FILE PHOTO: Boracay (Photoville International / Rhouell Carino)

AKLAN, Philippines — Bumaba ng sampung porsyento ang crime rate sa Boracay.

Ayon kay PNP-PIO Chief P/SSupt. Bartolome Tobias, mula sa 1086 na krimen na naitala noong nakaraang taon, bumaba ito sa 982 mula January hanggang Abril ngayong taon.

Kabilang sa mga naitalang krimen sa lugar ay robbery at theft sa mga turista.

Nagdagdag rin ng mga tauhan ang PNP at 24/7 na nagpa patrolya sa lugar.

Bukod pa rito ang mas mahigpit na seguridad na ipinatutupad dahil sa isinasagawang Asia Pacific Economic Coordination meeting simula noong May 10 hangang sa May 24.

Pahayag ni PNP PIO Chief P/SSupt. Bartolome Tobias, “There were interventions made both administrative and operational like deployment of additional personnel, adoption of comparative statistics, geographical information system base crime analysis and training of personnel.” (LEA YLAGAN / UNTV News)

A tank of the Iraqi army is seen on the outskirts of the city of Falluja, Iraq May 19, 2015. REUTERS/Stringe

Iraqi security forces on Tuesday deployed tanks and artillery around Ramadi to confront Islamic State fighters who have captured the city in a major defeat for the Baghdad government and its Western backers.

After Ramadi fell on Sunday, Shi’ite militiamen allied to the Iraqi army had advanced to a nearby base in preparation for a counterattack on the city, which lies in the Sunni Muslim province of Anbar, just 110 km (70 miles) northwest of Baghdad.

As pressure mounted for action to retake the city, a local government official urged Ramadi residents to join the police and the army for what the Shi’ite militiamen said would be the “Battle of Anbar”.

The White House said a U.S.-led air campaign would back multi-sectarian Iraqi forces in their attempt to regain Ramadi, whose fall exposed the limits of U.S. airpower in its battle against the radical Sunni Islamic State in both Iraq and Syria.

“The United States will be very supportive of multi-sectarian efforts who are taking command-and-control orders from the Iraqi central government,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said in Washington.

The United States is anxious that the Shi’ite militia are controlled by the Iraqi authorities rather than Iranian advisors. It is likewise worried that the fighting in Iraq will become a polarizing clash between Shi’ites and Sunnis.

Islamic State fighters set up defensive positions and laid landmines, witnesses said. The Islamists were also going house to house searching for members of the police and armed forces.

The group has promised to set up courts based on Islamic Sharia law, as they had done in other towns and cities they have conquered. They released about 100 prisoners from the counter-terrorism detention center in the city.

Saed Hammad al-Dulaimi, 37, a school teacher who is still in the city, said: “Islamic State used loudspeakers urging people who have relatives in prison to gather at the main mosque in the city center to pick them up. I saw men rushing to the mosque to receive their prisoners.”

The move could prove popular with residents who have complained that people are often subject to arbitrary detention.

Sami Abed Saheb, 37, a Ramadi restaurant owner, said Islamic State found 30 women and 71 men in the detention center. They had been shot in the feet to prevent them escaping when their captors fled.

Witnesses said the black flag of Islamic State was flying over the main mosque, government offices and other prominent buildings in Ramadi.

Jasim Mohammed, 49, who owns a women’s clothing shop, said an Islamic State member had told him he must now sell only traditional Islamic garments.

“I had to remove the mannequins and replace them with other means of displaying the clothes. He told me that I shouldn’t sell underwear because it’s forbidden,” he said.

Islamic State had also promised that food, medicine and doctors would soon be available.

Dulaimi said Islamic State fighters were using cranes to lift blast walls from the streets and bulldozers to shovel away sand barriers built by security forces before they fled.

“I think they (Islamic State) are trying to win the sympathy of people in Ramadi and give them moments of peace and freedom,” he said.

SECTARIAN HOSTILITY

The decision by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who is a Shi’ite, to send in the militia, known as Hashid Shaabi or Popular Mobilization, to try to retake the predominantly Sunni city could add to sectarian hostility in one of the most violent parts of Iraq.

The Abadi government had pledged to equip and train pro-government Sunni tribes with a view to replicating the model applied during the “surge” campaign of 2006-07, when U.S. Marines turned the tide against al Qaeda fighters — forerunners of Islamic State — by arming and paying local tribes in a movement known as the Anbar Awakening.

But a repeat will be more difficult. Sunni tribal leaders complain that the government was not serious about arming them again, and say they received only token support.

There are fears that weapons provided to Sunni tribes could end up with Islamic State.

When the Iraqi forces beat a hasty retreated from Ramadi at the weekend, they left behind a large amount of military supplies, including about a half a dozen tanks, around 100 wheeled vehicles and some artillery, the Pentagon said.

Asked whether the regular troops should have eliminated such material before quitting the city, Pentagon spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said: “It certainly would have been preferable if they had been destroyed.”

Iraqi ministers on Tuesday stressed the need to arm and train police and tribal fighters. Abadi called for national unity in the battle to defend Iraq.

A spokesman for Iraqi military operations, Saad Maan, said the armed forces controlled areas between Ramadi and the Habbaniya military base about 30 km (20 miles) away, where the militia fighters are waiting.

“Security forces are reinforcing their positions and setting three defensive lines around Ramadi to repel any attempts by terrorists to launch further attacks,” Maan said.

“All these three defensive lines will become offensive launch-pads once we determine the zero hour to liberate Ramadi.”

The International Organization for Migration said 40,000 people had been forced to flee the city in the past four days.

About 500 people were killed in the fighting for Ramadi in recent days, local officials said.

Islamic State gains in Ramadi mean it will take longer for Iraqi forces to move against them in Mosul, where militants celebrated victory in Anbar by firing shots into the air, sounding car horns and playing Islamic anthems, residents said.

