Facing Critics, Facebook Wants Feeds to Be More ‘Meaningful’

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12 January 2018, 11:18

Facebook's logo displayed on an iPad in a 2012 file photo. Photo: Matt Rourke / Associated Press

NEW YORK — Facebook is tweaking what people see to make their time on the site more “meaningful.”

The company says people will likely spend less time on Facebook as a result. The changes come as critics say social media can make people feel depressed and isolated.

Facebook has said before that it will emphasize personal connections over business pages and the celebrities people follow. But the latest move represents a major shift, one intended to highlight the posts users are most likely to engage with rather than passively consume.

There will be fewer posts from brands, pages and media companies and more from people. There will be fewer videos, which Facebook considers “passive.”

The changes won’t affect ads and will likely hurt businesses that want to reach followers without paying to advertise.

What Robot Strippers Say About Sexism, Tech and the Future

By

Associated Press

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12 January 2018, 11:12

Two pole-dancing robots built by British artist Giles Walker perform at a gentlemen's club Monday, Jan. 8, 2018, in Las Vegas. The event was held to coincide with CES International. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

LAS VEGAS — On a recent evening in Las Vegas during the CES technology show, robot strippers offered a window into technology’s gender fault lines — not to mention our robot future.

From a distance, the mechanical humanoids on a strip-club stage looked something like real dancers in robot drag. But close up, they were clearly mannequins with surveillance-camera heads and abstractly sculpted feminine chests, buttocks and backs, shimmying and thrusting their boxy plastic hips.

“I see robotic strippers and I see half-naked women on the showroom floor promoting products…. It’s like, aren’t we worth more than that?” –Ashleigh Giliberto, CES attendee

On one level, this was a classic Vegas stunt, a cheap way for the club to cash in on the presence of the world’s largest tech convention. After all, the android dancers weren’t really strippers, since they wore no clothes; in fact, they were barely even robots, since they were tied to their poles and only capable of a limited set of motions.

But they still provided some striking parallels to the much bigger tech show nearby. The robots served a racy but utilitarian function by drawing gawkers to the club, much the way provocatively clad “booth babes” lure CES visitors to wares on the convention floor. And they offered a glimpse of futurism crossed with sex, the sort of thing previously provided by the porn expo that used to overlap with the final days of CES.

“I see robotic strippers and I see half-naked women on the showroom floor promoting products,” said Ashleigh Giliberto, a CES attendee who works at a public-relations firm. “It’s like, aren’t we worth more than that?”

Technology and Women

Last year was a watershed moment for women speaking out against sexism and sexual abuse, much of which reverberated through the tech industry.

Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick was forced to step down as CEO after he fostered a startup culture rife with alleged sexual misconduct. Several prominent venture capitalists likewise left their firms following accusations that they’d made unwanted sexual overtures to female entrepreneurs.

CES itself has long had a boy’s club atmosphere. Only about 20 percent of attendees this year are women; just two of the 15 keynote speakers at CES are female, as are only a quarter of the roughly 900 total speakers.

The conference took pains to note that it has no affiliation with the strip club nor its temporary robot workers. In a statement, organizers said they do not tolerate “inappropriate behavior on our convention grounds or at official show events.” Unsanctioned events, the statement said, aren’t reflective of CES “or the tech industry at large.”

CES and Women

Yet critics point out that CES doesn’t do much else to create a positive environment for women. For instance, while the convention prohibits sexual harassment and other misbehavior, it doesn’t lay out its policies in a formal code of conduct for attendees the way many other large tech gatherings do.

Neither has it ever instructed attendees, participants and hosts “to not have booth babes, strippers, objectified, sexualized women as part of the ’entertainment,’” said Cindy Gallop, a former advertising executive turned sex-tech entrepreneur. (CES policies do forbid the use of escort services, though. CTA also says exhibitors must be “suitably dressed” and bans “inappropriate” displays, although it didn’t provide further details.)

