Brazil police end Neymar rape probe over lack of evidence

SAO PAULO – Police in Brazil probing rape allegations against football superstar Neymar have closed the case due to a lack of evidence, the Sao Paulo attorney general's office said Monday (Tuesday, Manila time).

The police decision will be sent to prosecutors on Tuesday, which will have 15 days to evaluate the case, a spokeswoman for the attorney general's office told AFP.

A final decision on the case will be made by a judge.

Neymar has vehemently denied allegations he raped a Brazilian woman in a Paris hotel in May.

The ugly affair, which has dominated headlines and conversations in the soccer-mad country for months, overshadowed Brazil's preparations for the Copa America.

Hosts Brazil went on to win South America's showcase tournament without their star player, who was injured in a friendly before the opening match.

source: philstar.com

Three killed in US festival shooting, suspected gunman dead

LOS ANGELES, United States — Three people were killed and at least 15 others injured in a shooting at a major food festival in California on Sunday, police said.

Officers confronted and shot dead the suspect "in less than a minute," said Scot Smithee, police chief of the city of Gilroy, 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of San Jose.

Police said it was "still an active crime scene" at the site of the three-day Gilroy Garlic Festival, one of the largest food festivals in the country.

A search for a possible second suspect was ongoing, Smithee said.

"We believe based on witness statements that there was a second individual involved in some way, we just don't know in what way," he told journalists.

Footage showed people fleeing in terror as shots rang out.

A witness named Julissa Contreras told NBC a white man in his 30s armed with a rifle opened fire indiscriminately.

"I could see him shooting in just every direction. He wasn't aiming at anyone specifically. It was just left to right, right to left," Contreras said, according to NBC.

"He definitely was prepared for what he was doing," she said.

Smithee said the suspect appeared to have entered the 50-acre festival site via a creek, using cutting equipment to breach the event's perimeter.

Metal detectors and bag searches were in place as part of "very tight security" at the festival, he said.

No motive was known but the suspect's shooting appeared "somewhat random," Smithee added. The suspect used "some sort of a rifle," he said.

US President Donald Trump earlier tweeted that law enforcement officers were at "the scene of shootings" in Gilroy, urging members of the public to "Be careful and safe!"

'Senseless violence'

The Gilroy Garlic Festival features live entertainment including bands and cooking competitions as well as food and drink, and draws nearly 100,000 people over three days each year, according to organizers.

The family event is a major focal point for the small city of around 50,000.

California governor Gavin Newsom said the incident was "nothing short of horrific."

"Tonight, (California) stands with the Gilroy community. My office is monitoring the situation closely," he tweeted.

"Grateful for the law enforcement's efforts and their continued work as this situation develops."

The Mercury News reported that the shooting took place as the festival was winding down.

Stage hand Shawn Viaggi hit the ground after hearing "loud pops," it said.

"I called out, 'It's a real gun, let's get out of here,' and we hid under the stage," Viaggi said, according to the newspaper.

Thirteen-year-old Evenny Reyes told the paper that "we were just leaving and we saw a guy with a bandana wrapped around his leg because he got shot. And there were people on the ground, crying."

"There was a little kid hurt on the ground. People were throwing tables and cutting fences to get out," said Reyes.

"The hearts of Gilroy PD and entire community go out to the victims of today's shooting at the Garlic Festival," the local police department tweeted.

"Grateful to first responders who are on the scene in Gilroy and keeping those injured by such senseless violence in my thoughts," Senator Kamala Harris, who is running for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, wrote on Twitter.

San Jose mayor Sam Liccardo tweeted: "Praying for lives and recoveries of each of the shooting victims at #GilroyGarlicFestival. We will continue to support our neighbors in any way we can."

Shootings are a frequent occurrence in the United States, but despite the scale of the gun violence problem in the country, efforts to address it legislatively have long been largely deadlocked at the federal level.

source: philstar.com

Michael Phelps lauds Hungarian Milak after breaking swimming record

MANILA, Philippines — Swimming legend Michael Phelps congratulated Hungarian swimmer Kristof Milak after the latter broke a world record Phelps held for 18 years.

Taking to Instagram,Phelps praised the 19-year-old Milak.

"My hat's off to him," Phelps wrote.