(Reporting by Baghdad Bureau; Additional reporting by Stephen Kalin, by Phil Stewart and Julia Edwards in Washington; Writing by Giles Elgood; editing by Janet McBride and Crispian Balmer)

PDAF Scam Whistleblower Marina Sula (UNTV News)

QUEZON CITY, Philippines — Marina Sula repeated a detailed account in Sandiganbayan 5th Division of her participation in the pork barrel scam.

She is the fifth witness of the prosecution against former lawmaker and APEC Partylist Representative Edgar De Leon Valdez.

Valdez is one of the second batch of lawmakers charged with plunder and graft from the PDAF scam.

During the direct examination, Sula narrated her employment history in the JLN Corporation and Jo-Christ Trading Company which are both owned and controlled by Janet-Lim Napoles.

Sula said Napoles utilized the JLN Corporation merely as front for her transactions with lawmakers where she gets them to use their pork barrel funds to finance ghost projects.

Based on her testimonies, Sula was one of those whom Napoles trusted to register the 27 non-government organizations.

She was also made president of one NGO’s particularly the Masagang Ani para sa Magsasaka Foundation, Inc. or MAMFI.

Napoles also instructed her to process the NGO bank transactions and facilitate the meeting with government agencies.

Sula also revealed she used to receive one percent commission from the total amount of transactions of MAMFI.

She said one of the lawmakers she was able to transact with was the former Representative Edgar Valdez.

She also said she saw Valdez personally coming to Napoles’ office to submit the NGO endorsement letter and claim his commissions from 2005 to 2007 or 2008.

On the other hand, Valdez denied this and said it was just another new story from Sula.

“This is another story because she has executed five sworn statement before the Ombudsman, before the NBI of her own, she hasn’t mentioned anything like this. This is totally a different story now.”

Valdez added Sula’s statements were vague though he did not deny about his acquaintance with Napoles.

“Well, that issue is debatable because to go there to get money, I never did it but if I went there to see someone else is another issue… Yes, I know her,” Valdez said. (VICTOR COSARE / UNTV News)

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) shoots a layup against Houston Rockets forward Josh Smith (5) during the fourth quarter in game one of the Western Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Rockets 110-106. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Stephen Curry won his personal duel with James Harden as the Golden State Warriors overcame an early deficit and survived a late scare to edge the Houston Rockets 110-106 in Game One of the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday.

Curry poured in 34 points, six rebounds and five assists and added key buckets in the closing stages to give the top-seeded Warriors a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series in front of a raucous home crowd.

The Golden State fans were nervous early, however, when their team fell 16 points behind in the second quarter but the Warriors responded with a 16-2 run to seize control by halftime.

Harden, who finished runner-up to Curry for the regular season MVP award, nearly delivered a triple-double with 28 points 11 rebounds and nine assists, and caught fire in the second half to rally the Rockets.

Houston have already proven capable of comebacks in overcoming a 3-1 deficit to oust the Los Angeles Clippers in the last round and used a late 7-0 run to pull within 108-106 with 14 seconds remaining.

Curry, however, settled the nerves by making two free throws to seal things for Golden State, who got 18 points off the bench from Shaun Livingston.

Houston center Dwight Howard suffered a knee injury in the first quarter, returned for a while but left for good in the fourth.

Golden State will host Game Two on Thursday.

(Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by John O’Brien)

FILE PHOTO: UBER taxi (REUTERS / KAI PFAFFENBACH)

QUEZON CITY, Philippines — Hindi na muna makakapag-operate ng legal ang mga online enabled transportation service gaya ng UBER at Grab taxi dahil pinasususpinde ng House of Representatives ang department order ng Department of Transportation and Communications na ma-regulate ang mga ito.

Ayon sa House Committee on Transportation, kailangan ng mas malalim na pag-aaral bago mai-konsidera na public utility vehicle ang mga online transport service.

Tumutol ang mga taxi operator sa kautusan ng LTFRB na ma-regulate ang mga online transport service dahil hindi anila patas ang kompetisyon.

Nakakapag-operate ang mga ito na hindi man lamang kumukuha ng prangkisa sa LTFRB hindi gaya ng mga regular na taxi.

Nakakapagtakda rin sila ng sarili nilang halaga ng pasahe habang kontrolado ng LTFRB ang pasahe sa taxi.

Pahayag ni Atty. Joseph Vincent Go ng Philippines National Taxi Operators Association, “Ang justification ni DOTC, there is a demand yun ang sinasabi. If there is a demand, bakit hindi mo buksan ang franchise ng taxi? Yun ang kwestyon namin eh.”

Tumutol rin ang mga commuter group at sinabing delikado ang sumakay sa mga online transport service lalo na at walang insurance ang mga pasahero sa pagsakay dito.

Pahayag naman ni Elvira Medina ng National Center for Commuters Safety and Protection, “Kung may mangyari huwag naman sana ipahintulot ng Dios na magka-aksidente ang nalakalagay sa service contract ay hindi mo pwede habulin ang Uber.”

Nakahanda namang sumunod sa anumang ipag-uutos ng kamara ang mga operator ng online transport service.

Pahayag naman ni Natasha Bautista ng Grab Taxi, “We will comply weve always been compliant with the government if they say suspend, suspend but well wait for further instructions.”

Subalit nanindigan ang LTFRB na mabigyan ng prangkisa at maihanay bilang public utility vehicle ang mga online transport service.

Ayon kay LTFRB Chairman Atty. Winston Ginez, “Kami sa LTFRB maliwanag na ang mga transport network vehicle service ay mga sasakyan na magiging pampubliko kaya hindi na sila magiging private vehicles pag ito ay ginamit… mag a-apply at dadaan sila sa same process ng LTFRB bago mabigyan ng certificate of public convenience.”

