Harden torches Celtics with 45 points in Houston win

HOUSTON — James Harden thinks he should be in the MVP discussion again this season and showed why on Thursday night (Friday Manila time).

Harden had 45 points and six assists, Clint Capela added 24 points and 18 rebounds, and the Houston Rockets beat the Boston Celtics, 127-113, for their eighth win in nine games.

"Of course, I should be in that conversation," Harden, the reigning MVP, said. "I received a lot of hate, but it won't stop me from going out there and killing it every single night and being the dog that I am. You can name a few other people that can be in that conversation, but realistically, it's coming back."


Harden, who was playing on a bruised left calf, had 17 points in the first quarter and finished 11 of 26 from the field, including 9 of 18 on 3-pointers.

"You take those shots, you're confident in those shots and those shots will go in," Harden said. "Sometimes they might not go in, but mostly, they'll go in. I just have to keep going, keep working."

Eric Gordon scored 20 points for Houston, which shot 48 percent while improving to a season-high four games above .500. Houston finished 18 of 45 on 3-pointers.

"He has a mastery of the game and a control and an ease of which he plays," Houston coach Mike D'Antoni said of Harden. "It's fun to watch."

Harden has scored at least 30 points in eight straight games, the longest such streak since Russell Westbrook had eight straight 30-point games in November 2016. Harden has scored at least 35 points in six straight games, the longest streak since Carmelo Anthony had six straight in April 2013.

"I think what James is doing is really special because he's really carrying us right now," Gerald Green said. "Not only is he scoring, he's leading us."

Kyrie Irving had 23 points and 11 assists, Marcus Morris added 19 points before being ejected midway through the fourth quarter, and Jaylen Brown had 18 points off the bench for Boston, which shot 47 percent but was outrebounded 54-38.

"The first 18 minutes and then the last 24 minutes, the glass killed us," Boston coach Brad Stevens said. "I thought the restricted area generally on both sides of the floor, our finishing and our lack of rebounding were separators."

The Rockets used a 14-4 run to end the third and start the fourth to open up a 103-90 lead on back-to-back 3-pointers by Green with 9 minutes remaining. Boston got no closer than 10 the rest of the way.

"We just weren't covering up for one another consistently enough," Irving said. "That's really what it comes down to."

Houston opened up a 41-24 advantage a minute into the second on 3-pointer by Danuel House Jr. Trailing 50-33, Boston used a 22-7 run to end the half, aided by three technical fouls against the Rockets in barely a minute, to cut the lead to 57-55 on Marcus Smart's 3-pointer. Irving had seven in the run.

Tip-ins

Celtics: Aron Baynes (broken finger) missed his fourth straight game. ... Robert Williams missed the game with a sore left leg. .. Al Horford had 15 points, and Smart scored 11.

Rockets: James Ennis missed his eighth straight game with a strained right hamstring, but D'Antoni said he was "close" to returning. ... Green and Austin Rivers each scored 10 points.

Technical fouls

Within a 61-second span of the second quarter, Chris Paul, who is out with a left hamstring strain but was sitting on Houston's bench, D'Antoni and Capela were all called for technical fouls. Capela's, which was the last with 2:28 remaining, was called for hanging on the rim following a dunk.

Morris was called for a technical foul with 9 minutes left in the third after taking the ball to the other end of the court after being called for a foul. Morris was called for his second technical foul with 4:38 left in the fourth after arguing an offensive foul. Smart was called for a technical foul with 24 seconds remaining.

source: philstar.com

Trump home alone for Christmas

WASHINGTON – An angry US President Donald Trump complained on Monday that he was “all alone” in the White House as the US government shutdown hit a third day, even plunging the nation’s main Christmas tree into darkness.

With Congress out of town and the debate over Trump’s demand for a $5-billion US-Mexico border wall at an impasse, the president sat holed up, tweeting no less than 10 times by early afternoon to lash out at opponents and reject responsibility for a plummeting stock market.