Milak clocked in 1:50.73 in the 200m Butterfly during the World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea on Wednesday.

He was 0.78 faster than Phelps' 2009 record.

Phelps first held the 200m Butterfly record in 2001. He retired in 2016 after a long and decorated swimming career.

source: philstar.com

Boris Johnson wins race to become Britain's next prime minister

LONDON, United Kingdom — Boris Johnson won the race to become Britain's next prime minister on Tuesday, heading straight into a confrontation over Brexit with Brussels and parliament, as well as a tense diplomatic stand-off with Iran.

The former London mayor easily beat his rival, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, in a vote of grassroots members of the governing Conservative Party.

He is expected to be confirmed as prime minister on Wednesday when Theresa May formally tenders her resignation to Queen Elizabeth II.

US President Donald Trump was the first world leader to offer his congratulations, saying: "He will be great!"

It is a triumph for a man who has always coveted the premiership. But Johnson, known for his jokes and bluster, is taking over at a time of immense political upheaval.

Three years after the referendum vote to leave the European Union, Britain remains a member amid continued wrangling in a divided parliament on how to proceed.

'We'll get Brexit done'

Johnson led the referendum "Leave" campaign and -- after May delayed Brexit twice -- insists the latest deadline must be met, with or without a divorce agreement with the EU.

"We're going to get Brexit done on October 31," he declared in a speech to party members in London, after winning 66 percent of almost 140,000 votes cast.

However, Brussels says it will not renegotiate the deal it struck with May to ease the end of a 46-year partnership -- even after British MPs rejected it three times.

EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said Tuesday he wanted to work with Johnson "to facilitate the ratification of the withdrawal agreement and achieve an orderly Brexit".

Ursula von der Leyen, who will take over as head of the European Commission on November 1, congratulated Johnson but warned of "challenging times ahead of us".

Although parliament dislikes May's deal, Johnson faces significant opposition from MPs to his threat to leaving with no deal, including from Conservative colleagues.

Several ministers said they will not serve under Johnson, warning that severing ties overnight with Britain's closest trading partner is deeply irresponsible.

But Johnson insisted he could change the atmosphere in parliament, saying: "Like some slumbering giant we are going to rise and ping off the guy ropes of self-doubt and negativity."

'Brilliant or a disaster'

After addressing Conservative MPs privately following his victory, Johnson told reporters he was "impatient".

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said his speech "left everybody feeling good, and positive and cheerful."

One Brexiteer MP added: "The clouds have lifted."

However, Johnson's premiership is vulnerable.

His government will command a majority of just two -- 320 votes to 318 -- in parliament's lower House of Commons.

Colleagues who disagree with Johnson are willing to give him a chance to get a Brexit deal, at least over parliament's impending six-week summer recess.

But if "no deal" looks likely in September, many MPs have vowed to stop him -- a move that could trigger an early election.

The main opposition Labour party is not expected to force a confidence vote this week, but challenged him to call an election.

However, both Labour and the Conservatives are struggling to appeal to a public deeply divided over Britain's future, facing a pincer movement from Nigel Farage's eurosceptic Brexit Party and the pro-EU Liberal Democrats.

Business leaders called on Johnson to seek accord with Brussels, with Carolyn Fairbairn, director general of the Confederation of British Industry lobby, saying he "must not underestimate the benefits of a good deal".

The pound bounced briefly higher before falling lower again to $1.24 after Johnson's victory was announced.

Outside parliament, where pro- and anti-Brexit protesters gather daily, reaction to Johnson's victory was mixed.

"It's the most we can hope for," said eurosceptic Michelle Pearce, 64, adding: "He'll be brilliant or a disaster."

Ruth Fryer, 66, wearing a "bin Brexit" badge, added: "He's a bit of a loose cannon and no one knows what he'll do."

Gulf tensions

Johnson's domestic battles might initially have to take a backseat as he manages tensions with Iran.

The Islamic republic seized a UK-flagged tanker in the strategic Strait of Hormuz last Friday.

The stand-off comes amid escalating tensions between Iran and the United States over the Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted his congratulations to Johnson, saying: "Iran does not seek confrontation.

