes making or disseminating AI-generated child sexual abuse material.

And police in South Korea are on a seven-month push to combat explicit deepfake content, with tougher penalties, expanded use of undercover officers and increased regulation of social media. Concerns in South Korea deepened after unconfirmed lists of schools with victims spread earlier this year.

As part of the police investigation into what the Lancaster Country Day School describes as "disturbing AI generated photographs," a search warrant was used this summer to obtain an iPhone 11 linked to a 15-year-old, according to court records. The records do not identify the teen.

A woman told police that her daughter said a fellow student had been "taking photographs of students and using Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to portray the female juvenile students as being nude," according to a probable cause affidavit used to apply for the search warrant.

Matt Micciche, then the head of the school, told police the school had received a complaint about the photos in November 2023 through the Safe2Say Something program but the suspect, identified by his initials, denied the allegations, according to Bair's affidavit.

When some parents became aware of the photos in May, Bair wrote, they also learned that the "AI nude photographs" had been posted in a chat room.

Bair, leading the investigation because the suspect lives in the Susquehanna Regional Police Department's territory, said there has been shock at the school "that this is even occurring and that it happened within their small community." She declined to say how many girls had been shown in the images but added that more information about the case will likely be made public in the coming two weeks. LNP Online reported that most of Lancaster Country Day's high-school age students held a walkout last 8 November, marching around the campus and chanting, "Hear us. Acknowledge us. See us." School was canceled after that. LNP also said the school indicated that it had "parted ways" with Micciche and that board president Angela Ang-Alhadeff had stepped down. A letter addressed to the school community by the Lancaster Country Day Board of Trustees said it was working to replace them and was "still in the process of finalizing the resolution to the case."

Read More

Watertown School District Voted For New Gender Policy

The Watertown Unified School District has just approved a "Gender Support Plan," last 18 November.The voters have two choices for the Watertown School District board: keep the status quo (option A) or adopt the new wide-ranging policy (option C). They chose the more restrictive policies for transgender students.

Before voting, board members heard from dozens of community members, parents and students on both sides of the issue, the audience filling the Riverside Middle School cafeteria and an overflow room. More than 300 additional people watched the meeting on Zoom.

Many of the attendees at the school held up signs that said "Vote C," referring to the "Option C" Gender Support Plan the board ultimately adopted.

The plan includes an amendment that it will not force staff or contractors to violate Title IX rules, to protect the board from being sued.

"My goal is to protect the district and to protect the kids," Board President David Schroeder said.

The other option, "A," has been in effect for eight years and allowed transgender students to use preferred pronouns and decide which bathrooms to use.

The new plan, strongly supported by conservative activist group Moms for Liberty, says if a student is a minor, their parent or guardian must be alerted and provide consent before the student can identify with new pronouns or a new name that is different from what is on their birth certificate.

If a parent gives consent to affirm their child’s gender identity with new pronouns and a new name, under this policy, school staff "may" use those pronouns and name but "shall not be compelled" to do so, according to the district’s plan.

Students will also use the restrooms, locker rooms and other facilities on district property consistent with their biological sex.

Students will be permitted to participate in intramural sports/extracurricular activities consistent with their biological sex, according to the plan.

Read More

Excessive TV Exposure Produces Criminals

There was a time that television in the Philippines only offered 4 channels for viewing. Pick any major historical event during the past 60 years and chances are you may have witnessed it happening on those four major networks. Unfortunately, because of their limited coverage, there was no choice during some lull moments in television programming but to endure long hours of rehash programs that included movie shows that are still in black and white color.

Those days are gone. The television set, which has become a permanent fixture in most Filipino household today, had generated a shared consciousness that transcended economic and social strata. Majority can afford one and can access 80-100 channels easily.

However, with the progress in television technology and programming, comes a warning. Children exposed to excessive amounts of television are more likely to have criminal convictions and show aggressive personality traits as adults.

A study by the University of Otago in New Zealand tracked the viewing habits of about 1,000 children born in the early 1970s from when they were aged five to 15, then followed up when the subjects were 26 years old to assess potential impacts.