“I am all alone (poor me) in the White House,” tweeted Trump, who had to delay his annual Christmas holiday in Florida because of the crisis in Washington.


Trump said he was “waiting for the Democrats to come back and make a deal on desperately needed Border Security.”

However, the Democrats – and some Republicans – have made clear they will not vote for Trump’s cherished border wall. In retaliation, Trump is refusing to sign a broader spending bill, triggering a standoff that has left swathes of the US government temporarily without funding.

Outside the White House, Washington’s National Christmas Tree became a forlorn symbol of the dysfunction gripping Trump’s presidency two years after his surprise election.

The National Park Service tweeted that the tree would remain unlit and closed to the public “until further notice,” with checks being made for damage following an attempt by an intruder on Friday to climb the tree.

The parks service is one of the many federal institutions suffering from the funding suspension.

The budget standoff could drag on into January, when the new Congress is seated, including a House controlled by Democrats. Negotiations, however, were planned for Thursday, offering a glimmer of hope of resolution.

Trump made a Mexico border wall one of his main campaign promises and the idea is popular with many Republicans backing the president’s message that illegal immigration is out of control.

Democrats and some Republicans in Congress oppose the plans as impractical, unnecessary and fuelling xenophobia against Central Americans.

The government shutdown adds to uncertainties spooking global stock markets after a tumultuous week in which respected Defense Secretary James Mattis resigned and the president stepped up attacks on the supposedly independent chairman of the Federal Reserve.

On Monday, in a session shortened for Christmas Eve, the Dow Jones dropped more than 650 points, or 2.9 percent.

But Trump, who has repeatedly taken credit for good days on the markets, blamed the Fed for the growing sense of disarray.

Last week, the central bank hiked rates, infuriating Trump, who has ignored a traditional respect for the Fed’s independence, calling it “crazy,” “out of control” and a greater economic threat than China.

In a tweet Monday, Trump compared the Fed to a blundering golfer “who can’t score because he has no touch – he can’t putt!”

In other tweets, Trump praised Saudi Arabia for pledging money to rebuild Syria (“Thanks to Saudi A!”), denied lashing out at acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker (“This is a made up story, one of many, by the Fake News Media!”), and took another swipe at his newly departed defense secretary James Mattis for failing to worry about the financial cost of maintaining military alliances (“We are substantially subsidizing the Militaries of many VERY rich countries all over the world”).

Believing in Santa at 7 is ‘marginal’

President Trump and first lady Melania Trump on Christmas Eve took calls from children anxious to find out where Santa was on his gift-giving journey.

In one conversation, Trump asked a 7-year-old named Coleman, “Are you still a believer in Santa?” He listened for a moment before adding, “Because at 7, it’s marginal, right?” Trump listened again and chuckled before saying, “Well, you just enjoy yourself.”

Mrs. Trump told a caller that Santa was in the Sahara. Several minutes later, she reported that Santa was far away in Morocco but would be at the caller’s home on Christmas morning.

Mrs. Trump later tweeted that helping children track Santa “is becoming one of my favorite traditions!”

The NORAD Tracks Santa program became a Christmas Eve tradition after a child mistakenly called the forerunner to the North American Aerospace Defense Command in 1955 and asked to speak to Santa.

The program wasn’t affected by the government shutdown. It’s run by volunteers at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado using pre-approved funding.

The Trumps later traveled to Washington National Cathedral to attend the Solemn Holy Eucharist of Christmas Eve. The cathedral’s website said the program included readings from Holy Scripture, favorite congregational hymns and seasonal choral and instrumental music as well as Holy Communion. Passes were required.

Trump most likely would have been attending Christmas services at a church near his estate in Palm Beach, Florida. But he scrapped plans to head to Florida for the holidays after parts of the government were forced to shut down indefinitely in a budget stalemate with Congress.

source: philstar.com

LeBron vs Warriors headlines NBA's Christmas lineup

There's no NBA Finals rematch this year on Christmas. Not technically, anyway. It's LeBron James vs. the Golden State Warriors for the fourth consecutive year on December 25, though James will be wearing a Los Angeles Lakers uniform this time.