"But we have 1,500 miles of Persian Gulf coastline. These are our waters and we will protect them."

source: philstar.com

Pacquiao outpoints tough Thurman, wins split decision

LAS VEGAS  - Keith Thurman's will turns out to be as good as his loud mouth.

But Manny Pacquiao hands are equally still good.

Pacquiao on Saturday humbled the brash Thurman, scoring a split decision victory to become the WBA "super" welterweight champion at the MGM Grand Garden Arena here (Sunday, Manila time).

Scores were 114-113 for Thurman, and 115-112 (twice) for Pacquiao, who knocked Thurman down in the opening round of what turned out to be an entertaining fight in front of 14,356 fans.

The Filipino star sent Thurman down with a left straight to the body following by a quick right to the head. By the fifth round, the previously unbeaten boxer had a bloody face after eating a huge right hook from Pacquiao.


Thurman, though, came back and had many moments as well. After yielding the first five rounds to Pacquiao, the fighter from Clearwater, Florida stormed back in the middle rounds and caught his opponent with several solid one-two combos.

Pacquiao had Thurman in trouble in the 10th round when he tagged him with a powerful left to the body, putting his foe on survival mode for the rest of the round. Thurman eventually held on and went the distance with the 40-year-old Pacquiao.

Thurman earned Pacquiao's respect with his toughness.

"He's not an easy opponent. He's strong," Pacquiao said in the ring afterwards.

"He did his best, I did my best. We made the fans happy," he added.

Thurman, for his part, was fine with the result and put an end to the brash talk that highlighted the entire promotion.

"I knew it was too close. But he had the knockdown in the first round," said Thurman.

"Pacquiao is truly great, legendary," he added, even addressing Pacquiao as "senator."

"I wish I had a little more output. It was just behind Manny's output," Thurman continued.

Pacquiao improved to 63-7-1 (39 KOs, while Thurman suffered his first defeat in 30 fights (with 22 KOs).

source: philstar.com

Roach keeping a close eye on first round

LAS VEGAS – The first round of a boxing match is when fighters feel each other out.

But for the Manny Pacquiao-Keith Thurman clash here Saturday (Sunday, Manila time), the opening canto could very well spell the difference.

Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s longtime cornerman, said the winner of the fight could be determined as early as the first round.

“I think whoever takes control of that first round is going to have a big advantage,” Roach told reporters Friday (Saturday, Manila time) after Pacquiao and Thurman cleared the scales.

“The first round will tell me who's gonna win the fight. That's why we're coming hot,” added Roach.

He said he expects Pacquiao to fight more aggressively than he did in his previous fights, especially with the fact that the Filipino icon is fired up by Thurman’s verbal jabs.

“I like how Manny's a little bit angry, I think he fights well. He's smarter and better when he is,” Roach continued.

Despite Thurman’s advantages in reach and height, Pacquiao, through his in-and-out movement and ability to punch from odd angles, can force the WBA “super” welterweight champion to the ropes.

This is where Pacquiao can excel, according to Roach.

“I think Manny can back Thurman up. I plan on putting Thurman on the ropes in this fight and Manny being a little more aggressive there.

“And once he puts him on the ropes, I think he'll have him,” he explained.

Roach already envisions Thurman’s downfall.

“I think he'll stand toe to toe until Manny hits him. Bye bye,” he said.

source: philstar.com

US House rejects bid to launch Trump impeachment proceedings

WASHINGTON, United States — The US House of Representatives on Wednesday rejected a congressman's bid to launch impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump, tamping down a groundswell of anger after the president made xenophobic comments about Democrats.

The chamber voted 332 to 95 to table, or effectively kill, a resolution brought by Democrat Al Green that raised whether to begin procedures to remove Trump from office.

The majority of the House's 235 Democrats joined all Republicans in voting to indefinitely delay the impeachment bid, although a substantial number of Democrats went on record in favor of considering articles of impeachment.

Trump took to Twitter following the vote to declare efforts to impeach him "over."

"This is perhaps the most ridiculous and time consuming project I have ever had to work on," Trump wrote, adding: "This should never be allowed to happen to another President of the United States again!"

source: philstar.com

Trump under fire for attacks on Democratic congresswomen

WASHINGTON, United States — US President Donald Trump came under fire from Democrats and even some members of his own Republican Party on Monday after launching an extraordinary xenophobic attack on four progressive Democratic congresswomen.