Binigyan ng isang linggo ng kamara ang mga taxi operator at ibang stakeholders upang makapag sumite ng position paper upang madesisyunan ang pag-regulate sa mga online transport service. (MON JOCSON / UNTV News)

FILE PHOTO: (Left-Right) President Benigno Aquino III, Senator Franklin Drilon, DILG Sec. Mar Roxas

MANILA, Philippines — Pinabulaanan ng Malakanyang na nagkakawatak-watak na ang Liberal Party dahil sa usapin sa magiging standard bearer ng partido sa 2016 elections.

Ayon ay Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda, nananatiling kontrolado ni Pangulong Aquino ang sitwasyon.

“As far as the LP cabinet members, I have spoken to, there is no concern as to a breakup, the president remains firmly on to leadership, in control of the Liberal Party.”

Lumabas ang isyu dahil na rin sa ginawang pakikipag-usap ni Pangulong Aquino kay Senator Grace Poe na isa sa mga tinitingnan ng Pangulo na posibleng makapagpatuloy sa kaniyang mga nasimulang reporma.

Ngunit ilan sa mga miyembro ng partido ay naniniwalang si DILG Secretary Mar Roxas pa rin ang pambato ng Liberal Party para sa 2016 election.

Sinabi ni LP stalwart Senate President Franklin Drilon, na si Roxas pa rin naman ang kanilang pambato sa 2016 ngunit hindi pa nagdedeklara ang kalihim ng kaniyang posisyon ukol dito at sa kabila nito, na kay Pangulong Aquino pa rin aniya ang huling desisyon.

“They will respect, follow and adhere to the decision of the president,” pahayag ni Sec. Lacierda.

Inaasahan naman na sa darating na Hunyo, iaanunsyo na ng pangulo kung sino ang magiging standard-bearer ng administration party sa 2016 presidential elections. (NEL MARIBOJOC / UNTV News)

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) drives against Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (4) during the fourth quarter of game one of the Eastern Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. Cleveland won 97-89. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Hawks suffered a double blow on Wednesday when they were beaten 97-89 by the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game One of the Eastern Conference finals and lost DeMarre Carroll to what looked like a serious knee injury.

J.R. Smith caught fire off the bench with 28 points, including eight three-pointers, and LeBron James tallied 31 points, eight rebounds and six assists as the Cavaliers grabbed the lead in the best-of-seven series. Adding injury to the insult of dropping Game One on their home floor, the Hawks lost leading playoff scorer Carroll in the fourth quarter when he planted his foot and fell on a non-contact play.

Carroll was carried off and will undergo an MRI to reveal the extent of the damage on Thursday. Jeff Teague had a team-high 27 points for the Hawks, while Al Horford added 16. Atlanta battled to a 51-51 tie at halftime but lost control in the third quarter where the Cavs took a seven-point edge at the end of the period. Smith drained a trio of early three-pointers in the fourth to provide an 85-67 advantage that held up down the stretch. Game Two is on Friday in Atlanta.

(Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

An aerial photo taken though a glass window of a Philippine military plane shows the alleged on-going land reclamation by China on mischief reef in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, west of Palawan, Philippines, May 11, 2015. REUTERS/Ritchie B. Tongo/Pool

China’s land reclamation around reefs in the disputed South China Sea is undermining freedom and stability, and risks provoking tension that could even lead to conflict, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken told a conference in Jakarta.

China claims 90 percent of the South China Sea, which is believed to be rich in oil and gas, its claims overlapping with those of Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan.

Recent satellite images suggest China has made rapid progress in filling in land in contested territory in the Spratly islands and in building an airstrip suitable for military use and that it may be planning another.

“As China seeks to make sovereign land out of sandcastles and redraw maritime boundaries, it is eroding regional trust and undermining investor confidence,” Blinken said on Wednesday.

“Its behavior threatens to set a new precedent whereby larger countries are free to intimidate smaller ones, and that provokes tensions, instability and can even lead to conflict.”

The United States and China clashed over the dispute on Saturday, when visiting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged China to take action to reduce tension. China said its determination to protect its interests was “as hard as a rock”.

Asked about Blinken’s remarks, China’s Foreign Ministry demanded on Thursday that the United States abide by the principle of not taking sides on the South China Sea, and said his comments damaged trust in the region.

“The U.S. assumptions are groundless,” ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a regular briefing.

Blinken said the previous day that competing claims had to be handled “diplomatically”.

“We don’t take sides but we strongly oppose actions that aim to advance a claim by force or coercion,” he said.

“We will continue to encourage all claimants to resolve their differences in accordance with international norms.”

The territorial dispute is seen by many as one of Asia’s most dangerous hot spots, posing risks that it could result in conflict as countries stake their claims.

(Reporting by Kanupriya Kapoor; Writing by John Chalmers and Nick Macfie)

Smoke rises due to what activists said was shelling from Islamic State fighters on Palmyra city, Syria May 19, 2015. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki

Islamic State fighters tightened their grip on the historic Syrian city of Palmyra on Thursday and overran Iraqi government defenses east of Ramadi, the provincial capital that they seized five days earlier.

The twin successes not only pile pressure on Damascus and Baghdad but throw doubt on a U.S. strategy of relying almost exclusively on air strikes to support the fight against Islamic State.

U.S. and coalition forces had conducted 18 air strikes against Islamic State targets in Syria and Iraq since Wednesday, the U.S. military said.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the al Qaeda offshoot now controlled more than half of all Syrian territory after more than four years of conflict that grew out of an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.

The monitoring group added that Islamic State had seized the last border crossing between Syria and Iraq controlled by the Damascus government. The crossing is in Syria’s Homs province, where Palmyra is located.

Fighters loyal to the Sunni Muslim group have also consolidated their grip on the Libyan city of Sirte, home town of former leader Muammar Gaddafi.

The White House said the seizure of Palmyra was a setback for U.S.-led coalition forces in their fight against Islamic State. But spokesman Josh Earnest said President Barack Obama disagreed with Republicans demanding he send ground troops to fight the Islamist militants.

