SM says 'martilyo' gang behind mall robbery

MANILA, Philippines (3rd UPDATE) – A robbery incident took place inside SM North EDSA in Quezon City on Sunday night, December 15, causing commotion in the mall.

A statement by SM Premier Mall Vice President for Operations Steven Tan said the incident involved the "martilyo (hammer) gang," which is known for targeting jewelry shops.

In a phone interview, Tan said the group robbed one store, but no one was hurt.

Tan also denied there was shooting involved like what social media posts had claimed.

He added that the police are now on top of the situation and the mall has resumed normal operations.

Hours after the incident, President Benigno Aquino III and Interior Secretary Mar Roxas visited the crime scene to personally check the situation, ABS-CBN News reported.

Earlier tweets claimed people ran towards the mall's exits as gun shots were heard at the mall's department store.

Source: rappler.com

Apple wins court battle against Samsung

South Korea's Samsung on Thursday lost its latest claim in a long-running global copyright battle against bitter rival Apple, a surprise blow to the electronics giant in its home market.

A court rejected Samsung's claims that some Apple products had infringed on three of its patents covering messaging technology for mobile devices.

It's the first time a South Korean court has ruled against Samsung in its battle with Apple. Samsung described Thursday's ruling as "preliminary" and indicated it would continue its battle at home.

"We are disappointed by the court's decision. As Apple has continued to infringe our patented mobile technologies, we will continue to take the measures necessary to protect our intellectual property rights," Samsung said in a statement.

South Korea's Samsung on Thursday lost its latest claim in a long-running global copyright battle against bitter rival Apple, a surprise blow to the electronics giant in its home market

The ruling dealt a blow to Samsung's efforts to build its case over patents covering the designs and functions of smartphones.

Snubbed by taxi drivers? call 4592129

Manila, Philippines -- Commuters who may fall prey to “snobbish” taxi drivers in trying to catch a ride at the airport or malls this holiday season have a new hotline number to call.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) launched a new hotline for passenger complaints: 4592129.

In cooperation with the Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP), the LTFRB inaugurates its new call center hotline that operates 24 hours a day and seven days a week to entertain commuter calls.

“To ensure that the public can easily report erring drivers who refuse to carry them to their destinations, overcharging and other malpractices, LTFRB signed a Memorandum of Agreement with AAP with its call 24/7, 365-day center services.”

Paul Walker Dead at 40 In Fiery Car Crash

Paul Walker -- best known for his role in "The Fast and the Furious" movies -- died Saturday afternoon after a single-car accident and explosion in Southern California ... TMZ has learned.

The accident happened in Santa Clarita -- north of Los Angeles -- and according to multiple sources connected to Paul ... the actor was in a Porsche when the driver somehow lost control and slammed into a post or a tree ... and then the car burst into flames.

Several of our sources -- some who are still at the scene of the accident -- tell us Paul and another person in the car were killed. Law enforcement is still on the scene, and we're told the L.A. County Coroner's Office is on the way.

At this point, it's unclear what caused the accident, or who was behind the wheel when it happened.

Paul was 40 years old.

Sources close to Paul tell us he was in Santa Clarita for a car show to support the Philippines typhoon relief effort, and had been taking friends out for rides in his new Porsche GT. The accident happened during one of those test spins.

Story developing ...

Source: TMZ