"All they do is complain," Trump told reporters at a White House event featuring products "Made in America."

"These are people that hate our country," he said of the four Democratic lawmakers. "If you're not happy here, you can leave."

Trump also accused the four first-term Democratic congresswomen -- who are of Hispanic, Arab, Somali and African-American origin -- of having "love" for US "enemies like Al-Qaeda."

Asked by a reporter whether he was concerned that many people saw his comments as racist, Trump said: "It doesn't concern me because many people agree with me."

Several hours after his remarks, the four -- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, who is of Puerto Rico origin, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, who is of Somali origin, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, the first Palestinian-American woman elected to Congress, and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, who is African-American -- hit back at a news conference.

Pressley condemned Trump's "xenophobic and bigoted" comments and said "we will not be silenced."

Omar said Trump made a "blatantly racist attack" on four lawmakers "of color." "This is the agenda of white nationalists," she said.

Omar and Tlaib repeated calls for Trump to be impeached.

'Destructive'

The president first attacked the lawmakers with a series of tweets on Sunday, saying they should "go back" to their countries of origin if they didn't like the United States.

His comments prompted outrage from Democrats -- and, initially, silence from Republicans.

On Monday, several of his party faithful began to speak up.

"My view is that what was said and what was tweeted was destructive, was demeaning, was disunifying, and frankly it was very wrong," said Senator Mitt Romney, a Republican from Utah.

"There is no excuse for the president's spiteful comments -– they were absolutely unacceptable and this needs to stop," said Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska. "We must demand a higher standard of decorum and decency."

Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine said she disagreed with the policies espoused by the "far-left" Democratic lawmakers but Trump was "way over the line."

For Republican Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, "the citizenship of all four is as valid as mine." "They are entitled to their opinions, however misguided they may be," he said.

Texan Will Hurd, the only black Republican in the House of Representatives, told CNN that Trump's behavior was "unbecoming of the leader of the free world."

And Senator Tim Scott, a black Republican from South Carolina, criticized the president for using "unacceptable personal attacks and racially offensive language."

'Cold, hard strategy'

Trump's comments appear to be aimed at galvanizing his mostly white electoral base ahead of the 2020 presidential vote -- while also stoking racial tensions and divisions among his political opponents.

"With his deliberate, racist outburst, @realDonaldTrump wants to raise the profile of his targets, drive Dems to defend them and make them emblematic of the entire party," said David Axelrod, who served as chief strategist for Barack Obama's two White House campaigns.

"It's a cold, hard strategy," Axelrod said on Twitter. "Fasten your seatbelts, it will only get worse as the election approaches."

"The voters will decide," Trump told reporters.

"If (the Democrats) want to gear their wagons around these four people, I think they're going to have a very tough election, because I don't think the people of the United States will stand for it."

In his initial Twitter attack on Sunday, Trump -- who before becoming president pushed the racist "birther" conspiracy theory that Obama was not born on US soil -- said the congresswomen came from corrupt, poorly managed countries to which they should return.

Ocasio-Cortez, Tlaib and Pressley were all born in the United States while Omar arrived from war-torn Somalia when she was a child.

Former vice president Joe Biden, who is seeking the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, denounced Trump as the most "openly racist and divisive" president in US history.

"Go home to your country? It's sickening, it's embarrassing," Biden said.

Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic speaker of the House of Representatives, has had a tenuous relationship with the four left-leaning congresswomen but she jumped to their defense.

"When @realDonaldTrump tells four American Congresswomen to go back to their countries, he reaffirms his plan to 'Make America Great Again' has always been about making America white again," Pelosi said.

Pelosi said she was seeking Republicans to co-sponsor a House resolution "condemning the president's xenophobic tweets" and "characterization of immigrants."

Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer of New York said he planned to do the same in the Senate.

source: philstar.com

As US agents prepare to arrest 'thousands,' migrants live in fear

NEW YORK, United States — Thousands of undocumented immigrants were waiting in fear and uncertainty ahead of nationwide raids Sunday that President Donald Trump said would lead to a wave of expulsions.