The Obama administration has publicly expressed confidence in Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, but some U.S. officials are questioning privately whether he is too weak to bridge Iraq’s sectarian divide.

Islamic State said in a statement posted by followers on Twitter that it was in full charge of Palmyra, including its military bases, marking the first time it had taken a city directly from the Syrian military and allied forces.

The U.N. human rights office in Geneva said a third of Palmyra’s 200,000 residents may have fled the fighting in the past few days.

FEARS FOR CIVILIANS

U.N. human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani also said there were reports of government forces preventing civilians leaving, although state media said pro-government National Defense Forces had evacuated civilians before withdrawing.

“ISIL (Islamic State) has reportedly been carrying out door-to-door searches in the city, looking for people affiliated with the government,” Shamdasani said. “At least 14 civilians are reported to have been executed by ISIL in Palmyra this week.”

The ultra-hardline group has destroyed antiquities in Iraq and there are fears it might now devastate Palmyra, home to renowned Roman-era ruins including well-preserved temples, colonnades and a theater.

The U.N. cultural agency, UNESCO, describes the site as a historical crossroads between the Roman Empire, India, China and ancient Persia and a testament to the world’s diverse heritage.

“We may have different beliefs … different views, but we have to protect such incredible vestiges of human history,” UNESCO’s director general, Irina Bokova, told Reuters Television.

Syria’s antiquities chief, Maamoun Abdulkarim, told Reuters: “This is the fall of a civilization. … Human, civilized society has lost the battle against barbarism.”

Al-Azhar, the center of Islamic learning in Egypt, urged the world to protect Palmyra, saying the destruction of cultural heritage was forbidden by Islam.

Rami Abdulrahman, founder of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Islamic State fighters had entered the ancient sites by early on Thursday but there were no immediate reports of destruction.

WESTWARD ADVANCE

The assault is part of a westward advance by Islamic State that is adding to pressures on Syria’s overstretched army and militias, which have also lost ground in the northwest and south.

Taking Palmyra gives Islamic State access to modern army installations and control of a desert highway linking government-held Damascus and Homs with Syria’s mainly rebel-held east.

Although Islamic State has seized large chunks of Syria, the areas it holds are mostly sparsely inhabited. Syria’s main cities, including the capital Damascus, are located on its western flank, along the border with Lebanon and on the coast.

Just five days before Palmyra fell, Islamic State seized Ramadi, capital of Iraq’s largest province, Anbar, where the Sunni Muslim Islamic State has tapped into resentment among local Sunnis who say they have been marginalized by Shi’ite-led governments in Baghdad.

Obama said the fall of Ramadi was a “tactical setback” but, in an interview released on Thursday, added that he did not think the fight against Islamic State was being lost.

‘MILITARY, DIPLOMATIC AND ECONOMIC HELP’

“There’s no doubt that, in the Sunni areas, we’re going to have to ramp up not just training, but also commitment, and we

better get Sunni tribes more activated than they currently have

been,” Obama said in the interview, conducted on Tuesday with

The Atlantic magazine.

“I think Prime Minister Abadi is sincere and committed to an inclusive Iraqi state, and I will continue to order our military to provide the Iraqi security forces all assistance that they need in order to secure their country, and I’ll provide diplomatic and economic assistance that’s necessary for them to stabilize,” Obama said.

Iraq’s government has ordered Shi’ite militias, some of which have close ties to Iran, to join the battle to retake Ramadi, raising fears of renewed sectarian strife.

Washington wants the counter-offensive to include both Sunni and Shi’ite forces under direct government command.

One U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there had been long-standing concerns in Washington about Abadi’s ability to navigate Iraq’s sectarian politics and that recent events had raised misgivings about him.

But Washington sees no viable alternative for Abadi, current and former U.S. officials said.

(Additional reporting by Mariam Karouny and Tom Perry in Beirut, Kinda Makieh in Damascus, Isabel Coles in Erbil, and Matt Spetalnick and Phil Stewart in Washington; Writing by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Dominic Evans, Sophie Walker, Kevin Liffey, Howard Goller and Leslie Adler)

REUTERS FILE PHOTO: LeBron James and Stephen Curry

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James and Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors headlined the list of players selected for the All-NBA team, the league said on Thursday.

James Harden of the Houston Rockets, Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans and Marc Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies joined Curry and James on the first team.

Point guard Curry, a brilliant three-point shooter who helped the Warriors win a franchise-record 67 games by averaging 23.8 points and 7.7 assists during the regular season, earned first team honors for the first time.

James, who ranked third in the league in scoring (25.3 points per game) and seventh in assists (7.4), was chosen for the ninth time in 12 seasons, putting him joint third with Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson in the all-time list.

Harden, who finished second in the NBA in scoring (27.4 points per game), earned his second consecutive first team selection while Davis and Gasol both got the nod for a first time.

The second team consisted of Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers, Portland’s LaMarcus Aldridge, Chicago’s Pau Gasol and DeMarcus Cousins of the Sacramento Kings.

Third team members were Golden State’s Klay Thompson, Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan of the Los Angeles Clippers, and San Antonio’s Tim Duncan.

The teams were selected by a panel of 129 journalists in the United States and Canada.

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Larry Fine)

Reuters File Photo: Internet access

China will spend more than $182 billion to boost Internet speeds by the end of 2017, a top government body said, as Beijing moves towards a more service-driven economy to boost growth.

The State Council said the government will invest more than 430 billion yuan ($69.3 billion) this year on network construction, with at least another 700 billion yuan ($112.8 billion) spent over the following two years.

The goal is to accelerate the development of fiber optic broadband and high speed 4G mobile networks, the governing body said on its website.

China ranked 82nd in the world for average Internet connection speed, slower than Malaysia, Thailand and Taiwan, according to cloud computing services provider Akamai’s State of the Internet report for the fourth quarter of 2014.