CES participants didn’t have to visit the club to come across the robots; images were prevalent on social media searches for CES-related posts. Their presence during the show reflects “a tone-deafness about women and gender within the industry,” said Elizabeth Ames, a senior vice president at the Anita Borg Institute, a nonprofit aimed at advancing women in the technology business.

Executives from the Consumer Technology Association, which oversees CES, have promised to “redouble” efforts to add women’s voices to the speaker lineup next year. But those same officials have said they’re hamstrung by a policy that restricts keynote slots to company CEOs — most of whom are men.

Tania Yuki, CEO of the social analytics firm Shareablee and a speaker at CES, said she doesn’t think the show’s organizers are purposely sexist, just trapped in status-quo thinking that worked for years. The dearth of female speakers and the presence of scantily clad show floor models are more “lazy” than “deliberately offensive,” she said.

Sex and Technology (And Art)

The robots are the work of artist Giles Walker, who made them seven years ago after he found two surveillance cameras on a warehouse floor. “I wanted to do a sculpture about voyeurism and the power between the voyeur and the person who’s being watched, ” he said.

Walker acknowledged that bringing the robots to the strip club for an undisclosed fee has led the project astray from his initial vision. “I’m not going to pretend,” he said. “They’re paying my bills and giving me the chance to do other art that I do which is much less commercial and is much more underground.”

But his sexualized androids also point to a future in which robots might not just take on many jobs now held by people, but are also likely to become companions — even intimate companions, a subject that squicks out many actual humans. Some of these robocompanions are already here; high-end sexbots with ultra-realistic silicone “flesh” and artificial-intelligence personalities are available online for as much as $15,000.

As robot technology advances, that future could get very weird very quickly. For instance, academics are already wrestling with the ethical implications of sexbots designed to look like children, not to mention practical questions such as whether they might deter actual pedophilia.

Celine Dion’s Heart Will Go On Bangkok Stage

By

Chayanit Itthipongmaetee, Staff Reporter

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12 January 2018, 11:06

BANGKOK — For the first time, a Canadian pop diva who lent her powerful voice to the “Titanic” soundtrack will perform in Bangkok in July.

Best known for “My Heart Will Go On,” “The Power of Love” and “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now,” Celine Dion, is coming to perform in Bangkok for the first time, Bec-Tero Entertainment announced Friday morning.

Her concert will take place July 23 at Impact Arena Muang Thong Thani. Tickets start at 2,000 baht and go on sale Feb. 3 via ThaiTicketMajor.

Bangkok is not the only Asian venue the 49-year-old singer will take the stage in for the first time: Her tour also swings through Manila, Singapore, Jakarta and Taipei.

Influenced by rock, R&B, gospel and classical music styles, Celine Dion, or Céline Marie Claudette Dion, achieved worldwide fame since mid ‘90s after releasing several albums.

Quakes Rattle Myanmar’s Yangon, No Damage Seen

By

Associated Press

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12 January 2018, 11:05

YANGON — Several earthquakes caused some panic in Myanmar’s largest city early Friday, but no serious injuries or major damage has yet been reported.

Residents said their six-story building shook three times, with the strongest quake lasting at least a minute.

“We were sleeping, but as the building was shaking pretty strong, we all woke up in a panic,” Yangon resident Swe Swe Myint said.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the first quake just before 1a. was magnitude-6.0 and had a shallow depth of 10 kilometers. The epicenter was about 27 kilometers southwest of Phyu township, about 172 kilometers north of Yangon.

Three quakes of magnitude-5.3 and magnitude-5.2 followed within 20 minutes.

Myanmar Earthquake Committee said the epicenters were close to at least two dams.

But after daylight broke, no major damage or casualties had yet been reported.

Trump: Why Allow Immigrants From ‘Shithole Countries?’