Demonstrators in dozens of cities protested the planned raids, and local and state officials called for restraint, but to no effect.

Before dawn on Sunday, agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are expected to hit the streets of at least 10 major American cities with plans to arrest some 2,000 undocumented migrants who entered the United States recently.

The scope of the operation appears far more modest than the "millions" Trump had promised would be detained and expelled when he first mentioned the raids -- and subsequently postponed -- last month.

But that has not eased the anguish felt by those who fear they might be targeted.

Adding to their concerns are media reports that ICE agents are prepared to scoop up not just those targeted by removal orders but also other undocumented migrants that agents may come upon incidentally.

That, potentially, could include some migrants who have been in the country for years, with homes, jobs and children who are US citizens.

'It's traumatizing' 

"This uncertainty, this fear, is wreaking havoc," Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said on CNN. "It's traumatizing people."

Trump insisted on Friday that "most mayors" want the raids.

"Most mayors do. You know why? They don't want to have crimes in their cities," he said, repeating his frequent -- and incorrect --  assertion that migrants are more likely to be criminals than native-born Americans.

Several mayors have expressed concern about the federal operation.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez pointed out that in 2018, his first year in office, his Florida city experienced its "lowest homicide rate in 51 years -- so I don't understand the rationale for choosing Miami."

"It doesn't make it easier for us, as mayors, to keep our citizens and those who are in our city ... quiet and calm."

'A political act' 

Some city officials, as well as pro-migrant and civil rights groups, have sought to educate those who might be targeted on their rights in the event of a raid. 

"We're asking people, if you are in fear of deportation, to stay in on Sunday, to travel in groups," Atlanta Mayor Keisha Bottoms said on CNN. If "someone comes to your door, please don't open the door unless they have a warrant."

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio told MSNBC he sees the raids as "a political act to convince a lot of people in America that immigrants are the problem."

Like many other city officials, he fears the aggressive roundup could intimidate migrants, making them less likely in future to cooperate with local police, thus making it harder to ensure public safety.

Millions 'in line' 

"We have millions of people standing in line waiting to become citizens of this country," Trump said Friday.

He said it would be unfair to them if others could simply cross the border in an attempt to gain the privileges of American life.

But the impending raids have raised concerns about how a new influx could affect federal detention centers already badly overcrowded. 

The United States has been struggling for more than a year with a migration crisis on its southern border, as thousands of people stream into the US each month, mostly from Central American countries riven by violence and poverty.

The number of undocumented arrivals totaled more than 100,000 last month -- down 28 percent from May but still at a "critical" level, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

On Friday and Saturday, dozens of protests were organized across the country by groups demanding the closing of overcrowded detention centers and opposing the planned raids.

Requisitioning hotels? 

Several American news outlets have reported on centers holding young children, separated from their parents, in crowded and unhygienic conditions.

US officials have acknowledged the overcrowding but insisted they are doing their best to provide decent conditions.

Some reports Saturday suggested that ICE might have to requisition hotel rooms to accommodate those detained in the upcoming raids.

A major hotel chain, Marriott International, was asked by AFP whether it had been contacted by the government.

It said it had not yet been contacted, but added, "Marriott has made the decision to decline any requests to use our hotels as detention facilities."

source: philstar.com

US World Cup winners feted with confetti, chants of 'equal pay'

NEW YORK, United States — Amid chants of "equal pay," "USA" and streams of confetti, the World Cup-winning US women's soccer team was feted by tens of thousands of adoring fans with a ticker tape victory parade in New York on Wednesday (Thursday Manila time).

Wearing identical black T-shirts emblazoned with the words "World Champions" in gold letters, members of the US squad waved to the crowds from slow-moving open-top floats.

Player of the tournament Megan Rapinoe struck her iconic goal-scoring pose as she displayed the World Cup trophy to the cheering fans lining the parade route along Lower Manhattan's fabled "Canyon of Heroes."

Under bright sunny skies, office workers showered the players with white confetti thrown from the windows of skyscrapers lining Broadway.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio joined the US World Cup stars on Rapinoe's float and later hosted the US team in a ceremony at City Hall to present them with the symbolic "Keys to the City."

