Rejuvenated Fury ready for heavyweight title showdown vs Wilder

LOS ANGELES — The sun shines on Tyson Fury every morning in California.

The larger-than-life heavyweight from Manchester has found comfort and calm far from home. Whether training in the high-altitude seclusion of Big Bear or sampling Los Angeles' good life at a Lakers game, Fury believes he has found the proper place to start again.

"It's been a long, hard road with many obstacles in the way," Fury said this week. "I think it's all been well documented. But it didn't get me. I found a way. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, more determined. My story has got more pain in it now. I believe that rain has passed and the sun is shining brightly."

When Fury (27-0, 19 KOs) takes on Deontay Wilder (40-0, 39 KOs) at Staples Center on Saturday night (Sunday Manila time) in one of the biggest heavyweight bouts in years, he is fighting for a victory in the ring that would mirror his extraordinary comeback from the brink of personal disaster.

The friends and co-workers who know every detail of Fury's remarkable rise and incredible fall sometimes marvel at his recovery from depression, drug abuse, heavy drinking and spectacular weight gain during a fraught, decadent two-year spiral.

Not many fighters have reached the pinnacle of their sport as sublimely as Fury did when he defeated the seemingly unbeatable Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015.

And while many boxers have fallen hard and fast after their greatest triumphs, not many have dusted themselves off and resumed their careers with the vigor displayed by the 30-year-old man named after Mike Tyson.

"To see where he's at today is a testament to this man and what he's done," said his promoter, Frank Warren. "Coming from rock bottom to being here, not as the contender but the lineal champion, it's truly remarkable. He's been a consummate professional for the last year. He has already answered a lot of questions about himself, and now he has to answer the biggest one."

Everything about Fury is enormous. The self-described "bald, big-bearded hulk of a man" is a thick 6-foot-9 with a voice that can sound like tires on gravel, yet he carries the physical presence of an elite athlete, not a bar bouncer.

Fury showed that athleticism while carving out a spot in Britain's crowded boxing landscape. He patiently maneuvered his way into a shot at the peerless Klitschko, and he dominated the long-reigning champ with a persistent jab and canny strategy in a shocking unanimous-decision win.

And then it all fell apart. A lucrative rematch with Klitschko had to be scrapped when he tested positive for cocaine use after a summer of partying, and he gradually lost all the title belts he had claimed. Fury also made a series of homophobic, sexist, transphobic and anti-Semitic statements in interviews, thoroughly eroding the goodwill established by his unlikely victory.

Fury apologized for some of his missteps, and he remained candid about his struggles with depression and the type of compulsive behavior that left him weighing nearly 400 pounds after a months-long diet of cheeseburgers, cakes and lager.

Fury didn't get himself together again until last year, and Britain's licensing board reinstated him in January. He returned to the ring for two moderately impressive wins over outmatched opponents last summer— but those were proper warmups for this shot at Wilder, Fury says.

"It took me about 2 1/2 years to actually start missing the sport," Fury said. "Once I started missing it, the fire re-lit again. I'm just happy that I've worked to reach this position again. As for the titles being taken away, they didn't get taken away. I gave them away myself because I had mental problems. I stand here as an ambassador for mental health, and I am the people's champion. I've got millions of people around the world that look up to me. I'm fighting for those people."

Fury never lost the ability to sell a fight. He cultivates a personality as a likable, garrulous brute, and he is a comic counterpart to the similarly verbose Wilder's more aggressive verbal style.

Earlier this week, Fury walked around Los Angeles with a video crew , asking people if they had ever heard of Wilder. He says he found only two boxing fans who had ever heard the name.

When they faced off at their final news conference Wednesday, they nearly came to blows — and while their camps held them back, Fury responded by ripping off his shirt.

Fury scoffs at any worries about ring rust or Wilder's fearsome punching power. After everything Fury has beaten to get back in the ring, he seems genuinely calm and grateful for the opportunity to get to work.

"I believe everybody deserves a second chance," Fury said. "I mean, just look at me."

source: philstar.com

South Korea successfully tests space rocket engine

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea on Wednesday successfully conducted a rocket engine test launch, news reports said, paving the way for the development of its own space launch vehicle.

A liquid-fuel engine successfully propelled a single-stage rocket weighing 52 tonnes and measuring 25.8 meters (84.6 feet) long, from the Naro Space Center on the southern coast, Yonhap news agency said.

The engine, designed and developed by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI ) as part of a $1.8 billion project, will be used to propel the country's first indigenous three-stage launch vehicle -- the Korea Space Launch Vehicle-2 (KSLV-2).


"This is a significant step forward in developing a launch vehicle with our own technology," a KARI spokesman said.

It is the first such launch in South Korea since 2013 when the country successfully put a small satellite into orbit following failures in 2009 and in 2010.

But the significance of the 2013 launch was widely discounted as the launch vehicle had to rely on a Russia-developed engine for its first stage.

On its launch -- scheduled for 2021 -- KSLV-2 will use five of the newly developed engines, a bundle of four for the first stage and another one for the second stage.

Wednesday's test was deemed successful as the engine combustion was maintained for over 140 seconds during the test launch, Yonhap said.

The KSLV-2 rocket, which will be South Korea's first space vehicle wholly designed and built by itself, will be used to place satellites into the Earth's orbit and for other commercial applications.

source: philstar.com

Bernie Sanders signals possible 2020 presidential run

WASHINGTON, United States — Bernie Sanders is talking and acting like a once and future US presidential candidate, telling a magazine he will "probably run" in 2020 if he sees himself as the Democrats' best chance to defeat Donald Trump.

The popular US senator and self-declared Democratic socialist also has just written a book, entitled "Where We Go from Here," that lands Tuesday, the same night he delivers a speech at George Washington University in the capital.

Sanders, 77, launched an extraordinary run for the 2016 Democratic nomination, and while he came up short against Hillary Clinton many Sanders supporters express confidence that he could have beaten Trump for the White House.


Sanders said he still believes his ideas are best for the nation, but is not openly campaigning for the nomination.

"I'm not one of those sons of multimillionaires whose parents told them they were going to become president of the United States," he told New York magazine in a piece released late Sunday.

"I don't wake up in the morning with any burning desire that I have to be president."

Sanders is widely thought to have popularized liberal positions such as Medicare for all, in which the national health insurance for people 65 and over is expanded to everyone, and a $15 minimum wage.

And who else would be as effective a messenger for such a platform as Sanders himself?

"If there's somebody else who appears who can, for whatever reason, do a better job than me, I'll work my ass off to elect him or her," he said.

But "if it turns out that I am the best candidate to beat Donald Trump, then I will probably run," Sanders added.

The 2020 election is still 101 weeks away. But many candidates announce their intentions early in the year prior to the election.

Sanders would likely face intense competition. Several other Senate Democrats are considering presidential bids, including Cory Booker, Sherrod Brown, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren.

Mayors like New York's Bill de Blasio and Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles are also in the mix, as are former vice president Joe Biden, New York billionaire and former mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke, who lost his recent bid to oust Republican Senator Ted Cruz.

source: philstar.com

76ers rally past Nets

Butler hits winning 3 Again

NEW YORK – Jimmy Butler made a 3-pointer with 2.3 seconds remaining to give the Philadelphia 76ers a 127-125 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.

Butler’s shot from the right wing, similar to the one that beat Charlotte in overtime on Nov. 17, capped Philadelphia’s rally from 20 points down in a game the Nets led nearly all the way.

Butler finished with 34 points and 12 rebounds, and Joel Embiid had 32 points and 12 boards for the 76ers.