The research, published in the US journal "Pediatrics" in 2013, found a strong correlation between childhood exposure to television and anti-social behavior in young adults.

"The risk of having a criminal conviction by early adulthood increased by about 30 percent with every hour that children spent watching television on an average weeknight," co-author Bob Hancox said.

The study also found excessive TV viewing was linked to aggressive personality traits and an increased tendency to experience negative emotions.

It said the links remained statistically significant even when issues such as intelligence, social status and parental control were factored in.

"While we're not saying that television causes all anti-social behaviour, our findings do suggest that reducing television viewing could go some way towards reducing rates of anti-social behavior in society," Hancox said.

He said the findings supported the American Academy of Pediatrics' recommendation that children should watch no more than one to two hours of quality television programming a day.

The study said it was possible that children learned anti-social behavior by watching it on TV, leading to emotional desensitisation and the development of aggressive behavior.

But it said the content of what children were viewing was not the only factor, highlighting the social isolation experienced by those who spent hours watching the box.

"It is plausible that excessive television viewing contributes to anti-social behavior in ways unrelated to violent content," it said.

"These mechanisms could include reduced social interaction with peers and parents, poorer educational achievement, and increased risk of unemployment."

Hancox said the study concentrated on children's viewing habits in the late 1970s and early 1980s, before the advent of personal computers, and further research was warranted into how such technology affected subsequent behavior.

"If you're playing a computer game that not only exposes you to a lot of violence but actually simulates shooting people then that may be even worse, but I don't have any data on that," he told Radio New Zealand.

Read More

World Friendship Games Postponed To 2025

The International Friendship Association (IFA), the rights holder of the tournament, cited serious concerns complicating the event's organization in Russia. Key issues include safety concerns for athletes facing opposition from international sports federations and the overburdening of athletes due to their previous preparation for the Paris Olympics.

The Organizing Committee, agreeing with the IFA, decided that postponing the Games will maximise athlete and official availability in a non-Olympic year and fully realize the potential of the high-level tournament in Russia.

The Committee also noted the crowded sports calendar in Russia for 2024, highlighting events like the new international e-sports and digital sports tournament Games of the Future held in February-March, and the BRICS Games recently concluded in Kazan.

In the interest of all stakeholders, the Organising Committee believes postponing the Games until 2025 is the best course of action, allowing future participants ample time to prepare and maximise their performance in the World Friendship Games.

Read More

Russian Skating Star: "Sex Is Better Than Skating"

Russian figure skating star Elizaveta Tuktamysheva is puttig on a show for everyone in 2020 and has delighted her mostly male fans with her racy routines. She has also revealed the one thing that for her can beat the highs of performing on the ice.

Speaking exclusively to RT, the then 21-year-old former world and European champion opened up about her famous 'striptease' exhibition dance and the newfound attention and popularity it has brought her - including some controversial tweets that have got social media tongues wagging.

Tuktamysheva set pulses racing when she won the Skate Canada Grand Prix in the 2020 season, producing a brilliant performance to seal first before pulling off a gala routine which garnered even more attention.

The performance saw the skater strip off to her bra to the tune of Britney Spears' "Toxic" – which Tuktamysheva says brought new life to the "conservative" world of figure skating.

Tuktamysheva's openness was made clear by her response when asked to complete the phrase: "The only thing better than figure skating is…"

"Sex," the skater replied without hesitation, before bursting into laughter.

She is clearly enjoying life and her resurgence in the sport she loves. There is plenty more to watch out for from the charismatic 21-year-old – on and off the ice.

Read More

PHL's Oldest Artworks in Danger

If you are into arts and culture, more specifically, the Philippine historical sites, then you would be appalled at what is happening to a small rock wall only a short distance from Manila.

According to a report by Mynardo Macaraig of Agence Free-Press (AFP), the wall with "enigmatic carvings that are believed to date back 5,000 years are in danger of disappearing before their mysteries can be solved."

Read More

Should Youth Offenders Be Treated Differently?