By

Associated Press

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12 January 2018, 10:45

President Donald Trump listens in January during a meeting with lawmakers on immigration policy in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington. Photo: Evan Vucci / Associated Press

WASHINGTON — In bluntly vulgar language, President Donald Trump questioned Thursday why the U.S. would accept more immigrants from Haiti and “shithole countries” in Africa rather than places like Norway, as he rejected a bipartisan immigration deal, according to people briefed on the extraordinary Oval Office conversation.

Trump’s contemptuous description of an entire continent startled lawmakers in the meeting and immediately revived charges that the president is racist. The White House did not deny his remark but issued a statement saying Trump supports immigration policies that welcome “those who can contribute to our society.”

Trump’s comments came as two senators presented details of a bipartisan compromise that would extend protections against deportation for hundreds of thousands of young immigrants — and also strengthen border protections, as Trump has insisted.

The lawmakers had hoped Trump would back their accord, an agreement among six senators evenly split among Republicans and Democrats, ending a months-long, bitter dispute over protecting the “Dreamers.” But the White House later rejected it, plunging the issue back into uncertainty just eight days before a deadline that threatens a government shutdown.

Dick Durbin of Illinois, the Senate’ s No. 2 Democrat, explained that as part of that deal, a lottery for visas that has benefited people from Africa and other nations would be ended, the sources said, though there could be another way for them to apply. Durbin said people would be allowed to stay in the U.S. who fled here after disasters hit their homes in places including El Salvador, Guatemala and Haiti.

Trump specifically questioned why the U.S. would want to admit more people from Haiti. As for Africa, he asked why more people from “shithole countries” should be allowed into the U.S., the sources said.

The president suggested that instead, the U.S. should allow more entrants from countries like Norway. Trump met this week with Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg.

Asked about the remarks, White House spokesman Raj Shah did not deny them.

“Certain Washington politicians choose to fight for foreign countries, but President Trump will always fight for the American people,” he said.

Trump’s remarks were remarkable even by the standards of a president who has been accused by his foes of racist attitudes and has routinely smashed through public decorum that his modern predecessors have generally embraced.

Trump has claimed without evidence that Barack Obama, the nation’s first black president, wasn’t born in the United States, has said Mexican immigrants were “bringing crime” and were “rapists” and said there were “very fine people on both sides” after violence at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, left one counter-protester dead.

“Racist,” tweeted Rep. Kathleen Rice, D-N.Y., after Thursday’s story broke. But it wasn’t just Democrats objecting.

Republican Rep. Mia Love of Utah, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, said Trump’s comments were “unkind, divisive, elitist and fly in the face of our nation’s values.” She said, “This behavior is unacceptable from the leader of our nation” and Trump must apologize to the American people “and the nations he so wantonly maligned.”

Trump has called himself the “least racist person that you’ve ever met.” On Friday he plans to sign a proclamation honoring Martin Luther King Day.

Critics also have questioned his mental fitness to serve as president, citing his inability to muster some policy details and his tweets asserting his “nuclear button” is bigger than North Korea’s. He responded to such criticism with a recent tweet calling himself “a very stable genius” who is “like, really smart.”

The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to publicly describe the conversation. One said lawmakers in the room were taken aback by Trump’s remarks.

The Trump administration announced late last year that it would end a temporary residency permit program that allowed nearly 60,000 citizens from Haiti to live and work in the United States following a devastating 2010 earthquake.

Trump has spoken positively about Haitians in public. During a 2016 campaign event in Miami, he said “the Haitian people deserve better” and told the audience of Haitian-Americans he wanted to “be your greatest champion, and I will be your champion.”

The agreement that Durbin and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., described to Trump also includes his $1.6 billion request for a first installment on his long-sought border wall, aides familiar with the agreement said. They required anonymity because the agreement is not yet public.

Trump’s request covers 74 miles of border wall as part of a 10-year, $18 billion proposal.

