Mahathir says Malaysia will use Huawei 'as much as possible'

TOKYO, Japan — Malaysia will continue using Huawei products "as much as possible," bucking a global trend prompted by security concerns and a US ban on the Chinese firm, the country's prime minister said Thursday.

Mahathir Mohamad, speaking at a conference in Tokyo, acknowledged the security concerns but said they would not deter Malaysia.


"Yes, there may be some spying. But what is there to spy (on) exactly in Malaysia? We are an open book," the 93-year-old said at the Future of Asia forum.

Mahathir said Huawei had access to research "far bigger than the whole of Malaysia's research equivalent."

"So we try to make use of their technology as much as possible."

"Everybody knows, if any country wants to invade Malaysia, they can walk through, and we will not resist because it's a waste of time," he added.

His comment came after a wave of controversy over the Chinese telecommunications firm, which has been hit by allegations of espionage and faces a US ban.

A number of countries have blocked Huawei from working on their mobile networks and companies have stepped back from the firm after the US ban, citing legal requirements.

The spat comes as the United States and China raise tariffs in tit-for-tat moves along with blistering rhetoric accusing each other of unfair trade practices.

Mahathir warned about the heated exchanges between Beijing and Washington, which come as the powers and their allies lock horns in the hotly contested South China Sea.

Mahathir said the United States and "the West" must accept that Asian nations now produce competitive products, and should not "threaten" business rivals.

"Yes, I understand Huawei has tremendous advance(s) over American technology even," he said.

"The US must compete with China. At times China will win, other times the US will win," he said.

He warned that the tense relations between the US and China might impact the situation in the South China Sea, where China claims sovereignty despite rival claims from other regional nations.

And he urged calm in the area, warning that small incidents could easily escalate into violence.

source: philstar.com

Sushmita Sen thanks ‘second home’ Philippines for 25 years as Miss Universe

MANILA, Philippines — Miss Universe 1994 Sushmita Sen celebrates 25 years of being a Miss Universe winner by thanking Filipinos and describing the Philippines as her second home.

In a lengthy Instagram post, Sushmita posted photos of her with family members celebrating her milestone.

She began her post by thanking her home country, India, for giving her the “proudest identity.”

“What a journey!!! Thank you my Motherland India, for giving me my proudest identity #INDIAN. The love,respect & adulation I have been showered with for 25 years, is undoubtedly my life’s greatest earning!” Sushmita wrote.

She added that she thanked God for winning the Miss Universe crown in the Philippines as Filipinos continue to overwhelm her with their love.

“As we celebrate 25years of making History, of India winning Miss Universe for the very first time...I want to remember & Thank the people of my second home #philippines. I Thank God for the privilege of having Won Miss Universe in their beautiful country, they continue to overwhelm me with their love & belonging to this day, even naming their children ‘Sushmita’ #mahalkitaphilippines,” she said.

She also thanked the people who were with her in her journey as Miss Universe.

“My gratitude to Mr. Martin Brooks (then President of MU organisation) all the chaperones, travel managers, Ms. Barbara, resident manager Ms. Jane, for being such a FORCE of change, for teaching an 18year old me in 1994, the power of professionalism, Value for one’s word, earning of reputation, commanding of respect & to always have a inclusive Global view,” Sushmita said. 

“Their teachings have helped me make many important decisions in the past 25yrs, thereby shaping the Woman I am today I remember with great love all 77 contestants who competed for Miss Universe 1994!! And, of course, the beyond gracious Miss Colombia @carogomezfilm who won first runners up that year, and yet celebrated India’s first victory as if it were her own!!!” she added.

To conclude her post, she thanked everyone around her for inspiring her to keep growing and more authentic.

“Thank you God, family, friends, my children & all of you, who have consistently inspired me to keep growing & be more of my authentic self!!! Your wishes came pouring in & have me overwhelmed, THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH!!! “May the Universe always conspire in your favour” I love you guys, #yourstruly #43rdmissuniverse #indiasfirst #missuniverse1994 #india #duggadugga,” the 43-year-old actress said.

Following her win as Miss Universe 1994 in the Philippines, where she competed with Filipina actress Charlene Gonzales, Sushmita became one of Bollywood’s most awarded superstars.

Sen, the first Miss India to win the Miss Universe title, became famous for her answer to the pageant question, “What is the essence of being a woman?”