Can a child become an adult after he/she killed somebody? Is it really worth our time to invest in reforming the child despite the gravity of his/her actions? Is community service, rather than jail, really more effective in holding children accountable for their mistakes.

These are just some of the questions ringing through my mind, as the violent acts of juvenile offenders continue to hit the papers regularly.

In May 2011, two days after gatecrashing a wedding reception and killing the groom’s father in Barangay Payatas, a group of 10 teenagers is said to have stabbed dead a drunken helper in the same village. Superintendent Ronnie Montejo, commander of the Quezon City Police District Station 6, said the teenagers belong to the "Banal Group."

In April 2012, a seven-year-old boy was shot and killed by his 10-year-old friend who got mad while they were playing in Malabon City. Police Officer 1 Aldrin Carlos of the Malabon police Substation 2 identified the fatality as Mark Ala, a resident of Chico Road in Barangay Potrero. The boy died from a lone gunshot wound in the head.

In November 2012, a 16-year-old boy was arrested for allegedly shooting an 18-year-old male in a chapel in Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City. Senior Superintendent Mario Rariza, city police chief, said he himself and security personnel of the Shepherd of Life chapel arrested the boy in his house in Taytay, Rizal.

According to investigators, the boy and his companions reportedly approached Danny Nuevas, 18, who was seated near the front of the chapel at around 7:00 P.M. and shot him.

These unrelated crimes involving minors served to heighten the public conception that juvenile violent crime is on the rise. This observation is actually supported by data.

Figures from the Philippine National Police Women's and Children's Protection Center (WCPC) revealed that in 2007, there were 1,825 children in conflict with the law. The number ballooned to 5,318 cases in 2011, or a 290 percent increase. The data further showed that there were 2,158 juvenile cases in 2008; 2,735 in 2009 and 4,246 in 2010.

Are we seeing a rise because children know that they will not receive adult sentences? Under Republic Act (RA) 9344, an act establishing a comprehensive juvenile justice and welfare system, a child above 15 years but below 18 years of age shall also be exempt from criminal liability and subjected to an intervention program. However, the child would have to undergo appropriate proceedings if it was proven that he acted with discernment.

The country is also a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Article 1 of the UNCRC states: "For the purposes of the present Convention a child means every human being below the age of eighteen unless, under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier." Article 40(3a) provides that state parties to the Convention shall seek to establish a minimum age below which children shall be presumed not to have the capacity to infringe the criminal law.

The basic question now is, are our children capable of understanding the consequences of their criminal actions? According to some studies, maybe not because they suggest that the brain's prefrontal lobe, which some scientists speculate plays a crucial role in inhibiting inappropriate behavior, may not reach full development until age 20.

However, it is unlikely that the victim's family's thirst for vengeance will be sated by scientific theory. They will argue that the end result of a heinous crime remains the same, no matter who commits it. Our justice system depends upon holding perpetrators responsible for their actions.

Harsh sentencing acts as a deterrent to kids who are considering committing crimes. Trying children as adults has coincided with lower rates of juvenile crimes. Light sentences don't teach kids the lesson they need to learn: If you commit a terrible crime, you will spend a considerable part of your life in jail.

Read More

US SC Ruled That Public Funds Can Be Used For Religious Education

The U.S. Supreme Court made another laudable ruling after it prevented Maine parents from using the state’s publicly-funded tuition assistance program to send their kids to private religious schools.

The 6-3 decision last 19 June 2022 came after civil-rights advocates tried to undermine secular rights.

The case, Carson v. Makin, was brought by two families who live in parts of rural Maine that don’t have a public school. Instead, families in those areas could use a taxpayer-funded tuition assistance program to send their kids to an approved private school — as long as the school was secular.

Maine banned parents from using the money to send their kids to schools that provide religious education, a rule aimed at preventing public funds from being used for religious activity. The families challenged that rule, alleging it violated both the religion clauses and equal protection clauses of the U.S. Constitution.

On Tuesday's ruling, the Supreme Court sided with the families, with the conservative majority ruling that the ban violated the Constitution’s protection of the free exercise of religion.