Improving that standing is crucial for the world’s second largest economy, which is experiencing the slowest growth in decades and is seeking to diversify away from low-tech manufacturing and development.

On Tuesday, China unveiled a vision for the next stage of its economic ascent, moving from low-tech manufacturing to advanced industry in areas such as space, e-commerce, green energy and bioengineering by 2025.

Premier Li Keqiang has also already identified the Internet and technology as vital catalysts for the shift towards an economy centered around services.

China’s three state-owned wireless carriers are also on board. Last week, China Mobile Ltd, China Unicom (Hong Kong) Ltd and China Telecom Corp Ltd said they would cut mobile data prices and boost data speeds this year, potentially spurring a mass migration of customers to more lucrative 4G contracts.

(Reporting by Paul Carsten; Editing by Miral Fahmy)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) drives past New Orleans Pelicans forward Dante Cunningham (44) and guard Eric Gordon (10) during the second quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center; Jan 21, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak created some buzz by saying future Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant had told him that next season would be his last with the Lakers, but the team said on Friday that was no surprise.

“He has indicated to me that this is it,” Kupchak said about Bryant told SiriusXM NBA Radio on Thursday.

However, the Lakers, whom Bryant has won five NBA titles with, said that has been the team’s assumption for some time.

“There’s nothing new to it at all. Nothing that’s different from any comments Mitch has made over the past several months,” Lakers spokesman John Black told Reuters.

“This is the last year of his contract. He hasn’t given any indication that he wants to play beyond this year.”

Bryant, who will turn 37 ahead of his 20th NBA season and is returning from shoulder surgery that ended his 2014-15 campaign in January, is scheduled to make a league-high $25 million in completing a two-year contract extension worth $48.5 million.

The Lakers struggled to a 21-61 record last season and own the second overall pick in next month’s NBA Draft, giving them a shot at a prized young player such as centers Karl-Anthony Towns or Jahlil Okafor.

Bryant, a 17-time All-Star guard, has battled a string of recent injuries, suffering a torn Achilles tendon near the end of the 2013 season followed by a fractured left knee.

Kupchak said no formal farewell tour had been planned.

“It’s kind of up to the player if they want to do something like that,” Kupchak said. “But he will be recognized appropriately with great gratitude when it’s time.”

(Reporting by Larry Fine in New York; Editing by Gene Cherry)

Chinese dredging vessels are purportedly seen in the waters around Mischief Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea in this still image from video taken by a P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft May 21, 2015. REUTERS/U.S. NAVY/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS

China said on Friday it was “strongly dissatisfied” after a U.S. spy plane flew over part of the South China Sea this week near where China is building artificial islands, and called on the United States to stop such action or risk causing an accident.

The U.S. flight on Wednesday was highlighted by the unusual Pentagon decision to invite a CNN team aboard the Poseidon surveillance plane. It said the Chinese navy issued eight warnings to the aircraft to move away from the contested territory.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said the Chinese military drove away the aircraft, in accordance with relevant regulations. He labeled the U.S. action a security threat to China’s islands and reefs.

“Such action is likely to cause an accident, it is very irresponsible and dangerous and detrimental to regional peace and stability. We express our strong dissatisfaction, we urge the U.S. to strictly abide by international law and international rules and refrain from taking any risky and provocative actions,” he told a news conference.

“China will continue to closely monitor the relevant area and take the necessary and appropriate measures to prevent harm to the safety of China’s islands and reefs as well as any sea and air accidents.”

A Pentagon spokesman called the mission “routine” and said such flights occurred “every few days.”

Colonel Steve Warren said the Poseidon had not gone within 12-mile (19-km) territorial limits that China claims around the artificial islands but said this could happen in the future.

“We don’t recognize those islands as anything other than international space,” he said. “For us to fly through that, we wouldn’t see that as a change in the way we do business. It just so happens we haven’t flown over them in the last 20 years.”

The U.S. stance reflects the fact that while it does not recognize Chinese territorial limits around reclaimed land, it wants to avoid escalating the issue further than necessary, he said.

U.S. SAYS FLIGHTS “ENTIRELY APPROPRIATE”

Washington has been struggling to find a way to discourage what it has described as the “unprecedented” speed and scale of China’s land reclamation work.

The senior U.S. diplomat for East Asia, Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel, told reporters on Thursday the decision to take a TV crew on the Poseidon was in the interests of “transparency.”

He said the U.S. reconnaissance flight was “entirely appropriate” and that U.S. naval forces and military aircraft would “continue to fully exercise” the right to operate in international waters and airspace.

The Pentagon believes the work is aimed at cementing China’s claim to the vast majority of the South China Sea – an important international shipping route and an area thought to have significant energy reserves and rich fishing grounds.

Washington is particularly concerned that China, whose claims overlap with those of Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan, may at some point declare an exclusion zone in the sea that could limit free movement of ships and aircraft.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that China’s land reclamation was undermining freedom and stability and risked provoking tension that could lead to conflict.

The Global Times, a tabloid owned by the ruling Communist Party’s People’s Daily, called the U.S. flights “provocative”.

“Washington is purposefully raising tensions with China, a move that has created a higher risk of a physical confrontation,” it said in an editorial on Friday.

“China should be prepared to ramp up its countermeasures, one notch at a time, according to the degree of provocations from the U.S.,” it said.

(Reporting by Sui-Lee Wee in Beijing and David Brunnstrom in Washington; Writing by John Ruwitch; Editing by Ken Wills)

May 23, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) dribbles as Houston Rockets guard Jason Terry (31) defends during the third quarter in game three of the Western Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports

Guard Stephen Curry was unstoppable as the Golden State Warriors moved within one victory of reaching the NBA Finals when they routed the Houston Rockets 115-80 in Game Three of the Western Conference finals on Saturday.

Curry scored 40 points, including seven-of-nine from three-point range, in the Warriors’ emphatic road victory that gave them a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Golden State can close out the series in Game Four in Houston on Monday.