D’Angelo Russell had 38 points, his highest total with the Nets, and added eight assists and eight rebounds. Spencer Dinwiddie scored 31 points off the bench.

In Los Angeles, Nikola Vucevic had 31 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists and Terrence Ross made a go-ahead lay-up with 34 seconds left to help Orlando beat Los Angeles, 108-104.

Ross scored 16 points as the Magic defeated the Lakers for the second time in eight days. Orlando won 130-117 at home on Nov. 17.

Aaron Gordon had 17 points and D.J. Augustin added 12 points and nine assists for the Magic.

LeBron James had 24 points and seven assists for the Lakers, who had won three straight games and six of their past seven. Kyle Kuzma scored 21 points and Brandon Ingram added 17.

In Toronto, Kawhi Leonard had 29 points and 10 rebounds, Kyle Lowry added 12 points and 10 assists, and Toronto won its fifth straight game, beating Miami, 125-115.

Jonas Valanciunas had 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Pascal Siakam scored 21 points, two shy of his career high, as the Raptors improved their NBA-leading record to 17-4.

Dwyane Wade scored a season-high 35 points, the most ever by a Miami bench player. Josh Richardson scored 19 points and Bam Adebayo had 16 points and a career-high 21 rebounds, but the Heat lost for the seventh time in nine games.

Elsewhere, it was Knicks 103, Grizzlies 98; Clippers 104, Trail Blazers 100;  Pistons 118, Suns 107; Hawks 124, Hornets 123; Jazz 133, Kings 112.

source: philstar.com

Trump: Mexico will hold US-bound refugees while claims processed

WASHINGTON, United States — Asylum seekers hoping to enter the US via its southern border will have to wait in Mexico while they are assessed, President Donald Trump announced Saturday, appearing to confirm a report about a bilateral deal published by The Washington Post.

The move was cautiously welcomed by some refugees currently at the border, even as Mexico's incoming interior minister Olga Sanchez Cordero, who was quoted by the Post as confirming the agreement, later issued a denial.

"Migrants at the Southern Border will not be allowed into the United States until their claims are individually approved in court," Trump wrote on Twitter.

He added that the US "will allow those who come into our Country legally" and emphasized: "All will stay in Mexico."

The deal, which would overhaul US border policy, comes with Trump outraged over the presence of thousands of Central American migrants who marched to Mexico's border city of Tijuana hoping to enter the US for a better life free from the poverty and gang violence in their homelands.

"For now, we have agreed to this policy of Remain in Mexico," the Post quoted Sanchez Cordero as saying. The government of new President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador will enter office on December 1.

But her office later issued a statement saying: "There is no agreement of any type between the future federal government of Mexico and that of the United States of America."

Trump has sent almost 6,000 soldiers to the Mexican border in support of Customs and Border Protection agents and National Guard troops already there, to forestall what Trump has called an "invasion" by "very bad people."

After a trek of more than a month from Honduras, nearly 5,000 migrants -- including women and children -- are now in Tijuana living in a makeshift shelter.

A potential breakthrough

Trump "is within his right. He is in his government," but he is not like other presidents in his views of migrants, said a resident of the shelter, Carolina Flores, 38, of Honduras.

"He sees us as a bug that is going to eat there," she added. "We come for an opportunity!"

Another Honduran in the shelter, Orlinda Morales, 31, a housewife, said the reported new asylum rules seem "very good" because migrants will not be in limbo. "We will get work here," she said.

Hundreds of the migrants lined up this week at a special jobs fair set up for them in the manufacturing city, but others remain determined to reach the US.

No formal agreement has been signed, the Post said, but US officials view the deal, which would see would-be refugees' cases heard by US courts in Mexico, as a potential breakthrough in deterring migration.

US asylum officers will begin implementing the new procedures in coming days or weeks, Homeland Security officials cited by the Post said.

Asylum seekers will be given an initial screening to determine whether they face imminent danger by staying in Mexico, where violence is widespread.

Deportation to the homeland

American officials will be able to process at least twice as many asylum claims under the new system because they would not be limited by detention space at US ports of entry, the Post report said.

It added that under the new rules, an applicant whose asylum claim is denied would not be allowed to return to Mexico but would remain in US custody pending immediate deportation to his or her home country.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made no mention of a deal but said that he and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen had "a constructive meeting" with Mexico's future foreign minister Marcelo Ebrard over the caravans.

"We have affirmed our shared commitment to addressing the current challenge. The caravans will not be permitted to enter the United States. There are real dangers to the safety and human rights of migrants from those who would prey on them," Pompeo said.

He added that he was looking forward to working with Mexico's new government, including on ways to spur job creation "to benefit the government and people of Mexico."

In 2018, border patrols registered more than 400,000 illegal crossers, according to Homeland Security, and in the last five years, the number of those requesting asylum has increased by 2,000 percent.

Less than 10 percent of cases result in asylum being granted, the government says.

Last week, a US federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from denying asylum to people who enter the country illegally.

The president issued a proclamation earlier this month saying that only people who enter the US at official checkpoints -- as opposed to sneaking across the border -- can apply for asylum.

source: philstar.com

In era of online retail, Black Friday still lures a crowd

NEW YORK — It would have been easy to turn on their computers at home over plates of leftover turkey and take advantage of the Black Friday deals most retailers now offer online.

But across the country, thousands of shoppers flocked to stores on Thanksgiving or woke up before dawn the next day to take part in this most famous ritual of American consumerism.

Shoppers spent their holiday lined up outside the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, by 4 p.m. Thursday, and the crowd had swelled to 3,000 people by the time doors opened at 5 a.m. Friday morning. In Ohio, a group of women was so determined, they booked a hotel room Thursday night to be closer to the stores. In New York City, one woman went straight from a dance club to a department store in the middle of the night.

Many shoppers said Black Friday is as much about the spectacle as it is about doorbuster deals.

Kati Anderson said she stopped at Cumberland Mall in Atlanta Friday morning for discounted clothes as well as "the people watching." Her friend, Katie Nasworthy, said she went to the mall instead of shopping online because she likes to see the Christmas decorations.

"It doesn't really feel like Christmas until now," said Kim Bryant, shopping in suburban Denver with her daughter and her daughter's friend, who had lined up at 5:40 a.m., then sprinted inside when the doors opened at 6 a.m.

Brick-and-mortar stores have worked hard to prove they can counter the competition from online behemoth Amazon. From Macy's to Target and Walmart, retailers are blending their online and store shopping experience with new tools like digital maps on smart phones and more options for shoppers to buy online and pick up at stores. And customers, frustrated with long checkout lines, can check out at Walmart and other stores with a salesperson in store aisles.

Consumers nearly doubled their online orders that they picked up at stores from Wednesday to Thanksgiving, according to Adobe Analytics, which tracks online spending.

Priscilla Page, 28, punched her order number into a kiosk near the entrance of a Walmart in Louisville, Kentucky. She found a good deal online for a gift for her boyfriend, then arrived at the store to retrieve it.

"I've never Black Friday-shopped before," she said, as employees delivered her bag minutes later. "I'm not the most patient person ever. Crowds, lines, waiting, it's not really my thing. This was a lot easier."

The holiday shopping season presents a big test for a U.S. economy, whose overall growth so far this year has relied on a burst of consumer spending. Americans upped their spending during the first half of 2018 at the strongest pace in four years, yet retail sales gains have tapered off recently. The sales totals over the next month will be a good indicator as to whether consumers simply paused to catch their breath or feel less optimistic about the economy in 2019.