"A state need not subsidize private education," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion. "But once a state decides to do so, it cannot disqualify some private schools solely because they are religious."

The closely-watched case pit the First Amendment’s free exercise clause, which protects the right to practice religion, against its establishment clause, which prohibits the government from establishing or favoring a religion. In his opinion, Roberts wrote that using the program to pay for religious schools would not violate the establishment clause, since the public funds flow to religious organizations through the "independent choices of private benefit recipients."

The ruling was hailed by majority of Americans and is considered one of the landmark decisions this year.

Read More

Bleaches and Cleaning Products May Be Harmful

A new research suggests that using too much bleach may increase the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a serious and often deadly lung condition.

A recent study found that nurses who used disinfectants to clean surfaces at least once a week had a 24-percent to 32-percent increased risk of developing COPD over the course of eight years compared to nurses who used these products less frequently. This link remained even after researchers made adjustments for other COPD risk factors such as age, smoking status, body mass index, and ethnicity.

"Our findings provide further evidence of the effects of exposure to disinfectants on respiratory problems, and highlight the urgency of integrating occupational health considerations into guidelines for cleaning and disinfection in healthcare settings such as hospitals,” explained study author Orianne Dumas, a pulmonologist at the French Institute of Health and Medical Research, in a statement.

Results were presented last 11 September at the European Respiratory Society International Congress. They are based on data from 55,185 registered nurses with no history of COPD prior to the study start. The women were followed for about eight years, with the study ending last May 2017.

During these eight years, 663 of the nurses were diagnosed with COPD. Of the original group, more than one-third used disinfectants to clean surfaces on a weekly basis, and those in this group were most likely to develop COPD by the end of the study period. The study identified glutaraldehyde, bleach, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol and quaternary ammonium compounds (also known as "quats"), as the main chemicals linked to COPD risk.

"Whether wearing gloves or using a face mask would reduce the risk has not been formally investigated yet," Dumas told Newsweek. "Avoiding the use of product in spray form may be helpful to reduce inhalation exposure."

COPD is an umbrella term to describe a number of progressive lung diseases including emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and some forms of asthma, The COPD Foundation reports.

According to the American Lung Association (ALA), some chemicals in cleaning products, such as ammonia and bleach, are already known to contribute to respiratory problems.

In addition, accidentally mixing a product containing ammonia with one that contains bleach can produce a dangerous gas that can be deadly if inhaled. For this reason, the ALA, as well as other health organizations, recommends minimal exposure to these products. However, this new study is the first to show a link between cleaning products, and specifically COPD, among healthcare workers.

Read More

In 2022, Filipina Footballers Made Herstory

The Philippine lady footballers known as the Filipinas got a big audience they had hoped for since the start of the AFF Women’s Championship, and they repaid those who came by lifting a silverware last 17 July 2022.

Behind a pair of goals inside the first 20 minutes, the Philippines captured the regional championship for the first time following a 3-0 victory over Thailand inside Rizal Memorial Stadium that became a madhouse.

Jessika Cowart’s header off a set piece and Katrina Guillou’s goal from close range jolted the crowd of 8,257—a record to cap off two weeks of international women’s football.

Sarina Bolden, the tournament’s top scorer with eight, added a third which was the cherry on the sundae as chants of "Ole!" and "Campeones!" reverberated throughout the fabled sports complex.

The crowd later flashed their cellphone lights, creating a unique atmosphere to mark the moment that once again allowed the Filipinas, who earlier in the year qualified for the World Cup and took home the bronze medal in the Southeast Asian Games, to once make history.

Read More

U.S. Universities Criticized For Coddling Students After Election

After the 2024 Presidential Electon results were released showing convincingly that Donald Trump is the clear winner, reports from schools came streaking in that said some classes were cancelled and college students were provided safe spaces to recover. Really?

Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., drew most of the mockery on social media after news broke the college invited students to a "self-care suite" last 6 November to recover from the stress of the presidential election.

