
End of Affirmative Action as schools can now ignore race in admissions
By Chantal VALERY WASHINGTON (AFP) − The US Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that states can disregard race as a factor in university admissions, in a fresh blow to a legacy of the 1960s civil rights movement. The 6-2 ruling upheld the constitutionality of a measure passed by referendum in Michigan that disallowed so-called affirmative action […]

Philippine Airlines quits flying shark fins amid outcry
MANILA (AFP) – Philippine Airlines (PAL) said Thursday it has stopped flying shark fin cargoes, joining a number of other Asia-Pacific carriers in taking a stand for marine conservation. The fins are used in shark fin soup, a much-valued delicacy in Hong Kong and China. Conservationists say booming demand for such fins has put pressure […]

Reebok introduces new shoe just for walkers
(Relaxnews) – Inspired by the technology behind Z-rated tires, Reebok designed a new shoe offering optimal support, propulsion and foot flexibility for walking. The Reebok Z Walk is available for both men and women. Particularly flexible and lightweight, the new shoe provides just the right amount of support for walking. An innovative technology inspired by […]

Nike moves focus from wearable hardware to apps
(Relaxnews) – The sportswear company’s decision to pull out of the wearable technology market is because although Nike still has designs on active consumers’ wrists, it will be offering them software rather than hardware in the future. And the smart money says that this software will be running on a smartwatch carrying an Apple logo. […]

Football: Maracana — from populist temple to elitist arena
(RIO DE JANEIRO-AFP) – The Maracana stadium, a footballing theatre which every fan dreams of visiting, has morphed into an ultra-modern, sustainable and safe arena, albeit one with elitist traits, compared to the populist temple it once was. Though the stadium has twice been extensively remodeled since, all Brazilians know it as the place where […]

China approves jail for rare wild animal eaters: Xinhua
BEIJING (AFP) – China’s legislature voted on Thursday to approve a legal measure that will jail people caught eating rare wild animals, state media reported. The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) approved a new interpretation of China’s Criminal Law at a bimonthly session, the official Xinhua news agency reported. The NPC, China’s […]

The promise of quality living at Rockwell’s exceptional residences
With 19 years of providing quality living, expertise in property management, and a trained eye for pioneering design, Rockwell Land has created the Philippines’ premier luxury residential and commercial communities. Its flagship development, Rockwell Center, is a 15.5-hectare, self-contained and mixed-use development located in the country’s financial, business, and lifestyle capital, Makati City. Rockwell Center […]

Beauty tutorials: growing out a pixie cut
(Relaxnews) – With celebrities like Anne Hathaway and Jennifer Lawrence spotted growing out their pixie haircuts, we take a look at how to deal with that awkward in-between phase. The early stages http://youtu.be/t7Ib8oQofhA Blogger Makayla starts the “awkward transition” of growing out her pixie cut in this video. She recommends using a curl cream to control […]

Football: London and Munich rivals for Euro 2020 semis and final
(PARIS-AFP) – The semi-finals and final of Euro 2020 will be staged in either London or Munich, European football’s governing body UEFA announced on Saturday. They were the only two cities that submitted bid dossiers for the semi-finals/final package of the new format tournament by a Friday midnight deadline. In all, 19 cities from 19 […]

Walking can help creative thinking: study
(Relaxnews) – People who rely on walks to overcome writer’s block or solve a tricky problem seem to have it right: new research shows that walking — whether indoors or outdoors — can encourage creative thought. Researchers at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education conducted experiments on 176 people and found that participants who walked […]

Diabetes research: good news for caffeine addicts?
(PARIS-AFP) – People who boosted their coffee intake by “moderate to large” doses in a US-based study had a lower risk for adult-onset diabetes than those with stable consumption, researchers said Friday. An analysis of studies that tracked the diet and lifestyles of more than 120,000 health sector workers, showed that those who increased their […]

Garcetti wears denim in protest vs sexual violence
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti wore denim jeans Wednesday along with fellow Angelenos, guests and supporters as a sign of protest against sexual violence at the GUESS headquarters downtown organized by the LA-based nonprofit organization Peace Over Violence. Wednesday’s Denim Day also coincided with other “protests” held in the state of California after the Legislature […]

Daredevils BASE jump off world’s tallest building in record-breaking stunt
(Relaxnews) – If you suffer from vertigo, you may want to peek through your fingers for this one: a pair of French daredevils have broken the record for the highest BASE jump after leaping from the tip of the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The heart-stopping stunt is captured on […]

MAC & Proenza Schouler collection unveiled
(Relaxnews) – MAC has unveiled its latest designer collaboration, a capsule collection with Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez of New York City-based fashion label Proenza Schouler. The collection riffs on the designers’ signature use of quirky colors and iridescent finishes. First announced in October last year, the collection will hit select stores on May 1. […]

Roller derby, popular in US, gains traction abroad
(STERLING, United States-AFP) – Adrienne Schreiber curls down her lower lip to reveal “SF1″ inked in black — a tattoo celebrating Scare Force One, a tribe of fierce Washington women on roller skates. When they get together, they push, shove and — above all — win. Bureaucrats, teachers and scientists, the women who compete in […]

Fashion films of the week: Petit Bateau, Prada, Margiela & Mykita
(Relaxnews) – A shoppable video for a Petit Bateau capsule collection, Léa Seydoux and flowers feature in a new Prada scent short, and cool dreamy imagery for the Mykita-Margiela collaboration: here are the finest cuts from the world of fashion film over the past seven days. Petit Bateau The French brand celebrated its capsule collection […]