The National Retail Federation, the nation's largest retail trade group, is expecting holiday retail sales to increase as much as 4.8 percent over 2017 for a total of $720.89 billion. The sales growth marks a slowdown from last year's 5.3 percent, but remains healthy.

The retail economy is also tilting steeply toward online shopping. Over the past 12 months, purchases at non-store retailers such as Amazon have jumped 12.1 percent as sales at traditional department stores have slumped 0.3 percent. Adobe Analytics reported Thursday that Thanksgiving reached a record $3.7 billion in online retail sales, up 28 percent from the same year ago period. For Black Friday, online spending was on track to hit more than $6.4 billion, according to Adobe.

Target reported that shoppers bought big ticket items like TVs, iPads, and Apple Watches. Among the most popular toy deals were Lego, L.O.L. Surprise from MGA Entertainment and Mattel's Barbie. It said gamers picked up video game consoles like Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One.

Others reported stumbling onto more obscure savings. At a Cincinnati mall, Bethany Carrington scored a $29 all-in-one trimmer for her husband's nose hair needs and, for $17, "the biggest Mr. Potato Head I've ever seen."

Black Friday itself has morphed from a single day when people got up early to score doorbusters into a whole month of deals. Plenty of major stores including Macy's, Walmart and Target started their deals on Thanksgiving evening. But some families are sticking by their Black Friday traditions.

"We boycotted Thursday shopping; that's the day for family. But the experience on Friday is just for fun," said Michelle Wise, shopping at Park Meadows Mall in Denver with her daughters, 16-year-old Ashleigh and 14-year-old Avery.

By mid-day Friday, there had not been widespread reports of the deal-inspired chaos that has become central to Black Friday lore — fist fights over discounted televisions or stampedes toward coveted sale items.

Two men at an Alabama mall got into a fight, and one of the men opened fire, shooting the other man and a 12-year-old bystander, both of whom were taken to the hospital with injuries. Police shot and killed the gunman. Authorities have not said whether the incident was related to Black Friday shopping or if it stemmed from an unrelated dispute.

Candice Clark arrived at the Walmart in Louisville with her 19-year-old daughter Desiree Douthitt, looked around and remarked at how calm it all seemed. They have long been devotees of Black Friday deals and for years braved the crowds and chaos. Clark's son, about 10 years ago, got hit in the head with a griddle as shoppers wrestled over it. They saw one woman flash a Taser and threaten to use it on anyone who came between her and her desired fondue pot.

They've watched over the years as the traditional madness of the day has dissipated as shopping transitioned to online and stores stretched their sales from a one-day sprint to a days-long marathon.

"It seems pretty normal in here," said Roy Heller, as he arrived at the Louisville Walmart, a little leery of Black Friday shopping, but pleasantly surprised to find that he didn't even have to stand in line.

He had tried to buy his son a toy robot on Amazon, but it was sold out. Friday morning, he frantically searched the internet and found one single robot left, at a Walmart 25 miles from his home. He bought it online and arrived an hour later to pick it up.

Employees delivered his bag, he held it up and declared: "I got the last one in Louisville!"

____

Galofaro is based in Louisville, Kentucky. Associated Press writers Jeff Martin in Atlanta, Ryan Tarinelli in Dallas, Katie Foody in Denver, Angie Wang in Cincinnati, Amy Taxin from Costa Mesa, California also contributed to this report.

source: philstar.com

Paris Hilton calls off engagement for third time

HOLLYWOOD — International model Paris Hilton and fiance Chris Zylka called off their wedding after announcing they got engaged last January.

The 37-year-old socialite is reportedly currently in Australia and has no sign of emotional stress after she called off her wedding.

Reporters on the Melbourne Airport also noticed that the controversial celebrity already did not wear her $2.2-million engagement ring.

Reports said that her American actor and model former boyfriend wanted the 20-carat diamond ring back, but Paris’ camp said that the ring does not belong to the actor.

The New York Post reported that Paris will keep the ring because celebrity jeweler Michael Greene allegedly gave it to Paris for free.


Nonetheless, Chris’ camp said that the report was false, saying, the "info on the ring is wrong," and stressed that Chris "has his own money, do your homework."

Reports said the two split due to individual differences and money, among other issues.

As a hotel heiress and celebrity, Paris’ estimated net worth is about $413 million, while Chris reportedly has $5.5 million on his name.

Prior to Chris, Paris got engaged to model Jason Shaw, but they broke up in 2003. She also got engaged to Greek shipping heir Paris Latsis in 2005.

source: philstar.com

Days from summit, May takes Brexit battle to Brussels

Brussels - Theresa May briefly escaped the Westminster bear pit to bring her Brexit battle to Brussels on yesterday, just four days before the divorce deal is to be signed.

After enduring another parliamentary grilling at prime minister's questions in London, the British leader crossed the Channel and met EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker.

The pair shook hands and posed briefly for photographers before heading into talks in the Commission's Berlaymont headquarters for what an EU spokesman had earlier called "afternoon tea".


Having seen off -- at least for now -- a potential leadership challenge by hardline Brexiteers in her own party, she hopes to wring out of Brussels a Brexit arrangement that she can sell to her parliament.

The withdrawal treaty itself is all but final, and preparations are under way for a summit on Sunday to sign it, but there remains the matter of a parallel 20-page political declaration on future EU-UK ties.

European diplomats and EU officials have been in intense talks on the declaration this week. One of them told AFP that they now expect to publish it on Thursday morning, after May's afternoon tea with Juncker.

Neither side has much wiggle room left to polish the text, but May must show that she has left nothing on the table if she is to convince British members of parliament to ratify the deal in the coming weeks.

May and Juncker were expected to cover fishing rights and the movement of goods after Brexit, as well as the duration of the transition period and the British territory of Gibraltar, which lies on an outcrop off Spain.

- Spain, N. Ireland pressure -

May faces pressure from her Northern Irish allies, who oppose a deal they say weakens British sovereignty in their province, and from Spain, which warned it might oppose the accord over Gibraltar.

Madrid wants a veto over applying any agreement on post-transition relations to Gibraltar, but May told MPs on yesterday that Britain "will not exclude Gibraltar from our negotiations on the future relationship".

There is frustration among some EU countries at Spain trying to play hardball so late in the game.

"We are following the latest developments with growing concern and incomprehension -- among the EU27 our Spanish friends are all alone on this," an EU diplomat told AFP.

Two of May's top ministers quit last week, including her Brexit secretary, while MPs from all parties came out against it -- increasing the chances that Britain will crash out of the Union on March 29 without an agreement.

A minister who opposed Brexit and who returned to May's cabinet in a reshuffle triggered by the resignations, tried to rule out this economically disruptive scenario.

"It is my view that the parliament, the House of Commons, will stop no deal ... There isn't a majority in the House of Commons to allow that to take place," Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd told BBC radio.

The withdrawal deal covers Britain's financial settlement, expatriate citizens' rights, contingency plans to keep open the Irish border and the terms of a post-Brexit transition.

Officials are now racing to agree the accompanying outline statement on the future trading and security relationship for after Britain leaves the EU's single market and customs union in March.

- 'Show our displeasure' -

Opposition to the agreement is also building in the pro-Brexit camp.

On Monday, MPs from Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) abstained on three budget votes in the Commons and voted against a fourth, despite their deal to back the government on finance matters.

Anti-Europe Conservatives have also savaged the divorce deal, which they say keeps Britain too close to the EU.

Rebels led by MP Jacob Rees-Mogg failed in their attempt to force an immediate confidence vote in May's leadership, but warned they would keep trying.

The withdrawal agreement sets out plans for a 21-month transition after Brexit, in which Britain and the EU want to turn their outline agreement on the future relationship into a full trade deal.