It was a predictable matchup.

It isn't, however, a break from tradition.


That's one of the biggest misnomers about the NBA and the schedule. An NBA Finals rematch is not common, not the norm, not a guarantee for the last two teams that were standing the previous season. The league has crowned a champion every year since 1947, and the tradition of Christmas Day games started later that same year. (They've been an annual fixture since, with the exception of 1998, when a lockout didn't allow that season to begin until February.)

But there have been only nine NBA Finals rematches on December 25. The recent Golden State-Cleveland history may make it seem like more.

James has been in five Finals rematches on Christmas, all since 2011: Miami vs. Dallas that year, Oklahoma City vs. Miami the following year, and Cleveland vs. Golden State in each of the last three years.

The other four rematches on the holiday: Orlando vs. Houston in 1995, Philadelphia vs. the Lakers in 2001, San Antonio vs. Detroit in 2005 and Boston vs. the Lakers in 2008.

So instead of a Cavs-Warriors rematch, getting Lakers vs. Warriors — for the first time in the LeBron L.A. era — makes perfect sense.

"Bron is Bron," Warriors forward Draymond Green said. "They're going to be tough, a tough matchup on Christmas Day, but we're looking forward to it."

Inevitably, so will James. Even with the Lakers having lost four of their last six games, they're off to a 19-14 start — their best since the 2011-12 season.

"We've got a long way to go to get to Golden State," James said in September.

He's about to get his first look at how the Lakers measure up with the champs.

Christmas lineup

Tuesday's slate starts with Milwaukee at New York, followed by Oklahoma City at Houston, Philadelphia at Boston, the Lakers at the Warriors and then Portland at Utah. It's Milwaukee's first Christmas game since 1977, which will end what was by far the league's longest December 25 drought. Utah hasn't played on Christmas since 1997.

A look at each of the five games:

Bucks at Knicks

Congratulations to the schedule-makers, because there's no way they could have known this Christmas game would be wrapped in animus. Giannis Antetokounmpo was peeved at New York forward Mario Hezonja — who dunked on him, stared at him and then stepped over him when the teams last met on December 1.

Thunder at Rockets

A rematch of a game from Christmas 2017, which the Thunder won 112-107. Oklahoma City is 6-2 on Christmas since the team moved there; when the franchise was in Seattle, it was 0-11 on the holiday. Rockets star Chris Paul will miss Christmas for the third straight year — with the Clippers, he had a left hamstring strain and missed their game with the Lakers in 2016, sat out last year's Houston-OKC game with a groin strain and this year, it's another left hamstring issue that will keep him out.

76ers at Celtics

These are heated, historic rivals, but they've met on Christmas only once before — in 1961, when the 76ers were the Syracuse Nationals. Boston, which famously avoided home Christmas games forever (the Celtics played their first 30 such games away from Boston), will be at home on the holiday for the second consecutive season.

Lakers at Warriors

It's the 20th consecutive Christmas appearance for the Lakers, and with LeBron James there now don't expect that streak to end anytime soon. Warriors star Kevin Durant apparently loves playing on the holiday; he's averaging 31.1 points in his eight previous Christmas games.

Trail Blazers at Jazz

Portland is 14-3 all-time on Christmas, and could tie Miami (10-2) for the best winning percentage on the holiday if it tops the Jazz. Meanwhile, for Utah, it's a chance for Jazz star guard Donovan Mitchell to get his first — but almost certainly not his last — look at playing on Christmas.

Christmas history

The NBA's five-game Christmas lineup is back for an 11th consecutive year, and that may seem like a lot of matchups but has been exceeded plenty of times in the past. There were seven games on the holiday in 1949, 1971 and 1977, as well as six in 1970 and 1976.