Students at Georgetown's McCourt School of Public Policy were reportedly offered treats like "milk and cookies" and "hot cocoa" as well as "Lego" toys and "Coloring and Mindfulness Exercises" to get their minds off the election results.

"Seriously, @Georgetown? We all know that it’s not conservative students who want the daycare experience. Stop coddling leftists who can’t handle reality," Defense of Freedom Institute spokesperson Angela Morabito wrote on X.

The Harvard Crimson reported that several professors in the Sociology, Math and General Education Departments at Harvard University canceled classes that day, made attendance optional or extended assignment deadlines.

Economics lecturer Maxim Boycko reportedly told students during his "Intermediate Microeconomics" course that in-class quizzes would be optional on 6 November and that students could take time off if they needed to process the election results.

"As we recover from the eventful election night and process the implications of Trump’s victory, please know that class will proceed as usual today, except that classroom quizzes will not be for credit," Boycko wrote in an email obtained by the Crimson. "Feel free to take time off if needed."

The school's reaction prompted fierce criticism from academics and Harvard graduates on social media.

"Fellow academics: This is nuts. Stop doing this. It makes you look like an out-of-touch crazy person. It further erodes respect for higher ed and trust in academic research. And it’s not good for your students," William J. Luther, Associate Professor of Economics at Florida Atlantic University, wrote on X.

"Do you know how many classes Harvard cancelled after October 7th? Zero," Harvard graduate Shabbos Kestenbaum wrote on X. "Ivy League universities are incubators of antisemitism, radicalism, and intellectual and moral bankruptcy. Tax the endowments. End federal funding. Abolish DEI."

Campus Reform correspondent Emily Sturge told Fox News Digital that these schools were not equipping students for the "real world."

"Democratic elections are not traumatic, they are a privilege that not all countries allow. We're headed down a very problematic path: universities are producing a generation that can’t face the uncertainties and challenges of life," Sturge told Fox News Digital.

"These activities belong at a day care, not an institution of higher learning. Life is hard. It’s full of hard work, hurt feelings, sadness, and tragedy. Our great-grandparents fought through WWII with sacrifice and grit – not with coloring books or puppy petting. They faced obstacles and opposition head on. Universities need to return to preparing the next generation to not only survive in the real world, but to thrive," she continued.

Read More

We Know Little About Common Cancer

According to the previously-released journal PLOS One, many people in mid- and late life may be unfamiliar with common cancer symptoms such as unexplained coughing, bleeding, and persistent changes in bowel or bladder habits.

In a questionnaire that asked about symptoms and their corresponding ailments, about 53 percent of 1,700 people surveyed reported that they had at least one red-flag cancer symptom during the previous three months— but only 2 percent said they thought cancer was a possible cause.

"Most people with potential warning symptoms don't have cancer, but some will and others may have other diseases that would benefit from early attention," lead author Katriina Whitaker, senior research fellow at University College London, said in a news release. "That's why it's important that these symptoms are checked out, especially if they don't go away. But people could delay seeing a doctor if they don't acknowledge cancer as a possible cause."

The survey listed 17 symptoms, including 10 widely known potential cancer warning signs, and was given to people ages 50 and older who were registered with three London general practice doctors. Study participants reported their symptoms and their suspected causes, as well as whether they thought their symptoms were serious and if they had consulted their doctor about them.

Researchers observed that survey respondents rarely credited potential signs of cancer to the disease— instead, they said they thought age, infection, arthritis, piles and cysts were more likely culprits.

"It's worrying that even the more obvious warning symptoms, such as unexplained lumps or changes to the appearance of a mole, were rarely attributed to cancer, although they are often well recognized in surveys that assess the public's knowledge of the disease,” Whitaker said. “Even when people thought warning symptoms might be serious, cancer didn't tend to spring to mind. This might be because people were frightened and reluctant to mention cancer, thought cancer wouldn't happen to them, or believed other causes were more likely."

Study participants were still able to identify the cancer red flags as more serious than the "non-alarm" symptoms, which include having a sore throat or feeling tired. Also, about 59 percent of those surveyed said they contacted a doctor about their "alarm" symptoms.