"This group is so resilient, is so tough, has such a sense of humor, is just so bad ass," Rapinoe told the crowd at City Hall. "We have pink hair and purple hair. We have tattoos, dreadlocks.

"We got white girls and black girls, and everything in between. Straight girls and gay girls," she said.

Star striker Alex Morgan also addressed the crowd.

"We have been known as America's favorite soccer team," she said.

"But from here on out, we'll just be known as America's team."

Players were met with chants of "equal pay" during the parade and on one float, they displayed a poster given to them by someone in the crowd which read "Parades Are Cool, Equal Pay Is Cooler."

While the team is celebrated across the country, the squad has also been held up as champions of gender equality.

The women's team is suing the US Soccer Federation to demand equal pay with their male counterparts, and fan chants of "equal pay" also cascaded from the stands at the Stade de Lyon in France after Sunday's victory over the Netherlands.

Victory tour

The parade, which lasted about an hour, is in line with a New York tradition that dates back more than a century.

While the honor has been bestowed on everyone from astronauts to record-breakers, soldiers and world leaders, in recent decades it has more commonly been used to celebrate sports victories by teams such as baseball's New York Yankees or the NFL's New York Giants.

Wednesday's ticker tape celebration is just the first stop on a protracted victory lap that will send the team across the United States in the coming months.

After the festivities in New York, the players will jet off to California to appear at the ESPYs, the US sports world's equivalent of the Oscars, taking place in Los Angeles later on Wednesday.

The team will then be back on the road next month to play in a five-game series of friendly international matches billed as a "Victory Tour", starting with a clash against Ireland at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on August 3.

One stop that looks unlikely is a trip to the White House.

The outspoken Rapinoe has been critical of President Donald Trump, saying last month that she would not accept an invitation from him to visit the White House if the United States won the World Cup.

Trump responded by tweeting that Rapinoe should "win first before she talks."

Speaking to ESPN on Tuesday, Rapinoe noted she had "held up my end of the bargain on that one" before adding that the Twitter exchange with Trump had actually helped the team in France.

She also reiterated that she would not be going to the White House, saying on CNN: "I would not go and every teammate that I've talked to explicitly about it would not go."

"I don't think anyone on the team has any interest in lending the platform that we've worked so hard to build and the things that we fight for and the way that we live our life," Rapinoe said.

"I don't think we want that to be co-opted or corrupted by this administration."

On Monday, the team returned home from France, 24 hours after defeating the Netherlands 2-0 in Sunday's final to clinch a record-extending fourth World Cup crown.

source: philstar.com

Hong Kong leader Lam says China extradition bill 'dead'

HONG KONG — Hong Kong's pro-Beijing leader Carrie Lam on Tuesday said a widely loathed proposal to allow extraditions to the Chinese mainland "is dead" -- but again stopped short of protester demands to withdraw the bill.

The finance hub has been plunged into its worst crisis in recent history following a month of huge marches as well as separate violent confrontations with police involving a minority of hardcore protesters. 

"There are still lingering doubts about the government's sincerity or worries (about) whether the government will restart the process with the Legislative Council," she said in a press conference.

"So I reiterate here, there is no such plan. The bill is dead."

The rallies were sparked by a now-suspended law that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China.

But they have since morphed into a wider movement calling for democratic reforms and a halt to sliding freedoms in the semi-autonomous territory.

Public anger has soared against the city's pro-Beijing leaders and its police force after officers used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters outside parliament last month. 

Lam has made very few public appearances in recent weeks.

But on Tuesday she resurfaced to hold a press conference in which she made her most conciliatory comments to date. 

She described her administration's attempt to introduce the extradition bill as "a complete failure", agreed to meet students in public without preconditions and said she recognised that the city was facing an unprecedented array of challenges. 

"I come to the conclusion that there are some fundamental and deep-seated problems in Hong Kong society," she said. 

"It could be economic problems, it could be livelihood issues, it could be political divisions in society," she said.

"So the first thing we should do is identify those fundamental issues and hopefully to find some solutions to move forward."

But she shied away from other key protester demands, including calls for an independent judge to head up a commission of inquiry into police tactics, saying the city's current police complaints mechanism was conducting its own investigation.

Lam had previously suspended debate on the extradition bill and said her administration had no plans to reintroduce it into the city's Legislative Council (LegCo).