And there were some years where everybody played on Christmas.

In 1952, the league had 10 teams so that meant five Christmas games. In 1956, the league's eight teams got together for two Christmas doubleheaders — two games at Madison Square Garden, two others at the War Memorial in Rochester, New York. And in 1959, eight teams meant four games on the holiday again.

With Milwaukee playing, the league's longest Christmas drought will belong to the Atlanta Hawks, who haven't appeared on the holiday since 1989. After the Hawks, the longest droughts will be held by Charlotte (no appearances in 29 seasons), Memphis (no appearances in 24 seasons), Toronto (2001), Sacramento (2003), Indiana (2004) and Detroit (2005).

Everyone else has played at least one Christmas game since 2009.

Year of the 3

Houston set the NBA record for 3-pointers made in a game with 26, doing that against Washington last week.

It cemented that, without question, 2018 in the NBA was the year of the 3-pointer.

So far this season, 11 franchises — Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Golden State, Houston, Milwaukee, Minnesota, New Orleans, New York, Sacramento and Utah — have set or tied team records for 3-pointers made in a regular-season game. That doesn't even take into account Brooklyn, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Oklahoma City and Philadelphia also doing it in 2018, albeit last season.

Maybe the craze hasn't caught on in Canada.

The longest-standing team record for 3s in a game is held by the Toronto Raptors, who made 21 on March 13, 2005. Orlando's mark of 23 has stuck since Jan. 13, 2009 and Phoenix's record of 22 came on Nov. 14, 2010.

Meanwhile, Zaza Pachulia's quest for a 3 continues.

Pachulia has the NBA record for most 3s attempted in a career without a make — the Detroit backup center is now 0 for 29 in the regular season, 0 for 31 when including playoffs. He's 0 for 3 in 2018, though all those tries in this calendar year were desperation heaves from midcourt or deeper. And in fairness, only six of his career 3-point tries have been shots inside of 30 feet.

source: philstar.com

Israel sees limits of Trump support with Syria pullout

JERUSALEM — Israeli leaders have lauded Donald Trump for his list of decisions in support of their country since taking office, but the mercurial president's withdrawal of US troops from Syria will not rank among them.

After Trump's surprise announcement of the pullout last week, Israel is concerned over whether its main enemy Iran will have a freer hand to operate in the neighbouring country, analysts say.

Israel's response to the announcement has been measured -- careful to point out that it respects the US decision, coupled with pledges to continue to defend its interests in Syria.


But beneath those public pronouncements are worries over whether Iran will seek to take advantage of the US absence from the war-torn country and if Russia will respond to Israel's calls to limit it.

Beyond that, the manner in which the decision was taken and announced -- and US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis's resignation in response -- may also give Israeli leaders pause, some analysts say.

"Since it's our major ally, we want the United States to be strong ... and we want an ally which is being perceived in the region as strong and effective," said Eyal Zisser, vice rector of Tel Aviv University and who has written extensively on Syria.

"And I think that what worries some Israelis is what message does this decision -- the way it was taken, what stood behind it -- send to the region?"

'Even expand our activities'

The United States has only around 2,000 troops in Syria focused on fighting the Islamic State group, but they have been deployed in two areas along the Iraqi border, helping keep Iranian movement into the country in check.

There have been warnings from Israel and others that Iran is seeking to form a "land bridge" across to the Mediterranean, and some analysts have said that the US withdrawal could help that effort.

With Iran supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his country's civil war, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long pledged to keep it from entrenching itself militarily next door.

Israel has repeatedly taken action, carrying out hundreds of airstrikes in Syria against what it says are Iranian military targets and advanced arms deliveries to Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese group.

With the United States pulling out, Israel may look more to Russia, which is also backing Assad, to use its influence to limit Iran, some analysts say.

But that is not a given, and a friendly fire incident in September that led to a Russian plane being downed by Syrian air defences during an Israeli strike remains an issue.