“The origin of the child is the mother and is a woman. A woman is one who shows a man what love and sharing and caring is all about. That is the essence of a woman,” she said.

source: philstar.com

Raptors beat Bucks to reach first NBA final

LOS ANGELES, United States — Kawhi Leonard finished with 27 points and a career high 17 rebounds as the Toronto Raptors advanced to their first NBA final with a 100-94 win over the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks.

The Raptors won the series in six games as Saturday's (Sunday Manila time) contest at Scotiabank Arena was a mirror image of game five, featuring a strong start by Milwaukee before Toronto came back in the fourth quarter to close it out with several clutch plays down the stretch.

The Raptors reached their first finals in their 24-year history where they will face the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors. Game one of the best-of-seven final is Thursday in Toronto.

"I just took it one possession at a time," Leonard said. "We kept fighting all game. The calls were not going our way, but we kept striving and striving."

Leonard won the head to head battle against Giannis Antetokounmpo, even dunking over the mighty "Greek Freak" with six minutes left in the fourth to give Toronto a 87-79 lead.

Leonard also hit another dynamic three-pointer from his favourite corner spot on the floor with three minutes left to make it 95-90. 

He shot nine of 22 from the field and had seven assists for the Raptors, who roared back to win four straight games after falling into an 0-2 hole to begin the series.

Pascal Siakam tallied 18 points, Kyle Lowry finished with 17 and Fred VanVleet came off the bench to score 14 points in the win.

Toronto was down by 15 points at one stage in the third quarter before Leonard's supporting cast sparked the comeback to start the fourth.

"We thrive at it. We enjoy the moment," Leonard said. "My teammates have my back. I was on the bench to start the fourth quarter and they came back. It was a collective effort."

Antetokounmpo tallied a double double with 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Bucks, who lost in the NBA playoff semi-finals after finishing with the best record in the regular season.

source: philstar.com

Last laugh: Meet the Ukraine comedian who became president

MANILA, Philippines — Comedian Volodymyr Zelensky had already been inaugurated as president of Ukraine -- as a character in the popular TV show "Servant of the People.”

The 41-year-old performer has now taken on the role for real, following a long-shot campaign that sent establishment candidates tumbling amid popular discontent with the political class amid poverty and corruption.

Supporters see the political novice as a breath of fresh air but critics say he is a puppet of powerful rivals to outgoing leader Petro Poroshenko.

"I'm not a politician, I'm just an ordinary guy come to break the system," he said before the second round of voting in April.

In his inauguration speech on Monday, he took a tough line, immediately calling the dissolution of a hostile parliament and declaring his top priority is a ceasefire in Ukraine's conflict with Moscow-armed separatists in the east.

"I think we will see a new, unusual president," political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko said.

"We saw he is quite decisive and I think that will be Zelensky's style."

'So Ukrainians don't cry' 

The comedian brought his stand-up experience into his speech, saying he had "tried to do all I could to make Ukrainians smile" and now wanted to "do all I can so that Ukrainians don't cry".

His approach was deliberately informal: he walked to the inauguration from his home and exchanged high-fives with supporters on the way. In his speech, he urged officials to hang pictures of their children in their offices -- and not his photograph.

"A president is not an idol," he said.

'No promises, no apologies' 

On the campaign trail, Zelensky blurred the line between politics and entertainment.

He eschewed media interviews and traditional rallies, preferring to address voters via social networks and perform at gigs with his sketch troupe right up to the first stage of the vote.

The father-of-two has embraced the fact his campaign has been light on solid pledges. One of the posters for his candidacy declared: "No promises -- no apologies!"

The entertainer has been compared to US actor-turned-president Ronald Reagan, Italian populist and comic Beppe Grillo and current US leader Donald Trump. 

The story of his rise mirrored that of his character in the hit sitcom, which returned for its third season days before Ukrainians went to the polls in March.

In the show, a school history teacher is elected leader after his video rant against corruption goes viral.

Zelensky has been accused of being a front for the controversial Ukrainian oligarch Igor Kolomoysky, who owns the channel which broadcasts the shows.

Kolomoysky, one of Ukraine's richest men, became a regional governor at the start of Poroshenko's term but was forced to resign following a row over a state oil firm.

He moved to Israel but reportedly returned to Ukraine shortly ahead of Zelensky's inauguration.

The actor has denied any political connection and ahead of the vote said the oligarch would be jailed if he was found to have violated any laws.

An investigative television report at the start of the year accused Zelensky of having commercial relations with Russia.

This is a highly sensitive issue following Moscow's annexation of Crimea and its backing of separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine, in a conflict that has cost some 13,000 lives since 2014.