Democrats had long vowed they wouldn’t fund the wall but are accepting the opening request as part of a broader plan that protects from deportation about 800,000 younger immigrants brought to the country as children and now here illegally.

The deal also would include restrictions on a program allowing immigrants to bring some relatives to the U.S.

In an afternoon of drama and confusing developments, four other GOP lawmakers — including hardliners on immigration — were also in Trump’s office for Thursday’s meeting, a development sources said Durbin and Graham did not expect. It was unclear why the four Republicans were there, and the session did not produce the results the two senators were hoping for.

“There has not been a deal reached yet,” said White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders. But she added, “We feel like we’re close.”

Underscoring the hurdles facing the effort, other Republicans also undercut the significance of the deal the half-dozen senators hoped to sell to Trump.

“How do six people bind the other 94 in the Senate? I don’t get that,” said No. 2 Senate Republican John Cornyn of Texas.

Cornyn said the six lawmakers were hoping for a deal and “everyone would fall in line. The president made it clear to me on the phone less than an hour ago that he wasn’t going to do that.”

The six senators have been meeting for months to find a way to revive protections for young immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children and are here illegally. Trump ended the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program last year but has given Congress until March 5 to find a way to keep it alive.

Federal agencies will run out of money and have to shut down if lawmakers don’t pass legislation extending their financing by Jan. 19. Some Democrats are threatening to withhold their votes — which Republicans will need to push that legislation through Congress — unless an immigration accord is reached.

Cornyn said the real work for a bipartisan immigration deal will be achieved by a group of four leading lawmakers — the No. 2 Republicans and Democrats in both the House and Senate. That group met for the first time this week.

The immigration effort seemed to receive a boost Tuesday when Trump met with two dozen lawmakers and agreed to seek a bipartisan way to resuscitate the program. The group agreed to also include provisions strengthening security — which for Trump means building parts of a wall along the border with Mexico — curbing immigrants’ relatives from coming here and restricting the visa lottery.

Also in Thursday’s Oval Office meeting were House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., and GOP Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and David Perdue of Georgia. Aides to lawmakers who attended declined to provide comment on Trump’s remarks.

Any immigration deal would face hurdles winning congressional approval.

Many Democrats would oppose providing substantial sums for Trump’s campaign promise to build a wall along the border with Mexico. Many Hispanic and liberal members of the party oppose steps toward curtailing immigration such as ending the visa lottery and restricting the relatives that legal immigrants could bring to the U.S.

Among Republicans, some conservatives are insisting on going further than the steps that Trump has suggested. They want to reduce legal immigration, require employers to verify workers’ citizenship and block federal grants to so-called sanctuary cities that hinder federal anti-immigrant efforts.

Soldier’s Confession Latest Twist in Checkpoint Killing

By

Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief

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11 January 2018, 17:34

Police inspect Sorachai Sathitraksadumrong's car on Jan. 3

CHIANG RAI — A soldier stepped forward to admit that he killed a motorist at a northern checkpoint last week, police said Thursday.

The confession of the soldier, who remains anonymous, came after the community rallied to pressure police to come clean about what happened following the arrest of a civilian for killing the motorist.

It was initially not disclosed that armed soldiers were present when the motorist was shot in the dead after apparently not noticing the impromptu checkpoint set up in the northern province of Chiang Rai.

The soldier is in military custody and will soon be transferred to police custody, according to the chief of the police station investigating the crime.

“He has not yet surrendered to police,” Col. Vicharn Churit said today, adding that the soldier was carrying an M-16 rifle at the time. He would not name the soldier, saying he was unsure about the information he had at hand.

The development was yet another twist in the investigation of the Jan. 2 shooting death of Sorachai Sathitraksadumrong. Security officers reportedly opened fire on the 34-year-old contractor after he failed to stop at the checkpoint.

Police initially arrested deputy community leader Wutthichai Injai and identified him as having fired the fatal shot. He was jailed to await trial. Wutthichai has reportedly denied the allegations and maintained he only fired warning shots.