The incident angered Russia and complicated Israel's operations in Syria, particularly after Moscow's delivery of the advanced S-300 air defence system there in response.

Netanyahu and Israel's military chief of staff, Gadi Eisenkot, on Sunday sought to tamp down concerns over the withdrawal.

The Israeli premier has indicated he was not taken off-guard, saying he had spoken with Trump two days before the December 19 announcement as well as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo the previous day.

"The decision to remove the 2,000 US soldiers from Syria won't change our consistent policy," Netanyahu said Sunday.

"We will continue to act against Iran's attempt to establish a military presence in Syria, and if the need arises, we will even expand our activities there."

'A free ride'

Yaakov Amidror, a former national security adviser to Netanyahu and ex-military intelligence official, noted US troops were not directly involved in Israel's fight against Iran's presence in Syria.

But he said concerns over whether Iran will take advantage of the US withdrawal were legitimate.

"From now on, it will be a free ride for the Iranians and they will use the corridor logistically to enhance their capabilities to build the military forces in Syria and to help Hezbollah afterwards," he told AFP.

An analysis by the US-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies think tank said "Israel is among the most important losers" of the withdrawal, along with the United States' Kurdish allies in Syria.

But Netanyahu has vowed that Israel will continue to "defend ourselves" and Eisenkot, the military chief of staff, called it "a significant event but it should not be overstated".

"For decades we’ve been handling this front alone," said Eisenkot.

source: philstar.com

US govt lurches to shutdown as Trump, Democrats spar over wall

WASHINGTON, United States — Donald Trump and congressional Democrats stood at stark odds Thursday as the president balked at a spending stopgap that contains no border wall funding, leaving the US government on the verge of a Christmastime shutdown.

The unpredictable leader's rejection of a measure that unanimously passed the Senate and was under consideration in the House plunged Washington into political chaos barely 24 hours before a midnight Friday deadline for funding to expire for key agencies.

Trump appeared to harden his demand for $5 billion in funding for the wall on the US-Mexico border, something he has fought for since he began campaigning for president in 2015.


Republican leaders had planned to pass a so-called continuing resolution (CR) that would fully fund the government until February 8 to allow time for debate about issues including border security.

But with ultra-conservative lawmakers and media personalities effectively demanding that the president stick to his campaign promises, Trump doubled down.

"I've made my position very clear. Any measure that funds the government has to include border security," he said at a White House event.

"Walls work, whether we like it or not," he added. "They work better than anything."

Democrats have refused to budge, saying they will not support a spending measure that funds Trump's wall.

"That's a non-starter," said top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi. "I think they know that."

Republicans nevertheless soldiered on, crafting a new measure that would appease the president's demands. It includes $5.7 billion in border wall funding, and $7.8 billion in disaster relief.

The bill passed the House, but with no Democratic support.

"Thank you to our GREAT Republican Members of Congress for your VOTE to fund Border Security and the Wall," Trump tweeted Thursday night.

"The final numbers were 217-185 and many have said that the enthusiasm was greater than they have ever seen before. So proud of you all. Now on to the Senate!"

But the bill will be dead on arrival in the 100-member Senate, where bills need 60 votes to advance and Republicans control 51 seats.

Trump also taunted Pelosi over comments she made last week that Republicans would not have the necessary votes in the House of Representatives.

"Nancy does not have to apologize," he said. "All I want is GREAT BORDER SECURITY!"

Senate Democrats were united in opposition as the likely Friday showdown in that chamber loomed. Many senators from both parties have already left Washington for the holidays.

"President Trump is plunging the country into chaos," warned Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, citing shutdown fears, fresh economic woes, and the shock revelation that Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, a stabilizing force in Trump's administration, was stepping down.

"The bottom line is simple," he added. "The Trump temper tantrum may produce a government shutdown. It will not get him his wall."

- 'Meltdown' -

Fears of a shutdown -- which could send thousands of federal employees home without pay just before Christmas -- helped send US stocks tumbling, with the Dow closing down 2.0 percent.