Following the broadcast, Zelensky confirmed he had shares in a Cypriot company that owns a Russian group and promised to sell them.

Standing up to Putin 

On the campaign trail, Poroshenko mocked the Ukrainian-language skills of his Russian-speaking rival and said he lacked the political chops to stand up to Putin.

Zelensky has insisted that as leader he will demand Putin end Moscow's occupation of Ukrainian territory and pay compensation for the conflict.

He has also pledged to keep Kiev on the pro-Western course it charted under Poroshenko.

The diminutive performer, from the industrial city of Krivy Rig in central Ukraine, is a dollar millionaire.

He declared income of 9.7 million hryvnias ($368,000)in 2018 on Monday as well as a collection of luxury watches and property in Italy, Britain and Georgia.

He has a law degree but made his career in entertainment, turning his Kvartal 95 comedy troupe into big business. The group has toured in Russia and he has performed in Russian films.

Zelensky is of Jewish descent but has said that religion is a personal matter and it played no part in his campaign. He swore his inauguration oath on the Bible.

source: philstar.com

Vivo spreads summer feels with V15 in limited-edition Blossom Pink

MANILA, Philippines — Vivo is introducing a limited-edition Blossom Pink color to its V15 smartphone to bring a touch of tender summer feels.

V15 handsets with the exclusive color variant, which celebrates the season of bloom, will be available at selected stores nationwide, until supplies last.

Aside from its refreshing Blossom Pink color, the Vivo V15 sports a 6.53-inch Ultra FullView display to provide a 90.95% screen-to-body ratio for an immersive viewing and gaming experience.

The handset has a 32MP Elevating Selfie Camera and an AI-powered triple rear camera setup of 24 Million Photographic Units, 8MP AI Super Wide-Angle camera, and 5MP Depth Camera. The AI Super Wide-Angle camera is perfect for capturing amazing landscape and panoramic shots of summer.

The Vivo V15 is powered by the Helio P70 with 6GB RAM + 128GB ROM. It is available for only P17,999 (SRP) and also comes in standard Topaz Blue and Glamour Red colors.

source: philstar.com

Trump says 'Pro-Life' but favors exceptions for rape, incest

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump on Saturday declared himself "strongly Pro-Life" but in favor of exceptions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest, after several US states passed tough new restrictions on abortions.

The US president spelled out his position on abortion, set to be a hot-button issue at next year's election, days after Alabama's governor signed the country's most restrictive law — enacting a near-total prohibition even in cases of rape and incest.

"As most people know, and for those who would like to know, I am strongly Pro-Life, with the three exceptions — Rape, Incest and protecting the Life of the mother — the same position taken by Ronald Reagan," tweeted Trump.

Trump, a bombastic, twice-divorced billionaire, won over the evangelical vote during his 2016 campaign by promising to appoint anti-abortion justices at the Supreme Court.

He has since brought two conservative appointees to the highest court in the land — Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh — shifting the balance of the nine-person bench.

American evangelicals now have high hopes that the court will chip away at its historic 1973 US decision to legalize abortion.

In addition to Alabama, the Missouri legislature this week made abortions illegal from eight weeks of pregnancy.

Georgia, Ohio, Mississippi, Kentucky, Iowa and North Dakota have enacted laws banning abortion from the moment a fetal heartbeat is detected.

The bans are expected to be blocked in court, but supporters plan to appeal such decisions until they reach the Supreme Court, in hopes this will lead to the long-sought conservative goal of overturning the abortion ruling, known as Roe v Wade.

Roe v Wade guarantees women's rights to abortion as long as the fetus is not viable

source: philstar.com

Taiwan's parliament approves same-sex marriages in first for Asia

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan's parliament legalized same-sex marriage on Friday in a landmark first for Asia as the government survived a last-minute attempt by conservatives to pass watered-down legislation. 

Lawmakers comfortably passed a bill allowing same-sex couples to form "exclusive permanent unions" and another clause that would let them apply for a "marriage registration" with government agencies.

The vote—which took place on the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia—is a major victory for the island's LGBT community who have campaigned for years to have equal marriage rights and it places the island at the vanguard of Asia's burgeoning gay rights movement.

In recent months conservatives had mobilized to rid the law of any reference to marriage, instead putting forward rival bills that offered something closer to limited same-sex unions. But those bills struggled to receive enough votes.

Gay rights groups hailed the vote on Friday, saying the ability to apply for a "marriage registration"—known as Clause Four—put their community much closer to parity with heterosexual couples.