But controversially, it says that if that deal is not agreed in time, Britain will adopt a "backstop" arrangement to keep open its land border with Ireland.

This would keep all of Britain in the EU's customs union, and Northern Ireland also in parts of the single market.

source: philstar.com

Cavs' All-Star forward Love could be out until 'new year'

CLEVELAND - Kevin Love may not be back until sometime in 2019 following foot surgery.

Love had an operation on November 2 to relieve pain and pressure in his big left toe, which he injured in the club's preseason opener. At the time, the team said Love would be out at least six weeks and his status would be updated in "approximately" when that period ended.

On Tuesday (Wednesday Manila time), Love said in an interview on ESPN that he expects "to be back sometime after the new year." Love said he's going to in a restrictive boot for two more weeks.


"There's just no telling at this time with the weight-bearing injury what it is going to be like moving forward," he said.

Love's loss was a devastating blow for the reeling and rebuilding Cavs, who are a league-worst 2-13 heading into Wednesday's (Thursday Manila time) game against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.

A five-time All-Star, Love signed a four-year, $120 million contract extension this summer.

source: philstar.com

Nick Jonas opens up about being diabetic

MANILA, Philippines —  American singer-songwriter Nick Jonas opened up on his health condition, saying that he has been fighting Type 1 diabetes for more than a decade now.

On his Instagram account, Nick posted a photo of him before and after being diagnosed with the disease.


“13 years ago today I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. The picture on the left is me a few weeks after my diagnosis. Barely 100 pounds after having lost so much weight from my blood sugar being so high before going to the doctor where I would find out I was diabetic,” he wrote.

“On the right is me now. Happy and healthy. Prioritizing my physical health, working out and eating healthy and keeping my blood sugar in check,” he added.

He thanked his family and loved ones for being with him every step of the way.

“I have full control of my day to day life with this disease, and I’m so grateful to my family and loved ones who have helped me every step of the way,” Nick continued. 

He ended his post saying “Never let anything hold you back from living your best life. Thank you to all my fans for your kind words and support. Means more than you know. Love you all.”

Indian actress and Miss World 2000 Priyanka Chopra showed her support to her fiancé by commenting: “Everything about you is special. With or without diabetes.”

source: philstar.com

Federer to make record-extending 15th semis appearance in ATP Finals

LONDON — Roger Federer is peaking at the right time — again.

The six-time champion advanced to the last four of the ATP Finals for a record-extending 15th time with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Kevin Anderson on Thursday (Friday Manila time).

Federer, chasing the 100th title of his career, needed only a set to advance and produced his best performance at the season-ending tournament to end the round-robin stages with a 2-1 win-loss record.


"I've always tried to pace myself in a way ... that I would have something left in the tank," Federer said. "I'm happy that this is another week like this. (It) didn't look like it maybe 72 hours ago."

Dominic Thiem's 6-1, 6-4 victory over Kei Nishikori earlier had left Federer with a modest task and ensured that Anderson became the first South African ever to reach the semifinals.

Federer looked as if he was about to give up a break advantage for the second time in as many service games when he dropped to 0-40 attempting to close out the opening set at 5-4, but the 20-time Grand Slam champion found his first serve when it mattered most to hold.

Anderson hadn't faced a break point in winning his first two matches. Federer, though, broke him twice more in the second set to claim top spot in the group and likely avoid a semifinal meeting with top-ranked Novak Djokovic.

"That was a little bit disappointing because I felt like I played some really good tennis so far," Anderson said. "But the plus side is I'm through to the semis. That feels great."

Having struggled in an opening loss to Nishikori and relied mainly on his serve when defeating Thiem, Federer finally found some timing with his ground-strokes to apply consistent pressure on Anderson's serve.

The previously impenetrable Anderson serve wilted, with two double faults gifting Federer a 4-3 lead. Much to the surprise — and disappointment — of the partisan crowd at the O2 Arena, the Swiss great handed the break straight back with a series of errors.

However, Federer steadied himself and made a delicate drop volley to break once more in the following game, before eventually closing out the set to maintain his record of having only missed the semifinals once in 16 appearances at the tournament.

Federer lost just four points on serve in the second set. He used a backhand slice to break for 4-3 and the same shot brought up two match points at 3-5, 15-40.

"I think I had an aggressive-playing mindset," Federer said. "A good variation as well with my slice."

Having saved a match point on his way to securing a five-set quarterfinal victory over Federer at Wimbledon, Anderson threatened another comeback as he won a 21-shot rally to get back to deuce, but there was to be no repeat this time.

Two more Anderson forehand errors ended the match and Federer won the group by virtue of their head-to-head record.

With Djokovic clear favorite to top his group, which concludes Friday, Federer has boosted his chances of avoiding the in-form Serb until the finals.

source: philstar.com

Durant powers Warriors past Hawks after Green's suspension

OAKLAND, Calif. — Kevin Durant scored 29 points with a key jumper in the final minute, a day after a shouting episode on the bench with Draymond Green led to his teammate's suspension Tuesday (Wednesday Manila time), and the undermanned Golden State Warriors held off the Atlanta Hawks, 110-103.

Klay Thompson added 24 points as Splash Brother Stephen Curry missed his third straight game with a strained left groin. The two-time MVP shuffled and danced as he celebrated big plays from the bench.

Taurean Prince scored 22 points, making four 3-pointers and finishing 8 for 14 from the floor in the Hawks' fifth straight loss and ninth in 10.

Durant led the way hours after the Warriors suspended All-Star Green for one game without pay for conduct detrimental to the team. He got into it with Durant on the bench at the end of regulation in a 121-116 overtime road loss to the Clippers and Green wasn't even at the arena Tuesday.

source: philstar.com

Stan Lee, Marvel legend and father of superheroes, dies at 95

LOS ANGELES, United States  — Marvel legend Stan Lee, who revolutionized pop culture as the co-creator of iconic superheroes like Spider-Man and The Hulk who now dominate the world's movie screens, has died. He was 95 years old.

Lee, the face of comic book culture in the United States, died early Monday in Los Angeles after suffering a number of illnesses in recent years.

"With a heavy heart, we share our deepest condolences with his daughter and brother," said Marvel Comics and its owner The Walt Disney Company in a statement.


"We honor and remember the creator, voice and champion of Marvel... Every time you open a Marvel comic, Stan will be there."

The New Yorker, known for his distinctive tinted glasses and impish grin, ended up in the comics business by accident, thanks to an uncle who got him a job when he was a teenager filling artists' inkwells and fetching coffee.

"I felt someday I'd write the 'Great American Novel' and I didn't want to use my real name on these silly little comics," Lee once said, explaining why he had forsaken his given name, Stanley Lieber.

Lee rose through the ranks to become a comics writer—making millions of superhero fans dream of his fantastic universes and humans with extraordinary powers—and eventually led the Marvel empire for decades as its publisher.

From Spidey to Black Panther to the X-Men and the Fantastic Four, Lee collaborated with other authors and illustrators to put his lively imagination on the page.

Iron Man, Thor and Doctor Strange would follow—and today, all three heroes have multi-film franchises that rake in hundreds of millions of dollars.

"Stan Lee was as extraordinary as the characters he created," said Disney CEO Bob Iger. "A superhero in his own right to Marvel fans around the world, Stan had the power to inspire, to entertain, and to connect."

'The King' and 'The Man'
Lee has appeared in cameo roles in nearly every movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe—including as a bus driver in "Avengers: Infinity War," a film that united many of the indelible characters he brought to life.