Trump had backed off his shutdown threat earlier this week, but it roared back to life as he accused Democrats of "putting politics over country" by not supporting a wall, which he insists will curb illegal immigration.

His move may have been influenced by members of the House Freedom caucus, some of whom have publicly called on the Republican president to stick to his guns on wall funding.

"Mr. President, we'll back you up," caucus chairman Mark Meadows said on the House floor late Wednesday. "If you veto this bill (with no wall funding), we'll be there."

With conditions fluid on Capitol Hill, it appeared that a retreat by Trump was the only path to averting a shutdown.

However, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders suggested that was unlikely.

"We urgently need funding for border security and that includes a wall," she said.

Pelosi, the likely new speaker of the House when Democrats reclaim the majority on January 3, accused Republicans of having a "meltdown" over whether to pass the stopgap measure or force a shutdown.

The news of Trump's rejection caught many Republican lawmakers flat-footed.

Senator Roy Blunt said worry is likely to set in on Friday.

"It's hard to come up with politics that are worse than shutdown politics," he told Politico. "Unless it's shutdown at Christmas politics."

The US government endured two brief shutdowns in early 2018. A far more crippling shutdown in 2013 lasted 16 days, with about 800,000 federal workers furloughed amid a fight over funding Barack Obama's healthcare reforms.

source: philstar.com

After winning Miss Universe, Catriona surpasses 2 million followers on Instagram

MANILA, Philippines — Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray achieved an impressive social media milestone after she won the crown and sash of the prestigious beauty pageant.

Catriona gained more than one million followers on Instagram in less than a day. As of posting, the 24-year-old beauty queen has 2.4 million followers.


She just reached one million followers on Instagram on the eve of the Miss Universe coronation.


Her first Instagram post after being crowned the newest Miss Universe has more than one million likes.

“Philippines, what an amazing honor it has been to carry your name across my chest and to embody you in all aspects. I may now carry the sash of Miss Universe, but I’ll forever be your Miss Universe,” she wrote.

Catriona’s Facebook page is nearing the one million mark at 964,134 likes. Her Twitter account, meanwhile, has more than 299,000 followers.

Catriona was crowned as the newest Miss Universe Monday at Thailand capital’s Impact Arena. She became the fourth Filipina to win the international pageant, following the footsteps of Gloria Diaz (1969), Margie Moran (1973) and Pia Wurtzbach (2015).  — Gaea Katreena Cabico

source: philstar.com

'This is it': Catriona Gray dedicates Miss Universe journey to Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — Hours before the much-awaited coronation day, Philippines’ Catriona Gray dedicated her Miss Universe journey to her home country.

In an Instagram post, Catriona, 24, recalled her experience being a candidate for Binibining Pilipinas (Miss Philippines) and being chosen to compete in the Miss Universe pageant.

“Philippines, this is it. What an amazing journey this has been - from day one back in January 2018 of announcing candidacy [for Binibining Pilipinas] to today,” the Bicolana beauty wrote.

“Philippines, you have endlessly inspired me, given me strength and support. I want nothing more than to bring pride to you and give my all to give the best Christmas gift ever to my country,” she added.

“Mahal kita, Philippines. Para sayo 'to. Stand by me prayer warriors, laban tayo.”

Catriona is eyeing to bring the Miss Universe crown back to the Philippines and follow the footsteps of Pia Wurtzbach, who won the crown three years ago.

The Miss Universe crown and sash will be awarded Monday. — Ian Nicolas Cigaral

source: philstar.com

#TeamCatrionaGray: Filipino supporters arrive in Thailand ahead of Miss Universe 2018

BANGKOK, Thailand — Two days before the final competition of Miss Universe 2018, some Filipinos flew from Philippines to Thailand just to support Filipina bet Catriona Gray.