But protesters remain distrustful and have demanded she unequivocally withdraw the proposed law from the parliamentary agenda. 

Lam said she did not think protesters would believe her if she used the word "withdraw"

"To some extent, if it was withdrawn today, it could be brought back to LegCo three months later," she said.

"But maybe the residents want to hear a very resolute and decisive saying. So 'the bill is dead' is a relatively resolute saying," she added.

source: philstar.com

Kyrie Irving officially joins Brooklyn Nets

NEW YORK – Six-time NBA all-star guard Kyrie Irving signed a contract Sunday (Monday Manila time) with the Brooklyn Nets, finalizing a deal unveiled last weekend to revamp the club that includes obtaining superstar Kevin Durant.

The Nets, who inked center DeAndre Jordan on Saturday, added top talent to a solid young playoff team and figure to be even tougher with Durant, who will miss next season after undergoing surgery to repair a ruptured right Achilles tendon.

Irving, 27, averaged 23.8 points, career highs of 5.0 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.5 steals over 67 games with Boston last season.

"Kyrie is one of the NBA's elite guards and has won at the highest level," Nets general manager Sean Marks said.

"His championship pedigree, coupled with his gifted scoring and playmaking abilities, will make him an outstanding addition to our team," the first New Zealander to play in the NBA added.

Irving helped the Cleveland Cavaliers win the 2016 NBA crown and was a member of the 2016 Rio Olympics US gold medal squad.

"The entire coaching staff is excited to have the opportunity to coach a player of Kyrie's caliber," Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said.

"He's as talented and accomplished as any point guard in our game and we are enthusiastic about integrating him and our other new roster additions into our returning core."

Over eight seasons with Boston and Cleveland, Irving has averaged 22.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.3 steals over 508 career games.

source: philstar.com

Southern California rocked by strongest quake in two decades

LOS ANGELES, United States — Southern California was rocked by its largest earthquake in two decades on Thursday, a 6.4-magnitude tremor that caused "substantial damage" at a military facility but otherwise only minor injuries in the sparsely populated area.

The shallow quake, followed by dozens of aftershocks, struck in the Mojave Desert six miles (10 kilometers) from the small city of Ridgecrest at 10:33 am (1733 GMT).

It was felt 160 miles away in Los Angeles and even as far afield as Las Vegas in the neighboring state of Nevada, as the United States celebrated its July 4 Independence Day holiday.

Although the quake in the most populous US state of California revived fears of the "Big One"—a powerful tremor along the San Andreas Fault that could devastate major cities in Southern California—President Trump was quick to reassure that this wasn't it.

"All seems to be very much under control!" he tweeted two hours after the quake in the Searles Valley of San Bernardino County.

The area "will continue having a lot of aftershocks," some maybe as strong as magnitude five, California Institute of Technology seismologist Lucy Jones told a press conference.

The earthquake was the largest in Southern California since 1999 when a 7.1-magnitude quake struck the Twentynine Palms Marine Corps base, according to The Los Angeles Times.

Thursday's epicenter was in or on the edge of the US Navy's sprawling desert bomb testing range known as China Lake.

The Naval Air Weapons Station covers 1.1 million acres (445,000 hectares) and strictly controls the airspace above it. Inside, the Navy develops and tests missiles, bombs, artillery shells and other war ordnance, and the aircraft used to deliver it.

An official at China Lake told AFP there was "substantial damage" to their facilities, including fires, water leaks and spills of hazardous materials.

Paul Dale, the station's commanding officer, said later at a news conference that officials were making "damage assessments," and declined to elaborate.

Panic 

David Witt, the fire chief in Kern County which includes Ridgecrest, reported "minor, minor injuries," stemming from broken glass and shelves falling down in supermarkets.

He was not able to provide an exact number of casualties.

Peggy Breeden, mayor of Ridgecrest which has a population of 28,000, said the local hospital had been evacuated as a precaution, and she had received reports of a handful of house fires.

Some areas of the city had lost power, while gas had been cut due to ruptured lines, she said.

The San Bernardino County Fire Department said that "buildings and roads have sustained varying degrees of damage."

This included "buildings with minor cracks, broken water mains, power lines down, rock slides on certain roads."