"I used to be embarrassed because I was just a comic book writer while other people were building bridges or going on to medical careers," Lee said.

"And then I began to realize: entertainment is one of the most important things in people's lives. Without it, they might go off the deep end."

Born on December 28, 1922 to Jewish immigrants who migrated to the United States from Romania, Lee got that first assistant's job at age 17 at Timely Comics and began rising through the ranks.

After a stint in the US Army during World War II Lee returned to comics, teaming up with illustrator Jack Kirby in the 1960s to invent the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man.

It was a partnership for the ages—Kirby, the artist, was "The King" and Lee, the writer, was "The Man."

Together they would pioneer new ways to tell stories, with deeply flawed heroes and serious themes—all while maintaining the wonder of traditional superhero lore. Even villains showed complicated feelings.

"When the time came to create a teenaged hero for Marvel Comics, I decided to depict him as a bumbling real-life teenager who by some miracle had acquired a super power," Lee wrote in a 1977 column, "How I Invented Spider-Man."

"If you suddenly gained the muscle power of a hundred men and could outwrestle King Kong, it doesn't mean you still wouldn't have to worry about dandruff or acne, right?

The Marvel Universe
Lee and his collaborators churned out hit after hit and he took over at Marvel in the 1960s, creating the "Marvel Universe"—all of the heroes existed in the same time and story crossovers were frequent.

It's a model now adopted by the Hollywood producers beyond the Marvel Cinematic Universe—which releases its 21st film, "Captain Marvel," in March next year.

Lee formally left Marvel in the 1990s but remained chairman emeritus. He was the brand's most recognizable face, giving lectures and speaking at comics conventions.

"My father loved all of his fans," his daughter JC told Hollywood celebrity news portal TMZ. "He was the greatest, most decent man."

In recent years, as Lee reached his 90s, he ran into legal troubles and scandal. A massage therapist sued him for sexual assault, accusing him of inappropriate touching during two sessions in 2017. Lee denied the allegations.

There were also claims that people around the Marvel legend—who was worth tens of millions of dollars—were trying to access his wealth, and that he was the victim of elder abuse at the hands of his manager and his daughter JC.

Lee's wife of nearly 70 years, Joan, died in 2017.

Hollywood quickly took to social media to pay tribute to the late superhero of comics.

"My youth wouldn't have been the same without him. So grateful to have met the guy, and told him how thankful I was for his work," tweeted Australian filmmaker James Wan.

Edgar Wright, the British director of "Shaun of the Dead" and "Baby Driver" used Lee's catchphrase in his eulogy: "Thanks for inspiring so many of us to pick up a pen or pencil and put your dreams onto paper."

"Excelsior!"

source: philstar.com

Rescue workers recover bodies in fire-hit California town

PARADISE, United States — Rescue workers recovered multiple bodies on Saturday from the charred remains of residences in a California town ravaged by the most destructive fire to hit the US state.

Firefighters are battling raging blazes at both ends of California, but there is little hope of containing the flames anytime soon.

More than 250,000 people have been ordered to evacuate a wide area near the state capital Sacramento and, in southern California, the Hollywood resort town of Malibu.


In the town of Paradise, in Butte County, rescuers removed remains over a period of several hours and placed them in a black hearse. Pieces of bodies were transported by bucket, while intact remains were carried in body bags.

So far, all the dead have been reported in Paradise, where more than 6,700 buildings -- most of them residences -- have been consumed by the late-season inferno.


US President Donald Trump put the death toll at 11 on Saturday evening -- a count that seemed set to rise with bodies being recovered in Paradise.

"Our hearts are with those fighting the fires, the 52,000 who have evacuated, and the families of the 11 who have died," Trump tweeted.

From miles around, acrid smoke could be seen in the sky around Paradise, the sun barely visible. On the ground, cars were reduced to metal carcasses, while power lines were also gnawed by the flames.

Locals fled the danger, but police told AFP some farmers returned to check on their cattle.

"The magnitude of destruction we have seen is really unbelievable and heartbreaking, and our hearts go to everybody who has been affected by this," said Mark Ghilarducci, the director of the California Office of Emergency Services.

Governor-elect Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency to provide assistance to the hardest-hit areas in the fire-prone state.

The fast-moving blaze in the north, which authorities have named the "Camp Fire," broke out early Thursday.

Fanned by strong winds, it has so far scorched 100,000 acres (40,500 hectares) and is 20 percent contained, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said Saturday. So far, three of the more than 3,200 firefighters deployed have been injured.

They estimate they will need three weeks to fully contain the blaze.

Local power authorities have told state officials an outage occurred near the spot where the fire erupted, The Sacramento Bee reported, but there is still no official cause of the Camp blaze.

Trump, who was in France for World War I commemorations, drew criticism online for his somewhat unsympathetic reaction to the devastation earlier on Saturday.

"There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor," Trump tweeted.

"Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!"

Malibu mansions in flames
In southern California, more wildfires burned, including one just north of Los Angeles and another in Ventura County near Thousand Oaks, where a Marine Corps veteran shot dead 12 people in a country music bar on Wednesday.

Authorities said some 200,000 people are under mandatory evacuation orders, including the entire city of Malibu.

The "Woolsey Fire" had consumed around 69,000 acres, destroyed at least 150 homes and was so far not contained, the Ventura County Fire Department said, adding that evacuation orders were issued for some 88,000 homes in the county and neighboring Los Angeles County.

"We heard this was coming so we set up the sprinklers and we hosed the whole house down," said Malibu resident Patrick Henry. "We pretty much had enough time to get the dogs in the trunk."

Malibu is one of the most in-demand locations in California for stars seeking privacy and luxury.

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian West, who lives just north of coastal Malibu, revealed she was forced to flee her home.

"I heard the flames have hit our property at our home in Hidden Hills but now are more contained and have stopped at the moment," she said on Twitter. "I just pray the winds are in our favor."

Actor Martin Sheen, briefly reported missing by his actor son Charlie, was also forced to evacuate.

"We're fine, we're at Zuma Beach and we're probably going to sleep in the car tonight," Martin Sheen told Fox News 11, adding that it was the worst fire he had seen in 48 years of living in Malibu.

The wildfire reached Paramount Ranch, destroying the Western Town sets used for hundreds of productions including HBO'S sci-fi western "Westworld," officials and the network said.

Director Guillermo del Toro tweeted that Bleak House, his museum of horror movie memorabilia, was also in the path of the flames.

Utter devastation
In Paradise, the flames destroyed hundreds of homes, a hospital, a gas station, several restaurants and numerous vehicles, officials said.

Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for more than 52,000 people in the scenic area in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

"The whole lower side of Paradise is totally engulfed in flames right now," Kevin Winstead, a resident of nearby Magalia, told KIEM TV.

"Not one home will be left standing," he said. "I'm devastated."

The National Weather Service said Saturday strong winds and dry conditions were to continue through the weekend.

source: philstar.com

Michelle Obama rips Trump in new book

WASHINGTON, United States — Former first lady Michelle Obama blasts President Donald Trump in her new book, recalling how she reacted in shock the night she learned he would replace her husband in the Oval Office and tried to "block it all out."

In her memoir "Becoming," set to come out Tuesday, Obama writes candidly about everything from being subjected to racist comments to early struggles in her marriage to Barack Obama as he began his political career and was often away.

She writes that they met with a counselor "a handful of times," and she came to realize that she was more "in charge" of her happiness than she had realized. "This was my pivot point," Obama explains. "My moment of self-arrest."