Sara Hiom, director of early diagnosis at Cancer Research UK, which funded the study, stressed the importance of cancer screening for early detection.

"Most cancers are picked up through people going to their [general practitioner] about symptoms, and this study indicates that opportunities for early diagnosis are being missed,” Hiom said in the news release. “Its results could help us find new ways of encouraging people with worrying symptoms to consider cancer as a possible cause and to get them checked out straightaway with a GP."

Researchers used the Cancer Awareness Measure system, based on warning signs from the Cancer Research UK website, as metrics for “alarm” and “non-alarm” cancer symptoms.

"Alarm" cancer symptoms included: unexplained cough or hoarseness; persistent change in bowel habits; persistent unexplained pain; persistent change in bladder habits; unexplained lump; a change in the appearance of a mole; a sore that does not heal; unexplained bleeding; unexplained weight loss; persistent difficulty swallowing.

"Non-alarm" symptoms included: headache; shortness of breath; chest pain; feeling tired or having low energy; dizziness; feeling your heart pound or race; sore throat. According to the news release, these symptoms have varying levels of seriousness.

Read More

Football Record in Barotac Nuevo

In the Philippines, the province of Iloilo is known as soccer or footbal capital of the country. All indication also points to the fact that football competition and its variants will forever be one of Ilonggos favorite past time entertainment.

Hence, it came as a no surprise when I heard that residents of the football-crazy town of Barotac Nuevo are batting for a place in the Guinness Book of Records on this particular sport.

Two teams played football continuously for 35 hours and 20 minutes starting at 8:35 a.m. Friday (16 January 2009) until 8:15 P.M. Saturday (17 January 2009) on the football field at the public plaza of the town, 30 kilometers northeast of Iloilo City.

After nine games, the Iloilo State College of Fisheries (ISCOF) team won by scoring 136 goals against the 133 of the Barotac Nuevo Comprehensive High School (BNCHS) team.

Each team won eight games and played to a draw three others including the last game.

"We believed we have set a new world record and the players are happy despite the fatigue," Duffie Botavara, general secretary of the Barotac Nuevo Football Club and the Iloilo Football Association, said in a telephone interview with Inquirer.net.

Botavara said the previous record for the longest football game played was 31 hours in Australia. Aside from aiming for the record of the longest game played, Botavara said they also wanted to set the record for the most number of games played continuously.

Cheered by their town-mates, the two teams composed of 18 persons each played nine 90-minute games. Each game has two 45-minute halves with a 10-minute break between halves.

Nine referees working in three shifts officiated the game.

Botavara said because of the duration of the game, they slightly modified the rules and a "floating substitution" format was adopted. This allowed the unlimited substitution of players who returned to the game even after they have been substituted.

Football regulations allow only two substitutions per game and players who have been replaced cannot return to the game.

"We ensured that at any given time, nine to 10 players from each team were on the field while the others rested," said Botavara.

The players did not sleep and only rested at the players’ quarters where they also ate, said Botavara.

The BNCNHS was composed of players 17 years old and below while the ISCOF players belonged to the collegiate division. Each team had a member of the national team.

It was estimated that around 3,000 residents flocked to the football field at its peak to watch the game and encourage the players.

Read More

"Subway Surfing" Is A Very Dangerous Trend

"Subway surfing" is dangerous, deadly and should stop trending. This is the general consensus after a 13-year-old girl is the latest person to lose her life in New York City while "subway surfing." a dangerous challenge attracting young people on social media.

"Subway surfing," involves riding on top of a subway car while its moving. That is right. While the train is moving.

The precarious trend, which has been around for years, has gained popularity again on social platforms, encouraging users to replicate videos heralding it, despite the risky – and illegal – activity’s sometimes-fatal consequences.

There are already six subway surfing fatalities and 181 related arrests have been recorded this year through 27 October, the New York Police Department told CNN. Both tallies are outpacing last year’s five fatalities and 118 arrests, which can yield a charge of reckless endangerment, the department said.