On Saturday afternoon, a number of Filipino supporters turned heads at the Suvarnabhumi airport as they donned the replica crowns of Miss Universe and sash to proudly show support for Catriona.

These Filipinos who flew from Manila found they shared love for Miss Universe pageant when they arrived at the airport. They are set to watch the live coronation event of the pageant slated Monday morning (Philippine time.)


Pageant enthusiast Albert Paran, who came all the way from Cebu, said he is very excited to watch the pageant live. He is a fan of Catriona.

“Parang dream come true,” he said, adding that Catriona's victory is his Christmas wish.

Also present in Bangkok is former Miss Universe 2011 3rd runner-up Shamcey Supsup-Lee. She also wore the replica Mikimoto and diamond blue sapphire crowns brought by doctor Loyd Brendan Norella.

Loyd is one of the volunteers of LoveYourself Inc., an HIV advocacy group that Catriona supports.

He said he also traveled to Bangkok to support his friend Catriona

Win or lose, Loyd said he is proud that the Philippines was beautifully represented by Catriona.

On Wednesday, Filipino-American and YouTube vlogger Jerome Bediones also arrived in Bangkok to watch the Miss Universe pageant and back Catriona. He flew from Washington State.

Jerome watched the preliminary pageant which he said was nailed by the 24-year-old Filipina bet.

“Philippines, Catriona Gray, stole the show. So much confidence with her walk, and it may sound biased (I really don't think so) but she has the whole package when it comes to being a Miss Universe. Just looking at her, you can tell she leads with empathy and compassion, but also is stunning,” Jerome said.

Meanwhile, Albert Paran and retired flight attendant and registered nurse Mickey Rodriguez said they will both wear national costumes on Monday.

Albert said he had Philippine traditional clothing kimona designed for the pageant while Mickey said he will wear barong Tagalog.

“Gusto kasi niya (Catriona) nationalistic,” Mickey said.

Other supporters said they will wear tuxedo that bears Philippine flag.

Catriona, a former candidate for Miss World, is set to compete against 93 other representatives from across the globe at the Impact Arena in Bangkok on Monday. She is vying to bring back the crown to the Philippines three years after Pia Wurtzbach won the pageant in 2015.

source: philstar.com

Miss USA apologizes for 'racist' comments vs Vietnam, Cambodia

MANILA, Philippines — Miss Universe USA Sarah Rose Summers apologized on her Instagram account for a video where she was allegedly making fun of her fellow pageant contenders’ difficulty in speaking English.

Sarah Rose posted a photo of her hugging Miss Universe Cambodia Rern Sinat. Also in the photo are Miss Universe Australia Francesca Hung, Miss Universe Colombia Valeria Morales Delgado and Miss Universe Vietnam H’Hen Nie.

“In a moment where I intended to admire the courage of a few of my sisters, I said something that I now realize can be perceived as not respectful, and I apologize,” Sarah Rose said in the caption of her post.

She added that she would never intend to hurt others.

Sarah Rose then said that she is grateful that she had the chance to speak with Miss Cambodia and Miss Vietnam about what happened.

“These are the moments that matter most to me,” she added.

Sarah Rose was put in hot water after she was seen in a video that has made rounds in social media saying: “Francesca, the other day, Miss Cambodia is here and doesn’t speak any English and not a single other person speaks her language.”

“Can you imagine? Francesca said, ‘That will be so isolating,’ and I said, ‘Yes and just confusing all the time,’” Sarah Rose added.

She was also seen in a next clip asking Miss Australia and Miss Colombia: “And what do you think about Miss Vietnam?”

Miss Colombia, Delgado, said: “Fash-yon.”

Sarah Rose replied: “She pretends to know so much English and after having a conversation and you ask her a question, after having a whole conversation with her, and she goes... (laughs) She’s adorable.”

Social media users criticized Sarah Rose for her comments that seemingly showed casual xenophobia and racism.

Meanwhile, Miss Universe Vietnam H’Hen Nie also posted the same photo in her account and captioned it with: “We all did the great job on the stage tonight!”