Obama denounces Trump for bragging in 2005, on the infamous "Access Hollywood" tape, about sexually assaulting women. She also accuses him of using body language to "stalk" Hillary Clinton, his 2016 opponent, during an election debate. She writes of Trump following Clinton around the stage, standing nearby and "trying to diminish her presence."

Trump's message, according to Obama, in words which appear in the book in darkened print: "I can hurt you and get away with it."

The Associated Press purchased an early copy of "Becoming," one of the most anticipated political books in recent memory. Obama is admired worldwide and has offered few extensive comments on her White House years. And memoirs by former first ladies are usually best-sellers.

Obama launches her promotional tour this month not at a bookstore, but at Chicago's United Center, where tens of thousands of people are scrambling for tickets — from just under $30 to thousands of dollars — to attend the event moderated by Oprah Winfrey. Other stops are planned at large arenas across the nation, with guests including Reese Witherspoon and Sarah Jessica Parker. Ten percent of tickets at each event are being donated to local charities, schools and community groups.

"Becoming" is part of a joint book deal with former President Barack Obama, whose memoir is expected next year, that is believed worth tens of millions of dollars. The Obamas have said they will donate a "significant portion" of their author proceeds to charity, including the Obama Foundation.

Michelle Obama has long said she has no interest in running for office, although she held a few campaign-style rallies before the midterms urging people to register to vote. The rallies were part of her work as co-chairman of the nonpartisan, nonprofit organization When We All Vote.

Last year, she launched a program to help empower girls worldwide through education. The Global Girls Alliance aims to support more than 1,500 grassroots organizations combating the challenges girls encounter in their communities.

source: philstar.com

Democrats scent victory over Trump's Republicans in Congress

WASHINGTON, United States — Democrats began to scent a big night in the US midterm elections Tuesday with early results pointing to them seizing the House of Representatives from the Republicans in what would be a dramatic rebuke to President Donald Trump.

With polls yet to close in swaths of the country, it was still far too early to know who will control the House and Senate, which for the first two years of Trump's presidency have been held by his Republican allies.

However, initial results -- like the flipping by Jennifer Wexton of a previously solidly Republican Virginia seat in the House -- signalled that pre-election predictions of Democrats taking over the lower chamber may be confirmed.


Democrats were also heartened by heavy turnout after a bitter campaign which at Trump's own insistence was widely seen as an unofficial referendum on his polarizing presidency. From New York to California and from Missouri to Georgia there were long lines from early morning at polling stations.

Although Republicans remained forecast to keep control of the Senate, a Democratic House would upend the current Washington power balance.


Trump has spent months ahead of the midterms deriding the Democrats as bent on destroying the US economy and allowing criminals to run riot.

But with the party leading the House, Trump would be forced to compromise more -- or risk presiding over an ever more divided country. Democrats, still smarting from Trump's extraordinary upset win against Hillary Clinton in 2016, would likely use their ascendancy to exact payback.

Democratic leadership of the House's powerful investigative committees would breathe new wind into probes of Trump's opaque personal finances, Russian interference in the 2016 election, and even calls for his impeachment.

Confident Democratic leaders
All 435 seats in the House of Representatives, 35 seats in the 100-member Senate and 36 governorships were up for grabs.

Polls indicated that Democrats have a good chance of winning the 23 seats they need to seize the House, while Republicans could slightly increase their razor-thin Senate majority of 51-49.

Pollsters, gun shy after getting their 2016 predictions wrong, urged caution. Several dozen midterm races where candidates from the two sides were barely separated will decide the day.

Even so, Democrats were confident, with Nancy Pelosi, the party's top leader in the House, saying "it's just a question of the size of the victory."

Former vice president Joe Biden, often touted as a possible Democratic candidate to take on Trump in 2020, said he'd be "dumbfounded" not to win the House.

The first polling stations closed at 6:00 pm Eastern time (2300 GMT) in parts of Kentucky and Indiana, with the last to close seven hours later in Alaska, and results trickling in through the evening.

Big turnout
Voters often sit out the midterms. This time, they're sitting up.

According to Michael McDonald of the US Elections Project, 38.4 million Americans cast their ballots early ahead of this election, compared with 27.4 million in the 2014 midterm.

And on the streets there was a palpable buzz.

"We have already seen huge turnout, people out and about knocking on doors, making sure everybody gets out there, but I think turnout will be very, very high," Democratic candidate Katie Porter, who is running in Irvine, California, against two-term Republican incumbent Mimi Walters, told AFP.

On the other side of the country, in Atlanta, Georgia, voters waited in line for nearly two hours to cast ballots, according to local media reports.

At a polling station in Arlington, Virginia, head election officer William Harkins said "it's a very good turnout."

Trump himself noted the energy as he wrapped up a punishing schedule of rallies around the country that were intended to boost Republican candidates -- and his own brand heading towards reelection in 2020.

"The midterm elections used to be, like, boring," Trump told a crowd in Cleveland, Ohio, on Monday. "Now it's like the hottest thing."

Immigration fears
Trump was watching the results alongside friends and family at the White House, his spokeswoman said.

The president so dominates politics across the country that despite not being on any ballot he has made the election largely about him.

Voting in Chicago, James Gerlock, 27, a Republican, said he wanted to see more of the soaring economic growth that Trump says is the fruit of his business-friendly policies.

"I am extremely happy with the economy," Gerlock said. "I just want to keep everything moving, because I'm loving it."

But Democrats have been fired up by anger at Trump's extraordinary attacks over the last few weeks against immigrants, claiming that his opponents seek to throw open the borders to "drug dealers, predators and bloodthirsty MS-13 killers."

Trump has sent soldiers to the Mexican border, threatened to have illegal immigrants shot if they throw stones at the border, and vowed to restrict citizenship rights.

Beto O'Rourke, a charismatic Democrat in a closely watched bid to dethrone Republican Senator Ted Cruz in Texas, told voters that Trump was wrong, describing his state as built from "immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees."

The result in Texas will say much about which way argument has worked best in these polarized times. Other tight Senate races are in Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, Nevada, North Dakota, Tennessee and West Virginia.

source: philstar.com

Facebook blocks 115 accounts on eve of US election

SAN FRANCISCO, United States — Facebook said Monday it blocked some 30 accounts on its platform and 85 more on Instagram after police warned they may be linked to "foreign entities" trying to interfere in the US midterm election.

The announcement came shortly after US law enforcement and intelligence agencies said that Americans should be wary of Russian attempts to spread fake news. The election is Tuesday.

A study published last week found that misinformation on social media was spreading at a greater rate than during the run-up to the 2016 presidential vote, which Russia is accused of manipulating through a vast propaganda campaign in favor of Donald Trump, the eventual winner.


"On Sunday evening, US law enforcement contacted us about online activity that they recently discovered and which they believe may be linked to foreign entities," Facebook head of cybersecurity policy Nathaniel Gleicher said in a blog post.

"We immediately blocked these accounts and are now investigating them in more detail."

The investigation so far identified around 30 Facebook accounts and 85 Instagram accounts that appeared to be engaged in "coordinated inauthentic behavior," Gleicher said.

He added that all the Facebook pages associated with the accounts appeared to be in French or Russian.

The Instagram accounts were mostly in English, with some "focused on celebrities, others political debate."

"Typically, we would be further along with our analysis before announcing anything publicly," Gleicher said.

"But given that we are only one day away from important elections in the US, we wanted to let people know about the action we’ve taken and the facts as we know them today."

'Junk News' 
Despite an aggressive crackdown by social media firms, so-called "junk news" is spreading at a greater rate than in 2016 on social media ahead of Tuesday's US congressional election, Oxford Internet Institute researchers said in a study published Thursday.