While it wasn’t immediately clear why they did it, the 13-year-old girl and a 12-year-old girl ran atop moving train cars Sunday in Queens, New York. Both lost their balance, with the 13-year-old killed after falling between moving cars, a law enforcement source told CNN. The 12-year-old suffered a head injury, with bleeding on the brain, CNN affiliate WABC reported.

Days earlier, a boy who’d just turned 13 was killed subway surfing in Queens, while another subway surfer "narrowly avoided tragedy after striking his head in the Bronx," the NYPD Chief of Transit said on X. The 13-year-old died while participating in a social media challenge, his mother told WPIX, adding he’d posted to social media prior videos of himself doing the stunt and she’d warned him not to ride on top of trains.

"This dangerous thrill-seeking behavior has life-altering consequences. It’s not worth your life or the anguish you’d bring your family and friends," New York Police said in the X post before concluding with a slogan coined as part of a campaign launched last year to try to deter subway surfing:

"Subway Surfing Kills! Ride Inside, Stay Alive."

New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority has worked with social media sites including YouTube, TikTok and Instagram to remove footage depicting subway surfing to discourage the practice, with more than 10,000 posts taken down, the agency told CNN affiliate WABC in September.

And Meta, Google and TikTok have made space on their platforms to help amplify a new citywide messaging campaign, the city said last 31 October in a news release.

Even so, 14 attorneys general across the United States last month sued TikTok in part over the proliferation of dangerous viral challenges, and some families of teens killed while surfing subway cars also have sued social platforms.

Social media, indeed, has "entirely changed in so many different ways" the conventional adolescent dare, said Dr. Gail Saltz, a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College and an associate attending psychiatrist at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

"Your communities become huge, potentially," she told CNN, "and it seems like everyone who you choose to follow, or even don’t choose to follow, become part of that peer pressure, that outside influence of the people that you want to be part of or that you want to impress or that you want to get attention from and be socially acknowledged (by) in some way."

The NYPD also is using drone technology to help apprehend subway surfers based on 911 calls from concerned citizens – and deter would-be offenders – though the agency doesn’t prioritize arrests, it told CNN. Rather, police try to show drone-captured videos to young people’s parents in an effort to get them to stop surfing the subway.

Read More

Japanese Diet Can Prolong Life

Who among us lives the longest? According to data from census reports and demographic statistics compiled by the World Bank, Japanese people in 2013 lived, on average, to 83 years old, and the country itself ranks among the top five nations with the longest life expectancy.

It was surmised that the major contributor to Japan's high life expectancy and overall health is their diet, as determined by the country's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.

Data from the recent study published by the BMJ revealed that Japanese individuals who closely adhered to the traditional Japanese diet during the 15-year study had a mortality rate 15 percent lower than those who did not. Further, those who did adhere were also less likely to succumb to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare breaks the traditional Japanese diet down in their version of the food pyramid, called the "Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top." Though the Japanese diet emphasizes high intakes of fish and soybean products in lieu of fats, it is generally a balance of grains, vegetables, fish and meat, and milk and fruits. However, the guide also includes snacks, confectionaries and alcoholic beverages, which can be consumed in moderation, rather than completely eliminated.

The food guide, as implied by its name, resembles a spinning top; a balanced diet acts as the foundation, but physical activity and drinking plenty of water or teas is also paramount in setting its benefits in motion.

Read More

This Swedish Treat Is Taking Over The Gummy Market

Nobody expected that in these modern times, candy stores will still be packed with customers. In some cases, the lines can grow so long that a shop outside a shop in Brooklyn, New York, that the owners have to call in a bouncer.

A quick look and the customers are walking out carrying bags stuffed with loot that they guard as if they were carrying prized possessions.

This is now a common sight to see in the United States as the popularity of the Swedish gummies goes up the Reichter scale. Thanks to a hefty push from TikTok creators that has people salivating for a confection called Bon Bon, which many sweet aficionados insist is a cut above the standard gummies fare.

"Since everyone’s obsessed with Swedish candy in New York, let’s go to Bon Bon!" creator Beca Michie said, standing outside the pink awning of Bon Bon Swedish Candy.