After giving the Warriors a close contest in the first two games, the Rockets were never in the hunt on Saturday as guard James Harden had a poor offensive performance.

He was only three-for-16 for 17 points.

(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)

May 24, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) blocks the shot of Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (4) during overtime in game three of the Eastern Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken…

LeBron James was exhausted and banged-up, but he came through in the clutch as the Cleveland Cavaliers earned a thrilling overtime 114-111 win over the Atlanta Hawks to take a strangle hold of the Eastern Conference finals.

James missed his first 10 shots in the game, but soon found his range and scored 15 points in the third quarter alone.

He appeared to hit the wall in the fourth, missing shots as he favored a tender left ankle. The Hawks took advantage to tie the game with just over five minutes left and force overtime.

But James sank a three-pointer in the final minute of overtime just after Jeff Teague had given the Hawks a two-point lead with his own three-pointer.

James then all but put it away with a layup with 13 seconds remaining to widen the lead to three points.

The Hawks’ Shelvin Mack then missed two three-point attempts in the closing seconds.

James finished with 37 points, 18 rebounds and 13 assists, and passed Karl Malone for sixth all-time in playoff scoring.

Teague led the Hawks with 30 points and seven assists, helping offset the loss of Al Horford, who committed a flagrant foul in the final minute of the first half and ejected.

Paul Millsap added 22 points for the Hawks and pulled down a team-high nine rebounds.

The win puts the Cavaliers, who were without injured point guard Kyrie Irving for the second successive game due to a knee injury, on the cusp of their second NBA Finals appearance with a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Game Four is on Tuesday in Cleveland.

(Reporting by Cameron French; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)

FILE PHOTO: Shi’ite fighters fire a rocket during clashes with Islamic State militants in Salahuddin province, Iraq, March 1, 2015. REUTERS/Ahmed Al-Hussaini

Iraqi forces recaptured territory from advancing Islamic State militants near the recently-fallen city of Ramadi on Sunday, while in Syria the government said the Islamists had killed hundreds of people since capturing the town of Palmyra.

The fall of Ramadi and Palmyra, on opposite ends of the vast territory controlled by Islamic State fighters, were the militant group’s biggest successes since a U.S.-led coalition launched an air war to stop them last year.

The near simultaneous victories against the Iraqi and Syrian armies have forced Washington to examine its strategy, which involves bombing from the air but leaving fighting on the ground to local forces in both countries.

In a sharp criticism of Washington’s ally, U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter accused Iraq’s army of abandoning Ramadi, a provincial capital west of Baghdad, to a much smaller enemy force.

“The Iraqi forces just showed no will to fight,” he told CNN’s State of the Union program. “They vastly outnumbered the opposing force, and yet they withdrew from the site.”

Iraq’s government, along with Iran-backed Shi’ite militiamen and locally-recruited Sunni tribal fighters, launched a counter-offensive on Saturday, a week after losing Ramadi. A police major and a pro-government Sunni tribal fighter in the area said they had retaken the town of Husaiba al-Sharqiya, about 10 km (6 miles) east of Ramadi.

“Today we regained control over Husaiba and are laying plans to make more advances to push back Daesh fighters further,” said local tribal leader Amir al-Fahdawi, using an Arabic acronym for Islamic State, also known in English as ISIS or ISIL.

“The morale of the (pro-government) fighters is high after the arrival of reinforcements and loads of ammunition,” Fahdawi said. “Today’s advance will speed up the clock for a major advance to regain control of Ramadi.”

Planes were bombing Islamic State positions on the opposite bank of the Euphrates river, where the militants were launching mortars and sniper fire to prevent the pro-government forces advancing, Fahdawi and the police major said.

MASS EXECUTIONS

Days after taking Ramadi, Islamic State also defeated forces of the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad to capture Palmyra, home to 50,000 people and site of some of the world’s most extensive and best-preserved Roman ruins.

The fighters have killed at least 400 people, including women and children in Palmyra since capturing the ancient Syrian city four days ago, Syrian state media said on Sunday.

It was not immediately possible to verify that account, but it was consistent with reports by activists that the Islamist fighters had carried out executions, leaving hundreds of bodies in the streets.

The Sunni Muslim militants have proclaimed a caliphate to rule over all Muslims from territory they hold in both Syria and Iraq. They have a history of carrying out mass killings in towns and cities they capture, and of dynamiting and bulldozing ancient monuments, which they consider evidence of paganism.

“The terrorists have killed more than 400 people … and mutilated their bodies, under the pretext that they cooperated with the government and did not follow orders,” Syria’s state news agency said, citing residents inside the city.

Many of those killed were state employees, including the head of the nursing department at the hospital and all her family members, it said.

Islamic State supporters have posted videos on the Internet they say show fighters going room to room in Palmyra’s government buildings, searching for hiding troops and pulling down pictures of Assad and his father.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors violence in the country with a network of sources on the ground, says beheadings have taken place in the town since it fell but has not given an estimate for the toll among civilians.

It says at least 300 soldiers were killed in the days of fighting before the city was captured.

“A bigger number of troops have disappeared and it is not clear where they are,” Rami Abdulrahman from the Observatory told Reuters.

SETBACKS

Washington supports the government of Iraq but is opposed to Assad’s government in Syria, making it more difficult to build a unified coalition against Islamic State, the most powerful force among Sunni Arabs in multi-sided civil wars in both countries.

In Iraq, government forces and Iran-backed Shi’ite militia advanced against the Sunni militants north of Baghdad in the Tigris river valley earlier this year, recapturing former dictator Saddam Hussein’s home city of Tikrit.

But the insurgents responded by going on the offensive west of Baghdad in the valley of Iraq’s other great river, the Euphrates, among the most hotly fought areas during the 2003-2011 U.S. occupation.

Washington worries that Baghdad’s response of sending Shi’ite militia into the area for a counter-offensive could increase sectarian anger and play into Islamic State’s claim to defend Sunnis from a Shi’ite dominated government in Baghdad.