The Cambodian beauty queen added: “Hugs and kisses. We are family.”

Miss Universe Cambodia Rern Sinat also posted the photo and said that the experience “have given us the opportunity to show and learn different cultures.”

“I speak the language of love, respect and understanding. I love you my sisters,” Rern added.

The five beauty queens shared the stage with 88 others on Thursday night for the preliminary competition, which included swimsuit and evening gown competition.

The coronation night will be held on December 17, in Bangkok, Thailand. — Kristine Joy Patag

source: philstar.com

UK PM survives confidence vote over Brexit deal

LONDON, United Kingdom — British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday survived a confidence vote by her own MPs but lost the support of one third of her colleagues, signalling the battle she still faces to get her Brexit deal through parliament.

May won the backing of 200 Conservative lawmakers, but 117 voted to oust her -- and only after she conceded she would step down before the 2022 election.

"I'm pleased to have received the backing of my colleagues in tonight's ballot," she said outside her Downing Street office after the result was announced.

"A significant number of colleagues did cast votes against me and I've listened to what they've said."

She said she wanted to "get on with the job of delivering Brexit", and to see "politicians on all sides coming together".

The result, announced after a secret ballot, was met with huge cheers from May's supporters gathered in parliament, while the pound rose on the news.

But leading Brexit rebel Jacob Rees-Mogg, one of at least 48 Tory MPs who triggered the vote by writing a letter of no confidence in May, said it was a "terrible result".

"She ought to go and see the queen and resign urgently," he told the BBC.


Brexit figurehead Nigel Farage tweeted that May "limps on to her next failure, the deal won't pass and the real crisis is close".

Rees-Mogg and other eurosceptics hate the divorce deal May agreed with the EU last month, which they fear risks tying Britain to the bloc for years after Brexit on March 29.

The confidence vote followed her decision on Monday to postpone a planned vote in the House of Commons on the text, because she feared a crushing defeat.

She has promised to hold that vote by January 21 -- when she may yet still lose, plunging the Brexit process into fresh crisis.

Irish warning

May heads to Brussels on Thursday for a pre-planned EU summit, where she will press fellow leaders to give her something to help sell the Brexit deal to sceptical MPs.

Many Conservatives, and the Northern Irish Democratic Unionists (DUP) who prop up the government, fear an arrangement to keep open the Irish border could see Britain trapped in an endless customs union with the EU.

After a whistlestop tour of European capitals on Tuesday, she said on Wednesday she would continue to seek "legal and political assurances" over the temporary nature of the so-called "backstop".

But while EU leaders expressed sympathy for her difficulties, they firmly rejected any attempt to renegotiate a Brexit deal that was only secured last month after 17 months of talks.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday she still "has hope for an orderly exit" but "no intention to change the exit agreement".

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar had a similar message after a call late Wednesday with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

His office said the pair "agreed to work to provide reassurance to the UK (but) the agreement cannot be reopened or contradicted".

'Enough to cling on'

MPs and ministers had rallied round May ahead of the vote, and finance minister Philip Hammond said May's victory would unite the party and "flush out the extremists".

But in a private meeting with MPs before they cast their ballots, she acknowledged the weakness of her position by setting a limit on her own leadership, lawmakers said.

"It is not her intention to lead the party in the 2022 general election," Solicitor General Robert Buckland told the BBC afterwards.

May is now immune to further Conservative confidence votes for a year, but if defeated on her Brexit deal, her government could still face a confidence vote in parliament.

Simon Hix, of the London School of Economics, said Wednesday's result was "enough to cling on, but 117 against her means the Commons arithmetic on Brexit is now even tougher".

Labour's Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer said it showed the "Tory civil war... is far from over", adding: "More trouble ahead."

The delays to the Brexit deal have prompted both the EU and Britain to step up preparations for the potentially disastrous scenario where there is no agreement at all.

source: philstar.com