This week's most talked about topics include the new PAGCOR logo in the Philippines, US President Biden's trip to Europe before the NATO summit, and an unverified transcript of communications between OceanGate's Titan and Polar Prince.
Read on to fill you in.
Philippines: PAGCOR Logo Accused of Plagiarism
A new logo for the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) was recently unveiled, and it quickly became a social media sensation. The new logo was introduced on Tuesday, July 11, as part of PAGCOR's yearlong commemoration of its 40th anniversary.
However, many Filipinos voiced their opposition to it. The new PAGCOR emblem is now being accused of copying an earlier design.
A large number of Filipinos believe the new PAGCOR symbol was inspired by the logo of the website Tripper.
Images found online show that color is the only difference between the Tripper and the new PAGCOR logo. Tripper's icon is sky blue whereas PAGCOR's is red and blue. Nevertheless, the corporation denied plagiarizing.
For this reason, the company has begun investigating the prevalence of bogus news. "PAGCOR is actively investigating the source of this malicious and baseless campaign and urges the public to exercise caution," it stated.
Meanwhile, after learning that the PAGCOR had spent millions on a new logo, many Filipinos were dismayed. They are unhappy about how the logo looks, most especially the weird color transition in the center.
Biden's Visit to Europe Ahead of NATO Summit
US President Joe Biden has already begun traveling to Europe ahead of the 2023 NATO Summit.
The NATO summit was set to take place on July 11-12. But on Sunday, July 9, Biden boarded a plane for Europe with the intention of visiting London.
Biden met with King Charles III on Monday, July 10. This is significant since it was their initial encounter since Charles' coronation. Jill Biden, the First Lady, represented the US at the coronation.
Prior to Biden and King Charles' meeting, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that the two leaders would meet to discuss how to best mobilize climate financing.
Unproven 'Transcript' of Comms Between OceanGate's Titan and Polar Prince
An unconfirmed transcript of the conversation between the doomed OceanGate submersible Titan and the mothership Polar Prince allegedly leaked online.
The Titanic-bound submersible imploded and killed all five onboard, including CEO Stockton Rush, last month.
Since the event, various social media users, mainly on TikTok and YouTube, have shared the uncorroborated "transcript" or "log" and their opinions on it. Investigations into the claimed transmissions have been inconclusive.
On June 18, the Titan allegedly last connected with the Polar Price around 09:46 AM.
Supposedly the last communication sent by the Titan said: "[R]eading red on the A power bus. I switched to B. [A]t 3457m more sounds aft-."
Parks Stephenson first assumed the transcript was legitimate on Facebook until he spotted some anomalies. Stephenson is a Titanic explorer who collaborated with James Cameron.
Stephenson termed it "most likely nothing more than a cruel and cynical fantasy."