In Syria, where a four-year civil war has killed 250,000 people and made 8 million homeless, Assad’s government has been losing territory in recent months, both to Islamic State and to other Sunni groups, some of which are supported by the West.

(Reporting by Baghdad Bureau, Mariam Karouny in Beirut, Isabel Coles in Erbil and Andrea Shalal in Washington; Writing by Peter Graff; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

Ang ASOP o A Song of Praise Music Festival ay isang programa sa UNTV na kinonsepto nina Mr. Public Service Kuya Daniel Razon at Bro. Eli Soriano kung saan itinatanghal ang mga likhang awit ng papuri o song of praise ng mga batikan at baguhang kompositor. Kada Linggo ay pumipili ang mga hurado ng tatanghaling “Song of the Week” na isasali sa monthly finals at ang mapipili sa monthly finals ay kakatawan naman sa 12 kantang maghaharap harap para sa ASOP Song of the Year title. Ang mga kalahok na composer at interpreter gayundin ang mga manonood ay nababahagian ng mga kaalaman at estilo sa paglikha ng mga awit sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay kaalaman at komento ng mga hurado. Sina Mr. Richard Reynoso at Ms. Toni Rose Gayda ang mga host ng programang ito. FILE PHOTO. (Frederick Alvior / Photoville International)

PASIG CITY, Philippines — Nagdiwang ang Filipino Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers o FILSCAP ng ikalimampung anibersaryo sa Crowne Plaza Grand Ballroom sa Ortigas kamakailan.

Ang selebrasyon ay may titulong “Ani ng Ginto, galing sa Galing” dahil sa narating ng grupo ang 50 golden years sa pamamagitan ng pagbabahagi ng angking galing sa paglikha ng bawat miyembro nito.

Pahayag ni FILSCAP President Noel Cabangon, “We’re here to protect and enforce the rights of the Filipino composers and also the rights of our affiliates.”

Kaugnay ng naturang pagdiriwang ay ang pagbibigay parangal sa ilang piling batikang kompositor tulad nina Vehnee Saturno at Jose Mari Chan dahil sa natatanging kontribusyon nila sa paglago ng musikang Pilipino.

Pahayag ni Lifetime achievement awardee Vehnee Saturno, “Sabi ko sa sarili ko, as long as kaya kong sumulat, susulat pa rin kasi mahirap agad bitawan kasi for a long time, this is my 35th year.”

Para naman kay Jose Mari Chan, “I feel proud in the company of Ryan Cayabyab, Jim Paredes and Louie Ocampo, Manoling Fransisco, Vehnee Saturno et al.”

Samantala, nagpapasalamat naman si Noel Cabangon sa mga organizer ng songwriting competition tulad ng A Song of Praise o ASOP Music Festival ng UNTV dahil malaking tulong ito aniya sa kanilang grupo.

“Malaking tulong ang mga song festival dahil dito nae-engganyo na lumabas ang galing ng mga kompositor nating mga kababayan at nagkakaroon kasi ng venue, nagkakaroon ng lugar, nagkakaroon ng pagkakataon mailabas nila ang kanilang malikhain na talento at maganda rin yun para madagdagan ang ating repertoire, lalo yung ginagawa ninyo sa ASOP malaking bagay ito.”

Maging ang regular na hurado ng ASOP at naging pangulo na rin ng FILSCAP na si Doctor Musiko Mon del Rosario ay sinabing malaking tulong sa music career nya ng programa.

“Unang-una yun ang portal or venue ko para makapag-share ng aking mga natutuhan along the way. Kasi para hindi mamatay ang natutunan, kailangan isalin mo talaga, eh. Very fulfilling ang job ko as resident judge ng ASOP.”

Sa ngayon ay tagapamuno si Doc Mon ng isa pang grupong naka-ugnay din sa pagtulong sa mga kompositor, ang Filipino Composers Development Cooperative o FILCOMDEC. (ADJES CARREON / UNTV News)

FILE PHOTO: Hero’s arrival ceremony para sa SAF44 sa Villamor Airbase (UNTV News)

QUEZON CITY, Philippines —  Libreng pabahay at lupa ang handog ng National Housing Authority o NHA sa mga naulilang pamilya ng apatnapu’t apat na nasawing SAF commandos.

Ito’y bilang karagdagang tulong sa mga pamilyang naiwan ng mga SAF commandos sa Mamasapano encounter.

Ayon kay NHA General Manager Atty. Chito Cruz, ibinibigay nila ito depende sa pangangailangan ng mga naulilang pamilya.

“Depende kasi sa pangangailangan. Kasi hindi natin ginagawa in one area ito eh. Yung mga kanya kanya naulila, gusto nila sa probinsya nila. Yung iba gusto sa magulang nila. So, depende sa pangangailangan.”

Sinabi rin ni Cruz, bukod sa pabahay ang iba sa mga kaanak ng SAF44 ay lote ang hinihiling sa halip na bahay.

Ayon kay Cruz, sa ngayon, sampung pamilya na ang napagawaan ng bahay samantalang ang iba naman ay nabigyan na ng lote.

Sa susunod na buwan, mamimigay pa ang NHA ng sampu pang bahay o lote sa mga naulila ng SAF.

“Iyong iba nga 2 dahil, iyong magulang din. Yung iba alam natin breadwinner ng pamilya, noong mga nanay at tatay, so pati iyon isinasama natin sa mga pinagagawan natin ng bahay. Medyo nilalakihan natin ng unti para maisama sila,” pahayag ng NHA General Manager Chito Mil Cruz. (DARLENE BASINGAN / UNTV News)

Human remains are retrieved from a mass grave at an abandoned camp in a jungle some three hundred meters from the border with Malaysia, in Thailand’s southern Songkhla province May 2, 2015. REUTERS/DAMIR SAGOLJ

Malaysian authorities have found 139 graves, and signs of torture, in more than two dozen squalid human trafficking camps suspected to have been used by gangs smuggling migrants across the border with Thailand, the country’s police chief said on Monday.