Twitter said Saturday it deleted a "series of accounts" that attempted to share disinformation. It gave no number.

Facebook last month said it took down accounts linked to an Iranian effort to influence US and British politics with messages about charged topics such as immigration and race relations.

The social network identified 82 pages, groups and accounts that originated in Iran and violated policy on coordinated "inauthentic" behavior.

Gleicher said at the time there was overlap with accounts taken down earlier this year and linked to Iranian state media, but the identity of the culprits has yet to be determined.

Posts on the accounts or pages, which included some hosted by Facebook-owned Instagram, focused mostly on "sowing discord" via strongly divisive issues rather than on particular candidates or campaigns.

Sample posts shared included inflammatory commentary about US President Donald Trump, British Prime Minister Theresa May and the controversy around freshly appointed US Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

War room 
Major online social platforms have been under intense pressure to avoid being used by "bad actors" out to sway outcomes by publishing misinformation and enraging voters.

Facebook weeks ago opened a "war room" at its Menlo Park headquarters in California to be a nerve center for the fight against misinformation and manipulation of the largest social network by foreign actors trying to influence elections in the United States and elsewhere.

The shutdown of thousands of Russian-controlled accounts by Twitter and Facebook -- plus the indictments of 14 people from Russia's notorious troll farm the Internet Research Agency -- have blunted but by no means halted their efforts to influence US politics.

Facebook, which has been blamed for doing too little to prevent misinformation efforts by Russia and others in the 2016 US election, now wants the world to know it is taking aggressive steps with initiatives like the war room.

The war room is part of stepped up security announced by Facebook, which will be adding some 20,000 employees.

source: philstar.com

Nets trap sloppy Sixers; Lebron, Lakers drowning

NEW YORK – D’Angelo Russell snapped out of a slump with 13 of his 21 points in the second half, and the Brooklyn Nets kept the sloppy Philadelphia 76ers winless on the road with a 122-97 victory on Sunday night.

The 76ers committed 28 turnovers, most in the NBA this season, leading to 39 points for the Nets. They fell to 0-5 away from home. They are 6-0 in Philadelphia.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson also scored 21 points and Caris LeVert had 20 for the Nets. They took a small lead into halftime thanks to 17 Philadelphia turnovers, then blew it open with a 41-point third quarter that was one of the biggest in Barclays Center history.


They kept pouring it on in the fourth and 76ers coach Brett Brown pulled Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons midway through the period facing a 24-point deficit.

Embiid finished with 16 points and 15 rebounds, taking only eight shots a day after going for 39 points and 17 rebounds in a victory over Detroit. Simmons had 20 points and 12 boards.


In Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo had his second triple-double this season with 26 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists to help Milwaukee rout Sacramento, 144-109.

The Bucks improved to 8-1 – the best nine-game start in franchise history. They set a season high for points in a game and also set the franchise record for 3s made with 22.

Antetokounmpo’s first triple-double came against the Philadelphia 76ers on Oct. 24 when he had 32 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists.

In Los Angeles, Serge Ibaka made his first 14 shots on the way to a career-high 34 points, and Toronto didn’t need an injured Kawhi Leonard in a 121-107 victory over the Lakers.

Ibaka had 10 rebounds and didn’t miss a shot until 5:16 remained in the third quarter, finishing 15 of 17 in a masterful performance. Kyle Lowry added 21 points and 15 assists as the Eastern Conference-leading Raptors improved to 9-1 with their eighth consecutive win over the Lakers since 2014.

Toronto opened a stunning 31-point lead in the first quarter and didn’t let it dwindle significantly until the final minutes, when the Lakers’ youngster got the margin down to 117-107 with LeBron James on the bench. Toronto was forced to re-insert its starters in the final minutes to preserve the win.

James finished with 18 points and six assists. Kyle Kuzma scored 24 points and Brandon Ingram added 16 for the Lakers, They are 4-6 after their first 10 games with James.

In other NBA games, it was Wizards 108, Knicks 95; Trail Blazers 111, Timberwolves 81; Magic 117, Spurs 110; Phoenix 102, Grizzlies 100.   

source: philstar.com

Harden’s return powers Rockets

Lebron, Rondo keep Lakers on stream

CHICAGO – James Harden scored 25 points, including 11 in a decisive run in the third quarter, in his return to the Houston lineup and the Rockets defeated the Chicago Bulls 96-88 on Saturday night in the National Basketball Association.

Harden, who had missed three games with a strained left hamstring, scored 11 straight points in a 1:59 span of the third as the Rockets went on a 15-0 run.

Carmelo Anthony had 17 points and James Ennis added 15 as the Rockets won their second game in two nights after starting the season 1-5.


Chicago led 59-58 midway through the third quarter before the Rockets and Harden went ahead for good, outscoring the Bulls 21-7 in the period.

Zach LaVine led Chicago with 21 points, and Wendell Carter Jr. had 14 points and 13 rebounds. Jabari Parker added 15 points as the Bulls lost their fourth straight game – going 0-4 in the homestand – and dropped their fifth straight to the Rockets.

In Portland,  LeBron James had 28 points and seven assists and Los Angeles topped Portland, 114-110.

Rajon Rondo gave the Lakers a huge lift off the bench, finishing with 17 points and 10 assists in 25 minutes.

Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum each scored 30 points for Portland.

Portland shot a 6 for 35 (17 percent) from beyond the arc.

The Lakers had seven turnovers in the fourth quarter and finished with 20 overall, but they survived their mistakes.

In Indianapolis, Victor Oladipo connected on a 3-pointer with 3.4 seconds remaining to lift Indiana past Boston, 102-101.

Oladipo finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Tyreke Evans added 17 points for the Pacers, who shot 41 percent (36 for 87).

Marcus Morris had a team-high 23 points and six rebounds for the Celtics, who shot 43 percent (38 for 88) and had their four-game winning streak snapped.

In Philadelphia,  Joel Embiid scored 32 of his 39 points in a dominating first half and had 17 rebounds to lead Philadelphia over Detriot 109-99.

Embiid made 10 of 18 field goals and 18 of 23 free throws to help Philadelphia improve to 6-0 at home.

Elsewhere, it was Hornets 126, Cavaliers 94; Hawks 123, Heat 118; Spurs 109, Pelicans 95; Nuggets 103, Jazz 88.                                                               

source: philstar.com

Diver dies in search for Indonesia jet crash

JAKARTA, Indonesia — An Indonesian diver died while recovering body parts from the ill-fated Lion Air plane which crashed into the sea killing 189 people, an official said Saturday.

Syachrul Anto, 48, who died on Friday, was part of the team searching for body parts and debris from the jet in the Java Sea.

"He was a volunteer with the Search and Rescue Agency," Isswarto, commander of the Indonesian navy's search and rescue division, told AFP.


It is believed he died from decompression, he added.

Anto had previously served in Palu which suffered from an earthquake and tsunami in September and also took part in the evacuation process of an Air Asia plane crash nearly four years ago.


The Lion Air plane which plummeted Monday was on route from Jakarta to Pangkal Pinang city on Sumatra island.

It plunged into the water just minutes after takeoff, killing everyone on board.

Officials on Thursday retrieved the Flight Data Recorder but are still searching for the second black box, the Cockpit Voice Recorder, which could answer the question as to why the brand new Boeing-737 MAX 8 crashed.

The budget carrier's admission that the doomed jet had a technical issue on a previous flight -- as well its abrupt fatal dive -- have raised questions about whether it had mechanical faults specific to the new model.

At least 73 bags containing body parts have been retrieved from the waters so far but only four have been identified.