However, Sorachai’s family and neighbors staged several protests and told the media they heard Sorachai was killed by a soldier. Police soon walked back their narrative, admitting on Tuesday that a soldier could have been responsible.

On Wednesday, the victim’s family filed a complaint to deputy police commander Srivara Ransibrahmanakul, who promised them the investigation would be fair.

Col. Vicharn said Wutthichai was recently granted bail but will face legal prosecution until evidence clears him of any wrongdoing.

“If the evidence doesn’t implicate him, then he will be treated accordingly,” Vicharn said.

A ballistics analysis of the round which killed Sorachai found it was consistent with an M-16, forensic police have been quoted saying. Vicharn declined to comment on that detail.

Though local police are often used as proxies for military law enforcement, civilian law enforcement shows great deference when soldiers are implicated in crimes.

Defense Ministry spokesman Kongcheep Tantravanich said the military will convene a disciplinary investigation into the shooting. The spokesman said soldiers are not allowed to fire their weapons unless threatened first.

He added that the military will not consider disarming soldiers at checkpoints across the country, citing safety concerns.

“Soldiers still need weapons, no matter what,” Maj. Gen. Kongcheep said. “Suppose they don’t carry weapons, and someone with weapons tries to harm them, what are they going to do?”

For a peacetime military, the armed forces have a poor record of killing civilians, typically with with mild or no legal consequences for those responsible.

In March, an ethnic Lahu activist was shot dead at a checkpoint in Chiang Mai province. The military maintained he was resisting a search and threatening to harm the officers, while witnesses told the media soldiers shot him as he was running away.

Eight months after receiving security footage of what happened, police investigating the soldiers said last month they are still unable to view it.

No military personnel has never been prosecuted for their use of force against civilians in 2010 political unrest, which resulted in the deaths of more than 90 people.

Concrete Downpour Halts Demolition of Pattaya Hotel

By

Asaree Thaitrakulpanich, Staff Reporter

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11 January 2018, 16:58

Police outside the Boutique Pattaya Hotel on Thursday.

PATTAYA — Residents along South Pattaya Road were awakened Thursday by the sound of something much heavier than rain falling from the sky.

Pattaya officials halted work on the Boutique Pattaya Hotel after locals raised the alarm about bits of rock and concrete raining down from the building, which has been removing a number of illegally built floors.

“Some neighbors in the area alerted us today. So police and public works officials went down there and made them stop the demolition, because it’s unsafe,” Col. Apichai Krobpetch of Pattaya City police said. “If they can’t do it safely, then they can’t absolutely cannot continue demolishing it.”

The work can resume when until safety equipment is installed. If the construction does not pass another safety inspection, then its permits will be revoked.

Apichai said that no one was injured by the falling debris as of Thursday.

In May 2016, the Boutique Pattaya Hotel, then 13 stories high, was ordered to remove six floors built illegally. When demolition began, so did a regular flow of falling debris – for several months until the authorities intervened.

The building owner changed the contractor to complete the project to the tune of 2.7 million baht. That change apparently did not have the intended effect of stopping dangerous construction debris from falling.

Pattaya officials have fenced off the affected sub soi, Soi VC, for the safety of residents and tourists.

‘Jay Fai’ Hopes it Doesn’t Get Michelin Star Again

By

Associated Press

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11 January 2018, 16:25

Cook Supinya Jansuta, 72, better known as "Jay Fai," wearing goggles, cooks with two flaming woks last December at her eatery in Bangkok. Photo: Gemunu Amarasinghe / Associated Press

BANGKOK — After spending more than three decades cooking in an unassuming outdoor kitchen, a wok-wielding, goggles-wearing chef has been propelled to international culinary stardom by having her restaurant awarded a Michelin star.

Supinya Jansuta, better known as “Jay Fai,” is among 17 Bangkok-based chefs whose venues received the coveted honor from Michelin in a guidebook released last month — its first foray into the country.