"The passage of Clause Four ensures that two persons of the same-sex can register their marriage on May 24th and ensure that Taiwan becomes the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage and to successfully open a new page in history," said the Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil Partnership Rights.

Court order 

Two years ago Taiwan's top court ruled that not allowing same-sex couples to marry violates the constitution with judges giving the government until May 24, 2019 to make the changes or see marriage equality enacted automatically.

Other key sections of the law were still being debated and voted on Friday, including what, if any, provisions there will be for same-sex couples to adopt.

Whatever the result, the law will not bring full parity with heterosexual couples as even the most progressive version only offers biological adoptions.

Gay rights groups had previously indicated they were willing to accept compromises, as long as the new law recognized the concept of marriage, adding they could fight legal battles over surrogacy and adoption down the line.

"In Taiwan a marriage will take effect when it's registered, so allowing marriage registration is no doubt recognising the marriage itself," Victoria Hsu, a gay rights lawyer, told AFP.

Families divided 

In the last decade, Taiwan has been one of the most progressive societies in Asia when it comes to gay rights, staging the continent's biggest annual gay pride parade.

But the island remains a staunchly conservative place, especially outside urban areas.

Conservative and religious groups were buoyed by a series of referendum wins in November, in which voters comprehensively rejected defining marriage as anything other than a union between a man and a woman, illustrating the limited popular support.

In a Facebook post President Tsai Ing-wen said she recognized the issue had divided "families, generations and even inside religious groups".

"Today, we have a chance to make history and show the world that progressive values can take root in an East Asian society," she added in a tweet ahead of the vote.

Tsai had previously spoken in favour of gay marriage but was later accused of dragging her feet after the court judgement, fearful of a voter backlash.

Taiwan goes to the polls in January.

Thousands of gay rights supporters gathered outside parliament for the vote, despite heavy downpours.

"We are just a group of people who want to live well on this land and who love each other," gay activist Cindy Su told the crowd.

But opponents were incensed by the vote, saying the inclusion of the "marriage registration" clause ignored the referendum.

Tseng Hsien-ying, from the Coalition for the Happiness of Our Next Generation, told local media the vote "trampled on Taiwanese people's expectations that a marriage and a family is formed by a man and a woman, a husband and a wife".

Australia and New Zealand are the only places in the wider Asia-Pacific region to have passed gay marriage laws.

Taiwan is the first place in Asia to do so.

Vietnam decriminalized gay marriage celebrations in 2015, but it stopped short of full legal recognition for same-sex unions.

source: philstar.com

South Korean court to rule on arresting K-pop star Seungri

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean pop star Seungri went to court Tuesday for a hearing over whether he should be arrested on charges including prostitution in a snowballing sex scandal.

The 28-year-old singer from popular boy band BIGBANG and his business partner are accused of arranging sex services for potential investors and rich clients at a nightclub owned by the pair.

Dressed in a sharp black suit, Seungri -- real name Lee Seung-hyun -- quickly walked past a mob of reporters at the Seoul Central District Court, tight-lipped as he brushed off questions.

Hours later a sombre-looking Seungri stepped out of the building, his hands cuffed and covered with a cloth, to be taken to a nearby detention centre to await the court decision, expected late Tuesday night.

Police investigations have shown that Seungri and his partner procured a dozen prostitutes for a group of Japanese investors in 2015 at their upmarket Burning Sun nightclub, according to Yonhap news agency.

The pair also allegedly embezzled around 530 million won (US$450,000) from the business and face charges of violating sanitary codes at Burning Sun, where drug peddling was allegedly commonplace and women are said to have been regularly raped.

Seungri -- who announced his retirement from showbusiness in March as the scandal ballooned -- has denied the charges.

Other stars have been embroiled in the allegations, which have cast a shadow over the K-pop industry after investigations into Seungri revealed an online chatroom where a handful of male celebrities shared illegally filmed sex videos.

Singer-songwriter Jung Joon-young, who ran the chatroom, was arrested in March after admitting to filming himself having sex and sharing the footage without his partners' consent.

A member of boy band FT Island was arrested earlier this month while another figure has announced his retirement from the entertainment industry amid an ongoing probe.

source: philstar.com

Comelec must explain VCM glitches — Duterte

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has to explain to the people the reported massive malfunctioning of vote counting machines (VCMs) that marred yesterday’s midterm national and local elections.

“The Comelec is an independent body. Let the Comelec first explain to the people before any investigation,” the President told reporters after casting his vote at Precinct 1245A Cluster 361 at the Daniel R. Aguinaldo National High School here.