Founded in 1999, Lion Air is a budget airline operating in Indonesia and in some parts of Southeast Asia, Australia and the Middle East.

But it has been plagued by safety concerns and customer complaints over unreliable scheduling and poor service.

The carrier has been involved in a number of incidents including a fatal 2004 crash and a collision between two Lion Air planes at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta airport.

source: philstar.com

Asian markets surge as Trump fuels China trade deal hopes

HONG KONG — Asian markets enjoyed another rally on Friday after Donald Trump hailed positive talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and a report said he had asked officials to draw up a draft bill as he eyes a potential trade deal between the two.

Hong Kong jumped almost four percent in the afternoon, while Shanghai and the yuan soared as dealers seized on the news, hoping for a breakthrough in a standoff that has rocked global equities and fuelled warnings about global growth.

The gains follow a third straight advance on Wall Street as a sense of optimism returns after a diabolical October, with riskier, higher-yielding currencies enjoying a bounce against the dollar, and the pound holding on to most gains.


The day had already started with a bang after Trump tweeted that he had held positive talks with Xi, which was a rare sign of hope in the months-long stand-off between the world's top two economies.

"Just had a long and very good conversation with President Xi Jinping of China. We talked about many subjects, with a heavy emphasis on Trade," he wrote.


He added that trade talks were "moving along nicely" and meetings were "being scheduled" at the G20 summit in Buenos Aires at the end of the month.

The comment comes days after Trump warned he would impose tariffs on all China's shipments to the US before saying he thought he could "make a great deal with China" but it was not yet ready.

Later, Bloomberg News, citing unnamed sources, reported that the president has requested key cabinet secretaries put together an outline deal to call a ceasefire in the painful row. It said several agencies had been called in to help with putting the plan together.

Hong Kong and Shanghai were already buoyant after Beijing said it would introduce measures to kickstart the stuttering economy following a string of weak data, including growth at its slowest pace in nine years during the third quarter.

The yuan also rallied to 6.9080 to the dollar, having hit 6.9302 earlier in the morning and is well off the 10-year lows around 6.97 on Thursday.

'Still cautious'

The optimism spread across the region. Tokyo was up 2.7 percent in the afternoon, Singapore 1.3 percent and Seoul piled on three percent, while Sydney reversed early losses to sit 0.1 percent higher.

Taipei, Bangkok, Mumbai and Jakarta also posted healthy gains.

"Positive comments from President Trump over US-China trade tension are cheering the market in the short term," said Tai Hui, chief market strategist for Asia Pacific at JP Morgan Asset Management.

"Dollar moderation, the stabilising trade relationship between US and China and more stimulus from Beijing will be the key ingredients to revive market confidence in Asia.

"While we are still cautious over a full resolution of recent tensions in the medium term, resumption of dialogue between Washington and Beijing would be good enough to investors for now."

Oil prices recovered after Thursday's plunge of more than two percent on oversupply worries, with US sanctions on Iran due within days but other major producers ready to pick up the slack.

The commodity has lost around 15 percent from four-year highs at the start of last month as Russia and OPEC said they would bolster output and dealers grew concerned about the impact on demand from a trade war between China and the US.

On currency markets high-yielding units were well bought. The Australian dollar climbed 1.1 percent, South Korea's won strengthened 1.5 percent and the South African rand was 1.6 percent higher.

India's rupee, which has been hammered this week by a standoff between the government and central bank, climbed almost one percent.

The pound dipped but held most of its gains after a report that British Prime Minister Theresa May had reached a post-Brexit deal with Brussels securing access to the EU for Britain's key finance sector.

Sterling jumped almost two percent on the report despite London and Brussels officials' reservations.

source: philstar.com

Nadal pulls out of Paris Masters; will lose No. 1 ranking

PARIS — Returning from one injury to play at the Paris Masters, Rafael Nadal pulled out with another one.

This time it wasn't the troublesome right knee which had sidelined him since the US Open semifinals in early September, but rather an abdominal injury which just crept up on him.

Given his history of injuries, Nadal listened to advice and did not play his second-round match against Fernando Verdasco on Wednesday (Thursday Manila time).

"The last few days I start to feel a little bit the abdominal, especially when I was serving," Nadal said. "The doctor says that is recommended to not play, because if I continue the abdominal maybe can break and can be a major thing."

This latest injury will cost him his No. 1 ranking, which goes back to longtime rival Novak Djokovic next week.

Djokovic lost his top ranking to Andy Murray at the Paris Masters two years ago.

As he then struggled to come back from a lingering elbow injury, the 31-year-old Serb's ranking plummeted to No. 22 in May this year.

But Djokovic has completely turned his form around, winning four of the last five tournaments he has entered, including Wimbledon, the US Open and most recently the Shanghai Masters. The 14-time Grand Slam champion's brilliant comeback makes him the first player to reach No. 1 after being ranked below 20th in the same season since Marat Safin in 2000, according to the ATP Tour.

Djokovic faces Damir Dzumhur in the third round, the first time they have played each other.

For Nadal, it is the second straight year he has withdrawn from the Paris indoor tournament and he is not sure if he will play at the season-ending ATP Finals in London, starting Nov. 11.

"I cannot answer. I just go day by day," the 17-time Grand Slam champion said. "The most important thing for me is to be healthy, be healthy and have the chance to compete weeks in a row. Something that I was not able to do this year, playing only nine events and retiring in two."

Nadal has dealt with off-and-on knee problems for years and the 32-year-old Spaniard prefers to be cautious. At the US Open, he retired during his match against Juan Martin del Potro. He then skipped the Asia swing to recover, missing tournaments in Beijing and Shanghai.

"It has been a tough year for me in terms of injuries so I want to avoid drastic things," Nadal said. "The doctor says if I want to play the tournament, I want to try to win the tournament, the abdominal with break for sure."

Nadal is optimistic his latest injury will pass, providing he does not rush back.

"It would not be fair to say it's a real injury today but what is sure, if I continue it will be a real injury," he said. "When you come back after injuries, and you push a little bit, the body at the beginning some issues can happen."

Lucky loser Malek Jaziri replaced Nadal and beat Verdasco 7-6 (5), 1-6, 6-3 and next faces defending champion Jack Sock.

Roger Federer also advanced to Thursday's third round after big-serving Milos Raonic retired before their match with a right elbow injury.

Raonic injured himself during a three-set win against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Tuesday.

"In the middle of second set, I overextended my elbow and it did some kind of pain," he said. "I went and I did an ultrasound and MRI, and they found some kind of a lesion in the tricep."

Federer, who won his 99th career title at the Swiss Indoors last Sunday, will next face 13th-seeded Fabio Fognini. He leads the Italian 3-0 in matchups.

Sock and fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev reached round three in straight sets.

The 16th-seeded Sock won 6-3, 6-3 win against Frenchman Richard Gasquet, while Zverev advanced 6-4, 6-4 over American Francis Tiafoe.

Sixth-seeded Dominic Thiem won 6-4, 6-2 against Gilles Simon, beating the Frenchman for the eighth time in 10 meetings.

No. 7 Kevin Anderson, the Wimbledon runner-up; No. 8 John Isner, No. 9 Grigor Dimitrov, No. 10 Kei Nishikori and No. 15 Diego Schwartzman also advanced.

Isner and Nishikori are competing with No. 5 Marin Cilic and Thiem for the last two ATP finals places. Cilic faces Dimitrov on Thursday.

No. 11 Borna Coric completed second-round action with a 6-4, 6-4 win against Daniil Medvedev and next faces Thiem.

source: philstar.com