Jay Fai, as her restaurant is also known, is often featured in foreign travel guides but is mostly shunned by Thais for its high prices of what is generally considered cheap local food.

But a closer examination of the 72-year-old chef’s dishes reveals an abundance of fresh seafood and prime ingredients.

“The No. 1 thing with Jay Fai is people say it’s too expensive,” said Oliver Irvine, editor of the English-language weekly BK Magazine, which regularly critiques Bangkok’s food scene. “This is an old classic hole-in-the wall place which charges 800-1,000 baht ($24-31) for its famous crab omelet, which is nowhere near street-food prices. But when you cut that thing open, it’s literally bursting with the freshest crab in the whole city.”

Jay Fai is the only restaurant in the Bangkok guide listed under the “street food” classification to receive a star.

“Jay Fai is a place that both taxi drivers and foodies wax lyrical about and it’s easy to see why,” the Michelin guidebook says of the restaurant.

Bangkok is renowned for its street food, with cart-wielding vendors selling everything from Thailand’s signature noodles to spicy tom yum goong soup.

The stalls, with their metal folding tables and rickety plastic stools, serve as a gastronomic go-to for budget-conscious locals and adventurous tourists alike.

In recent months, however, officials in the military-ruled country who see street food as an illegal nuisance have warned hawkers to clear out of some of the city’s neighborhoods.

While Jay Fai is one of 14 Bangkok restaurants to receive a single star, none got three stars, the highest Michelin honor. Three were awarded two stars — the Indian restaurant Gaggan, French venue Le Normandie and European establishment Mezzaluna.

Following the lead of several other Asian nations, Thailand’s government earmarked USD $4.1 million last year to commission five years of Michelin Guides dedicated to the country.

Michelin says the Bangkok guide was “solely, independently and anonymously” produced by its team of critics.

Jay Fai said she was happy about receiving the Michelin honor, but questioned why it came so late in her career.

“I’ve been cooking for 30 to 40 years, so I don’t know why I’ve only just got it,” she said. “I’m happy that they’re starting to recognize Thailand and Thai chefs.”

“I hope more Thai people will win the award next year, and they don’t just give it to Jay Fai again,” she said as she expertly flipped and tossed vegetables in a flaming wok.

Since receiving the accolade, Jay Fai’s once relatively quiet restaurant has been busier than ever. Her shop is open from 3 p.m. to 2 a.m., but many people start queueing up well before opening time. By afternoon on most days, a “full house” sign is hung up, indicating that no further customers can be accommodated.

After waiting in line for over two hours, David Goldman, a tourist from Los Angeles, left the restaurant satisfied.

“The food was really fresh. It was probably the best Thai food I’ve ever had,” Goldman said. “The only advice I have for anyone coming here is bring a book” given the long wait, he added.

Get Edgy at Bangkok Fest for ‘First Ideas’

By

Chayanit Itthipongmaetee, Staff Reporter

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11 January 2018, 15:57

BANGKOK — People, passion and great ideas will converge riverside later this month.

Billed as the city’s “First Ideas Festival,” Bangkok Edge will gather writers, activists, journalists, photographers, chefs and more to lead provocative talks and inspirational workshops covering fashion, food, journalism, arts and culture.

Highlights include a discussion of “Thai History in Difficult Times” by award-winning British expat writer Chris Baker and leading historian Charnvit Kasetsiri.

Marina Mahathir, a Malaysian author and activist will share her views on women’s rights in Asia, while Malaysian-Australian author-poet Omar Musa will show off his talents and sit down to talk about hip-hop in contemporary society.

What’s the deal with bad news, good news and fake news? Anjan Sundaram, award-winning journalist and author of “Bad News: Last Journalists in a Dictatorship,” will join a panel discussion with writer Christopher G. Moore.