The President said he respects the Comelec as an independent constitutional body, thus he is giving it the chance to explain to the people what exactly happened and why such disruptions took place that could possibly have disenfranchised thousands of voters.

He said a separate investigation is in order even after Comelec issues an explanation.

Before casting his vote, Duterte presented his passport when asked by an election officer to present an ID. He skipped biometric fingerprinting as his Berger’s disease has rendered data from his fingerprint unreadable or inaccurate. Instead he was made to undergo manual check of his fingerprint.

A “kodigo” came in handy when the President cast his vote, assisted by long-time partner Cielito Avanceña.

He arrived at the polling precinct at 4:32 p.m. and stayed for about 20 minutes. Sources said the President’s precinct was the only cluster allowed to be located in a separate building, for security reasons.

There were seven other voters at the precinct when President cast his vote. The chair where he sat to cast his vote in the 2016 elections was put out of its glass case so he could put his signature on it. It has been displayed in the principal’s office since Duterte’s election victory in 2016.

Before leaving the polling precinct, President Duterte said he was glad there were no reports of massive violence that could have seriously disrupted the conduct of the elections.

The President said he was in contact with both the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police almost every hour to check on the progress of the polls.

“I have yet to receive something that is more than just the ordinary violence. Nothing that big that would disrupt the conduct of the election,” the President maintained.

Meanwhile, Duterte said the election victory of administration-backed candidates would mean an affirmation of his presidency and his controversial programs.

He reiterated his readiness to resign from his post if he feels he no longer enjoys the confidence of the general public.

The President had actively endorsed the senatorial candidates of his political party Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) as well as local candidates of his Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod party.

He told reporters he is optimistic his candidates – at least most of them – would get elected. –  With Christina Mendez

source: philstar.com

Index ends lower on weak GDP growth, US-China trade woes

MANILA, Philippines — The index ended the week in negative zone, finishing 13.42 points lower at 7,742.20.

Likewise, the broader All Shares gauge was down 16.59 points or 0.34 percent to end at 4,791.26.

Majority of the indices were down as well except for the financials and industrial gauges which ended in positive territory.

Total value turnover reached P7.551 billion. Market breadth was negative, 101 to 78 while 64 issues were unchanged.

Traders said the market is still digesting the lower-than-expected first quarter economic growth of 5.6 percent as well as the lack of resolution on the brewing US-China trade war.


Some specific issues, however, bucked the trend such as Holcim Philippines whose shares reached a new high of P15.30 or up 6.10 percent.

This after San Miguel Corp., Holcim Philippines and Lafarge Holcim confirmed the acquisition by San Miguel of Holcim Philippines.

Lafarge Holcim, Europe’s biggest cement maker, sold its 85.7 percent stake in the company.

Lafarge Holcim CEO Jan Jenish said the sale of the company’s stake in Holcim Philippines now completes the cement giant’s exit from Southeast Asia.

“With the divestment of our activities in the Philippines, we are completing our exit from the increasingly hyper competitive arena in South East Asia. While this decision is based on our strategic portfolio review, we have reached very attractive valuations allowing us to achieve a new level of financial strength,” Jenish said.

On the other hand, SMC’s shares dropped 2.81 percent.

source: philstar.com

Durant suffers right leg injury in Warriors' Game 5 win vs Rockets

LOS ANGELES – Golden State pulled out a 104-99 victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday (Thursday Manila time) as the Warriors survived the loss of superstar Kevin Durant to grab a 3-2 lead in their second round NBA playoff series.

Draymond Green and Klay Thompson nailed clutch 3-pointers late in the fourth quarter for the Warriors but the buzz after the game was not about the win but rather the health of Durant.

The Warriors said he had suffered a right calf strain but Durant is expected to undergo an MRI scan to Thursday to determine the full extent of the damage.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr sounded cautiously optimistic — hoping for the best but also preparing for something worse if it does turn out to be more serious like a ruptured Achilles.

"We are all disappointed for him. Excited about the win but concern for Kevin. He had been on this incredible playoff run. I am proud of the guys and the way they pulled out this win and we will see about Kevin tomorrow," said Kerr.

Durant's injury occurred innocently enough after he hit a jumper from the right side with just over two minutes left in the third quarter.

He took a step forward then grimaced in pain and looked down at his lower right leg.

"He's done a lot for us. We got to have his back — that is what tonight was about," said Warriors Stephen Curry.

Thompson finished with 27 points, Curry 25 and Durant 22 for the Warriors, who continued a run of home wins by the teams in the series.