Leo Schaltz, a co-founder of Brooklyn-based Bon Bon, said he and his two business partners opened the shop because they found the options in the U.S. gummies space lacking.

"We felt that the American standards of candy didn’t live up to what we grew up with," Schaltz said.

Schaltz and his two co-founders are from Sweden, where they were allowed to indulge only one day a week when they were growing up — on Saturdays.

"The Saturdays were holy, so we tried to relive that," he said. You can get goosebumps talking about it, like when I had the special ones I used to have when I was kid. It’s incredible."

Schaltz and his team set out to recapture that magic and make every day a sweet Saturday. Bon Bon, which opened in 2017, now has four locations that stay open until midnight, as well as a booming website.

Its popularity can lead to queues that wrap around the building.

"Sometimes the lines get too long, and then we kind of have to add reinforcement — a candy bouncer," Schaltz said. "He’s very friendly. He gives out samples. He’s not intimidating. So he’s on brand for Bon Bon."

Schaltz said TikTok might bring people to the store, but the quality of its ingredients keeps them coming back for more.

"Most of our candy is vegan. They’re gluten free," Schaltz said. "At the end of the day, it’s a quality product that comes from Sweden, which sort of adds an air of premiumness to it."

Read More

Lessons From The Digital And Media Coverage Of The 2024 Olympics

The Paris 2024 Olympics did not only highlight the athletic prowess and human endurance but also a groundbreaking event for digital engagement and media coverage.

The last Olympic games has set a new standard for how audiences engage with major events in the digital age. With an estimated reach of two trillion readers and a massive presence across both traditional and digital media, the 2024 athletic event proved that the future of sports coverage is more interactive and immersive than ever before.

From live blogs to social media, the digital footprint of these Games highlights a shift towards real-time, dynamic content that keeps audiences engaged and coming back for more.

According to the data of World Athletics, over one million articles were published about the event, reaching an estimated global audience of two trillion readers. The top ten countries driving this media coverage include the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Italy, Brazil, France, India, China, and Spain.

Online engagement metrics were also equally impressive. World Athletics reported over 15 million page impressions on its website during the Olympics, marking a 40 percent increase compared to the Tokyo 2020 Games. This surge in digital traffic across platforms underscores the growing public interest in live coverage and whether these are through live blogs, news articles, short videos on social media and live broadcasts, for real-time updates.

Data from Chartbeat’s network indicates that total engagement with content created around the Paris Olympics 2024 increased more than twice compared to the previous Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

"The Average Engaged Time started climbing during the opening ceremonies and peaked at more than 876,000 hours on August 2nd, the day Simone Biles won gold in all-around gymnastics and Léon Marchand won his fourth gold medal in a swimming event", shares Chartbeat. Other observations about the 2024 Olympics specifically included:

• Total page views: 1.35 billion
• Page views peaked on August 2nd at about 89 million
• The average engaged time with Olympics content was 33.5 seconds

National broadcasters and news outlets saw daily readership of their Olympic live blogs ranging from 2,600 up to 15,000 visitors on a given day. The format of live blogs providing timely updates and the amount of returning visitors coming back to check on latest updates demonstrate the evolving landscape of sports journalism where immediate and immersive coverage is key.

The Olympics traditionally draw massive global audiences, and the 2024 Games were no exception.

NBCUniversal, which holds the broadcast rights in the United States, reported a skyrocketing number of 30.6million viewership across both their television and streaming platforms, Peacock and NBC Sports.The network utilized a combination of traditional TV broadcasts, live streaming, and on-demand content to cater to various viewer preferences, ensuring wide accessibility and high engagement.

In Europe, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) provided comprehensive coverage across multiple member broadcasters, offering free-to-air television access in many countries, which significantly boosted viewership numbers.

As a result, the amount of social media activities related to the Olympic games reached an impressive number.

On its social media channels the World Athletics organisation alone witnessed the following:

• 543,000 new followers
• More than 1200 posts
• 42 million views
• 217 million impressions
• 12.5 million engagements

Read More