Chef Andrew Martin of Bangkok’s 80/20 restaurant will host an outdoor workshop on cooking with food waste.

Films and concerts will also take place both days. The story of a burned-out man traveling with his elephant across Thailand will be told in “Pop Aye” at 7pm on Jan. 20 while famous 2004 Thai romance “Citizen Dog,” widely compared to French film “Amelie,” will show at 7pm on Jan. 21.

Both days will see live performances by local acts including Hugo, Yellow Fang, Yena and Chanudom.

Admission to every activity is free. The complete schedules for Jan. 20 and Jan. 21 are online.

The Bangkok Edge Festival – which debuted in 2016 – will run noon to midnight on Jan. 20 and Jan. 21 at Museum Siam, Chakrabongse Villas and Rajini School. All venues can be reached from the Yodpiman River Walk or Tha Tien piers. Motorists can park at the Royal Thai Navy Club House or Yodpiman River Walk then walk or take a motorbike.

WWE Wants UFC Star Rousey to Jump From Octagon to Ring

By

Associated Press

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11 January 2018, 15:18

Ronda Rousey in 2016 stands in the cage after Amanda Nunes forced a stoppage in the first round of their women's bantamweight championship mixed martial arts bout at UFC 207 in Las Vegas. Photo: John Locher / Associated Press

UFC star Ronda Rousey’s next fight could come in a WWE ring.

WWE executive Paul Levesque, better known as wrestling superstar Triple H, had dinner with Rousey in Los Angeles on Tuesday night, again fueling speculation that UFC’s biggest female star could leave the octagon for a career in sports entertainment.

“We are talking to Ronda, as we’ve been for a while,” Levesque told The Associated Press by phone on Wednesday. “She has a lot of things going on. We have a lot of things going on. But we have a great relationship with her, a very friendly standpoint for a long period of time now. It was great to catch up with her.”

Rousey, once the most dominant fighter in mixed martial arts, has not competed since she suffered a 48-second loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 in December 2016. Rousey (12-2) lost two straight bouts in 13 months and took a hiatus that saw her branch out into other forms of entertainment.

Rousey, who adopted the “Rowdy” nickname from WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, is a big wrestling fan as made guest appearances at WWE events. She notably stood side-by-side with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as they fought off the villainous Triple H and his wife and fellow executive, Stephanie McMahon.

The Rock raised Rousey’s arm in celebration at the end of the segment held at WrestleMania in 2015. Rousey has since appeared in the stands at events for WWE’s developmental system, NXT.

Rousey and fellow UFC fighters Marina Shafir, Shayna Baszler and Jessamyn Duke were known as the Four Horsewomen — a tribute to the nefarious Ric Flair-led Four Horsemen stable of the 1980s and ’90s. Baszler has signed with WWE and wrestles in NXT.

The WWE recently announced it will hold its first women’s Royal Rumble match (an over-the-top-rope battle royale) at the Jan. 28 Royal Rumble pay-per-view in Philadelphia. The match would be a splendid time to showcase Rousey in her WWE debut if she can break free from her film commitments. Rousey could also lead her Horsewomen against a WWE faction at WrestleMania on April 8.

Or, it could just be buzz designed to keep Rousey in the news and give the WWE a publicity boost as it heads toward its biggest four-month stretch of the year.

“We have nothing to announce at this time,” Levesque said. “But she’s a huge fan of what we do and she’s incredibly interested in what we do and the opportunities that lie there. We’re fans of hers and incredibly interested in what those opportunities could be with us. But there’s a lot of things to walk through. We’re talking. We’re having conversations.”

UFC President Dana White was on vacation and unavailable for comment.

Levesque was in Los Angeles to speak on a Television Critics Association panel.

Rousey refused to comment when approached by TMZ, only saying, “I enjoy fine dining.”

But it’s clear that the Rousey-wrestling connection appeals to WWE.

“I’d love it,” Levesque said.

Story: Dan Gelston

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