James Harden was the game's leading scorer with 31 points for the Rockets, who were outshot by the Warriors from the field 46 percent to 42 percent.

source: philstar.com

Starbucks in Westeros? HBO speaks up on 'Game of Thrones' set blunder

HOLLYWOOD — With two episodes of HBO's wildly popular medieval fantasy saga "Game of Thrones" to go, puzzled fans took to social media on Monday after heroine Daenerys Targaryen was joined at a wooden banquet table by a rogue to-go coffee cup.

Jokes, spoofs and critiques quickly followed the anachronistic appearance of the beverage -- taken to be a Starbucks coffee by many who noticed -- in the fourth episode of the eighth and final season.

"Seriously, they have Starbucks in Winterfell," one commenter wrote on Twitter, while others lamented the slip-up after waiting two years for the eighth season to air.

Yet another tweeted a redrawn logo of the American coffee chain with the title changed to "Winterfell coffee" and the wolf's head sigil of the Starks, one of the noble families at the center of the series.

HBO spoke up as the blunder went viral, tweeting that "the latte that appeared in the episode was a mistake" and playfully adding that Daenerys -- played by British actress Emilia Clarke -- had ordered an herbal tea.

Meanwhile, executive producer Bernie Caulfield told WNYC radio she couldn't believe the error, saying that "our on-set prop people and decorators are so on it 1,000 percent."

"We're sorry!" she said. "If that's the worst thing that they're finding, we're in good shape."

HBO called it a "craft services coffee cup" but Caulfield echoed a theme spread widely on Twitter, speculating that Westeros -- the fictional continent where the action takes place -- "was the first place to actually have Starbucks."

Though he hadn't personally watched Sunday's episode, entitled "The Last of the Starks," art director Hauke Richter told Variety magazine: "Things can get forgotten on set."

Starbucks seized the opportunity to capitalize on the faux pas, evoking its popular dragon fruit-based thirst-quencher in a statement that read: "We're surprised she didn't order a Dragon Drink."

It was not immediately clear if Daenerys, known in the show as the Mother of Dragons for her mastery over the winged creatures of legend, has ever tried coffee.

Season eight began airing on April 14, nearly 20 months after the seventh season's conclusion. The last ever episode will be shown on May 19.

source: philstar.com

Alvarez beats Jacobs to unify middleweight world titles

LAS VEGAS – Mexican Saul "Canelo" Alvarez earned a unanimous decision over Daniel Jacobs in a fight that pitted two of the world's top middleweights against each other with three world titles on the line on Saturday (Sunday Manila time).

Alvarez kept his World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association titles and seized Jacobs' International Boxing Federation belt in a bout that marked the Mexican's return to the 160-pound division.

Alvarez won on all three judges’ scorecards, with two having it 115-113 and the other 116-112.

Since losing to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2013, Alvarez has gone 10-0 with one draw with five knockouts.

source: philstar.com

Warriors hold off Rockets for 2-0 series lead

LOS ANGELES – Kevin Durant scored 29 points and Klay Thompson added 21 on Tuesday (Wednesday Manila time) as the Golden State Warriors downed the Houston Rockets, 115-109, in a bruising NBA playoff clash.

The reigning champions never trailed, but they had to battle to the end to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference second-round series, which shifts to Houston for game three on Saturday.

Both teams had injury scares in the first quarter, when Houston's 2018 NBA Most Valuable Player James Harden departed with a left eye injury after he was inadvertently swiped in the face by Draymond Green as they battled for the ball.


Warriors guard Stephen Curry left briefly with a dislocated middle finger on his left hand, returning with it taped up before the quarter ended.

Harden returned in the second quarter, but appeared to feel discomfort from the injury during the game, sometimes squinting in the bright lights.


"He got raked pretty good in the eyes," Houston coach Mike D'Antoni said of Harden, who finished with 29 points — including 13 in the fourth quarter. "I'm sure he would have loved to have played better, but under the circumstances I thought he played great."

D'Antoni said he knew Harden would return to the contest unless the injury was "catastrophic" but even with their superstar on the court the Rockets couldn't find a way past the Warriors.

"Tonight we just stayed the course," Thompson said.

Houston trimmed a 15-point deficit to three points in the fourth quarter, but their 18 turnovers, leading to 24 Warriors points, were ultimately too costly.

Curry helped the Warriors' cause with 20 points and Green contributed a double-double of 15 points and 12 rebounds along with seven assists.

"We had our chances toward the end," D'Antoni said. "They made big plays."

source: philstar.com