The dense jungles of southern Thailand and northern Malaysia have been a major route for smugglers bringing people to Southeast Asia by boat from Myanmar, most of them Rohingya Muslims who say they are fleeing persecution, and Bangladesh.

“It’s a very sad scene… To us even one is serious and we have found 139,” Malaysia’s Inspector General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar told reporters at a news conference in the northern state of Perlis. “We are working closely with our counterparts in Thailand. We will find the people who did this.”

The grisly find follows the discovery of similar shallow graves on the Thai side of the border earlier this month, which helped trigger a regional crisis. After a crackdown on the camps by Thai authorities, traffickers abandoned thousands of migrants in rickety boats in the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea.

“We were shocked by the cruelty,” said Khalid, describing conditions at the 28 abandoned camps, located within about 500 metres (550 yards) of the Thai border, where the graves were found in an operation that began on May 11.

Thousands of Rohingya Muslims are ferried by traffickers through southern Thailand each year, and in recent years it has been common for them to be held in remote camps along the rugged border with Malaysia until a ransom is paid for their freedom.

Past Reuters investigations have shown ransoms demands ranging from $1,200 to $1,800, a fortune for impoverished migrants used to living on a dollar or two a day.

Pictures of the camps shown to journalists by Malaysian police showed basic wooden huts built in forest clearings.

Khalid said ammunition was found in the vicinity and added there were signs that torture had been used, without elaborating. Metal chains were found near some graves.

He said one of the grave sites was just 100 metres or so from the site where twenty-six bodies were exhumed from a grave in Thailand’s Songkhla province in early May.

SMUGGLING CRACKDOWN

Thailand, under pressure from the United States to do more to combat people smuggling, launched a crackdown after finding that mass grave, since when more than 3,000 migrants have landed from boats in Malaysia and Indonesia.

Thai police said on Monday there were no human trafficking camps left in southern Thailand after a month-long crackdown.

But the crisis at sea is not over.

The United Nations refugee agency UNHCR estimated on Friday that some 3,500 migrants were still stranded on overloaded vessels with dwindling supplies, and repeated its appeal for the region’s governments to rescue them.

On Sunday, Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency said that starting next week, it would begin the repatriation of 720 Bangladeshi migrants over the next month.

The cost of the repatriation would be met by the UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration, said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman at Indonesia’s disaster agency.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak pledged assistance on Thursday and ordered the navy to rescue people adrift at sea.

Indonesia’s navy spokesman Manahan Simorangkir said it had deployed six ships and an aircraft last Wednesday to search for migrant boats.

“They came back on Saturday and did not find any Rohingyas,” he said. “The ships and aircraft are back out again.”

Most of Myanmar’s 1.1 million Rohingya are stateless and live in apartheid-like conditions in northwestern Rakhine state. Almost 140,000 were displaced in deadly clashes with majority Buddhists in Rakhine in 2012. They are denied citizenship and have long complained of state-sanctioned discrimination.

Private groups say about 100,000 have fled Myanmar by sea since 2012.

Myanmar denies discriminating against the group and has said it is not the source of the migrant problem.

While many Bangladeshis seeking a better life have been found among the thousands making the perilous journey across Southeast Asia’s seas, the United States has said the majority of those landing in Malaysia and Indonesia this month have been Rohingyas from Myanmar.

The scale of the discoveries along the Thai-Malaysia border will raise questions about the extent of official complicity in the camps.

Malaysian police said in a statement that two police officers were among 10 people arrested so far this year in investigations into human trafficking, without giving details.

Thailand said earlier this month that more than 50 police officers had been transferred as a result of investigations into human trafficking networks in the south.

Malaysia’s Najib said in a post on his official account that he was “deeply, deeply concerned with graves found on Malaysian soil purportedly connected to people smuggling.

“We will find those responsible,” Najib posted in English.

(Writing by Alex Richardson; Additional reporting by Anuradha Raghu in Kuala Lumpur, Amy Sawitta Lefevre in Bangkok and Randy Fabi in Jakarta; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) walks to the locker room after the game against the Houston Rockets in game four of the Western Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs. at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The Golden State Warriors survived a major injury scare to NBA MVP Stephen Curry but still lost the game as a James Harden-inspired Houston Rockets staved off playoff elimination with a 128-115 victory on Monday.

Curry went down in the second quarter of Game Four in the Western Conference Finals, falling hard on his upper back and neck after flipping over Rockets forward Trevor Ariza, silencing a previously raucous Houston home crowd.

The star point guard remained on the floor below the basket for a few minutes to receive treatment before gently rising to his feet and walking slowly back to the locker room as he left the game with a head contusion.

However, Curry surprisingly returned to the fray with about six minutes remaining in the third after tests determined he had not suffered a concussion.

“Obviously that’s always scary. Guy hits his neck, you worry about that,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr told reporters.

He said Curry was assessed using concussion protocols.

“Our doctors cleared him and he’s doing fine.”

Curry’s return did little to change the momentum of the game, though, as the Rockets rode a monumental 45-point effort from Harden, his best ever playoff haul, to avoid the sweep.

Harden also pulled down nine rebounds, while center Dwight Howard notched 14 points and 12 boards as the Rockets ensured they would live to fight another day, pulling back to 3-1 down in the best-of-seven series.

Curry finished with 23 points, while guard Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 24.

Golden State, who will have their next chance to close out the series back in Oakland on Wednesday, have not been to the NBA finals since 1975.

No team has ever lost a best-of-seven series after winning the first three games but the Rockets did improve to 4-0 while facing elimination this post-season, the latest victory added to the ones they strung together after trailing the Los Angeles Clippers 3-1 in the last round.

(Reporting by Cameron French; Editing by John O’Brien)