The quake struck at a depth of 6.6 miles (10.7 kilometers) in the vast desert region.

Residents told local TV that the shaking set off panic, while sending televisions plunging to the ground and causing drawers to fall open.

AFP reporters in Los Angeles clearly felt the earthquake for about 10 seconds.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said there was no significant damage in the second-largest US city.

'Even bigger earthquake' 

Jones said there is a small possibility this quake is the prelude to a larger one.

"There is about a one-in-20 chance that this location will be having an even bigger earthquake within the next few days, that we have not yet seen the biggest earthquake of the sequence," she said.

"There have been hundreds of earthquakes today," she said, including more than 100 that the United States Geological Survey measured at greater than magnitude 2.5.

But Jones noted that the quake was not along the San Andreas fault.

"It is an area with a lot of little faults but no long fault," she tweeted.

For filmmaker Ava DuVernay, a lifelong resident of Los Angles, "that was the longest earthquake I've ever experienced. Not jerky. Smooth and rolling. But it was loooong."

source: philstar.com

Facebook services back online after worldwide outage

SAN FRANCISCO, United States — Facebook said it was "back at 100 percent" Wednesday evening after an outage on all of its services affected users in various parts of the world.

Online monitoring service DownDetector reported earlier the outage began around 1200 GMT and affected Facebook as well as its Instagram and WhatsApp services.

"The issue has since been resolved and we should be back at 100% for everyone," the company tweeted at 0006 GMT Thursday, adding they were sorry for "any inconvenience."


A Facebook spokesperson, also speaking on behalf of Instagram and WhatsApp, explained that a "routine maintenance operation" accidentally triggered a bug that made it difficult for users to upload or send photos and videos, US media reported.

#Facebookdown and #instagramdown were trending on Twitter as users around the world reported these apps were not functioning.

According to DownDetector, thousands of users around the world were reporting outages, with Europe and North America most impacted. Both individual users as well as businesses and organizations were affected.

"Yes, we are affected by #instagramdown, too," the CIA tweeted during the outage.

"No, we didn't cause it. No, we can't fix yours. Did you try turning it off and back on again?"

Earlier this year, an outage lasting as long as 24 hours that hit Facebook services was blamed on a "server configuration change."

The March 13 outage was believed to be the worst ever for the internet giant, which reaches an estimated 2.7 billion people with its core social network, Instagram and messaging applications.

The company did not immediately respond to an AFP query on Wednesday's outage.

source: philstar.com

Foul lane: Rockets' Harden apologizes for China traffic violation

SHANGHAI – Houston Rockets star James Harden is used to flying past defenders in the NBA, but he was swiftly blocked by a traffic officer in China as he rode a scooter in Shanghai.

Harden, 29, apologized after causing a social media storm following his weekend ride on one of China's ubiquitous electric scooters.

Images circulating online showed Harden stopped by police on Saturday, and state media said it was for allegedly riding against traffic and in an area where scooters are forbidden.

A friend of his is seen on another scooter with a passenger on the back, which is illegal in Shanghai for certain types of non-motor vehicles.

"I would like to apologize for violating traffic rules during my scooter ride today," Harden wrote in English and Chinese on the Twitter-like Weibo platform on Saturday night, adding that he asked his staff to accept the penalty, which he did not specify.


"Not a good example obviously but I was just trying to enjoy the city as much as possible. Thank you for your understanding and I'll make sure to abide by the rules next time here," Harden wrote on his Weibo account, which has close to 1.6 million followers.

The Shanghai police responded to Harden's apology on Sunday, quipping that a whistle can be used for the rules of the game as well as the road.

"Nothing can be accomplished without norms or standards. Hope you can play better and better in your future basketball matches and everyone will be safe on the road," the police wrote on Weibo.

Shanghai has cranked up its traffic law enforcement against non-motor vehicles and pedestrians since April.

Some fans voiced support for Harden's down-to-earth apology, while others said celebrities should not have special treatment.

"The only man who can single-handedly defend Harden has appeared," a fan commented on Weibo.

The NBA is hugely popular in China, which will host the basketball World Cup starting August 31. The Rockets are famous in China for being the team where retired Chinese center Yao Ming played.

source: philstar.com